Date: 2005-02-08
To: oh god not another prep entry!
Miles today: 0.0

My training, which consisted of snoeshoeing and the thought of XC skiing came to an abrupt halt this week. Seems up here in northern wisconsin we are having some trouble deciding whether it's spring or winter. Temps hovered around 50 degrees for the entire weekend, then it rained. Now it's cold again with no snow to play in No wonder there's so many bars in this bloody state. I was going to move out of my apartment in january, in order to save some money. My landlord showed up the last week of january and told me he had rented the rest of the empty one's and was i really leaving? I looked behind me and realized i'd never be out of here, so i extended for one more month. Flash to today and i have still, yet to even think of packing. My friend matt is sure i'm not hiking as i say it every year. I'm lacking the motivation, i think its all the cheese, slows the brain down. In '99 i didn't think twice about stuffing my life in a storage locker and hoping on a bus for 26 hours leaving school, job & a not so understanding girlfriend for the woods because i read a book. 6 years later it should be easier. No girlfriend, currently out of school, one job on hiatus and the other really isn't that hard to leave. So why the problem? procrastination? lazy? maybe. My brother thinks i should go south and i might agree, but july is so far away. i regret not hiking the PCT in 2003 when i had the chance. In 2003 i did eventually go to hike the colorado trail and quit after one day as my heart just wasn't in it. i've finally almost dragged myself out of the hole i had dug the past few years. So should i really hop into the woods for months on end a second time? Yes i think i just might. Sure it would have been nice to clear off the credit cards before i left, but isn't that what they are for? Yesterday, i got my marmot driclime wind shirt in the mail. davey like My fuzzy, girls will want to pet me patagonia R2 will sadly have to stay home. i'm taking my 3/4 z-rest instead of my comfy thermarest which saves me a pound. My '99 hike i started out with a thermarest switched to a z-rest cause i was sick of rolling it up every morning. I switch back in new hampshire and swore i'd never go without it again. so here i am without it hmmm... Too bring rain pants or not? i sent them back at neels gap last time. I have done almost no preperation this time around. So what the hell have i done? I have finally dragged out all my gear. Weighed everything and it's surprisingly light. 25 pounds without food & water. If you take my tent, pack, & chaco's away, it only weighs 12lbs. I have other packs besides my short bed, but its just so damn comfy and has pockets. Sure i'll be the only one out there with an external frame pack...old school baby. Tents i have no idea, i like too many. I have all the guides and maps. ohh.. i loaded lots of songs on the mp3 player. i guess i'm not that far behind on things. I still insist this is not a thru-hike, but will start in georgia just in case. i am waffling on how i'll get there. I'm pretty sure i'm not going to sit on a bus for 30 hours or a train for 2 days. So that leaves driving or flying. Decisions, decisions. We'll worry about that later. After all i have to mid-march or so. hike happy! -worries"barn's burnt down....now i can see the moon". -masahide