New Photos!

Hi All:

Hangman and Castaway were in Great Barrington, MA this weekend. Lisa I drove out there and shuttled them around. We grabbed some hamburgers, did some laundry, and went through the grocery store. The simple AT life! The two of them are in great shape and I was happy to see them!

Please enjoy the photos!

Matt


Castway and "Wilson"



Castaway (left), me and Hangman (right)



A picture that Hangman took! Me in the Smokies, at the start of the big snowstorm. We were about 7 miles from the road at this point....

Maps

Hello, this is Lisa posting again. I thought I should post a screenshot from the map that seems to be accessible only to Firefox users for the benefit of everyone else (click on the picture above to see a larger version). I should note that the actual trail doesn't really follow the straight lines in the picture since the trail meanders all over the place. If you unwind the distance Matt traveled on the trail, add on the extra distance hiked to get onto the trail and off the trail, and place the endpoints on landmarks that are slightly more familiar to Yankees, it would look like this:
That's equivalent to the interstate distance between Boston, MA and Washington, D.C.

Thanks for following along!

Back to Work

Alas, the adventure is complete. The x-rays looked good and my doctor says I just need to rest the leg. He's trying to help me get back to the trail, but I don't think it makes sense, given what I was doing. I had hoped I could get back and do the heavy mileage in 2 weeks, but that's not possible, given the condition of my leg.

Even if I heal quickly and am ready to hike with a full pack in 2 weeks, I'd still need to stay up north and train up for a few weeks, per doctor's orders. 5 miles a day ramping up to 10-12. (I can't be on the AT with less than 10-12 miles a day, given the amount of food one must carry between supply points) The best case scenario would have me ready to go in the 10-12 mile range by mid-June. I'd have to start down in Harper's Ferry at that point, and pound my way back up the trail, slowly at first, then gradually increasing the miles. I would have skipped almost 600 miles (Hampton to Harper's Ferry), which would have to be done at some other time in order to complete the hike.

I enjoyed what I did, and I will plan more long distance hiking in the future. Within the next five years, I will attempt the Long Trail (4-weeks, 270 miles) and the John Muir Trail (a 2-week 212 miler; Chuck W., are you in?). I'm definitely excited about doing this sort of hiking, as it's greatly refreshing and I couldn't be happier with my monthlong+ 422 mile excursion.

I've decided to go back to work, focused, ready, and excited for my future.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

First, the good. My doctor thinks my injury is minor (in the grand scheme) and that I'll heal up all right. No ligament damage. The bad: it's probably a "pre-stress fracture" type condition, where there is some level of bone damage. He thinks I need a couple of weeks of rest and light activity on the leg and I should be fine, with no long-term consequences. I had x-rays today and I'll know more on Monday. However, I'm out for at least 2-3 weeks. He thinks I could get back on the trail after about 3-4 weeks, but only if I were hiking about 5 miles per day, at best. That's not going to cut it, since a 12 mile per day pace is necessary to finish in 6 months. In other words, it looks like I'm done. I probably began the slide downhill while trying to haul through the Smokies to beat that winter storm. I felt strong, physically, the entire time. Nevertheless, I did too much, too soon, and now here I am, back in Arlington. Another good lesson for me in patience. Of course, he also indicated that if I had kept going, I'd have a full blown stress fracture in a couple of days, so it looks like my decision to leave the trail was a correct one and saved me a longer rehabilitation. I've learned a lot through my adventure and this is a great lesson in patience and listening to my body.

Perhaps I'll finish that last section of TN later this year. Only 37.6 more miles to Damascus....

Oh yes, and the ugly! That would be me. I've got to shave and cut my hair! I've crossed the line into vagrancy....

Thanks again for the support. The prognosis is a bit disappointing, but it is the way it must be. I'm refreshed and ready to head back to the lab...

--Matt

Photos, photos, photos

Contrary to popular belief, I did snap a few photos. Here's a couple of fun ones:


Springer Mountain Plaque


Finishing my first state!


It was cold!


That's a shelter built by the CCC. Yep, FDR is alive and well on the AT. It keeps the rain out, at least.

