Author: jpetesd

You may find these AT facts interesting.  Enjoy!

https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/21-fascinating-appalachian-trail-facts/#

I hope you will take the time to read the letter (below) that came with this 3 lb box of deer jerky!  My brother and his wife live in Aberdeen, SD.  Thanks, Jay and Teresa!

 

 

 

I am amazed, thrilled, and thankful for the generosity of my family and friends.  To date, you have pledged $16.09 to charity for each mile of the Appalachian Trail that I complete.  Assuming I finish all 2,190 miles, that is more than $35,000 that will be split between Sun Dial Manor, K9s For Warriors, and the Down Syndrome Program at Boston Childrens Hospital.

Thank s to all of you for your support.  I am confident that we will get to my goal of earning $50,000 in contributions for these worthy charities.  You can help by getting your family and friends interested in following my adventure (and my blog).  More followers equals more pledges!

Below is a list of the 99 individuals who have pledged to date.  My heartfelt thanks to each of you.

Name	City	State	Charity
Adams, Tom and Lisa	Wharton	NJ	Pete Choice
Albrecht, Dexter and Clare	East Grand Forks	MN	Sun Dial Manor
Anderson, Sandy	Forman	ND	Pete Choice
Barker, Jim and Mary Lynne	Lake Hopatcong	NJ	Down Syndrome
Bartell, Mary Anne	Bristol	SD	DS, K9’s and Sun Dial
Best, Julie	Sioux Falls	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Bohlen, Earl and Lena	Littleton	CO	Pete Choice
Bohlen, Julie	Littleton	CO	Pete Choice
Bowser, Gregory	Abingdon	MD	Down Syndrome
Boyer, Jackie	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Brandlee, Deb	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Bush, Tom and Amy	Lake Hopatcong	NJ	Down Syndrome
Caloggero, Joe	Forest Hill	MD	Down Syndrome
Chenore, Ranger and Remington	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Christensen, James R	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Cook, Dave	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Cropper, Steve	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Cruickshank, Todd	Hopatcong	NJ	Pete Choice
Dolney, Bonita	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Driscoll, Dave and Tricia	Lake Hopatcong	NJ	Pete Choice
Dyste, Jiggs and Julie	West Fargo	ND	Sun Dial Manor
Ellerbrock, Marybeth	Burlington	WI	K9’s for Warriors
Enright, Rich and Jennifer	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	DS, K9s, and Sun Dial
Erdahl, Dennis	Sioux Falls	SD	K9s and Sun Dial
Espeland, Kay and Richard	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Evans, Lynne	Port Charlotte	FL	Sun Dial Manor
Findlow, Jerry and Cindy	Andover	NJ	K9’s for Warriors
Flynn, Pat and John	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Formanack, Tom and Gail	The Villages	FL	Sun Dial Manor
Fransen, Victor	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Frisina, Teri	Ridgewood	NJ	K9’s for Warriors
Frontline Real Estate	Littleton	CO	Pete Choice
Garbarini, Bill	Cranford	NJ	Sun Dial Manor
Genest, Gary and Lynn	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Down Syndrome
Gjokaj, Justin	Oceanport	NJ	Down Syndrome
Haar, Dawn	Miller	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Hansmeir, Floyd and Jill	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Harper, Jim	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Hayden, Art and Janice	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Howard, Mike	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Hupke, Carlton	Sioux Falls	SD	K9’s for Warriors
Johnson, Aaron	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Johnson, Greg and Mary	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Johnson, Karen	Webster	SD	Pete Choice
Johnson, Kathy	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Johnson, Sue	Arden Hills	MN	Sun Dial Manor
Karczeski, Dave	Bel Air	MD	Down Syndrome
Klein, James and Lola	Columbus	OH	Sun Dial Manor
Klein, Lauren	Pittsburgh	PA	K9’s for Warriors
Knox, Donna	Baltimore	MD	Pete Choice
Kraus, Carl and Kathleen	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Loterbauer, Terry	Ofallon	MO	Pete Choice
Lundeen, John	Salt Lake City	UT	Sun Dial Manor
Maccini, Paul	Flemington	NJ	Pete Choice
Mahall, Aubrey	Baltimore	MD	K9’s for Warriors
Mallery, Richard	Salem	OR	Pete Choice
Markel, Gary	Naples	FL	Pete Choice
Marsh, Keith	Lake Hopatcong	NJ	Down Syndrome
Maselli, Pete and Robyn	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Down Syndrome
Maunder, Nancy	Jacksonville	FL	Down Syndrome
McBee, Lindsay and Mitch Fennell	Bel Air	MD	Down Syndrome
McKittrick, Joyce	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
McLaughlin, Becky & Greg	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Mehlhaff, Joann	Frederick	SD	K9’s for Warriors
Merkel, Kelly	Baltimore	MD	K9’s for Warriors
Michael, Betty	Jackson	MI	K9s and Sun Dial
Mikes, George	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Moore, Terra	Bel Air	MD	K9’s for Warriors
Oakland, Ralph and Louise	Bristol	SD	DS, K9s, and Sun Dial
Olson, Pat	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Osborne, Al	Lenexa	KS	K9’s for Warriors
Parry, Danny	Baltimore	MD	K9’s for Warriors
Patnoe, Jim and Jodi	Powers Lake	WI	Pete Choice
Patton, Laurie	Spokane	WA	K9’s for Warriors
Paulson, Virgil	Overland Park	KS	Sun Dial Manor
Peterson, Brooke	Baltimore	MD	Down Syndrome
Peterson, Dennis	Seattle	WA	Sun Dial Manor
Peterson, Jay and Teresa	Aberdeen	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Peterson, Jim and Alice Jean	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Peterson, Kerri	Pittsburgh	PA	Pete Choice
Polizzi, Kristin	Boonton Twp.	NJ	K9’s for Warriors
Polizzi, Paul Vincent	Boonton Twp.	NJ	Down Syndrome
Reidenbach, Jay	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Robert, Tom	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Rovito, Lisa	Weehawken	NJ	K9’s for Warriors
Sachnoff, Jay	Randolph	NJ	Pete Choice
Schmidt, Beth	Aberdeen	SD	K9’s for Warriors
Scott, Keith	Sparta	NJ	K9’s for Warriors
Skaare, Jerry and Carol	Glendale	AZ	Sun Dial Manor
Snyder, Ben	Baltimore	MD	K9’s for Warriors
Sturdivant, Teresa	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Szeleski, Frank and Dawn	Oak Ridge	NJ	K9’s for Warriors
Van Beek, Jan	Webster	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Van Hunnick, Kim	Montgomery	AL	Sun Dial Manor
Vital, Walt	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Von Eschen, Emily & Sam Jones	Huddersfild	England	Down Syndrome
Von Eschen, Larry and Carol	Cuenca	Ecuador	Sun Dial Manor
Whyte, Marcella	Oakdale	MN	Pete Choice
Zimmerman, Perry	Andover	SD	Sun Dial Manor

