Date: 2023-06-14
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Miles today: 0.0

Happy Thru Hike Eve!If you're reading this it means my AT thru hike is no longer something gnawing at my entire being. In just a few short hours I'll be taking my first northbound steps on what I hope to be a journey of a lifetime.  As I contemplate my journey I feel much the same as I did the first time I went skydiving: Anticipation and excitement mixed with a little trepidation.  First, a thought (I know, dangerous territory). This is mostly directed towards the Appalachian Trail (AT) aficionados and through hiking experts both actual and self-proclaimed: I will often provide information that, to those ¢in the know¢, will believe unnecessary, irrelevant, or meaningless. Sorry. Believe it or not, there are actually people in the world who have zero or less knowledge of the Appalachian Trail and/or through hiking and all that it entails. I remember when I first discovered online trail journals and read my first book about the AT. How fascinated I was with all the myriad facts about the trail and the through hiking culture and community. The names of places, traditions, trail conditions, jargon, equipment, weather, culture, and, well, you get the point. There¢s a lot to feast on. Fast forward a few years and I would sometimes find myself yawning thinking the author was treating me like the village idiot with all this pointless recitation of facts about the trail that everyone must by now know for fact the same as they know 2+2=4 (except in Common Core math). Then the epiphany came! I had this random thought that while this may be the bazillionth hiking account I¢ve read, there is some family member, friend, or random person reading about the trail for the first time, and how they must be experiencing the same fascination with their new-found experience as I.  Perhaps the seed of someday hiking the trail is now being planted in their being.Without further ado...Intro (Every journey, every story must have a beginning)A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (Lao Tzu)So, does that mean a journey of nearly 2200 miles begins with 2.1 steps? Speaking of steps, I¢ve read and heard on several trail accounts that it takes about 5 million steps to hike the Appalachian Trail (AT). I¢m (well, Garmin, actually) going to count them to see if that¢s true.It¢s hard to believe that something I¢ve dreamed of for almost 50 years is about to actually happen. Each day brings an exponentially higher level of excitement and anticipation as my start date draws nearer. Way back in high school I read an article about the Appalachian Trail. The tidbit of information that got lodged somewhere deeply in the gray matter was that a person could walk, mostly in the woods, over mountains, from Georgia to Maine. I¢m still trying to wrap my head around that. First, that there¢s that much continuous woods and mountains that haven¢t been turned into golf courses, housing developments, or shopping malls, and second, that seems like a long way to walk. While not on the magnitude of Lewis and Clark, Magellan, the Vikings and other great explorers, this still seems like a big adventure.  When I mention that I'm going to hike the Appalachian trail I'm met with a mix of reactions, mostly positive and encouraging. There is the occasional, ¢That¢s not for me¢ or ¢Say what? Why would you want to do that?¢ "The whole thing?" To, that's so cool! I wish I could do that! Followed by a string of questions.  At this point in time the hike is in the early attempt stage; with a very strong emphasis on ¢attempt¢. The reality of the situation is strong in my mind that only about 25% of people who set out on this journey actually complete the trail. Let that sink in. Only one in four people who begin the hike, finish the hike. Lest you think that really, not that many people would try to do this thing, think again. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) estimates that over 4,000 people attempt the trail each year. Those are the hikers the ATC knows about. I¢m sure there are many more who don¢t register their hikes with the ATC. Considering that statistic:In our feel-good world where everybody should always have the highest level of self-esteem, finish in first place, and graduate without having to work for anything, our school systems would be twisted in knots over such a statistic. The trail wouldn¢t be fully accredited. We would commission blue ribbon panels to study the cause of the low completion rate. There would be no hiker left behind. Hiker remediation and re-hiking initiatives would be put in place until all hikers accomplished their attempted through hikes. If that approach didn¢t prove successful they would begin leveling off the mountain tops and paving the trail. If the success rate still wasn¢t high enough they would provide shuttles from Springer to Katahdin complete with a resource hiker to offer encouragement, cook meals, set up camp and read bedtime stories and sing lullabies. If you, dear reader, think that was so much hyperbole, then you haven¢t been a part of the American Educational Industrial Complex.  