April 27, 2004 - The next photo album is up! I've finally found a layout for the albums that seems to work, please let me know what you think.

April 26, 2004 - Still working on the new photo album, sorry for the delay. I'll probably be able to finish it up tomorrow evening. Until then, here's a little sneak preview:

April 21, 2004 - Mark just called from the Nantahala Outdoor Center, in North Carolina. At this point he has completed 134 miles of the trail. He's feeling great, although his knees are bothering him a bit from the steep climbs & descents (a common problem at this stage of the hike). He has a 3 day hike to Fontana Dam, after which he will begin his climb into the Smokey Mountains, one of the most beautiful (and difficult) sections of the AT.
He just dropped another set of pictures in the mail, so hopefully I'll have them posted by the end of the week.

April 19, 2004 - Album 2 from the trail is up in the photos section.

April 18, 2004 - The journal section has been updated so it should be easier to read, and new entries have been added. Still working on the next batch of pictures.

April 16, 2004 - Journal entries! I actually missed the last paragraph from Mark's first day (Hawk Mtn.) so you may want to start there if you've been keeping up. More updates coming Monday, including the next photo album.

April 15, 2004 - Two things: first, Mark's jounal entry from his first days on the trail is up. Second: thank you all for the great feedback on the site, I'm having a real blast putting it together. Most of you have no idea who I am, so I'll do a formal introduction somewhere along the way. In the meantime, if you want a little background on why I love the trail so much, click here.

April 13, 2004 - Mark just called from The Blueberry Patch. He's taking a zero-day after getting about 60 miles under his belt. He sounds like he is really settling in to a routine and adjusting well to the trail: "The weather has been beautiful, we had our first bit of rain Saturday" ... "I feel great, I can't see any reason I can't keep pushing on."
At the moment, his trail name is still in question. One group he has been hiking with (the 3 amigos) started calling him Atlanta. Others have been calling him TrailDawg or Doc. We'll find out more about it in his journal entries soon. I'm typing up his first few pages right now, should be up tomorrow.

April 12, 2004 - We've got two big additions tonight. Mark's first photos from the trail are up! Click here to check them out. Also, Mark's guestbook now available. Sign in and send Mark a shout out! We'll print them out and send them to his next re-supply.

April 10, 2004 - Still waiting for a first update from Mark on the trail. In the meantime, check out his re-supply itenerary in the FAQ & Planning section.

April 6, 2004 - Three days on the trail, and Mark is most likely near Blood Mtn, approaching his first resupply at the Walesi-Yi center. While we wait to hear his first update, the journal and photo albums have been updated with some more pre-hike festivities and planning pictures. I've got lots more content coming soon, but if there's something you want to see or comment about, please email me.

April 4, 2004 - Mark just called and he is in the car on the way to Springer. The day is finally here! Also, we now have a photo album posted of Mark before the trail, in the photos section. More updates coming soon.

April 4, 2004 - At 3:00 today Mark will be leaving for Springer Mountain, in North Georgia, to begin his thru-hike. At the moment he is making some final adjustments to his gear, and the pack is weighing in at about 33 lbs.

March 30, 2004 - Read Mark's introduction in the journal section.

March 30, 2004 - Welcome to TrailDawg.com! I'm still finalizing the layout and design of the site, but feel free to take a look around! - Snickers