On Saturday, July 17, 1999, some friends and I were traversing the knife’s edge near the summit of Mt. Katahdin, Maine (I remember the date clearly as it was the day after JFK Jr.’s plane went missing near Martha’s Vineyard). Just as we reached the summit we heard someone scream loudly. It was a brutally hot and humid day and our first instinct was that someone had collapsed from heat exhaustion or, perhaps, was injured. Turned out it was a AT thru-hiker who had just completed his journey from Springer Mountain, Georgia and his scream was one of celebration (and I imagine a little pain as well).

I’m not sure, at the time, if I was even aware that Mt. Katahdin was the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. I do remember commenting to my friend Stu that this gentlemen sure looked like he had been in the woods for 6 months and I remember thinking “Why would anyone want to hike a trail that is more than 2,000 miles long”?

Fast forward almost 24 years and I find myself ready to start my own attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. On March 16th I will hike the 8.8 mile approach trail from Amicalola State Park to Springer Mountain and, on March 17th, will begin hiking the Appalachian Trail. I intend to go as far north as my body takes me, which I really, really hope is back to the summit of Mt. Katahdin.

Over the past 8 years I have taken on two other extreme distance adventures, but not achieving what I set out to accomplish on either. Seldom a day goes by that I do not think about some aspect of those two adventures – the fantastic people I met along the way, the tremendous physical stress and exhaustion, the amazing sites, and the “what ifs” had just a few circumstances turned out differently.

At the top of Mt. Katahdin in 1999 I was 39 years old. I will be 63 if I reach the summit this year. Over the past few years I have seen the passing of my parents, my wife’s parents, relatives and friends. I have seen first hand how different my life will likely be in 20 short years and I know the window of opportunity to begin this journey is rapidly closing. So, time to begin.

I want to thank my wife Diane, daughters Stephanie & Courtney, and (future) son-in-law Brent for supporting and encouraging me on yet another “crazy adventure” as I know the hardships and challenges I face over the coming months will wear on them as well.

I look forward to the adventures ahead and thank you for following along.