Cruising along…
Writer’s Block
Yesterday was tough. We left the hostel after our first full zero day and I just wasn’t in the mood to hike. I had just found out a friend of mine had been in a car accident and was being taken off life support. That news pulled me away from the woods and back into the real world as I struggled to comfort loved ones from afar. Am I selfish for doing this? Asking favors from parents to take care of pets, knowing they can’t say no. Leaving a job with no real answer on if or when I’m coming back. Being so out of touch with friends. But then I remember conversations with my late friend about my crazy hopes and dreams. How he always encouraged me to follow them and helped me believe that I am allowed to be selfish sometimes. That there is always an opportunity to share a big smile and laugh despite any internal struggles you are fighting that day. So thank you, Josh, for being a part of my life for awhile. And for pushing me to show my genuine self to the world. I will share some smiles today in your honor.
I haven’t been motivated to write, but I am feeling more up for it today. I will have lots to share in the coming days, promise!
100 Miles of Wow.
This is one of the most beautiful, rugged, and wild places I’ve been in my life. The experience this far has been overwhelming. I know I will be sad when the 100 Mile Wilderness ends. I finally acclimated to the solitude, and for the first time in 10 days I can see cultivated land dotted among the lakes and mountains ahead.
Katahdin itself felt otherworldly, and now after the wilderness I feel like I’ve visited two completely different planets. I’ll never forget the crystal-clear lakes, pristine springs, and mountain ponds. This had been more intense than I ever hoped. So many hikers in our starting bubble have already quit. But those of us who persist will all be congratulating ourselves and each other at the hostel ahead. We share the comradery of the few.
First Three Days
Day 1. Hail above the treeline. Only ones on the mountain that late. Came down Abol. Got back to camp well after dark.
Day 2. Peed with my panties on. Stabbed myself in the throat with my spoon. Got fed hot dogs and baked beans by an awesome family from Maine. Tabby and Mike and Mike Jr and mom.
Day 3. Chris bought more snacks. I hit a wall hard. Made it to camp. Super tent spot left but close to dark. End up next to ridiculously beautiful lake. Caught the end of sunset. Met a coolass dude and his coolass son. Andy and Ben from Mass. Talked to them for awhile. Then sat by the lake and looked at the clearest night sky I’ve ever seen. While the loons were calling to each other. Unfuckingreal.
First day of school…
It’s funny. We’ve all done our preparation. We have spent months obsessing over every piece of gear — scrutinizing each garment, trying on dozens of shoes, trimming ounces and grams from our base weight, and second guessing how cold it will be in the Whites. We’ve spent hours pouring over forums, blogs, and articles, chosing our food and deciding if our shoelaces will be good enough.
And now we’re all sitting together in a bus station like kids on the first day of kindergarten, nervous and uncertian, quiet and fidgety, feeling this whole thing out. The ice isn’t even too thick, but I’m too tired to break it today.
Wild and Wonderful Maine
We made it to Maine! I am in awe of the beauty of this state and I have barely even scratched the surface. Today we ate lobster and walked around the shipyard in Belfast before driving to Bar Harbor to stay for the night. In another life I like to think I would be a sailor, but unfortunately I know nothing about boats except they look like a lot of fun (and a lot of work!). After checking into the motel we had a little time to kill so we ventured out to the coast near Acadia National Park as the sun was setting. People aren’t joking when they talk about how big and prevalant the mosquitos are here! We left our packs with bug spray in the room, so I expected to be covered in swollen bites, but somehow I barely itch at all. Maybe the Alabama mosquitos have prepared my immune system, or maybe tomorrow I’ll be eating my words. We shall see!
2 days till Katahdin!
On Our Way
We left home yesterday afternoon to start our meandering car trip. After spending today in Atlanta with Kylie’s parents, we will tidy up our gear, rent the car, and plod along northward for several days. It feels like the clank-clank of a roller coaster ramp. Intellectually I know what to expect, but still have no basis to guess how it will all feel.
I’m definitely grateful we allowed for so much wiggle room in our schedule. There have been so many unforeseen tasks and chores. I couldn’t imagine jumping onto a plane for Maine yesterday and beginning the hike tomorrow with this lack of sleep.
