EVANS Pictures Uploaded

573 pictures of our backpacking trip with Natalie Evans and her Wonder Women crew have been uploaded to the GTD online photo album. Click the link below to check out all the pics. Enjoy!

Click here for pictures =)

Office de Laundry

Our mobile office today is "Clothes Line Laundry" in Blairsville, GA as our post trip clean-up continues and our administration work starts back up again :)

Our Work Never Ends :)

Thoroughly cleaning and repacking our backpacking gear all day today & tomorrow. We LOVE our Gear Cache location in Hiawassee, GA!!

Our Office Today

On the road working...today our office is a local grocery store!  We've got lots of things to get caught up on, photos to upload for our group, messages to answer, cleaning to do, planning, re-coning, training and a bit of visiting....and we've got an entire month on the road!  Thank you Traci Garner Vescovi and Miguel Alfonso for taking care of our beloved pets at the GTD Zoo!

The Heavens Declare; The Sky Proclaims

This is one of my favorite pictures and views from our AT backpacking trip with the Wonder Women. It reminded me of an awesome verse in Psalms :)

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."  - Psalm 19:1

Bear Bagging It On The AT

Usually the last thing that needs to be done at night before going to sleep is hanging the "bear bags". To discourage bears, mice, rodents, ants, and other pesky varmints from visiting the camping area it's recommended that all food & snacks be hung in a tree at least 200 feet away from camp 10 feet above the ground and 5 feet away from the trunk of the tree. Laurie got her first attempt at taking on this task. I figured it would take her several tries (like it does for me - LOL!). She nailed it on her first toss!!

Camp Life

A glimpse of camp life while backpacking on the AT :)

No Excuses

The last 4 days I spent on the A.T. I spent with this amazing world traveler Sandi Sandelier Blankenship.  Together the two of us brought up the rear of one of the most difficult climbs in Georgia!  It's such a blessing in so many ways to bring up the rear of a hike like this, especially with someone like Sandi who doesn't let anything stop her from experiencing a trip of a life time!  Although Sandi has had knee surgeries, has exercise induced asthma and is still recovering from Chikungunya (a virus passed through Mosquitos and causes severe joint pain for months or even years), she NEVER made any excuses for herself, never complained and never gave up!  Step by step we brought up the rear and together we conquered 17 miles includingTrey Mountain which is rated number 7 out of the highest peaks in Georgia!  Congratulations Sandi, I am so proud of you!  Where others would of given up before they even got started, you pushed against the odds of all the things that could have stopped you, but you went ahead and did it anyways!  It was an honor to hike with you!  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil 4:13)

Worship & Leap For Joy!

The joys of backpacking combined with the majesty of God's creation are both worship inspiring and leap worthy!

"You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you." - Nehemiah 9:6

Water Source!!

It's common to not have a water source for several miles while backpacking. When you find one it's like finding clear liquid gold! Once the pouch is filled we squeeze the water through a Sawyer water filter before drinking. One of the many blessings that come from backpacking is the heightened gratefulness for the many essentials in life that we have easy access to in this country, but far too often take for granted.

GIRL POWER!!!

They did it! Five self proclaimed "middle aged" women ranging in age from 51-63 (4 of which are grandmothers) just completed their first section hike on the AT (Appalachian Trail). They conquered 17 of the toughest miles in 4 days. One of these amazing ladies summed it up by saying, "I've given birth to 4 kids, but this was the hardest thing I've ever done!" We are so impressed with these ladies! They fought through steep inclines, harsh declines, soaking rain, and 45 degree cold nights all with a joyful spirit and infectious laughter. They have never lost their sense of wonder or adventurous spirit. They are all still 25 years old in their hearts. One of my favorite moments was when I could overhear two of them talking in detail about skate boarding, skate boards, and Tony Hawk. Absolutely awesome! We also loved their heart for God and how they leaned on Him as their strength. It was an unforgettable 4 days of awesomeness and our ministry was honored to outfit their quest. They came. They hiked. They conquered!!

Conquers

We are conquering some high peaks here in Georgia on the A.T. With some first time hikers...I can't even exaggerate how proud I am of these women!

Check-in/OK message from SPOT GTD (GPS Alert)

GTD (GPS Alert)
Latitude:34.86337
Longitude:-83.65610
GPS location Date/Time:09/13/2015 18:38:40 EDT

Message:Quick update from GTD: All's good! Everyone is safe & sound. Click on links to see our location. God bless =)

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/Qd_C3/34.86337N/83.65610W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=34.86337,-83.65610&ll=34.86337,-83.65610&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

GTD (GPS Alert)

You have received this message because GTD (GPS Alert) has added you to their SPOT contact list.

