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Howdy, my name is Eddie, and I'm going to hike the Appalachian Trail. I first started thinking about the AT my freshman year in college. I went to school in Boone, NC, a small town that is surrounded by the Appalachian mountains. The small town offered me an abundance of opportunities to play outdoors, including backpacking and mountain biking. I heard of people walking the entire Appalachian Trail....I thought they were insane, but I also thought I might want to give it a try one day. I graduated in 1996 with a Biology degree and stayed around my college town for 2 more years waiting tables. I met Amanda in 1996. We began doing hiking and camping trips together and enjoyed it a lot. After she graduated we moved to Raleigh, NC. I got a job at a Biotechnology firm and finally started putting my degree to work. Raleigh is QUITE different from Boone, it's a nice place to find a job, but as far as activities go, I let my job be my entertainment. I worked for almost 3 years saving up money. Certain circumstances gave us a perfect opportunity to start the AT in March of 2001, and we decided to take it. Planning for the AT has been very hectic, but it will definitely be worth the efforts we're putting into it.

When walking the Appalachian trail, people are given 'trail names' to fit their attitude or describe something unique about them. They are then known up and down the trail by this name. Most people get theirs from their beliefs, their attitudes, something they've done in the past, or something thats important to them. I got mine because i have a bony butt....it took me 3 hip belts before i finally found one that fit.......=)

I would like to thank both of our families for being supportive of this trip. Thanks mom and dad for letting us keep our crap in your newly furnished guest bed room. Thanks Kenny and Sandra for taking care of our mail drops. Thanks Amy for taking time out to keep up this web site. And thanks Alex and Starling for helping put this web site together.

Mtn Goat

"I am hiking the AT" is not something that I thought I would ever say, but here it is only 2 months and 1 day away from when I step foot out on the trail March 26th, 2001....and I can't wait! All of this pinned up anticipation, planning and excitement will soon be realized. I can't say enough how much my family and friends have helped make this a reality, and most of all Eddie for sharing this experience with me. I appreciate everything that EVERYONE has done and will be doing along the way to make my trek a success. Your encouragement means a lot to me and I plan on tucking it away for the rainy days and days and days and days....(Part of my mental preparation regimen)

I have not been this way all of my life, as far as hiking and the outdoors are concerned I am late bloomer. Over the past 5 or 6 years I have really developed a love for being in the woods. I think the AT is a perfect way to make up for all of that lost time that me and nature could have been spending together. Really though, this trip will be both an adventure and a personal challenge. I want to make this mine.

Eddie "Hipbone" gave me my trail name....he has given me several, but this was the first and the one that I am sticking with for my hike. I would like to think that I can be as agile and balanced as a mountain goat, but only my time on the trail will tell. I am not sure if mountain goats are determined...or maybe the word I am looking for is stubborn, but I think that I have just enough of both to make it to Katahdin.