After returning home to Houston from backpacking Japan in late January, one month of cozy lifestyle was about all I could tolerate. After 3 months, the comforts became almost ironicly unbearable, especially with the beautiful spring weather screaming for people to enjoy it like the aroma of a finely cooked meal. (That's definitely not inferring I take this life or society for granted.) This summer's planned adventure will involve a flip-flop thru-hike of of the well-known 2150-mile Appalachian Trail. Rather than taking the 36 hour bus ride (with a few hours of layovers), I'll be riding Amtrak trains for the first time to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. (The difference in price was an additional $30 and about 4 hours total of layovers.)
Harpers Ferry marks almost the midpoint of the trail. From there I'll be hiking northbound towards Maine in a 2.5 months time frame starting May 8th. Then I'll return home for rest and return to the trail later in the year to complete the southbound portion, Harpers Ferry to Georgia. Hopefully.
Gearwise, equipment is mostly the same. The Therm-a-rest Ultralite Long has been replaced with a Prolite 3 Regular, which saves half a pound. The aluminum poles for the tents have been replaced with carbon poles, trimming another half pound. The fleece jacket will not be necessary, which cuts a pound off the pack weight. Adding weight, I will have a solar-powered battery charger and slightly heavier waterproof shoes. Trudging daily through snow in wet cold running shoes in Japan was...hmmm...let's say, miserable.
I spent over 8 weeks hiking the trail and 2 weeks hitchhiking home from Maine. The trail is a long walk, but hitchhiking is an unpredicatable adventure. Originally my intentions were not to hitchhike
home to Houston like last year, but I followed through with it and met some wonderful people.
Regardless, hitchhiking long distances can burden the soul- it's as discouraging thumbing a ride as it is stress-free just taking a plane or bus.
During the 8.5 weeks of hiking 900+ miles of the trail, I took only 2 days off near Darmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The lack of rest probably contributed to the mental sluggishness and numbness in the large right toe. How the numb toe heals will also determine my return to the trail. A couple of times I carried 8-9 days of food, which was suprisingly tolerable, but burdensome nevertheless. (I strongly believe the first time carrying 9 days of food contributed to leg pain and toe numbness.)
On the AT, hikers traditionally have trailnames, and a thru-hiker named Clown assigned mine: Nightlight (some people spell it "Night lite", "Nitelight," or "Night light"). The first hiker to address me by this new identity was Kung Fu.
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Journal Entries
May 8, 2004
May 20, 2004
June 4, 2004
June 7, 2004
June 9, 2004
June 14, 2004
June 16, 2004
July 4, 2004
July 5, 2004
July 12, 2004
July 13, 2004
July 14, 2004
July 17, 2004(1)
July 17, 2004(2)
July 18, 2004
July 19, 2004
