Amyloidosis‏

In 2007 my father, Dennis Blake, was diagnosed with a rare blood disease, Amyloidosis. After years of battling the disease, the correct diagnosis was finally given less then a week before he passed. Amyloidosis is a rare blood disease that can affect one or more organs when abnormal deposits of the amyloid protein are produced. It is debilitating and life threatening. The disease meant nothing to my family weeks before we first heard the word, and then it defined the rest of our lives. It is only in the last 25 years that physicians have started to understand the disease. I have been hiking the Appalachian trail for a little more then a month. Hiking 8 to 12 hours a day, I have had plenty of time to think of my father and what kind of differences I could make in his name. I would love to make this epic adventure about more then myself. The amyloidosis foundation's mission is to increase education and awareness in hopes that it will lead to earlier diagnosis and improved treatment. My goal is to raise $1,000 in the name of my father. I have roughly 200 miles left. Just one penny per mile adds up to $20 when I complete the trail of 2,000 miles. If anybody would like to donate a small amount per every mile I complete, then I am confident that I can reach my goal. Here are the directions and the page link for the donations: Check "In memory of" and add my father's name "Dennis Blake"

Friday, June 17, 2011

Half way thru PA

We are really moving thru Pennsylvania. Blugrass, squirrel, saber and I set a goal to average 20 miles a day thru the state. Not an easy goal by any means. 240 miles of rocks. Big rocks, small rocks, sharp rocks, slippery rocks. It's got them all. Hiking over this type of terrain is tough work. Careful attention must be payed to every step. Hikers have told me PA is the place where all good boots go to die and its true.
All the long days we have been putting in has got us caught up with old friends that went ahead back in Va. We hiked 26 miles into duncannon pa Tuesday night. We went directly into the Doyal hotel bar where we found lost n found, pele, conversation, blue eyes, tippy toes, and mothership. I hadn't hiked with them since leaving waynesboro and spending a long weekend at home. It was one hell of a reunion with many beers and a night full of debauchery. We woke the next day with a heavy head but still managed to make some good miles. Bluegrass felt the worst. We hit the Peter mt. Shelter late that afternoon and bluegrass was asleep in the middle of the shelter floor before I could get my bed roll unpacked.
I left the guys at Peters shelter the next morning. I took advantage of the cool morning while the guys wanted nothing to do with it. Im fairly certain my friends are beginning to get annoyed with my early rising and overall chipper mood in the mornings. So I hiked alone along the ridges all day with sporadic rain showers. I was thankful for the rain. It was nice to be wet from something other then my sweat. 25 miles into camp where I found a packed shelter. A huge storm moved in and dumped rain just after I set up my hammock. Just before dark my compatriots wandered into camp soaking wet. The last two hours of hiking was thru a pouring rain. The storm raged most of the night. My rain tarp sprung a leak and instantly awoke me. I used my fleece to plug the hole and still managed to get decent rest.
Fridays hike was rocky as usual but we made it to the 501 shelter mid afternoon. It features a solar shower and it's a short walk to pick up delivery pizza. A most enjoyable way to finish the day.
Big miles again tomorrow!
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1 comment:

  1. CourtneyJune 18, 2011 at 2:39 PM

    Sounds like your making good time, let me know when u need a new pair of boots, they'll be on me (if u have to pay for them) :) miss u bro!! Watch out for those storms and stay safe. Xoxo

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