Jason is an experienced hiker with a purpose. This year, 2017, will be his fourth attempt at an Appalachian Trail thru-hike. His calm demeanor and desire for simplicity in his life made for an interesting conversation as he prepared to hit the trail in the next few days (March 2017). I'll be following his progress and wish him well as he moves toward Katahdin.   You can follow Jason's progress yourself at his blog, Cavey's Adventures. He can also be found on Facebook and Youtube. Just click on the links.     With just three weeks to go herself, Jessa is saying her goodbyes. A combined engagement and farewell party probably emphasized the imminent separation, yet she is looking forward ever positively. It's going to be great to catch up with her on the trail.   My Fear and Loathing section this week caught up with my fellow Class of 2014 member, The Muffin Man, Sam Weber. As others have said, fear of failure was a strong motivating factor after being an initial concern.   Don't forget to check out my books, My Appalachian Trial I: Three Weddings and a Sabbatical and My Appalachian Trial II: Creaking Geezer, Hidden Flagon. Once again, just click on either of the links. They are currently (3/1/2017) at #5 and #9 in the Top 100 Camping Books on the Kindle Store. I have kept the low price of $2.99 each that I set at Christmas. I hope that you check them out to support the show.