Dianne Cardenas reached a milestone in January. She celebrated her 60th birthday. Reflecting upon her life, she decided that any goals she had not yet accomplished, she'd better hurry up and get busy.

One of those goals was to walk the Appalachian Trail (AT).Well, not the whole 2,184 miles, which extends between Springer Mountain, Ga. to Mount Katahdin, Maine.She's planning on hiking 500 miles, from Danielsville to Hanover, N.H.The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, or simply the AT, is maintained by 30 trail clubs and multiple partnerships, and managed by the National Park Service and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The majority of the trail is in wilderness, although some portions traverse towns, roads and cross rivers.The Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail form what is known as the Triple Crown of long distance hiking in the United States.Dianne is making this journey alone and she has never camped overnight by herself."I'm not concerned about my safety. I feel very little fear," she says. "You just learn to not put yourself into bad situations. I'm a Christian and I believe I'm never alone."She is hoping to cover about 15 miles a day and plans on it taking her between four to six weeks. She is going to hit the trail this week.She has been training, by walking the AT near her home, with a significant day pack and weights."Training in PA is good practice because it's so rocky," she says from her Palmerton home that provides a front door view of the Blue Mountain. "The rocks are just treacherous. I recently took a tumble, causing quite a bit of bruising."As for her backpack, she's doing everything she can to keep it under or about 15 pounds. She has been talking to other seasoned hikers and reading everything she can on extended hiking, in order to make her pack as light and compact as she can.She was able to cut down the weight from a purchased poncho at one and half pounds to one she made that weighs only seven ounces. She made her own backpack from parachute material.Dianne says that a hiker burns about 6,000 calories a day."You can't carry that much food for five days," she says.She's planning on taking with her food items like dehydrated and freeze dried things, nature bars, tuna in pouches, peanut butter and jelly, Ramen Noodles, oatmeal, hot chocolate and mac and cheese. She will have one pot to cook in and it will act as her bowl. Inside it she can pack her spork, stereo can, lighter, matches in a waterproof container. Her neighbor, also a hiker, fashioned a stand for the pot over the sterno out of a wire coat hanger, which fits inside the pot.She will be carrying a water purification system and water filter."I have a hiker friend who took only the purifier on a hike and the next morning almost swallowed a tadpole," she chuckles.A bear hang rope will also go in her pack. When she is finished hiking for the day, she will have to get her food up out of reach of bears."You can't even have a gum wrapper on you or in the tent with you because they'll smell it," she says.She has prepared and sent herself "mail drops," packages of food items that she will come down off the trail at designated towns and pick up her food supplies at the post office. She plans to occasionally visit some towns along the way to stay at hostels for showers, to sleep in a real bed and to eat "real food."She will be carrying on her pack a tent, sleeping bag, a sleeping pad (inflatable), a footprint (goes under the tent and protects the floor)."If you don't get a good night's sleep, the trip could be real bad," she advises.Her clothing is made of microfiber, staying away from cottons."You don't want anything to retain water," she says.The day before she leaves she is planning on having her hair done in corn rows so she won't even have to carry a comb or brush.She will have her Smartphone with her, which provides navigational and weather information and will act as her camera. She will be taking a book of devotionals, small Bible and a small journal to record her experiences.Dianne, an ordained minister, sees this hike as an opportunity to minister. She wants to share how God has been there for her throughout her life.Although born in Coatesville, Pa., Diane spent her growing up years in California. She is the mother of three sons, Paul, Stephen and Ben, grandmother of five and has one great-granddaughter.She earned bachelor degrees in English/psychology, science, a master's in science and a doctorate in holistic health. She operates two businesses, Caring for You holistic health counseling and A Taste of Heaven fine baked goods.The Cardenas' moved back to Pennsylvania in 1999 and bought their renovated Victorian home in Palmerton in 2002. Vincent is a correction officer at the Monroe County Correctional Facility. Dianne ministers to the women at the prison and visits regularly with residents at Mrs. Bush's Personal Care Homes in Kunkletown.She says Vincent is completely supportive of her upcoming hike, as are the rest of her family."Some people call me crazy, brave, adventuresome. I'm all of the above," she says. "One person told me that if people weren't crazy, there never would have been a United States."I don't base my life on fear."She hasn't even left on her adventure and she's already thinking about what she wants to do after hiking the AT."Next year I'm going to learn how to kayak," she says.Dianne promises to contact the TIMES NEWS when she returns to tell us all about her adventure.