Bum knee

I had actually been avoiding updating this, because I was hoping if I waited a little longer I could just keep updating from the woods and it would seem like it never really happened.. But it did. About a week and a half ago I fell coming down from some slick rocks and busted my left knee. Thankfully I was less than a mile away from Standing Bear Hostel, so I was able to hobble in get in touch with dad, who bailed me out. I've been hanging out at home, in Moneta, VA. I went to see a physician who prescribed an anti-inflammatory, ice and heat, and a whole lot of sitting around.

So the knee isn't getting a whole lot better. I can igor-walk around on it (walk this way!) but stuff like going uphill or downhill, flipping over in bed, getting in and out of the tub, and stairs and general are all still kind of painful. It's likely that some kind of ligament is torn or partially torn. I'm supposed to have an Orthopedic consult this week to figure out what's really going on down there.

It's disappointing.

I've given myself 10 more days until thruhike 2011 is officially over, so send all your good karma to my knee and we'll hope that it gets better.

'til then,
moonshine

Bad day

Bad day today. Was an inch from quitting but feeling better now. Staying at a hostal. Arrival in Hot Springs, NC in two or three days.

Checking In!

The real Moonshine here, checking in from the basement of the NOC outpost in Gatlinburg, TN. Hitched in last night out of the rain. It's a beautiful day here, but it's supposed to be awful weather again tomorrow.

The hiking between here and Franklin has been alright, except for the bulk of the smokies. No views and no bears yet, but I'm only halfway through. It's been like walking through a big wet cloud.

Sorry this blog entry sounds kind of scattered. I always forget what to write about. I have a lot of great pictures that I'll hopefully be able to post in a couple days.

Yesterday I broke 200 miles! Yeehaw.
Now I'm taking a well-earned zero day. This morning I startled the Shoney's staff by eating an inhuman amount of breakfast food. Tons of entertainment all around! I'm looking forward to a visit from Dan shortly, who is driving all the way in from Blacksburg to visit me.

Life on (and off) the AT is good.

Moonshine.

In the Smoky's

Had a damn good time at Fontana Dam. Now 11 miles into the Smoky's with a bum leg. Hopefully it will be better by morning. Lunch time after 5.5 miles. Six more today. No bear sightings but plenty of scat. Leg feels better with pain killers. Weather is cold and rainy; typical Smoky's. Looking forward to Gatlinburg.

17 miles in the rain

Reception is bad but I finally got a cell signal. I did 17 miles in the rain. Feeling great. Heading to Fontana.

Camping at Wesser Bald Shelter

Camping at Wesser Bald Shelter. Did 11 miles today; very lazy. Will pick up tomorrow after a good night sleep.

Eleven miles today

Did 11 miles today then doing 16 tomorrow.

Franklin, NC

Wasn't going to stay the night in Franklin, but here I am at the Budget Inn waiting for my cell to charge! Staying with a big group of hikers after a 4-mile "nero" (an almost zero mile day) looking forward to town food, showering, doing some laundry, and calling some loved-ones. Tomorrow morning I head out to Wayah Bald, the first of North Carolina's balds, for a 5-day trek into Nantahala Outdoor center, then another 3-4 days to Fontana, the foothills of the smokeys. 107.7 miles under my belt so far, feeling great!

Until next time,
Moonshine

18 miles on steroids

Did an 18 miler yesterday on the steroid train. Feeling good.

Blisters are lame!

Did 13 miles to Standing Indian Shelter. Blisters are lame! Meeting some fascinating people. Franklin, NC the day after tomorrow.

Movin' on out..

Went to the doctor and got some 'roids. Hikings going to be real good for a while... Heading out of Helen today when the rain subsides, which should be about noon. Trying to make it up to Tray Mountain Shelter, which involves a thousand foot climb right out of Unicoi gap. I'm going to skip Hiawassee and try and make it straight to Franklin, NC. Should be able to dry out and update again whenever I get there. In the meantime, Dad gets here and translates my daily text messages.

Miss all of you dearly. On to MAINE!

