And it begins

We are poised in Millinocket, Maine, about to head up Mt. Kathadin, the trail's famed "hardest climb" and Maine's highest mountain. It seems a little cheeky to me-- to "highpoint" a state when you've only known her a couple days. From Katahdin, we walk straight down into the "100 mile wilderness": the AT's longest stretch without re-supply. Normally routed, from South to North, most AT hikers hit these challenges after months of hiking, when they are at their toughest and fastest. We, on the other hand, can only brag relative cleanliness.

Everyone is shocked to hear that we are starting now-- in the winter?!?-- but we have 30 pounds of food packed and if we want lighter packs, we better start walking and eating.

We have heard that the peloton of Northbound hikers from the summer season is about two weeks south of us, poised to strike for their finish.

We stopped in Bangor to sing"King of the Road," pick up last minute supplies, and watch "Walk in the Woods": Robert Redford's new movie about Bill Bryson's attempt at the AT. Leave it to Nick Nolte & Redford to take a story about walking and make it rated R. But we got a lot of laughs headed in to an adventure that might need some laughter to carry us down the trail.