Hiking at 60

Go To My Blog		Hiking at 60!		Contact Me
Challenges & Solutions				Planned Events
Links				Trail Reviews

So, what the HELL am I thinking? People don't hike at 60! Right? Maybe?

OK people hike at all ages. So what? And, why is this worth a web site? Well as I learned in journalism class in about 1967, I need to give you the who, what, when and where so you can understand the why. (yea 1967)

Who am I? I'm commonly called Mr. Bill in real life and known as "JustSam5" in much of cyberspace. At the time of this writing I'm a little over 6 foot tall, weight about 225 pounds and 56 years old. I'm a retired Air Force Master Sergeant and currently work for a local mobility (wheelchair) shop. I have had a pretty normal if not slightly passive life so far. I'm neither Rambo nor Survivorman.....

What's this all about? I got an itch to do something big to commemorate reaching the big 60. After kicking a number of things around the idea that kept coming back to the surface was to "thru-hike" the Appalachian Trail.

When? Either the Spring of 2013 or 2014. That will be either just before or just after I turn 60. The exact timing will be determined by how fast I progress in my preparations.

Where? That's the easiest and the hardest part. The Appalachian Trail is about 2179 miles long, from the top of Springer Mountain in Georgia to Baxter Peak on Mount Katahdin in Maine. Yes, I intend to hike the white blaze trail north.

OK SO WHY WHY Why? The easy answer is, "I wannadoit." The more complex answer is something like I want to prove to my self I'm still worth something. That I can plan and complete a complex project at a time in life when many folks are trying to take it easy.
Oh, and why the web site? It will serve quite a few purposes. It will allow my family, friends and fans(?) an easy way of keeping up with my progress before the trip and on the trail. It will serve as a forced organization tool (I write it here and EVERYONE knows if I slack off). I hope to find some like minded folks (any age, sex, religion, color, etc., etc.) who are interested in joining me in preparation and all or any part of the journey. Along the way I will write about the trails I use for training and the gear I select for the trip. And last, but not least, by adding some advertising it should pay for itself and contribute to the overall project.

		My Sites are Hosted by 1 and 1