Adding much needed perspective. . .

I am adding this Google Earth screenshot to add valuable perspective. You can see the small yellow pin in the panhandle of Florida. The nice thing is that that journey to the trail head is not too far at this time. Over the years and depending on whether or not we stay here the trail will be farther and farther away each time we go. The line on the trail as you see it here is actually a GPS waypoint for each of the several hundred AT shelters, lean-to's and huts along the trail from Georgia to Maine. They are generally spaced between 5-15 miles apart to make them available to weary thru hikers who would rather not pitch a tent every night.