December 2, 2020 - Wednesday morning

10 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I've been trying to decide how to keep the blog going while on the Appalachian Trail in 2022. If all goes as planned, I'll be departing from northern Georgia a year from this coming February.

I know it seems premature since the departure date is so far away, but when one leaves life for almost six months, it takes an immense amount of planning, let alone physical and mental conditioning. 

Like I've said, I want to be the 51st person over the age of 70 to ever complete a through hike of the AT in one season. Failing a physical injury, I believe I'm that man. 

I already write a hiker blog using a pseudo name, one primarily read by trekkers, but it remains tucked away on the internet. (You don't have to read everything I write.) My main concern is how to post my progress and thoughts on a daily basis. It's part of my hiking survival plan, to know when I get hurt, tired, lonely, or discouraged, I'm not alone, that there are those who are, in some fashion, walking alongside of me. Remembering that and sharing my journey will help me to continue hiking the the 2,200 hundred mile trail from Georgia to Maine.

Plus, I have Trail Boss, Scotty, who will kick me in the backside if the Q word (quit) begins to enter my vocabulary for any reason other than injury.

Facebook? A podcast? Instagram or Twitter? I don't know anything about any of those and really, don't care to. Right now, I'm experimenting with video and thinking of creating a Youtube channel. I'm told I can upload videos via cell service fairly easily from the trail. It might be easier than trying to write, considering the time involved, carrying a portable keyboard, etc. 

Sargie gave me a GoPro camera last year and I intend to video much of my journey as I wind my way through the mountains. I've approached the subject of live streaming parts of my journey and it doesn't seem completely out of the question. 

We'll see. I've got a year and two months to get it all figured out. Right now, I'm working on my sleep system, a quilt or sleeping bag. Life's all about priorities and a good night's sleep ranks at the top of the list. 

I wanted to make hay early Tuesday morning so, deciding to take my walk later in the day,  started a fire in the outside wood furnace at first light. I've noticed the air being blown into the shop has been only lukewarm. Not a good thing.

It was then then that I remembered I'd forgotten to replace the insulation on the discharge hot air duct. Crawling over head of the shop, I got out a couple of pieces of surplus rolled insulation and wrapped them around the duct work. Problem solved.

Other than a quick ride to town, the rest of the day was spent in the shop working on a scroll saw piece.

Things were going well until I lost control of my right hand due to a tremor and the blade cut across one of the letters. I think it's fixable and hopefully, that piece will be finished by the end of today.

So that's about all the news from this end of the earth. Yooper Brother Mark and I were talking a bit ago about how much snow had already fallen last year by this time. Other than a dusting, mostly in the shadows, we have none and that's okay. 

As Dad used to say, "Every day without snow is one less day of winter we'll have this year.

A year ago in early December

It's begining to get light enough that I can go for my walk. Today looks to be a carbon copy of yesterday with most of it spent in the shop.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...