Date: 2004-04-11
From: Home (Hamilton, MI)

To: Home (Hamilton, MI)
Miles today: 0.0

American Presidents give ¢State of the Union¢ addresses. Governors give ¢State of the State¢ addresses. It¢s only fitting then that half-way through my saunter from Northern Georgia to central Maine, I give to you all ¢The State of the Taco¢ Address. I can¢t promise that in a hundred years it will be hanging anywhere or that an original copy will be housed in a controlled environment for future generations to enjoy. But it will be a straightforward and candid look at my hike, where I¢ve been and where I am going. I¢ll go over gear, give opinions, and support facts. Instead of a neatly primped leader sitting at a desk or standing in front of a flag, imagine a boy that best resembles an ¢illiterate backwoodsman¢ sitting in the far corner of a shelter, the lower half of his body zipped into his sleeping bag while his thorax is kept warm by a fleece jacket, wool beanie, and fingerless gloves. The homily will not be given to an audience of congressmen, the secret service won¢t be in the same shelter, and all networks besides Fox will not cancel their primetime line-up. There will be no post address rebuttal or commentary on any news station or in my case Appalachian trail forum or message board. Just the simple ¢state of the Taco¢. A simple H.N.B.S.A. (see Blackhawk Down). This speech was drafted over many evenings by the Taco huddled in the corner, nursing a hot lexan mug of kiwi-strawberry jell-o.Good evening America. I trust that the day is treating you well and you have found ample time on this Easter to enjoy family, food, and fellowship. While an untold number of thru-hikers are spending this day humping mountains, the first northbounder to Harpers Ferry sits comfortably at his home in Michigan, in cotton jeans, listening to The Offspring, and sipping kool-aid. While many of you may be thinking that I am home for good, it is in actuality just a four day break to hug my mom and see those that I have missed over the last 10 weeks. Monday morning, April 12th, I will be headed back to Harpers Ferry with a lighter pack and a clear and concise plan to get me to Maine in about 11 more weeks. The reason for the change of pace in hiking style will be made clear soon enough, first a little time for reflection.February 1st, 2004; the first and worst day of my hike so far. For the first 4 miles or so there was not one little piece of me that wanted to walk to Maine. That was all that occupied my mind. I will be walking to Maine alone, for a further 5 and a half months. Alone. One of my best dude friends Andy would be away, attending classes, planning his adventure, working at a great place. I was alone for the first time and a little scared. It was just that small voice, the little dude that sits on my right shoulder, my voice of reason. Through the tears he would say, ¢this too shall pass¢. Emotions are funny that way because the dude on my left shoulder said to follow Andy and Lauren back down the forest service road. There is a point when even your gut tells you that this isn¢t for you but you know that your gut is wrong. Well, you don¢t know but you have to believe that it is because all indications are that things will work themselves out. And they do. And 24 hours later you still miss the life you left but you know that there is something else out there greater, and that is why you are still headed Northbound. To find it.Then 14 days later, in the cold and pouring February rain, those emotions returned. Headed up my nemesis, Shuckstack, at the foot of the Smoky Mountains with a painful right Achilles, a sour mood because I had just lost 7 days worth of journals (over 10 hours worth of work), and the weather was not looking like there was any hope of seeing the sun for the next 6 days. But something in you says, ¢just go¢. That same voice is drowned out by everything else in you that says, ¢naw, turn back, dry off, rest your ankle, journal, and head up the mountain when the you are dealt a better hand. Well, I am a firm believer in playing the hand you are dealt and making the most out of any situation. There is usually something to laugh or at least smile about if you think hard enough. But besides February 1st and the 15th I have not had feelings where turning back have entered my mind. The less days like that I have the better. I was worried that coming home would be the end of my trip. I thought there was no way that come Monday morning I am going to want to leave Allegan County. Well, Monday morning hasn¢t come yet but I have no fear that I will have any problems leaving here. In fact I am more motivated to get back into the routine of things in the woods than ever. Not that I have found a home in the woods and will be starting a new life as a nomadic lanky Dutch kid, but I think 2 more months will be just about perfect. Just 2 more months. The reason behind the expedited march to Maine is not that I am too proud or stubborn to quit. I am not sick of life out there. The motive is two-fold. First, though I have not heard it