Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Planner

This is a pretty great book. I would suggest getting it more than a month before your anticipated departure, but that's not how Elliott and I roll.  I am about half way through it and so far so good we are right on track as far as gear, food and finances are concerned. There are plenty of good tips and trail knowledge that we wouldn't have learned until we were on the trail. The book also contains plenty of worksheets to help you prepare. Worksheets include a financial spread, suggested mail drops, calendars, mileage, gear list, towns, inns, post offices and restaurants.

Elliott and I highly recommend this book to anyone planning to hike some or all of the AT.

     

Huffing and Puffing Thoughts

So while Elliott and I were hiking up Mount Marquette tonight I started huffing and puffing. The first thought that always comes to mind is "why the heck am I going to do this?" Why in the world would I commit to hiking 2,175 mile for fun? Not to mention all we have had to give up while saving and training for the trail. Missed opportunities to hang out with friends, go on ski weekends, go out to eat, get ski passes, go to the movies, trips home to visit family ect. Things we wanted to buy like new clothes, play station 3 (elliott), wii (elliott), kayaking gear, other outdoor gear, books, movies, new shoes ect. All the extra things we had to do late nights working, extra hours at work, plan meals for the trail, train, research, coordinate with Dan ect.

This morning Elliott came across this thought on facebook from Lecrae's page.  

"Prepare your heart now to embrace today's difficulties. God uses those to refine us and save us from worshiping comfort."

None of the things we sacrificed caused harm to us or threaten our beings. This has been a great lesson in not "worshiping comfort," but to appreciate them as gifts from God. There will be plenty of difficulty on the trail as well as throughout the rest of our lives. My hope is that God always guides me to see more than the comforts around me and to look to him.

Karen