The day is upon me to start this epic trip. I have spent the last two weeks catching up with friends and family and having gone to dozens of going away parties I might need the next 6 months just to recover from all of the cheer.
I took a before, picture... so it will be fun to see what I will look like when I finish in Maine. As of March 22nd I'm 205 lbs (without beer and gyros I'll probably drop to 170). My shoe size is 9, your foot actually grows because of the swelling (unfortunately nothing else grows with it). I'm 28, and I have a couple bets with my friends that I will most likely be 29 when I finish and in case of an emergency my social security number is 867-53-0900.
The messages I have gotten from everyone have been nothing short of amazing and motivating. Not many people are fortunate enough to take 6 months of their life off to tackle such a trip. I know those who are not able to join me are sending a lot of positive vibes. I have enjoyed planning with my friends and family and the old man where they are going to jump on the trail with me (if you get get the itch to do some backpacking and want to smell like a goat, shoot me a message and we can figure out where our paths will cross).
About 2000 people try to do this every year with only about 25% of them making it. Luckily I am extremely stubborn, so short of being eaten by a bear, which still has 5 to 1 odds, I hope to push through what ever comes my way. On the plus side there are several children who will be named in my honor if I do have a less than desirable encounter with my furry brothers.
Tonight I'll spend the night on top of Springer Mountain. From there it is 2189.2 miles to Mount Katahdin.
First Night at camp, that's only two people's gear