To hike or not to hike ?

To hike or not to hike? That was the question I was faced with last Tuesday. You see, Tuesday was when I had to "re-commit" to this endeavor. "Re-committing" involved providing a credit card to LLS that they would charge in the event that I failed to raise $4,500.00 - LLS incurs a cost in going forward with the travel arrangements, etc and this ensures that I stay focussed on the training and fund-raising ( and don't bail at the last moment).

I had to pause for a moment to think this through given that I had raised only slightly over 25% last Tuesday. I am happy to report that I did indeed re-commit over two slices of Bella's Pizza and a Terrapin Pale Ale.

I am even happier to report that as of today, I have crossed the 50% mark. We have now raised $2,255.00 - Thank You all. The next target is the 75% mark of $3,375.00 by April 15th.

Speaking of April 15th, most of you are probably working on your taxes... I have to say you will feel a lot better next year this time if you donate to this cause... Apparently, research has proven that the good feeling generated is directly proportional to the amount of money you contribute :-) Ok, I made that up, but come on, we don't need research to prove that..... So, if you haven't already, go ahead and make an investment for the future.

Training Update:
We went back to Kennesaw Mountain last Saturday. The place has changed so much in the two weeks since we were there last. It was a beautiful day. No sweatshirts and/or jackets were required. It was dry and the day probably started out at 50F.

We made the Hike up and down Big Kennesaw and then up and down Little Kennesaw to Burnt Hickory. Our Hike leader and some of the mentors turned back mid way. They said they had to conserve energy because they were going to run a marathon the next day. Surely, you are nuts, was all I could think. In any case, we crossed Burnt Hickory road, hiked a little over a mile of rolling hills, and then climbed little Kennesaw and Big Kennesaw to get to the visitor center. The final climb was a pain just like it was two weeks ago. The sun was out and that didn't make it any easier. I did manage to get a few good spring pictures.

Next week, we head back to the Appalachian Trail. Our hike leader Sandy Geisel apparently liked the hike up Rocky Mountain so much that she has decided an encore is in order. This time, we will most likely go a lot farther than the Indian Grave Gap.

Power Of Your Money:
As you consider a donation to this cause, consider what your donation can do...

• $ 200 - provides a Family Support Group Program for one year.


• $ 100 - provides 3 patients access to an informational teleconference.

Dots on a map

This past Sunday, we were supposed to hike at the Unicoi State Park near Helen in NE Georgia. The hike was scheduled to start at 9AM rather than our usual 8AM.. which was just as well given the distance.

We met at "It's a Grind" coffee store in Canton, GA. The caravan included two cars and I drove with Sara, Scot & Cathy. We got to Unicoi at 9AM and we got checked in and Dean came up with the idea of driving 10 miles north and hiking the Appalachian Trail instead. After a quick show of hands, we got back in the car and headed North. The temperature was forecast to be 34F when we started, but driving to the parking lot, we saw a sign that said 29F and it definitely felt a lot cooler when we got out of the car.

We started the hike at Unicoi Gap at a height of 2975 feet and it seemed that the trail was straight up for about the first 30 minutes after that it was a gradual slope till we hit the summit of Rocky Mountain. We had climbed 1125 feet in 1.3 miles. We had some of the best views of the North Georgia mountains shortly after the summit as we were descending towards Indian Grave gap. The cold which was biting as we started up the hike was gone and there was little or no wind at the top. The descent was steep and it looked like the mountain kept falling off. Every step down made the hike back up just that much harder. We got to Indian Grave gap in a time of 1 hour and 19 minutes.

After a rest of about 15 minutes, fuel and water, I joined the group that was headed back to Unicoi gap. About half the group continued further on the trail to Tray gap. Their hike would have lasted 4.5 hours and I made the mistake of not packing lunch. I had enough fuel in the form of gels and bars.. but I wasn't sure if I could last long without something solid. The climb back up the mountain seemed steeper.

I clicked a few pictures and took it easy once we got to the top. The slope down was covered with ice formations that looked like millions of tiny silver threads strewn around. It looks like I may have figured out a way to rig the camera and use it comfortably while it stays attached to the backpack. We got to the parking lot, stretched, got in the car and headed to Helen in search of burgers. We stopped at Wendy's, got burgers, overheard this group of teenagers exchanging camping stories... clearly they had been smoking something illegal :-) and left for Canton.

In retrospect, I am glad I got to hike a portion of the A.T. I wish I had planned properly and gone on the longer hike.

You are wondering what the dots are about? Well, as we finished the hike, we saw a map of North Eastern Georgia with the A.T. marked by white dots. There was a label next to Unicoi gap that said "you are here". We also found Indian Grave gap where we had turned back. It was about 2.9 miles and a whole 2 dots from where we had started . so, there you have it.

