GOOD MORNING INTERWEBS

Shalom, hello, good morning, hola, bonjour!

Howdy boys and girls, I’m Ruth and thank you for deciding to read this blog. I’m sure you have guessed just by being on this site but I am planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail. Slightly more specifically, I am planning to hike this summer and fall (GA –> MA).

I have been planning this hike for just about 2 years AND AM SO EXCITED THAT MY PLANS ARE FINALLY COMING TO FRUITION!!! I cannot honestly remember how I came about the idea to hike the trail, all I can tell you is I was 16 years old and on a train from DC to Baltimore during Spring Break. I’m not even sure if all of that is 100% true, its been so long! I do know that by the time my friend and I got to Baltimore she was over hearing me yak about all I had googled about the trail. When we got home I told my mother that she could cancel all my summer plans because I would be making my way through the east coast come June. Of course she couldn’t allow that and I, after much griping, conceded that perhaps I wasn’t yet ready to hit the trail. 2 years, a shit ton of spreadsheets, research and practice hikes later and I am ready to go!

So far I’ve gotten almost everything I need for the trail. All that’s left to get is some better rain gear, a trowel and my food. My base weight is 12.8 lbs. I’ll be hammocking it, using a Hennessy Ultralight, but will sleep in shelters when I can. I’ll be posting a complete gear list soon.

That’s all for now, ta ta dear friends!