Springer Mountain to Neels Gap – Blood Mountain Cabins

Here we are three days in… The girls have made it 31+ miles not including all the side trips to water, camping sites, the water falls, and amazing views. The rocks and roots of Georgia are well ingrained in my memory from 20 years ago and are felt in all of our feet. We had a great start in the rain and a second very rainy day. Yesterday we had a beautiful sunny day and made it more than 14 miles! They did have the motivation of a dry cabin to sleep in😊. Among the girls favorite has been stream and creek crossings, meeting other thru-hikers, and hiking on the rocks!

Everyone has decided on their trail names… We have Papa Bear, Sunshine, Horse Power, The Sparkle Machine, Wild Jay, and Baby Bunny. They are in great spirits and continue to impress me with their stamina, determination, and excitement to continue on. We say we are slow and steady. We take many breaks and continue to rotate around packs and gears to make it work best for all. We are a team and continue to help out the weakest link. One of us has been under the weather but is starting to be more herself again and looks forward to the days to come. We had our first birthday celebration and a box of Girl Scout cookies even made it to the trail!

We made it up and over Blood Mountain, which The girls renamed dead man’s hill!

We feel so fortunate to be out in nature and on this amazing adventure and have the support of so many family and friends. The girls continue to keep the organizations they are sponsoring as a motivation as they know they are making a difference one step at a time. With much gratitude to all those who follow and continue to support us!!

Author: Jamie “Sunshine”

To awaken to a beautiful dream one day become reality is the day millions of us wait and hope for. Setting goals and pushing ourselves to the limit, we have all challenged ourselves and our systems of life to see our goals in action. In March of 2019, waking a long envisioned dream, our family of 6 will set out on the 2000+ mile Appalachian Trail (AT). The trail covers 14 states and will take 6 months to complete. This dream began over 20 years ago, in 1999 when I set up the Awaking Dreams Fund with the National Brain Injury Association in my brother, Kyle’s name. I raised over $10,000 and set out and completed a thru-hike of the AT. Five years after that my husband, sister and I set out on a thru-paddle of the Connecticut River and raised money for Casa Colinas, a rehabilitation hospital that facilitated outdoor adventures for their patients. My brother, Kyle fought his battle for 20 years and passed away in February of 2017. We will continue to hike in his honor and his name attempting to complete the trail on his birthday. However, this adventure will be of a different caliber, as Chris and I will set out with our four daughters ages 5, 7, 10 &12. I have envisioned this hike since my thru-hike in 1999 when I traveled with a father and his two sons for a few days. The boys were ages 9 & 11. They were adventurous, excited, connected to nature and so curious and educated about the natural world around us. I have long hoped for such an amazing experience for my girls. We have done a great deal of planning, preparing, and talking . . Now is the Time! View all posts by Jamie “Sunshine”