Date: 2007-05-25
To: Still in St. Cloud
Miles today: 0.0

As of now I would say that I am 98 percent prepared to start my hike gear wise. I have covered all the bases, I hope. I weighed my pack dry the other day (without water and food) and it registered at just under 27 lbs. That is a little higher than I would like, but I have trimmed as much as possible at this point. I know that when I start hiking I will no doubt be chucking things I find unnecessary. But at this point it's hard to tell what those things are. You may have lots of questions about what all goes into such an epic endeavor. If you do, please don't hesitate to drop me a comment or an email (seanmarrin@gmail.com) and I will be happy to answer them. But for now, I am going to give a little run down about the logistics of my trek. Bear with me as I am sure to leave something out. Food: The Appalachian Trail is fairly remote. That said, I will be carrying everything I plan to eat on my back. By looking at the map I can figure out how much food I will need to last me until I can hitch or walk into the next town off the trail. Lots of people do mail drops and I will be doing a few of these. But for the most part what I eat will be determined on what I can find in the various trail towns. For breakfast I will be eating either pop tarts and or granola bars. Both are lightweight and high in calories; ideal as I will need a lot of fuel. For lunch I have decided to go the bagel and cheese route. Both are heavy, but they are high in fat and carbs AND will be quick and easy to prepare. For dinner I will be eating ramen, lipton dinners and or pasta. I have a portable stove so that I can wind down each day with a hot meal. Water: Fully loaded I will be carrying around four liters of water. This is a lot for some hikers, but for me, water is important and I don't mind carrying the extra weight. There are lots of sources on the trail and I will be using a kathadin water filter to cleanse my water as best I can. Pray god I don't become infected with ghiardia or some other random water parasite. Lots of hikers dip and sip, and lots of hikers are extra careful to boil their drinking water and treat it. I will be doing neither. Cross your fingers.Shelter: I will be carrying a small one person freestanding from Big Agnes. There are also shelters all along the trail where I will be spending nights. But on the off chance I get stuck in the middle of the forest and have to stop hiking, my tent will certainly come in handy. The sleeping bag I have is a northface 15 degree bag. It's super warm and will be my home away from home. Personal hygiene: Let's just say I will learn to love my funk. Showers will be few and far between. Again, I tried to address the most fundamental aspects of my life to be, but if you have questions, please feel free to drop me a line. I depart in about ten days. Two good friends have been kind enough to drive me all the way to Maine and drop me off. If not for these two, I would probably be thumbing it all the way to Baxter State park. At this stage in the game I am getting restless. I feel like I have been planning this hike for months (which I have) and am eager to get started. I would have started long ago if not for the strict restrictions of Baxter State Park. Typcially, thru-hikers are not allowed to start until the weather warms a bit to keep damage to the park minimal. One more thing. At the moment I am very big on quotes for inspiration. I will be posting some throughout and I encourage you to do the same. I love finding a good quote that gives me the strength and the courage to continue walking (whether on the trail or in life). So please, don't be shy. A good friend recently sent me this one, which I love:"At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can." -Frida KahloThat's it for now. I will probably be posting a few more entries before I head out late next week. Adieu,Sean