Welcome Class of 2005

[attroll]

This forum is intended for only 2005 Thru-hikers to use. The only users on WhiteBlaze that should be able to access this forum will be 2005 Thru-hikers and the WhiteBlaze Administration. If you can access this forum and are not a prospective 2005 Thru-hiker then please notify the Admin of WhiteBlaze and let them know.

This is on the honor system. If you see this forum now then it means that you notified us that you were a prospective 2005 Thru-hiker and we took you word that you were being truthful.

[attroll]

I just opened this forum to all 2005 hikers. At this time it is a private forum for 2005 hikers only. If you know of anyone that is a 2005 hiker and is does not have access to this forum then let me know and I will grant them access.

If at a later time you all want this froum open to the public then it can be done. Lets see how this works out first for a little bit.

Lets see some introductions to get this started out.

[art to linda]

arttolinda, planning a 2005 thru hike...may be a SOBO or a flip-flop not sure yet. Getting gear together and plan on doing a section this fall as a shakedown. Haven't been backpacking in a long time, was raising my family so stuck to camping while the kids were home. Now it's time to have a life away from the family and get back to doing the things I enjoyed on my own.

[Simrose]

Hello to all that will follow this entry (it's fun to be first ... but kinda lonely too!).

My name is Sarah and next year I'll be finishing up pharmacy school and hitting the AT in early April, hopefully. I'm still waiting to get my April rotation switched to December so I can be done in time ... wish me luck! Lots of it.

I've wanted to thru-hike since high school, possibly before. I really feel the need to do this at the end of school next year because I need a break, BADLY. My program has been a very uptight one (mostly due to competitive students) and I feel like all I'm doing now is jumping hoops until the end. It will be nice to let the AT cleanse off the sludge of routine that has built up, I can't wait to hike! When I'm up early, pushing my body, feeling the twinges and pains, soaked from sweat and rain, having fun with other hikers, and falling exhausted into a sleeping bag at night ... that's when I feel my best. I LOVE IT!

I had a golden gear moment this week ... I tried on the Osprey 60. It was heaven on earth! I have never tried on a pack that fit so perfectly. Oh ... I'm in love. It will be mine!

I look forward to reading your intros and talking shop!
Have a great day!

[weirdfrog]

Weirdfrog here. I'm on my way to work; just thought I'd say hi and see who else shows up later tonight.
My sister and I are planning a march 20 2005 Springer start...although that date might change a bit as plans and circumstances dictate.
Talk to y'all later.
Have a lovely.

[Stuart]

Not sure if we want to put the introductions here or create a new thread....but anyway I'll jump in:

My name is Stuart Critchfield from Kentucky. I am in my mid 30's and am a Montessori elementary teacher. I am married and have two children.

I am starting in early May and hiking fast with an ultralite setup. I hope to complete the trail in a little over three months. Obviously these parameters will limit my involvement in the social aspects of the trail, nonetheless, I hope to meet and hopefully hike with many of you all along the way and undoubtedly will enjoy talking with you prior to the trip.

I am approaching this with a fairly goal oriented mentality. I'm not expecting a tiptoe through the tulips, this is something that for a variety of reasons is important for me to achieve and failing that, it is important for me to know that I at least gave it my very best shot. I will openly admit that in many phases of my life I am driven by inadequacies of my past, I believe I always will be. I think there is a Rocky theme in there somewhere; "...and if I go that distance, then for the first time in my life I'll know I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood," or something like that.

Regardless, 2005 is the year that presents both an opportunity and a necessity for me to attempt this hike. It is time to pursue the dream or let it go.

[Stabes]

Hi all, my name is Heather and I plan on starting sometime next April, though I am hiking with a friend and we haven't actually discussed a firm start date yet. I have a lot of gear, but keep debating purchasing newer lighter stuff. The problem is the more money I spend on gear, the less I will have for the trail. I am working with kind of a tight budget, but I plan on getting a second job to rectify that. Anyway I am happy this thread was started as my friends around here are already tired of hearing me talk about the trail and it's still almost a year away. Does anybody else have that problem?

