Day 30

Walked in blowing snow again this morning, but being as it actually melted and turned somewhat nice in the afternoon, I went for another walk.

Today's steps: 11193/ 4.6 miles
AT: 106.69
YTD: 203.79

See you all at the campfire tomorrow!

Day 29

Woohoo! I broke 100 miles today!

Today: 4.17 miles
AT: 52.97
YTD: 100.15

Day 28

I took a break on the trail and had molds made for new orthotics. Such a nice podiatrist. You never know who you'll run into along the trail.

7360 steps today for 3.25 miles. I managed to ramp up for 13 minutes and 1236 aerobic steps while mowing the lawn tonight.

AT Miles: 79.8

YTD Miles: 177.63

How are you doing?

Hey! I crossed the Georgia - North Carolina State Line yesterday and didn't even realize it. I think it's worthwhile to backtrack just a little to stay at Chunky Gal Trail tonight -- Boy! Is that an accurately named stop! Muskrat Creek Shelter is a mile back. You can bet I used the privy before hiking onward. At this elevation, I appreciate my toasty sleeping bag.

Day 27

Today's steps: 9354/ 3.85 miles
AT: 96.34 miles
YTD: 193.44

Jim needed to take the truck to work today, so I had the extra hour at home in the morning and walked on our road. In fresh snow. Brrrr. I went for another walk after work.

I'm about at Bear Pen Trail at the moment.Here is one thru-hiker's journal for this area--as well as a view of her gorgeous heel blisters. Eep.

Day 26 (Wednesday)

I forgot to check in yesterday, so this is for two days.

Golf yesterday, 2 miles, plus about half a mile walking around the house and yard.

Today: 1 mile walk early, plus 1.6 miles later.

total: 5.1, which puts me at the magic hundred mile mark for the year. YeeeHAAAWW!!!!

yesterday and today: 5.1
AT: 56.7
YTD: 100

Day 25

Ugh. Not one of my better days, and we won't discuss why. I managed to leave the pedometer on the vanity this morning, so when I came home to spend the afternoon here (because of why we won't discuss why, but it's going to be ok; don't worry), I picked it up and tucked it in my pocket. I'm going to give myself 1.5 miles today and 3500 steps based upon what I remember myself walking today.

AT miles: 70.28

YTD miles: 168.11

Hershey has kept the chipmunks away from our pack, but I think he's made friends with a bobcat that has taken to following us. I ache everywhere at the moment. I believe I'll resume taking my Tylenol/Aleve combo tomorrow.

24 March

I'm the first one awake today! Sleeping by the side of the road was a little difficult. A chipmunk kept trying to get into my pack. And it succeeded - it shredded the toilet paper. Sigh. Have to look for leaves now, until I get to the next city.

Miles today: 1.5 miles (I walked to the market and back this morning)
AT: 21.5

Couldn't get to the next shelter, so I'm out in the woods again tonight.

Day 23--Happy Easter!

I didn't count steps today officially, but I did two church services and cooked dinner, so I'm counting .93 miles to get me to Low Gap Shelter. Considering I've been averaging 1.2 miles on Sundays, that looks close enough to me!
AT Miles: 41.1
YTD: 88.28

Day 22 (Saturday)

We walked around the pond, then had coffee at the bookstore. I call that a great way to spend Saturday.

Oh, yeah, and the basketball :)

today: 2.6 miles
AT: 47
YTD: 90.3

Day 21

OK, I'll handle it tonight, Val. ;-)

I've been a little busy lately so I'm catching up. Since Monday, I've done 6.4 miles.
AT Miles: 37.67
YTD: 84.85

Any guidelines for our campfire stories? Or just bring a story?

Day 20

Hey, just a reminder that anyone can do these posts. You all don't have to wait for a West Coaster to be done with their day!

I forgot to log in yesterday, but I did 7549 steps/ 3.1 miles.
Today: 10148 steps/ 4.17 miles
AT: 66.69
YTD: 166.79

So it's trying to be spring here, but I'm betting Georgia is more successful at it. Looks like I am at Hiawassee, Georgia, within a stone's throw of a campsite, so I'm pretending that's where I am!

first campfire: March 31

We had initially planned to have a group campfire when everybody reached mile 48, but several of our people had a late start and won't be there for a while. Christina's had back trouble and several of us have been ill. So the heck with mileage; let's have a campfire on the 31st. Location will be wherever the trailing person is that day.

I'll bring the campfire. Everybody else, bring a tale to tell -- real or fictional, either is fine. See you there!

Day 19

Walked 5400 steps for 2.4 miles. I'll be off line for the rest of the week, but I'll do a catch up post when I return.

AT Miles: 59.22

YTD Miles: 157.05

Day 18

Today: 1.6
AT: 41.8
YTD: 85.1

That puts me at the Low Gap Shelter. Glad I made it, because we're supposed to have rain and snow overnight. Should be lovely hiking in the downpour tomorrow.

Trail Map

I tried my hand at making us a map, this is sort of to scale and broken down by state. If people like this I can work on adding everyone else, right now it's beta version. (And I can also pretty up the graphics a bit).

The Map

Feel free to make suggestions, and if you all have favorite colors I can add that to your name. (The dot in front of the name is the marker for the distance hiked so far). If you all want I can update this once or twice a week, all I need to do to update is divide the current AT miles for each person in half and put that in my CSS file.

