My Bio

My backpacking experience began in 1993 when our then sixteen year old son and I decided to backpack a 40-mile section of the Appalachian Trail from Albert Mountain Fire Tower to Wesser, NC. Though some of our equipment was wrong I knew at the end of this very special time with our son that I was hooked on backpacking and I would be doing more.

My next hiking experience was in 1998 when after meeting 5 other women on the Internet, we met in person and hiked 50 miles of the Bruce Trail in Tobermory, Canada. The following year we met again in Virginia and hiked a 50 mile section of the Appalachian Trail. Over the next few months I spent several days to a week on various trails figuring out equipment, food and trail life. By now I was really serious about backpacking and my research on equipment and getting myself physically fit set me on a journey of a lifetime, a thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. My journey began when my oldest brother and I left Springer Mountain, Georgia for our quest to reach Mt. Katahdin, ME in March 2000. Because of severe knee problems, John's journey ended 130 miles later at Wesser, NC (NOC) and I returned home two months later leaving the trail in Bland, VA. I was totally satisfied with being a section hiker and knew one day I would finish my quest for Mt. Katahdin, Maine.

In 2002 I met Beth from Austin, Texas by answering her ad in the Appalachian Trail News Magazine and after e-mailing and talking on the phone we met in Damascus, Virginia and hiked to Pearisburg, Virginia. In 2003 we met again and hiked from Pearisburg, VA to Waynesboro, VA. Because of Hurricane Isabel and sections of the AT being closed, we could not make the original destination of Harper's Ferry, VA. Beth and I will meet in Waynesboro, VA in September 2004 and continue our journey in the quest to one day make the summit of Mt. Katahdin, ME.

Marcia

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Half Day • Full Day • Overnights
Easy • Moderate • Moderate/Strenuous