How did this begin exactly?

Al and I have been talking about thru-hiking in 2012 for a couple of months now. We are both interested in backpacking, as well as sustainability, and giving back to the wild places that we frequent. I have wanted to thru-hike for many years now and I am very excited that I have finally found someone who is willing to join me for this adventure! During college I was a member of the ASU Trail Crew, we volunteered along the AT with the Tennessee Eastman Hiking club, which is an ATC trail maintenance club for the AT in TN and NC. I really loved the hard work, getting dirty, and giving back to the trail to prevent erosion and increase sustainability of highly traveled areas. Throughout this experience it occurred to me that every year there are hundreds of people who attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, but how many of those hikers are really concerned with the cleanliness, beauty and longevity of the AT? When I pitched the idea to Al that while we are thru-hiking we should give back to the trail in any way possible, he was 100% on board. We discussed carrying an extra trash bag to pick up litter left behind by other hikers, and volunteering whenever possible with trail maintenance clubs along the trail from Maine to Georgia. We have created this blog for our friends, family, and potential sponsors to track our progress during the planning stages and of course the hike itself! Check back soon for more!

~maura