I personally love the feeling of walking in mud. It’s squishy and soft and makes the grossest sound as you pull your foot out of a deep mud puddle. I love it! After a heavy downpour the trails are made of slippery, chocolate brown mud! Mud doesn’t stop me!
While hiking, one periodically comes across unusual things. Recently, after an uneventful 2 miles or so I noticed the decomposing leg of a deer had been draped on a tree branch. GROSS! Of course I took a picture because I’m morbid. I won’t put it here, but if you want to see it (you sick, sick person) I won’t judge you, just send me a message!
It was a bonus unusual day. Off the trail about 50 feet was a little white cross. Someone must have buried their pet in the woods. Or was it the remains of the deer and someone put a cross over it. I decided to admire the cross from trail just in case whatever was there wasn’t completely buried!
Hiking with different people I don’t know, I generally ask them, “How do you spend your time outside of hiking?” Almost always, the answer I get is, “Work.” Well, besides that!? Next the answers are about their children or grandchildren, pets, education and travel.
When I am asked that question the first thing I want to tell people is about my family. Dave (my husband) and Carl (my son) are my most favorite people! My two golden retrievers are great hiking buddies, too!
Another hobby I enjoy is hand crafting homemade greeting cards. I have a room in my house dedicated to my stamps and crafts! I also love Halloween, cooking and reading everything I can about the AT.
Truth be told, I really just want to talk about hiking the Appalachian Trail. I want to talk about my gear, maps, books, planning – YOU NAME IT! My hike may be 3.7 years from now (or maybe sooner if I can manage it) but I eat, sleep, and breathe the AT.
I’m planning a trip to Gatlinburg, TN in late April and plan to visit many trails there. I had made a promise to myself to not hike any of the AT until I started my thru hike. I wanted everything to be new on the trail. Now I have a chance to go to Clingman’s Dome! I should do it, right? Or, should I not? I should. Maybe not. Ugh!
In reality I should be focusing on planning and preparing for a backpacking trip I am taking to the Allegheny National Forest in ONE WEEK! Shelly and I are spending one night on a trail out there. I’m very nervous about putting up my tent. I will be practicing it over and over in my yard this week! I’ll be documenting my success or lack thereof!
As you can tell, it is Spring and I’m excited for backpacking season to begin. I’m looking forward to wearing my heavier pack on some trails to get more accustomed to it.
Happy Trails and thanks for following my adventures in training for my thru hike of the AT!
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