We are now into August so this is when the rubber meets the road so to speak. September 4 is just around the corner and coming fast--before you know it Lyle and his gear will be in the car heading east. The real work now is keeping the weight of the pack around 30 lbs. with water, as this weight will be manageable with his "bionic" knee. The backpack has been packed, weighed, unpacked and repacked several times already. He has been pouring over his books and A.T. guides (when he has time away from the coffee shop) as a refresher of what he really needs and what can be left at home. Personally I'm most concerned about the New Jersey stretch of the hike as we continue to receive information and read articles about how bad the black bear problem is. I think one close encounter with a bear is enough for any A.T. hiker!
Lyle Here: I'm looking forward to a dry Sept and Oct on the AT. I should be so lucky! Right now it looks as if I'll be getting on the AT at Delaware Water Gap (this is at the PA/NJ state line). I'm hoping to start Sept 6th which will give me about 54 days to hike up to Gorham, NH (where I got off the trail in 2010) at distance of 600 miles give or take. After NJ the AT passes through NY, CT, MASS and VT before entering NH and the White Mountains. I'm going to try to cover this before the snow flys and still be back in WI for the very end of the season at the coffee shop. I'll (Beth will) keep you posted.
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