Three Years Ago...and Looking Forward

Three years ago this evening I was holed up in my tent near the Springer Mtn shelter, battling 40 mph winds, the first night of what was to be a six month adventure on the Appalachian Trail. See my trail journal entry that marked the beginning of the journey which tried spirit and soul, and yes, legs and back. Although I must say, we had a beautiful day to ascend the mountains to the southern terminus of this most famous footpath. This year the hikers are dealing with snow and cold unlike anything the southern Appalachians have seen in a while. This winter we received over 5 1/2 feet of the white stuff. So tonight I am feeling most fortunate to have had the day I did to begin my hike back in 2007, even though it was not without its trials.

And now I look ahead to the future. And with that, since some of my writing has not panned out as I thought and I am essentially unemployed once this last book is finished, I am looking to begin a SOBO (southbound) hike this year instead of next. The tentative start date is July 1st at Mt Katahdin in Maine. I am in the process of section hiking most of Virgina, so with that out of the way, it should be easy enough to complete a SOBO hike this year and return in time for the holidays and hopefully, new inspiration for writing projects to come.

Stay tuned to this blog for any news on this venture.