does anybody even realize what this all entails?
i think that's one of the strangest things about this blog, about this trip, about life and our interactions...as much as i write, as much as you read, as much as we talk, we will never know wholly what each other is experiencing. its such a strange thing to travel through all of this world alone in our journeys, yet to realize that, at least to the extent to which we can, we are together. does that make any sense? each moment is experienced as an individual; each life lead as a single; yet, somehow, on the grand scheme of things, i think, we're one. maybe? maybe this is heat-induced ramble. but, what i'm saying is, you probably don't know anything about what i'm doing, and i probably don't know anything about what you're doing, and i wonder if you wonder. so, as prompted by a recent request from my dad, here is some basic, bread and butter information. the questions that everybody wants to ask. the questions i hate to answer. the basics.
each day, i wake up around 7 and get ready to move. sometimes i sleep in a shelter, but lately i've been tenting because the mosquitos are horrendous in the lovely state of PA.
for breakfast i usually eat two packets of oatmeal and drink 32 ounces of water.
my pack weighs (i'm totally guessing on this) somewhere between 30-40 pounds. i believe i must have started with around 70 pounds.
i started the 16th of april, and i hope to finish before the end of september.
i would say i average around 18 miles a day, buts its really kind of hard to say. we've done 3 mile days, we've done 30 mile days.
things i eat on the trail....cliff bars, power bars, basically anything ending in the word "bar," dehydrated fruit, tortillas, oatmeal, pasta dishes for dinner...nothing too excitng and nothing too delicious.
lately i've been hiking at a pretty steady pace of 3 miles an hour. i can hike faster, and often do, and with this ability has come the confidence to know that i can laze around for most of the day and still get some decent miles in eventually. some say we hike fast so that we have longer to sit around :)
i have not seen a bear. everyone i know, however, has seen at least two. i have seen a skunk and approximatley 16,000 chipmunks, though.
i have not seen a rattlesnake.
i have not seen a unicorn (yet)
since harper's ferry, an amazing amount of hikers have shown up. for the last couple of weeks i have met at least one new thru-hiker a day. this place, duncannon, is one of the last places for us to all meet up, so its guaranteed that, from here, we will see less people as the bubble spreads out once again.
i carry an osprey pack, vasque boots, an alcohol stove, a 45 degree marmot sleeping bag liner, an MSR PCT tent...
i bought some new hiking shorts yesterday. they're hot pink.
no, i don't filter water. yes, i drink water directly from creeks and streams. yes, its dangerous and yes, i'm one of the only people that doesn't use some kind of water purification system. i'm insane, what can i say.
it has been insanely hot lately. 102 degrees yesterday. we didn't hike.
god, i'm boring myself, but it has been striking me recently how little people actually know about what it is that i'm actually doing, besides just wandering around in the woods like the lost nomad that i am.
okay, i'm peacing out.
i love you.
that's right.
you.
posted by beck @ 9:54 AM
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