Back in Boston, for a spell

I'm amazed that I was able to get back to Boston so quickly, but I had an interesting day of travel yesterday. At 6:30 AM I was on the AT, hiking away. I hiked about 3 miles when I realized my knee was not going to get any better this way and I was risking making it worse. So I hiked out (partially on road) a couple of miles and hitched to Hampton, TN. There, I hit the internet cafe to check flights from the Tri-Cities airport near Johnson City. Much, much cheaper then expected, so I arranged a shuttle at a local Bike Shop (Thanks Hampton Trails!) and purchased tickets from a friend of the shop who works at the airport. Picked up some BBQ from Quarterbacks then I talked to Sutton at the grocery store, who set me up with a shower at Braemer Castle. I went back to the bike shop, got a ride to the airport where we received a call in car that I had my flight changed. So we hustled, I with my bad knee. Everyone at the airport knew me when I came in (What's your name? This is the guy!) Finally, I flew home and had some nice chats with folks on the way.

I weighed myself in the AM and I'm down to 145, from a starting weight of 158. I'm amazed by this, and probably a bit dehydrated, so I've got to get my weight back up. This is normal for thru-hikers to lose over 10 pounds right off the bat, so I'm not overly surprised, but I've got to get some food immediately!

I'll call the doc shortly and get an appt for this knee. If everything checks out, I may be back in Roanoke in 2.5 weeks.

--Matt

The end.....or not?

Hello all:

I walked back into Hampton today. My knee is not getting any better. It's only mildly worse and I really don't want to push it too hard. I'd hate to do permanent damage, for obvious reasons. So here I am, after 422 miles, not quite at Damascus, and ready to take a short breather to either heal or head back to work. I'm not sure yet. I'll have an opportunity to get back to trail soon enough once I get back to Boston; I'll be able to meet Castaway in Roanoke in 2.5 weeks. I think I'm making the correct decision right now. I've only got 2 knees and 40-50 years left in life, so the trade-off is obvious......

I'll figure out a way to get from Hampton to Boston and that will be that for now. I'll have my doc take a look at the knee!

Thanks again for all your comments! I may be back on the trail soon....

Watauga

I think that Matt is probably somewhere in the vicinity of Watauga Lake, but the phone reception today was too poor for him to convey much. Thanks for your comments; Matt asks about them from time to time.

At Abby's Place

Hello all:

I'm here at "Abby's Place", a hostel on the road to Damascus. It's run by a fellow from Wisconsin who is a very nice gentlemen, and his stepson, who I haven't met yet. There's a bunkhouse out back and they cook up pizza for you in the house. It's about 0.2 miles from the trail, so it's an easy side trip. We'll stay here for the night (at milepoint 397.4) and we've got about 62 miles to Damascus, where Castaway will see his wife on Saturday. We've dialed down the mileage in order to hit Damascus in stride. I'm going to decide my future there. I've been hiking for four weeks now and I'm getting extremely bored, tired, and injured (knee and foot). I've turned my hobby, hiking, into a job. A day in, day out grind. I'm very proud with what I've done so far, but Damascus may be the end of the line. The thru-hiker crowd has thinned out quite a bit and many have left the trail already.

I miss Lisa, my family, my friends, and physics (i.e. job). I've clarified a lot of my passions and plans for life and I think I've achieved my goals out here (outside of reaching Maine). At this point, it's just running up and down hills, which has lost some of its appeal!

Nevertheless, I've got a week to decide on my future. I've been thrilled by the support from everyone and whatever I decide, I thank you all.

--Matt

Roan mountain

Photo: Roan High Bluff rhododendron gardens, remnants of the 19th century Cloudland Hotel resort on Roan Mountain that was demolished in 1915.

Matt is at Roan High Knob shelter, the highest shelter on the AT at 6,275 ft (1804.3 miles from Katahdin, 370.3 miles from Springer). It is quite cold there now, but the shelter offers some protection. Sir Mix-a-lot would like to announce that a few days ago, Matt hiked Big Butt and he cannot lie. This post is dedicated to Joel and also to Nurit.

