Pre-trail Jitters and Last-Minute Notes

In about 5 hours, dad and I are going to wake up, pack up, and drive over to Springer. We're shacked up in a little hotel in Dahlonega, GA for the night, about 20 miles from the southern terminus of the trail.

One of the interesting things about EDS is that it is often associated with issues regulating adrenaline release. For the last couple hours, I've been on a fairly steady surge of the famed "fight or flight" chemical. I can't explain why; There's no real specific reason for me to feel this stressed. It's almost more like I was stressed first, and I'm now searching for reasons to be stressed. An "effect -> cause" relationship, instead of a "cause -> effect" relationship.
Anyway, so I'm laying here with this adrenaline pumping through my veins, but since I can't identify a tangible issue, there's nothing for me to fight or flee from. Instead, this giant, heavy ball of energy is just sitting in my gut, and I'm so excited to go burn it off on the trail tomorrow.

Because this hotel has reliable wifi, and I don't know when the next time I'll get that will be, I want to clarify some stuff:

1. I'm not expecting that I will be able to update this blog every day, or even every few days. I only have my phone and one battery (the solar battery I ordered weeks ago is still in Texas...) and reception will likely be spotty at best.
2. The incredible amount of support I have been getting is unbelievable! I've been contacted by people from all over the world, and have page views registered from every continent except South America and Antarctica. I've been doing my best to get back to everyone that I can, but it's tough!
3. I will be posting pictures on this blog, but I suspect that I will be posting more over on my twitter page. On the upper section of the menu to the right of this post, you'll see a twitter button, as well as a live twitter feed. Check those out!
4. Finally, another huge thank you to my parents for all their support over the past 18 months. I know this has to be a little nerve-wracking for them, but not once have they let that affect this journey. I love you guys!

As far as the hike itself, the next few days shouldn't be terrible at all. It'll rain a lot, but it should be relatively warm, and I haven't seen any horror stories about ice.

It's a late start, but it's a better start than I would have gotten if I had left last week!

An Open Letter to My Family and Friends

Dear Loved Ones,
     Right now, it is technically February 28, 2015, which means that in quite literally a matter of hours, I'll be taking the first steps of an almost 2200 mile journey across an entire country. Don't think for a second that the incredible magnitude of this undertaking escapes me. I hope it doesn't escape you either.

We would do well to remember this fact as well: This will not be 2200 miles of pure fun.

     Now, that's not to say that there is no fun to look forward to. Getting my trail name, tagging Mt. Washington, petting ponies in Grayson Highlands, and dangling off of McAfee Knob are all moments that I'm giddily awaiting, along with countless others. I certainly don't mean to say that this is going to be terrible the entire way. In fact, I like to think that most days will be wonderful in their own right. I am expecting a phenomenal trip.

     However, there will be bad days. There will be rainy days. There will be achey days. There will be blister days, bruise days, chafing days, and yes, there will be dislocation days. There will be wet days, and cold days, and steep days, and days where the magic seems to be sucked out of the trail more and more with each step I take.

There will be days when I want to stop.

     It's on days like these that I will need you the most. If I call you up one day, in tears and ready to come home, it may be tempting to tell me that it's okay, that I tried my best, and that there will be a warm bed and a fire waiting for me when I get home. This is exactly what I will want.
But it's not what I will need. What I will need is for you to help me keep walking. Remind me of the 18 months I spent planning this trip. Talk to me about how it will feel to kiss the sign on top of Katahdin. Ask me what it felt like to reach the top of Cloudbelly Pass in Colorado. Hold me accountable to myself. Whatever you do, in lieu of an emergency, please do not enable my quitting.

     Family members, do you remember when I was born?  I don't, but I imagine it must have been pretty cool. I was thrust into this weird world where everything was too bright and noises were too loud and everything just freaking felt different. It may sound horribly uncomfortable, but it was in this strange new world that I was able to grow and discover myself, a process that I'm still continuing today. I don't know if I would go so far as to say I'm hoping to recreate my birth- that would be weird- but I certainly do plan to come out on the other end of this trip a different person. It is outside of our comfort zones that we grow best, and I look forward to a great deal of growth over the coming months. This is why I'm hiking.

     Old friends, do you remember when I was diagnosed with EDS? Amid the hormonal throes of puberty and the social hurricane of middle school, I learned that I was "disabled." For the rest of my life, my joints would dislocate, my skin would tear, and I would have to worry about another hernia. It was shortly after that I was diagnosed with KC, and told that without surgery, I ran a risk of going blind. I felt as though life had been wrenched from my fingers and spent spiraling out of control.
Fast forward 5 years, and I think I'm still caught up in that spiral, though I'm no longer convinced that it's downward. I avoid the "d-word." Not only have I learned to respect the limits that my body has set for me, I've learned to love teasing those limits, pushing myself to see what those limits really are. This is why I'm hiking.

