EMILY'S ESCAPADES

March 26 day 3 9:00-3:00 Mile 9-16.8 We hiked to Gooch Gap Shelter, it was packed with 20 thru hikers, and 9 section hikers. The ground was so uneven Shortcake and I found ourselves rolling on top of each other.  The wind was horrible tonight, then it turned to a down pour. Our tent was so dirty from the splash up of mud. No rain no pain. Foggy morning continued into a foggy afternoon but late afternoon the clouds blew away allowing the sun and breeze to dry our filthy gear. There is a young girl having a rough time already. She is a little high maintenance. Not a good fit for trail life. Saw neat snails and green plants growing. Tonight I was recognized by two other hikers thanks to

March 25 Day 2 9:20pm-4:20pm Mileage: 0-9 It was a fabulous day on the AT. We said goodbye to Batman after he hiked north with us mile. He still had to trek back out to the car at Amicalola. We will be reunited on Tuesday at NEL Gap. The weather was incredibly nice. We felt great and hiked a tad further then planned. We ended on top a ridge all alone and it was so nice. (I can't seem to upload photos. So sad. I'll kept trying)

8:32 am Destination: Springer Mountain Shelter Temp: 50 degrees Weather: Cloudy

Sharon, Bruce, and I made it to Amicalola Falls State Park a tad after 3:30pm. We are staying at the Lodge. Upon arrival at the park we eagerly visited the welcome center where we signed in for our hike. Sharon is Northbound thru hiker #1165 and I am #1166. We stragically let another hiker register first so I could be number 1156. I like the number 6. But not when it comes to weight. After getting our hiker numbers we weighed our packs. Sharon's was a modest 32, and so was Bruce's. My pack weight sported my lucky number 6.  I wish it was 26 pounds but that would have been wishful thinking. It topped out at a whopping 36 pounds. From there we drove the steep winding road up to the lodge, we c

Bruce and I had a successful first leg of our trip. Sunday night we exchanged well-wishes with Patch. He had to go back to college. At 8:00am yesterday we said good-byes to Stephen then left our home on the lake. The start was slower then we had planned but it was enjoyable. Any time spent with our kids, who are young adults now, is always time well spent. With a few other stops we finally exited the great state of Maine about noon. I love this iconic bridge. Going south it's the beginning of an adventure. On the return it's the welcome home. Bruce and I consider ourselves road warriors. We have thousands of miles behind the windshield and it's all about getting the miles in. Our goal is get

It's amazing how much energy you have when you are chasing a goal. I crawled into the rack a little after midnight. Siri had my alarm set for 6:00am. With the first note of her awakening me, I asked hubby if he was ready to get up. Unanimously, we jumped out of bed and began making it without a word. It was like clockwork. We didn't need to speak, it is a task we do daily together. With less than 6 hours of sleep we were refreshed. Any other day we would be whining and complaining about the loss of sleep, especially last week when we were robbed of that precious hour from the clock reset. But not today! We have a goal, we start my current grande escapade. Whenever I have a mission or I am ch

I am all packed and ready to go. It's 11:29 pm, tomorrow is going to come way too fast. I can't believe it is time to go. I have been looking forward to this since last fall but now that it is here I am getting anxious. I still have several items on my list that will not get completed. But I always tend to set high expectations. I believe in aiming for the moon. If I miss, the worst I can do is fall amongst the stars. I am going to miss everyone especially our two sons, Stephen and Patrick. It's a long time to go without seeing them. They are what I live for. Hopefully their schedules will allow them a chance to break free to join me on the trail somewhere. Sorry this is short and sweet. I'd

Vacations, trips, and adventures are one of life's little pleasures. They give us a chance to unplug, unwind and rejuvenate from the everyday stresses we endure. Whether done solo, or with family and friends an escape from reality is needed for one's own health and well-being. But planning for a get-a-way can sometimes be more stressful then the tension we are trying to avoid. It's then we need to step back and ..... Breathe in..... and Exhale......Repeat two more times. Enjoy the planning process. It can be quite rewarding. In my last blog post The Best Way to Increase Anxiety, I mentioned the importance of creating a list to help ease stress when tasks mount up. The same is true for planni

I leave for my Appalachian Trail thru hike in 2 weeks. An attitude of calm, cool, and collected well being has been my state of mind, until about an hour ago when I added a countdown timer to my website. Thanks Linda D, that was your idea! I just discovered the best way to increase anxiety; add a deadline. I can't believe how I went from a ho-hum I'm ready to go - to a frenzied, "OMGosh! I have so much to do!" So I will do what I always do when I get overwhelmed with a mountain of tasks to complete before the buzzer goes off. I will make a list. I already have several of them floating around the house and in my purse. I guess it is time to gather them all together and make a master sheet. If

A common phrase I hear as I discuss my plans for hiking the Appalachian Trail is, "Oh, one day I hope to do that!" My reply is simple, "It's never too late." But is that true? The past week has been tough for my family with sickness and several deaths from extended family members as well as friends. It has been a sad roller coaster. Besides the usually immediate shock and awe from the loss of loved ones my thoughts turned inward. I was driving to work and it hit me like a bird on the windshield, and I shouted in the car, "My gosh, Lord, They are dropping like flies!" Sorry for the dark humor but sometimes that helps me cope in my own way. Tears started to seep from the corners of my eyes and