All Hail, painful hail

Hello all:

Well, the "zero day" has been very productive. My feet feel strong and I'm ready for the push into Damascus. Castaway and I ate at the Dari Ace (fantastic and cheap) and the Pizza Plus. It's been an interesting culinary journey at this point and should get more interesting along the way. My legendary standards have fallen and my criteria for food is "Is it warm?"

The weather report looks dicey, with hail possible tomorrow evening starting around 4 PM, so we'll have to plan our day carefully and get into a shelter ASAP. I don't think my tent will hold up to a hail storm! Thin nylon vs hail is not a chance I'll take.

I can't believe how many comments I've received so far. Grammy and Aunt Kate, it's great to hear from you! I'm glad tax season is finally over for you. Aunt Maureen and Ryan, thanks for following along. It's been so long since I've seen you, Aunt Maureen! Are you still going to NH once in a while? I'll have to meet you when I get back, Ryan. Of course, it's great to hear from the family and the significant others, and I'm glad that I'm featured on the radio show, DJ. Dave, I'm hoping the mosquitos were killed in the brutal cold, because we almost were! Alas, I'm sure we'll get hit hard fairly soon. And Stephen, the weather is almost looking up! The hail is tomorrow, but after that, it looks like smooth sailing through the middle of next week. I know there are many others who have posted (Brian, Juliet, et al) and I'm sorry I can't respond to all, but it's almost time for bed. Yes, I go to sleep now when the sun goes down! It's a bit bizarre, but I sleep when it's dark and wake up at first light. A new and interesting experience, waking up at 6:15 and moving hard out of camp.

I'm rested, ready, and prepared to head out for the next 120 miles. My gear has failed a fair bit, but duct tape and a little Krazy Glue (strong epoxy) has helped. Jon and Chuck, I'll make you proud and get to Damascus ASAP.

It's tough making the miles, and I get down out here with every mountain, so thank you for all the comments. I'll read and write more when I get to Damascus in 1.5 weeks. Thanks for the support!

---Matt

The Zen Art of Hiking

Howdy all!

Thanks again for all the comments. I'll try to respond to a few tomorrow, as Castaway and I are doing a zero day in Erwin, TN. 338 miles on the AT. It's been a rough couple of weeks, but things are starting to smooth out right now. The weather has been pleasantly warm, but it looks like it'll turn downright nasty near the end of the week. I'm on the road to Damascus, for a May 4 arrival. At that point, it'll be 456 miles and 34 days on the trail. I'll reevaluate there, based upon my overall attitude. It's hard to keep the monotony from setting in, but hiking with Castaway has been a big help. He and I reconnected in the Smokies and have been hiking together since. He's highly motivated and won't let me quit, even when I'm as close as can be.

So far I haven't seen any wildlife at all, with the exception of a mule the other day in a pasture, but that wasn't quite wildlife. A small lizard today, the call of a coyote the other day, but not much. There's a lot of graves on the AT; people who wanted to be buried there. What I can't believe is how many miles Castaway and I do every day; the last two days have been a total of 41.6! And I wasn't in a particularly good mood, so you can imagine what it would be like if I can regain my motivation.

Nevertheless, the homesickness is tough, and I can't wait to get back and see Lisa, my parents, and my friends. Five months is a long time. If I stick with Castaway (and the trail) we'll take a one week break in mid-June and I'll catch a train back to Boston. We'll see how that goes. (Damascus is the goal, one week from Friday; beyond that is icing on the cake.)

That's all for now, because I have to tend to the laundry, which is stinking up a storm!

Matt

Jerry Cabin

Matt is at the Jerry Cabin shelter (1877.5 miles from Katahdin, 297.1 miles from Springer).

Spring Mountain

Matt is camped at Spring Mountain (1892.9 miles from Katahdin, 281.7 miles from Springer). The weather has been nice in that neck of the woods.

Hot Springs, NC

Matt is in Hot Springs, NC (1903.9 miles from Katahdin, 270.7 miles from Springer) where he had a "Carolina Burger", which is a burger topped with coleslaw and chili. He said he'd try to post tomorrow.

