14 days left.

Monday Bruce and I headed out to hike the Croom Tract and even though things didn't go as planned, we ended having a great time.

It turns out that all the info for the loop and connecting trails that you'll find online is out of date. I didn't realize the footbridge that crosses from where we parked at Hog Island over the Withlacoochee river, and to the Croom Tract, was out.

Bummer.

Worst of all, I didn't realize that was my bridge when I passed it so that meant I ended up passing the only reasonable spot to cross through the water and hiking well into the night before I realized exactly what was up. I had to go to plan B and ended up camping out by River Junction since there was a water source there.

I got really lucky with my site selection since the next morning I woke up to this awesome view:

 

I had no idea. The moon was just a sliver in the sky the night before so I didn't know whether I had set up around the corner from a mud puddle or nice stream, all I knew is that there was water. It was definitely a nice backdrop to enjoy while prepping breakfast and gearing up for the hike back.

Geared up and ready to go!

The hike back was nicer than the hike in. We left too late the day before and had a lot of miles to cover so we didn't take our time and enjoy it enough but the trail was really pretty if you just took a second to look around. There were some really nice spots along the trail, especially where it came right along side the Withlacoochee River. Since we had all day to hike just a few miles I figured that Bruce and I might as well soak it in.

 

Bruce was checking out some burrows that didn't seem to have anything inside. I'm guessing otters.

Cooling off in the river.

 

It was a nice little break but eventually Bruce got restless and it was time to move on.

All in all it was a great trip. We might not have picked up a bunch of miles, but there's plenty of that coming up in just a couple weeks....

Friday is my last day of work. April 14th I start my drive. On the 15th I'll hike the approach trail and reach Springer Mountain and the AT. I don't have a lot of time left before I go and I want to be smart about how I use it.

-Nick

Running day 2!

Nothing to be ashamed of but lets see how much better I can get with a few weeks. I'm sore as hell right now and I def need to take tomorrow off and stretch better at the end of a run. On a more positive note its the same feeling I had when I rode so I know it's nothing new to my body. I wont be running on the trail but it'll be worth it for the better cardio for sure.

I'm gonna take tomorrow easy and just take Bruce for a short walk so that I'll be feeling ok on Monday. I'm going to try to take Mon & Tue to do this route around Citrus Hiking Trail with Bruce, condensed to a two day or maybe a two and a halfer if I feel like stretching it across another night and hiking in before work Wednesday. The elevation change will be great for practice but even then I'm planning big mile days to make up for fact that FL doesn't have anything to properly prepare you for the mountains. With it being as hot as it has been lately lets hope for some rain to keep things bearable.

The rest of the week is still up in the air depending on how I'm feeling and how much free time I have. I need to get all the loose ends tied up at work, have arrangements made for health insurance, order one or two more pieces of gear, and confirm my storage plans for all my stuff while I'm gone... and of course you gotta get paid. It'll be a busy but rewarding week.

28 days to go...
 -Nick and Bruce

"We were made to do this—not sit in a mental or spiritual cave. Man's destiny is to strive, to seek, and to find, and not to yield."

Tristan Jones

New toys!

Check out my new jacket!

It's a ZPacks breathable cuben fiber jacket that I had them customize by adding hand pockets on the front for those cold nights at camp.

I haven't had a chance to weigh it but Joe at ZPacks estimated that the customization would add about 1 oz to the 4.5 oz jacket so let's just say 5.5 oz(!).

First Post!

Hey everyone and welcome to my blog that I'm starting to keep in touch with my friends and family on my Appalachian Trail thru-hike!

What do I mean by Appalachian Trail thru-hike?

Well, the Appalachian Trail is an approximately 2184 mile footpath you can follow from Georgia to Maine. By "thru-hike" I mean that I will be making the journey in one continuous stretch.

The plan is for me and my dog, Bruce, to leave Tampa on April 14th so that we'll be hiking the approach trail from Amicalola Fall to Springer Mountain, GA on April 15th so that we can reach our destination at Katahdin, ME by the time they close access in mid October. I hope to be making regular updates to the blog along the way but obviously cell phone reception and battery life will be issues so I will make no promises about any posting schedule.

I'm still town so this post wont be filled with any exciting updates or scenic shots of nature, but instead just a few links.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has any questions or comments about the trip!

Appalachian Trail Wikipedia
Instagram for picture updates
Whiteblaze: An Appalachian Trail Resource
Email! NickSEspi@yahoo.com