I got the state mileage from Wikipedia.

Day 17

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Did you run into anybody Irish on the trail? I saw a leprechaun at Starbucks -- no kidding. Very short red-haired dude in a black suit and a very green tie. The only trouble was, he was driving a BMW SUV...

Anyway, I got 1.6 miles on our evening loop plus half a mile running around the grocery store and the parking lot and all that.

today: 2.1
AT: 40.2
YTD: 83.5

Day 16 (Sunday)

Skiing today. Neil says I get to count 4 miles.

today: 4 miles
AT: 38.1
YTD: 81.4

Day 15

An easy day today. 4200 steps and 1.85 miles.

AT miles: 49.18

YTD: 147.01

Day 14 (Friday)

I actually got out for a walk today (1 mile), plus did the laundry and some other work around the house.

today: 1.5
AT: 32
ytd: 75.3

Day 13

Yes, I’m posting early today so I don’t forget to leave a message again. I took my walk this morning and did 3.5 miles. Two day total is 6.5 miles. (I’ve had to take my asthma medicine before and after the walk, but I’m making progress.)

AT total : 38 miles
YTD total: 89 miles

Day 12

Thanks for the video, Val. I'm still feeling drained today, but I'm surprised at all the walking I got in, especially since Hershey and I really only took one walk today.

9822 steps for 4.34 miles.

AT miles: 39.56

YTD: 137.39 miles

another new member

Welcome to Neil :D Spouse of Bonnie, father of Meowser. It's a family operation!

AT: Blood Mountain (mile 28)

For those of you near Blood Mountain, about Mile 28.1, here's a glimpse of your terrain.

Watch out for the bear these guys saw!

Day 11 (Tuesday)

Not much today; still sick. Maybe half a mile including the grocery store...

AT: 30
YTD: 73.3

Welcome Chanpheng, Claire, and Helga!

We've added three new members to the group -- Chanpheng in Laos, Helga in Reno, and Claire in upstate New York. Glad to have you with us.

Day 10

Hang in there Meowser. Lots of us hike around missing the scenery.

8500 steps for 3.75 miles

AT: 32.05 miles

YTD: 129.88 miles

3529 aerobic steps in 33 minutes

I'm directly between two shelters, but I'm at the Levelland Mountain feature.

Day 9

Most of my miles came from walking from the library to the living room while moving books. I'm sorting them for the move. Then, of course, Hershey's two walks rounded out the rest.

7933 steps for 3.5 miles

AT Miles: 28.3

YTD: 126.13 miles.

Day 8

Wow, busy day today. I did 3.6 miles doing volunteer work and just passed Justus Creek.
AT Miles: 14.05
YTD: 61.23

I'm shooting for Gooch Gap tomorrow. :-)

Day 7

I didn't make it to the next shelter, so I'm camping in drizzle and possible snow and freezing temperatures tonight. Aerobic steps are 3118 in 29 minutes.

I did get 3.65 miles today in 8240 steps
AT miles: 22.15 miles

YTD Total: 113.55 miles

I hope I got that leak in my tent fixed. At least I have a cozy sleeping bag.

Day 6

I got my West Coast Trail certificate tonight -- very nice!

Today's progress? 3.45 miles in 7800 steps. Aerobic counts of 3150 steps and 31 minutes.

AT Total: 18.5 miles

YTD Total: 109.91 miles

How's it going?

Hey, gals, check this out!

We caught the attention of the Parks Dept. in British Columbia! He's offered to send a virtual completion certificate of the West Coast Trail by e-mail if you'd like one. His e-mail address is in my comments. Did anyone else get a comment from him?

Day 5

Exercise bike today, because it's pouring.

added 1.6 miles for our usual walk. I'm tired...

today: 4 +1.6=5.6 miles
AT: 15.6 17.2
year: 64.9 66.5

That puts me at just past Gooch Gap Shelter.

Day 4

Today is a yoga day for me, so no miles. (Actually Pilates this time. Man are my abs sore...)

How did the rest of you do?

Day 3

Current temperature in northern Georgia is 60*. That's far better than what I have here! (18*)

Today: 1.2 miles
AT total: 3.6 miles
YTD: 50.78 miles

(Did I leave anything out?)

Welcome to our two newest members

Welcome to Meowser, a.k.a my daughter Kat, and to Christina, a.k.a. Snoopy. Many happy miles to us all! *clink!*

Day Two

This morning after we ate breakfast at the hotel, we walked around Boston. We went up Boylston, through the Boston Public Garden, around the Common, and then down the Commonwealth Mall, which is a boulevard strip, not a shopping area. Here's a picture and information. And here is a picture of some of the houses along Comm Ave. When I was growing up in Montana, I used to think that living in one of these gracious houses would be the epitome of civilized living. Now that I've lived in the Boston area for nearly thirty years, I'm not sure I was wrong.

Anyway, we walked about 5 miles again. So that's 5 + 5 = 10 on the walk. 59.3 on the year. I'm getting so good at this arithmetic thing!

Day One on the new trail

So let's get ourselves started off! Here's the starting plaque. Everyone present and accounted for?

6354 steps/ 2.4 miles
March miles: 2.4
YTD: 86.8

And Happy Birthday Bonnie!