When you come to a fork in the road....take it! :)

I presently stand at a fork in the road and once again need to choose:

• Continue with the vocation I'm presently engaged in

• Choose a new direction with unknown outcomes and challenges

The past has allowed for me to do both but each time I face this fork, I wrestle with the choice.
All in all, each has unknown outcomes.  The one with the challenges has always served me the best of outcomes....I am leaning heavily in that direction.

My decision, as always, keeps this thought in mind: "Which will lead me to the trail quicker?"

Other than that conundrum, I am moving forward with compiling my use of the data from the latest 2014 version of the Appalachian Trail thru-hikers Companion.  I've begun the arduous task of making myself an expert of its knowledge, nuggets and holdings.  At least that is what I've understood to be amassing as I read and transcribe each dot, "i" and "t" within its pages.
I believe I have a unique reason to be undertaking this task for it will benefit myself in how I am deciding to use that data for my hike but also for the bigger picture of helping others in their future need of this data in a friendly use, programed format.  Odd thing though, I do not plan on selling this idea but to freely give of my efforts to ease the planning burden many seem to face as they quickly realize it is not available to them as they plan an undertaking of this type of hike.  
To others, I already realize that my efforts could be considered pointless and a waste of time.  Either way, I'm doing what I am lead to do through dreams of completing the entire trail via three individual 700+ mile sections. There are no tools available for this type of hike planned so I must create the tool I need.  For others (mainly seasonal section hikers) this tool will be held in high regard and invaluable to their planning.....at least I hope it to help them and all for free.  Open source thinking.

This year the A.T. has grown to 2185 miles and the Companion now includes Elevation Profiles of each described section along the way.  A very welcome addition I might add.  Having the elevation profiles has opened my eyes to the many trail journal & documented "PUD's" along the way. 
(PUD's: Pointless UP's and Down's as some hikers refer to them).

Enough ramblings for now, I have need to enact my next move.....   to be continued:

Thoughts DO become reality!

Six months have passed and in the whirlwind called life (or is it a fast dance?), either way, I now reside in the state of Kentucky and am in the second week of a new job that is preparing us for the trail.
There is no way I could have ever planned the recent events that fell into place to allow me to be sitting in an actual home on the sunny side of a mountain to write from while working a job that is GUARANTEED to force us to loose the pounds we desire to loose in preparation for through hiking the Appalachian Trail.
I am blessed and I'll be sharing the "To The Trail"'stories here soon.

As always.......to be continued.  :)

A while ago......

...we arrived in New York State with encouraged hearts and willing desire.

It has taken a few months to acclimate to the change of pace but I needed the boost to have my inner aspiration re-kindled, from a ember, into a flame.

Now is the time to control the process of getting our affairs in order.

There are many forgotten projects and commitments to attend to.

All of which are required to achieve our future excursions in the woods.

I’ve decided to pull all stops and push my limits to get this done. 

Jettisoning most, if not everything we have possession wise. 

A few items will be held in storage but I desire to have the storage fit in one mid-sized truck load.

If we have the need to move again before we are hiking, everything we consider near and dear to us should fit on a truck bed and in our 4’x8’ trailer.

The hiking goal became bigger:  The Triple Crown.

Appalachian, Continental Divide & the Pacific Crest Long Distance Trails.

Quite possibly not in that order though.

This way, no matter where we end up in the country, we have a long distance hike to perform that is close to that area.

The less we have, the less we will need as we move forward to being off the grid, by choice.

I am still a few months away from blogging here on a consistent basis, but I felt it was time to do an update.

I’m setting it on my schedule to visit quarterly until I can orchestrate updates monthly to finally weekly.  Who knows, monthly at this point seems feasible.

If I was to share with you all of the goings on, the task would appear to be impossible.

It would appear as the Elephant that needs to be eaten. 
One bite at a time.
I like this challenge that I’ve created for myself.

I fully expect my efforts will allow for plenty of relaxation in the future.  

It is being built into the plan.

Right now the focus is losing the weight. 

Body weight and personal possession weight that owns me more than I own those items.

Physically, I’m so close to being considered “Overweight” vs. “Obese”.  That is a very welcome goal line that I will be crossing with new goals to 165# that need to be crossed.