-Chris
Leaving Home
This is it. We’re leaving Huntsville. I must admit I’m a little misty-eyed on the way out. This is the longest I’ve been away from my home as an adult, the longest I’ve been off of work since I was a teen, and the longest my dog has been without me. This is the farthest north I will travel on this planet to date. But there’s more to do. Almost one week remains between us and northern terminus, so we’re off.
-Chris
What Are We Doing?!
So we’re hiking the Appalachian Trail. Our first day on the trail is about two weeks away now, and the nerves are starting to build. Money is saved, reservations are made, gear choices are nearly settled. I’m so full of excitement I could burst! But that’s not the point of this initial post. Instead I’d like to attempt to explain what exactly it is we’re doing and why for the friends and family who have so many questions and concerns.
The Appalachian Trail is 2,192 miles of continuous hiking trail that spans from Maine to Georgia and traverses 14 states along the ancient Appalachian Mountain range (www.appalachiantrail.org). A thru-hiker is someone who completes an established end-to-end long distance hiking trail within one year of starting it. The vast majority of thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail begin in Georgia between February and April and finish in Maine. Because of life schedules and personal preferences regarding crowds and social scenes, Chris and I will begin our hike in Maine in early July and heading south to finish up in Georgia. This means starting our adventure with the toughest summit of the entire trail, the famed Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State Park, Maine. This will be a 4,200 foot elevation gain on fresh legs. We also will likely be finishing the southern part of the trail in late fall or early winter, which will almost definitely provide below freezing temperatures and wintry precipitation in the Smokies.
One of the most common questions I get asked is “Why would you want to do something like that?” The short answer is I love backpacking. I have struggled my entire life to ever feel like I’m just being “myself” but when I’m on the trail I feel genuine, like this is who I am and how I act and there’s no filter because who the hell has time or energy to filter themselves when they’re trying to make it to camp 8 miles away in 3 hours? I remember the moment I fell in love with backpacking, it feels like a lifetime ago but it’s only been a few years. It was my first time on any part of the Appalachian Trail, and it just so happened to be in the Great Smoky Mountains. Chris and I had vastly underestimated the terrain and overestimated our abilities. We over-packed so badly, my pack came in around 47 pounds after food and water! I can’t remember the exact route, although I’m sure Chris can (he’s better with those kinds of details than I am), but I do remember that we started by summiting Chimney Tops and then hiked what was basically several miles of uphill, partially hiking up a creek. On our way up it started to rain, and then thunder started. Then it got dark. The trail had become a creek by this point and my boots were so heavy and full of water. I remember hearing lightning right above us and then hearing what we both swore was a growl in the trees next to us, although it could have been our imaginations or the “woods crazies”. We finally reached a sign for the shelter, but it said we still had a mile to go! We pushed on and sometime between 9 and 10pm we made it, and it was full of boy scouts! This wasn’t an issue for Chris but forced me to have to change in the woods with a poncho over my head to keep the rain out. Now I know this story doesn’t sound like the start of a love story, but it was like a first date where all the plans go wrong but the chemistry is so strong and you just click. I was smitten. I felt powerful and strong and like I could face anything after that challenge. Since then there have been other challenges we’ve faced; hissing snakes and fields of poison ivy over the trail and even rounding a corner to startle a momma bear and her cubs. Not to mention the blood thirsty ticks just waiting to hitch a ride on our skin! Yet I’m grinning from ear to ear while I write this. I’m never happier than when I’m 3 days into the woods and smelly and dirty and hungry and sore and at peace.
I’m in a transition period in my life; getting ready to transfer universities and really buckle down and finish school. Not to mention I turn 30 this summer! The time to do something like this is either now or who knows when. So instead of buying a new car or investing my savings, I’m investing in my piece of mind and in a physical, emotional, and spiritual journey of sorts. I can’t speak for Chris’s exact motivations, maybe I’ll convince him to write something up before we hit the trail ? I just know that this is something I need to do. It’s the right fork to take at the crossroads I currently find myself at and I am so incredibly lucky to have a partner as crazy as me.
I decided to put together this blog so that friends and family can follow along with our adventure without us having to spend all our time in towns calling people. Cell service on the trail is spotty at best, so updates will likely be posted on zero (no mileage) and nero (low mileage) days in or near towns. I will try to update regularly, but I make no promises on how often that will be. Wish us luck!
-Kylie