Date: 2006-02-02
To: Hiking History
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I thought that some of you may be interested in my backpacking experience and how I ended up planning for the AT in 2006.    I started backpacking with the boyscouts and my dad when I was 12 or 13 maybe? The first trip I remember with my father was an epic for me and my younger brother. It ended with one of us falling in love with the challenges of backpacking, and the other avoiding them at all costs. The story provides our family with much amusement at get togethers whenever planning for one of my trips begins. These arduous and poorly planned trips were my style for many years and I really enjoyed the adventure of getting lost in a minor fashion, and hauling a pack that was far to heavy for my bodyweight, and level of fitness.       Over the years I slowly evolved my style and level of preparedness. On short trips I still enjoy to wing it, but longer trips I have taken to planning fairly extensively and keeping to my schedule. At 16 I went backpacking at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico for 12 trail days and that was my longest trip until I was 19 years old. That trip was exhaustively planned and everything went beautifully, and from that experience I learned that it can be just as fun to know where you are in the wilderness.       At 18 I got into climbing and mountaineering. After 1 1/2 years at the University of Vermont I dropped out to devote more time to those endeavors, and this freed me up for alot more backpacking as well. In the fall of 2004 I spent 40 days trekking and mountaineering in the Himalayas of Northern India. This trip was spectacular and I would recommend that country to anyone who loves spectacular scenery, remote locations, and friendly compassionate people.       Immediately upon my return to the states in late october I began planning a thruhike of the Long Trail in Vermont. After 10 days in civilization I loaded up the subaru and headed north and spent 21 days alone in the woods hiking a rugged trail that was iced up like a bobsled track. I wasn't expecting the incredibly cold temps, and 60 miles short of the finish I was forced to give up due to lack of will and feet that were in an incredible amount of pain after 20 days of being water logged. One year later in october I was back however and finish the trail in 5 days with much less effort.    In the year between the start and finish of the Long Trail I lived and climbed in Bishop and Yosemite, California. Following 4 months in Yosemite myself and a friend planned a thruhike of 250 miles of trail called the John Muir Trail which runs mostly in conjunction with a spectacular section of th Pacific Crest Trail. Starting in Yosemite and ending on Mount Whitney this trail is truly amazing and offers some of the most amazing vistas of anywhere I have yet been. This piece of trail was truly a joy to walk. Being made for pack animals it is smooth and well graded. You are able to hike miles without ever looking at your feet. This type of hiking is unheard of in the East and I have to say that it was enjoyable.       So despite that superb experience out west I have decided to tackle the AT first. I have long had this idea loosely lodged in my brain. It just so happens that my old hiking pal is now graduating and had a period devoid of plans. I jumped on that lull in his life and after some thinking the SOBO hike was born. I am looking forward to this trip so much, and feel lucky that I am able to do it so young, and with such short notice. I will not be forced to endure years of anticipation and planning for my thruhike.    Wish us Luck!LongBen