Date: 2008-02-08
To: First annual NW Mini-Ruck!
Miles today: 0.0

Well, it's been awhile, but I've not been idle. I've been busily dehydrating meals, making gear, doing regular training hikes and studying the route. At the prompting and encouragement of my WomanHiker group friend Sawnie, I'm also staging my own little Ruck out here in Portland, Oregon. The very first I do believe, and what started out as a gathering of Sawnie, Alan & I has grown to around 25 people confirmed to attend the Ruck tonight! For those of you (like me at one time) who have no idea what a Ruck is, it's a gathering of hiker folk for the purpose of sharing, reminiscing, learning, merry making & an all around good time. There are all manner of folks coming, from Tripple Crowner's (folks who've hiked the AT, PCT AND CDT!) to newbies like me, from relative kids to a couple of old-er timers who'll have a thing or two to teach the rest of us. We're having a pot luck, and people are bring pics of their hikes to show off and tell about. Some folks are making presentations - making the most of mail drops, dehydrating your own food, bear bagging, tuckering (a process by which more experienced hikers go through the packs of the newbies to tell them what works and doesn't work about the gear they're intending to haul along on their hike), gear show 'n tell, etc. It should be a great evening! Then tomorrow we plan to take a hike in Forest Park & have a big breakfast at a pancake house before breaking up and heading out. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so some are grumbling about hiking in the rain (come on guys, I thought hikers were tough!), so we may just skip the hike and hit the pancake house (you know we won't skip that part!). Either way, I'm so very excited it's happening. Thanks Sawnie, for the suggestion, all the encouragement, and for coming! I have decided on an April Fools start date. Seems pretty appropriate. My best friend & hopefully her husband & son will be picking me up in Atlanta, GA on the 31st. We'll be dropping off my first few mail drop packages by car, spending a last night together at a hotel, and they'll drop me off at the trail early on the 1st. Another WomanHikers friend who goes by the trail name Bone Lady and her friend are also starting on the 1st, so I'm hoping to connect with them and share their company on the trail awhile. It makes me feel a little more courageous knowing they'll be out there with me at the start of it all, even if our paths don't manage to cross - but I sure hope they do! About that trail name thing. A tradition on the Appalachian Trail has developed over the years of people being given or adopting trail names. Mine is Barefoot Sage or (more appropriately!) BS for short. Many get their trail name on the trail. I've heard some really funny ones like - Tatoo Granny, Sir Pees a Lot, Lady Di (real name is Diane), Forest Gimp, Old Grey Goose, Middle Aged Fat Man (MAF Man for short), Swamp Gas (wouldn't want to share a campsite with him!!!), Billy Bong, Boo Boo, M & M, etc, etc! If you look at other people's journals on this site you'll see many more and get to hear their stories about their hikes. Anyway, I've rambled on way too long. Time to Ruck it up! Carole