directly from the Captain of Administrative Services of the Holland Police Department, I understand there is a strong chance that the soon to be created Cadet opening will be held until my return. If that is the case, I owe both my brothers and sisters in the Cadet core (THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE WHITESHIRTS) and Captain Walters a little effort on my part to see that the Department and more importantly the City does not suffer by being short staffed. So for me to drag my heels and spend the summer screwing around in the mountains while my co-workers toil in the Tulip City would be a selfish and thoughtless act. Reason number two involves my eldest sister Gina. Gina has received the opportunity to get some much needed time off from work. She picked the weekend of June 12th . If I stuck to the original itinerary this would plant her and me in the White Mountains. I am scared of the Whites and I will tackle them in the best shape of my life. Plus most likely the family would come out to drop her off, pick her up, and then a few weeks later they would return to Maine to pick me up. So why not save a trip. The plan is simple. I will be in Monson, Maine on that weekend. We will then take as much time as her vacation allows getting through the Hundred Mile Wilderness and up Katahdin, most likely on or about June 22 or 23. Yes Gina is aware that black flies, mosquitoes, high water, and rough terrain will be plentiful. I am hoping that my other sister, Bess, would be able to make the trip too but it looks like it will be a bad time for audits. But do not think for a minute that I will not be having fun or that I don¢t want to be out there. The last two months will not be ¢just a chore¢.Besides the rough terrain of the White Mountains and southern Maine which I have allowed ample time to tramp, my biggest fear has and still remains to be the flatlands and rocks of Pennsylvania. I have heard mixed reviews. My favorite advice I hear is ¢they are as bad as you make them¢. That¢s more along the lines of what I tell people when they ask me if the trail is tough. The rocks I have already gone over in northern Virginia West Virginia have planted enough of a seed that I went with a full leather and steel shank boot to get me through. Before I left people asked, ¢Do you think you¢ll make it the whole way?¢ The reply has been standardized. ¢The goal is to make it through Pennsylvania. After that I figure I will be on such a high that I will float to Maine.¢ For the most part, I find that to still be true. Sure twisted ankles and blown knees are a risk the whole 2174 miles but I feel that once I leave the Pennsylvania my chances greatly improve. At least I would like to think so.Besides many small aches I have been greatly blessed the first thousand miles. My left shoulder has been my biggest problem so far. A separated shoulder my senior year of high school that never had adequate time to heal has lead to chronic pains and problems. It feels like a pinched nerve, but I cannot say for sure. All I know is that a lighter pack makes all the difference. So that is a goal of this weekend back home. Ankles, more specifically my Achilles, were initially on the worry list but they worked themselves out after about 3 weeks or so. I still roll my ankles a lot in my low top running shoes but am hoping that higher top boots will alleviate that problem. Boots have been the only gear that I have worn out so far. I even did the first 1000 miles on 3 pair of socks. By carrying 3 pair and only wearing a set for 2 days at a time you save a lot on the wear and tear of your stockings. Dirt is actually little tiny knives and the longer you wear dirty socks the quicker they go. My pack, the Osprey Aether 75 has held up like a champ. The suspension still creaks a little and the shoulder straps rub on the hip belt which shows obvious wear. But that appears now to be only cosmetic. I¢ll let you know if the shoulder straps wear through completely. The pack holds weight like a champ. It has held 65 lbs when I needed it to and it will do great at 30 lbs which is where I plan to be for the next couple of months. The weather will never be stable enough for me to become ultra light weight, but I am not sure that is the type of hiker I am anyways. Besides I have done enough 25 mile days carrying 40 pounds to know that while weight needs to be constrained, it is something that will always be there. My best advice I can give is to get a comfortable pack and fill it with as little as possible. A four pound pack filled with 20 pounds of gear and food will make you happier than a 2 pound pack with 20 pounds, just my opinion.I am going to stick with my Bibler Hooped Bivy which weighs 24 ounces and is my only shelter. I had to date only spent 2 nights outside in it. The rest have been spent in the shelter. I have slept many more nights in it but inside the shelter. It¢s hard to put an exact number on how many degrees of warmth it adds, but I would guess upwards of 15 and it is weather proof. I like the idea of a tarp tent and have