[ladybird]

hey there. i am planning my hike for march of next year. hope to get to meet lots of you out there.

[pvtmorriscsa]

Howdy All,

My name is Rob Morris, I currently reside in Columbus, Ohio. I have wanted to throw myself into a wilderness challenge for many years. Why I did not do so when I lived in Colorado, I ascribe to having been a teenager at the time and therefore not very clear in my thinking.



Anyway it occurred to me a couple of months ago to save up for a hiking trip in Colorado. So I was researching online for a suffieciently long trail to peak my interest. Say 100 miles or so. I stumbled across a reference to the AT, and I was lost.

I got my pack about three weeks ago, and my tent on order. I recieved a big shipment of fabric the other day, along with the rest of my patterns, my mother and I are going to knock out most of my clothes Memorial Day weekend. Or is it Labor Day, I always get those confused.

Let me tell you I am so jazzed.
Oh, I almost forgot, as I have said before, my start date is March 1st of next year.

[DangerPea]

Hi I am Crystal (AKA Danger Pea) -- My husband (posts as Gravity man) and I are planning to start our 2005 thru on march 1 too! So, hopefully we will see you, Rob! We hiked in 2001 to about Harper's Ferry, WV where we had to get off because I developed nueromas in my feet. Every since we got off my husband has thought about hiking again, talking about it at least every single day! At first, I didn't think I was going to be be up for another thru, because the first one was so hard. I also got giradia or crypto or some yucky intestinal buggy in my first week on the trail! (I think it was a fish fry AYCE in the town that the Blue berry patch is). I also got a horrible cold about two days in. So, needless to say, I sort of felt like I'd been witched going from a cold, to intestinal trouble (that took over a year to clearup) to nueromas in my feet. I didn't expect the hike to be pain free, but for some reason the lot I ended up with was a little over the top. I am sure it all happened for a reason (the fatalist in me). I know that I will have a whole different appreciation for the hike, the freedom, the, and the elation that I know we will experience.

Anyway, after some flipflopping, we finally had to make the tough decision to get off trail. So, the past 3 years we have been doing a lot of hiking, and this year we decided to train for & completed a marathon. That was an amazing experience for me. It gave me the opportunity to put my body under a somewhat similar stress as hiking a few hundred miles. I was able to resolve the nueroma problem, learned about some other muscle groups that I need to work on strengthening, proper nutrition, that I have exercise induced asthma (and how to treat it), but most of all, that I am definitely ready for another thru hike!

As I said I was against it the first year off, the second year I was thinking about it more seriously & we talked about it, now we have made the decision, Tom/Gravity Man actually got a LOA pre approved from his job, and we are ready to go! I am completely committed to this hike, especially since I came to the decision on my own terms. I feel that the understanding of my body and my mind through my first thru hike (attempt) and the the recent marathon has been incredible and is what has made me confident & ready for this trhu hike. I very much look forward to meeting all of you and maybe making some connections

[DangerPea]

Hi Simrose--Meant to mention this in my previous post, and this might not be the right thread for this... But, I have the aether 60 & hiked about 1/2 of my thru hike & many many shorter trips with it. It does fit great! But, you might want to compare it against the vapor trail (granite gear) which is about a pound lighter & has more cusioned harness & hipbelt, whic is VERY nice. It also has a water bladder sleve, which is nice too. Just a suggestion, before you make your purchase. The vapor trail is the only other (lightweight) pack that i found was comfortable on my frame....
Enjoy

[Flash Hand]

HI, I had attempted to thru hike the Appalachian Trail this year and started on March 22nd, and ended early June from Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area Headquarter due to $$ chaos which was not my fault. It was 523 miles and next year I will start at Springer Mountain, GA after Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans and I might start somewhere between mid of February and March 1st. So, I can enjoy fewer miles and more days in the wilderness.

