Date: 2008-03-21
From: Re-Supply Continues...

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Miles today: 0.0

WRITER¢S NOTE: I¢m looking for a TRANSCRIBER to help me keep this Journal up to date when I can¢t get to the Internet on my trek. If you have a little extra time on your hands and ready access to the Internet, please contact me at: gazerstar@hotmail.com . Thanks!Good Morning! My memory of yesterday is a little hazy, but the procedure was a success (and no polyps this time, either!). That means today is ¢light-duty chores¢ day(in order to help her as much as I can before I leave for my trek)¢¦Next to last Verse of my Appalachian Trail Song (I told you that we¢d get back to this eventually):VERSE:The moral of this story¢s true¢¦        A NORTHBOUND HIKE might be for you.Snakes; bears; rocks; storms; and insects too¢¦        Are all right here, oh HIKER, ¢THRU¢¦¢REFRAIN:A North-Bound hike is painless        It brings on many changesAnd I can take what comes for six more monthsFrom my experience on the Appalachian Trail, it¢s very easy to focus on the hardships and the dangers associated with the trek. Make no mistake about it ¢ there are hardships and dangers to be faced.However, I find it much more helpful to do my best to limit risk as much as possible with the right gear; coordination with folks on and off the Trail; and to avoid the worst weather. I also try to surround myself with the most positive and determined people that I can find along the way, and to, as the old song says, ¢¢¦accentuate the positive¢¦¢I find that I can make much better progress and be far happier with the backpacker¢s lifestyle if I look at what nature has to offer; notice that those drains and steps along the Trail are the handiwork of dozens and perhaps hundreds of volunteers who invested their time and efforts to ensure a successful environment for me; and even, ¢talk to the animals¢ found along the way.Yes, there are really woodpeckers, pine siskins, bluebirds, wild turkey, and herons around the trail ¢ not to mention the little junko¢s that actually hop along in front of many trekkers as they climb Tray Mountain¢¦ *smiling at that memory*Since I¢m a trained, ¢Search and Rescue Field Team Signcutter,¢ I also like to focus on the signs of passage along the Trail and to do my best to pick that person or animal out of the crowd when I see them. No, I can¢t call myself a, ¢Tracker,¢ because I have no interest in examining scat in detail (to determine the recent diet of one¢s quarry, etc.), nor some of the other extreme things of their typical focus. My SAR job, when assigned in this capacity, is to help other team members to search for and to evaluate, ¢signs of passage¢ in order to lead the team to a successful 'find,' alive, if at all possible, because nobody, including our SAR dogs, wants to find a 'victim.'Yes, it¢s possible to track people across glacial boulder fields and other areas one might believe no signs of passage might be left. The problem of every signcutter who treks the Appalachian Trail is the sheer volume of, ¢signs of passage,¢ found, mostly in one direction of travel and generally confined to a three-foot wide stretch of trail¢¦ And, no -- my limited skills are no match for a trained SAR dog's nose.It¢s now time for a few more Murphy¢s Corollaries and then off to the on-going re-supply project, which is pretty close to completed ¢ at least for the early Trail¢¦- Psychological Warfare applied to Shelter Life: encourage a Trail Town Cat to mark [urinate on] your belongings¢¦ [Miranda, I understand that your own cat saved you the trouble before you left for the trail¢¦ *lol*]- When possible, observe the kitchen habits of fellow trekkers ¢ before they offer you part of their leftover meal¢¦ - North Carolinians can¢t tell the difference between a hobo¢s pack and your $300.00 one¢¦- Rule of Thumb: Old hound dogs and thru-hikers ride in the back of pick-up trucks¢¦ They have similar odors about them.- The best Rain Protection hasn¢t yet been invented - Your Mama didn¢t precede you into this Shelter¢¦