I should have realized Plan A never quite materializes for me.
Instead of tomorrow, I'll be hitting the Trail next Saturday, on March 27th. Which coincidentally is 1 year to the day of my starting date last year.
That's what I like to call a Sign.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Plans
Other than large amounts of time spent waiting, the dental thing went pretty well the other day. Several of my teeth are in rough shape and are going to need a considerable amount of dentist’s attention. Which comes as no real shock to me. Per my customary habit of procrastination, I’ve avoided anything resembling a dentist for quite a number of years. But a lifetime of poor brushing & flossing habits, an overly sugary diet (damn those tasty soft drinks), 15 years of smoking cigarettes, and a long genetic history of brittle teeth (thanks Dad) have finally taken their toll.
It’s going to be a bit before I can get anything done though. They’re booked until mid-May and I can’t get an appointment any earlier. Of course if something happens like another toothache or infection before May, then they can work me in earlier. But otherwise it’ll be roughly 2 months before I go back. There’s no way around it though, I’ve avoided my toothy problems for far too long. Which adds a rather large twist to my previous plan.
Initially I had intended to get dropped off at Max Patch and continue my trek of the AT this Spring-Summer. I briefly thought about starting the whole thing over again from Springer Mtn in Georgia, but that thought didn’t last very long. The 250 miles I’ve already done aren’t much in the entire 2,200-ish mile length of the AT, but I’d rather not do them again right now. That technically makes me a section-hiker at this point, but I’m cool with that. Hike your own Hike, and all. But I now have 3 dental appointments scheduled from May 18th-June15th that can’t be skipped…so the hiking logistics require a bit more than a “start here and go north for as far as I can” strategy.
With all three appointments spaced out like they are, I’ll be off the Trail for about 3-4 weeks. The first two appointments are within days of each other but there’s a 2½ week span of time between the last two. I figure I’ll want a few days of recovery time after all the toothwork, so that leaves me with roughly 2 weeks of lost hiking time. Two weeks that I’d rather not lose. Since I’m lucky enough to live within an hour’s drive of several places where the AT crosses roads, I came up with a tentatively modified plan:
Instead of starting where I stopped last year at Max Patch, I’m going to skip ahead 75 miles or so to a little place called Spivey Gap, near Erwin, TN, and start there. I’ll go as far as I can from this Saturday ‘til just before my first appointment in mid-May, and then head back home. Then in the 2 weeks I have between appointments, I’ll do the stretch from Max Patch to Spivey Gap and head back home again. Once the final appointment is over I’ll hop back on where I stopped initially and continue from there.
So for a timeline of sorts:
It makes it kind of a hodge-podge hike instead of a single straight shot, but it’ll add an unusual spin to things. And I tend to like things on the unusual side anyway.
Slotting 2 weeks to do the 75 mile stretch from Max Patch to Spivey Gap may seem like a generous estimate but there are several factors involved in that time frame.
So slotting 2 weeks for it seems like a good idea to me.
It’s going to be a bit before I can get anything done though. They’re booked until mid-May and I can’t get an appointment any earlier. Of course if something happens like another toothache or infection before May, then they can work me in earlier. But otherwise it’ll be roughly 2 months before I go back. There’s no way around it though, I’ve avoided my toothy problems for far too long. Which adds a rather large twist to my previous plan.
Initially I had intended to get dropped off at Max Patch and continue my trek of the AT this Spring-Summer. I briefly thought about starting the whole thing over again from Springer Mtn in Georgia, but that thought didn’t last very long. The 250 miles I’ve already done aren’t much in the entire 2,200-ish mile length of the AT, but I’d rather not do them again right now. That technically makes me a section-hiker at this point, but I’m cool with that. Hike your own Hike, and all. But I now have 3 dental appointments scheduled from May 18th-June15th that can’t be skipped…so the hiking logistics require a bit more than a “start here and go north for as far as I can” strategy.
