Wind, rain , cold

The weather conspired to make further hiking miserable, so Mike took a bus to Hiawassee GA this morning and will be having Steve pick him up there.  He'll hang out in Winston for a few days until a shindig that's put on in Hiawassee the beginning of April, next weekend.  By then, the weather should have mellowed a little and he can get back to hiking. 

Looks like I'll be doing computer maintenance this weekend, PC's gotten slow and I need to run some clean-up and back up.  Not my favorite pastime, but a necessary task.

another change of plans

Mike got to Neels Gap today and will be staying at the hostel there, I got it wrong yesterday, he only got to Woody Gap last night.  He's getting fond of thes hostels after a long day's hike but it also makes the trail experience less authentic for him.  It was cold hiking today 40's to 50's but mostly clear skies. 

Mike got a Sony Reader for the trail before he left.  It's an e-book reader that can store 100's of electronic books that he downloads for free from the library.  In past hikes he carried paperbacks.  The Sony Reader is lighter (even with the integrated light) and gives him a greater variety of reading material. 

He picked up a box of food he'd shipped forward to Neels Gap and now has extra meals to carry forward, since he's been eating order-in food at the hostels.  Now, a meal on the trail consists of a box of mac and cheese or chicken noodle soup so it's not a lot. 

I'm not going to guess at what tomorrow will bring in his hike - we'll just have to wait and see.

Back on the trail

Mike iced and nursed his ankle for a couple days and took off this morning again with new hiking poles (the old ones buckled when he fell) and a taped ankle.  He did the first 5 miles in 4 hours, a couple of MAJOR uphills in cold weather.  The top of the mountains were blanketed in fog.

He culled his pack while recuperating to get rid of some weight.  He's carrying about 35 to 45 lbs.  Every little bit helps when it's just your two feet.

He got as far as Neels Woody Gap today, another 10 miles down the trail.  The Hiker Hostel picks up hikers from there so he'll spend another night with them to rest his ankle more.  Tomorrow he'll be back on the trail and spend the night out there for a few days.

I'm getting ready for Easter dinner with family and guess what...the Easter Bunny left some things here already!

One step back...

Mike called this morning and let me know he's back at the Hiker Hostel for a couple of days as he took a slip on the trail and turned his ankle, the same one that he hurt when hiking in 2001.  That year, he got as far as New York and had to quit because of the ankle.

He said he'll take a couple of days to let it heal up before getting back to the trail.  It's actually good timing, as there are thunderstorms predicted for the next few days.

In contrast, we got to 80 degrees here today, the smell of citrus blossoms is in the air and I'm tackling some spring cleaning. 

Day One - Hawk Mountain

Early this morning Mike took the shuttle from the hostel along with about 20 other hikers to the beginning of the trail.  Everyone spreads out and hikes at their own pace so he was on his own for the eight or so miles to Hawk Mountain where he is stopping for the evening.  His new boots that he picked up at the Nantahala Outdoor Center are not giving him any problems and the weather was clear for a good first day of hiking.

He has his cell phone so a quick call provided me with an update.  So good to hear from him and know he's got a good start!

I'm keeping busy with work thought it feels like this sometimes. Being on my own, I'm indulging in movies on DVD.  I watched "Precious" last evening and have "A Serious Man" to watch tonight.  I may not hear from Mike now for several days as he goes out of the cell phone service area.  Stay tuned!

He's off

Mike's staying at the Hiker's Hostel outside of Dahlonega, Georgia tonight and they'll shuttle him to the start of the trail on Saturday.  The TC is all closed up until go back to join him...sometime after it hit 100 degrees here.

What does hiking the trail have to do with prospecting you may ask? Well, both are seeking adventure with a possibility of reward for a lot of hard work and perseverance.

Each day he'll hike between 8 and 12 miles to get to the next shelter for the night.  It's a solo trip, though he'll come across other hikers on the trail and at the shelters.  And he'll probably see some creatures too.  Keep him in your prayers.

(back of Mike hiking in California Lassen Park)

Waiting to begin

I came down with a bad cold Saturday and finally felt a little better yesterday.  Thank goodness for NyQuil!

Spring is here, the trees are leafing out and the lemons are ripe.  The lawn is green, though not all grass I'm afraid.  I'm waiting for the roses to start blooming after I cut them back last month.


Mike's been waiting to begin his hike until this Friday, visiting with the NC grand kids and the boys.  He's hooked up his VCube TV satellite receiver and is running off electric (thanks, Steve!) so he has all the comforts of home.  It's been raining and more is predicted for the weekend so the beginning of his hike could be pretty soggy.

If you get this blog via email, be sure to checkout the blog site http://prospectorwife.blogspot.com

TC has landed

Mike made it to Winston-Salem, NC tonight, just before dark, and is settled in for the weekend with the boys and the grandkids.  He'll get a good night's sleep in our little home away from home.

Since high school, I've always felt that Friday nights are for going out, so I went to hear a concert by Audrey's Angels.  They're an organization that provides performers for adult care homes and adult day care centers.  Some really talented folks, one that was with the New Christy Minstrels back in the day.  I played flute for them for a couple of years, it was very rewarding.  It was fun to sing-a-long to "Today" and "This Land is Your Land" (hope those around me didn't mind!).

Happy Birthday to Sophia, "Phia" the darling-est little girl who's 2 today.  We love you Sophia!

Journey East - Day One

Mike and I stay in touch while he's on the road via phone, thank goodness for unlimited calling!

The trip East is a well-worn route and he made it to Abilene by last night.  While I was celebrating KC's birthday with her, he was driving through some good winds across Texas and the TC did well.  He added some stabilizers to the hauling rack in El Paso, wish I'd gotten a picture of it before he left, here's the stock photo.  He's getting about 10 mpg, which is good considering the weight of the TC.

If you check out  the right side of the blog, you'll see links to some places we've been or are planning to go, some of the blogs I follow and some favorite places of mine.

2010 Adventures

It's been a while since I've posted, we hunkered down for the holidays.  Today, Mike took off for his hike on the Appalachian Trail, a different twist on "prospecting".  He'll be seeking to thru-hike, from Georgia to Maine, which would take until mid-October. I'll be tracking the weather and conditions along the way using the Appalachian data base site - check out the URL name, cute!

He has our small "house on wheels" the Truck Camper or TC.  He's added air springs to smooth out the ride and a hauling rack on the back for gas and the generator.  The golf clubs and high-banker went too, fall back alternatives.

I'm holding down the fort here at home until the weather gets hot is the plan.  Stay tuned!