Ready to roll – The walk

Everything I need is purchased and I am as prepared as possible. After months of planning, I am excited to launch this adventure. In three days I will try once again to connect the 4,000 mountains of the Northeast, on foot, starting in Maine and ending in New York. What an incredible gift it is to be able to take this journey, and I am always aware of that fact. You won’t hear any complaints from me about the conditions on the road. I feel very good about my route and my ability to complete it barring serious injury or illness. I am also very nervous because this effort is going to be very hard. I don’t know if I can do it, but that’s the reason to try!!

A painter does not blame the brush

I’ve only known how to approach a hike one way. Just show up and walk. This effort required much more. This project required more preparation, more training, and more focus than I initially thought. On the first day you should be prepared to show up and work the hardest you have ever worked in your entire life. For me, I couldn’t just show up and walk. Two failed efforts demonstrate this. I had to start from scratch. I needed to change everything. Once I made the decision to try it one last time, I immediately started training.

100 miles wild

Coming down Katahdin walking the Hunt Spur Trail

A turning point

Max Patch 2019

It was a long road but I have finally “optimized”, as my doctor says. I started my diet and sleep and visited my GP to make a medical plan that included HRT for early menopause. I have patches, powders, gels and creams. I’m ready! 🙂 Every little bit helps! It doesn’t take much to mentally finish a hike.) During the winter, my husband and I created a training plan. My goal was to be a little physically and mentally trained and be ready for June 21st. I divided my training into 3 different categories. Personal, mental and physical.

Staff: Route and style in mind: I will be using a support vehicle and a support crew member, my husband Poncho! When Poncho can’t drive, I will use transport drivers and hitchhike to move the support vehicle along the route while I walk. I will try a southern route that includes both north and south hikes depending on the ease of the route and the weather. How I prepared: I read guidebooks, followed every travel report I could find, read and studied maps, and tried to learn a little about areas I’d never been to. I used CalTopo Pro to plan my route. I’ll be wearing a Garmin Enduro 2 watch to track my effort. I’ll also upload it to Strava as a backup.

Physical: What I can wear while moving efficiently and staying dry and not too cold or too hot. Balance. I started to learn, understand, and make changes to which tasks tend to slow me down the most. It goes without saying, but the less you carry, the faster you will be. I can attest to this! Being new to a sport or trying something before you’re ready doesn’t mean you can’t tackle something that’s outside your capabilities. Thinking through a lot of self-reflection and looking at the reasons I have for attempting this project, I realized that with the right mindset and doing the necessary physical work I was more than capable of completing this project…in one piece! On April 1, 2026 (April Fool’s Day), I began training at AT. I left Harper’s Ferry WV heading north and hiked just under 600 miles before returning home to rest, recover and prepare for June. I was able to try out gear and food and remind my body and mind what it was like to live in the woods again.

The long road 2023

Mental: I started cutting back on sugar and heavy snacking throughout the day. I changed the time I drink caffeine throughout the day. I made sure to get a balance of fruits, vegetables and healthy carbs, fats and proteins. I drink a lot of water every day. I turned off social media for most of the winter. I turned off the news. I went to bed every night at the same time. Poncho and I always go to bed happy. I go out almost every day and get the sunlight. I have maintained a consistent daily routine. Both of my kitties have been great support kitties! 🙂 I have had to work harder to mitigate my greatest weakness… fear.

~Goldilocks Bellavance

Joan of Arc, who lived between 1412 and 1431. Before riding her horse into battle to aid Charles VII, King Dauphin, she famously said: «I am not afraid. I was born to do this.»

Saddle, Maine 2020

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