Anticipation

I'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

Last night I presented the trip to the Groton Boy Scout Troop 77. I was amazed by their thoughtful questions and devotion to "leave no trace" ethics. The troop is planning a possible meet-up when I venture into the New York State area in June/July. I'm looking forward to it. Keep up the good work guys!

MotionX GPS Track: Lime Hollow

Hello,

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

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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

Hiking

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

Hey 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

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

It'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

Pre-trip Shakedown

This past weekend I spent in upstate NY's amazingly formidable Adirondack Mountains. I went with a group of friends for a weekend of snowshoeing and fresh air. We climbed Giant mountain which is the 12th highest in NY state. Here are the statistics captured from the MotionX-GPS on my iPhone, the same I'll be using for the AT. Click on this link to display the track in Google Maps. This link will be valid until Mar 3, 2009 5:16 PM PST.

Name: Giant MTN
Date: Feb 20, 2009 7:15 am
Distance: 6.86 miles
Elapsed Time: 6:44:19
Avg Speed: 1.0 mph
Max Speed: 15.1 mph
Min Altitude: 1,463 ft
Max Altitude: 4,542 ft
Start Time: 2009-02-20T12:15:20Z
Start Location:
Latitude: 44.138459º N
Longitude: 73.743667º W
End Time: 2009-02-20T18:59:40Z
End Location:
Latitude: 44.138463º N
Longitude: 73.743627º W

I know, I know...max speed - 15mph?!?! Mr. Wiech brought mini sleds for us all to slide down on. I was a little sore after which means I need to beef up my training for the AT.

Home Sweet Home

I have a tent....but in my never-ending attempt to trim as much weight from my pack as possible I got a new one that weighs less and is probably more rain resistant. The tent weighs in at less than 4 lbs when packed up...not too shabby! The Appalachian trail has around 250 shelters dispersed along the entire length. We call them "lean-tos" here in NY and they are simple 3-sided structures like the one pictured at the right. Despite their prevalence, you still need to bring a tent just in case a lean-to is not available or full. Many of them are infested with snakes and mice. Some people even bring mouse traps with them in an attempt to cut down on the number of mice scurrying past their heads while they sleep. Anyway, I'm hoping to keep my pack weight at no more than 35 lbs...that includes between 3-5 days of food at any given time between resupply points, but we'll see once I stuff everything in there.

Introduction

Well it's official! I will be attempting to thru-hike the entire 2,175 mile Appalachian Trail from Springer Mtn in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine and GUESS WHAT?? I'm bringing you all with me...virtually, through the computer. This will be your source for the Groton Appalachian Trail project. I'm packing my bag with important things like a tent, food, and a sleeping bag but I am also bringing my phone and a sweet solar charger so I can communicate with everyone on the trail through this website. If you're interested in what I'm bringing, there is a list to the right.

On April 3rd I am meeting my friend Kevin (and his dog Lucy) in Atlanta, Georgia. You'll all get to know him soon because we'll be spending 24 hours a day together for 5 months. Think about that: that's more time than most married couples spend together. Will we get sick of each other? Can you think of anyone you could spend that much time with? We'll hike together, talk together, cook together, do laundry together, and probably disagree on a lot of things but you know what? We'll have to work together because we both have a goal to reach Maine by the end of August.

Between now and April I'll be talking about all of the preparation that goes into a trip like this; the food, the packing, getting in shape, etc.

Let's go hiking!