Date: 2007-09-04
To: Until Next Year......
Miles today: 0.0

Whew!! FINALLY got ALL of my pics up on this site. HUGE thanks to the TJ guys for adding that great feature of uploading multiple pics at the same time. I just knew there was a reason I'd been procrastinating (hee hee). Had I tried to get them up before this past week, it would have taken me until next summer to complete it. So thanks guys!Really can't say how much I've appreciated the emails and comments from so many people, giving your support, words of thanks, and offering to get together and hike. Really, it's been amazing to know so many people followed my (not yet over) journey.Part of the reason it was hard to get the pics up was because it was hard to look at them still. You really do feel torn when you love being on the AT and aren't anymore. However, my emotions have already flipped into excitement (all over again) because I'm going to figure out a way to get back out there next year and complete my hike. It's a cool deal actually. Whereas if I had stayed on and finished this year, I'd be in some office working next year and getting Springer Fever, wishing I were out there again. Well, this way, I WILL be out there again! YIPPY!!! The other cool thing is that I've got the experience now and can leave my hiker training wheels at home. It will be so much more enjoyable, knowing what to expect, already knowing people further north (as in all of you who have offered to help me out when I pass through), knowing what it feels like to hike 15 miles, having my camp set-up/tear-down down to an art, etc.I also want to try to day hike/weekend hike my way up to Harper's Ferry before next summer, so I can start from there. So something very cool happened last week. I got a phone call from Sailor!! Remember him? He'd gotten off the trail, and then him and his wife, Teresa, hiked a bit together, and now they are trying to move closer to the AT!!! They called me and are actually coming through town tomorrow (on their way home from her parent's house) and are going to visit me. We're all going out for dinner tomorrow nite, and I'm SUPER excited about seeing them again. He's getting back on (he's in TN probably 2-3 weeks from Damascus still) on April 19 next year to finish his hike too. So so neat that friendships you make out there can endure like this. Oh...and guess what, Sailor bought a Hennessey Hammock!! LOL I told him when they come over tomorrow, I'll get mine out and give him a tutorial on how to hang it. One more convert *evil laughter*In order to feed my journaling monster, I've started a blog elsewhere. I've never had one before, so we'll see how it goes, but it's just a place for me to write my thoughts (much like here only it won't be just about hiking). If anyone is interested, here's the direct link to it. Doubt I'll write in it everyday, but we'll see: http://micheleazehr.faces.com/Blog/The post at the bottom is the oldest. I'm still learning how to operate the site, but am excited about having an outlet still. When I hike new miles on the AT, I'll post here, and when it starts getting close to my return to the trail next year, you can bet I'll be posting relevant preparation entries, etc., but for the most part, I'll be blogging over on this other site. You can leave comments there as well, but be nice people, or I'll have to come and force you to sleep on the rocky ground in a tent! Now a little about gear. I'm only talking about items that I took issue with or have a stronger (than normal) opinion on. If its not listed here then I was 110% happy with the gear:Clothing-- Underwear or no underwear? I vote going commando. My chaffing issues disappeared once I started doing this. Sweating = salt = chaffing once the moisture evaporates. Seams on underwear = great place to rub the salt on your skin and irritate your skin. Frogg Togg Rain Gear: Love the jacket, don't love the pants. They fit weird and are hard to move in with other layers under them. I'll be looking for other rain pants, but will continue using the jacket next year. If you wash/dry them, only dry for a few minutes to get the majority of the water off. Otherwise they'll shrink and fall apart. You're really not supposed to wash/dry them in machines, but trust me, you'll want to. Oh...and DON'T buy orange! You'll develop a complex of how stupid you look out there. LOL OR Lobster Claw Gloves: I liked them, but don't think they're worth $45.00. In the SMNP it was so wet/rainy and they did eventually soak through, making my hands very cold. I will look for some that are truly waterproof. I only wore my outer shell in hard rain/hard cold wind so I want gloves that will protect in those conditions. (These got lost in my box I mailed home anyway)Cooking Gear-- Fire: You ONLY need a BIC lighter. Yes, I still carried a few emergency waterproof/windproof matches, and still will, but I also carried regular matches AND a butane lighter. Just carry a BIC lighter. The rest is overkill. Snowpeak Titanium Mug: I really only needed this in cold weather. I thought I'd use it to scoop water from shallow sources, but ended up using the cap of my canteens. Nice to have a mug for hot drinks in cold weather though, so I recommend it for that, but send it home in warm temps. Platypus Water Tank: Great piece of gear, but after I started eating dinner at shelters and hiking a few more miles then camping, I didn't have a need for it any longer. Your hiking style will determine whether this piece of gear is wanted (never "really" needed) or not. Nalgene Canteens: Definitely still love them, BUT, you will need to replace them probably 2 times in a thru-hike (especially if you put hot water in them to keep you warm at nite, which made mine get brittle). I also HIGHLY recommend buying the platypus patches that you can use to patch a hole in your canteen. These things saved my arse. Aqua Mira: I liked it enough, didn't have major issues with a chemical taste, but will purchase a Steri-Pen for the future. After seeing Persistent use it, it's just easier. I always felt a bit paranoid about running out of AM, I had a bottle get a hole and the