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View Full Version : Hello & Merry Christmas from Mosey



Mosey
12-22-2010, 10:04
Hi everyone. I've been lurking here on WhiteBlaze for weeks, possibly months. I have really enjoyed reading some of the threads here, and also many trail journals. I figured, enough lurking, time to come outta the bushes and say "Hi!"

I'm a newbie hiker. I've been on a few day hikes, many car camping trips, overnite canoe trips, and I now have an obsession with the long green tunnel. I've never hiked the AT, other than walking a hundred yards or so north from Newfound Gap. I vacation in the Smokies nearly every October, and every time I set foot on the AT there, I want to just keep going....but there's always family waiting back at the parking lot, looking at their watches, tapping their feet.

I have felt the "pull" of the AT for some time. I can't explain it. I want to hike the AT. I have no illusions of doing a thru hike (Liar, yes u do sometimes), not sure I could pull it off, but I'd sure love to at least attempt a section or two. I'm fortunate that I've lived half a century and am in fairly good health. My youngest son graduates high school next May, and he and I have talked about taking off to hike some of the trail after his graduation.

I guess that's it in a nutshell. I'm obsessing regularly about the AT, and this site brings me as close to it as I can get at this time. Thanks for all the great articles, posts, journals, etc. I have learned tons of stuff just from browsing WhiteBlaze. I know the only way to learn for real is to just get out there and Do It. Hopefully, I can be 'out there' in the near future.

Thanks again WhiteBlaze members for sharing your knowledge. Here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

DLANOIE
12-22-2010, 11:03
Welcome and merry christmas to you as well! GLad you came out of the bushes.

Now get out there and do some hiking!:)

4eyedbuzzard
12-22-2010, 11:06
:welcome Merry Christmas to you too

Tinker
12-22-2010, 11:14
:welcome to Whiteblaze. I hope you stick around a while.
If you ever make it up to New England, get in touch with me and I'll arrange some "trail magic" if I can. :)

4shot
12-22-2010, 11:49
welcome and Merry Christmas. Your background sounds awfully close to mine..."the pull" of the trail is a magical thing and as far as being able to "pull it off", you should find and meet some people who have through the various get togethers.I think you would be pleasantly surprised...it's a wonderful cross section of people of all ages and skill levels who would be anxious to help someone like yourself. And section hiking, even for a couple of days, is a good way to start.:welcome

sonic
12-22-2010, 12:33
:welcome And Merry Christmas to you, too. Glad you came out of the bushes. Don't try to explain your pull to the AT. We can't figure it out either, it's just the way we are. Sounds like you have a great opportunity time-wise coming up to at least do a section of the AT this summer. You'll find more than enough info here, and advise, solicited or not :rolleyes:, to get you even more anxious to get out there.

Rocket Jones
12-22-2010, 12:38
Merry Christmas and Happy Trails.

Storm
12-22-2010, 12:51
Merry Christmas and welcome.

I stumbled onto this site almost by accident and now a year later I've got all the gear and all the motivation. Just waiting for the time to become available. Hoping to get out for a short winter overnighter between Christmas and New Years. Will be my first winter overnight camping experiance. :welcome

LIhikers
12-22-2010, 20:35
If you and your son do that hike it'll be agraduation present like no other gift he might recieve. For a father to invest that kind of time and effort with a son says a lot to the son about how you value him plus it will give you things to talk about for many years. Not only that, it'll change the way you see your son too. I did some bicycle camping trips with my boys as they grew up and that may have been the best thing we ever did as father and sons.

Blissful
12-22-2010, 21:07
Merry Christmas. I'm heading to NY for family.

Many Walks
12-23-2010, 00:08
Merry Christmas and :welcome You should consider hiking the AT with your son. The journey will be an experience you both will cherish forever.

Mosey
12-23-2010, 01:37
If you and your son do that hike it'll be agraduation present like no other gift he might recieve. For a father to invest that kind of time and effort with a son says a lot to the son about how you value him plus it will give you things to talk about for many years. Not only that, it'll change the way you see your son too. I did some bicycle camping trips with my boys as they grew up and that may have been the best thing we ever did as father and sons.

LIhikers, and others, I think I forgot to mention in my initial post, that I'm a *mother*, not a father. I agree though, that the time I spend with my son(s) hiking and/or camping will be something we will remember for a long time. It would truly wish that their father, my husband, could share some of the outdoors experiences with us. My husband isn't in great health, and he has never been much of an "outdoor type" person. He's physically unable to do many things, and for the last few years, I've tried to teach my son a few outdoor skills that a father usually teaches.

We are planning to do a day hike in the next few days, at a new State Park that just opened up nearby. I asked my son if he'd be interested in going with me to check out the new park, and hike one of the nature trails in the park, ~7 miles. I figured this would be a good day hike for us, on easy terrain. I was pleasantly surprised when he agreed to go, stating only "Sure! As long as you bring plenty of Food!" :banana:banana

I'm looking forward to getting out there with him, get him away from the XBox and TV. Hopefully, I'll convert a couch potato into a young hiking, nature loving person. Maybe get his mind where it was years ago, when he enjoyed fishing, and I cherished the gleam in his eye, and the look on his face, as he took a fish off the line, or rounded a bend in the river to see the most perfect sandbar for miles. :D If nothing else, I'll get him out of the house for the day, and maybe even inspire future hikes.

mweinstone
12-23-2010, 02:12
springer fever notoryosos fluenza:

indications:rapid onset severe agitation of the trailyocloreens followed by partial to total loss of sitstillum in the 14 eastern seaboard cortex.

treatment:none available at this time

mortality:most patients with severe symptoms can live a normal life but require annual trailalasis treatments lasting up to thousands of mile units of trailalium.

recurence: infected patients are carryers for life.