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.