With all three appointments spaced out like they are, I’ll be off the Trail for about 3-4 weeks. The first two appointments are within days of each other but there’s a 2½ week span of time between the last two. I figure I’ll want a few days of recovery time after all the toothwork, so that leaves me with roughly 2 weeks of lost hiking time. Two weeks that I’d rather not lose. Since I’m lucky enough to live within an hour’s drive of several places where the AT crosses roads, I came up with a tentatively modified plan:
Instead of starting where I stopped last year at Max Patch, I’m going to skip ahead 75 miles or so to a little place called Spivey Gap, near Erwin, TN, and start there. I’ll go as far as I can from this Saturday ‘til just before my first appointment in mid-May, and then head back home. Then in the 2 weeks I have between appointments, I’ll do the stretch from Max Patch to Spivey Gap and head back home again. Once the final appointment is over I’ll hop back on where I stopped initially and continue from there.
So for a timeline of sorts:
- Springer to Max Patch…Last Year
- Max Patch to Spivey Gap…skip for now
- Spivey Gap to “As Far As I Can Go”…March 20, 2010 to Mid-May, 2010
- ---Icky dental stuff happens here---
- Max Patch to Spivey Gap…2 week downtime
- ---More icky dental stuff---
- “As Far As I Went Before” to Katahdin…Early June 2010 to whenever
It makes it kind of a hodge-podge hike instead of a single straight shot, but it’ll add an unusual spin to things. And I tend to like things on the unusual side anyway.
Slotting 2 weeks to do the 75 mile stretch from Max Patch to Spivey Gap may seem like a generous estimate but there are several factors involved in that time frame.
- I’m a “smell the roses” type of hiker, so I tend to go slower than the usual AT-autobahn that many hikers seem to be on (not that there’s anything wrong with that…Hike your own Hike).
- The stretch of the AT between Hot Springs and Erwin is notorious for being on the strenuous side. Quite a few of the books and journals I’ve read cite Erwin, TN as a place where many hopeful AT hikes come to an end due to injuries. I want to be able to take my time and not hurt any body part I may need later. I don’t want this year to end like last year.
- After all the initial dental work I may not feel like doing much besides resting anyway.
So slotting 2 weeks for it seems like a good idea to me.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Concrete is Cold
It's 5:15 in the morning and I'm sitting on a cold concrete curb in a parking lot. I'm here because I have a toothache but I don't have dental insurance. Even if I did it's notoriously bad for only covering 10-20% of costs anyway, so odds are good I might be here regardless.
I'm sitting outside the division of the local Health Department that covers adult dental care, and I'm not alone. They only see 6 new patients per day, so if you want affordable care you gotta get here early. I'm person #5 sitting outside waiting for them to open, and #6 just walked up and got in line behind me. The first person in line has been here since 3:00 am! I wonder how many people will show up and not get a spot this morning.
They open in 3 hours so it's going to be an interesting wait. I brought a book to pass the time but it's a bit hard to read by street light, so it's purely a waiting game at this point. I haven't spent too many mornings sitting in a parking lot watching the sun come up.
At least it's not raining.
I'm sitting outside the division of the local Health Department that covers adult dental care, and I'm not alone. They only see 6 new patients per day, so if you want affordable care you gotta get here early. I'm person #5 sitting outside waiting for them to open, and #6 just walked up and got in line behind me. The first person in line has been here since 3:00 am! I wonder how many people will show up and not get a spot this morning.
They open in 3 hours so it's going to be an interesting wait. I brought a book to pass the time but it's a bit hard to read by street light, so it's purely a waiting game at this point. I haven't spent too many mornings sitting in a parking lot watching the sun come up.
At least it's not raining.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Arrested Development
I'm sure they're tasty but there's just something that's not quite right about them.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Run for the Border
Went on a "let's get out of the house" road trip today. Did a few random things around Asheville, then hopped on I-26 and went north. There's a couple inches of snow on the ground pretty much everywhere, from the snowfall yesterday.
Karen Wynne had one thing right about today though, it was bitterly cold with that wind blowing.
Ended up crossing the border into Tennessee for a bit and the snow started really picking up. Managed to get some decent shots of the area though. Very pretty there.
This is the highest bridge in North Carolina, and it has built-in de-icing capability. Little nozzles automatically spray out de-icing stuff so people don't go careening into this peaceful little valley below in the winter time.
Karen Wynne had one thing right about today though, it was bitterly cold with that wind blowing.
Ended up crossing the border into Tennessee for a bit and the snow started really picking up. Managed to get some decent shots of the area though. Very pretty there.
