Date: 2015-09-07
From: Pittsburgh, PA

To: Pittsburgh
Miles today: 0.2
Weather: broken clouds

As it turns out, Box Turtles only hibernate about three months of the year, and then only in certain regions. This box turtle has been spending her convalescence doing some research about...when do you consider yourself an alcoholic? No, just kidding...box turtles!... And also compiling some statistics about her AT trip so far. Though she knows full well no one may be reading, continuing the journal until the AT is finished is one way BT hopes to maintain focus on the goal of completing the trail. I do know a few people (my siblings come to mind) who tend to be very interested in quantifying achievements. I am, too! So, here's what Box Turtle has done:Total miles hiked: 1411.1                           1121.3 hiked from south to north; 289.8 hiked from north to southMiles left to hike: 778.1Number of days of trip/"days hiked": 182 (26 weeks)Number of "zero" days (no actual hiking, though included in "days hiked"): 14(Box Turtled "zeroed" an average of once every 13 days.)Number of days "slackpacked" (that is, not carrying a full pack, because someone else was delivering it to the endpoint of the day's hike--typically either a visiting Mr. Box Turtle or a hostel owner/shuttle driver): 6 --1 in Georgia, 3 in Virginia, 2 in MaineMiles per day hiked:6.2 mpd, if including all days of trip, including "zeros"6.7 mpd, if only including days actually hiking(These mile per day numbers seem surprisingly low to Box Turtle, given that there were dozens of days of 12-20 miles of hiking. But a deliberately slow start in Georgia, visiting friend/family and "near-o" days --when you hike only a mile or two from a shelter or campsite into a nearby town to re-supply/shower/do laundry/eat--really add up and lower the daily average. Add to this the fact that Box Turtle tended to be a somewhat erratic hiker--often alternating longer days with shorter ones--you come up with this modest MPD number. Still, if you consider walking that much every day for 182 days in a row, mostly carrying 30lbs., it's quite a lot...BT holds her head up!)Weight loss: 12 lbs. (from 136 to 124lbs.)$$ saved on psychotherapy: $8,000--haha! Just kidding again!States thru-hiked: Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Maine, Pennsylvania (partial)States left to hike: Pennsylvania (partial), New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New HampshireNow, here are some interesting facts about Eastern Box Turtles that resonated with me (quotes are mostly from Wikipedia):Box Turtles are the state reptile of both NC and TN; they made it through one house of the PA legislature but failed to win "final naming" in 2009. As a Pennsylvanian, this is my tiny attempt to do them justice."The eating habits of eastern box turtles vary greatly due to individual taste, temperature, lighting, and their surrounding environment." Yes--lighting is SO important!!"...their metabolism doesn't drive their appetite, instead, they can just lessen their activity level, retreat into their shells and halt their food intake until better conditions arise." You might say that's what I'm doing now, in Pittsburgh--lessening my activity level and waiting for better conditions to arise.BTs "are slow crawlers,extremely long-lived [note BT's own mother, relatively hale and hearty at soon-to-be-97!], slow to mature [Ha!]...along with a propensity to get hit by cars and agricultural machinery, make all box turtle species particularly susceptible to anthropogenic, or human-induced, mortality." Not an issue on the AT, but now that I'm back in Pittsburgh, I plan to be extra careful around cars and tractors.Box turtles move "...with strong intent and purpose." 'Nuf said!