Missed connections: Matt and Mexican bluegrass

Yesterday Matt stayed at a hostel at Green Corner Rd (1937.3 miles from Katahdin, 237.3 miles from Springer) just past the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where he reconnected with Castaway. Matt discovered that one of the co-owners of the Standing Bear Farm hostel also just happens to own The Front Porch, an excellent Mexican restaurant in Cosby, NC, which is also a great venue for bluegrass music. When Matt and I visited Asheville recently, we went to The Front Porch where we saw Deja Blue play, which was great fun! It turns out that someone else who hiked on the AT last year also saw Deja Blue play at the front porch, as recounted here. I was pretty happy that we had decided to go to The Front Porch instead of going to see some of the bigger theater acts in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. Unfortunately, Matt hit the hostel on the wrong day of the week since the restaurant was closed that night.

Today Matt is camped at Walnut Mountain (1917.0 miles from Katahdin, 257.6 miles from Springer). He'll be in town at Hot Springs tomorrow.

Google map access problem note

Newfound Gap Road and Clingman's Dome Road were closed today due to ice/snow/wind damage. It turns out that Matt was able to make a shuttle reservation for tomorrow to Newfound Gap from Gatlinburg.

People have mentioned that they can't follow the link to the Google map in the sidebar. I found that the link doesn't work with Internet Explorer, but does work with Mozilla Firefox. I'm not sure if this is an Internet Explorer issue with long URLs or a Blogger/Blogspot issue. Maybe someone with more technical knowhow could comment on this? Sorry that I don't know offhand how to address this issue, other than to verify that the maps do work in Mozilla Firefox.

The Big, Bad Smokies

Hello All:

Thanks for the comments! Keep them coming, because they keep up my spirits!

I'm taking a zero day in the Smokies, due to the extreme weather conditions. (3-5" of snow last night and gusts up to 50 mph this afternoon). I'm at milepost 203 and I'm extremely tired, so a day in Gatlinburg, TN is worthwhile. I arrived in Newfound Gap yesterday at 1:30 in wind driven snow and hitched a ride down to town, where I ate a full rack of ribs in about 15 minutes. It's called the "hiker hunger" and I believe in it now!

The last week has been rough. I've hiked 136 miles (roughly) since I stayed in Hiawassee and it's been wearing on my body. I am getting some into a rhythm, however, and I don't mind the long days. I don't really have anything else to do!

I lost Castaway coming out of the NOC, as there is a steep 8-mile climb. I didn't see him after that, although I waited for him a couple of times. I hope he catches me here in the Smokies. I move relatively quickly through the Smokies in order to beat the incoming weather. Otherwise, I would have had to stay in Fontana Dam for a few days and I would have been stuck starting the Smokies today.

The biggest challenge right now is boredom. Many people have left the trail (for good or temporarily) and it's become quiet out there. A little too quiet, if you ask me! On Saturday night, I slept at the Siler Bald Shelter alone. Unheard of in the Smokies! It was a bit creepy, with high wind gusts, rain and fog closing in on the shelter. I couldn't see 50 yards in front of me. And there I was, sleeping alone in the middle of nowhere. It turned out to be a great night's sleep!

Today, I've got to pick up some food and gear (one of my water bags failed on me) and I'm hoping to arrange a ride up to Newfound Gap tomorrow, but the shuttle service may be full. Already! I called shortly after I got into town, but this place is crawling with thru-hikers who scattered off the mountain like mice.

I'll be in Hot Springs, NC by Friday, I think, and I'll be able to post again there. The trail walks right through town and I'm planning a "half-zero", where I set down for part of the day.

The weather has hit me with everything it's got and I've made it through so far....I hope to keep on moving!

--Matt

The Great Smoky Mountains

Matt has entered Great Smoky Mountain National Park today at Fontana Dam and is camping around Mollies Ridge shelter on the North Carolina/Tennessee border (2000.7 miles from Katahdin, 173.9 miles from Springer). Mollie's Ridge is right next to the Devil's Tater Patch, by the way.

Approaching the Smokies

Matt is in the vicinity of Brown Fork Gap (2024.7 miles from Katahdin, 149.9 miles from Springer) tonight. Last night's dinner at the NOC was elk steak, medium well.

NOC

Matt called while doing laundry at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) (2040 miles from Katahdin, 133.9 miles from Springer) which he reached at midday in time for some hot food. He says things are going well right now and he's feeling pretty strong.