This is the highest bridge in North Carolina, and it has built-in de-icing capability. Little nozzles automatically spray out de-icing stuff so people don't go careening into this peaceful little valley below in the winter time.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Lake Powhatan
I went for a little walking hike around Lake Powhatan and Bent Creek yesterday. The weather was a little on the chilly side but once I got moving the chill actually felt pretty good. I’d never been to the Lake Powhatan area before and was pleasantly surprised by it. The Lake was very cool and peaceful and it had loads of biking and hiking trails crisscrossed around.
The bit of Bent Creek I saw there was cool too. There was an old mill in the area back in the day and you can still see some of the masonry flume walls around. Also saw a link from a very old chain slowly rusting away in a spring leading into the creek, so that was cool. Love finding little bits of the past in unexpected places like that.
Today’s already started out dreary and the next couple of days are supposed to be the same, so the plan is to stay inside and putter around the house wasting time. Should be easy for me to do.
Making a big meaty beef stew in the crock pot too, so at lest there’s something good to look forward to on a cold wintry day like today.
Pics.
The bit of Bent Creek I saw there was cool too. There was an old mill in the area back in the day and you can still see some of the masonry flume walls around. Also saw a link from a very old chain slowly rusting away in a spring leading into the creek, so that was cool. Love finding little bits of the past in unexpected places like that.
Today’s already started out dreary and the next couple of days are supposed to be the same, so the plan is to stay inside and putter around the house wasting time. Should be easy for me to do.
Making a big meaty beef stew in the crock pot too, so at lest there’s something good to look forward to on a cold wintry day like today.
Pics.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Lost
It was raining when I got up on Saturday morning and continued on and off over the day. And since I felt like I was fighting off the beginning of a cold, I decided to turn it into a marathon TV type of weekend.
When I left for the Trail last spring, I missed out on the second half of Lost. I was able to see enough of the early season to know they were going to whip the storyline all over the time-space continuum, but I never knew how it ended. So recently a friend loaned me a copy of the entire season, and I spent the weekend catching up on all of the episodes.
I’ve talked about it before, but one of my all-time biggest annoyances is spoilers. Of any kind. Telling me what’s going to happen in something I haven’t seen or read or experienced before is a quick and almost sure-fire way to piss me off. So on the tiny possibility that some random surfer happens to wander by here and read my ramblings hasn’t seen it yet, I won’t spoil it for you.
I will say this though: Loved it.
When I left for the Trail last spring, I missed out on the second half of Lost. I was able to see enough of the early season to know they were going to whip the storyline all over the time-space continuum, but I never knew how it ended. So recently a friend loaned me a copy of the entire season, and I spent the weekend catching up on all of the episodes.
I’ve talked about it before, but one of my all-time biggest annoyances is spoilers. Of any kind. Telling me what’s going to happen in something I haven’t seen or read or experienced before is a quick and almost sure-fire way to piss me off. So on the tiny possibility that some random surfer happens to wander by here and read my ramblings hasn’t seen it yet, I won’t spoil it for you.
I will say this though: Loved it.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Ice Water
Didn’t accomplish much this weekend; it was too cold to do much more than stay in and try to keep warm. I did head out for a bit on a random drive Saturday afternoon. Drove towards the Blue Ridge Parkway (it’s closed due to winter weather though) and ended up driving south along the French Broad River towards Brevard.
Just as I went under the Parkway, I drove by a small park along the river and noticed something odd. There were trees leaning over along the bank with the tips of their branches dangling in the water, and everywhere they touched there was a white patch of ice. It looked kinda cool from the car so later when I turned around, I decided to stop at the park on my way back home.
It ended up being one of those things that you randomly do on a random drive that became the memory that makes the day special.
Not only was there ice formed on the tree branches, it was covering everything near the bank. It had formed in these cool ripple shapes from the water moving over it, and even had a layer of snow on it in places. I didn’t get many pics since I didn’t have any gloves and the wind was gusting constantly, driving the temps well below 0 ºF. In the few minutes it took to snap a dozen or so pics, my hands were burning they were so cold.
Very, very glad I stopped though.
All the pics are here.
Just as I went under the Parkway, I drove by a small park along the river and noticed something odd. There were trees leaning over along the bank with the tips of their branches dangling in the water, and everywhere they touched there was a white patch of ice. It looked kinda cool from the car so later when I turned around, I decided to stop at the park on my way back home.
It ended up being one of those things that you randomly do on a random drive that became the memory that makes the day special.
