The Ultimate Hike Challenge

I heard about The Ultimate Hike through an email from my favorite outdoor store- The Backpacker. (the Absolutely Best place for equipment & advice about hiking I've found- Tell them Barbara sent you). The hike here will be 28 miles on the Foothills Trail ending at Oconee State Park. I can do that- it'll be tough, but I can do it no problem. The organizers even provide training to let anyone prepare for the event. From non-hike to distance hiker in 4 months- a great thing.

For me, the challenge will be the fund raising. Each participant, after paying $100 to join the group, agrees to raise a minimum of $2500 to donate to CureSearch & to offset expenses. Their expenses include support all along the trail , hotel accommodations, food & transportation. The organizers also provide a coach to train you on this. They have families that will give you their stories to use, videos of children who have been diagnosed & helped through CureSearch. All the while, you're working with a team of people in the area who are united by the common goal of raising funds & preparing for a physical challenge.

I left the informational meeting with a very good feeling about the group. But in the end, I can't commit my family to the money. My practical side keeps reminding me that any funds I don't raise come out of my budget. When it comes down to it, I like to help with my time & talents best; but that hill just seems to steep to guarantee I can climb over.