foothills trail - complete! :)

so a friend of mine and i thru-hiked the foothills trail this past weekend. i'm officially a thru-hiker! i had so much fun and deep down, i enjoyed every minute of it, even if it didn't show on the surface at all times. the scenery was gorgeous, the weather was decent (considering the forecast, it was perfect)... it was, all in all, an experience i am so glad i went through.

there were a few times on the trail when i thought to myself, "would i really want to do this for six months on end? would i really want to walk 2,100 miles?" and the answer was generally a resounding, "yes!" i hadn't physically prepared myself at all for this trip. i'd never backpacked, so i didn't know what it'd be like hauling around a 35# pack for days on end. i regularly walk my dogs to the park, but a 3-mile round-trip walk in the lowcountry is nothing compared to a 5-mile uphill ascent. had my friend not been there, i wouldn't have pushed myself the way i did and i wouldn't have done the 77 miles in five days.

those five days were a constant cardio workout. i know you're not technically supposed to wear cotton, but i did wear a tshirt underneath my jacket. i'd get so hot in some sections of the trail (even with snow on the ground) that i'd have to come out of my jacket and hike in only a tshirt. i still don't understand how my friend rarely ever came out of his rainjacket. i would have burned up. is this a sign of poor endurance, my overheating in such a short timespan? o.O

the first night in the woods, we bear bagged, but it didn't really work out all that well, and i don't think it would have been a sufficient enough job to keep them away if they had come out. the rest of the time, we slept with our food bags in the tent. we cooked right beside the tent (instead of the recommended distance of 50'? away from the tent), and we never had a problem.

we used a clip flashlight tent, and while my friend hated it from the get-go, i only found myself disliking it when we'd wake up in the mornings and there'd be a ton of condensation in the tent around us. there's nothing like waking up wet when you've got a roof over your head. he said it was because of the mesh on the tent. i'm wondering if it wasn't the condensation of our breath? but he dismissed that and chalked it up to the mesh. either way... i won't be getting a clip flashlight.

i had a regular sleeping pad, and he bought me a thermarest before the trip but for some reason i didn't take it. i guess i just slept with the regular one that night in the van, so i figured i'd stick with it throughout the trip. i shouldn't have. i never got a peaceful night's sleep because of the pressure points my hips and the ground would cause. i'll have to look into the thermarests. i didn't get it back from him before we departed.

i've read skywalker's book on his trail life. if there's one thing that got on my nerves about him and bill bryson, it was how much they didn't really seem to enjoy being out in the woods. bryson never even finished the trail, and skywalker slept in every hotel he could find, it seemed like. it wasn't until we'd been on the trail for 3 days and i had a bum ankle and it was getting dark and cold and it looked like we'd have to wind up setting up a wet tent that i understood just why they felt the way they did. we walked into the public restrooms of one of the national parks on the trail, and they were clean and had running water that you didn't have to purify and there was even heatlamps! and you didn't have to pee in the woods! it was when i was there, standing in front of the hand dryer and drying out my buff, that i realized at that moment, i was no better than skywalker. i could see where he was coming from.

the one thing that amazed me was how quickly my body adapted to the demands of the trail. i was never really sore because i kept working those same muscles, getting the lactic acid out of my system. i fell a few times on the second day because of wet leaves and snow/ice and i hurt my ankle a bit. i was sore from that, but as far as my back being sore or my abs being sore or my legs being sore... it never really happened. granted, i felt like my legs were fatigued to the point of failure at times, but they never really ached.

i will never, ever, EVER get another protein bar with malitol in it. i know the label warns of gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea, but i never even let it get to that point because the two varities of bars that i got were disgusting and i could barely eat half of them. i bought them thinking, "oh hey there protein. i'll need you." silly. i will definitely stick to snickers from here on out. joshua even had the fun-size snickers bars. for the mini-boost, i suppose. he also had a bag full of dried apples, banana chips, and cranberries that he'd concocted from the things he'd bought from wal-mart. very good, i'd say. i also should have brought more mashed potatoes on the trail. the third night, my dinner consisted of mashed potatoes, smoked cheddar cheese, and real bacon bits i'd packed in. as soon as that hit my lips, i almost cried it was so good. i will definitely have to remember more mashed potatoes, more fruit and snickers, and less malitol. oh, and less ramen i think.

i took a lot of clothing on this trip... i took a scarf (which i didn't need and will never take again because now i have my buff), my underarmour shirt (which if i would have actually worn, i would have probably roasted alive in it), and a lot of other stuff i didn't need.

i will finish this dump later.. but for right now, i'm sleepy. i just wanna write all this down before i forget it. :)

i was talking to my mama today on the phone, and she asked me what i'm going to do in february when my lease is up... whether i'll be month-to-month here in the townhouse on my lease or whether i'll plan on moving, etc.

