Day two!

Well, the second day that I went out.  Today I wore shorts (!) and took the dog with me.  Poor little old man, he is too old for distance.  At least he’s easy to carry.
 

That little black and white dot is the dog.

Today I realized that I didn’t learn anything the first time.  I still forgot the pen and paper.  I also forgot a nail file, which I needed almost immediately.  I wore my ancient, good-for-nothing tennis shoes and walked on one of the more hilly, unpaved trails.  I enjoyed the trip so much more!  I don’t know if it was the shoes or the lack of gravel but the trail seemed much more forgiving, even though the grade was more extreme.

I came across an old cemetery at the top of one of the hills.  The large slab belonged (from what I could tell) to Lucy Fitzhugh and (I may have read) her husband Edward Stewart.  The only date I could make out was August 1863.  I’m going to go back and take a rubbing.  I’m also going to try to decipher the other stones.  I’ll also see what the internet can tell me.  How exciting! 

 

Day one training for the super hike!

After reading Bill Bryson's A Walk In the Woods a few years ago, I was inspired to hike the Appalachian Train.  Unfortunately, I was sitting of a big gray boat in the middle of the ocean at the time so my enthusiasm had no outlet.  But, now I'm back and getting ready for the adventure, which will commence in four years once I break my pesky job habit.  So, I have plenty of time to train up to get ready for this beast!

I went out today and hiked six miles through the state park near the house.  Not too shabby.  My pack was no where near the weight it will end up being but I’ll be damned if the stupid thing wasn’t heavier on the return trip than it was heading out.  Here are some things that I was thinking about (in no particular order):

What do women do about their specific hygiene issues?  Everything I’ve read has people taking only the clothes on their backs and an extra pair of socks.  I get that I won’t be having regular showers but what about down there?  Taking seven tons of baby wipes doesn’t seem like the best solution.  And what about the monthly visitor?  What in the world am I supposed to do about that?

I should be sure not to forget pen and paper.  I’m pretty certain I won’t forget it when I leave for real, but I should bring some on these short hikes, too.  Then I can write all of this stuff down as it occurs to me instead of trying to remember it when I get back and really just want to pass out.

Oh my word.  Do I need to get a fanny pack?  As I was today, I was repeatedly taking my pack off and putting it back so I could get to things.  I tried just reaching around but that was totally ineffective.  Even the water bottle was a chore to get to.

Speaking of the water…  There has got to be a better way to get at that thing than what I’m doing now.  And, how much water can I expect to drink each day?  In the three hours I was out there I went through a 33.8 ounce bottle.  Jesus!  Just the thought of hiking around with three days worth at that rate is enough to make me want to crawl under a log and die.

What about boots?  My boots were killing my ankles by the time I was done.  I know I have to break them in, though, so I’ll consider them at a later date.  Do I need to arrange replacement boots for while I’m out there?

I think that’s it.  Pen and paper tomorrow so I can remember more.