Date: 2015-12-07
From: San Luis Obispo, CA

To: Bluff, NZ
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

In a couple weeks I will be embarking on another epic journey, the last significant one the Appalachian Trail in 2013. As a friend pointed out, this journey will be the inverse of the AT. The Te Araroa shares the same letters flip flopped, but the true inverse is its location in the southern hemisphere, where the constellations will be ones never seen and toilets will in theory anyway, flush the opposite direction. The first significant preparation of this somewhat spontaneous journey was to free myself from the shackles of work. I submitted a letter of resignation for the end of November, 2015, though have been using up sick leave to take care of my parents and prepare for the trip. Two months ago, I did not see this coming. I had the plan to work at least until June 2018 to acquire 50% health benefits and a bit more in retirement. When management of our group fell apart and work was too monotonous to endure any longer, I decided to forfeit my complacency for adventure, something few seem to do these days for a myriad of reasons. To back up a bit, part of the grand scheme was to retire early on what I called the Westy Accelerated Retirement Plan. In July 2014 (about 6 years later than I should've started this plan), I sold 90% of my possessions, including my 2008 4-Runner and purchased a 1984 Westfalia Camper for 12,500. The camper was practically turn key. I worked on fixing it up over a period of a couple of months before moving out of my duplex rental and into my camper, which I park not far from the rental now. With rent and bills gone, I felt freedom like I never have before. With extra cash in the bank, I realized that I had an opportunity to do something a bit more adventurous. In the last couple months, I have oddly not done as much planning as I thought I would for a trail so far away. I have done things piece by piece, first purchasing another ZimmerBuilt pack, then slowly pulling gear together from past trips and piling it on the passenger side of my Westy. Perhaps its confidence from a successful first hike, but I know that no matter how many through hikes one has accomplished, that things don't go as planned. I read quite a few journals from those that hiked the AT, but essentially none of those who succeeded on the TA. I think the difference is that there is a greater commitment in travel and that I want no bias to skew my perception. I will prepare the same way I did for the AT. Prepare to be WET and possibly wetter! There are enormous rivers that make the Kenebec in Maine look minuscule. Those who have hiked the entire AT, know that you are advised not to ford the Kennebec and in fact, the ATC has appointed a full time person (Dave as I recall) to stand on the river bank with his kayak waiting to ferry hikers across. There will be plenty of ferries across water ways in New Zealand, but the Te Araroa is discontinuous at two significant rivers, the Rangitata and the Rakaia Rivers, both contributing to the broad Cantebury planes with there enormous sediment loads. Both rivers are glacial out wash flowing south east over 75 miles to the coast with huge turbulent flow volumes. The Rakaia is said to have a mean flow of 7,200 cu ft/s and the Rangitata about half the flow (3,400 cu ft/s). Crossing these drainages by foot will require sound judgement or may simply require large hitch hiking detours, assuming a ride can be acquired in such a remote area.In the past week, I printed some 141 8.5 X 11 colored metric topo maps of the trail. How useful these maps will be is debatable given there scale and legibility of small print with poor vision. I have nevertheless been able to do some crude planning of target points assuming about 32 km (about 20 miles) of tramping per day. This will be my estimated average, meaning one day I might hike 30 miles along roads and beaches and the next 15 miles through mountainous terrain and dense forest. One element that makes journeys as colossal as this one is that the wealth of information provided online makes it almost possible to plan as you go, provided you find WiFi or cell service somewhere.Gear wise, I plan to go as light as possible. Only two weeks out, I still have not decided on whether I want to forfeit my Six Moons Design Lunar Solo for the Wild Oasis which is half the weigh at 13 oz and without floor. In potential flooding, sheet flow can be disastrous to a down sleeping bag, however, a bathtub floor in a tent is a false sense of security too. I'm siding towards taking the shaped tarp, which will be contingent on a practice set up where I reside. I have decided to cook on alcohol or what New Zealand markets as methylated spirits in 1 L volumes at the supermarkets. I cooked for about 100 days on the same soda can penny stove on the AT and found its simplicity and quietness enjoyable. I will fabricate a chimney style soda can stove for this trip. As for any trip, the most efficient apparel is that which is light weight and layered. Body temperature can be best regulated with the ability to peal a layer off opposed to a single shell jacket with insulation built in for example. I have also purchased three pairs of trail runners for footwear, anticipating that each pair will endure 600 miles. When I arrive to Christchurch, I will send these pairs to destinations at that approximately the 600 and 1200 mile mark.Thanksgiving and Christmas are approaching rapidly. Each year, these holidays have become more distant to me. This year, I will spend Thanksgiving with family (my parents and brother) in Santa Barbara, CA, where I spent my youth and a total of 30 years of my life. I still have not given more than a few minutes contemplating this holiday and have given no thought to Christmas. It will be the first time that I have spent Christmas on the trail during the summertime. It is difficult to express the excitement of being in a majestic place like New Zealand hiking a trail spanning both islands for over 3000 km (1800 miles). It is a dream that must be lived.Continental Drifter