A trail name is important because it is how you are identified on the trail for the entire time out there. It usually has a story behind it or tells a little bit about you. I have been called "sausage fingers" in the past due to the fact that my fingers turn into fat sausage-like links! Mmmhmm. I think that is pretty common for hikers to experience, but mine are just ridiculous. I mean, seriously. I have skinny long fingers and they get to the size of a jumbo Oscar Meyer! Not pretty.
Anyhow, the debate now is weather or not one is 'allowed' to give themselves a trail name? I suppose you can't really give yourself a nickname...but a trail name is different. I am going to be known as "insert trail name here" for the next five months. I think it should be something that I agree upon and like. Sausage fingers....not so much.
I have decided upon 'tumbleweed' for my trail name. A long time ago I had a friend call me by this name. He said it was because I am always moving around and never really in one place for too long. I suppose he is right about that. I'll take it!
Now we just need to think of one for my co-hiking partner, Samantha. This could take a while. She is very enthusiastic about this piece of gear that I have that allows for a relaxing um....bathroom break in the woods! Because of this and several other reasons that are not to be spoken of anymore, her trail name should be......(drum roll please).....'poo-slinger!'
In the words of Stooks- "And that's that!"
-Tumbleweed
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Monday, April 9, 2007
The way this is gonna work
So how stoked am I that Patty has so enthusiastically adopted this co-blog idea? Very. For her, it'll be a cool way to chronicle this crazy long adventure upon which we embark in less (significantly less) than a month. For me, it will doubtless be one of my greatest sources of amusement during the summer. (Is it lame of me to say that? I don't really care.)
Going along with the theme of recording our preparations for The Trail (see below), I would like to share with the world what I'm doing to ready myself for two weeks of hiking. First off, I bought a backpack. I ordered it last week on Steepandcheap.com (my favorite website/ addiction; check it out if you never have), breaking my Lenten resolution not to buy anything (with the exception of household necessities) until Easter. In my defense, I couldn't not buy the thing. It's an Arc'teryx, it's red, and it was a ridiculously good deal. I'm a bit concerned that the thing might actually be too big; I guess I'll find out when I get it from the post office today. (As I've told Patty, I'm like a goldfish: I'll use as much space as I have at my disposal. If 3 shirts, a towell, and my toothbrush don't fill enough of the pack space, I may well end up taking along something like a basketball or a pair of hooker boots; and who needs those on the AT?)
Other than buying a pack, I also started looking through the thru-hiker's guide, but was (to be honest) more interested in reading the to do lists Patty has scattered through the thing as bookmarks than in reading tips for what to do on day 16 in Tennessee. I did read the book's intro, however, where I learned that it wil basically be a miracle if I don't get poison oak or lyme disease; and that when I'm walking through towns I should act as a pedestrian. Dang! I was going to act like an Australian and walk on the left hand side of the road: the very middle of the left hand side, that is.
Unlike my co-hiker, I have not bought either a sleeping bag or pad, have hardly begun to think about getting together food or cooking apparatus, and don't have a single "to do" list to guide me in my preparations. Somehow, I think I'm going to be ok. My goal for this week was to convince Patty that we should fly to Atlanta; not ride the bus or the train. Not only does the airplane take at least 34 hours less than either of the land-bound alternatives, but it's way less expensive than the train. Have we bought our plane tickets yet? No, but we're planning to, and that's half of the battle, right?
Hiking, here I come!
Going along with the theme of recording our preparations for The Trail (see below), I would like to share with the world what I'm doing to ready myself for two weeks of hiking. First off, I bought a backpack. I ordered it last week on Steepandcheap.com (my favorite website/ addiction; check it out if you never have), breaking my Lenten resolution not to buy anything (with the exception of household necessities) until Easter. In my defense, I couldn't not buy the thing. It's an Arc'teryx, it's red, and it was a ridiculously good deal. I'm a bit concerned that the thing might actually be too big; I guess I'll find out when I get it from the post office today. (As I've told Patty, I'm like a goldfish: I'll use as much space as I have at my disposal. If 3 shirts, a towell, and my toothbrush don't fill enough of the pack space, I may well end up taking along something like a basketball or a pair of hooker boots; and who needs those on the AT?)
