Practice Hike #1 - Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis

Mid October, mom came to visit for the weekend so we could do a practice hike. Saturday morning, we woke up, bundled up, and headed out. After stopping at McDonalds for bagels and cream cheese, we headed to Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis. We parked near the soccer fields across the street, thinking if we walked in we wouldn't have to pay a fee... boy were we wrong. It was $3 per person or $5 for the car, so we actually paid $6, and now we know. I've only hiked at Eagle Creek once or twice before, so I was unsure where we were headed, but we picked up a map, hoping to find our way. Let me just state that the trails are not marked well and the map was not really helpful at all. Luckily, we just kept walking, knowing we couldnt' get too lost. There were a good number of people out on the trails and we often crossed roads. Luckily, we found the restrooms near the beach that were open, so we made a quick pit stop before heading back towards the car. We ended up hiking about 3 hours and I assume we did about 5 miles. I carried a small backpack (an old one I used in college) with a few items in it (water, snacks, bandana, and extra gloves). Mom decided to carry her new backpack and load it up. I have no idea how much weight she carried, but I was impressed. By the end of the hike, I was getting tired. The next day, I was sore, but that could have been because I also helped a friend that evening at a fundraiser and walked on concrete floors for about 7 hours... that is never good for my body!

Our plan is to meet up once a month to practice and test our our gear. Mom's been hiking after work too, so she'll be in better shape than I will, for sure!

Gear List, so far...

In order to keep track of the gear we've collected and plan to use, I'll be updating our Gear List as we accumulate new items.

Mom~
Pack: Mountain Hardwear Women's Nepali 50 in Cypress Green
Boots: Columbia

Me~
Pack: GoLite Women's Odyssey in Coriander/Thyme
Boots: Merrell
Trekking Poles: Outdoor Recreation Group-Double Trekking Poles with Twistlocks

Shared Items~
Tent: Alps Mountaineering Zephyr AL 3.0

Welcome Home.

Welcome to Following Thru, a blog my mother encouraged me to create in order to share our newest endeavor. Last month, while visiting my mom, a local hot air balloon festival was taking place. My daughter spotted the first balloon out my parent's picture window early Sunday morning. As luck would have it, one of the balloons had to land right across the street from their house, in the neighbor's yard. My mom expressed her interest in riding in one... she said it was on her "bucket list." You know what I mean... the list of things you want to do in your lifetime. So, mom and I walked over to the balloon and we finally worked up the courage to ask to go up. We both got in the basket and up we went... not too far up, we were still being held down by the crew on the ground, but we could see the tops of the houses. It was a thrilling Sunday morning, to say the least. After coming down from that "high," my mom asked if I had any interest in backpacking part of the Appalachian Trail with her. Once again, she said it was on her "bucket list." I've always enjoyed camping, although, I admit, I'm not much of an active outdoorswoman. I was intrigued and said sure, why not. Once I was home, I started my research on what I had gotten myself into. This blog will serve as a journal of our research, preparations, and adventures that will lead us to the AT.