Moonshine

Helen GA with Poison Ivy

I am staying at a hotel in Helen, GA this evening. It is a really cute town. I'm not sure exactly how I got Poison Ivy but its arrival is certainly not welcome! I have met several nice people and will be having a brew with some of them this evening.

Low Gap Shelter

10 miles today. Staying at Low Gap shelter tonight.

Today is a "dry out" "zero" day

I have taken my clothes to a laundry mat to help dry out from the rain this past week. I have restocked my food supply from a camp store. I will be staying in the same cabin as last night with a few others. Back on the trail again tomorrow.

Made it to Neels Gap

Have been hiking in the rain. Today I hiked 15 miles. It has been the longest stretch so far. Tonight I am staying in a cabin with a bed, stove and a REAL bathroom - YEA!.

Since Monday: Springer Mountain, GA to US19 and 129-Neels Gap, GA. I have hiked 30.7 out of 2181.0 miles (1.4%).

Hiking with new friends

First night was windy and cold but we stayed comfy. Am hiking with new friends Lucy and Kate. Now tenting 10 miles in at Horse Gap; expecting rain at 5:00 PM. Hoping to do another 10 miles tomorrow.

Day 1

(4:36 p.m.)Just set up camp at the top of Springer. Approach trail was brutal! But, I'm having a good time.

Way Down Yonder on the Chattahoochie

I'm updating this from the Hampton Inn in Cornelia, GA. We drove down yesterday and stopped at Biltmore in Asheville, NC for a wine tasting - delicious! It's really rainy and gross outside right now, but it's supposed to clear up by Monday morning so we'll have a pretty nice first day out.
Now on to continental breakfast with Dad - Hiker Hostel this afternoon.
Cheers!

ZZZZZOMG!!!1!!!

One week from now, I won't be able to sleep from excitement about starting the trail the very next morning! Unfortunately, I open the store tomorrow morning at 4 AM so I have to go to sleep now... But I just wanted to update about a few things...

I had my very last close at the store on Saturday, and one of my crew members brought in a cake for me.

So rad.

And I got my new pack and it is FABULOUSSS. Pictures to follow. The weight including about 5 days worth of food and 2L of water falls at about 32 lbs, which is exactly where I want it to be and I haven't even tried trimming off any weight. GO ME.

Really getting pumped now!

Updated Gear List

New purchases! I've been trying to update everything to more efficient and convenient gear while dropping weight... I think now I'll end up hovering around 30 pounds, which is about where I want to be..


Backpack: Osprey Atmos 50 in apple green. :) I tried one on at the outfitter and I LOVED IT.. but not the price tag.. So I went online and found it for about 50 dollars cheaper than retail. It's SO confortable, and almost 3 pounds lighter than my REI pack. All in all, a good purchase.

I got a lighter, larger cooking pot from Jason that I'm switching out with my 1L MSR. I think it'll be better.

I'm also considering not taking my camp stove, simply because I don't mind eating cold meals and because I don't want to have to be buying canisters all the time. We'll see how much my pack weighs with and without it.

I got a collapsible spork. It's pretty neat.

I ditched my old cracked nalgene and got a nice 40 oz stainless steel bottle that I can stick straight in the fire so I don't have to waste fuel.. plus it's free.

I broke the mirror part off of my compact brush so now it's lighter.

Got a nice small leather journal.

Made a duct tape wallet for all my cards, cash, etc.

Added a tube of superglue for repairs, etc.


For my sock situation, I'm going with 3 pairs of sock liners and 3 pairs of nice socks to change out, one of them being a camp pair.

Exactly 2 weeks before take-off! Freak out!

Happy Valentines Day!

Love is in the air. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday. Dan got me flowers and is currently making me dinner. I made him a valentines day treasure hunt this morning.

