Starting Date -- still up in the air!

The fun starts in late April or early May. That's when I'll be attempting to thru hike the Appalachian Trail, using a plan called the Cool Breeze, as advocated on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website.

Basically, I'll be doing the AT in three sections, starting from Lee, Massachusetts, where I live, to Daleville, Virginia. Then I'll get off the trail and travel to Mt. Katahdin in Maine and hike south to Lee. The last leg will be from Daleville to Springer Mountain in Georgia.

Why this routine, which does involve some complicated logistics?

• It tends to avoid the 'bubbles' often found along the trail when many hikers start their journey, whether that is the NoBo crowd that starts at Springer Mountain in February through March, or the SoBo crowd that starts in June or July from Katahdin.
• The mid-section of the AT is the 'easiest' portion to tackle--fewer big climbs.
• Taking on the northern section after getting in shape seems logicial, too.
• The last leg will hopefully be done in the fall with some nice colors in the Shenandoah and Smokey Mountains.
• The Cool Breeze attempts to get the best possible weather in each section, so no extremes of cold nor heato deal with. That said, I'll be prepared for the worst.