Cold Spring Gap

Matt is a little past the Cold Spring shelter, NC (2052.2 miles from Katahdin, 122.4 miles from Springer). He should be at the Nantahala Outdoor Center by midday tomorrow. He reports that yesterday he spent the night on a grassy knoll at Rock Gap... Wayah Bald is on the trail in between Rock Gap and the Cold Spring shelter.

Rock Gap

Matt left a message from Rock Gap (2071.8 miles from Katahdin, 102.8 miles from Springer) this evening after a hard push today.

Into North Carolina

Matt called briefly this evening from Standing Indian shelter (2091.5 miles from Katahdin, 83.1 miles from Springer) in North Carolina. It's still cold, but not quite as cold as when he was at the Holiday Inn in Hiawassee.

No corkboard? Follow along on the web!

I've added a link to the sidebar on the right where you can go see an interactive Google map of Matt's progress. This was possible using a neat web tool called multiplotter from CLiK Productions. Have fun!

AYCE

Back from dinner and I'm feeling full. AYCE (All you can eat) is a happy hiker term. I've gone through a range of emotions. Sunday was a great day, rainy but beautiful, and the 8.8 mile hike to Springer (mile 0 on the AT) hurt in a good way. I hiked into Hawk Mountain that night. The following day, I made it to Woody Gap (19.9 miles of on the trail) Then on Tuesday I stayed at Neels Gap at 30.5 miles, where Lisa noted that I should have stayed at the hostel. In fact, I ran down the hill to the hostel when I became quite concerned about hypothermia, due to my wet sleeping bag (horizontal, biblical rain and wind) and the vicious lightning. I slept about two hours that night. I was hiking with Sam and Galen then, the Mennonite fellows that Lisa mentioned. Great guys! Sam is in for the long haul while Galen has to get back to the farm in Ohio to plant the season's corn. They're both in their mid-20's. I pushed ahead of the two of them on Wednesday and started hiking with Castaway, who's from Richmond, Virginia and is a carpenter. He's an ultra-marathoner and a great guy. We play tag on the trail, as my "sprinter" mentality means that I run out ahead and then take a long break, at which point he catches up and passes me. We've had the same goals for the last few days and frankly, I think he's shocked that I've kept up with him! I've been putting in a few 15 milers. On Thursday I stayed at Tray Mountain, which was COLD, and tonight I'm in the hotel, which is WARM! As I mentioned before, it looks dangerous in the mountains for the next two days. I can definitely "handle it", but it would be extremely uncomfortable. I've got a 20 degree bag which is probably good for 30 in reality and a 15 degreee insert which is probably good for 10. Add on to a 5 degree difference in the tent and I can do about 15, which is near record low around here. However, I think the reality is that if it'll be cold here, it'll be freezing on the hills. I've met many other people, some for a minute, some for a day, and it's been extremely interesting. I'm struggling with hygiene, and my skin is breaking out and I've got some minor sun exposure on my wrist (sorry Nurit!). I've been keeping generally good cover from the sun, but I missed that spot.

I've rambled on long enough. Thanks to everyone who has posted comments! I'm ready to start Sunday to make the push across the Georgia state line (I don't think Boss Hog and Roscoe can follow me after that) and should be in North Carolina by Sunday night. If all goes well, I'll be at the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) on Wednesday night.

Oh, and on a gear note, my UV based Steripen is useless. A complete piece of junk. I'm filtering my water, then using chemicals (aqua mira or iodine) to have _very_ pure water, I hope. The Steripen eats batteries and doesn't work in cold weather. It's been my worst purchase so far. And yet, I was so excited about it!

Off to a long slumber and a relaxing day, followed by some hard hiking.

-Matt

Hiawassee Ga here I am

Hello all!

Finally a post from your trusty thru hiker.

I was planning on staying one night here in Hiawassee, GA (67 miles in) and hitting the trail tomorrow morning, but the arctic air has pushed down from Canada and the low in Hiawassee will be around 17, which means sub-10 degrees on the mountain with wind chill. I'm not equipped for that low! Although last night it was 25 on the mountain, probably 15-20 with wind chill, and I slept warm, so no big deal. But I'm going to "zero" here for a day (no miles) and head back out Sunday. If feels good to shower and do some laundry.