20 Days until take-off!

23 days to go

Almost 3 weeks left to endure before I embark on my really long walk. I don't think it's really started to sink in yet, mostly because 23 days still kind of feels like a long time. I suppose I'll really start feeling the anticipation around the one week mark. I know I have pretty much all of my gear in order and I will definitely be meeting my money goal by the time I stop working, but I still spend all of my free time groping for information on message boards, looking for last minute tips on the best ways to stay warm in the rain.. or what kinds of foods are best for providing the highest calories while weighing the least. It feels like I'm beating a dead horse and just working myself up into a nervous frenzy.
I wish there was more I could do to prepare, but there's not. All I really need to do right now is just ride out this super-long 23 days and hope to baby jesus that it doesn't snow anymore, haaaa. That's the only reason I would delay my start date, besides needing more mulah.

Here's some random thoughts off the top of my head:
I'm going to miss my precious angel miracle, Butters Stotch.
I'm going to miss my parentals and familials.
I'm going to miss Dan
I'm going to miss my dear friends.
I'm going to miss showering everyday
I'm not going to miss driving the chrysler.
I hope I don't have to drop off the trail before Neels Gap. That would be embarrassing.
I'm NOT going to miss Bojangles.
I hope I don't break my leg 2 miles in... But if I do maybe I'll use my remaining cash to go to Hawaii.
I'm excited about everyone who wants to hike sections with me.. Uncle Mike through North Carolina, Blacksburg amigos whenever I'm coming through in May, Uncle Dave whenever I hit Harpers Ferry, Dan again when I go through NJ..
I hope it doesn't rain every single day... I can handle a lot of rain, just not a TON of it.
I know that most of the time, the next 6 months is going to be hard.. Like REALLY hard. I'm going to hate it sometimes.. But I hope that through the difficult times that I can remember to smile and just keep swimming.
I hope I don't break my camera.
I hope I meet some cool people.
I'm really looking forward to seeing: The southern terminus plaque, all of the balds, NOC, Neels Gap, Fontana Dam, Black bears, ALL of the smokeys, Clingman's dome, Pigeon Forge (wooh!), crossing into VA again, Grayson Highlands ponies! Damascus, eating at the Homeplace for the first time, Waynesboro, Harpers Ferry, some plat hiking for a change so I can do some 30 mile days, side trip to NYC, walking through that zoo, Being in New Jersey, ALL of new England, Lobster in ME, and summiting Katahdin.

That's all for now. I'm going to test out some Lipton noodles and watch Spartacus.

30 DAYS

Apparently I have the mileage wrong in my banner.. it's 2,181 miles. Wikipedia lied to me.

UGH.

Just 34 more days.

A View

FINALLY an official gear list!

Backpack: REI Venus womens internal frame pack 4500 in maroon
Tent: MSR Hubba single person tent (not pictured)
Sleeping Bag: Mountain Hardware Lamina 15 degree synthetic fill
Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes Aircore inflatable
Stove: MSR Superfly with fuel canister
Trekking poles

Kitchen:
Aluminum 1L cooking pot with lid
bic lighter
spork (yet to purchase)
3L of water reservoirs wrapped with extra duct tape
Aqua Mira water treatment (not pictured)
Shamwow! (not pictured)

Toiletry kit:
Toothbrush with travel toothpaste
toilet paper
trowel (not yet purchased)
Wet wipes
Arm and hammer foot powder
foldable brush with mirror

Navigation Kit:
AWOL's AT guide
extra batteries
headlamp
pen
pocket knife

First Aid Kit:
A ton of Advil
duct tape
disinfectant wipes
bandaids
multivitamins
sunscreen packets
emergency lighter
extra hair thingies

Luxuries Kit:
Digital Camera
Cell phone
chargers
Wallet with ID and cash

Clothing:
Rain pants and rain jacket with waterproof gloves
2 pairs heavy wool socks
sports bra
waterproof socks (yet to purchase)
Spandex longsleeve top
spandex longsleeve bottoms
Merrel hiking boots
gaiters
fleece top (yet to purchase)
Digital watch with alarm

Camp clothing:
1 pair heavy wool socks
wool thermal bottoms
wool thermal top
Insulated down jacket
fleece sleeping hat
turtle fur neck gaiter
dollar flip flops

Summer clothing: (not in pack)
polyester t-shirt
polyester shorts
acrylic ankle socks

FOOD:
3 day supply of food plus snacks
Breakfast choices: Maple brown sugar oatmeal, berry poptarts, and instant hazelnut coffee
Snack choices: trail mix, peppered beef jerky, and dried fruit.
Entrees: Ramen(beef, creamy chicken, picante chicken, oriental, and shrimp) Lipton dinners(creamy spinach alfredo, broccoli cheese pasta, chicken cheese pasta) instant mashed potatoes, tuna, and salmon.
Seasoning: travel sized SRIRACHA!

get stoked!