Not only was there ice formed on the tree branches, it was covering everything near the bank. It had formed in these cool ripple shapes from the water moving over it, and even had a layer of snow on it in places. I didn’t get many pics since I didn’t have any gloves and the wind was gusting constantly, driving the temps well below 0 ºF. In the few minutes it took to snap a dozen or so pics, my hands were burning they were so cold.
Very, very glad I stopped though.
All the pics are here.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Avatar
So I finally made it out to see "Avatar" this afternoon. I've seen previews for it for a while now but it wasn't really one of those "must see" movies for me. It looked cool and all, but I wasn't so sure the plot would be anything I haven't seen before, and the 3D aspect of it gave me second thoughts. But my life is completely SciFi-free and has been for a while, so I needed a hit in a bad way.
No spoilers so...overall I'll say that it was an ok movie. It satisfied my SciFi needs (for a bit). I'd give it 3 out of 5; 'bout in the middle of things.
$7 for a matinee, plus $3.50 "surcharge" for the 3D effects kinda sucked ass though. It's no wonder movie theatres are doing so poorly.
No spoilers so...overall I'll say that it was an ok movie. It satisfied my SciFi needs (for a bit). I'd give it 3 out of 5; 'bout in the middle of things.
$7 for a matinee, plus $3.50 "surcharge" for the 3D effects kinda sucked ass though. It's no wonder movie theatres are doing so poorly.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Welcome to the Future
When I was growing up, the year 2010 sounded made up. A lot of people were hung up on the year 2000 being the big one, what with the whole millennium thing and all. But for me it was always 2010 that did it. Not only would 2000 have already happened in this future world, but it would have been a whole decade later!
It sounded like it was impossibly far into the future to actually be a real year someday. Plus look at it; the number itself just looks odd. Never in my wildest dreams (at age 8ish or so) did I think I’d someday been living in 2010. The 80s sure, and the 90s were kind of believable, but the year 2010? No way man.
Guess I need a new year to see as being far off in Future World now. How’s 2050 sound?
Maybe I'll be driving my hover car on the moon by then.
It sounded like it was impossibly far into the future to actually be a real year someday. Plus look at it; the number itself just looks odd. Never in my wildest dreams (at age 8ish or so) did I think I’d someday been living in 2010. The 80s sure, and the 90s were kind of believable, but the year 2010? No way man.
Guess I need a new year to see as being far off in Future World now. How’s 2050 sound?
Maybe I'll be driving my hover car on the moon by then.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Fall Adventure
I went on a little adventure on Saturday to visit a few waterfalls and try to catch a glimpse of some Fall leaf color before it goes away. The higher elevations are already looking pretty bleak and winter-like but for the most part it looked to be peaking at the places I was. The weather was fantastic and the skies were crisp and clear so I was able to snap some good pics.
Waterfall on Highway 215
Courthouse Falls
Action shot!
Cool cloud formation attacking Mt. Pisgah
Some Fall color
Quite a few other pics from the day are on my Flickr page here. Overall it was a very nice adventure.
Courthouse Falls
Action shot!
Cool cloud formation attacking Mt. Pisgah
Some Fall color
Quite a few other pics from the day are on my Flickr page here. Overall it was a very nice adventure.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Lost
I’m feeling somewhat directionless right now. I get this way often; any kind of constant routine tends to do it to me sooner or later. I fall into this circle of going to work at the same time every morning, coming home at the same time in the afternoon, doing the domestic chores the same day as last week, etc. While some people find a routine like that comforting and an inevitable part of life, doing the same things the same way all the time makes me feel a little rundown. Like I’m spinning around in a big circular rut, and even though it feels like I’m constantly moving in different directions, the only thing that really happens is being dizzy and knowing that I’ll fall over if I stop. But usually all it takes is some small deviation in the pattern to break up the monotony and make me feel better. Things like spending a weekend day exploring back roads I’ve never been on before, having lunch at a new place, or buying a new geek toy. Nothing major, just a little distraction for a bit to refresh me, and then it’s back to the routine until the next distraction is needed.
Lately though nothing has seemed to help. It’s been this way since I had to come off the Trail, but the feeling is intensifying. I have a couple of job interviews for office-type positions this week, and I know that’s what’s making it worse. Don’t get me wrong, it’s taken months to get this close to working again in this economy and I’m happy to finally have some interviews lined up. I need a job in a bad way right now. But the thought of stepping into a new office-job and starting to spin around in a new circle is horrifying for me.
