Hike Letter and Abstract

To Whom It May Concern,

Last winter, we, Josh Gathro and Nicholas King, formed an idea. An idea that would be exciting and challenging: to hike one hundred miles in one week. When presented to him, Wayne King agreed to be the project mentor for our ambitious goal. After twice designating a week for the trip to be done, and twice postponing it for the sake of preparation, we began to realize the full import of the project. In December 2009 we finally set our plans underway.
Our plans have developed and matured. We have finalized the 100-miler to take place over Spring Break, which will be April 5 - 10. The trip will actually be completed in six days, starting Monday the fifth, and concluding on Saturday the tenth, so as not to interfere with Sunday. The entire hike will be along the Florida National Scenic Trail, starting ten miles west of Starke, off State Road 100, and finishing at Salt Springs in Ocala National Forest. We will be carrying backpacks the whole time, and will cover sixteen miles per day on average. We also decided to hike each section of the trail in legs before doing the entire length. So far we’ve covered fifty-one of the one hundred miles, and have two more trips planned prior to the final hike. Part of the challenge of this hike is reducing the weight of our pack to increase comfort, speed, and safety. Our target base weight is ten pounds, excluding food, water, and fuel. We’re confident that a light pack will contribute much to our success.
We also believe success to be more likely with an increase of publicity. With more people aware of the project, the more support we’ll receive. Additionally, we’ve identified the purpose of this hike to be a commemoration of the 100 years of Scouting. We are familiar with the host of benefits afforded us because of our membership in the Boy Scouts of America. We want to show the community the possibilities that Scouting has to offer for learning and for personal growth. It is our hope that this trip will inspire others to invest time in Scouting, where the reward is multiplied many times over. Thank you for your time and interest in our endeavor.

Josh Gathro
Nicholas King