i told her i didn't know what i was going to do because our landlord hasn't made up his mind on whether he'll sell the place or not. she mentioned me maybe renewing my ad on equimax and trying to get out of charleston. i told her i didn't want to worry about that right now, and when she tried to push the issue, i told her i didn't want to talk about it.

i've not definitively come out just yet and said, "in march, i will thru-hike the appalachian trail," but our little snippet that we had this afternoon makes me think that she's not going to support my decision to get the hell out of society for a while.

i'm just so tired of the daily grind of living to work. i majored in horses and yes, i have a bachelor's degree, but the thought of getting back into the horse world almost sickens me. i don't want to work with horses for the rest of my life. i would love to just win the lottery and give it all back to society and then just keep enough to keep me on the trail for the rest of my life.

or i'd like to thru-hike the app trail and then use it as a resume-builder and maybe get on board with an outfitter or something. i just regret majoring in horses and i should have never done it. it's not gotten me anywhere in the two or three years that i've been out of school.

anyways. so i guess this was basically to vent because my mama's pushing me towards getting back into my field of study, but i've decided i don't like my field of study, and i'm sick of working right now because i'm working more than 40 hours a week at two jobs that are barely paying my bills.

i'm getting old. i've been a workhorse for almost ten years now. i worked all the way through school, and for the last four years, with maybe two six-month breaks in between, i've held at least two jobs. can i please just say that i'm EFFIN SICK of working? i know everybody in society has to do their parts, and i KNOW i don't have it rough because my parents take care of me when my finances fall short and i need my wisdom teeth taken out or my truck has to be towed because the ignition coil busted in the middle of the road, but i just feel like i need a break. does that make me sound like a spoiled little brat? by no means am i rich, but you don't have to be to be a brat.

blah. i guess i'm just stressing out a little because i'd really prefer to not have to move or get another job or anything come march. i'd rather just hit the trail and hike my little heart out.

fewd

Bacon Polenta

Serves 1

½ cup instant polenta

2 tablespoons shelf-stable bacon

½ tablespoon onion flakes

½ tablespoon butter powder

1 teaspoon chicken or vegetable broth powder

2 packets Parmesan cheese

At home: combine everything except the Parmesan in a zip-locking plastic bag.

In camp: Bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil. Add the polenta and simmer until cooked

and creamy. Top with the Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Chai Cheesecake
Serves 4

This dessert needs either cool weather for it to set up. It can also be divided in half for smaller portions.

1 11.1 oz package instant cheesecake mix
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup crystallized ginger, chopped
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon turmeric At home: open the cheesecake mix. In a zip locking plastic bag, combine the crust mix, 1 teaspoon ground ginger and the crystallized ginger. In a second zip locking bag, combine the cheesecake mix, powdered milk and remaining spices.

In camp: in your pan, combine the cheesecake mix with 1 ½ cups water. Stir to combine, breaking up any lumps. Set aside to firm up. Once set, top with crust mix.

Nutella Cream Pie
Serves 1

Try this with banana pudding too!

2 T Nutella (or 1 single serving package)
1 snack pack vanilla pudding
1 mini graham cracker tart shell

At home: put the Nutella in a screw top container (or bring the single serving package) Place everything in zip locking plastic bag.

In camp: spread the Nutella over the sides and bottom of the tart shell. Top with all of the pudding. Eat!

other recipes...

whenever i cook, i actually cook and don't usually take shortcuts. if i want something quick, i use frozen meals that just zap in the microwave: i don't try to act like i'm really cooking and use instant gravy, etc. therefore, it's almost like a light bulb moment when i come across very simple, quick recipes online that actually uses those sorts of things. i feel i should keep track of them, however, because it's just not that stuff i think of everyday. 

• foil pack of chicken, stovetop stuffing, instant mashed potatoes, instant gravy, craisins
• three-minute pasta, foil pack of chicken, pizza sauce
• hot chocolate mix :)
• Chicken Mushroom Cheese Couscous
  Serves 1
  
  1/3 cup couscous
  2 T dried mushrooms
  1 T dried chicken (or a small can/pouch)
  2 T cheddar cheese powder
  1/2 t chicken or vegetable bullion
  1 T dried peas (or vegetable of your choice)
  
  At home: combine all of the ingredients in a zip locking plastic freezer bag.
  