I’ve changed jobs and moved to new places before (and enjoyed doing it), so it’s not the idea of starting over somewhere that’s the problem. Things are different now. The time I spent on the Trail and what it awakened (and continues to awaken) in me has changed something fundamental inside. “Hike your own hike” is as good a motto for life as it is for AT hopefuls and I’m trying to listen to my inner guide and follow my own path. I don’t want to spin in place this time; that way of living is not for me anymore. I want to keep walking forward and experience new things every day.
But I’m scared that I’m going to wake up a year from now and realize that I’ve fallen into the trap yet again. Whenever I think of the jobs I’m interviewing for this week I start feeling dizzy and the sense of directionless sends me reeling again. I don’t know what to do or which direction to go. I really miss the Trail.
Lately though nothing has seemed to help. It’s been this way since I had to come off the Trail, but the feeling is intensifying. I have a couple of job interviews for office-type positions this week, and I know that’s what’s making it worse. Don’t get me wrong, it’s taken months to get this close to working again in this economy and I’m happy to finally have some interviews lined up. I need a job in a bad way right now. But the thought of stepping into a new office-job and starting to spin around in a new circle is horrifying for me.
I’ve changed jobs and moved to new places before (and enjoyed doing it), so it’s not the idea of starting over somewhere that’s the problem. Things are different now. The time I spent on the Trail and what it awakened (and continues to awaken) in me has changed something fundamental inside. “Hike your own hike” is as good a motto for life as it is for AT hopefuls and I’m trying to listen to my inner guide and follow my own path. I don’t want to spin in place this time; that way of living is not for me anymore. I want to keep walking forward and experience new things every day.
But I’m scared that I’m going to wake up a year from now and realize that I’ve fallen into the trap yet again. Whenever I think of the jobs I’m interviewing for this week I start feeling dizzy and the sense of directionless sends me reeling again. I don’t know what to do or which direction to go. I really miss the Trail.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
12 of 12
Guess it's time to bring this ol' blog back to life, and what better way to do it than with a 12 of 12. Chad created this cool idea...on the 12th of the month you take 12 pics to show how you spent your day.
I started the day intending to head to the NC Mountain State Fair, but decided not to go due to the legions of people lined up for miles outside the parking lot with the same idea. Instead I decided to hit downtown Asheville for lunch due to a gift certificate to Doc Chey's.
9:00am
Morning Glory vines on the front porch.
1:00pm
Leaving the house, good thing it's protected by Brinks...and Gracie.
1:04pm
Gas is still on the cheap side. Yay!
1:40pm
Doc Chey's Noodle House. Good food, great atmosphere.
2:20pm
Walking off the lunch calories downtown.
2:45pm
Art inside a shop downtown.
3:30pm
Love this sign for the Thirsty Monk. Still need to stop in the place and see what it's like.
3:45pm
Cool gate outside the Trinity Episcopal Church; on the way back to the car.
4:30pm
Nap Time.
7:00pm
Yeah it's bad for me, but it's so damn tasty. Besides, I went out on a random drive (where I just start driving and go whichever direction I haven't been before) and ended up near the place. It was fate, I had to eat there.
7:45pm
Train going by on the way home.
8:04pm
Yeah, odds are it's wasted money. Fun though.
I started the day intending to head to the NC Mountain State Fair, but decided not to go due to the legions of people lined up for miles outside the parking lot with the same idea. Instead I decided to hit downtown Asheville for lunch due to a gift certificate to Doc Chey's.
9:00am
Morning Glory vines on the front porch.
1:00pm
Leaving the house, good thing it's protected by Brinks...and Gracie.
1:04pm
Gas is still on the cheap side. Yay!
1:40pm
Doc Chey's Noodle House. Good food, great atmosphere.
2:20pm
Walking off the lunch calories downtown.
2:45pm
Art inside a shop downtown.
3:30pm
Love this sign for the Thirsty Monk. Still need to stop in the place and see what it's like.
3:45pm
Cool gate outside the Trinity Episcopal Church; on the way back to the car.
4:30pm
Nap Time.
