Countdown to Amicalola: Zero Hour

Amicalola Falls, as seen yesterday. Glad I hiked up all 604 steps to see it.

Gonna keep this quick, because I'm on my phone and we're getting ready to head to the approach trail. The countdown is over, and it's time to hike. Am I ready? Perhaps not, but it's here nonetheless, so I'm as ready as I can be. From here on it's no longer anticipation, but the real thing.

Let's do this.

Countdown to Amicalola: One Day More

Here's me earlier today in front of the arch marking the beginning of the approach trail. This shirt does not represent my actual hiking attire. Photo by Travis.

Date: March 23, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 2
Pounds to next weight goal: 8.6 (+1.0)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 7.6
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 0
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 52
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

It's down to tomorrow. One day more until the real show begins. Although these last three months haven't gone as well as I would have liked, I'm in a better position than I was at the beginning of the year. The hike up the 800 feet incline from the visitors center to the lodge above Amicalola Falls was tough, but not as tough as it would have been without the exercise I did the last three months. The fact that I'm here is a victory in and of itself. Once tomorrow comes, let the chips fall where they may.

Countdown to Amicalola: Two to Go

I don't have any good pictures from today, so I'll just reuse this one of Amicalola Falls.

Date: March 23, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 2
Pounds to next weight goal: 8.6 (+1.0)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 7.6
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 0
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 52
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

It was a long drive, but we made it to Amicalola Falls! Instead of a full-size car, we had to take a truck down (besides my parents Altima). It was a pretty uneventful trip, save for a small fender bender in Chattanooga (my parents car, not the rental). As such I don't have a picture of the lodge or the view from said lodge.

Countdown to Amicalola: Three's Company

In the chaos of moving out of my apartment, moving into storage, and heading back to Ridge Farm I forgot yesterday was "Springer Saturday". In honor of that, here's a repeat picture of the sign showing the way to Springer Mountain.

Date: March 22, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 3
Pounds to next weight goal: 7.6 (+0.6)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 8.6
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 0
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 52
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

I was up this morning, which isn't a surprise. Most likely I was up yesterday as well, as having a large meal at 10:00 at night tends to do that. My guess is I actually may have been down from yesterday, as although yesterday had a late, large meal, it was also an incredibly active day, with all the walking and carrying heavy things I did during the move.

Countdown to Amicalola: Four More Years

If things go well, we'll be turning at this lamp post to cross the Potomac River into Maryland, having hiked through Harpers Ferry. While the true halfway point of the trail is many miles to the north in Pennsylvania, Harpers Ferry is often considered the traditional half-way point.

Date: March 21, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 4
Pounds to next weight goal: N/A (N/A)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 9.2
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 12
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 52
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

For the second straight day I'm posting after midnight on the next day after the official day of the journal. Like yesterday, this was understandable, as I spent the day moving out of my apartment, and then driving back to Ridge Farm. It was a long day of moving, with walking up enough stairs to get me to the top of Amicalola Falls.

Countdown to Amicalola: Five Alive

In four days, we'll be walking up these stairs on our short little "pre-hike" to the top of Amicalola Falls.

Date: March 20, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 5
Pounds to next weight goal: 7.0 (-1.0)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 9.2
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 25
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 40
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

Surprisingly, yesterday didn't turn out so bad, as I actually went down. What helped was that I was done eating before eight in the evening, and I took a walk after I got back from the Fox and the Hound. This may have mitigated some of the beer, greasy appetizers, and going away cake I had. After the night before, I'll take a result like this one.

Countdown to Amicalola: Sinister Six

I'm aware that this is another repeat. But I am looking forward to walking over this Appalachian Trail marker. If only because it means I'm in Hot Springs, NC, which means it may be about time for a zero (or nearo) day. It also means a relatively flat walk through town.

Date: March 19, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 6
Pounds to next weight goal: 8.0 (+2.6)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 8.2
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 15
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 15
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

As mentioned yesterday, Wednesday was a departure from the first two days of the week. This can be blamed on some excellent German beer (and some good German food) that my cousin and I ate at a Hofbrauhaus in Rosemont. I would have liked to kept the streak for the week going, but as it's my last week before the hike, farewell meals and get togethers are bound to happen. I'll likely have a similar report tomorrow, as there was more beer and high-calorie foods this evening, this time for a after-hours get together with some of my co-workers.