If I get some more time on the computer, I'll post some more, but for now, Castaway and I are headed out for dinner. He's an ultramarathoner and we seem to keep pace with each other.

It's been a rough weather week, with chilling lows following that brutal storm, but my spirit is still up and staying a day in Hiawassee ought to refresh me.

Until later....

Sturm und Drang

Last night at Neels Gap was rough - winds up to 60mph, horizontal rain. People said it was the worst storm in the area in the last six of seven years. Matt said that he could have been in a hostel with satellite TV, which is the option he would take in the future if presented with the same scenario. The tent and Matt are still in one piece, but it was definitely a learning experience.
Matt is camping at Low Gap (2133.5 miles from Katahdin, 41.1 miles from Springer) where Verizon cell phone reception is excellent.

Another round of pack vetting, or how to lose 4.5 pounds in one day

Matt checked in from near his campsite at Neels Gap (30.5 miles from Springer, 2144 miles from Katahdin) where there is an outfitter. They went through his pack and made recommendations for how to streamline the contents. They also recommended that he adopt the trail name "Redundant" based on his backups-for-his-backups mode of packing, though I think that sounds more like a racehorse name than a trail name.
Last night Matt camped at Woody Gap (19.9 miles from Springer, 2153 miles from Katahdin), and tonight he is at Neels Gap.










More pictures from the weekend trip in Atlanta: Jellyfish at the Atlanta Aquarium, and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. and Martin Luther King, Sr. pastored.

The fine line between yuppie and vagrant

Matt at the trailhead of the trail that leads to the trailhead of the Appalachian trail

Matt and I flew to Atlanta this weekend. I flew back, which was roughly a two hour flight. Matt is walking back.











Georgia is lovely this time of year - there is a record level of pollen to account for all the flowers that are in bloom on the trees. The New England readers can probably attest to the lack of greenery up here as of now. The picture of the road is one of the many passenger seat front windshield scenery pictures I've taken ever since getting a digicam, much to Matt's bemusement.

We toured around Atlanta over the weekend (some pictures from that part to follow in the next couple days); then Matt started the hike on Sunday morning at Amicalola Falls State Park (you have to hike 8.5 miles from there to get to the beginning of the trail). The latest word from Matt is that he spent last night on Hawk Mountain (7.6 miles from the start of the trail at Springer Mountain, 16.1 miles where he started) and encountered quite a lot of rain. He has already met a lot of people on the trail and has recently been hiking and camping with a few Mennonite guys.

Happy trails!

Final Post from Home

I'm glad to see that everyone is becoming more familiar with the "comment" section. Thanks for the support, Mom and Dad!

I'm excited and terrified. It's similar to leaving for Alaska for the summer 12 years ago. I didn't know what I was going to do. I'll learn out there, I'm sure, and I'll do everything possible to stay safe. I can't wait to start and see what it will be like! I haven't been sleeping well and my back is tense. I fly out this evening then spend a couple of days in Atlanta. I'll update the blog as much as I can, but Lisa will take over the main duties from here on out.

Sunday on Mt. Springer awaits...

Final Gear Check

Well, I fly tomorrow. The final gear check is in progress and I'm too darn heavy! My pack will be up near 40 lbs, with full food/water. I had hoped to be down in the 35 lb range, but I failed in that task. I have too many backups to backups....

5 lbs doesn't seem like much, but it adds up over 2175 miles!

I'll see if I can strip out a pound or two more, but I'll be hard pressed....

The road to Damascus

A few more days left. Checking/rechecking equipment. Shipped my first resupply package to Neels Gap. I seam sealed my tent. A bit thickly, I think! Hopefully the "extra thick" quality helps and doesn't hurt. I'm used to the urethane, water based sealer, and not the silicone based one that I had to mix with mineral spirits to stick to my specialized tent material. Friends loaned their garage for the task. (Thanks to Brian and Jude!) I'm "airing it" a bit more, for those extra thick joints to vent out fully.

