Date: 2008-03-08
From: Home

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well howdy folks....don't worry, I'm still on track to get back out there. I don't want to say exactly the date, but I can just about guarantee my first new hiking journal entry will go up by April 20th, so that gives you an idea as when to check back in. Of course, I have to thank my mom a MILLION times over for taking on the responsibility of not only updating my journal everyday but also for uploading my pictures when I send her my memory cards. For those of you who have never served in a support role for a long-distance hiker, I'm here to tell you that the majority of us could not manage like we do without people like my mom, and I can't wait to volunteer as someone's transcriber for next year, so you 2009 hikers...keep that in mind ok?Also, the person who is truly responsible for getting me back out here is my partner Karen (aka Incessant). She saw my restlessness, started the dialogue months ago--asking how I felt about finishing the trail this summer, and for all of the excuses and reasons I could come up with, she debunked every single one of them, so here I am. She'll be coming out to hike with me a little in PA and if all goes as we hope, will meet me in Monson, ME and hike the last 115 miles with me and summit Mt. Katahdin with me, but as we all know, it's best not to get ahead of yourself. Right now, I am just looking towards Harper's Ferry. Oh, this year I have 4 maildrops planned (shoes and maps/guidebooks, cold-weather gear, etc.) I just got back from the PO and man was it weird sending these things to these places, and yet, I got to tell the PO employee that I was going to hike to these places and pick this stuff up. I've posted the maildrop locations under the maildrop link to the left. I just put random date of my estimated arrival, I'm 100% for sure I won't be getting to these places so late. If I end up changing any of this, I'll let ya'll (the "official" contraction for "you all" in the Oklahoman dialect), know.So my email buddy Tom asked that I post any new gear/changes I'm making this year versus last year. I know some of those changes happened at the very end of last year, so I'm listing them now for your reading pleasure.First in the picture are the following: Sierra Designs Rain Pants: I used Frogg Togg rainpants last year. Whereas I'm still using the Frogg Togg rainjacket, I found the pants to be uncomfortable to hike in and a bit too fragile to hike in. I'll admit, I was always a bit envious of how "normal" Persistent looked in her black rainpants in towns when we were doing laundry (don't know the brand), when I looked like some circus act in my bright orange pants, so I found these on sale at REI. I didn't weigh them, and quite frankly, don't think I will. They are definitely a lighter weight design and I like them because they have velcro on the bottoms and cargo pockets on the legs. OR Gloves: Well, my "toasty" OR Lobster Claw gloves were in a box that I sent back to Michigan, and the box was left in the hallway in front of the door by the mailman and it got stolen, so I lost my toasty gloves, silk bag liner, and fleece pants. These new OR gloves are just regular gloves with fleece lining in them and because I now know that even if it's freezing out, if you're hiking w/gloves on, your hands are going to sweat....period, so I've got these strictly for hiking in and the next item for campPatagonia Glove Liners: Got these on sale at Rockfish Gap Outfitters (GREAT GREAT folks there) and these are a bit more durable and warmer than my other glove liners from last year, which were starting to unravel. Keen Voyageur Shoes: I had my eye on these since leaving Neels' Gap last year. Tons of people were outfitted with them at Neel's Gap and something about them really made sense to me, so I finally got a pair and tried them out. Nice and wide, much more durable than my Garmonts (which were coming apart after 20 miles), partial leather, just an overall beefier shoe, so I decided these were it, bought 2 more pair and mailed them up the trail so I can switch shoes every 400 miles, and each will have new superfeet insoles. The North Face Shirt: Self-explanatory, I was "asked" (really sort of begged) to purchase a new shirt. It's another orange shirt, which I like, and I'm sure will do fine. Steri-Pen Adventurer: Smaller version of the original Steri-Pen and I think a bit better protected. After seeing Persistent use hers, it just made sense...now if she could only see the sense in becoming a hammock hanger...one can only hope.Skull Buff: Ok ok...not exactly necessary, but I really really wanted it when I saw it. You all know by now I'm a skull and flame fanatic, and REI had this great skull buff, so it somehow ended up in my shopping bag. OR Dry Sac: The stuff sack I had been using for my clothing had a draw-string problem, so I just got this. I know dry sacs are more weight and many consider them overkill, but it only takes 1 cold wet day of hiking-getting to camp-and finding your "dry" stuff got wet because the trash compactor liner inside your pack had a pinhole, to be able to justify these things. Now, I don't worry...period.Stuff I added at the end of last year:Gaitors: Helps a ton with keeping your socks cleaner and trash out of your shoes. If you wear boots, probably not as important.Fleece Pants: To replace the ones that got stolen, and these are lighter fleece, but fit much better and I love them. That's it I think. Oh, by the way...I also discovered earlier this week that my pocketmail device now works with my cell phone!!! This was not the case last year (only worked w/a landline), so they've obviously changed something. I have T-Mobile for my cell service now, so we'll see if they're any better than Cingular (which was pretty sucky most of the time). Alright then, I've been on a strict pre-hike diet of foods that begin with men's names: TONY'S pepperoni frozen pizza (my fav), BEN-N-JERRY's ice cream (half-baked my current fav), you know...to stockpile some calories that I'll need out there. hee hee (and because I know I can get away with it now).This will be my final entry until my first new hiking entry goes up. Hang tight...the Certain-Mobile will be northbound again soon.