06.19.07
Posted in Hike '07 at 10:01 am by Lunar Orbit
Pine Grove Furnace State Park to James Fry Shelter
Dad and I drove to Boiling Springs PA. to meet Mike and drop off his car. Then headed south to Pine Grove Furnace State Park to begin this journey. Let me just say forty pounds doesn’t sound like a lot of weight, till you have to walk with it hoisted on your back for 8+ miles a day.
Mike and I walked south the one mile to this years official mid-point 1087mi point with full pack just to make things interesting and official. Then headed N picking up dad at the Furnace going for James Fry Shelter about 8. mi. We got pictures at the official half way marker placed in 1987 the 50th anniversary of the AT.
Up we went, lunch and a good break came quick. Dad stayed with up for about three miles to the top of then headed back to the Furnace. Mike and I had about 5 miles to the Shelter. We made shelter about 5p not bad for a first day. Explain this to me though why after hiking all day, do they put the shelter .3 off the trail AND uphill??? just to make sure you really want to stay there and to finnish you off for the day?
As I was hiking along I was going over everything in my pack trying to figure out what I could already get rid of to lighten my load. Generaly easy walk thought PA doesn’t have much elevation to it. I was glad to drop pack, get my boots off, make camp and dinner. We were both in our tents by 8p sound asleep.
-segue’07
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06.08.07
Posted in Hike '07 at 9:03 am by Lunar Orbit
I still own a house in Mobile. The night before my closing they called and said the financing “fell” through. All my stuff already packed on a truck or sold off. My brother was in town helping me pack, so really my only choice was to drive all my stuff to its destination in Maine. I arrived in Dedham Maine on Feb 14, strangely the same day I had left twenty five years earlier. I awoke the next morning to a blizzard and about fifteen inches of snow the temp hovering around the 0ยบ mark. Snowed in my first day in Maine not a bad way to start my adventure.
I spent a week up in Dedham moving in, unpacking and waiting for someone to drive up. I had left my car in NJ at my folks I was a lil stranded. Once I got back to my folks house in NJ the tasks started they suddenly wanted to remodel their entire house. Starting with the kitchen. I ended up laying new tile flooring. Painting the kitchen and den. Once I was finished of course now they are debating new cabinets and counters.
At this point maybe a month to six seeks later I had heard from the buyer once or twice who was still “working” on financing.
Okay back to our story:
My brother Michael is building a antique auto museum. Taking a 75,000sq warehouse and turning into a place to display between sixty and one hundred old historic race cars from as far back as the 20s. Races like La Mans, Sebring, Mille Miglia. The past four months I have been working with him four days a week 12 hours a day to get this museum completed by the opening date of July 1st. This was my last week working with him on that project.
Since my original buyer seemed to fade away I have had a few other people look at the house. One who flips houses wanted it but I think her hubby talked her out of it. My brother and sister offered and are are going to fix it up and flip it.
Every week I have been taking my pay and scouring the camping websites for gear. Bit by bit through sales and closeout items I have pieced together everything I will need for my adventure on the AT. I turned in my notice with my brother and have spent this entire week weighing, packing, re-packing, making food and laying out my milage. Since I am getting such a very late start, four months, I will be starting at the half way point and doing the northern half. The half way point this year is just south of Pine Grove Furnace State Park at 1087mi.
SO… thats where I am right now, in two days I will be setting foot on the trail in southern PA. with a 38lb pack strapped to my shoulders. And I wanted to do that why?!?!?!
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