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Suches, GA

My grandparents were awesome enough to wake up at 2:30 in the morning on Wednesday to drive up to Amicalola  Falls state park so I could get started on the approach Trail at 11, the ascent up the waterfall was very beautiful and slightly taxing but nothing to complain about. I made it the Springer Mountain (8.8 miles in the official start of the trail )  with in hour and a half . There I meet up with a hiking partner (Trail name Medic, will tell how he got that name in a bit) and we pushed on another 8.1 over a iced over trail to make it to the first shelter I would sleep at ( Hawk Mountain Shelter)
We arrived with maybe 30 mins of daylight left. Made dinner and collected water to refill our supplies.

There where 4 other hikers sleeping in the shelter and maybe 8 others sleeping in tents surrounding the area. went off to bed around 9:30 to toss and turn for a bit( fighting a head cold)  Around 2 o'clock or so one of the hikers that was staying in his tent comes up to the shelter and starts making a bit of noise saying " I'm very sorry guys I'm just really sick" at first I  didn't really understand what the guy was trying to say but after he kept repeating it and sound like he was slurring his words it became clear he wasn't in very good shape.

He had gotten a stomach bug of some kind and (lost control) and he completely soiled his clothing. The air temp at the time was maybe 28° so he got hypothermic very fast . me and Morgan ( Medic) and a fellow hiker quickly jumped out of our sleeping bags to start to help this guy out. We tried to get a fire going to get him warmed and luckily the other hiker had a thermometer and a emergency solar blanket ( his body temp was down to 92 ) we were able to get his body temp back up to the 98 range by getting him warm food , wrapping him up in the solar blanket, and the small fire. Luckily he had contacted his wife to arrange a pickup for him at the closest fire road. And we finished it out by escorting him out to be picked up.

And that is how Morgan "Medic"( Trained EMT)  got his name because he knew his stuff and was able to assist in helping this guy out.

We hiked around 13 miles today to make it to my first hiker hostel. We summited around 10 mountains today and they kicked our ass.  But nothing warm food and a bed can't fix , both of our knees are giving us some problems( mine from a running injury and medics from a heavy pack )

www.jtlifeonthetrail.wordpress.com

Please got to that site to see more photos for some reason this won't let me post more than one

Saying Goodbye

The date has been set in stone after years of waiting , on February 17 I start my trek.
I was previously really  hoping to leave on the 15th but due to a "wintery mix" on the weather forecast for the roads. The 17th is the day!

Today is Sunday which means I went for my last trail run with the running group this morning( beautiful view of the Marsh )  and  also that I'm having my "happy trails " farewell get together with very few family members and friends.

This past Monday was my last day at work and I had to start saying my goodbyes to friends and co-workers. It's a little strange but it hasn't felt real until now... ( And for those of you who don't know, as soon as I finish the trail I move out to Hawaii for work for a 6 month internship with the national park service) so I was saying goodbye to people that could've very well be the last time I will ever get to see them.  But the way I have  always looked at it is this , people come in and out of your life and it's a wonderful learning experience, but what matters is how you spent the time you had together. And I can  proudly say I made the most of it and learned a hell of  alot from all of you whether you know it or not.

This has been such a pipe dream for the longest time now that it almost seems a little overwhelming now that it's arrived. 

Now the key is just to live in the moment and go with the flow and remember it's always worth it in the end!

Check out the photo of the tree with that white Blaze on it! That just shows you how awesome my mom is , she made the get together a trail theme and that was really the cherry on top! (The white Blaze is what I follow the whole trail) 

So I knew going into this I would have to say goodbye , but hot damn I didn't think it would be this hard 

Marathon

I was going to hike the A.T. last year leaving around the same time but decided to push it back a year for a few reasons , at the time i was pretty bummed about not going ,but looking back now I don't regret it for a second.
I was able to do things the proper way, spending time with family members and new and old friends, I  accomplished goals I set to myself and really solidified my desire to go hike.
Because I stayed I was able to finish getting my captain's license  (a process I was working on for 5 yrs)  Also I dedicated myself to training for a marathon that was ran on the  3rd of January.  (After training for 26 weeks I'm now obsessed with running and accomplished something I never thought I'd be able to do.)

