[at-l] Introduction

[mmatga2me99@trail-life.com (Todd "M&M" Ricker)]

Welcome Stumpy,

First, I admire your desire to make your mark as the first above-the-knee
amputee thru-hiker.  Second, I admire the fact that you want to take your
son along.  I won't kid you, the journey is long and hard, but it can be
done, regardless of your infirmity.  I am not sure if there is a book or not
but I remember hearing of someone who hiked the trail totally blind.  He
fell an average of 100 times a day, and found himself off the trail many
times, but, he did it.  So I am sure with enough perseverance and fortitude
you too can accomplish a thruhike.

I will try to hit on a few topics to get you started.

1:  Daily mileage - The average hiker usually hiked approx. 3 miles and
hour, and will cover an average of 10-14 miles a day for the length of the
trail.  This will all depend upon weight of the pack, difficulty of the
terrain, and your style of hiking.  The best thing to do would be head out
on a few trips this summer, load a full pack, and bring your son along.
This should give you a good idea of the terrain, as well as help you perfect
a technique.  Some suggested places might be to head to the Shenadoahs or to
Rocky Mountain National Park.  There are plenty of other areas, but these
might be little more conducive to getting support in case trouble arises.  A
funny and highly read book "A Walk in the Woods" would be recommended
reading.  Bryson does a great job a displaying many of the pitfalls of a
thru-hike.  And he voices well what has run through many of our minds during
our hike.

2:  Hiking with a 12 Year old is enough of challenge to most, especially on
a venture this large.  make sure it is something he wants to do.  You can do
this by having him join you in some of your hikes.  Be advised most people
find the trail is nothing like they expected it, and many quit just for this
reason.  I remember running into "The Family" at the end of my hike.  "The
Family" did their hike as a family, and (I believe) one of the children was
about your sons age.

3:  Research your gear, try many things.  What works for one, may not work
for you.  When you buy something make sure you check out the companies
return policy.  When you finally get out you will see that everyone has
their own way.  Some wear the most expensive equipment, while some use what
they can make.

I wish you the best of luck, and hope we can all be of help.
__

T - "Semper Fidelis" - |O|

Todd "M&M" Ricker
GA>ME AT99

ICQ: 24455973
AOL/AIM: MMATGA2ME99

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