Sorry for the Bob moment. Back to the main event¢¦The Southern Terminus of the AT is a plaque on a rock on Springer Mountain in Georgia. Most through hikers begin their hikes there hiking north to Mount Katahdin in Maine. These northbound hikers are known in trail parlance as NOBOs. There are three ways to get to Springer: Drive, hike, or skydive (actually happened). Most hikers don¢t have the resources to skydive and driving isn¢t the easy alternative it seems so that leaves hiking as the more frequently used alternative. Hiking happens on the approach trail. The approach trail begins near the visitor center in Amicalola Falls State Park and is not part of the actual Appalachian Trail. That means it doesn¢t count. You read that right and understand correctly. The beginning of the hike to begin the hike doesn¢t figure into the five million steps. It¢s just another walk in the woods. Bonus miles. The warmup. But it¢s not just any ol¢ walk in the woods. Nope. The approach trail is an arduous, nearly nine mile long climb, including steps (yes, actual man-made steps. As in stairs. About 600 of them.) Sadly, some hikers have abandoned their through hiking dreams on the approach trail. I was listening to a podcast recently where this was indeed the case. The person said it was so much harder than they imagined. Hmmm¢¦really?. Not sure what they expected.In four to six months of hiking mountainous terrain a lot can happen to derail the journey. Heck, in normal life a lot can go wrong in four to six months (or minutes, even). So, yes, attempt. Attempting everyday until hopefully I beat the odds and am sitting on the side of the teeter-totter that is up in the air. (With the requisite, OSHA and other government agency approved safety devices, of course.)Though not an expert on through hiking or the entire trail tread of the AT, I¢ve been on the AT and in the mountains enough to know that the trail is not the idyllic path imagined by many. This trail was not imagined, planned, or created by Disney. Sure, there are stretches of well-groomed, nearly level, rock-free trail tread or fire road but those miles are few and far between. The actual trail, for the most part, either goes up or down, sometimes very steeply, sometimes gradually and seemingly forever, over an obstacle course of roots, rocks, and streams with each step potentially being the end of the through hiking dream. It¢s a well-documented fact that the rocks in Pennsylvania are particularly evil. And then there¢s the no-joke mountains in New Hampshire and Maine. As in most games of chance, the odds are in the favor of the house and the house usually wins.So, back to peoples¢ reactions and questions. I¢ll give my current responses while reserving the right to change my answer when reality merges with speculation and the real answer becomes available.Some of the most frequent statements and questions are: ¢That¢s awesome! or Why would you want to do that? How long is the trail? Are you going to do the whole thing? Are you going alone? How long will it take you? Aren¢t you scared? Are you going to carry a gun? What about food? Where will you sleep? What if something happens to you? What if you get lost? What about bears? What if it rains? Will you have cell service? Are you going to blog/vlog/keep a journal? Where are you starting? What will you do while you¢re out there?¢All fair questions and to be honest, as I researched the trail and planned for my hike, many of these same questions were in my mind. Based on all the trail journals, books, YouTube videos, and podcasts out there, these are the same questions posed to almost all through hikers. And remembering that the only dumb question is the question you didn't ask, nobody should apologize for their questions. Most of the ¢fear-type¢ questions come from those who haven¢t spent much time alone in the outdoors, or alone period, and can¢t imagine themselves living the through hiker life. Or they watch too many movies where bad things have to happen so people will watch the movie. Like really, how riveting is a movie where a kid is babysitting while watching a Disney movie, the power stays on, the weather is perfect, the children all behave, there is no conflict or controversy, the parents return home on time, and the babysitter makes it back home all safe and sound? It¢s much better when there¢s a serial killer on the prowl during a thunderstorm when the power suddenly goes out...When asked ¢Why would you want to do that?,¢ my first thought is, ¢Why wouldn¢t I want to do this?