Ready for Adventure
FindMeSPOT.com

Check-in/OK message from SPOT GTD (GPS Alert)

GTD (GPS Alert)
Latitude:34.81660
Longitude:-83.65689
GPS location Date/Time:09/12/2015 19:36:56 EDT

Message:Quick update from GTD: All's good! Everyone is safe & sound. Click on links to see our location. God bless =)

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/QcZou/34.81660N/83.65689W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=34.81660,-83.65689&ll=34.81660,-83.65689&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

GTD (GPS Alert)

You have received this message because GTD (GPS Alert) has added you to their SPOT contact list.

Ready for Adventure
FindMeSPOT.com

High Point!

Made it to the highest point of the Appalachian Trail (of the Georgia section) with our 5 Ultra Women!! They set a new GTD record for our most methodical (least fastest) hikers... We got passed by 4 snails and 3 turtles, BUT they all made it and did a FANTASTIC job!!!! PJ!!! 1 more mile to go for today :)

Mountain Top!

Made it to the top of the mountain and found a beautiful spot to set-up camp. Cooked some delicious backpacker dinners near a small fire and finished off the night with some fellowship and a short lesson from the Bible. We are now all in our tents and hammocks falling asleep to the soothing sound of a gentle rain tapping on the rainfly. It's supposed to dip into the upper 40's this weekend. So stoked :)

We started!!

Going straight up the mountain with some pretty awesome women :)

Happy Goat

The crew loved visiting Stacy & Anna at Happy Goat Trading Co yesterday in Blairsville. GA. Great times!!

KICKING OFF OUR NEXT A.T. BACKPACKING TRIP!!

We are excited to be outfitting a wonderful group of fun-loving ladies who describe themselves as: "Five middle aged women who represent 4 countries and 274 years of life experience". They're so much fun! Tomorrow morning we start our 4 day 17 mile section hike on the Appalachian Trail. AND we are already getting to utilize our NEW GEAR CACHE in Hiawassee, GA!! We are absolutely thrilled at the adventure doors that are already opening in Hiawassee!! PJ!!

THE FLAT TIRE CURSE CONTINUES

Down trees and flat tires... It must be the start of another GTD trip :). I can't make this stuff up folks. It's just part of the adventure! Today, we are kicking off a backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail just outside of Helen, GA. Excited!!

THE MORE YOU BRING, THE MORE YOU $AVE!!

Join us on an amAZing backpacking trip to Havasu Falls Oct 17-23, 2015. Bring friends and family and get the discount!!

1 Person = $999/person
2 People = $899/person
3 People = $799/person
4 People = $749/person
5 People = $699/person

Sometimes GTD = Get The Discount!

Click here for details


...

THEY'RE UP!!!

Over 10,000 pictures from our summer trips have been uploaded to the online GTD SmugMug Photo Album!! (See links below). It truly was a God-awesome summer!!

We pour our lives into this ministry and make huge sacrifices and take big risks in order to take people into God's amazing creation!! If you were on one of our trips this summer then check out your pics and savor the memories. They're awesome!! If you are one of our supporters, Ministry Partners, or volunteers then take a few minutes to check out how many lives your investment impacted!! We are so pleased with all that was accomplished this summer and I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as we do.

THANK YOU to all our supporters and ministry fans for enabling us to do what we do!! We love you! God bless you =)

ENJOY!

|  Landry Academy A.T. Hike  |  The Refuge Adventure Trip  |  Calvary Chapel St Petersburg Adv Trip  |  Family Center on Deafness Adv Trip  |  Keswick Christian School Adv Trip  |  Pathways / CFA Adv Trip  |  SLAMMED 2015  |  Landry Academy J.R.T. Hike  |  Harvest Mission Trip  |  CCCWV Mission Trip  |  Calvary Baptist Elevate Canoe Trip  |

...

THE NEW & IMPROVED MISS POTATO HEAD!!

What do you like to do with your old uneaten camp mashed potatoes? Erin & Carson like to use them to make facial molds!! Never a dull moment on GTD trips when you're surrounded by fun people - hahaha!! (SLAMMED 2015)

ABOUT GTD: One of the 5 F's of GTD is "FUN"!! We call it the Fun Factor and we believe it's one of the most unique and defining character qualities about our ministry. Joy and laughter is a gift from God and we do our best to relish in it =)

"for the joy of the Lord is your strength." - Nehemiah 8:10

"There is... a time to laugh" - Ecc 3:1,4

HAVASU FALLS BACKPACKING TRIP (Oct 17-23, 2015)

JOIN GTD FOR ONE OF THE GREATEST HIKES IN THE WORLD!! HAVASU FALLS IN THE GRAND CANYON!!