So as the trail comes speeding towards me it's bringing alot of things into perspective.  I have a really good life filled with truly great people. Leaving will be hard for many reasons but my mantra while I was training for the marathon was this, "No matter how hard it gets, it's always worth it in the end"  so I will hold true to this while on the trail. Under no circumstances will I give up, I know saying that now is one thing and it will really be tested once I'm doing 20 miles a day and walking through a foot of snow  and dodging lightning  on mountain tops while sleep deprived and hangry (but that is what makes it awesome right;)

I recently posted a video on a YouTube channel that I plan to keep updated along the trail. 
https://youtu.be/FllpsvmN4UA

This morning I'm out to go for a trail run with a really great group of people who I met because I stayed this year.

Gearing Up

So in the hiking world your base weight comes down to your big 3. Being your pack itself then your shelter and finally your sleeping system. The General rule is that if you can get your big 3 under 9 lbs you are golden .

                          My big 3

Pack: frameless Go Lite jam 70 - 1lb 14 ounces

Sleeping system: Rei flash 29° down/primaloft - 1lb 10 ounces
Therma rest sleeping pad so lite R value 2.8 (this pad also doubles as a frame for my pack ) 14 ounces
I have a pillow but it is a stuff sack that is reversible with a fleece liner so,I'm not including that as part of my sleeping system. I will more than likely add a sleeping bag liner to my system for the winter season in the beginning.

Tent : six moon designs, trekker
It has no poles included,  you use your trekking poles as the tent frame so it really cuts down the weight.
24 ounces

So my big three comes out to 5.8 lbs so let's round up call that 6 lbs!  Not bad!
(Side note I never purchased any of these items at retail price , I always waited for them to go on sale.)
We will go into more detail on gear later on when things get closer.
Currently sitting at 74 days out till Springer mountain. 
My marathon is on January 3rd so I'm just trying to focus on one thing at a time.

Changing of the seasons

132 days out (at the latest )

The cooling temperatures and more frequent northeast breeze signals winter is coming, which means the trail is that much closer. For the past few nights I have found myself restless with my mind going 100 mph contemplating my gear selection and going over what needs to be done before heading to Amicola falls.

I recently went on a small overnight backpacking trip (shakedown hike) to Jennings state forest. Me and my hiking partner got a very late start on the day and arrived to the campsite an hour and half after  civil twilight to be met with another family of campers that were more than welcoming of us , offering us food and drinks and even better a warm fire to gather around. Turns out they were from a neighboring town and had canoed out to the spot to celebrate their son's 18th birthday. My hiking partner and I contributed what would could (which consisted of gather a bit of wood for the fire) but It's people like those that make hiking and camping really an amazing experience more than willing to share with people they have never met and have little to offer in return. (Trail magic)

I am currently 10 weeks out from my first marathon so the training for the race and trail continues.

I Hope everyone is enjoying this fall weather. -J.T.

Shakedown hike= smaller hikes that help determine your gear's usefulness and what is not really needed. More gear means more weight and remember I'm carrying my house on my back for 7 months so every ounce counts!

Trail Magic, defined as an unexpected act of kindness, is a quintessential part of the Appalachian  trail experience for many long-distance hikers.

A walk north

It's been a good while since I have posted on this blog, (probably a little after I got back from Montana with my grandparents) But I considering picking it back up once again for my next journey.

I won't be really leaving for this nomadic feat until late February/early march of 2016 but I have been preparing mentally/physically since I got back from my first trip in 2013.

The Appalachian trail spans nearly 2,200 miles running from Georgia to Maine going through 14 states

So If you'd like to follow i will be starting on the top of Springer mountain in Georgia  and walking north towards Katahdin in Maine, NOBO!! (northbound)
I will be posting a fair amount before my departure showing my gear preparation (shakedown hikes) and physical training  (marathon training)

Hope you enjoy the journey with me!

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not,when I came to die ,discover that I had not lived."    - Henry David Thoreau 

Abigdon, Maryland

Since leaving the west and getting back to the north-east coast I have noticed a few differences, everyone in the east seems to be in a hurry, you can see it in their driving, and the way the communicate with you.
The towns are plastered with graffiti and traffic jams are part of your daily routine.

