weather. I'll get the gps data up soon. I'll be meeting Kevin and Lucy
in about a week at Fontana Dam. No significant wildlife yet but I'm
staying in an area with a "bear watch". Is everyone ready for spring
break?
weather. I'll get the gps data up soon. I'll be meeting Kevin and Lucy
in about a week at Fontana Dam. No significant wildlife yet but I'm
staying in an area with a "bear watch". Is everyone ready for spring
break?
yet. Today I'll be using the MotionX app on my phone so everyone can
see what the trail looks like. I should have it posted tonight or
tomorrow!
Have a nice day
top of Springer. The black flies were so bad I must have turned off
the phone too quick. Thank you all for the great comments. They made
me smile because I miss everyone...especially my 7th graders. I wish
I could write back to everyone individually but I'll try to answer all
of the questions here.
Yesterday was crazy. I hiked 17 miles to unsuccessfully get a spot
overnight in a hostel. So instead I slept in my tent while it was 28
degrees and snowing. It was a rough night but I managed. Today it
snowed all day too. This picture was taken atop Blood Mtn, the highest
mtn in Georgia on the AT (4450ft). Groton is 1000ft above sea level.
It's called Blood Mtn because of a battle between the Creek and
Cherokee tribes that left many dead and wounded. So today I arrived
at Neels Gap 1 day ahead of schedule and have officially done 30.7
miles. This is the point where 20% of thru-hikers drop out. I'll try
to give another update tomorrow with better weather.
point of the AT. Perfect day - sunny 70s and a light breeze.
Trail. I figured out how to use Mr DeVoe's camera timer while he got
a drink. We took a taxi to Amicalola Falls state park this morning.
The driver was a great guy who was originally from Africa. He came
here so his kids could get a good education. Mr DeVoe tried to explain
what hiking 2000 miles on the AT would be like. He could not imagine
it. When we parted ways he said, "I feel ok dropping you off here for
this trip because we are in America. If we were in Africa, this would
be a different kind of goodbye". See you all soon
Skoob. The library "shelf elf"
Ps. Say hi to ms. Prentis for me
got sick. So this is what the updates will tyically look like. I'll
try to post and respond to comments as often as possible. Please
remember not to post your last names. See you on the trail tomorrow!
Goodbye Groton
on 03 April 2009
Right now I'm on my way to the Ithaca airport and tomorrow morning I start the Appalachian Trail at Springer mtn. in Georgia. There's a German phrase, schadenfreude, which roughly translates to "taking pleasure in others' misfortunes." 2,175 miles of rain, wind, freezing temperatures, mountains, mice, bears, snakes, blisters, bacteria, viruses, hunger, skunks, muscle cramps, strained tendons, coyotes, bobcats, angry grouse, rabid racoons, poison ivy, a heavy pack, and the same food over and over again will certainly lead to many instances of schadenfreude in this 5 million step "science experiment." However, as entertaining as those stories may be for everyone they will still be worth it because they fail miserably in comparison to the raging rivers, vivid sunsets, majestic wildlife, waterfalls, interesting people, bird songs, mountaintop views, the smell of damp mossy forests, and the overall appreciation for life on the planet that you experience while taking a walk in the woods.
I want to take a moment to thank the Groton Board of Education, Dr. Meyers, and Mrs. Filzen for seeing the value in this project and the opportunity to do it and Senator James Seward for recognizing the importance of implementing technology in our schools. I also want to thank the students, teachers, and community of Groton, NY for their support and interest in this project. Finally, I need to thank my parents for accepting my curiosity/insanity and need for exploration and my partner, Miss Coffey, who will be playing a huge role behind the scenes. I'll miss her and everyone else. See you when I return!
Groton Elementary
on 02 April 2009
"Fat is something like money stored in a jar and buried in the backyard. Your body stores it in case unexpected circumstances arise and it desperately needs to fuel it's ongoing activity.
Protein is like a regular savings account. Muscle and body tissue are provided by your body converting protein, but it's not the primary source of energy. Sometimes, if there's too much protein, your body can afford to store the protein as fat (like adding to the buried jar).
Carbohydrates are your checking account - the stuff you use every day in producing the energy you need for daily activities."
Thanks everyone for being such a great audience and thank you teachers for spending class time today on this. We have such a great school with amazing teachers and curious students. Thanks for making my time at GES special. Well...I should go see if Skoob is finished packing my backpack for tomorrow.
Anticipation
on 26 March 2009I've been doing a lot of research on people that have successfully completed the entire 2,175 mile Appalachian Trail and I usually read things from people that say it was the "greatest but hardest thing they've ever done" or that it "was the thing that changed their life forever." I leave in one week and I am trying to prepare myself mentally for this challenge. It is sort of weird walking into something that other people have assigned such high praise to. Will it have the same effect on me? I'm curious to hear stories from others about something that changed their life forever or something that was "very hard but extremely rewarding".