Date: Oct 17-23, 2015 (6 Days / 5 Nights)
Cost: $999/person

Details  |  Registration  |  Past Pictures


...

LABOR DAY WEEKEND (literally)

Feverishly working away non-stop this weekend as we prepare to be on the road for the next 4 weeks. I'm entering 3 months of financial statements, pre-paying upcoming bills, tackling annual state reports, replying back to emails - voicemails - facebook messages - texts - etc, preparing for fall events, creating e-newsletters, sending out invoices, ordering supplies, packing gear, vehicle maintenance, annual dog vaccinations, meetings, and the list goes on & on (and that doesn't include the long list of things Laurie is diligently working on). Our ministry is cranking out God-awesome events (All glory to God!!), but I need so so so so much more help in the office (and on the events). Pray that God sends more capable faithful hard working servants to co-labor in ministry with us.

"And He said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'" - Jesus (Luke 10:2)


...

Rappelling "Excuse"

A lot of times the GTD Staffers don't get to do all of the activities on our trips because we are working hard to provide it for our participants. That's not a complaint, it's just part of being an outfitter. Sometimes we have to look for "reasons" to do a quick adventure. In this case I "needed" to bring the rock climbing shoes down for the climbers. This was my only chance to go rappelling this summer... loved every second of it!!!

Aussie Style!

Glorify God. Love Man. Have Fun! ...... It's "The GTD Way!"

(pictured here is Tom Livingstone Jr.​ committing over the edge aussie style 8 stories up on Currahee Mountain! Y.O.L.F. - You Only Live Forever!! SLAMMED 2015)

...

The Devil Invented Email

LAME POST ALERT!! Just finished a week long process of going through 3000 emails from the summer (most of which don't require a reply back like informational emails that needed to be sorted & saved or outdated sale/junk emails that needed to be deleted). Now I'm finally to the point where I can reply back to those that need a reply. Just wanted to share this lame post with all our Facebook friends and ministry fans - LOL! The down sides to extended travels are the piles of work that stack up while away. I think the devil invented email.

When Trail Magic Becomes Trail Ministry

It was SOOOO cool to stumble across this excerpt today from a blog as I was researching an area of the A.T. we plan to hike!  While our Ministry is Adventure based and we have a lot of fun playing in God's creation, it's still ministry and it's important to remember there is a mission behind what we do!  Adventure is a  gateway to open doors beyond church walls for us to encourage and share our faith with the people around us! Check out this hikers experience:

"At the first logging road after Tray Mountain, we came across several guys grilling and giving away hamburgers, along with all sorts of other treat & drinks. It was a really cool and welcome setup. Hiking builds an appetite and it’s tough to pack out warm food. We joined about 7 other hikers to have a burger (something I’d regret later).

It turned out the guys grilling out were a part of a local church ministry. And it turns out that Appalachian Trail ministries are sort of a thing. Not only did we encounter these guys, a bit a later we’d run across a troupe of church kids hiking the trail, along with a couple guys who were hiking the entire AT as part of trail ministry.

Then, at Dick’s Creek we ran into 2 separate church groups providing chili, hotdogs, haircuts, candy, drinks, everything else a hiker would want.

Anyway, I had no idea trail ministry was such a big thing, and was neat to see it on the trail .Groups came from as far away as Tennessee to talk to and help out thru-hikers, all of whom were super-appreciative."

BELOW is a photo of what is referred to as TRAIL MAGIC or in this case what we like to call Trail Ministry.  We saw this on our first A.T. hike, it was a large metal box with three crosses cut out on the top.  Inside it was filled with cold drinks, snacks and a garbage container for hikers to dispose of any needed waste, what a great blessing to each person who passes!

GTD's NEWEST DESTINATION IN THE WORKS: UTAH!!!

We are thrilled to announce that GTD is preparing to recon our next adventure destiNATION >>> Utahhhhh!! We will spend 10 days at the end of this month embarking into the great outdoors of this adventure laden state and then, Lord-willing, begin providing God-awesome Utah based events in 2016 (which is our 20th year of ministry!!). GTD wants to take you there and put the Y-O-U into YOUtah!! PJ!!!


...

Next GTD AT Hike Starts Next Week!!

Preparing for our next AT backpacking trip which kicks off in 6 days with Natalie Evans and her crew!! We will be utilizing our new gear cache in Hiawassee, GA. So excited about how things are developing!! PJ!!