AT Happiness: My First Down Day

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Michael Kane

AT Happiness: My First Down Day

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For a lot of years I suffered mood swings and depression.  In recent years I’ve learned how to deal with these better, learned to identify the triggers that would tank my mood. One of my biggest triggers is lack of sleep, being tired just allows other triggers to get a stronger foothold.

So a mountain short of Blue Mountain I tweaked my knee on a rocky downhill.  Two downhillls later my knee was unhappy as I entered Helen.  The night before I slept in a shelter for the first time and got hardly any sleep and beat up my body even more.  Tack in saying goodbye to a great hiking friend, Backtrack, and little sun over the last few days and my mood fell in the well.

I found myself pretty depressed yesterday sitting in the faux Alpine village of Helen, GA.  I knew I needed to do something so I planned a zero day now in Helen instead of 2 days later in Hiawassee.  Walking in the rain today would not have helped.

So I slept and napped, I iced my knee and bought a knee brace.  I ate well, I had a milkshake, I’m feeling better tonight, will sleep in a little and hit the trail in the late morning tomorrow.   Grey tomorrow, rain, but the sun is coming and I move forward toward completing my first state and entering North Carolina.

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At no point in the last two days did I consider stopping, I’m enjoying this, I want this, I know why I’m out here and I still believe in what I’m doing. There will be days like these, as the Bus Question said to me in a comment, these will make the better days that much better.

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I’m still learning how to do this, Georgia on the Appalachian Trail is the preseason, things get real once we head up the NC/TN border and into the Smokies. Let’s get it on and have some happy days my friends.  –Rev Kane

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Helen, GA

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Michael Kane

Helen, GA

So bigger thoughts after some sleep tonight. My first night sleeping in a shelter was NOT good.  It was warm and dry and the company was good but sleep was hard to come by.  I got bits but would wake up and have to change position, not comfortable at all.  Of course this is why I camp in a hammock, I dont like sleeping on the ground.

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Tonight I’m in a hotel in Helen, GA a German alpine village in rural Georgia. Taking an earlier than planned zero day, I’ll swap it out with a planned day in Hiawassee. Going to try and miss a bad rain day tomorrow.

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The trail has been hard and amazing, I’ve met some great folks.  Each day seems to be composed of multiple days.  Part idealic hiking day, part rainy nightmare, part blissful trail.  The balance though is definitely falling on the positive side.

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So goodnight my friends and have a happy day – Rev Kane

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Happiness Resources – March 8, 2015

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Michael Kane

Happiness Resources – March 8, 2015

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Through the marvels of technology I’m able to both be hiking the Appalachian Trail AND simultaneously posting some resources to help you have a happy day my friends, enjoy ~ Rev Kane

A little tour across the web to help you live a happier life at work:

Ok first, this is obviously a business site, but one that seems to be getting things right, not endorsing their services but the site offers some good little tidbits so have a look at Delivering Happiness

From Forbes.com, 10 Steps to Happiness at Work.

From Tiny Buddha.com, 6 Ways to Find Happiness at Work

From Psych Central.com, 8 Ways to Find Real Happiness at Work

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Leaving Civilization and my First Bear

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Michael Kane

Leaving Civilization and my First Bear

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So today I woke up by alarm clock, jumped in the shower in a heated room. Ate a hot breakfast cooked by someone else. I’m connected to the world by a wifi signal while typing this in a nice lobby in a comfortable chair, I’m dry.  All of that goes away in about an hour.

At the lodge there is a painted map of the AT that is 20 feet high, it makes the trail seem appropriately daunting.

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Especially from this view

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Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I spotted my first bear.

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Have a happy day my friends – Rev Kane

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Amicalola Falls State Park

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Michael Kane

Amicalola Falls State Park

happinss, camping, hammock

So I’ve arrived at the park, shuttled up from Atlanta by Survivor Dave a great guy, I highly recommend his services.   He’s part of a network of folks down here that help shuttle people to the start of the trail. He took a photo of me at the arch on the park, should be on his website in a day or so.

The lodge at Amicalola is beautiful and I’m sure the park is as well but this is the current view from my room.

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Tomorrow I hike 5 miles up to the Hike Inn and then Thursday I’m on the trail.  This might be my last post for at least a few days.

