Date: 2015-06-14
From: Bluemont, VA

To: Bluemont, VA
Miles today: 18.0

Answers for recent questions from Dave B. I like questions.   Here are answers. Question) How is the rest of your gear holding up? Tent, water steri-pen etc. Hey are you using the Ursack for your food.Answer) Gear is mostly holding up well. As noted, my Asolo hiking boots have some stitching coming loose. I will bring them tomorrow to Washington DC area REI and see if they will give me a new pair of boots.   If not, I may either buy new boots, or wait until I get through Pennsylvania.   The ~200 miles of Pennsylvania are famous for ¢where boots go to die¢. That is because of all the sharp rocks.   So I may wait to replace my boots in New York, but tomorrow is the best time I have to replace my boots are REI, so I will likely do that. My tent is performing flawless. I have been is some rain, but not any real terrible downpours.   I have remained fairly dry. The only water getting is is from the ground (even with the tent-specific ground cloth), but I am always 3¢ off the ground due to my air mattress. It¢s been hot. Last night for the first time I removed the tent fly, so I had just the screen mesh, excellent for air movement.   But a thunderstorm came rumbling through about midnight, so I hurriedly put the fly back on. Steripen is running fine. I replaced batteries at mile 400 in Damascus and will replace them again tomorrow at milepost 1000.   That may be a bit sooner than necessary, but I don¢t want the batteries to die in the woods, and I won¢t carry an extra set. I still use the ursack (bear resistant Kevlar bag) I seem to be the only one to do so.   But it makes securing my food at night really easy. I have asked my family to swap out my Kelty 4750 cu in backpack with the identical twin I had at home. We bought two identical ones in 2007 for Philmont.   I still have the same problem I struggled with on the SHT - The crossing strap is at my neck.   So I have again resorted to tying a string between the two straps.   My JetBoil Mini-Mo stove works well and boils water fast.   Yesterday I used the simmer capacity for the first time, to try to DRY my socks.   It worked reasonably well.   I¢m sure it wasn¢t designed for that, but it worked, sort-of. So my gear is the same as when I started and working well. It's heavier than some, but I consider the weight reasonable, varies from 22 pounds no food and no water to 32 pounds with food and water (cold weather gear was sent home at Damascus) Question: Are the streams and creeks on the AT bridged and wet areas board-walked like the SHT?Answer: Less so than the SHT.   The larger streams/rivers are bridged.   The smaller streams we just hop across on rocks, easy to do. I have yet to get my boots wet crossing a stream. But there is very little boardwalk on the AT. Doesn¢t need it. It¢s not swampy like the SHT.   The AT is well drained, unless it is pouring rain. Question: What flavor ice cream are you planning on at the half way point?Answer: Not sure, but the hostel I am staying at today for $30 gave us laundry, pizza, and one quart of Ben and Jerry¢s ice cream.   Somebody else wants to use this computer, so I will go and eat my ice cream. When in town, and at a decent grocery store, I really try to eat healthy, including as much fruit and milk as I can consume.   I have learned that I can¢t just drink pop and eat pizza.