Days 1 & 2

The first snack stop.

Day 1's campsite.

Harper was sleepy after a 14 mile day.

View from inside of tent.

We camped just below Long Creek Falls.

Ben making some tea.

Ready for day 2!

New Departure Date

So I am officially leaving on Saturday.  My dad and brother will be hiking with me about 20 miles until cooper's gap and then I will be on my own for a while (except for other thru hikers).  I am super excited! I am tired of watching the days slowly go by on the calender so leaving for the hike cannot wait any longer.  The weather is nice, I feel great, and I am packed and ready to go.  I have the greatest friends and family that have supported me and given me so much support and encouragement for the trip (including telling me they will kick my butt if I don't make it to Katahdin).  Thanks everybody for the support, I love you guys and I will be praying for you while I'm on the trail!

Saying Goodbyes

After a trip to Athens to say goodbye to friends and then a send off visit with my bike shop at sweetwater brewery(which is amazing) and taco mac, the realization that I will be leaving everything for the next 5 months of my life is starting to hit me.  It's exciting and a bit hard to grasp at the same time.  I can't say I've ever been away from Georgia for 5 months by myself so trying to predict how I will handle the seclusion of the trip is impossible.  Hopefully I won't end up a half crazed mountain man when I come off the trail haha.  In all that time that I will have to pray and meditate on life, I hope to learn something about who I am, about where the Lord is leading me, and what purposes he has for me.  I hope to grow intimately closer to him and to grow in my faith in the Spirit living through me.  I know God will change me on this trip and I'm thankful that he will be with me every step of the way. 

Nice Weather for Hiking Lately...

10 day forecast shows partly cloudy and 56 degrees on the 23rd.  I know I said I would wait til march 1st but i might as well get a head start while I can hike with good weather right?  The start date may have to move to a few days earlier, I will post if this happens.

Pic of Gear

Pack List

So I thought I would make a list of all that im taking in my pack:


Gear:
Pot Set (2 pots)
8 oz Fuel Canister
MSR Pocket Rocket Stove
MSR Water Purifier
Thermarest Short Sleeping Pad
Leatherman Squirt Multitool Pocket Knife
REI Quarter Dome Solo Tent
Sierra Designs 30 degree Down Sleeping Bag
Princeton Tech Headlamp
First Aid (benadryl, ibuprofen, neosporin, oral antibiotic, band aids, mole skin)
1 oz All Purpose Soap
Toilet Paper
Compass
Matches
Bic Lighter
Pot Scrubber
40' of String (for the bear bag)
Cell Phone
Camera
Spot GPS device
2 AA Batteries (for camera)
Backup LED light
Journal
Bible
Pen
Toothbrush/paste
Spadorkaknife
Antigravity Insulator (for cooking)
2 1 L Coke Bottles (for water)
Utility Kit (duck tape, rubber bands, picture hanging wire, floss, zip ties, seam grip, safety pins, sewing needles, hot glue, and copper electrical wire)
Trash Compactor Bag (lines inside of pack to waterproof)
Ziploc Freezer Bags

Clothing (including what I'm wearing in winter)
Columbia Long Sleeve Wicking Shirt
Target Brand Short Sleeve Wicking
REI Convertible Pants
Rain Pants
2 pairs of Underwear
3 pairs of Synthetic Wool Socks
Merrell Moab Ventilators
Gloves (water resistant)
Marmot Rain Jacket
Marmot Down Jacket (700 fill)
Long Sleeve Wicking Pullover
Nike Running Tights
Pack Towel
Down Boots (camp shoes)

Blog Started/Last Minute Gear Debates

     I've never done a blog before, so you'll have to forgive me if this isn't the typical blogging.  I have been drawing up some of my final preparations for the hike the past few weeks.  My pack after countless packings and repackings is down to 19.5 lbs dry weight (meaning without food or water) which is right where I want to be.  I was aiming for under 20 lbs so I'm feeling pretty good right now about the pack situation.
     Today I compared my MSR pocket rocket stove to an alcohol stove made out of coke cans that was given to me by Doug Riddle, a 2003 AT thru hiking veteran.  The alcohol stove is super cool and super light but it is not quite as hot as the MSR stove burns.  I can't quite decide which to take. Also, I'm trying to decide if I should take yak tracks with me but I'm just not sure what to expect with the weather. (yak tracks are basically chains for your shoes that help you to walk on snow and ice).
     Aside from gear debates, I have been compulsively reading and planning for the trip.  It's not that I'm worried, I am just ready to go now.  Not being in school can make me feel unproductive so it is easy to consider leaving to hike the trail so that I am not just waiting for March 1st to come.  But I know that it would be very unwise to start the hike now with the weather that usually occurs in February.  Patience is a virtue right?
     And so in the famous words of Vincent Tsai in 2008, signing off Ben Stephenson.