  In camp: add hot water to cover. Stir well, place in a cozy and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir again before eating.
• 1 package ramen noodles (any flavor, discard the spice pack) 380 cal
  4 Tablespoons olive oil 520 cal
  4 slices pre-cooked bacon, crumbled into bits 70 cal
  1 Tablespoon garlic powder
  4 Tablespoons parmesan cheese (could use the packets that Pizza hut and other pizza places give out) 80 cal
  red pepper flakes (again, from Pizza Hut) and black pepper to taste
  
  Boil the ramen noodles, discarding the spice pack. Drain the water. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed.
• www.wildernesscooking.com
• www.onepanwonders.com

granola

ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins

directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

new happenings!

there are new happenings to report! 

i will be pre-gaming the app trail with the foothills trail of north and south carolina in a few weeks. it's a 77-mile trail and some people on whiteblaze have apparently done it in three days. i think that's way optimistic and i took off five days for it. 

i went to half moon outfitters on folly the other day and bought the trail guide to the foothills. i had to get out of there fast, though, because when i walked upstairs and started looking at the packs, i started grinning from ear to ear. i looked at the gregory jade 60, but the price tag on it was $250. i reckon i might be able to get it cheaper on ebay. 

i talked to bill earlier. he said gregory is all he hikes with. he also recommended the msr whisperlite. i figure that's probably the stove i'll wind up getting. i've not really heard anything negative about it. 

i'm gonna start looking up recipes for the trail. =)

so i think i've taken the lazy route and decided that i'm not gonna start up a rigorous workout routine to get myself in shape for the AT. that's not to say i'm going to be sedentary until i hike; it's just that the general consensus is that the only way to condition yourself for the trail is just to get out there and hike.

i finished another book today. "long distance hiking: lessons from the appalachian trail." highly recommended... two thumbs up sort of thing. it was written almost 20 years ago, but it's got a lot of really good information in it. i enjoyed it, anyways.

i think i'm gonna try to make it to virginia next month for a two or three day outing. can we say excitement? =)

so i've not found a tent yet. or was it a sleeping bag that i was looking at first? i never really read my last entries before i decide to post a new one. either way, i'm still doing research and definitely have not figured anything out yet. but when he got off work last night, blake went camping somewhere upstate. he brought his pack in to work so no one would take it out of his jeep, and it made my AT fever flare up.

i bought another book. it's roland mueser's "long distance hiking: lessons from the appalachian trail." i read a lot of it at work yesterday because we were so slow. this brings my book count to four. =) lots 'n' lots o' research.

i had an epiphany earlier. i was totaling all of my bills up for this month and paying them and whatnot. when i hear people say, "oh, you should have $1/mile saved up to get you through your thru-hike," $2,100 seems like a ginormous figure to me. but i got to thinking about it... i'm going to lay out my current bill situation here:

cell phone	105
student loan	300
truck	455
insurance	120
gas	250
rent	575
electric	75
water	62
groceries	300
total	2,242

so really... it's more expensive for me to stay in society than to leave everything behind and get out on the trail. on the trail, the only expenses that i can think of that i would have would be my cell phone bill, a monthly storage unit to keep all my crap in, and food. and whatever i decide to do with my dogs, i'll still need to feed them.

on the trail, i could get rid of my rent and utilities and i'm planning on selling my truck anyways 'cause i can't afford it anymore. poof! 90% of my bills would be gone!

also, i don't know whether i'm going to try to train really hardcore for the trail anymore. the more i read, the more i discover that a lot of people seem to think that the only decent conditioning for a thru-hike is to just get out there and hike. this last book i bought said that after 6 weeks of being on the trail, your fitness level is pretty much good enough to hike the whole darned thing.

i use flip flops pretty much everywhere i go, so i've got decently tough feet. my vff's have given me blisters numerous times, so my feet have toughened up from those bouts.

i just can't believe my bills are so much each month. =( society sucks! i'd like to be a hermit now, please.

gear talk

so i don't have any gear. at all, really.

i'm thinking that if i'm really gonna do this, i should spend the next couple of days/weeks/whenevers researching gear and making a packing list. i guess i'll start out with a sleeping bag. that's pretty basic, right?

so i'll need one that will keep me super toasty warm. i'm such a wimp when it comes to being cold... i went camping once with a group of friends out by a lake and i had to be at work the next morning. i woke up at 2 a.m. because my face was so cold and i couldn't get back to sleep. i packed up my stuff that night and drove home to sleep in my warm bed for a couple of hours so i'd be able to function at work the next day. i'm SUCH a pansy when it comes to the cold.

so... i'll start checking out the forums and reviews and i'll decide on a sleeping bag first. =)

here are a few people are throwing around:

1. alps +20 this one weighs a little more than 3 lbs but it's only $65! and all the reviews have been great on it. i figure, too, that being rated for 20 degrees, it'll be able to keep me warm? i just think it's awesome that it's only $65. almost makes me want to buy it now. =) side note: booo... it's for people up to 6'6". =( that would give me an extra 12 inches of wiggle room... something maybe i shouldn't have? o.O

