Where did he go now?
One Month on the Appalachian Trail
One month ago, I began a new journey.
I started hiking the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail.
I’ve now set foot in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and—currently—Virginia.
There’s no question that I am here on purpose … for a purpose.
As the thought persisted, confirmation came from others. And so, I packed my bag and departed. From day one on trail, it was clear to me there is a deeper reason for this journey than I claim to know.
The path has been laid before me, so I am simply walking. North.
Trail Questions
Some have questioned why I am walking. Me too.
Some have questioned if I’ll complete the entire trail. Me too.
Some have questioned when I’ll be done. Me too.
For now, I am simply walking about 15-25 miles a day and enjoying the amazing beauty along the way. The entire trail has been filled with peace and purpose.
I’ve explained it like this to some who have asked:
It seems I left the 99 and am going after the 1, again and again. I’ve been given a grace to walk at a seemingly supernatural pace, then—on occasion—I’ll hear to slow down or stop. Another sojourner will pass and I’ll pick up at their pace and spend the day walking with them.
Inevitably, this leads to the sharing of my testimony. And my testimony leads others to the inquisitive pursuit of the unseen realm. Interestingly, whoever is walking with me on trail becomes a captive audience that cannot escape the reach of the One who is pursuing them. With a strong hand and outstretched arm, He continues to encounter hikers with His unconditional love.
Capturing the Journey
To those who have asked about following along on the journey with me, I’ve embarked on a new way of capturing my trip. I’m vlogging.
Sorta.
I’m capturing daily commentary on the trail as if I’m vlogging, yet I decided early on that I would not be the one to edit or post these clips. I need to hire an editor to manage that side of the journey or else you’ll never see anything.
It’s hard enough walking continuously all day. At the end of the day when I set up my tent and lay down, I pass out. When I wake up, I repeat the endeavor all over again. Simply put, there is no time on trail to edit videos.
So, videos will not come until I figure out the whole editor situation. All that to say, you’ll see the journey—ups and downs—at some point.
Here are a few highlights I’ve endured:
Hailstorm (followed by 11.7 mile night hike)
Earthquake (4.1 on the Richter scale)
Tornado (just a warning, but the wind was epic)
Bear (seen a few now, mostly with cubs)
Skunk (almost stepped on him)
Dragon’s Tooth (morning sunrise)
How can you help?
Many have asked me how they can assist my journey. My answer early on was “I don’t know”. I was unsure what I had gotten myself into and had no clue about what was needed on trail.
After a month of hiking, I can now better answer that question.
Indeed, there are ways you can assist … if you’re so inclined. As far as equipment goes, I’m fairly dialed in. On the food side, however, I’m consuming way more calories than I ever imagined possible. A typical day right now is around 6000 calories.
I’ve been told that it’s not uncommon for hikers to eat more than 8,000-10,000 calories a day toward the end of the hike. That’s a lot of food, and food can be heavy so lightweight options become the only option on trail.
Hiker hunger is real.
If I had my druthers, I’d add these luxury food items to my daily intake to help manage nutrition and boost energy.
LMNT Electrolytes - 2 packs Daily
(Chocolate Salt, Citrus Salt, Lemonade Salt, Orange Salt)Progenex Recovery - 2 scoops Daily
(Chocolate or Peanut Butter Smash)AG1 Travel Packs - 2 packs Daily
Unlike other snacks and meals available at resupply points along the trail, the above three items are rarely available on trail. And, after a month of hiking and investigating the routines of fellow hikers, I believe these would make the biggest difference in my daily routine.
Other items of interest include jerky, protein bars, homemade pemmican (Justin, are you reading this?), dehydrated fruit and—an absolute luxury—dehydrated dinners such as Mountain House or Peak Refuel.
Support Appreciated
If you want to help supply my journey, text me to let me know what item(s) you’d like to supply and I’ll give you an address where you can send them. (Or, if you simply want to give to the cavernous food fund, you can do so here.)
Logistics aren’t my strong suit. The easiest solution for you (and me) is to have everything sent to one location in Austin where one amazing woman will split items into resupply boxes that will be shipped ahead of me on trail. (Thank you!)
Again—if you text me—I’ll share that address. No worries if not.
Video journey coming soon. For now… just walking. North.
Shabbat Shalom.
Tomorrow is Shavuot (Pentecost). Chag Sameach!
I’m Gr8ful.