Date: 2006-01-17
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Miles today: 0.0

It's snowing One would think it does this all the time in wisconsin, but oddly no. During my mid-afternoon guinness it occured to me that i hadn't posted anything in a while. So here we are. I as usual, am no closer to a decision, except that i have only 5 months till july. This year instead of installing data cables have returned to my roots and I am happily throwing things on shelves at night. I insist it is research for my first book. Not much else to say i lead a boring life when not growing a wooley beard and wandering, unless you count summer-salting though town with no pants after many a 151.    Why the AT Again? seems to be the reoccuring question along with trying to educate me about other trails. It's not that i don't like other trails, i'm just stuck on the AT for now. I do plan to do the coloradotrail, long trail, & superior trail one of these summers. I think the AT is all about the people you meet along the way. Then why the hell, one would ask are you going south? In 1999 i made a 71/2 month northbound thru-hike. Last year i did what i am calling a section hike (springer to delaware water gap 1300 miles), be it a big one. This leaves southbound or the rare yo-yo. That would make DF Duncan proud. I know he didn't invent the yo-yo, but he made a whole bunch. In the end, school & money are dictating the time & direction i go. Besides you are just cooler if you go south. I am also entertaining the idea of purchasing a new jeep which would push back my wanderings even further back. Most likely 2007. Unlike most ATer's i don't get crazy thoughts in my head and want to sell all my stuff on ebay, live in a tee-pee, and eat ramens. I dare say i miss my earthly possessions. They have been in storage since last march.   Equipment changes: I finally decided on the northface fission 20 degree synthetic bag 2lbs 4oz. I don't like down bags on the AT. It's just one of them things. They get to dirty, while you can just plop a synthetic in a washer and volia! My other choice was the Marmot helium eq (down) a bit pricey, but high quality. Probably my choice for out west. I am also leaning towards the Northface Prophecy jacket 10.7oz. A little heavier than my Patagonia choice, but cheaper$. I usually go with Patagonia as they are trendy, make everything in a lovely Canadian orange, and above all make stuff that lasts. Once upon a time Northface did. I am hoping they are again. I updated my MP3 player getting 2 gig sandisk player weighing 1oz & running on a single AAA battery. Saw lots of i-pods, but they had to limit their listening between charges. Still figuring a way how to read pearls & swine every morning while i hike. Observations in 2005: I don't really have many. Jaws seems to have covered just about everything in his journal. About everyone had an alcohol stove. I have never been a follower, so i tote a 3oz canister stove. All the other reindeer poked fun and wouldn't let me play in their reindeer games, sad i know One guy talked a lot about his handcrafted beer can technology 1oz stove yet carried 33oz of fuel ieee! Then there was the big tarptent, hamock war of 2005. They loved one and hated the other depending who you talked to. i switched tents 3 times so don't have room to talk. My advice to those who go with the hammock is know how to set it up. There are those who have it down to a fine art and there are those who don't. The latter are the ones that are fun to watch, also grumpy in the morning. I left at a particularly busy time mid-march. Though i spent plenty of time hiking alone. My usual advice START off slow, it's a long trail. Above all enjoy yourself!   Hike Happy! P.S. Read Possum's journal, very funny, great gear list.