2. mountain hardware +15 found this one as well. it's only a 2#er, and it fits up to 6'. i read somewhere that it's nice to have a little extra space at the bottom of your bag for when you want to stuff clothes for the morning down at the bottom to warm them up overnight. this one's $205, though. =/

on the fence?

so i'm still on the fence as to whether i'm really going to do this (or at least this year).

am i really going to leave in march and hike 2,100 miles to maine?

i need to figure out my gear list... see how much everything will cost. then i'll need to figure out how much everything will weigh.

i need to do a lot of research. i need my rei catalog to come in. =)

brian sent me a facebook message asking if i was still going to do it. i don't want to tell him no.

staying put

my move back to bristol has been canceled due to not being able to find anywhere that would let me have my dogs. the AT will remain hundreds of miles away. =( 

that's okay, though. i can always drive back and do day hikes with friends and maybe take a long weekend and do a section to mt. rogers. 

i still have to figure out what the heck i'm doing come february... whether i'll stay here in charleston and hike with my cousin next year, or whether i'll set off this spring on my own. 

decisions, decisions.

something new every day...

so i bought a new book today. =) backpacker magazine's "everyday wisdom." i bought it because i don't have any trail common sense - yet. when i first looked into hiking the AT, it never dawned on me that you might want to bear bag & cable your stuff. i would have been eaten the first night, had i not done any research. i'd never thought about taking hiking poles. i was pretty naive.

anyways... so i bought this new book and it should wisen me up. i also bought a backpacking magazine, but i bought it mainly for the ads in the back so i can go online and get a few more catalogs sent to me. :)

i still don't know about taking the dogs with me. a lot of people on the wb forums seem against taking a dog on a thru-hike. most of them are concerned about the health of the dog, while the rest of them seem to just be anti-dog.

i don't know what i would do with them for six months if i didn't take them with me. i hate to say this, but the thought actually crossed my mind of just taking swayze and leaving jolie behind. i don't like to think that's playing favorites... but swayze *is* my firstborn. o.O plus, jolie is a boxer and would overheat really quickly. who knows?

i did start a discussion on a whiteblaze forum today regarding dogs and water supply etiquette. i don't want people on the trail to hate me, so i asked everybody else what they thought of letting your dog(s) swim and play in rivers/streams as long as they were downstream from the main collection site. i just don't understand why some people would get upset about that! bears and raccoons and all the other wildlife POOP AND PEE in the same rivers and streams that we're getting our water from! that's what water purification systems are for, people. i don't know... i just don't understand some people's logic. if they can see the animal playing in the water, they have a conniption fit, but if a bear craps upstream around the bend, it's outta sight, outta mind.

i'm still on the fence about whether to go or not. i'd really, really like to and it's the only thing i've been able to think about lately. i just don't know what i would do with all of my bills and whatnot.

if i could keep my truck until february and then just sell it off, that would be awesome. daddy did mention buying my truck, and that would be the perfect scenario, but i don't want him to feel obligated to buy *my* truck just because he's looking for another truck of his own.

so i wouldn't have rent or electric or cable to pay. i wouldn't have insurance or gas to pay on my truck (maybe just the actual note). i would have to buy my food. i would call the student loan people and get another six-month deferment. i would still have a cell phone bill. i would still have a minimum monthly payment due on the credit card, should i start using it again.

maybe i just need to buy another lottery ticket tomorrow. =)

rei ... check

so i ordered my first rei catalog today... i'm pretty excited about that. =) i probably won't wind up ordering much from them, but it's always fun to build my wishlists. while i would looove to buy all new stuff for my hike and feel like a kid on the first day of school again, i don't think i can necessarily afford to do that (unless i just want to go ahead and name myself max and stay true to my chosen name).

sigh. march, huh? that's not too far away at all.

i have no idea how to get in shape for a thru-hike. i've been thinking that if i stay here in charleston, doing as much walking on the beaches in the sand as i can might halfway prepare me. charleston's just so flat! that would be the one good thing about moving back to bristol...the AT would pretty much be in my backyard. i also have a treadmill that does inclines that i guess i could start practicing on.

i feel like there's so much to learn! lnt practices and freezer bag boiling and bear cabling, oh my!

planning?

so i'm planning my thru-hike. =) i have two options... one, i can go this march and do it relatively solo (since you're never truly alone on the trail), or i can wait until 2012 and go at it with my uncle and cousin. they're thru-hiking when she graduates college.

i wouldn't necessarily be all alone. i'd rather take my dogs. i will be heavily weighing this option as the months progress.

i don't have a trail name as of yet, but i came up with two options this morning on my drive to work... dorothy/dot, in honor of my grandmother, and because while i'll be having fun in the hypothetical land of oz, there's still "no place like home." my other possible trail name is max because unless something drastic happens in the next few months, maxing out my credit card will be exactly how i finance my thru-hike. =)