7:00pm
Yeah it's bad for me, but it's so damn tasty. Besides, I went out on a random drive (where I just start driving and go whichever direction I haven't been before) and ended up near the place. It was fate, I had to eat there.
7:45pm
Train going by on the way home.
8:04pm
Yeah, odds are it's wasted money. Fun though.
Monday, March 23, 2009
AT Link
Below is the link to my online trail journal that I'll be updating as I'm on the Appalachian Trail. I thought about just using this blog as my journal, but the site below is used by a large majority of the long-distance hiking community and by having a presence there it'll make it easier for other hikers to find me, if they need to for some reason. Plus it does cool things like automatically tracking my miles.
My Trail Journal:
http://www.trailjournals.com/greent
I may pop in occasionally to put some updates here, but the plan right now is to keep the journal site as my active blog for the time that I'm in the woods.
My Trail Journal:
http://www.trailjournals.com/greent
I may pop in occasionally to put some updates here, but the plan right now is to keep the journal site as my active blog for the time that I'm in the woods.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Ducks
Since it was such a beautiful afternoon a couple of co-workers and I decided to eat lunch outside today. We stopped at Jersey Mike's Subs and grabbed some food then headed to Beaver Lake in north Asheville. The area around the southern part of the lake is a Bird Sanctuary and has a trail with a boardwalk and benches set up for bird watching. So we got to have a nice peaceful lunch watching the lake and listening to the birds. I forgot to bring my camera but I was able to snap a few pics on the phone that didn't turn out too bad.
A pair of ducks swam up to our lookout spot and started quacking up a storm, begging for food.
We didn't fee them of course (I shouldn't even be eating bacon, no way it can be good for a duck), but they were persistent little things and followed us around the water's edge. They were paddling pretty quickly too. For ducks.
They reached the shore and waddle waddled right up to us, quacking and looking cute the entire way.
They stood there for a few minutes after we walked off looking confused and disappointed as to why they didn't get any food. I'm guessing the cute chase-you-down routine generally works for them and convinces people to feed them.
A pair of ducks swam up to our lookout spot and started quacking up a storm, begging for food.
We didn't fee them of course (I shouldn't even be eating bacon, no way it can be good for a duck), but they were persistent little things and followed us around the water's edge. They were paddling pretty quickly too. For ducks.
They reached the shore and waddle waddled right up to us, quacking and looking cute the entire way.
They stood there for a few minutes after we walked off looking confused and disappointed as to why they didn't get any food. I'm guessing the cute chase-you-down routine generally works for them and convinces people to feed them.
Friday, March 13, 2009
AT
I've decided to attempt the Appalachian Trail this year instead of putting off til 2011 like I previously said. I was ok with waiting a couple more years to do it when I made that decision, but things kept pointing me in the Trail's direction this year and once I started seriously considering it, everything just sort of fell into place. So 2009 it is.
I have the majority of my gear together and only have a few small odds 'n ends to pick up then I'll be all set to start. I'm planning on beginning the adventure on the 26th of March, so two weeks from today I should be in the woods.
Check out this Wikipedia page to get some good, basic info on it and what it is.
I seem to be getting a lot of the same questions from everyone when I tell them about it, so here are a few of my responses:
I'll be keeping a journal online so people can keep up with what's going on. I can email my entries using the new toy (the Blackberry) and keep everything updated. There will be places where I won't have a cell signal but overall I'll be able to post pretty regularly. I'll be putting up a link here to the journal and a few other cool things once I get started on the hike.
I have the majority of my gear together and only have a few small odds 'n ends to pick up then I'll be all set to start. I'm planning on beginning the adventure on the 26th of March, so two weeks from today I should be in the woods.
Check out this Wikipedia page to get some good, basic info on it and what it is.
I seem to be getting a lot of the same questions from everyone when I tell them about it, so here are a few of my responses:
Yeah, I'm planning on walking the entire thing...from Georgia to Maine (roughly 2,175 miles, or about 5 million footsteps)
Should take 4-6 months to do it.
I'll be eating mostly dried, just-add-water kind of foods (oatmeal, pasta, etc).
It passes through, or close to, enough towns that I'll only need to carry 3-5 days worth of food at a time. I'll restock food, do laundry, check my mail-drops (friends are mailing me some supplies via post offices) when I get to those towns.
Yup, that means 3-5 days or more between showers too.
