Dave Leaves Savannah

Dave in Savannah - June 11, 2011

I thought I'd start another blog, this time to keep Dave's family and friends updated with his summer adventure.  And since I have a weakness for talking about myself, fair warning, I may get sidetracked ...

Dave has all his gear for a 3 month hike in his backpack.  Amazing, isn't it?  His pack wouldn't even hold the shoes I'd need for 3 months.  I took this picture just before we got in the car for our 20-mile drive to the Amtrak station.  He's taking the train to Paoli, PA, where Kelly, the daughter-in-law of a good friend, will pick him up and take him to the trail in Port Clinton, PA.  Not only is she getting Dave, she also picking up a guy Dave met on the trail last year, who is going to walk with him for a week.  We haven't met Kelly, but we think she's awesome!

We arrived at the Savannah Amtrak station at 6:30 pm, an hour before the train was scheduled to depart.  It did not occur to us to check to see if the train was on time before we left home.  It was not, in fact it is projected to be two hours late - so far.  Not a great start to the trip.  Hopefully some time can be made up tonight.  Dave and his hiking buddy "Pyro the Great" had hoped to get on the trail in mid-afternoon tomorrow in order to have time to hike to the nearest shelter before dark.  

Dave met Pyro at the end of his 6-week hike last summer, and they were very compatible, so made plans to hike together again this year.  Pyro is still working, and was promoted to a manager position, so he can't take off 2-3 weeks at a time as he did last year.  He's going to hike next week, then if he can, join Dave later in the summer for another week.

Through-hikers (as opposed to day-hikers) have trail names.  Pyro came by his name because of his reputation for making great fires every evening.  Dave is known as Old Granddad - not because he drinks the vile stuff, but because, see if you can follow this, Dave's father's friend presented him with a bottle when Dave's son Dale was a bun in the oven. (Get it?  Dave's father was about to become an Old Granddad.)  The bottle was opened when Dale was born, again when Dale turned 21, and it was finished off at the memorial celebration after Dave's father's death.  Dale kept the bottle.

That same bottle showed up again in 2001 when Dave's (our) first grandchild was on the way.  At least Dale had the good sense to refill it with Scotch.  It was filled again upon the imminent arrival of Dale's second child.  Now our 4 grandchildren call Dave Granddad, so it was logical that Dave chose "Old Granddad" as his trail name.