chlorine ate a hole in the hipbelt pocket of my pack. The Steri-Pen adds no chemicals, and the water is ready to drink immediately versus 15 minutes with AM. You just need to carry extra batteries for the Steri-Pen (which you probably are anyways..it uses 4 AA batts).Footwear-- Shoes versus Boots: So here's the deal. The stiffer the shoe/boot, the more it absorbs the impact of hiking, resulting in taking the stress off your body. However, it usually means the shoe/boot is heavier and less flexible which can cause blisters more easily. I'm still going to try to find something more rigid, because I think it will help my plantar's. Take the time people, to get the correct footwear, and don't be afraid to change if something's not working. Pack weight rule is 35 lbs or less you can use a shoe, if heavier, use a boot. Crocs/Camp Shoes: I don't think these are optional gear. You WILL need/want these out there...trust me. Wright Double Layer Socks: These were actually running socks, very thin, but I still love them. They dry quickly and are cheap to replace when they get stretched out (which they will). I do know the smartwool hiking socks most people use are better at keeping your feet warm, even when the socks get wet. These Wright socks will not do that, but normally, your feet build up a lot of heat while hiking anyways. I didn't find it to be a problem, even when hiking in snow and cold water/ice up to my ankles. Gaitors: I just bought some of these in July, and considered them (at first) an optional piece of gear. I will say I prefer hiking WITH them (I have the OR Low Gaitors). I had spent a lot of time stopping and pouring trash out of my shoes. Probably don't need them if you're wearing higher boots, but with shoes, I'd recommend them. Also helped A LOT to keep my feet/socks cleaner. Any dirt in friction spots can cause blisters, so these helped prevent that as well.Other Gear-- AT Maps/Guidebooks: I'm an advocate for maps. What Persistent and I found was that the maps, Companion, Wingfoot's guides all had different info at different times. If you're a visual person like I am, the maps' topos are invaluable. I "might" even recommend cutting just the topos out and using just those. I rarely used the actual map parts, but there were a few times (Woody Gap car theft and when I got sick near Marion, VA) that I was glad I had that info as well. I'll always carry maps and the ALDHA Companion. Pocketmail: LOVED this thing, highly recommend it, but will admit that itruns through batteries quickly, so have extras (it takes 2 AA). Of course, I'd spend a lot of time journaling each day too, so take that into account. Olympus 720 SW Camera: A GREAT camera, but it also runs through batteries quickly, and it uses those small square lithium batts, so you've got 2 choices. Purchase/carry several extra batts (I still recommend having at least 3 with you at all times) and bounce the charger ahead, or just carry the charger, like I did. I found it easier to carry it and honestly. Only complaint is that it's easy to accidentally turn the camera on, so it can be on for hours in your pocket and you won't know it. I remedied this by putting a small piece of duct tape over the button, so it created enough resistance that most of the time I wouldn't accidentally turn it on. Swiss Army Knife/Safety Whistle: Look in my gear listing to see this exact knife. It was perfect for my needs, but the whistle stopped working, so you could get a different model. I used my knife all the time, so I think it's worth carrying. You DON'T need anything more than a SMALL blade really. The scissors helped some, but you could get by with just one small blade. L.L. Bean High Gear® Terra Tech Compass: Loved this thing, it was my alarm, watch, thermometer, but the compass started telling me I was going North no matter which way I turned. Not sure if it was a deliniation setting thing or just a crappy digital compass. I'll still carry this thing though. Cheap, small and I hooked a mini-carabiner to it and wore it on a loop on my pants. Ear Plugs: Only needed them in a hostel or where lots of people are camped like a shelter. If you stealth camp, don't bother with them. ULA Catalyst Pack: I love the features on this pack, BUT, I don't believeI ever got a proper fit with it. I ran into several hikers that had the same problem as me, if you tighten everything down properly, the shoulder straps pinch right at the armpit. It also tended to slide down, but that could have been due to weight loss. I am going to take it to an outfitter and get someone to adjust it for me and try again. I think (as a result of my pack fitting) I have a pinched nerve in my left shoulder/back and have lost feeling in my middle finger. I don't really want to change packs though, but may be open to trying out a few others for a better fit. Equinox Silnylon Stuff Sacks: NOT waterproof and the stitching started coming undone on several of them. I like them for storing gear that will always be dry/inside my pack, but not for food/sleeping bag. I HIGHLY recommend getting a Sea-to-Summit 13 liter dry sac and using it for your sleeping bag (especially if its down). No worries then. I also recommend the same thing for your food/cooking gear. You'll be bear bagging it and it will rain HARD. Your food/cooking gear stays dry this way and just wipe the outside off before putting it back in your pack. Trash Compactor Bag Pack Liner: NOT durable enough. Small pin holes form and it leaks. I found this out the hard way. I HIGHLY recommend getting a Sea-To-Summit 35 L dry sac and using it as a pack liner. It's also easy to just pull the guts of your pack out and carry it if you need to. Pack Towel: Definitely have a SMALL one. A bandanna just isn't as good. It makes all the difference in the world when wiping down your tent/tarp when packing up wet gear. I won't hike without one now.Okie dokie, so that's all for now. This will be my final entry until further hiking is completed. Already looking forward to sharing my tails next year. By the way, the pic is from Blackrock Gap in SNP. It's my starting point again. Take care everyone!!~Certain