Get Set.... 10 days to go!

At this point we are getting closer and closer every day. In a little over a week we will be saying our farewells to family and most modern conveniences so as you can imagine we are in a bit of a crunch to get our final preparations in order and make sure we haven't forgotten anything vital. As we mentioned in previous posts, our hike is a little different than the norm (if you can consider any part of spending 6 months carrying your life on your back normal.)  The majority of thru-hikers hike from Georgia to Maine (NOBO).  Another significant percentage hike from Maine to Georgia (SOBO).  We are doing an alternative hike to best fit with our schedule- a Flip-Flop.  Our Flip-Flop will start in Georgia, we will hike north for 1 month, get off the trail for 2 weeks to spend time with family, then head to Maine to hike the remainder of the trail SOBO.  This hiking route means we have more transportation logistics on and off the trail, but thanks to our families, we have all of our transportation requirements taken care of.  Since will be at Baxter State Park in mid-June, we did get our reservations there made with a few spare days to make sure we get some good weather to summit Mount Katadhin, a very popular out-and-back which would normally serve as a dramatic close to a northbound thru-hike. We will then head south in attempt to make it all the way to the point where we stopped our NOBO section.  

After about 4 months apart, I finally got to meet up with Evan in lower Michigan.  We have three days to get everything together here before heading to Charleston with his family for a week long family vacation.  These three days are all about getting the last few details done.

       - We got our hair cut short for easier maintenance on the trail (and why not?), we are now a virtually hairless pair (Thank you again to Evan's sister, Nichole).

       - We have shut off our fancy smartphones and picked up a cheap "dumb phone" to use on the trail for emergencies and for letting our family know where we are.  

       - We have bought our first supply of food.

       - We have packed and weighed our bags, both come in at right about 38 pounds.  Evan has a half  pound more than Carolyn.  We know that this weight will likely change over the course of the next 5 months, but we are happy with our starting weight.  

This will be our last post before our departure from Amicalola state park on May 1, and likely the last time either of us will post until at least early June, however be sure to check back regularly as we will be keeping in touch with various family members who will contribute small updates as we progress. Thank you in advance to all of our family and friends who are helping in various ways to make this crazy dream of ours a reality, and regardless of the final outcome, we look forward to having many stories to share when we return. 

Get Ready... (24 days to go!)

And so my life begins to change.  Evan is still in Detroit, working until the end of the month, I on the other hand finished up my last day at Holiday Inn, my last day with my acupuncture clients, and now my last day in Marquette (all very bitter-sweet).  I have moved all of our possessions into a small barn in the middle of the Minnesota flat lands and I am temporarily staying with my parents in my home town.

Leaving Marquette was anything but easy - I had 2 jobs that I loved, clients that I loved, and a community that supported me and I tried to reciprocate the support.  Part of me was screaming "WHY are leaving all of this behind for some crazy, unknown!?" But more of me is excited about this crazy, unknown adventure to come.  Everything seems to be falling into place - our gear is in Detroit, waiting with Evan.  All of our other possessions are in storage, hopefully safe from the crazy Minnesota weather.  We are up the finishing phone calls trying to get all of our other things in order before heading off.

But like I said above, my adventure has already begun: Since leaving Marquette 1 week ago, I have been living with my parents.  Much of the time is spent staring out at the cornfields wishing it would warm up just a little bit.  But I have gotten in some fun time with local friends & family and of course some dancing with the local dance community.  My mom and I spent a day driving out to Marshall, MN to meet up with a family friend whom I call 'Grandma Jean.'  She has a lot of outdoor adventure experience and it felt great talking to her before heading out.  I have a couple more dance nights this week before heading off to my next destination - Iowa City, IA!