Feeling pretty tired from this long haul into Franklin and the 32 oz monster beer I just had:) but heres a short clip of the Albert Mountain fire tower I went up today.

March 25,2012-Tray Mountain

Crossing the border into North Carolina tomorrow! On the hike today I could see the high mountains NC has to offer. Kind of intimidating. Thursday my dad will be joining me in Franklin, NC to hike for a few days. Im definitely going to enjoy the time with him. I've met a lot of people so far on the trail and have been hanging out with a couple groups but I think it's better for me right now not to get caught up in the party. I'm just getting cranked up. Let me get a couple hundred miles in and past these tough southern mountains then we can do it up. Oh yeah, I met a guy that lives down the street from me! Off belcher rd. So random!
The hiking has been pretty hard. I've heard that these are some of the harder parts of the trail. And then it rains....wet rocks and mud make for a interesting hike. I did a split coming down hill the other day. Coming down is always more like controlled falling for me. The blisters are coming on too. The trails been hard on the body but it's just because it's new and part of the building process. I'll have my "trail legs" soon:)

Day 1 was pretty rough. I pushed myself a little to hard and squeezed out 15 1/2 miles which I'm glad to have behind me. Pretty much right off the bat I was having a IT band problem with my knee, as I kind of expected to have. It screams in pain. The good news is, that pain seems to have eased up; the bad news is the pain is now in my left knee:/ but other than the IT band woes, I'm 30 miles in and I'm feeling excellent. Staying at Neels Gap hostel tonight. The shower I'm about to have is going to be glorious.

GPS Tracker

Im not sure how this is going to work out but I'm carrying a GPS locator by request of the parentals. As long as I don't press the S.O.S button on accident and get guys jumping out of helicopters we'l all be good. Check out my locations here. http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0lXgYiAPugQXv4ynqRiq8nN48WhTLIOFO

So here I am. At the base of Springer Mountain. The southern point of the trail. Signed in at the visitors center as a A.T thru hiker. Its official! As much as I will miss my family and friends and the comfort of home in St.Pete, this summer is going to be a unforgettable one. Im looking forward to allllll the new things I'm going to experience. To name a few, the hike through the Smokeys (the place where the backpacker inside me grew), Grayson Highlands, The White Mountains, trail town and of course the glorious trail magic. At this point I feel very good about the gear that I have put together. I weighted in today at the visitor center. Total pack weight 26 lbs. Prepared for the good and prepared for the bad. Whatever may get thrown at me, I'm all positive here. Give it to me. The big K is in sight.  /\^/\^/\

Making It Happen

Today I think back to the fall of this past year when I stared to plan this trip on the Appalachian Trail. From August when I first told my parents and friends of the idea, getting my guide books, and slowing getting new gear….THIS IS HAPPENING.  The goal was set when I was 14 after a backpacking summer camp with my good friend Nathan Freeman ( Boy those summers in North Carolina were the dayzzz ). The thought then of a trail that went over 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine just seemed like a wild dream, but I always knew that one day I would set out to conquer it. After much thought and planing this journey ahead of me has become a reality. With the great support of my family and friends, 2,184 miles and 14 states is nothing more than a long walk;) A.T class of 2012 baby!!