Reflections On The Shakedown Hike

It's been a week since we returned from our 44 mile loop hike in the Smoky Mountains National Park. In that time, I've had a good, long time to analyze the reaction when the dreams of adventure meet the terra firma of reality; specifically where the adventure is the Appalachian Trail. I guess you could say I've experienced a failed thru-hike without having cast a shadow atop Springer Mountain. It wasn't the physical stress of hiking 7 to 13 mile days. It was difficult, yes, but I'm not kidding myself that the Bear Creek or Lakeshore Trais have anything on the ups and downs of the AT in Georgia (our largest elevation gain was 2000 feet on the Shakedown). It wasn't the blisters which, in spite of teflon liner socks, sprouted in wild abandon after Day 3. They were a surprise, however, since up to this point my trusty Merrill boots had delivered 15 mile days before this hike with nary a hotspot. It wasn't the lack of creature comforts, such as a comfortable bed, a daily shower and an plate of Szechuan waiting at camp. My hunger diminished drastically during the hike and I lost 15 pounds as a result. Eating became a ritual, a chore almost. And as for the lack of showers, well, I've heard it said that you don't notice others after being on the trail a few days. I certainly hope that is the case as my scent could have send grizzlies into premature hibernation. Still, I was not bothered by this. Hey, it's backpacking. It wasn't the isolation. Buddy typically hiked anywhere from 30 mins to and hour ahead of me. I enjoyed the solitude, though I can imagine those of a more social bent going nuckin futz. I returned to the office with a clearer mind than I have from much longer "vacations". The thing that put the nail in the hiking boot? Monotony - the one thing I wasn't expecting to be a problem. It's hard to imagine such a thing being an issue when surrounded by mountains exploding in the colorful riot of Fall. 15 years of anticipation laid waste by five days of slogging up one switchback, only to find yet another ridge to climb. The seemingly unending repetition of climb, descend, climb, descend. This was hardly my first backpacking trip, but certainly the longest. Many have suggested that the mental aspect of a thru-hike is the toughest obstacle to overcome. I agree wholeheartedly. Guess it was good to learn that lesson now, rather than on some ridgeline in the middle of February. I've beat myself up over it enough, though. Time to brush off my pride and work on Plan B. Plan B as in bus. I had planned to take my '66 VW camper on a cross-country road trip after the AT hike, something akin to William Least-Heat Moon's "Blue Highways" crossed with my Route 66/Pacific Coast trip back in 2000. No set destination. No set timeline. Just take in whatever unique opportunities I can find in towns large and small. I'm open to suggestions, so please drop me a line. In the meantime, I need to get Wendy (the bus) in some sort of reliable running condition. That could turn out to be a bigger challenge than any rock-strewn ascent!

Brother, Can You Spare A Lung?

I spent a good portion of Saturday evening putting together meals for the upcoming hike in the Smokies. Six days worth in all. Based on various hiking sites, I had assumed 1.5 - 2.0 pounds of food per day. Two pounds doesn't sound like alot until you begin weighing the ingredients - especially if most of what you plan to cook is dehydrated. Using a digital postage scale that I had around for eBay purposes, I put together the following menu: Breakfast Instant Breakfast, with powdered milk added Instant oatmeal, with powdered milk added Multivitamin Aspirin Lunch Powerbar Dinner Chicken noodle cup-a-soup (2 serving size), w/dehydrated vegetables added 20 oz Gatorade I'm barely scratching the 1 pound per day mark with this, so I might carry a bag of trail mix, beef jerky or both to supplement. With all of the gear, electronics, food and 2.3 litres (80 oz) of water, I'm coming in at 38 pounds pack weight. High, to be sure, but my body weight is the bigger issue at this point. Combined pack and body weight is coming in at 380 pounds! My knees will never forgive me if I don't drop more weight before February. At any rate, I decided to take a "hike" around the neighborhood to see how things felt: Distance: 2.69 miles Elevation Gain: 372 feet Elevation Loss: 374 feet Average Heart Rate: 131 BPM Max Heart Rate: 157 BPM Recovery Heart Rate (5 mins): 103 BPM My lower back was a bit sore during the walk and the abductor muscles in my hips talked to me pretty much throughout. Had to stop on most of the climbs at least a couple of times to catch a breath. It will be interesting to see how this changes after the hike next week.

Ruggedizing The Everun

Since my plans call for using an Everun palmtop as an e-book reader and journaling tool while on the AT, I wanted some way to protect the unit from water, impacts, blunt force trauma, rabid shelter mice, etc. Otterbox makes great cases for PDAs that fill the bill and the interior dimensions of their Model 3600 case appeared to fit the Everun like a glove. I found a deal on eBay and placed the order. Here's the case alongside the Everun: Unfortunately, I soon found out that the interior dimensions were not quite as advertised and the Everun was just a touch too large: After about 30 minutes worth of work with a Dremel tool, I was able to grind out just enough plastic from inside the case to enable the UMPC to fit. The display actually positions quite nicely with the viewing "port" on the Otterbox: A few things to note: 1) Additional modifications will be needed to enable the accessing the power button without removing the unit from the case. By drilling a small hole in the case and inserting a plastic rod and spring, this should be easily accomplished. Similar mods for access to the charging port and USB port will also be required. Judicious use of silicone cement and/or rubber plugs is recommended where such modifications are made to retain the case's waterproof characteristics. 2) Input via USB or Bluetooth keyboard is required while the unit is in the case. That's what I planned to use even with the unit outside of the case, but your mileage may vary. 3) Some repositioning of the rubber gasket on the case may be needed, depending on how much of the interior you grind out. 4) Weight of the case, standard 2200 mAh battery and Everun is 2.01 pounds. Not insignificant, but still not a bad trade-off considering I won't have to pack a journal or a book. Practical? For me, yes, but probably not for someone who plans to restrict their use to the "civilized" world. Until someone comes out with a Everun-specific case, this seems to be a very good solution. Scott

Tech On The Trail

Tech on the trail is a somewhat tricky subject amongst AT thru-hikers. Some feel that it is a violation of the wilderness to enter the long green tunnel with anything more advanced than a LED headlamp. Others wouldn't dream of taking the first step without their iPhonePodBerry safely ensconced in their pack. I'm thinking something a bit more hybrid. I do think that loud conversations on cell phones and MP3 players blasting out tunage is a distraction, but I also think that technology, when used discretely, is not a problem. As the mantra goes, "Hike your own hike". I hope to be able to keep posting while on the AT and to that end, I'm putting together a solution which (hopefully) will allow me to "go green"; using solar power to keep my palmtop and digital camera alive for the duration of the journey. After exchanging several e-mails with vendors, I've ordered the components of what I hope will be just such a system: - Raon Everun UMPC w/ 2300 mAh battery (Blogging, photo uploads, e-books) Weight: 1.0 lbs http://www.dynamism.com/everun/main.shtml - Raon Everrun 4000 mAh battery Weight: .25 lbs - Xantrex PowerSource Mobile 100 (4000 mAh battery w/ AC inverter) Weight: 1.05 lbs http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/233/p/1/pt/5/product.asp - Global Solar P3 - 15 watt/12 volt Folding solar panel Weight: 1.6 lbs http://www.globalsolar.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=67 - Targus Mobile 70 Universal AC Adapter (To charge Everun and digital camera from PowerSource Mobile) Weight: .5 pounds http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=APM10US Total System Weight: 4.4 lbs While the setup won't exactly earn kudos from the ultralight hiking crowd, it's about the best config that I have been able to work out thus far. As soon as the components arrive, I will post the results.