Final touches before starting the AT!

Two days left!

I’m officially headed to Amicalola Falls Lodge and State Park on the 29th. My sister and brother-in-law are taking me to the state park and on the 29th we’ll spend the night at the lodge and spend the rest of the day hiking the Amicalola Falls stairs and hopefully if we get there before the office closes, we’ll be able to grab my AT Thru hiker tag.

I’ve spent these last few weeks connecting with friends, going to the beach when I can, and checking each and every item on my list. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll bring toilet paper or not 😛

Am I nervous?

I would say that since I’ve been planning this trip for the last six months, I haven’t really experienced any extreme anxiety about it. As last week started to come to a close and I’m getting closer to the end, my nerves have definitely started to get worse. I think because I’ve wanted to achieve something like this for so long and been working towards it, I have a huge fear of failure. After having major shoulder surgery a little over 5 months ago and occasionally suffering a knee injury on my day hikes last year when I lived in Boone, North Carolina, I had a bit of anxiety about my health as an injury took me off the trail.

My backpack is pretty heavy now, I think I weighed around 32 pounds with food included. It definitely weighs on my shoulder a little even though the load lifters in the bag help a lot! I’ve walked around the neighborhood a bit with my backpack and I’m hoping that once I’m on the trail I’ll acclimatize well. I started a joint supplement before my hike started and bought KT tape and compression knee wraps to try to prepare myself for any pain.

Overall, I’m nervous but very excited. Today I was walking the nature trail behind my house and I was practicing hanging my PCT bear on a tree and it made me feel like everything was falling into place. I’ve been doing silly things like checking the weather in Georgia twice a day and packing my bag and then unpacking it over and over so I know it’s time to go.

I’ve also been testing out all my gear, which has been a lot of fun. Just today, I practiced my first PCT hangers to hang my food at night and keep it away from bears 🙂 Also, before they come for me, I know this isn’t risky enough to protect me from bears, but I’m really just trying to hang!

Last Minute Gear Items

While I can bring some wipes for step #2 on the trail, one last minute item I purchased before I started is a bidet attachment for my water bottle. I’ve gotten quite a few sideways glances when I’ve told people I’d use a bidet on the go instead of bringing a roll of toilet paper, but as someone who’s used a bidet for years, it doesn’t get any cleaner than that! I will say that walking around all day and using the bathroom, I feel like using the bidet will keep me more comfortable and clean. The only thing is figuring out the angles to use it, but don’t worry, I won’t post it here 🙂

Another last minute item I recently purchased is a bottle of permethrin spray to treat my clothes to prevent ticks from biting me. There have already been record temperatures in the Appalachian Mountains this year, so I imagine the ticks will be worse if it stays warm. I also carried doxycycline antibiotics in case I get bitten by a tick, as it has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of tick-borne diseases.

I would say the first thing they ask me if I’m going to follow the trail is…

No, I’m not bringing a gun. Of course, I have concerns. The news constantly repeats the madness we face every day. Carrying a gun for 2,200 miles and not only maintaining it in adverse weather conditions, but also having that extra weight on your back and shoulders the entire way just doesn’t seem worth it. States have different laws on concealed carry and since I will be going through 14 of them, the idea of ​​managing that is crazy. I think for the next 6 months, it would be good to believe in the good in people and not stress so much anyway.

Fishing rod? What am I going to eat?

This is peculiar! When I was first asked if I would bring a fishing rod, I thought twice because I had never thought about doing that. After that, I was asked two more times and it’s a legit idea people have! Of course, I’ve never been a big fisherman and I personally wouldn’t carry a fishing rod or cleaning tools due to the extra weight and extra logistics, but I think this question stems from what I’m going to eat along the way.

I have bought all kinds of things. Ramen, instant mashed potatoes, beef jerky, Nerds gummy clusters, oatmeal. Most of my stuff is stuff I can eat on the go, like candy or granola bars, and then stuff I can boil water at the end of the day and mix together. There are many ways to improve your diet along the way, but I have accepted that the majority of my diet will consist of processed foods, with opportunities in the cities I pass through to get a quality meal. I’m bringing dried fruits to try to provide a little more fiber.

I really want to be more active because honestly, I’ve been a little sedentary since my shoulder surgery. I’m sure the trail will kick my butt at first, but in time, I’ll get my legs back and get used to things 🙂

Frequency of publications?

I want to thank everyone who has subscribed to this blog so far. I think that’s really cool and means a lot. I’m starting this journey with a ton of support and I appreciate it all. I will say that I’m not sure yet how often I’ll post or when, as I’ll figure out my routine once I’m on the road and putting in the miles. I hope to post at least once a week, but if a month goes by, know that I was having a great time or that I had been eaten by a bear!

Thanks for coming to my chat tent 🙂

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