ONLY 298 more Days!! Yes, I live in a tiny town named Runaway Bay, and NO, I do not live anywhere near the Gulf of Mexico. Our little hamlet of a town is located on the muddy shores of Lake Bridgeport, about 45 miles NW of Fort Worth. Our town did not even exist as […]
Only 299 more days! First of all, a hearty welcome to the newest idiot member of our little hiking cult, Shelbygrl, a fine Canadian gal from the frozen tundra of Ontario, who is apparently of sufficient mental instability that she somehow thought that spending 6 months hiking mountains with two sweaty idiots was actually a […]
It seems that some deities out there are enjoying our great adventure. No doubt they are expecting entertainment of “Without a Paddle” dimensions, namely a good bit of snorting if you have drunk enough cheap beer at the recent cookout with the guys. Said deities seem to want to ensure we provide the best entertainment we can, so […]
The Idiot is finally back home after a whirlwind 4-day, 2,000 mile road-trip from Texas to Indiana in order to meet our first grandchild, Landon Alexander Pakulak (5 weeks old), for the very first time. (Landon’s Dad, Mom, and Grandpa all have red hair….. the kid never had a chance) I won’t be posting a […]
In a hike of 2200 miles, as one might imagine we are not just passing through a large amount of terrain, but also through a lot of history. The areas covered have witnessed much, from the growth and spreading of the indigenous people to the birth through adolescence of the nation we call the U. S. If we manage to survive […]
Now that we have pushed our start date forward, we can no longer laze along in our preparations. We need some quick training in the force, so sent out the troops in search of the Yoda of hiking. The troops actually happened to be FB messages, and Yoda turned out to practically be in my back yard […]
If you happen to live east of the Mississippi, please look closely at this map of the Appalachian Trail. Do YOU live anywhere within a few HUNDRED miles of the trail? If the answer is YES, we would love to have the opportunity to meet with you as we pass through your area. You are […]
After Mark’s recent post, I have to admit I have a few concerns myself now. I mean knowing that my own personal need for pepperoni sticks could very well endanger my life is scary enough, but knowing my partner is likely to antagonize rattle snakes and terrorize field mice and Boy Scouts is rather sobering. It is […]
1067 Days to go! I’ll be using this post to update my fitness progress each Monday until we depart on the hike. Thanks to Steve for leading me to the website “myfitnesspal.com” which has been a great help in allowing me to track my calorie intake and exercise. My personal goals for the years […]
Shoes, Shoes, Shoes. Those are my wife’s three favorite words. In thinking about all the planning and logistics needed by Steve and I prior to starting this hike of the Appalachian Trail, I have quickly come to the realization that “shoes” is probably going to be the one dominant word that I associate with […]
