The Appalachian Trail Adventure started on May 4th.  These are a few photos and comments from the first day on the trail.  We hope you enjoy following us as we travel from Georgia to Maine.

Our campsite at Springer Mountain was cozy.  There is our blue tent in the woods.  To get to the top of the mountain where the trail starts, we had to drive on a winding dirt road.  From here, we hiked up a short trail to the beginning of the Appalachian Trail.

This picture shows the starting point of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain.

This is the first blaze mark on the trail.  The blazes are the white marks that the hikers follow.

Every adventure must have a few obstacles.  This tree was down in the road where I was supposed to meet Dr. Casseday and his friends.  I could not get through and I had to run ahead to find them so they could get food and water at the car (and help move this big tree).  We were finally able to work together to move it out of the way.

Our first day had to have TWO obstacles.  Yes, this is a second tree in the road.  The wind storm the night before did much more damage than we thought.  We managed to pass by with the help of some speedy rangers and their chainsaws. 

There will be more pictures and stories to come.  Remember, we only have access to internet in the small trail towns.  Now, go play outside.

Appalachian Trail on YouTube

There are many videos and slide shows people have made to share their thru-hiking experiences.  This one will give you a quick idea about what we may see on our Appalachain Trail adventure, but you can try your own search on http://www.youtube.com/.  There are a lot of miles to be covered from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine.

Welcome

Thank you for following us on our Appalachian Trail adventure!  In a few short days, we will be leaving West Virginia and beginning our 70-day journey through the Appalachian Mountains, from Georgia to Maine.  Many of you learned about the Appalachian Trail during your 15-week ArtsBank session at school.  This will be a great way for you to learn more about the trail and what makes the Appalachian Mountains so special.  We will update this blog with stories and pictures when we have access to the internet (remember, the trail goes through several small towns).  Please check back here (http://www.trailrunnerkids.blogspot.com/) often and let us know what outdoor adventures YOU will be having this summer, too!

Enjoy!
Ms. Kadra and Dr. Casseday
(Watch for our "Trail Names" to appear as we begin our journey and meet other thru-hikers.  These nicknames are a magical and fun part of running or hiking on the Appalachian Trail.  Sometimes, we will be calling the Appalachian Trail by its nicknames "the AT" or the "Green Tunnel", too.)