The Trek has put together a list of the top 10 restaurants for thru-hikers on the AT.

Go to link below if you want to get a feel for the fine dining options!

https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/best-restaurants-appalachian-trail-2/

“When things go wrong, as they sometimes will;

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill;

When the funds are low and the debts are high;

And you want to smile but you have to sigh.

When all is pressing you down a bit-

Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Success is failure turned inside out;

The silver tint on the clouds of doubt;

And you can never tell how close you are;

It may be near when it seems far.

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –

It’s when things go wrong that you must not quit.”

-John Greenlear Whittier

We have had 59 different people from 16 different states and Ecuador (thanks Von & Carol!) pledge a total of $9.13/mile.  That’s $20,000 split between Sun Dial Manor, K9s For Warriors and the Down Syndrome Program at Boston Children’s Hospital.  Awesome!

A huge thank you to each of you who have pledged.  I hope you realize how much I appreciate the generosity of each and every one of you.  Thanks much!

If you haven’t had time to pledge and are planning to, don’t worry, you’ve got time!

If you are unable to pledge or these charities don’t work for you, that’s cool too.  I appreciate your support through your following of my blog.  Much appreciated.

Your support for these charities will be a huge motivational force for me over the next 5 months.  I’m hoping to get the total pledged to $50,000 before I finish the hike in early-September so please feel free to share with your family and friends!

