Follow along as Mark (Karma) and Jo (Someday) hike southbound on the southern half of the Appalachian Trail. We're all done as of 2010 Dec 4th, but I'll be making a few more entries, as will Jo (on trailjournals, linked to above).
Mail Drops (for posterity - all collected)
Getting mail on the AT is really awesome and totally happiness-inducing. It is also a bit tricky. Jo's parents (Mary and Doug) have volunteered/been volunteered to handle mail drops. If you want to send us a letter or postcard, please mail it to:
Jo or Mark c/o The Swansons 33969 E Walta Road Askov MN 55704
We will be receiving several boxes from them with letters, supplies, etc. They will include your letter in the next box. This ensures that we actually get it, as timing can be difficult and letters sometimes get lost in general delivery. (If you want to risk a general delivery letter, go for it — instructions below.)
If you plan on sending us a package . . .woohoo! :) Packages can be sent to us directly. Please send any packages priority mail: if we cannot make it to the location where it was sent or if it does not arrive in time, sending the package priority means that the postal system will forward it to our next destination for free. Yay!
Here are our maildrop addresses. The note about holding for AT hiker is absolutely essential, and so is the estimated arrival date (actual arrival dates might change, but either stick with these dates or if you have better information, guess). Post offices will generally only hold mail for two weeks, so don’t mail any Hot Springs packages before we've set out or anything.
(Maildrop date estimates updated 2010 October 2nd.)
Maildrop One (received)
Joanna Swanson or Mark Fickett (whomever you like more that day) c/o General Delivery Waynesboro, VA 22980 (somewhere on box/envelope, include this:) Please hold for AT hiker ETA September 17, 2010
237.1 miles in between
Maildrop Two Received Oct 10th
JS/MF c/o Woods Hole Hostel 3696 Sugar Run Road Pearisburg VA 24134 Please hold for AT hiker ETA October 9, 2010
152.5 miles in between
Maildrop Three (received)
JS/MF c/o General Delivery Damascus, VA 24236 Please hold for AT hiker ETA October 23, 2010
192.5 miles in between
Maildrop Four (received)
JS/MF c/o General Delivery Hot Springs, NC 28743 Please hold for AT hiker ETA November 9, 2010
Phone Contact
Jo's cell phone plan is way better than Mark's, so you may see her number when he calls. (Let one of us know if you'd like her number.) Jo's phone will likely be off, but messages will be checked every few days; in view of reception scarcity and battery conservation, most calls will be made on days when we are in town.