I fly Thursday. I walk on Sunday. By early afternoon Sunday, I'll be on the AT.

I'll be on the road to Damascus, which is my only real "goal", as reaching Damascus will mean > 1 month, 460 miles, and my fourth state.

Monotony of Menotomy

Yesterday was my last official "training day" before the trail. I looped around Menotomy rocks park about 6 times, making it as hilly as possible with my route selection. I also did the stairs near the house about 100 times. Overall, it was a very good workout, but fairly boring. The AT should be more exciting...I hope!

I have to ship out some resupply packages and finish sealing the tent. Some other small details to attend to, but other than that, I can't wait to start, if for no other reason then to stop spending money! (Purchased rechargeable batteries today...yikes!)

Eight days and counting.....

Another tough day

Seam sealing the tent did not go well. The wind was far too high and, because of the snow, I couldn't tack the tent down. I tried to secure it with weights, but no luck. Perhaps I'll seal it this weekend, but maybe I can borrow a friend's garage for a day. That's my final "trail task", along with shipping out some resupply boxes.

Other than that, about 9 miles with 2500 feet of elevation work. Yep, it's really hurting at this point. Then again, I'm working hard, doing it in about 5 hours, which is a brisk pace. I'll have to get out of my "sprinter's mentality" and start thinking like a marathoner.

Back to the training grind tomorrow, then a weekend off, a long, flat walk on Monday, and a break until the next Sunday. Day 1.

A mid-level day

Finished quite a bit today. Taxes are out of the way. I met with a good friend. I had a good, highly aerobic hike. Fairly flat walk to my chiropractor. 12 miles round trip in 3.5 hours, so it was brisk, with 30-40 lbs on my back. It varied as I consumed more of the water/Gatorade. I've got to get my pack weight down a bit, but I'm a nervous fellow by nature, so I like having a back-up to every back-up. I'll sort it out.

Tomorrow I'll go mid-level again, with Friday being a full force day.

Another good day of training

Wow. Carrying 35-40 lbs up flights of stairs is brutal! (Thanks for the offer on the stairmaster, Paul) I did 100 stairs. Not normal stairs, but an old concrete staircase with about 20 feet of vertical, so more than one "flight", if you will. Plus, I headed out to Menotomy Rocks Park, looped around a few times, then did some hills in the area. Overall, I was out for about 6 hours. This is definitely my "level 3" fitness. (I've got a chart in an old hiking book which has some good "metrics" for fitness level) I should be ready for day one on Springer. I'm not worried about the physical part. It's the mental that concerns me. Tomorrow will be a light day; lots of administrative and social engagements. Then Thursday and Friday will hit hard....

Adding a comment

I've received questions from multiple people on how to add a comment to the blog. Click the section that says "0 comments" or "1 comment" and it will take you to a link where you can post your own notes about my journey. So far, I've only got one!

Training Week

Here I am, two weeks until my first full day on the AT. (The first day will be spent hiking to the AT, up Springer Mt.) It was a good 5-hour workout, about 10 miles with a bit of elevation and my "day one" pack weight. I'm tired and a bit sore, as this is my big week of preparation and the hikes will get more strenuous each day, leading up to an all out 10-hour Friday, followed by a quiet weekend, a long hike on Monday, then relaxation until the trail.

Due to all the severe weather we've had around here, my training is a bit off, and I'm at a 2+/3 fitness level (scale of 1-6, hope to start trail at 4). I should be 3+ by the end of the week, given the hard days ahead.

That's all for now, as I'm spending the afternoon doing administrative tasks prior to departure.

Slack packing

OK, I've been off the blog for about a week and scolded for it, but I've been extremely busy! I finished my Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course over the weekend (two 8-hour days) and I've been cranking away at work, trying to tie up all the knots.

I had a good night of training this evening. I'm finding that the expected load (high 30s) is getting easier and easier to carry. The challenge is drifting away. I'm still at a 2+ level of fitness, however, and will need a solid couple of weeks to build up for the trail.

I've got my one-way ticket to Atlanta (I'm expecting a pat down at the airport). Then I'll start walking until I get to Katahdin.

