Date: 2004-03-25
To: One Week Left
Miles today: 0.0

Only a week left before I hit Springer, and things are really coming together.I made a big decision this week to wait to build the last 1/2 of my mail drops during a break for my brother's graduation in June. I realized that 22 mail drops would use a huge number of bags and aren't worth planning so far out - not to mention the space they'd take up in my family's garage. If I wait until June, I'll have a better idea of what I really need and don't need, and I'll be able to reuse my bags from the first half of the trip. I originally intended to have all of my boxes basically complete so that my sister and brother-in-law would only have to throw a few things in and mail it. It's a relief to be done building mail drops for a bit.I have my pack and equipment inventory completed for the most part. The weight without food and water is about 37lbs. That means I'll be near 50lbs when fully loaded. It's heavier than I'd like (40-45lbs would be optimal), but I'm sure in the first week or so, I'll be sending some stuff home. I may just have to eat all of my food in the first couple of days :-) I'm going to pack everything up today and put some miles on to see how everything "rides".I baked some bread last night for the first time on my stove. It turned out great, except I accidentally doubled the amount of potatoes in it and had to make two loaves. I'm sure if I do this on the trail, there will be someone around to share the extra. In order to bake on a backpacking stove, I barely pressurized my gas tank (to keep the flame low) as well as built a "twiggy" fire on the lid so that the bread gets heat from top and bottom. It all worked pretty well, except I melted the handle on the pot lid. I replaced it with some light-weight chain this morning, so all's well now. Today, I'm going to try a bean recipe that requires pre-soaking - how exciting is that?I had developed a nasty multi-layer blister on my heal from one of the pairs of boots I was breaking in, but the injuries should be healed soon. With 2nd skin and moleskin, I barely notice it. I tried duct tape, initially, to cover the 2nd skin, but it didn't let my heel breathe - the moleskin is working much better. I bought the local Eckerd out of moleskin yesterday, so I should be covered for a while.For the past week or so, I have been sleeping outdoors in my tent. It's been unseasonably cold here in South Carolina, and my nights have been good tests of how well I'll stay warm on the trail. One night, it got down to the high-teens and it was pretty chilly in the tent. The moisture and vapor that I breathed formed ice on my rainfly and made me reluctant to get up the next morning.One thing that I've learned during all of this planning and preparation, is how blessed I am in my everyday life. I'm sure it is going to become even more clear to me as I'm on the trail, how many things I take for granted and will miss. If it is cold outside, I won't be able to come in to a heated house. When I am dirty, tired and sore, there are no 20-30 minute hot showers to be had, no fluffy bed to sleep upon. If I burn my dinner, I will not have a McDonalds just around the corner as a backup. All of this really makes me very grateful for all that God has blessed me with - especially the opportunity to take this trip and the clarity of thought it offers.Well, I need to get some food re-bagged and am going to pick up some film for the trip. This is enough for today.