Today I decided to give a little background.  I grew up in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Explorer Scouts.  I remember as a Boy Scout doing cross-country hikes using a map and compass to chart the course.  Sighting an object to walk to, then get new bearings and hoping to wind up where we were suppose to.  Actually I remember one trip where we off by 1 degree and missed our target by 5 miles.  Our family use to go on vacations which always involved camping.  Seeing the country from park to park.  While in college some of my friends and I had weekend camping trips to Wind Creek on Lake Martin, and other places, including Gatlinburg.  In 1976 I was a Scoutmaster of Troop 140 in Talladega.  We had many weekend camping trips and long hikes.  In 1980 I retired from scouting, due to the need for a second job to make ends meet with our growing family.  Due to always working, I got away from weekend camping.  Now that I am retiring I will have time to start camping and hiking again.
     So, why the AT?  I could say "because it's there", but there is a real reason.  In the back of my mind it is something that I have dreamed about.  Kind of like the "bass boat" I always dreamed of having but never got.  I have known people that started the AT but did not make the whole trip and some that have completed it as a thru hike.  Maybe I am looking to prove to myself that I am not really as old as I feel.  Maybe it is a way to walk off a few pounds.  Really, it is more about setting a goal and striving to reach that goal.  I am not getting any younger and I would like to do this while I still can, even though there have been hikers over 80 completing the AT.  Over the last 40 years I have tried to teach my students to set a goal and go for it.  So, it is time for me to do the same.  Goal:  hike the AT.  Projected timeline from start to finish:  6 months. Planing and preparation:  7 months.  Projected start date:  February 2014.