Crowder's Mountain - posted by Hikey Wifey

We're at Crowder's Mountain so Mike can get some legit practice setting up and breaking down camp!

Here's Hikey Mikey explaining his type of hike.

 

Positive energy, bundles of love and support, and prayers from Base Camp 2 - posted by Hikey Wifey

You will see this photo popping up frequently. It's the front of a sweet booklet sent from sister Nan.

Nan called it "Not my Hike" for several reasons I'm sure. Hike your own hike is a mantra of AT thru hikers. As much as she and  I would love to offer brilliant words of wisdom, we need to constantly remind ourselves - it is not our hike!

So beautifully written and shared with permission, here is the booklet. Thank you Nan - love you! (Grab a hanky for the prayer at the end!)

Nan has also invited people to participate in creatively supporting Mike through Centering Porch - a gathering place, guesthouse, and contemplative retreat at their Full Circle Farm. Here's the invite:

Practicing in Charlotte posted by Hikey Wifey

Mike turned the responsibilities of our Ohio house over to his cousin Ed, said goodbye to the farm and came to Charlotte with all his gear.

Hikey Mikey arrives at Charlotte airport!

He will practice here for about 3 weeks before putting in on the Appalachian Trail during the Official FlipFlop Festival in Harpers Ferry WV April 16 - 17! (Photos, details, etc.to follow)

Here's Hikey Mikey explaining some of his training here:

Planning Meals! Posted by Hikey Wifey

I need to give a big shout out to our Cousin Ed who has moved into the farm and agreed to fill in with house and lawn duties as well as being the resident "beekeeper!" I don't think this endeavor would be possible without his help! Thanks a million Ed!!!

Cousin Ed and some friends checking out the hives!

Hikey Mikey decided he wanted to eat healthy and tasty meals during his adventure. So, about 7 months ago we bought a dehydrator and started testing many types of foods with it. We began with a variety of fruits - to snack on and add to his morning porridge.

Cranberries, bananas, and apples

Sealed up and ready to go - tasty!

Dried pineapple

Unfortunately, during the experimental stage, Hikey Miley had a mishap with the new mandolin slicer. 🙁

Cheerio!

He sliced off the tip of his finger. 😖 I know - Ewwww! Right? Cruel joke that it was his middle finger! (In our family we just say "Cheerio"!) He's fine now, just has an altered fingerprint and a flat tipped finger!

Breakfasts will consist of a porridge made from oatmeal, protein powder and dehydrated milk. He can add a variety of dried fruits to change it up throughout the week! (more details on this later)
For his dinner after a long days hike. We decided to prepare at least half of his meals through the dehydration process and buy the other half. We cooked some of our everyday recipes (spaghetti, chicken and rice, beanie weenies, etc.)

Spaghetti

Dehydrated and vacuum sealed spaghetti

Chicken and rice

Looks delicious, right? He rehydrated and tested them out before choosing which meals to incorporate into his menu cycle. He says they taste really good, just like they do at home. (I'll give you an update after he's been in the woods for awhile!)

The initial plan is for me to send a resupply box every 10 days that covers his breakfasts, dinners and necessities. These will be sent to hostels and friends homes that he will couch surf at along the way. He plans on the luxury of showers, hot meals and a zero day during these stops. He will also go into a trail town every 3-5 days for lunch items and fresh foods.

Thanks for checking in to learn about the food prep!

Who are we? Who? Who? Posted by Anne (Hikey Wifey) and Hikey Mikey/Shaker Boy

I guess it is time for some official introductions here! Thus far, its just been some practice and the start of a long learning curve! Here's Who we are:

I'm Anne, the Wifey of Hikey Mikey/Shaker Boy or whatever his trail name winds up being! I will be sharing things from my, behind the scenes, perspective. First off, I'm going to start by sharing many of the things we've been working on in the past several months in preparation. After the hike starts and I receive updates along the way, I will share those with you. (pictures, videos, progress on trail, antidotes, trail trivia, facts about veterans of the Vietnam, Irag and Afghanistan wars, etc.) I expect this blog to evolve throughout the next 6+ months, so this is just my best guess at this point in time! I will post as frequent as time allows, once I'm back in Ohio and getting the hang of being the Hikey Wifey!! **********************************************************************************************************
Hikey Mikey?Shaker Boy or ??? says: Not sure what my trail name will be. We will let that work itself out. My job will be primarily to hike the 2180 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Along the way I will be doing my best to promote awareness of PTSD and my website www.walkingoffthewar.org. My t-shirt will make me a walking billboard.

I also have pens promoting my cause and my website which I will distribute in each of the more than 250 shelters along the trail. I will be taking videos probably every day and sending them back to my wife for her to post here. These videos will try to give an idea of what life is like on the trail, what the scenery is like, as well as what the people are like. It is said that the interaction with people is one of the greatest joys of the trail and I am looking forward to experiencing it. I am basically a quiet and shy person so this will definitely draw me out of my comfort zone. I hope that you will enjoy following me and that I can get you to think a little bit about PTSD, the epidemic that has an effect on close to one million veterans. Enjoy the ride!! **********************************************************************************************************
We have also asked a few family members and friends to be contributors to this site along the way. We'll allow them to introduce themselves as the mood strikes them! So be sure to check the "posted by" in the title!

Getting the hiking legs in shape! -update from Mike

I'm less than a month away from hitting the trail for real! I've been practicing walking with my pack on. I have gradually increased the weight in my pack and the distance I walk. So here's a video I took while walking!



walkingoffthewar.org

Things are getting REAL!!! posted by Mike

We're down to less than 10 weeks before I leave on my hike! Time to start making better use of this blog.  I've been busy acquiring information, dehydrating food, working out and perhaps most importantly at this time assembling my gear to make certain I have everything I need. Not to mention - that it will all fit into my pack. This is the first of many videos to come that will document my journey.

Here is an overview of what gear I've purchased so far. walkingoffthewar.org