8 Days Out

In just over a week I’ll be back on the AT

Yeah, I realize that the title photo has nothing to do with hiking. But it does have something to do with why I haven’t posted in over a week.

Last week was our spring break, and we visited my folks on Fripp Island. It’s pretty sweet to have a beach home in the family (soon to be joined by my BIL’s beachfront mansion in Myrtle Beach). Next to being on the trail, I enjoy chilling at the beach best. Not that I like spending time on the beach so much, although that isn’t the worst thing to do. But what I really enjoy is the relaxed way of life- get up late, take a walk, eat lunch, hit the beach or go exploring, and then savage a seafood restaurant. I could eat seafood every day. Fish, molluscs, gastropods and crustaceans. Mmmm. I wish there was a source for freeze-dried scallops.

But even while relaxing at the beach, my mind was turning over the next section hike in my head. The Virginia Triple Crown, a leisurely 53 mile/6 day trip. I will hit the trail a week from tomorrow, but I face a hairy 8 days before that. I have back-to-back 16 hour work days this week, and a swim meet to work on Saturday, after which I will race to Indiana for my son’s senior college swim banquet on Sunday. Sometime around 5PM I will then depart for an 8 hour drive to Daleville, VA. And somewhere in the midst of all that I have 6 days worth of meals to put together and gear to pack. It’s absolutely all set up for me to forget something. Hopefully it’s not the TP.

The good news is that my base weight will be 10 lbs. even though this is a shoulder season hike. And with 6 days of food and a liter of water, my total pack weight should be around 24 lbs. Not too bad for a 6 day trip. I think I’ll drink to that.