Go time is quickly approaching. I can hardly believe how close the start line is at this time. With only 30 days left until I start, I have begun telling more people of my departure. With telling more people comes the age old questions...
1. You're going with a group, right?
2. Are you bringing any sort of weapon?
3. Won't your husband miss you?
4. How much does your pack weigh?
5. How do you get food along the way?
6. Aren't you worried about Bears, mountain lions, animals?
7. What about hygiene?
and of course, my favorite...Why?
Let me start with saying that I am NOT going with a group, but hope to hike with many wonderful people along the way, like I did along the Appalachian Trail in 2005. The Facebook NCT community has been an amazing group of people, and I hope to put real faces to the posts I see in that group. Also, many friends and family members have offered to join me along my adventure.
As for the weapon, there is much controversy around weapons and backpacking. Guns are not allowed in many national parks, especially open carry. Speaking of open carry and rules, there are some states that do NOT allow open carry. So, I carry a gun only to have it packed in my backpack somewhere when I really need it. "Please wait, person assaulting me, I need to dig my weapon out of my pack real quick!?" Of course, I will have a knife with me as I like to carry cheese and cut it every so often. Feel free to laugh about the idea of cutting the cheese. ;-P Along with that, I am looking at carrying a pepper spray or a citronella spray that I use when my dog is a jerk, as I have heard/read about backpackers being chased by off leash dogs along certain routes. Then, recently, one of my patients gave me a "Self Defense Siren." It looks like a neat little, lightweight device that will hopefully make enough noise to scare or hurt the ears of any animal getting too close to me. Keep in mind, all these devices add weight, but are still lighter than carrying a gun. ;-)
In regards to missing my husband, hmmm...let me think on that a minute...Just kidding! Of course, I am going to miss my husband. We have known each other for 26+ years and been married for 22.5 of those years. He's like an extra appendage with which I will not be hiking. With that said, it is also good for us to spend time apart as we both waste a lot of time worrying about the other unnecessarily at times. This time apart helps refocus both of us and remind each other that we can survive despite our sometimes crazy choices.
My pack I am trying my best to keep around the 45lb range, but am having some trouble as I am uncertain with what kind of weather and trail conditions I will be starting. I will dedicate another post for weight related talk, as there is much to say regarding gear for a long distance hike.
The weight of my pack will obviously vary based on how many days of food I will need to carry. Currently, my itinerary has me taking a rest day every 9 days. That would technically mean I would be carrying enough food for 9 days. This trail, however, goes through lots of small towns. SO, I am thinking I can resupply in these small towns or even eat meals along the route, thus my food weight would be reduced. With that said, I will want to make sure I have plenty of food with me so that I am not stuck in the middle of nowhere without anything to eat.
As to my concern with the wildlife, I am not so concerned about the animals. Yes! I will be hiking through the Adirondacks during the spring as bears are coming out of hibernation looking for food. This just means I have to be extra careful in making sure my bear bag is hung high and done well, and that my camp is tidy and clean of smells. Typically, animals are more afraid of humans than we are of them. When they aren't is when there is a problem due to the lack of respect from humans to the environment of the animals.
Now, the question of hygiene...Yes! I am hiking for about 9 days straight without a shower. My body loves to have the natural oils back on trips like this, and responds accordingly. With that said, I am the one having to deal with my own stink, and while hiking, I don't usually notice, especially over time. The one thing I do make sure to do is brush my teeth and brush my hair. Oral hygiene is extremely important as it can take you out on so many levels, if you end up sick from the gross crap on your teeth. As for brushing the hair, that is just so it does NOT knot up and become a nightmare. I suppose I could always shave my head if that did happen, but I like my long hair. Outside of those 2 important hygiene parts, I am hopefully camping next to or near water most nights, as that is the easiest way to cook my dinner. I will probably rinse off with some water as needed while hiking. When I hit Lake Superior, I can guarantee I will be taking dips in that gorgeous lake. The only other hygiene issue for women in the backcountry is of course menstrual blood. This can also be an animal issue, if not managed appropriately. So, I will have some wipes around for during that time, and I carry tea bags to add to the used feminine hygiene products that I might have to carry to help reduce the odor. As soon as I find a garbage, then I ditch that stuff and most of my trash.
Now, last, but not least...WHY?
Most of my life, I am over concerned with the happiness of others and therefore spend a lot of time trying to make them happy. By doing this, I tend to lose myself, and get frustrated, exhausted, angry, depressed, and just lazy. When I get to this point is when I know I need to go take care of myself, and the only way to do that is to get away from everything. The woods is my happy place and walking helps my brain function at the top of its ability. I can remove myself from worrying about what everyone else thinks of me, and remind myself of what I think of me, and honestly, that is the only thing that really matters in life. I have to deal with me, and if I'm not happy with me, then it is time to walk for a bit and figure out what needs to change. The other part of going on long distance hikes is to challenge myself. Sure, I could stay home and run ultra-marathons, but the past few years have taught me that I do NOT do well at speed. I like things to move slower. I like to interact with a variety of people and learn from every person I meet. I want to see the world at a slower pace than always running around trying to see all the things the tour guides point out. There are so many neat things to be seen, when we take the time to slow down and look, and there are so many things we can learn when we take the time to meet and talk with people of all different walks of life.
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