Surprisingly, the easiest part of prepping to start my first thru-hike was working on the gear. My selections have already been finalized and most of it has been tested. The section hike I did on the Appalachian Trail this year back in the summer wasn't all that informative. However, it was a classroom wherein I had the opportunity to hone some skills and learn a few things that really bugged me. For example, while my pack was one of the best on the market, it made too much noise for me and I had to constantly adjust straps. I was also wearing a front pack and in the summer it blocked too much air flow around my torso and I was extra hot as a result. It also added extra stress to my shoulders. Instead of adding functionality it enabled me to just carry too much stuff which just added to the weight. So I would say the experience was more one of fine-tuning than anything else.
Now I am doing semi-daily training hikes which have landed me in the camp of plantar fasciitis, so I am doing exercises to correct that. My feet have also expanded a full size already. Really the only things left are to keep putting in miles, try to get out for a cold overnight or three and get a bus ticket.
I've already looked into what used to be an economical shuttle/bunk/shuttle package to get me to the trailhead on time. It no longer exists as of this season just passed. So I'll be DIYing my own. I made a call to the first on trail outfitter and worked out something with them. I get a shuttle from Atlanta to them, get a bunk overnight then shuttle back down to Amicalola first thing in the morning. So long as Greyhound doesn't wreck my pack or put it on the wrong bus I'll be good.
I'm still Vlogging and intend to continue that habit as best as I can on this adventure. I have screen recording software on my tablet so I can discuss on trail plans while displaying the guidebook. I have streaming apps so I could even live stream parts of the journey. There are multiple sketching and art apps to make the downtime productive plus I want to Blog. A little less video per day than when I did the section hike and a few more pictures. Text to Twitter worked well, and hopefully, I'll be able to post on Instagram once a day as well.
Long range weather forecasting is showing another La Nina winter so I feel fairly confident about my clothing choices and sleep system. However, I do have some misgivings about pushing some of that gear. To that end, confidence is more important so I jumped on board with a new quilt which was literally just ordered moments ago. I have a 40 degree down quilt and a 30 degree hybrid sleeping bag which I was going to layer to deal with possible 10 degree weather. The combined weight was 43 ounces but I was going to ditch the bag as soon as the weather broke. The space it took up and the weight and knowing I really needed just one 20 degree quilt was a hard pill to swallow. The confidence will be worth it.
That brings me to the mental aspect of doing a long trail. The Appalachian Trail is a 2200 mile, four to six month marathon hike. I have my reasons for embarking on this journey. Depression is a big monkey to carry along, and there is a lot I am doing wrong. There is a lot I'm doing right too, but I'm still using language like "if I succeed" which needs to stop. I also have no post trail plans. Other than knowing I need to lose about ninety pounds and that weight loss is easily achievable on a long hike. Which will make a lot of post trail plans easier. So I am still doing short hikes, planning multi-day excursions once the temperature drops a little more.
Currently I am about to change lodgings, I and my family have been living with a cousin in central Florida. We took shelter here to dodge hurricane Irma and never moved on. That time has come for better or worse. There are some unexplored parks and preserves in our potential new stomping grounds.
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