Appalachian Trial

This is my blog as I prepare, Lord willing, to hike the 2175 miles of the Appalachian Trail starting March 5th, 2008. Then for the next 4-5 months, I will be somewhere between Springer Mountain (the southern point) and Mount Katahdin (the northern point). The trail goes through 14 states: Georgia, N.C., Tennessee, Virginia, W. Virginia, Maryland, Penn., N.J., N.Y., Conn., Mass., Vermont, New Hampshire, and finally Maine!

Here are a few tidbits about the Appalachian Trial to chew on!

* 5 million footsteps to reach Maine
* 82,366 white blazes marking the trail (avg of one every 39 feet)
* 6,000 calories burned daily by a thru-hiker
* 265 shelters or lean-tos dotting the trail (avg of one every 9 miles)
* 12 minutes for record-holding thru-hiker to devour a half-gallon carton of ice cream at the half-gallon challenge in Penn.