Caching the Appalachian Trail

I was reading an article today in a fitness publication about hiking the Appalachian Trail and it reminded me of a silly dream I had once to hike and cache along the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Coast Trail. I say silly because in order to hike the length of the AT (which is a little over 2000 miles) I would most likely have to quit my job. Most people who successfully complete the hike take five or six months. I can't say whether I would try to do it faster or slower - I guess it depends on the caching opportunities, but I think I would want to hike the entire trail.


It would be hard to drop out of my life's routines for that long, but there are many times (like today) that I would like to do just that. One of the great pleasures of my life is my yearly drive across the country to visit family. I enjoy the solitude of the trips and do not miss the company of others. When getting close to my destination I always stop (usually at a rest stop) and take one last chance to reflect on things before meandering on into town to visit family or getting back home depending on the direction I am traveling.

I may never take the time to make that great hike, but I will always enjoy thinking about it as it takes my mind away from some of the unpleasantness of my life.