Choices

At this point in each of my hikes, I question why I thru hike.  It makes so much more sense to hike in pieces, taking the time to explore off the narrow thru-path, pausing to watch the sun change on the rock walls or the wildlife flitting about. I muse back and forth, concluding that in every way it is much more enjoyable to meander rather than thru hike.  And then that inner desire to thru arises and off I go.

Well, I'm at that point again.  This time there is even more tug.  I don't really have any particular desire to hike the nine weeks between the paddling in Florida and the start of the Appalachian Trail. Why do it then?  Well, it is part of the thru hike. It is a connector on the journey from Key West to Halifax.

Possibilities

So, where are we going?

At first I looked at the Eastern Continental Trail as a good route, changing the finish to Halifax instead of Cape Gaspe. It starts with the Florida National Scenic Trail, then uses a couple of state trails and road walks to get to the Appalachian Trail and then International Appalachian Trail.  I'll take a right turn just on the Trans Canada Trail instead, and drop into Halifax.

 

But have you been to the Florida Keys?  That barren road walk does not sound like much fun at all, so my mind turned towards a sea kayak for that segment.  And then, the southern end of the Florida National Scenic Trail is largely underwater, so why not kayak that part too?  So my first ideas were to more or less follow the Florida National Scenic Trail in a kayak up the center of Florida as far as Orlando.

Intention

Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is unknown.  Make today meaningful, and life is worthwhile.

In the decade after our children graduated and married we fluctuated between retirement and work.  Serial retirees?  We worked, traveled the planet for two years, hiked long trails, returned to work, hiked more trails, and returned to work.  Recidivist working stiffs?

But now we are retired for good!  Really, we mean it this time!

Our intention is to paddle and hike from Key West to Halifax in 2013.  We are now planning that adventure, to start at the end of the year.

Some of our earlier adventures are still online (see right sidebar)  Unfortunately, the website for our world travels no longer exists (except for Hiking in the Himalayas) so the only way to hear those stories is to invite us over to dinner!

Itinerary

Here's our current itinerary.  We fully expect this to change constantly, and will try to update it as we go.

Nov 30            leave Portland

                ... leisurely drive, explore Texas gulf coast and New Orleans, final paddling logistics

Dec 18             launch at St Marks

                ... paddle, paddle, paddle

Jan 22              join up with other paddlers at Cayo Costa

                ... paddle, paddle, paddle 

Feb 25             arrive Key West

                ... walk from St Marks to the start of the AT
                ... explore Florida and Georgia 

Apr 6               start AT (Springer Mountain, Georgia)

                ... hike, hike hike  (RV for Fran)

Sep 2               finish AT (Mount Katahdin, Maine)

                ... hike, hike, hike

Oct 15             Halifax
                ... and then, who knows?