Date: 2008-03-05
To: Continued Local Preparation
Miles today: 0.0

Well, as the Monkey said when he put his tail into the fan, "It won't be long now!"Having written recently about how wet and cold and windy it can be on the Early Spring Trail in Georgia [Take large fan -- blow it over bag of ice -- dump bucket of ice water on prospective trekker while pulling on rainsuit], I noticed that Lil'Mak had a similar experience near Gooch Gap yesterday. ...and you didn't believe me, did you?...which leads us right into the second verse of my new Appalachian Trail song:"SECOND VERSE:Oh Boss, please, let me now explain¢¦      This ¢same old grind,¢ this ¢same old strain,¢I simply can¢t abide the pain      I bought my ticket for the train¢¦REFRAIN:A North-Bound hike is painless      It brings on many changesAnd I can take what comes for six more months"Everybody who decides to launch out on an Appalachian Trail trek of any distance has to face somebody with the 'news' that you've, "...made up my mind..." One is, of course, simply trading one set of stressors and frustrations for another, but who's worried about that right now?The reaction of one's boss to this news can, of course, be mixed. It might be that with the sagging economy your departure for an undetermined amount of time might help him to stay within budget. On the other hand, if one is the only person trained in a certain specialty (and worse yet, then also has the gaul to expect a return to work once rested and made presentable to the public again) this process can be rather traumatic for everybody.Of course, if one is retired, has just lost a job, or never had one in the first place, this decision might be an easy one -- if one is independently wealthy. If, on the other hand, one must face a spouse or parents for the time; funds; transportation; assistance with gear; care for beloved pets; assistance with the trail journal; on-call re-supply, etc., this too can create its own stresses and heated conversations over meals...Go ahead -- BURN YOUR BRIDGES, but BE CERTAIN that this is what you REALLY want to do. Ask yourself, "What if I quit my job; sell my house; place everything into storage; dehydrate six months worth of trail food; ship a number of re-supply boxes to various near-trail locations; buy hundreds [and perhaps thousands] of dollars worth of fancy gear [much of which I very well might abandon or change in the first week]; and perhaps even strain relations for years to come -- only to begin my trek and find that I've made a BIG MISTAKE?Don't laugh, I've seen it. The folks who live near I'm-a-Koala Park in Northern Georgia certainly have...May I suggest that you try one or more of the following BEFORE you tell your boss and others?- Join a local Trail Club and attend some of the outings.- Plan and take a couple of weekend or circuit-style hikes (along the Appalachian Trail if possible).- Gather your gear [quietly at first -- they can find out about your obsession with lightness in the future] and practice with it.- Once skilled with your gear in good weather, watch for and launch out into the WORST WEATHER YOU CAN FIND. Do this in a way that you can always retreat to the comforts of home if it gets too rough.- Volunteer for Appalachian Trail maintenance duty. There's no more personal way to experience the Trail than to cut logs; rebuild drainage; trim growth; etc.- Set up your own little 'Trail Kitchen,' and actually fix and eat what you're planning to eat on your trek. Believe it or not, there's a posting on Craigslist with around $300.00 of Mountain House dehydrated foods for sale by a [you guessed it] would-be Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker... That's a lot of 'special' food, and a fair amount of wasted money in my opinion [one cannot expect most folks to buy 'used food,' after all].STRONGLY CONSIDER DOING THESE THINGS INSTEAD:- Spend your thousands of dollars on a relaxing vacation [beach; nice weather; good food; lots to drink whenever you want it; air conditioning and/or heat...- Hike the 184-mile C&O Canal Trail instead. It's almost level and a wide gravel road most of the way. In fact, three or so miles of it is actually used by the Appalachain Trail just north of Harpers Ferry, WV... If you decide to do this, however, start or end your hike of this trail in Washington DC -- IN THE DAYLIGHT [it's difficult to outrun a mugger wearing your 30-pound backpack].- Climb Mount Kilamanjaro instead. That only takes six days and you have to take a guide along and porters to carry most of your stuff [and they prepare your meals, too]. I know that it's hard to believe right now, but you'll probably spend an equal amount of money in six months on the Appalachian Trail...- Sponsor another younger; more naive and energetic person for their Thru-Hike of the Appalachain Trail and then simply meet them with, or mail Trail Magic somewhere along the way...- Use your request for an Unpaid Leave of Absence to leverage a raise...   Since the song mentioned it, I suggest that you buy a refundable or at least transferable ticket for your plane, bus, or train. Last minute Real World issues might just delay your start date.Thanks for reading. I only write this for our own good... This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you... [and several other things your Mama used to tell you, too]. Tomorrow, the Third Verse.