Thank you to those who convinced me to take 2 weeks between work and the trail; I've got lots to do! The WFA course convinced me to make some minor gear swaps (minimize risk of hypothermia and maximize items for splints, etc...), but the basic gear list is set. I'll post a final gear list in about a week or two.

Oh, and I discovered "Just Veggies", which will be a staple item. I think I could eat those for six months without any trouble at all.

I'll post more as I continue training.

T-minus four weeks

Four weeks from today I'll be on top of Springer, ready to begin the 2,175 miles ahead.

I met another thru-hiker yesterday, from '06. He loved the experience and gave me a few good tips.

Yesterday was a crucial day for me: the gear list is final! I've purchased everything I need. (With the exception of flammables, like waterproof matches, which I'll get at the Atlanta REI). I could pack my pack today and go out, so anything that I add/subtract in the near term is a symptom of "last minute panic", nothing more.

I've got to get some training in today.

Tonight's Workout

I've got a ball field by my house, with an old cement-style stadium. I walk along a bleacher, then down the steps, along another bleacher, then back up the steps. I've worked it out time/distance/height-wise to be a great workout. Tonight, I carried a full weight of 43 pounds. (Scale without pack and shoes: 157 lbs, Scale with pack and no shoes: 200 lbs)

I was out for about 45 minutes. I walked ~2.5 miles and did ~500 vertical feet. Multiply that by 6, and you've got a day on the AT. Multiply that by 900, and you've got the entire trail. If I could keep up that pace, I'd be done in 675 hours of hiking! ~28 days straight.

Oh, the fun I'll have with numbers on the trail.

A New Time Plan

After speaking to a number of folks, I think they are correct; I should push back my departure by one week, so that I get two weeks between work and the trail. I can do some extra training and planning, unfettered. I've attached the new plan.

Fitness Level

On a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being fully ready for the trail, I'm at a 2+ right now. I've been training with a 30-35 lb pack for a few weeks now, mostly doing 1-hour walks or stairs. Yesterday I did a good 13 miles of flat walking with 30+ lbs. By the end, it hurt.

There's a lot of work to be done....

Goals

I've got a few goals. First, success is arriving at Springer Mountain, which is an 8-mile hike. Then I've got 30 miles to Neels Gap. In 2005, 1392 people started the trail, and 1156 made it to Neels Gap, so 236 out of 1392 were out in the first section.

My first goal is to arrive at Fontana Dam, the entrance to the Smokies, 160 miles into the trail, on April 10th or so. If I have a minor injury (~1 week recovery) before Fontana Dam, I'll wait it out down south and keep going. In 2005, 1124 people made it this far, so only 32 people dropped out between Neels and Fontana.

The second significant goal is Hot Springs, NC. Late April, 25 or so days on the trail. I have to make it here; it is my major goal. Making it a month is key.

The third goal is Shenandoah National Park. I can't wait to see it; it should be the highlight. And yes, I will take some side paths to see the sights, Chuck W. and Dave S.

Beyond that, it's a toss of the die whether I make it all the way to the end. So many variables, so much out of my control. I'm getting to Hot Springs unless hell freezes over, (even if I have to take some significant time off due to injury). Beyond that, the adventure awaits.

For Those About to Walk....

We Salute You!

Good luck to everyone out there getting ready (or already starting) a 2007 thru-hike.

I've been amazed by the support I've received from people in my life, from my family (my parents had a cake made that said "Good Luck mATt") and friends to my co-workers and boss(es) (Dave convinced me to get a personal locator beacon). I'm definitely going to give everything I've got into this hike.

Some days I wake up in a bit of a panic, other days I think I'm ready to take on the 2175 miles with energy to spare.

I can't wait for day one.

A very rough time plan

One never knows how the trail will go, but for those who plan to meet me somewhere between Georgia and Maine, here's a rough sketch.

Preliminary Gear List (Click on List to View)

My gear list, as it stands today. I'll update along the way.

Let the countdown begin

First blog post. I've got less than 2 months before I start on the AT. Lisa (Long-distance Intelligence and Supply Administrator-Thanks for the acronym Mom!) will be holding down the fort while I'm gone, but I'll post a few items here before I leave (and wherever I can along the trail).