Other than buying a pack, I also started looking through the thru-hiker's guide, but was (to be honest) more interested in reading the to do lists Patty has scattered through the thing as bookmarks than in reading tips for what to do on day 16 in Tennessee. I did read the book's intro, however, where I learned that it wil basically be a miracle if I don't get poison oak or lyme disease; and that when I'm walking through towns I should act as a pedestrian. Dang! I was going to act like an Australian and walk on the left hand side of the road: the very middle of the left hand side, that is.
Unlike my co-hiker, I have not bought either a sleeping bag or pad, have hardly begun to think about getting together food or cooking apparatus, and don't have a single "to do" list to guide me in my preparations. Somehow, I think I'm going to be ok. My goal for this week was to convince Patty that we should fly to Atlanta; not ride the bus or the train. Not only does the airplane take at least 34 hours less than either of the land-bound alternatives, but it's way less expensive than the train. Have we bought our plane tickets yet? No, but we're planning to, and that's half of the battle, right?
Hiking, here I come!
The simple (expensive) life of the thru-hiker
One might think that the life of a thru-hiker is pretty simple. Wake up, have some oatmeal, put on your hiking boots, enjoy the scenery, chat with some fellow thru-hikers about how grand life is out on the trail, and hike.....all day, just hike. Well, it should be and I'm banking on WILL be pretty simple, but the preparation for that 'simple life' is nothing but a headache....and expensive.
For the last....we'll say four months I have been seriously planning for the trail. Buying gear, collecting boxes upon boxes for my maildrops, planning out where exactly those boxes are going to be sent, conning...I mean asking someone (thank you Samantha) to send my mail drops, and getting into umm....shape (of some sort). Running is not really the best way to get into thru-hiking shape. My thoughts on that are I am already going to be in some (hopefully not major) pain just getting used to the pack and the boots...so why not get into shape at the same time. AKA....be COMPLETELY miserable for the first couple of weeks.
The simple life is dang expensive too. Imagine, if you will, having to purchase three of the majors-sleeping bag, tent, backpack PLUS all the other stuff that goes along with a long distance hike. Not to mention all of your food for the next five months (bought in bulk). Then the expense of the maildrops. YIKES!
But really, how can I complain? I am going to be out in the wilderness for the next 4.5-5 months. No work, no annoying people in my life (well none that I can't just push off a cliff or something), no worries really. Not too shabby.
Bitchin Gregory Pack- the Deva: $250
New humble abode AKA Mountain Hardware Tent: $109
Incredible sleeping bag that everyone wants to "just touch": $150
Knowing that I will not have to answer any telephone calls, respond to any emails, deal with people in general: priceless
For the last....we'll say four months I have been seriously planning for the trail. Buying gear, collecting boxes upon boxes for my maildrops, planning out where exactly those boxes are going to be sent, conning...I mean asking someone (thank you Samantha) to send my mail drops, and getting into umm....shape (of some sort). Running is not really the best way to get into thru-hiking shape. My thoughts on that are I am already going to be in some (hopefully not major) pain just getting used to the pack and the boots...so why not get into shape at the same time. AKA....be COMPLETELY miserable for the first couple of weeks.
The simple life is dang expensive too. Imagine, if you will, having to purchase three of the majors-sleeping bag, tent, backpack PLUS all the other stuff that goes along with a long distance hike. Not to mention all of your food for the next five months (bought in bulk). Then the expense of the maildrops. YIKES!
But really, how can I complain? I am going to be out in the wilderness for the next 4.5-5 months. No work, no annoying people in my life (well none that I can't just push off a cliff or something), no worries really. Not too shabby.
Bitchin Gregory Pack- the Deva: $250
New humble abode AKA Mountain Hardware Tent: $109
Incredible sleeping bag that everyone wants to "just touch": $150
Knowing that I will not have to answer any telephone calls, respond to any emails, deal with people in general: priceless
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