Dynamic Duo

When I looked at my phone this morning I saw I had a text from my daughter. It was a Bitmoji of her and I hiking the trail. Below it she texted, “One month from today!” I can’t wait. I’ve finished purchasing all the gear, it’s arrived, and last week I packed it all up for the very first time. I was excited to see my base weight, which came in at 20.6 lbs.

I feel really blessed that Madeline and I are tackling this adventure together. She’s been dreaming of being out on trail for most of her life, literally. The timing just worked out really well in that she was graduating from NC State University within the same year I was able to retire from teaching in North Carolina.

AT Forays
Madeline has done a few weekend hikes, some with me and some on her own, over the past couple years- and plenty of day hikes. Neither of us have ever thru-hiked a long trail or even spent very many consecutive nights in the woods. We did venture onto the AT twice together already though. We couldn’t help ourselves after getting pumped up on YouTube videos, books, and websites. A couple years ago we went to Grayson Highlands in Virginia. We loved that day-hike and the wild horses did not let us down! However, though we brought equipment to camp overnight we bailed after being thoroughly exhausted, cold, hungry and unprepared.


We tried again a few months later in the summer. We, along with my son Lucas this time, drove to The Station at 19e and paid for a shuttle ride to the top of Roan Mountain. From there we hiked the 20 or so miles back down to the truck over the course of a couple days. This time we were better prepared and the weather was beautiful. We had an amazing campsite on one of the Balds with spectacular views in all directions. Madeline pitched her tent and Lucas and I shared mine. Oh yeah, and we took our first Blue Blaze to see the iconic red barn known as Overmountain Shelter.

Left in the Dust
It was on this trip that I noticed how much faster Madeline (and her brother, btw) naturally hikes compared to me. I tried to keep up with them but frankly, I couldn’t. Part of this is genetics. Their mom walks way faster than me too! But the other issue is I have had full double-hip replacements within the last 8 years. Walking fast just plain hurts. So I learned to let them go and eventually I’d catch back up to them when they stopped for a break. This worked fine for a 2 day hike. I do wonder how our pace discrepancy will play out over 5 or 6 months though.

In training on the non-mountainous terrain of NC’s Piedmont my hiking pace has been just shy of 18 minute miles while carrying a 30lb pack. And that definitely seems like the limit of what I’ll be able to do in a pain-free manner. How my hips hold up over this trip is honestly my biggest fear. I feel that by the time I’m out of Georgia I’ll kind of know whether making it to Katahdin is even possible or not.

Dad Mode
Madeline and I are very close and should make good hiking partners. As her protective father I do hope to stay together every day, but it doesn’t have to be in lock step as we hike along. If we get ahead-of or behind each other throughout the day that’s fine. I’d just like to make camp in the same place every night. But I’m also not naive. If only 1 in 5 hikers who set out thru-hiking the full trail is successful, I can only imagine the odds of 2 setting out together is much worse. Both of us have acknowledged that if something happens to one of us to end the dream, well then, the other needs to carry on! I really hope we both make it, but if only one of us can then I want it to be her.