As anticipated I’m a big ball of nerves and excitement can’t wait to get on the trail. Ready or not here we go!  I hope whatever adventure you’re involved with today that you are having a happy day my friends.  – Rev Kane

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Really amazing hiking story

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Michael Kane

A Really Amazing Hiking Story

happiness, appalachian trail

http://www.backpacker.com/special-features/gone-hiking/

A friend passed this on to me and I read it this evening and it is a truly amazing story that brought tears to my eyes.  I head into the forest tomorrow, on the trail Thursday, give it a read and have a happy day my friends – Rev Kane

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Finally moving toward the Appalachian Trail

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Michael Kane

Finally moving toward the Appalachian Trail

Michael Kane and John Stewart head for the AT

Michael Kane and John Stewart head for the AT

So finally today, I’m on the train and heading south.  It’s an emotional day, the first day of an adventure always is this way. Little sleep, wake up early, double even triple check everything and of course the one rule of travel.  You always forget something.   For me today it was both my debit and AAA cards.  Remembered the debit card in time, the AAA card is left behind.

Always a bundle of nerves initially and then standing at the station a woman cautiously walks up to me and says, “heading to Georgia?”  I smiled big, she was a 2008 thru-hiker and we had a great conversation.

Getting into Penn Station and headed for the train, it was my turn as I said to a couple, heading to Georgia?” They smiled big.  Turned out to be John Stewart so there were now two famous names heading for the trail.

On the train we fell into immediate and easy conversation, we have the same anxieties, questions, excitements.   We are all carrying too much food, right?  We immediately talk about gear, the hiker’s equivalent to how’s the weather. it’s nice to have this conversation, they are good people and I’m taking it as a good omen.

Today I’m traveling solo but not alone, I bring pieces of people with me both mentally and physically.

My medicine bag from KC with a drawing from my youngest niece, and Ganesh from Stephanie.

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I have a good luck charm from Kim and Lhakpa in Nepal.  A book from my family. A piece of a quilt from my friend Meleah, anything you carry on this trip has to be precious because weight is so important.

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We carry a lot in our heads as well and we hope to throw off that weight with the miles.  So to my three questions, what was the most beautiful thing I saw today, that would have to be the scenery out of the train window.

What made me happy today is easy, getting on the road.  What I learned today was that other thru-hiker’s are in the same space I’m in and that made for a happy day my friends.  – Rev Kane

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Hiking with the stars

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Michael Kane

So I’m on the train heading to Georgia and I’ve met another thru hiker his name is John Stewart.   So John Stewart and Michael Kane are thru hiking tge AT this year let the press know 🙂

Michael Kane and John Stewart head for the AT

Michael Kane and John Stewart head for the AT

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Appalachian Trail (AT) Happiness: On the Road

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Michael Kane

Appalachian Trail (AT) Happiness: On the Road

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I’ve learned that fear limits you and your vision. It serves as blinders to what may be just a few steps down the road for you. The journey is valuable, but believing in your talents, your abilities, and your self-worth can empower you to walk down an even brighter path. Transforming fear into freedom – how great is that? ~ Soledad O’Brien

So tonight is my last night before the journey starts, I’m excited and nervous and running a million things through my head. Tomorrow morning I will board an Amtrak train for Atlanta with a brief hour and a half layover in Penn Station. Enough time for one last legitimate piece of pizza before I leave NY. About 19 hours later I’ll arrive in Atlanta at 8AM on a Sunday morning.

Because it’s stuck in my brain I’ll share the worm, On the Road Again

I will spend two days in Atlanta, to see one of my best friends, kick around Atlanta a bit and pamper myself for a couple of days in a really nice hotel. On Tuesday morning I’ll jump on MARTA to hook up with Survivor Dave and a couple of other thru-hikers to head to Amicalola Falls State Park. I’ll transition easy into the thru-hiker life on the AT, a night in the lodge, then a 5 mile hike the next day to the Hike Inn for a less posh evening. Then finally the next morning after a year of planning and scheming, of buying sooooo much gear and changing my mind so many times about what to bring, I’m off.

happiness, hiking

The front door at the Hike Inn

My plan is simple, 8-10 mile days and an arrival into Neels Gap on the third day. The first few days will really be a live fire check-out run, get things dialed in and start to adapt to trail life. I look forward to when get up, tear down, hike, set up and sleep becomes a routine. The beauty of all of that is nothing about it will be boring or routine. I look forward to warmer clear nights where I can take the rain fly off of the hammock and stare up at the stars until I fall asleep.