Groton BS Troop 77
on 24 March 2009
MotionX GPS Track: Lime Hollow
on 23 March 2009Hello,
Mr. DeVoe uses MotionX-GPS on the iPhone 3G and is sharing with you the following track:
| Name: | Track 002 |
| Date: | Mar 23, 2009 3:41 pm |
| Distance: | 2.25 miles |
| Elapsed Time: | 42:50.5 |
| Avg Speed: | 3.2 mph |
| Min Altitude: | 912 ft |
| Max Altitude: | 1,115 ft |
| Start Time: | 2009-03-23T19:41:43Z |
| Start Location: | |
| Latitude: | 42.564197º N |
| Longitude: | 76.262711º W |
| End Time: | 2009-03-23T20:24:34Z |
| End Location: | |
| Latitude: | 42.564405º N |
| Longitude: | 76.262871º W |
Click on this link to display the track in Google Maps. This link will be valid until Mar 31, 2009 1:44 PM PDT.
There are two files attached to this email:
"Track 002.kmz" is a Google KML track that can be displayed in Google Earth or Google Maps.
"Track 002.gpx" is an Open Standard track that can be displayed by select mapping software.
MotionX-GPS Commonly Asked Questions:
| Q1: | What is MotionX-GPS? |
| A1: | MotionX-GPS, available for the iPhone 3G, is the essential application for hikers, bike riders, joggers, and geocaching enthusiasts. It puts an easy-to-use, state-of-the-art handheld GPS system on your iPhone 3G. |
| Q2: | Can I use MotionX-GPS? |
| A2: | Sure! MotionX-GPS Lite for the iPhone 3G is free and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store here. |
| Q3: | How can I display tracks in Google Earth? |
| A3: | Follow the directions on the Google Earth web site to download and install the Google Earth program. Save the attached Track 002.kml file to your computer. Launch Google Earth, select File, Open, and open the saved Track 002.kml file. |
| Q4: | What is a GPX Track? |
| A4: | GPX stands for GPS Exchange Format and is used to transfer GPS data between many GPS devices and applications, including Google Earth. A track is a path recorded by MotionX-GPS showing movement over the surface of the Earth. |
| Q5: | This e-mail was forwarded to me and I can't find the attachments! |
| A5: | Some e-mail programs do not include the original attachments by default when forwarding an e-mail. In this case, the sender must reattach the original files for them to be included. |
Please contact us here with any comments or questions.
All the best,
The MotionX Team
US and Foreign Patents Granted and Pending. Fullpower® is a registered trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. MotionX™ is a trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. © Copyright 2003 - 2009 Fullpower Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.
ref-id: 46bac83b-db2d-4ee5-b49d-70ad306e0c2e
Kevin and I have a little under 5 months to try to thru-hike the entire AT. This will require us to hike an average of 15-20 miles a day (not including about 10 rest days). Here is a map from Google Earth to show you a couple distances you are probably used to. The bottom map shows the entire trail which you can download from this site. If you can, download Google Earth because it will come in handy when I post over the next couple months.
Message From Kevin
on 22 March 2009Hey everyone! My name is Kevin and I will be joining Mr. DeVoe on his trip on the Appalachian Trail. I noticed you all have been very supportive helping him with food ideas, which is great, but have also been worried about Lucy - my dog. Lucy loves the wilderness and has been on backpacking trips for extended periods of time and it always seems she never wants to leave come the end of the trips. But you will all see that with Mr. DeVoe's pictures he will be posting along the way!
Keep posting ideas for Mr. DeVoe and our adventure up the Appalachian Mts.
-Kevin
FOOD
on 11 March 2009
This is what covers the floor of the spare room in my house. Meals on the AT are the result of ever-evolving creativity. Protein bars, oatmeal, and Ramen Noodles can get old and boring very fast and one finds themselves experimenting with weird creations (I hear blueberry muffin mix really isn't that bad). I am in the process of assembling packages which will be mailed out periodically from home to locations along the trail for us to pick up. I hear a couple Groton classes are helping out with this too! We will also make stops at stores to pick up new supplies but it is only feasible to carry 3-5 days-worth of lightweight food at any given time so a lot of planning is necessary. So here is the situation:
The average AT Thru-hiker needs to consume about 5000-6000 calories A DAY, to satisfy the energy required to hike for 8-10 hrs.
I am vegetarian (with the exception of seafood and wild game) and am a little concerned about maintaining this lifestyle on the trail. Hikers need a lot of protein and jerky is easy to pack. It may be temping to indulge once in awhile.
We will have a stove that runs on liquid fuel but it is fairly inconvenient and doing dishes takes away time spent hiking or sleeping (or crying). Bars are very convenient...but for 5 months??
That black thing in the middle of the picture is my bear canister. People used to just hang their food from a branch in a stuff sack. Bears, however, have learned how to cut them down. These canisters, although add extra weight, are bear-proof and more convenient. Plus, squirrels and other sharp-clawed mammals cannot get in.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm all ears about what's LIGHT and TASTY.
Health
on 04 March 2009It's exactly one month until I hike the AT and today my doctor gave me the OK to hike it! He had some good advice as well to help save my feet, knees, and back. I should be (and have been) stretching regularly and exercising occasionally. He seemed to think snowshoeing up and down Giant Mountain over Feb. break was a good stress test and he concluded that I'm in good physical shape. So going into this, here are some statistics:
Chad DeVoe
Age: 27
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 175
Body Mass Index: 23.7
Foot Length: 9 3/4"
Foot Width: 3 7/8"
Resting Pulse Rate: 65
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