Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Where to Begin?

After a 32 year engineering career and an 8 year teaching stint, retirement looms large this June.  My scouting experiences (Eagle Scout, Assistant Scoutmaster, Philmont trip with son) and small town, rural life as a youth have fostered a love of the out-of-doors, in particular hiking and backpacking.  Like many before me I have dreamed of having the time and flexibility of schedule that would allow some extended hiking and, of course, being in the East near the Blue Ridge Mountains, the AT has been a part of this dream since I first put boot to path.  With quite a bit of experience I have only hiked a few hundred miles of the AT but I have set my sights on hiking the entire length.  No plans for thru-hiking; a section hiker I elect to be.  So beginning next week during my spring break I plan to begin a methodical hiking of the trail that only an engineer could appreciate.  Ambitious - of course; will I do it?  I guess you will see.  I hope to post my first post-hike blog next week (with photos, if I remember the camera).  I wonder how many others have begun a similar venture and succeeded; I plan to be in that number.  I will keep you posted.

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