We were going to stop of in Philly but we decided against it once we drove through, it's not that it is a bad town, it's just a little to fast paced from what we have been experiencing and it's a bit of a turn-off. (Me and the fresh prince will have to get a cheese steak some other time.) But from here on out we are just basically hitting big towns while we head south down the east coast. Wish us luck!

I feel like I do need to include this aswell... when driving through Philly we were just trying to find any campground to park the R.V.  and disconnect the car to go sightseeing. We got a little lost and decided to stop a a gas station to gain our bearings and come up with a game plan. While me and my papa were going over the map and looking up any campgrounds on the phone, my nana was doing her usual thing and going to ask strangers were we could go. She came back about 5 mins after leaving and explained the gas clerk said "what does my gas station look like a directory to you? This is Philadelphia we don't just have places to park your rig." So Again just the attitude kinda turns you off about the city. But nana wasn't done searching for directions, she met a gentleman named nate who happened to be working for the local utilities company and he was more than willing to take the time out of his day to give us directions to the nearest RV spot. And personally pulled up the directions on his G.P.S. and the phone number of the Campground. In the end he ended up recognizing the area of town it was located in and and strongly decided that wasn't a very safe place to go having grown up there. We ended up leaving Philly completely and continued south we we are now some where north of Baltimore on a creek that comes off of the Chesapeake bay. Nate, you really are an exceptional human being and I appreciate the kindness you showed to us.

Cheboygan , Michigan

4870 total miles

Well Michigan has been pretty awesome! We have seen spectacular sights ,tons of animals and alot of water and with even more light houses.
We drove up the upper peninsula, and stayed in a small town named "Escanaba" while staying there we toured the local National forests and went to see a place called "pictured rocks" along the shores of lake superior.  After leaving  we drove over the Mackinac bridge. Which is a 5 mile suspension bridge that goes over Lake Michigan and Huron, lucky for us we drove over it the day before labor day,  which on labor day they shut the bridge down and have a huge bridge walk lead by the governor for the full length of the bridge.

We rode on a large ferryboat that tooks on to lake Huron and out to "Mackinac Island", Huge tourist trap haha it was a cool island that doesn't allow any motor vehicles,  so everyone is either riding a bicycle or getting a ride from a horse carriage. 

Michigan has some very cool places and very beautiful sights to offer. 

Hope, Minnesota

4256 miles total
527 miles on the day

We left South Dakota this morning, only to be greeted by a monsoon, as we started to cross the state line into Minnesota the sun looked like it might start to make it's presence known but then decided against it and let the clouds and wind open back up. 

I wasn't able to take any photos today because I was driving the majority of the day, but I will leave you with a beautiful quote from John Muir-

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.

Badlands National Park

While staying at the Badlands National Park,  we have done and seen a ton. The first night we went to a ranger talk where he showed us all of the constellations that were visable, I saw Saturn, mars, and the Andromeda Galaxy. (A ton of shooting stars.)  We went to the Minute man missile National Historic sight, where we got to tour the launch control modules of the missiles that were "hidden" underground during the cold war. After we finished learning about our national defenses during that time.  we drove through the badlands N.P. into Buffalo gap national grasslands and on over to Wind Cave National Park where we saw hundreds of Buffalo, wild donkeys, and a mother deer with her spotted fawn. We went for a guided hike in the caves about 200ft below the surface of the earth, where we got to view a rock formation called "boxwork" that is a very rare occurrence. (No pictures of that, just a tad to dark ) after we went into pine ridge reservation where the wounded knee massacre occured. 

This morning I went for a hike in the badlands, only a 7 mile hike or so ,but It was amazing, I got on the trail by 6:15 and saw the sjnrise over the badlands and burn through the morning fog. Around 25 big horn sheep blocked the trail as a patiently waited for the male big horn sheep to walk his herd of females and calfs to safety on the other side of the trail the howling of  3 or 4 coyotes filled the morning silence, it set my nerves on edge a little bit. The rocks and geological formations are nothing I have ever encountered.  It really Is beautiful. 
 

There is a lot of little details that I know I'm leaving out. But they will never fad from my memories.