Flash Hand

[SwEeT cLoVeR]

hello everyone! my name is Lacie Greene.. i am from michigan and currently planning to be SOBO hiker with flash hands.. i am so thrilled when i received the email from him saying he needs a hiker along with him and i told my friend sent me THAT EMAIL! i want to go!! and now i am planning on this trip... i am ssoooo looking forward to this.. hope to see you allz on the trail! happy hiking!

[Totally Different Subject]

Glad to see such a quick response from everyone.

Of the posts I read, we all have different theoretical start dates. Initially, I thought to begin the day prior to Day 1 of Spring. But am now thinking about moving it up to Mid-February so that I can spend time sauntering. After all I may only get to do this once.

Sure hope that folks will be able to curve their desire as we all have approximately 7-10 months before liftoff.

Look forward to hearing everyones progress in planning.

Jason

[Flash Hand]

hello everyone! my name is Lacie Greene.. i am from michigan and currently planning to be SOBO hiker with flash hands.. i am so thrilled when i received the email from him saying he needs a hiker along with him and i told my friend sent me THAT EMAIL! i want to go!! and now i am planning on this trip... i am ssoooo looking forward to this.. hope to see you allz on the trail! happy hiking!

We will be the northbound thru hiker starting from GA to ME. Southbounders are the south bound hiker that starts from Maine to Georgia.

Flash Hand

[skeeterfeeder]

Hello, my name is Robert Kennedy, and I live in Branson, MO., 'The Live Music Capital of the World'. (Just shoot me now.)
I am planning on heading out in early March, but knowing me, I may move it up into late Febraury. I will be 'chomping at the bit' until I finally shove off.
I go by several names, Robert, Bob, Bumpus, Stormtraveler, and several unprintable ones depending on which past aquaintance you talk to. But I will probably take the trail name 'Skeeterfeeder'. Those little beggars really like to get hold of me. I must have lost five pounds of blood on the Amazon.
Anyway, I look forward to meeting some of you on the trail.

[Magic City]

My name is Ken Anderson. My wife and I have an Internet cafe in Millinocket, Maine; at the northern end of the trail. I'm 53, I've done a lot of weekend hiking, including cold-weather camping, but have never taken on such a long-distance endeavor. Still, unless something unforeseen occurs, I do plan on sticking my wife with the cafe and doing a northbound thru-hike beginning early, perhaps in late February or early March.

[Stan Johnson]

First.... THANKS! to all those who make this web-site possible. Planning a thru-hike without resources like this would be an extremely difficult task at best.

I will be heading to Maine near the end of May with plans on starting my thru-hike on or about June 1st., depending on the weather. I have spent a lot of time hiking on the lower half of the AT but have very little experience hiking any of the northern AT, so I am really looking forward to getting up there and getting the hike started.

I am married, retired, have two grown children (son and daughter), and one really wonderful granddaughter. My wife and I spend our summers in Michigan and our winters in Florida. I enjoy backpacking, racquetball, golf, and my son is trying to get me into mountain biking so that may end up on my list.

I want to wish everyone on this list the best of luck. For many (most) heading nobo this year, your trip isn't that far off. It will be here before you know it. Everyone, have fun, be safe, and here is hoping our paths will cross somewhere along the trail.

Stan Johnson
Backtracker

[woolfie and GG]

wife and I, have come up with 28th March start date(no particlular reason, but felt right)
Both 34, I'm English, wife Irish, currently living in Winchester,U.K.
Training just started,going well.
Looking forward to:
the trail leading onwards,
guilt free, all you can eat,
new friendships,
those moments of bliss when taking pack off, after hard day hiking,
see you out there

W & GG

[Bloodroot]

Hello all! My name is Jason and I am from West Virginia. I am 27 and currently pulling a one year tour in Iraq. I have been steadily backpacking for about 10 years and have done several weeklong trips(many cold-weather) but mainly dayhikes. Soon as my tour is over (Feb-Mar) I will be NOBO. Still unsure the timeframe I will be leaving due to the uncertainty of the Army. I am looking to head out from Georgia some time in the middle of April. I am really looking forward to meeting you guys on the trail! Anyone interesed in a partner please PM me....