First Update

This update is coming from Cincinnati.

We started on Springer Mountain Monday morning. Then, Monday night I called home from Hawk Mtn Shelter. Rosemarie told me that Amy, our daughter, was hospitalized. She had pain that was yet of an undetermined nature. As she is pregnant I was very concerned. It took me three shuttles and a rental car but I got home Wednesday night. She was released just before I got home but was readmitted Thursday afternoon. As I write this Friday morning ,I am here with her in the hospital. The baby is fine and it apppears to be bladder infection &/or kidney stone related. But still nothing is defined.

Of the hike.........My First Trail Lesson:


The AT is an incredible place for unplanned happenings - (read that as not coincidences).

I can not thru hike and write a book about programs along the way as both tasks require separate focuses that conflict. Thru-hikers write "I" books: I climbed, I walked, I eat the half gallon, I was cold, etc. Very challenging individual efforts. While I would experience all of that it is not where this book needs to be. The book is about others making great things happen with those that need help

In the 1-1/2 days on the Trail I met three incredible individuals with great OEE stories for the book and fell behind in the hike. I filled four pages of notes on just two of those folks and need to find the third, if I can. All three were unplanned meetings and I quickly realized my mind was working in two different directions.

So at this point I am planning to section hike around the schools I have already scheduled to visit without changing the original scheduled dates. Plus I will meet others by doing some casual Trail loafing and also through some contacts I am developing.......like Trail Days in Damascus (May 18th) and camping at other spots along the Trail.

Even the shuttle drivers were giving me leads.. a wife that wants to go back to school for training in OEE, a program up the road. a videographer, and on.

In short the book is more important than the thru-hike. And I need to rearrange my plans.


But first there is Amy.

Pictures will be posted on www.jwhf.org soon.

I will let you know when I am back on the Trail.