Here's my album from the A.T.

Fund Raising Update:
We have set a target of reaching the 50% mark - $2,250 by March 31st. As of March 19th, We have now raised $1,400.00

Today, I got a check in the mail from someone I didn't know. A friend of mine had forwarded one of my email to his friends and voila! It was a great thrill. Thank You all for your donations and support and keep it coming.

Quote Of The Day:
"... it is not A canyon. It is not a big canyon. It is not even a large canyon. It is the GRAND canyon. Did you know that before you signed up to hike?"
-- Lou Horowitz expressing his concern on learning about what I had set out to do. Lou, Thanks for the concern and the donation.

Power Of Your Money:
As you consider a donation to this cause, consider what your donation can do...

• $ 75 - is the average cost of tissue typing to become a bone marrow donor.


• $ 50 - is the cost of a CT scan.

Kennesaw Mountain, GA.

The Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is 15 minutes from our home and we drive past and even through all the time, but had never actually spent much time at the park. That changed this past Saturday.

This was the longest hike that the group has embarked on this season. I actually got to wake up late (at 6:45 AM) and got to the park as usual at 8. We had a person from LLS come and explain the basics of leukemia and other blood cancers. We hiked up and over "big" Kennesaw and then up and over "little" Kennesaw to Burnt Hickory Road and then back up and over and up and over back to the Visitor center. We hiked a total of about 5 miles.

I got to test my trekking poles and they made a huge difference. Climbing was a lot less harder and descending was lot easier on my knees. The only problem was that, with two hands tied up, the camera had to stay in the backpack. I did not get too many pictures. There were some really neat features such as the natural rock garden and the cannons up "little" Kennesaw... will have to go back to get pictures. also, will have to figure out a way to rig the camera so it can be accessed easily. The few pictures I snapped are available here.

Fund Raising Update:
We set a target of reaching the 25% mark - $1,125 by March 15th. As of March 12th, We have already surpassed that goal. We have now raised $1,185 Yes!

Next target is to hit the 50% mark - %2,250 by March 31. Thank You everyone.

Elijah Update:
Last week, I wrote about our honored hero Elijah Cox who has been fighting leukemia. here is an update from his mom..

"He is currently on treatment. He takes daily chemo medication that I administer to him and then he goes in once a month for the liquid forms of chemo, have his port flushed and each 3rd month he has a spinal tap and that day is usually our longest day at the clinic. But God has been so good and Elijah is able to tolerate the medication without any problems.

He is due to come off treatment in May of this year. He has 1 spinal tap left. After May, he will be on maintenance and will go once a month to check his blood to make sure no cancer cells are present. He will do this for 1 year.

When he was first diagnosed and I was told that his treatment is for 3 years and 2 months, it seemed like forever. But, the years have gone by and I can’t believe that May is just around the corner. Thank You for your support and concern for Elijah. We really appreciate all that you do for all those with cancer past, present and future.

Ladonna."
Excerpt from an email sent to Karen at the LLS on March 7th, 2007.
Go Elijah!

Power of your money:
As you consider a donation to this cause, consider what your donation can do...

• $ 40 - Cost of sending a comprehensive packet of information for children with cancer.


• $ 35 - Pays for transportation expenses for a patient living in Northern California’s most rural areas to treatment at a comprehensive cancer center.

Elijah Cox

Cancer is here and now. This year, the Hike for Discovery team is training and raising funds in honor of Elijah Cox.

Elijah is 8 years old and was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in 2004. His birthday is on May 27th. His parents are Glenn and Ladonna, He also has a younger brother named Joshua.

Like most children, Elijah enjoys riding bikes, playing basketball, matchbox cars, video games, swimming and music. I have not had a chance to meet him yet, but apparently, Elijah is very friendly, likes to travel, is very active, loves the outdoors and has a very sweet disposition.

When you are eight and you can handle leukemia with a smile like Elijah has, you can handle anything that life may throw at you. Elijah is an inspiration.

Do you have a loved one or friend who is battling cancer now or battled in the past? I would like to hear from you and write about this person on this site. The idea is to bring a human face to the problem so everyone can understand that cancer is here and now.

Fund Raising Update:
We have blown past the 10% mark. We have raised $600.00 so far. Yes! Next target is to raise $1,125 by March 15th. With your help, I am sure we will blow past this one as well.

Power of your money:
As you consider a donation to this cause, consider what your donation can do...

• $25 - covers a single prescription co-payment.


• $5 - is the cost of sending a newly diagnosed patient packet which includes information about their specific disease and support.

Training Update:
This past weekend, the group was busy exercising at Piedmont Park under the instruction of Jerry. Not me. I was busy exercising restraint in Las Vegas. I am back training starting today though. I have one more planned weekend off on 4/21. With the exception of that, I promise no more slacking off until the hike.