¢ I would rather be outdoors than indoors. I¢m not good at sitting around or sitting still. I like physical and mental challenges. I love hiking and camping. And I just can¢t get the trail off my mind. There are shopping people, TV people, sports junkies, beach people, woodworking people, car people, etc. I¢m a pretty much anything outdoors person and I love being in the mountains.My vision of hiking the trail has always been, wake up, pack up, start walking, stop to rest, walk, stop to eat, walk some more and keep repeating that cycle until I¢m tired. Sleep. Every few days, make my way into a town to get more food, get back on the trail and do it all again. My research has shown that many people take this approach. Others group up and form trail families (tramilies). Some stop at just about every hostel or town for a break from the trail (Taking a zero - hiking zero miles that day or a nero - limited miles due to time in the town.) What will I actually do? It depends. Depends on how I feel at any given time. I¢m purposely trying to avoid specificity in planning my hike. I haven't set a goal of daily miles (although, based on experience, I have an idea), actual hiking speed, where I¢m going to be when because I simply have no control of outside factors. Many people spend hours fretting over all these little details creating spreadsheets of mileage charts and where they¢re going to sleep, resupply and so on. Then, all that goes out the window when faced with the reality of the trail. Like Mike Tyson says, ¢Everybody has a plan ¢til they get punched in the mouth.¢ I¢ve read thru hiker journal entries and watched YouTube videos where prospective hikers lay out their plans. I shake my head in amazement when I see the level of detail some put into planning their hike. Some of these hikers didn¢t even make it through the first week and most didn¢t finish the trail. Their journals usually end abruptly leaving you hanging, like when you find a paperback with a great story line only to find somebody tore the last chapter out of the book. Pro-tip; if you¢re going to read trail journals, find journals written by people who finished the trail. Unless you like a good cliffhanger or you¢re reading my journal.When will I start? June 15. I chose that date a few years ago and stuck with it. It's the most specific plan of my entire hike. Didn't even need a spreadsheet to figure it out. I¢ll be making my journal entries by hiking day (Day 1, Day 2, and so on) and post when I¢m in a good Internet spot and have time to struggle with using my phone like a computer.Where will I start? Much as I'd like to start at Springer, I¢ve opted to doing a flip-flop hike out of convenience. A what?I?! A flip-flop hike is another type of through hike. So NOBOs are hikers heading north from Springer, SOBOs are southbound hikers who began at Katahdin and flip-floppers (they don¢t have a cool acronym for us) are the people who, for a variety of reasons start somewhere in the middle, head some direction, turn around and head the other direction and work it out so they still hike the whole trail. Some flip-flops are straight forward like mine. Others involve jumping all around the trail. I¢m starting at Rockfish Gap heading north. Once I summit Katahdin I'll make my way back to Rockfish Gap and go southbound to Springer. Why Rockfish Gap? Logistically, it¢s my closest access to the AT and I have a friend who jumped at the chance to drive me there. That being said, there¢s still the logistics of getting from Katahdin back to Rockfish and from Springer back home. I have a plan. But first, I need to get to Baxter State Park before worrying about how I¢m going to execute the flip. Or is it flop. All a matter of perspective, I suppose.Gun? No. Not practical for a lot of reasons. Not really even necessary. There are legal considerations, weight, maintenance, security, safety, and convenience. If you¢re curious about this topic, the Internet is full of articles and discussions. All I can imagine is being confronted by a person or bear intending to do me harm and I have to ask for a timeout while I rummage through my pack to find my gun. Open carry? I¢m sure that would freak most people out resulting in frequent encounters with the local constabulary. So, no gun.How long will it take me to do the trail? That¢s an unknown. My best guess is 4 1/2 to 5 months. Most people take around 6 months. Some hikers try to do the trail in 100 days as a challenge. Others hike it in sections (a LASH aka Long @$$ Section Hiker) over several years or just take their sweet time and finish when they finish. The current fastest time for an unsupported hike is about 45 days. That¢s an average of nearly 50 miles per day. I also recently listened to an interview where the guy hiked the trail in sections and it took him like 25 years. I figure to hike between 15 and 20 miles per day which should be a reasonable pace while hiking 8 to 12 hours per day. (For all you mathematicians out there that figured out the miles per hour and thought, Wow!, he's walking slow, remember, these are backpacking miles on uneven terrain. A huge contrast to a stroll through your neighborhood or the mall unencumbered by a backpack.)What am I going to eat? High calorie food of questionable nutritional value. Hikers burn about 4000 calories a day. After a few weeks they develop a condition known as ¢hiker hunger¢ where they are perpetually hungry and will eat gargantuan quantities of just about anything they deem edible. There are specialty dehydrated meals that can be purchased (at five star dining establishment prices) or a lot of hikers buy Knorr¢s sides, packaged meats, ramen