As the soreness starts to subside each year discussions ensue about plans for the next hike. Dale (Turtle) starts looking at vacation schedules and Ben (Navigator) begins to give his input, e.g., expected class schedule and other stuff. This year is no different.
In 2009 the hike is expected to start on May 18th. They plan to travel over 500 miles on foot before reaching their destination of Bartlett, NH (32 days). Last year the hike started in July. They hiked 430 miles in 27 days in temperatures from the high 50s to highs in the mid 90s. This year they expect to see lows in the 30s and highs in the 70s.
A lot of planning is done to prepare each year. This year plans have included purchases of new gear, warmer clothes and a few amenities (sleeping bag liners for those cool nights). New recipes have been developed for the "just-add-water" diet. They will be "feasting" on a new rice/veggie/ham delight for breakfast and a variety of new dried fruits for snacks.
We spent last week in the mountains of Franklin, NC where the guys took the opportunity to try out their new packs and warm clothes. Yes . . . that there was snow on the ground! For all of you non-hikers . . . yes they are crazy, but they were in good company. They met fellow hikers who started in Georgia and plan to hike all they way to Maine by the fall, 2178 miles.
We will be updating the blog in the coming weeks. We hope you will share comments!
