Stevie got into physical shape by training for the Disney 50th Anniversary Marathon the January prior.  

Rich walked 10K steps per day for 2.5 years, and sometimes did backwoods hikes with a 30-pound pack.  Then most importantly (one could argue), he retired!

To document our trail experience with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), we formally registered as anticipated Thru-Hikers, with our start location being Rockfish Gap/Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park. Beginning midway on trail made us Flip-Flop hikers, which was encouraged by the conservancy to help with minimizing overcrowded conditions in Georgia and helping with preserving vegetation along the trail.

We each developed a detailed Packing List which included the minimum amount of essential gear required, and their weight. To test our gear, Stevie planned a 3-day hiking trip in Maine (Baxter State Park) in June of 2021.  However, we did not have all the necessary items at the time, so to simulate our carry weight, we stuffed random items (no organization) into our backpacks and slept in a family tent that leaked!

We also tested out our stoves, set up & broke down our tents, and practiced hanging our food on tree branches.  We didn’t prep our bags until the night before we headed to Waynesboro, VA for our first day.  This was primarily due to Stevie flying in from Minnesota literally the day before we drove down. We did treat our clothes and tent with Permethrine to help with ticks.

During the months leading up to our trail launch, we watched Taylor Tognacci’s (Nahamsha) vlog each day of her 2021 thru-hike to mentally prepare for what was ahead, and to get a sense for what each day may involve in terms of pace, endurance, when to take “Zero” or “Nearo” days for recharging, etc. We also experimented and tried certain foods that we would start out with.

And through all of our anticipation and excitement, Stevie never lost his sense of humor. On April Fool’s Day, just nine days before our start date, he sent me a pic. It wasn’t very funny at the time. I have to admit, he got me!

We also planned our overall trip by creating a daily hiking estimate for the entire 2194.3 miles, which we did not follow at all.

However, we did have a great plan for the first few days that we did follow. This short term plan got us off to a great start, and we pivoted from there.  Otherwise, the most important thing to note is that we quickly learned that:

(1) you cannot plan your whole journey beforehand because you can’t rely on good weather, terrain, resupply opportunities, or how you will feel.

(2) you don’t need to be a pro-hiker on Day 1, but physical fitness does help.

(3) do as much research as you can but understand that you will be needing new gear, and sending stuff home