Off to Georgia!

Following two very nervous and tentative weeks full of antibiotics and the sniffles, it's off to Georgia to set sights on the approach trail which climbs 8.8 miles from Amicalola Falls State Park to the top of Springer Mountain, the starting point for all Northbounders, AKA "Nobos" among thru-hikers. Then it's 36 hours of final preparation and nailbiting until 8am on Friday when I transition from fleshy computer geek to fleshy Appalachian Trail thru-hiker.

Morale is still very high despite some packing challenges today, but I'll have to work those out before hitting the trail on Friday. I have five days of food, all my gear, cash and traveler's checks and probably the last bit of clean-smelling clothes I'll have for quite some time.

My wife, Aracelis will be joining me that first day to Springer Mountain, share the evening and then walk back to the park the following day. I'll be signing the first of dozens of trail registers that I'll sign throughout my journey and if the weather holds out, it promises to be a wonderful day.

My Blog/Journal entries will be less frequent from now on, but I'll try to make several entries at a time along the way, about every week and a half or so.

To all those following along and actually reading these, I thank you. To those who have donated to the Russell Home, I thank you. To all those who have sent emails of support, I thank you.

Please keep me in your prayers, I'll certainly need as many as I can get.

Ron