SavageLlama
06-01-2004, 09:41
Richmond family takes to the trails to learn lessons
By AMY BOWEN
May 31, 2004
Associated Press Newswires (javascript:NewWindow( 'FIISrcDetails','?from=article&ids=aprs');void(0);).
RICHMOND, Minn. (AP) - Summer vacations aren't about relaxing in Dennis Gregory's house.
Leave the video games and other indoor activities at home. This Richmond man prefers taking his family on heart-pumping outdoor adventures. Gregory and his three teenage sons will hike about 600 miles of the Appalachian Trail, from Vermont to northern Maine, starting next month. Last summer, the family hiked about 1,600 miles of the trail from Georgia to Vermont.
The family will take six weeks to complete the remainder of the trail, Gregory said. The trail is 2,174 miles, according to the National Park Service. It runs from Georgia to Maine. His wife, Barb, will follow in a car with supplies.
"I'm ready to get it done," said son Brent Gregory, 18. "Right now, everybody asks how far you have to go or when you're going to do it. Now I can say I hiked the Appalachian Trail."
The Gregorys have hiked since their children were little. They've traveled to 49 states and throughout Canada, Dennis Gregory said. The family decided to hike the Appalachian Trail because it's one of the nation's most well-known long-distance trails, he said.
"We want them to get out in nature early on," Dennis Gregory said. "We've been hiking for 15 years. We wanted them to know the options -- what was all out there."
Last year was a learning experience on the trail, the family said. They went through multiple pairs of hiking boots, economy-sized bottles of ibuprofen, moleskin patches for blisters and lots of Band-Aids.
According to the Appalachian Trail Conference, people can spend $2,000 to $5,000 hiking the entire trail, without equipment. Equipment costs another $1,000 to $2,000, the conference said.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail proved physically difficult last year. The trail is not level. Hikers scale rocks, follow tiny dirt trails through lush forests and struggle up hills. Gravestones dot the landscape.
Rattlesnakes blend into the dirt and rock, making them difficult to spot. Insects hum constantly. Bee stings and bug bites are common.
The family expects to hike 14 to 15 miles a day, Dennis Gregory said. They rest at camp sites and in hotels. They travel in almost any weather, Dennis Gregory said.
Hikers can never eat too much. Dennis Gregory lost 30 pounds last summer, despite eating constantly, he said.
The trail's culture adds to the experience, the Gregorys said. Hikers use trail names as long as they're on the trail. Brent Gregory goes by "Snap," his 16-year-old brother, Kyle, uses "Pop" and Joel, 13, is nicknamed "Crackle."
Travelers wander the trail alone or with small groups, often meeting up along the way. It's a good way to keep your sanity, the family said.
"There are some days where we get on each other's nerves," Dennis Gregory said. "The wilderness is a big thing, so we don't always hike together."
The Gregory family's summer adventure probably won't stop after mastering the Appalachian Trail. Dennis Gregory said he wants to start visiting the highest points in each of the 50 states. He thinks the family would be able to visit 16 by summer's end.
His sons aren't too excited about it, they said. They'd rather go back to Richmond and spend time playing video games, driving their car, hanging out with friends and getting ready for school.
Joel especially misses his Xbox.
"It's a lot of fun," he said of his trip. "(But) you don't really get to play those games."
Dennis and Barb Gregory understand the hesitation but will continue to push their sons to try new things.
"It's just a neat family experience," Barb Gregory said. "It's not something many families have done."
By AMY BOWEN
May 31, 2004
Associated Press Newswires (javascript:NewWindow( 'FIISrcDetails','?from=article&ids=aprs');void(0);).
RICHMOND, Minn. (AP) - Summer vacations aren't about relaxing in Dennis Gregory's house.
Leave the video games and other indoor activities at home. This Richmond man prefers taking his family on heart-pumping outdoor adventures. Gregory and his three teenage sons will hike about 600 miles of the Appalachian Trail, from Vermont to northern Maine, starting next month. Last summer, the family hiked about 1,600 miles of the trail from Georgia to Vermont.
The family will take six weeks to complete the remainder of the trail, Gregory said. The trail is 2,174 miles, according to the National Park Service. It runs from Georgia to Maine. His wife, Barb, will follow in a car with supplies.
"I'm ready to get it done," said son Brent Gregory, 18. "Right now, everybody asks how far you have to go or when you're going to do it. Now I can say I hiked the Appalachian Trail."
The Gregorys have hiked since their children were little. They've traveled to 49 states and throughout Canada, Dennis Gregory said. The family decided to hike the Appalachian Trail because it's one of the nation's most well-known long-distance trails, he said.
"We want them to get out in nature early on," Dennis Gregory said. "We've been hiking for 15 years. We wanted them to know the options -- what was all out there."
Last year was a learning experience on the trail, the family said. They went through multiple pairs of hiking boots, economy-sized bottles of ibuprofen, moleskin patches for blisters and lots of Band-Aids.
According to the Appalachian Trail Conference, people can spend $2,000 to $5,000 hiking the entire trail, without equipment. Equipment costs another $1,000 to $2,000, the conference said.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail proved physically difficult last year. The trail is not level. Hikers scale rocks, follow tiny dirt trails through lush forests and struggle up hills. Gravestones dot the landscape.
Rattlesnakes blend into the dirt and rock, making them difficult to spot. Insects hum constantly. Bee stings and bug bites are common.
The family expects to hike 14 to 15 miles a day, Dennis Gregory said. They rest at camp sites and in hotels. They travel in almost any weather, Dennis Gregory said.
Hikers can never eat too much. Dennis Gregory lost 30 pounds last summer, despite eating constantly, he said.
The trail's culture adds to the experience, the Gregorys said. Hikers use trail names as long as they're on the trail. Brent Gregory goes by "Snap," his 16-year-old brother, Kyle, uses "Pop" and Joel, 13, is nicknamed "Crackle."
Travelers wander the trail alone or with small groups, often meeting up along the way. It's a good way to keep your sanity, the family said.
"There are some days where we get on each other's nerves," Dennis Gregory said. "The wilderness is a big thing, so we don't always hike together."
The Gregory family's summer adventure probably won't stop after mastering the Appalachian Trail. Dennis Gregory said he wants to start visiting the highest points in each of the 50 states. He thinks the family would be able to visit 16 by summer's end.
His sons aren't too excited about it, they said. They'd rather go back to Richmond and spend time playing video games, driving their car, hanging out with friends and getting ready for school.
Joel especially misses his Xbox.
"It's a lot of fun," he said of his trip. "(But) you don't really get to play those games."
Dennis and Barb Gregory understand the hesitation but will continue to push their sons to try new things.
"It's just a neat family experience," Barb Gregory said. "It's not something many families have done."