noodles and other such calorically dense, lightweight foods. Then there¢s honey buns, cookies, Snickers bars, Clif Bars, and other foods similarly high in calories. Jennifer Pharr-Davis, former AT FKT holder, had problems with her portable stove and ditched it in favor of eating Pop-Tarts while completing her first through hike. All hikers look forward to supplementing their food intake with town meals whenever they get the chance. Water is readily available all along the trail during most of the year. Some hikers swear it¢s OK to drink the water straight out of a spring or mountain stream while most other hikers, including yours truly, filter their water. (Giardia while trying to hike does not sound fun.) While doing trail runs this is how I refilled my hydration bladder during my long runs.Am I going alone along with aren¢t you scared? What if something happens to you? First, going alone. There are a lot of people on the trail at any given time. That makes it sound like a New York City street. No, all those people are spread out over a couple thousand miles, concentrated usually around trailheads. I simply prefer going alone. I'm sure at different times I'll be hiking with others but that's not something I'm actively pursuing. Through the years I¢ve found only a couple of people I don¢t mind doing long runs or long bike rides with. I know my capabilities and it¢s frustrating to plan on a four to six hour run or ride only to have it cut short because the other person is having issues. If I¢m by myself and have to bail. No big deal. If I¢m feeling really strong I don¢t have to worry about leaving somebody behind. I¢m used to being my own playmate because most people don¢t get the same sense of satisfaction out of spending all day running or biking that I do. If there¢s a real emergency, I have a satellite communicator with an SOS button. I¢ve been hiking and camping alone many times in my life and was never scared or bored. I¢m looking at this as a long series of day hikes. What about bears? I¢ve run across bears in Shenandoah National Park and they have always been more afraid of me than I am of them. I give them their space and watch them wander off to do their bear thing. Sure, there might be that one but statistically, I¢m more worried about the people driving while messing with their phones than I am a bear. That being said, aggressive bear behavior has been on the increase since COVID. I attribute that to all the (expletive deleted) who suddenly became nature lovers and leave their trash all over the place thinking the rangers or trail crews will clean up behind them much the same as their moms must clean their rooms for them. And Disney has made them believe they are doing a good deed when they feed the cute, furry little creatures who are so unfortunate as to have to live out their existence in the deep, dark forest. Look at the proliferation of idiots who have been making the news lately for doing stupid things in our National Parks just for that selfie or some dumb Tik-Tok or Instagram video.Snakes? I¢m more worried about them than bears. Especially copperheads and timber rattlers.  Rattlers usually warn you with their rattle that you¢re too close. I give them all the space they want and then some. Copperheads are a little more worrisome because they blend in to their surroundings so well and don¢t warn you of their presence. I¢ve almost stepped on them a few times in my travels which gave me quite a fright.   Growing up I developed a mindset/strategy that has served me well in life. I think this started creeping into my being while I was a swimmer trying to survive some pretty tough workouts. When I joined the Army after high school the fear mongers told me that Basic Training was so hard that I probably wouldn¢t make it. News flash, it wasn¢t that hard. Because I had a secret mental weapon: One day at a time. One thing at a time. Go to sleep. Wake up. Do it again. Don¢t dwell on the negative. Focus on the positive. There¢s always a positive. Sometimes it¢s hard to find but it¢s there if you look hard enough. Make the most out of each situation. Don¢t whine or complain that life or your situation is not fair. Just play the hand you¢re dealt. Don¢t quit, regroup. I don¢t know how I figured all that out but it has gotten me through a lot of challenging situations over the years. I¢m confident that this mindset will get me through the trail. So, why? When I was 16 or 17 I thought the idea of hiking from Georgia to Maine sounded like a cool idea and 50 years later, it seems like an even cooler idea. Do I have what it takes? Only one way to find out. What better way to transition from the work life to retirement life?So, if you¢re reading this, I¢m already out on the trail somewhere. While I¢ll do my best to update my journal each day, I¢ll only post updates about once per week. If you wish to contact me (comments will be highly appreciated) please email me at this address: bobshike2023@gmail.com i can¢t promise I¢ll respond to all emails but I¢ll try.Borrowing some lingo from my hashing days (Google Hash House Harriers if you¢re curious), On On!