Big T and I step off from Amicalola on Easter Sunday, only 24 days from today. Our gear is dialed in to the best of our abilities, we have trained for this and yet how can one train for something like this. This is the most physically demanding thing we’ve ever asked our bodies to do. Walking over 120 miles carrying 25lb packs with over 30,000 feet of elevation change. Some of my friends think I’m crazy. That I’ve lost my mind. My parents as well honestly. What I know is this. I feel like I’m dying when I’m sitting at home and I feel like I’m living more than I ever have when I’m out there in the wilderness. It’s hard and uncomfortable sometimes but it’s worth it(to me). The mental clarity I gain from even short trips out make them worth the time and effort. I hike to preserve my mental health, burn calories by the thousands, and experience some adventure. Our route takes us from Amicalola Lodge to Springer Mountain then onwards to GA/NC border and up to Franklin, NC. With stops in some towns for resupplies, zeros, neros, to do laundry perhaps. It’s very much choose your own adventure while following the trail.

I returned to Marshall mountain with Big T in tow this weekend. It was necessary for him to get in at least one shakedown hike before we hit the trail next month in Georgia. We knocked out the same 16 mile loop I soloed in November. It got pretty cold Saturday night but the day weather was great with spectacular views on Sunday from the summit. Had to deal with a few hours of hiking in ice and snow which slowed our return from the shelter on Sunday. We met a family of four at the shelter that I swore to T would kill us in our sleep that night. Thankfully we survived.