If you're wondering why underwear isn't listed, it's because I'm going commando. not trying to gross anybody out, I just won't need it.

Pack Updates

I went shopping today and got a whole bunch of little stuff, including my first 8 days worth of food. Ramen, beef jerky, Lipton dinners, packets of tuna and salmon, oatmeal, poptarts, mashed potatoes, trail mix, dried apricots, and hazelnut instant coffee (Which is actually incredibly good.) I got a travel sized shampoo bottle to fill with Sriracha, which will be wonderful. I've packed some multivitamins to make sure I'm not missing anything important on the nutrient frontier.

I aired out my sleeping bag, which I shamefully kept compressed in my pack for the past week.. Butters loves my sleeping bag..



I'm so close to having everything completely ready! I just need a good pair of gortex socks and a rain cover for my pack. I've planned out much of my bounce box. A bounce box is a box which I fill with extra stuff that I may need periodically; extra batteries, tylenol and multivitamins, an extra pair of socks are currently set aside for that box. Then I put it in a flat rate shipping box and send it to a trail town ahead of me. When I reach that location, I can either open the box and use the stuff, or I can bounce the box forward to a new location free of charge.

My first mail drop is destined for Neels Gap, about 30 miles in. That was I only have to start out with about 3-4 days worth of food instead of a weeks worth, which I'm sure will be awesome.
My second mail drop will be to the Blueberry Patch, a Hostel where I'll stay on a recommendation from the thruhiker Swift. I have no idea what to expect other than a good time.

Right now I'm incorporating all of my new stuff into my pack, so this room looks like a tornado came through, but with any luck I'll have everything completely organized by the end of the evening.

Being this close to my start date makes work almost unbearable. I cannot wait to be gone! At least I'm trying to get as much overtime as possible. The more money I have saved up, the longer I can hike.

Also, it feels SO GOOD to not be in school right now.

49 Days!

That's right, 49 days until take-off.
Just got my Aqua Mira water treatment in the mail. Tastes great!
Not much to say at the moment other than I'm extremely excited. I'm homeless at the moment, depending on some good friends for their couches while I continue to work in Blacksburg and save money. I'm currently at home in Franklin County visiting mom and dad, who have generously donated a 4GB memory card to my new digital camera, which was a christmas present from Dan. Now just looking for a waterproof case to keep it in while I'm hiking.

More updates on my preparations soon!

Shakedowns!

I've been working on getting out there and testing the winter gear. Tuesday I attempted a night hike in Catawba, but the mission was aborted due to Dan's sickly-ness... Though we did stop at John's Spring Shelter and cook some ramen on my camp stove (With chunks of beef jerky in it. Yum.) Thursday morning I got up early and headed out to Angel's Rest in Pearisburg, which is just a quick 5 mile hike. It was a steep climb all the way up, but the view of the new river was incredible.



I met a 2X thruhiker, "swift" and we had some trail chat. SO cool! Always nice to meet a thruhiker. He's starting attempt number 3 in late February, so I may run into him along the way. He had some great advice.

I'm considering making reservations at the Hiker Hostel, which would provide a place to stay the night before my first day, breakfast in the morning, and a ride to the southern terminus for a reasonable price. The only real reason I'm holding off is because I may get eager and jump the gun on my start date.. March 7th feels so far away.

New boots! I bought them at Gander Mtn. and I've been breaking them in over my last couple hikes..



I wanted to get a size bigger than my actual foot to leave room for thick socks, so I went with a mens shoe, but I'm pretty happy with it so far. That Gore-tex should come in handy for a rainy spring.