Date: 2003-03-10
To: What I Learned in 2002
Miles today: 0.0

I'm trying to remember all the things I learned last year. There are some obvious things like how to pack your gear so you can find stuff when you need it without a hassle, how much water to carry, when to take a rest, and having a snack to keep myself strong. I did the bear bag thing every night to keep the critters away, got pretty good at making and breaking camp. I learned to stop and enjoy a great view, or just to be quiet and notice little things along the way. I usually wake up really early (like 4:30) even when I'm home, but so many times last year I didn't get going very early - around 9:00 or later. That's not like me at all. This year I think I'll try to get going a little earlier so I can relax more along the way and make use of the cool morning hiking weather. Here are some other things I learned:Take Pictures: I took about 150 pictures, and I am glad I did. I put about 130 of them on my 2002 trailjournals.com journal and put captions at the bottom. They tell another story in addition to the actual journal story I wrote. They were definitely worth the effort and time for me. Make Friends: A highlight for me was the great people I met along the way. Mostly they were hikers or people living near the trail that help hikers out. But I made a mistake last year that I hope to not make this year. So many times I would realize that somebody I really enjoyed camping with had left the trail, gone ahead, or had fallen behind, and I did not have a way to contact them. When you do a section hike you might not get a chance to run into them again before your hike is over. This year I plan to ask for an email address so I can stay in touch with them.Go Lighter: Last year I weighed my pack at Amicalola Falls and it was 52 pounds. That's just too much! I quickly decided that I could get by with carrying less water, and I sent some excess baggage home from Neels Gap. This year I plan to leave some other small stuff home that adds up to real weight savings. Plus, I plan to make some gear changes, which I will talk about in another of my pre-hike entries. Got to get it as light as I can. I'm not ready or qualified to be an Ultra-Light backpacker, but the principle seems very sound to me. I have room to reduce weight without suffering lots of discomfort.Write That Journal Daily: I was pretty faithful to write in my journal every day last year. I would write the basic story of my day's hike about where I went, the things I saw, people I met, and eventually I got pretty good at writing about what I was thinking. I also took some short notes that helped me to add to the story once I got home and had more time for writing. Even a year later I like to re-read some of the entries and remember the experience. My memory is not that good anymore, so I know I'll forget the details if I don't write them down. Having a pretty detailed journal has been really great for me.Spend Some Time Alone: I wrote pretty extensively about the topic of going solo in a post-hike entry last year. I was happy to be alone much of the day while hiking, but I really enjoyed the times in camp when other hikers were around too. Not surprisingly, some of my most vivid memories were the times I spent the night alone. I really learned to experience the forest and the sights and sounds of the remote trail. It gave me time to think about my life, and I learned to appreciate the people who care about me. Sometimes you don't know what you have until you do without it for awhile. Being alone in the forest, dozens of miles away from civilization and the nearest other human, takes away most of the distractions. You can put away the hassles of everyday life and concentrate on what (and who) is really important. I recommend it.