Reflecting on our planned two week hike starting on Monday, I realize that the past four months have been  tumultuous.  We enjoyed them but were stressed and separated by the decline and death of my father and also challenged to provide necessary support to Anne’s parents in Florida during January and February.  My return to PA for two weeks in February for Dad’s end made that tougher for both of us.  We sorely missed each other. 

Back in PA we have wrestled with probate for my Dad and supporting my mothers adjustment to life without Dad.  She is not sure continuing chemotherapy is worthwhile.  We think it is, but in any case the house must be sold and property unsuitable or unnecessary at the senior housing apartment must also be disposed of.

We drove to Cape May to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the couple who introduced us and also found wintering waterfowl before their retreat.  For those of you who have never seen them, long-tailed ducks swimming in the surf are fabulous.

We rendezvoused with Elley at my sister’s in Princeton then next day.  That was joyful.  Then on Monday, we and Laurie drove to York to begin cleaning out my parent’s house.   We found that they had a hoarding tendency.  Probably every box that had arrived there during their nineteen years of tendency was still in the basement.  I flattened them and formed a fifteen-foot long and three-foot high stack of cardboard in the middle of the garage.  We had hoped to put out the trash but finally had to call a hauler.  Each night we were exhausted.

We segregated items Mom or we wanted to keep.  The balance of goods and furniture will go to auction.  We met realtors and made a contract.  We arranged for auction of furniture and assorted items.  We cleaned but still contacted for pressure washing outside, carpet cleaning inside, and general cleaning after the furniture is removed. 

We thought we would finish in a few days but stayed through Friday night.  Returning home I realized that personal business, finances, and taxes had to be addressed before the start of our hike.   We also had to prepare the RV (our base camp for the hike) as well as the gear and food for our 14-day walk.  This has been a very busy week. 

I have wondered if we should go ahead with the walk, but the reservations are made and we need the time without chores or responsibilities.  Spring has reached the valleys, and while the ridges will be bare, the vistas should be wonderful. 

We will trek from Daleville near Roanoke to Rockfish Gap at the south end of Shenandoah National Park.  We found a campground about two-thirds of the way from the south end and will set our RV there.  We will drive to a point about one-third the way from the south end and park.  A “shuttler” will drive us to the starting point at the south end.   We will walk back to our car in four days and drive back to the RV for a night off the trail with normal food, bathing, and laundry.  The next morning we will drive back to where we left off and walk on to the RV.  After another night off the trail, we will drive the RV to recover the auto, return the RV to its spot, and drive the car to the north end of the section.  We will then hike south to the RV.  Reaching it, we will drive home, picking up the car along the way. 

A second, shorter hike is planned for the end of April into early May from Atkins VA to Pearisburg VA.  The mountains should be completely green for this walk and the wildflowers should be peaking. 

Finishing that walk, we will have only the section from the North Carolina/Tennessee border across Tennessee and Virginia to Damascus Virginia left to complete the A.T.  We will probably make that walk in 2013.  We invite friends and family to join us or meet us in the Mount Rogers area when we make that final walk.

Tomorrow I tackle the taxes.  On Friday I finish loading my pack.  On Saturday we load up the RV.  On Sunday, we set out.  Wish us well.  A hike is always an adventure.