Mountrushmore, Crazyhorse

We went and checked out Mountrushmore, and Crazyhorse sculptures today.  I must say crazy horse is amazing especially the whole story behind the sculptor and what all he has sacrificed to fulfill his promise to the natives the surrounding blackhills are very beautiful. Off to the badlands!

Rapid city ×2

3684 total miles driven
358 on the day

On the way back to rapid city we stopped at the Little Big horn National Park were general Custer made his last stand against the natives of the land It was very awesome to see all of the old artifacts and hear the stories as told from the natives (being as they were the only survivors of the battle.) It was amazing to think I could have possibly stood where Sitting Bull or Crazy Horse might have once been. We are no at a camp ground about 20 miles away from mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse sculptures are. Pictures will follow tonight!

Laurel, Montana

3,326 total miles driven
616 miles on the day

Well leaving a place like G.N.P was a little hard,  with the new friends we made in the campground, on the trail, and all the memories we shared In just the week we were there.  Montana will go down in the book for me as the most beautiful state I have ever been to, And I believe both of my grandparents would agree. Montana is know as the "Big sky country" it really does live up to that name. The skies here just seem massive, over the mountains and the the farmlands they just seem endless. We stayed the night at a truckstop parking lot.  Just pulled up and fell asleep.

Backcountry Backpacking

23.90 total miles hiked
8197 total elevation change
4147 up
4050 down

1st day-8/18/14 - Snyder lake via Sperry trailhead
4.40 miles
2047 ft elevation gain
The first day on the trail was a short hike but alot of elevation gain. The view from inside of the basin at snyder lake are absolutely breathtaking, you are surrounded by cliff faces that are 2000th feet high in every direction except where you hiked in at. At the camp I encountered a doe. She was very curious and visted me 2 more times that day. There were only two other hikers that stayed at the campground that night, they were a couple from Maine named will and Caroline. ( awesome people )
That night there was not a cloud in the sky while I watched the sunset over the mountains. The stars were like nothing I have ever witnessed! There was not a dark spot in the sky. Snyder lake was amazing.

2nd day-8/19/14 - Lincoln lake
11.50 miles
1300 up
1800 down
I rose before the sun and was able to watch the shadows of the mountains disapear along the other mountains as it came over the closest peak. I ate my birthday cake(cliffbar)  for breakfast with my two new friends. We said our good byes while we all took in the beauty one last time before left Snyder lake. After hiking down snyder lake trail I went east on Snyder ridge trail where I encountered mosquitos the size of pigeons, and there were hundreds of them. Once I got through with the ridge trail I went north on Lincoln lake trail. For what is probably the most up and down in elevation I have ever encountered on a trail. Once i arrived at Lincoln lake where the largest waterfall in the park is around 3 I was the only hiker there, I had made it just In time to set up my tent and filter my water from the lake and then the skies opened up. It rained until 8 or so just in time for me to watch the sun set around 
10 o'clock the sky cleared up enough for me to see the stars once more in a different lake basin. At 12 that night a storm was coming directly over head where lighting struck 2 miles away. But the thunder is like nothing you have ever heard, it's reverberations bounce off of the basin and make the most beautiful sounds. Each thunder boom lasted for a good 30 to 45 seconds. The combined sound of the thunder, rain,  and waterfall made for a very peaceful sleep.

3rd day-8/20/14 - return to civilization via Lincoln lake trailhead
8.00 miles
800 up
2250 down

When I woke,  the rain was still drizzling I waited for 10 mins or so,  and I was lucky enough that there was a break in the rain. I packed my life's needs back in my pack and hit the trail.
Again like I said this Lincoln lake trail is filled with elevation gains and loses but im not sure if it is just harder going out then coming in or if my legs were that tired. I met the killer mosquitos once again for about a 3 mile stretch
I didn't see any people until I was a half a mile away from the road, so I went a full 24 hrs in G.N.P's  backcountry with out seeing a soul and it was incredible.

I'm back at base( R.V.) now with the memories of the best birthday ever. It was such an honor to be able to witness so many beautiful scenes and people.  I'm truly the richest person right now.

Happy birthday to you too dad.  Love you.