Spiritually, I’m in touch with my beliefs for they form my path.  
Most times miraculously.  
Seriously, it is a joy to meet each morning with a smile.

Mentally, I’m learning new things daily and polishing up some of my old talents.

One never does know when skills learned will need to be utilized.

Developing courage to face fear and dispel its myths. 

Doing my best to … Keep it simple, keep it positive and keep moving forward, always forward.

~ Kindle

…..to be continued…..

One barrier dissolved.....

It has been a while since posting here but that is not to mean all has been quiet in my life.

This week is the final week of employment at Radford University for both my wife and I.
We venture North to begin orchestrating the next phase that will provide for us while hiking the trail.
Working on financial independence.
The job barrier has dissolved.

We both managed to go from full time to part time with little hiccups and now we venture back to where we grew up to assist our families concerning family matters.
The taste of time freedom has been a welcome taste. 
I desire more of it.

South Western Virginia has served as an awesome place to raise the children to adulthood while allowing us to reacquaint ourselves to each other.
Each new day, we begin the rest of our lives together.

Fear is making its presence known and we accept it for what it is,
thank it for its feedback to our situations and chant:
"Oh, - What The Hell, - Go For It Anyway!"

That phrase alone has allowed me to continually become a human being and not just a human doing.

To The Trail is becoming etched in my soul as something that I want to do NOW more than when it was contrived several years ago.

..... to be continued.

Anniversary...31 years

April 9th marks 31 years of awesome marriage to my best friend Annette.

Thank you Babe for making it a great life so far!


We spent the day yesterday (Easter Sunday, April 8th, 2012) dreaming, biking, walking, and doing yard cardio.
Through that process, "To The Trail" took on a new direction - it will first be a book before it becomes a film.
Nothing crazy, just a subject that will allow for me to learn the process of book writing.
I hope to be here more often updating our progress as we shoot for a hiking start day of Monday, April 13, 2015
3 years from now to get everything together to hike the A.T. in three 700+ mile sections.

• New York to Virginia
• Maine to New York
• Virginia to Georgia

In that order.

I'll continue with that thought soon.

Where I begin...

I've hiked the entire
width of the
Appalachian Trail!

Sometimes it feels that way.
Like:
"If my dream is so in me to compel my drive, why have I not completed it yet?"

Only I can answer that one and most times it appears and has some truth to be just a bunch of lame excuses.
Yes, outside things & events need to line up as well, for this adventure does not just include me but includes my partner, film crew and support team.
Logistics.

We brainstorm and dream.
Get out there and test.
Evaluate, ponder & document while we also
decompress, enjoy and savor the experiences and times.

Through this process we did find one answer yesterday to a filming dilemma.
The solution came from watching the Ron Howard film on YouTube:
When You Find Me

Watch it if you have a few moments....it was a very good film.
We now understand how we will get our aerial footage.
Funny how things like that happen.

Just moving forward, always forward.

Introduction

I, Kindle McGuinness, am set to embark on a magical, mystical journey into the unknown.
Unknown to me that is.

Starting from nothing and moving forward to produce something of value.
Sharing my journeys as they unfold.

"To The Trail" is a journal/blog documenting the steps taken as I work towards performing a long distance excursion of the Appalachian Trail. 
AT Start Date: April 2016  now 2020
AT Completion Date: November 2016 now 2020
(a true Blue Moon Year) 
Still,  as Oct 31st 2020 is a blue moon.  :)

Documentation that will be captured in the forms of film, video, sound and words.

My personal goals and the hopeful end results:

• Educational Film
• Inspirational Book
• Life Time Achievement

I have much to learn this year as I find myself moving forward towards my dream.

• How to write (scripts, story lines, novels and biography)
• Professional filming techniques (natural light, equipment and settings)
• Liabilities & Laws (film rights, insurance and copyright protection)
• Physical demands (I'm not getting younger & I'm presently pudgy)
• Staying true to the Leave No Trace guidelines (making sure no one can tell I was there)
• Creating ultra-light equipment (design ideas I wish to test)

My initial thoughts are vague right now but slowly coming into focus.
I understand this is a work in progress on both myself and my situation.
I have no where else to start from than where I am at.

Let the journey begin!