I guess it was because I ate so fast. Wheaton, a hockey fan who unsuccessfully sought out Red Wing playoff information from locals in Georgia this spring, was subsequently christened after the Detroit team. Temperatures that soared above the 90s this summer, combined with drought conditions, created interesting hygienic situations for the hikers, who could rarely bathe, shave or wash their clothes. I really mellowed out about things. Because each hiker is required to carry the things he or she needs to survive, packs are often pared down to the bare essentials.
Food is mailed from home at varying intervals so that there is no burden by the extra food weight.
But even food mailed from home can get tiresome on the trail, said Wheaton. Space in hikers' backpacks is at a premium. The pot that the food was cooked in doubled as Wheaton's bowl to save space, but both of the men carried copies of the New Testament to study on the way. Gast, who was hiking alone after her girlfriend dropped out in New Hampshire, packed a little Shakespeare to keep her mind busy at night. Now that life on the trail is behind them and real life is beckoning, the three say they plan on keeping in touch with each other as well as with Brower.