Below is a list of our current contributors:

Name	City	State	Charity
Adams, Tom and Lisa	Wharton	NJ	Pete Choice
Albrecht, Dexter and Clare	East Grand Forks	MN	Sun Dial Manor
Anderson, Sandy	Forman	ND	Pete Choice
Barker, Jim and Mary Lynne	Lake Hopatcong	NJ	Down Syndrome
Bohlen, Earl and Lena	Littleton	CO	Pete Choice
Bohlen, Julie	Littleton	CO	Pete Choice
Bowser, Gregory	Abingdon	MD	Down Syndrome
Boyer, Jackie	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Brandlee, Deb	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Caloggero, Joe	Forest Hill	MD	Down Syndrome
Christensen, James R	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Cropper, Steve	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Cruickshank, Todd	Hopatcong	NJ	Pete Choice
Dolney, Bonita	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Dyste, Jiggs and Julie	West Fargo	ND	Sun Dial Manor
Ellerbrock, Marybeth	Burlington	WI	K9’s for Warriors
Erdahl, Dennis	Sioux Falls	SD	K9’s + SDM
Formanack, Tom and Gail	The Villages	FL	Sun Dial Manor
Fransen, Victor	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Frisina, Teri	Ridgewood	NJ	K9’s for Warriors
Garbarini, Bill	Cranford	NJ	Sun Dial Manor
Gjokaj, Justin	Oceanport	NJ	Down Syndrome
Haar, Dawn	Miller	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Howard, Mike	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Hupke, Carlton	Sioux Falls	SD	K9’s for Warriors
Johnson, Aaron	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Johnson, Karen	Webster	SD	Pete Choice
Johnson, Sue	Arden Hills	MN	Sun Dial Manor
Karczeski, Dave	Bel Air	MD	Down Syndrome
Knox, Donna	Baltimore	MD	Pete Choice
Lundeen, John	Salt Lake City	UT	Sun Dial Manor
Maccini, Paul	Flemington	NJ	Pete Choice
Mallery, Richard	Salem	OR	Pete Choice
Marsh, Keith	Lake Hopatcong	NJ	Down Syndrome
McKittrick, Joyce	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Mehlhaff, Joann	Frederick	SD	K9’s for Warriors
Michael, Betty	Jackson	MI	K9’s + SDM
Mikes, George	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Moore, Terra	Bel Air	MD	K9’s for Warriors
Olson, Pat	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Osborne, Al	Lenexa	KS	K9’s for Warriors
Patton, Laurie	Spokane	WA	K9’s for Warriors
Paulson, Virgil	Overland Park	KS	Sun Dial Manor
Peterson, Brooke	Baltimore	MD	Down Syndrome
Peterson, Dennis	Seattle	WA	Sun Dial Manor
Peterson, Jim and Alice Jean	Bristol	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Peterson, Kerri	Pittsburgh	PA	Pete Choice
Polizzi, Kristin	Boonton Twp.	NJ	K9’s for Warriors
Polizzi, Paul Vincent	Boonton Twp.	NJ	Down Syndrome
Reidenbach, Jay	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	K9’s for Warriors
Robert, Tom	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Rovito, Lisa	Weehawken	NJ	K9’s for Warriors
Schmidt, Beth	Aberdeen	SD	K9’s for Warriors
Skaare, Jerry and Carol	Glendale	AZ	Sun Dial Manor
Van Beek, Jan	Webster	SD	Sun Dial Manor
Van Hunnick, Kim	Montgomery	AL	Sun Dial Manor
Vital, Walt	Ponte Vedra Beach	FL	Pete Choice
Von Eschen, Larry and Carol	Cuenca	Ecuador	Sun Dial Manor
Zimmerman, Perry	Andover	SD	Sun Dial Manor

Each year, thousands of hikers attempt a thru-hike, only about one in four make it all the way.

In 2016 3,377 thru-hikers started at Springer Mtn, GA.  1,535 made it to Harpers Ferry WV (roughly 1/2 way).  There were 620 completions reported.

There have been 17,510 documented thru-hikes since the Appalachian Trail was formed in 1936.

The number of thru-hikers in their 60’s is fewer than 500.

I am 59 1/2.  Wish me luck!

If you want to get a feel for the Appalachian Trail, I would recommend the movie A Walk in the Woods (and/or book by same name).

I think Bill Bryson is a very amusing author and Nick Nolte and Robert Redford are perfect casting.  A few LOL scenes.

The book will give you much more detail regarding life on the trail.

I previously shared the hardest sections of the AT.  Luckily there are some easy parts as well (https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/easiest-sections-appalachian-trail/).

Happy trails.

The Appalachian Trail has a lot of ups and downs. Thetreck.com polled 2016 thru-hikers on a number of different aspects of their hike, including the sections they found to be most difficult. Check out the list of The Hardest Sections of the Appalachian Trail and see all the fun I will be having! Anyone want to join me?