Allow me to introduce myself.

My name is AJ, and I am a hiker. I would like to take the opportunity to answer some questions you might have about me.

Q: When did you start hiking?
A: I've been hiking my whole life, but not intentionally. My dad loves to go fly fishing. Much to his chagrin, I never really got into it. However, I went with him all the time when I was younger. Getting to the best fishing holes often meant hiking some distance through the woods. When we arrived, I would explore the shores of the river, harass salamanders, play in the dirt, and do other little boy things while I waited for my dad to do his thing. Getting there is half the fun, right? I thought so.

Q: Walking in the woods really is not what I mean. When did you start hiking on proper trails with blazes, carrying a pack?
A: I guess you could say that I never considered myself a hiker until 2007. When I moved to Sunderland, I began walking around the farmlands simply because it was pretty. Since I had not been fishing with my dad in quite a while, I had not been in the woods either and I missed them. One day I decided simply to turn off the paved road. I equipped myself with a day pack and found real trails with real blazes. That awoke my sense of discovery and exploration.

Q: So it would be fair to say that spring/summer 2009 is your third season hiking?
A: Yes. That's correct.

Q: How much can one hike in one season?
A: So far I've officially hiked 287.2 miles since summer 2007. It would be fair to say I hike about 150 miles per summer.

Q: Wow! How can you be so specific?
A: Many people would consider me either a nerd or a dork, perhaps both. As such, I have a spreadsheet that catalogs every hike I've been on since 2007. This spreadsheet contains the date of the hike, mileage, location, and a brief note of anything interesting that happened along the way.

Q: Why? That sounds ridiculous.
A: You're right. It is. But then again, I can see if I improve by consistently hiking longer distances, or accurately see how long my equipment (like my trusty trail runner shoes) lasts, or recall that I saw a bear on August 20, 2008 by the second stream west of Middle Mountain in the Mt. Toby forest. (Did I mention I was a nerd and/or dork?)

Q: So you're planning a hike this summer that is more than double the distance you have ever hiked before? How does that make you feel?
A: Well, I only started counting miles in 2007, so I have hiked much more over my lifetime, but nevertheless, I am a little frightened. We are hiking a long way. Getting ready is very technical. It is not like we will just be able to run to the store anytime a need arises. I think we can do it though. It will be tough, and we will have to rely on each other to make it. I am really thrilled to be doing it though.

Q: Why are you doing this?
A: There is really no good reason. It is something that I want to do, and it is something that most people will never do. The trail has been calling, and now is the perfect time to answer.

Q: You're leaving society as you know it because a long stretch of rocks and dirt has been speaking to you? Are you crazy?
A: Probably, yeah.

Q: The trail can pose many dangers. Do you have any qualifications?
A: I work as a paramedic and a firefighter with special experience in wildland firefighting. I hope these skills never come in handy. I've read and listened to the advice of many other hikers. In upcoming posts, I hope to keep show a little of what I've done to get ready.

Well, that should do for now. Please send your questions! Happy trails.