1There will be so many milestones to look forward to, my first state border, then 13 more. I look forward to seeing my first bear, climbing Clingman’s Dome, then getting out of the Smokies, jumping off trail in NC and VA to visit friends, my first resupply run, my first hitchhiked ride, my first trail angel, my first successful yogi’ing and especially to my first new friend on the trail. There will be adversity of course, blisters, turned ankles or knees, sore feet, incredibly hard days, rain and I look forward to all of it. Truly, all of it is the experience because you never know how many of those 5,000,000 million steps to Katahdin you’ll get to take, but I’m hoping to take and relish every single step.

Lot’s of thank you’s to go out to folks, first to David Miller the writer of the AT Guide, AWOL is a great guy, super accessible and helpful, he was in fact my first pre-hike trail angel and I look forward to meeting him in person at Trail Days in Damascus. My friends and family who have been supportive even when they didn’t have an idea or understand why in the hell I’m doing this. To Scot Gauvin and the Potable Aqua ATCrew2015 and my fellow crew members, I look forward to seeing you all at some point on the trail, even if it’s a high five when you’re going SOBO. To Phoddo, a Twitter friend, it’s been great to have someone to stress with via Twitter. Finally, to the readers of the Ministry of Happiness, we talk a lot about living a happy life, so time to stop talking the talk and to fully start walking the walk and of course having many happy days my friends ~ Rev Kane

happiness, appalachian trail

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Appalachian Trail (AT) Happiness: Trail Angels

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Michael Kane

Appalachian Trail (AT) Happiness: Trail Angels

happiness, angel

Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.                            ~ Barbara De Angelis

So tonight I thought I would talk about Trail Angels.  Now this is obviously a self-serving post for me and hopefully for my fellow hikers who are attempting a through hike this year.  A Trail Angel is someone who through kindness comes to the aid of thru-hikers.  This in its highest form could be allowing someone to stay in your home or helping an injured hiker get to a hospital or doctor.  However most of the time Trail Angels are folks who seemingly appear out of nowhere to give you want you desire or need.

The person who stops to pick you up while hitchhiking into town on a rainy day, and really, picking up a hairy, smelly, soaking wet hiker on the side of the road absolutely qualifies someone as an angel.  There are stories of folks who set up at access points on the trail and serve up hot dogs and cold drinks.  I’ve heard told of 6 packs showing up in streams along the trail with a sign saying take one.  There are lots of folks in trail towns who take people in or let them camp in their yard.  Chance encounters with day hikers can turn into gifts of food, water or cooking fuel.  Homemade cookies or brownies added to a drop box are always welcome, did you see that last phrase little sister!

happinessIf you are following a thru-hiker’s blog (really not just mine people) if you know they are going to be in a particular town or are picking up a drop box somewhere, you could send them a surprise.  Or, if you really want to make sure they get one, message them and ask them if you can send a box somewhere to them.  A couple of quick notes on being an effective trail angel:

1.  Send edible goodies! But not things in cans or anything heavy to carry.  If you do, it will be eaten immediately if possible, but likely will be put aside.

2. Unless you’ve communicated with someone, don’t send gear.  So many well-meaning people have offered me gear for my hike.  As kind as the offers are, they often really miss the point of what we are doing and the gear is usually far too heavy or ill-suited for our purposes.  Most of us have pretty extensively worked on our set ups and have what we need.

3. If you encounter a thru-hiker, kind words, a snack, an offer for a ride are great ways to instantly become a trail angel.  It doesn’t have to be something big, a small bag of Doritos could make a hikers whole day, some of that bottled water you are carrying that is really heavy, pour a little in our bottles and let us carry it for you.

4. If you are planning on going to the trail to give away some food or cold drinks, shoot out a message on Twitter with the hashtag #AT2015 with some details, that way hikers in the area can pace themselves out to take advantage of your kindness.

Hopefully you get the idea, you could even plan to meet someone at a point on the trail and bring a little something, but as the other person thru-hiking with her, could you bring a little extra, we all sure would appreciate it.

Here are some pieces about trail angels and the trail magic they provide, who knows they might give you some ideas, enjoy, and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane

The Guardian Angel of Appalachia

Appalachian Trail Magic and Trail Angels

Trail Magic

More Trail Magic

A Town That Steps Up on the Appalachian Trail

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