to do more reading on it, but at this time I will be sticking with the bivy for the remainder of the walk. My water filter, the PuR Guide is a champ. At 18 ounces, it would be a quick and easy way to save a pound but I love the speed and efficiency that it gives me when it comes time to ¢camel up¢.That reminds me, ¢camel up¢ is a fairly common hiker clich© and I am not sure of the origins. Here are some others that I may have used in my journals. As much as possible I will give the author credit, that is who I first heard it from. Boogie time- hiking fast, usually the motivation behind this is food or a hot shower----The Solemates (Tricia I think). ¢If we boogie time we can make to Mountain Mamas in time for a cheeseburger¢.Superman (verb)- This is when you change your clothes so that you become almost unrecognizable. Usually done before rain or bedtime----Me. ¢I supermaned into my long johns and fleece after finishing up my squaw work.¢Squaw work- Typically the chores done once the day is over. It begins once you drop pack and ends once the meal is cleaned up.---Me. ¢Pumping water being my least favorite of all the squaw work.¢Pull- Used in many different forms, a good pull, a long pull, a steep pull, and describe climbs.--- STANIMAL ¢That was a good pull coming out of the NOC.¢Ground score- to find something cool on the ground. Usually nalgenes and other water bottles.---Icecold ¢Ground score! This candle is brand new¢That wraps up the cross-culture section of this run-on essay. How about a little about Pocketmail. Pocketmail is a great theory and a great tool. The problem is that the Appalachian National Scenic Pathway is not very conducive to electronics. Especially those cheaply made, assembled, and sold. I thought I had a deal when I picked up a 30 dollar JVC brand device off from Ebay. The truth is that it was a piece of crap. An average nightly journal takes me an hour to an hour and a half. When you lose a weeks worth that is a lot of time wasted. Two weeks ago I ordered an official Pocketmail brand data device and have loved it. I am still a couple weeks behind in my journals and that was a major goal of this weekend but family and restructuring has taken higher priority. On the topic of journals, I have found the website here to be a positive and constructive tool for both meeting people and learning about how to hike the trail. While journaling every night is not always on the top of my list of things that I want to do, I know that my memories of this trip will fade with time but the more detailed I am the easier it will be recall facts once the mirror and my mind tell me I am older. The most negative experience I have had so far actually happened sometime this past week.Apparently another northbounder, Magic, left a very ¢unfriendly¢ message in the shelter log at the Tom Floyd Wayside and actually cursed my name. (third party information given to me) He passed the Solemates and I while we were off the trail with the Hensleys. I then passed him early Tuesday morning on my 42 mile day. He was still at the Gravel Spring hut and his watch must not have been adjusted for Daylight savings time. Anyway apparently he condemned me and accused me of ¢blue-blazing and yellow blazing¢ my way up the AT. All I can say is that I have hiked all the white blazes, even when weather has suggested that the blue blaze routes would a safer alternative. I heard from some weekenders that he had passed me while I was off the trail and I was looking forward to hiking a big part of the last half of the trail with him. But I guess he hates me so I will do my best to avoid confrontation in the hopes that he pulls way out in front of me. Sounds like he wants the first NOBO crown, all yours pal. All you had to do was ask, you did not have to hate me about it. Yesterday after I posted the story about how I broke up some kids clam bake and tossed their marijuana pipes off the overlook someone signed my guestbook asking why I had to ¢litter the park¢ and I was ¢just being a tough guy¢. Needless to say they did not leave their name or email address so I am forced to make a more formal point of it to say that the only reason I did it was because it is against the law. While out in the woods there precious else less harmful (still just as illegal), when in an automobile marijuana slows reaction time, just like the commercials say. Plus I had family driving Skyline drive that day. So I was not being a tough guy, but rather just trying to make the world a better place. And yes the 4 inch long pipe and even smaller one hitters now rest over the Ivy Creek overlook. Those have been the closest to negative experiences I have had so far, the townspeople have all been so friendly and helpful. While the towns up north are a little less friendly from what I hear, I look forward to forming my own opinions. I am sure I won¢t be disappointed. Well this concludes the first State of the Taco address. In less than 36 hours I will be northbound again, aboard the Maine train. Finishing out the last half of my dream. Thank you and God bless America.