Date: 2006-12-31
To: FAQ
Miles today: 0.0

Well, it¢s the last day of the year and I don¢t have a lot to do so I¢m going to post a 2nd note in my journal. Every since I¢ve told people I¢m planning on hiking the AT I¢ve gotten a bunch of questions which I will try and answer some here:- Are you crazy?! Maybe, but the hike will probably help more than being a symptom of being crazy. I really enjoy being outside and hiking. When I was in college I flunked out and worked as a school bus mechanic for a while. I drove a gas truck gassing up buses and changing flat tires. When I would get in from my route I would get to work on repairing buses. I did this for about six months, got back in school and flunked out again. This time I worked in a textile mill on the graveyard shift for six months.   After that I went back to school and made A¢s through the rest of undergrad and grad school. Looking back on that time I think I enjoyed the outside work of a school bus mechanic so much that when I went back to school I still wasn¢t motivated. I hated working in a textile mill so when I went back to school I still didn¢t know what I wanted to do but sure as hell knew what I didn¢t want to do! I find it ironic that my career largely has had me working inside and sitting in meetings. Sometimes I would tend to get in a funk and my wife would tell me to go hiking. That has always worked to get my head straight.- Are you going with anyone? No, but there is enough traffic on the trail that I will always be around people. Finding someone who you can hike with for extended periods of time is difficult. You tend not to hike at the same pace so someone is always holding back and the other is pushing more than they would like. I¢m also enough of an introvert that I don¢t need to be with someone all the time. I¢ve found that I can hike alone during the day and then at shelters and campsites I¢m ready to be around people. I know how quickly a ¢community¢ develops on the trail so I¢m not concerned about being lonely. There is also enough traffic on the trail that I¢m not concerned about being injured and nobody being around to help.- What about snakes? Bears? I¢ve seen many more snakes hiking around home than I¢ve ever seen on the Trail. I¢ve seen two bears and they ran away very fast. My Scout training taught me about hanging food so animals have not been a problem ¢ actually I¢m more concerned about mosquitoes and ticks than snakes and bears. I think they pose a bigger risk to my health.- How do you get food? I¢m planning on not using mail drops (where you mail food ahead and pick up) but rely on re-supplying in towns every 4-5 days.- Are you taking a cell phone? No. This has caused more amazement than any other decision I have made. People are so used to being constantly in touch that they can not imagine not having a cell phone. I don¢t want a cell phone, I would find it distracting from what I want on the Trail. Some folks can begrudgingly accept that but wonder about emergencies. I know from taking my cell phone on weekend hikes that cell coverage is spotty on the AT so relying on it for emergencies isn¢t totally dependable. I will rely on the same planning and independence that folks used before cell phones ¢ yes there was such a time.- Are you going to hike the entire Trail? That is my goal as I start off. I¢m comfortable in not hiking the entire trail so if I get bored, hurt or it just isn¢t fun anymore, then I will stop. I know from my previous hikes that there are times when it isn¢t fun. Someone said if you feel like you want to quit the Trail, hike three more days before making up your mind. I think that is very sound advice. This is an adventure for my, not something that I have to complete at any costs.- How will anyone know where you are? I have a loose itinerary and will be checking in via phone and email when I re-supply.- When are you starting? I¢m planning on starting March 19, 2007.