There are about 200 shelters that were made for hikers to stay in, but I'll be taking my own setup (hammock, tarp, warm cozy sleeping bag) so I can avoid them for the most part.
When it rains, I'll just get wet. I'm carrying rain-gear, but there's not much that will keep you dry when you're walking in the rain for 4-6 hours at a time.
Nope, not afraid of getting lost at all. There are around 165,000 trail markers (called blazes) along the way to keep you on track. Plus it's extremely well-traveled so the trail is easy to follow.
Apart from a pocket knife and a spork I will not be carrying a weapon. The majority of the AT is on National Park land, where guns aren't allowed anyway.
I actually want to see a bear (hopefully lots of them), and I'm not really too concerned about it. Keep your head and stay calm and everything will be ok.
Same goes for snakes, moose, and other wildlife (including the serial killers and "crazy people just waiting to attack you" that my mother seems to think inhabit the woods).
Yup, had to quit my job. Moving out of the apartment too.
And yeah, it's the craziest thing I've ever done. The scariest too. But that just makes the adventure that much more exciting!
I'll be keeping a journal online so people can keep up with what's going on. I can email my entries using the new toy (the Blackberry) and keep everything updated. There will be places where I won't have a cell signal but overall I'll be able to post pretty regularly. I'll be putting up a link here to the journal and a few other cool things once I get started on the hike.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
12 of 12
I decided to skip 12 of 12 this month. I've just got too many other things going on right now getting ready for my adventure. I'm hoping I can do it from the Trail next month, but there's no way to know now if I'll have access then. We'll see.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Camping
I went out camping with a friend last night to test out our new hammocks. It's slightly different than a normal hammock setup in that it's made for camping (lightweight, attachs to tree trunks, is insulated, etc.) You tie the hammock between two trees and then hang a tarp over it to protect it from the weather and help keep the wind off of it also, which helps keep the setup warm.
It was rainy and the temps dipped into the 30s, but I was nice and dry inside my hammock. My feet got a bit chilled, but other than that I was decently warm all night long. And it was an extremely comfortable sleep too. Just a gentle swaying in the breeze; almost like being rocked to sleep.
I was kind of hoping to wake up to snow on the ground this morning but it looks like the storm waited til this afternoon to start sputtering. Couple inches on the ground now and it's still falling steadily. Fun fun.
The hammocks set up and ready for sleeping.
A view of the hammock from inside the tarp.
It was rainy and the temps dipped into the 30s, but I was nice and dry inside my hammock. My feet got a bit chilled, but other than that I was decently warm all night long. And it was an extremely comfortable sleep too. Just a gentle swaying in the breeze; almost like being rocked to sleep.
I was kind of hoping to wake up to snow on the ground this morning but it looks like the storm waited til this afternoon to start sputtering. Couple inches on the ground now and it's still falling steadily. Fun fun.
The hammocks set up and ready for sleeping.
A view of the hammock from inside the tarp.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
New Toy!
My new toy arrived today, a Blackberry 8330! I was kind of surprised it came today since I just ordered it yesterday, but that's one thing Verizon's good at. Guess they want you to get their gadgets fast so you can hurry up and get addicted to them and buy more.
I never really had much of a desire to own a Blackberry though. I was actually looking for something that could send & receive email from deep in the woods when someone suggested a smartphone might be the best answer. So I logged into Verizon (they have the best coverage in this area) just to see what options were available. Lo and behold, I was able to upgrade my current phone to the Blackberry at no charge, beyond a small monthly increase in my calling plan of course. I know that's how they sucker you in, but it's cheaper than the other options I was considering. A few mouse clicks and a FedEx package later, I have a new toy to play with.
And my inner geek is beside himself with glee...so shiny...so many buttons...
I never really had much of a desire to own a Blackberry though. I was actually looking for something that could send & receive email from deep in the woods when someone suggested a smartphone might be the best answer. So I logged into Verizon (they have the best coverage in this area) just to see what options were available. Lo and behold, I was able to upgrade my current phone to the Blackberry at no charge, beyond a small monthly increase in my calling plan of course. I know that's how they sucker you in, but it's cheaper than the other options I was considering. A few mouse clicks and a FedEx package later, I have a new toy to play with.
And my inner geek is beside himself with glee...so shiny...so many buttons...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
