Dawn of the Ducks #1: How it all began

Sitting here staring at a blank page, searching for words, unconsciously dipping my tea bag over and over again into my cup, a completely unnecessary action at the moment.

The tea is ready, but my attention is focused on the blank page. I realize that my CDT journey begins in about fourteen weeks.

It’s fourteen Fridays. Fourteen positions.

So I thought: why not take the opportunity to tell my story? The origin of Duckets, so to speak.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

It was the fall of 2011: unfamiliar faces holding clipboards, taking inventory. They smiled and were friendly. Every movement is intentional. They had a job to do and I didn’t resent them for that.

The rumors were true. The company I worked for had decided to close its doors permanently. I had been informed that I had eight months before closing the doors of my store for the last time.

What was I going to do?

Once the prospect of being unemployed arose, the nights became sleepless. I was restless. Even my bed had become uncomfortable.

I’m not exactly sure what I was looking for, or how I landed on it, but lying in bed looking for anything that might help me fall asleep, I stumbled upon a documentary about a trail, one that stretched over 2,000 miles, from Georgia to Maine… or from Maine to Georgia.

I wasn’t completely unaware of it. I had heard rumors that some people hiked the entire trail in one go, taking five to six months to complete.

At the time, I had no idea how anyone could find time to simply hike, replacing day-to-day responsibilities with a backpack and a tent.

How do they carry food for five or six months on their backs?

The logistics of such an endeavor had me completely intrigued.

That night I played the documentary three times, each viewing drawing me deeper into a world of adventure and beauty – a distance with a number attached, but nearly impossible to comprehend on foot.

The more I looked, the more my adventurous spirit awakened.

I still had no idea how people prepared to walk so far. I didn’t know anything about equipment. At that time I had never hiked or camped.

But as far as I was concerned, I was going to try it in eight months.

I knew he had that old tent in the garage.

It’s a good one.

It has capacity for five people.

Now I just had to convince my family that it was a good idea.

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site u4hk.