     Newer friends, do you remember when I discovered rock climbing? Do you remember how scared I was? Not of the height of the cliff, but of the world below me. I was alone at boarding school for the first time, my body was screwed up, and it was around that time that a good friend of mine was killed in a car crash. The world was terrifying.
The moment I tied into that rope and grabbed the rock though, everything changed. I was able to pull myself up, by myself. I had a friend on belay for support, but everything was largely on my terms. This freedom was exhilarating and eye-opening. I began to see these challenges not as walls to stop at and glare in spite from the bottom, but mountains to climb over and relish at the top. This is why I'm hiking.

     Friends and family, I'm stepping into another new world, and I can't think of anyone I would rather have at my back than you.

I love you. Thank you.

Let's take a walk.

-Alden

Filler Post- FAQs

This morning, I posted on Twitter that my starting date is once again being delayed due to weather. We got another fresh dumping of snow Tuesday night, and with it a plethora of downed limbs, power outages, scary road conditions, and funny gifs of people slipping on ice.

My father and I will be driving down to GA on Sunday, and he will be dropping me off at the head of the approach trail Monday morning. Barring any major medical issues, acts of God, or world-ending events, this is my final starting date. I'm starting to get frustrated and annoyed with all of these delays. It's getting to the point where cabin fever is worse than being chilly.

To make this post a little more interesting than me complaining about waiting, I thought I'd cover a few questions that people keep asking me about the hike.

Q: How long is the hike?
A: This year, the trail is 2189.2 miles long. It passes through 14 states, has a total elevation change of 464,464 feet (Mt. Everest x 16) and takes an average of 5 months to complete.

Q: Are you really going alone?
A: Sort of. I am technically solo hiking the trail, which means that I'm not bringing a partner. However, there are plenty of people starting starting within a few days of me, and we will more than likely cross paths every few days along the way

Q: Why are you doing this? Are you a crazy person?
A: Probably! Also, you may be new here- check out my first blog post to read more about the "why."

Q: Have you read "A Walk in the Woods?
A: Yes. Wonderful book. Bryson is some kind of wordsmith!
*If you enjoyed AWITW, consider checking out "The Lost Continent," by Bill Bryson, at your local library. Also, remember to thank your librarians for the work they do!

Q: Did you see "Wild?"
A: Great movie. I highly recommend it for anyone over the age of 16ish.

Q: What about bears? Bears are big and scary.
A: There's a saying along the trail- Bears are basically big raccoons. As a general rule, they're more scared of you.
Along the east coast, the only bear you really stand a chance of encountering is the American Black Bear. While these guys are certainly large enough to totally mess up your face, they don't seem to realize it. As long as they aren't after your food, they are very unlikely to even show themselves to you. The biggest exception here is when cubs are present- If you come between a momma bear and her cub, your day stands a significant chance of becoming much worse.
That's rare, though. I'll be following basic bear safety- Hang food in a tree far away, make a little noise while hiking, watch out for cubs.

Q: How do you... y'know, "make a deposit" in the woods?
A: Many shelters along the trail have simply privies nearby for all your toilet-related needs. If one of those isn't readily available, there is a standard Leave No Trace procedure for pooping in the woods.

• Find a suitable spot 200 ft. away from shelters, trails, or water sources. Bonus points if there's a view.
• Dig a 6x6 in. hole.
• Do your thing.
• Dispose of any toilet paper, leaves, pinecones, branches, small mammals, or other cleaning materials in the hole before refilling the hole with the original dirt.
• If you are with a group, consider placing a pair of crossed sticks on the spot as a warning. Treasure hunters, always remember that in the woods, an X doesn't always mark golden doubloons!

Q: How will you keep in touch with the world?

A: I will have my phone. I'll charge it when I'm at a resupply point every few days, and I also have a small solar battery that is (theoretically) supposed to arrive at my house tomorrow.

Q: How many people actually read your online journal?
A: As of 3:22 PM, on Feb 27, I have 540 pageviews (not counting my own) from something like 14 different countries. In addition, I'm being featured every week on a weekly hiker update over at /r/AppalachianTrail.

Q: How will you get home from Maine?

A: Good question!

A Note About Cold Weather [Serious]

I want to take a few moments to talk about the cold, because I'm not sure many people really understand it.

Did you know that if you were to take your average human being, strip them of their clothes, and lay them down motionless in a tank of water kept at 32.5°F (0.3°C), they could succumb to hypothermia and die within 20 minutes?

Woah.

Of course, this is a highly unlikely situation. We are human beings, and as human beings, we generally like to do things like wear clothes and generate heat by moving around (except during lazy Sunday Netflix marathons, when we I do both to a minimum.) Both of these activities drastically increase your chances of surviving the biting cold. Neither of these are fail-proof, though; In fact, they are far from it. Everyday clothes can only do so much, or even worsen the situation (deliciously comfy cotton t-shirts, I'm looking at you) and moving around requires energy, and cannot be done while asleep.

Tonight will be Raleigh's coldest night in memorable history. It's supposed to reach around 5°F (-15°C) with wind chill rushing as low as -10°F (-23.3°C). These numbers aren't just cold, they are potentially very dangerous.

Keeping that in mind, I will be sleeping outside again tonight, in order to test my sleep system in as extreme a situation as possible. However, I am only doing this because I have enough experience to feel confident in my equipment, enough formal medical training (WFR) to know when the situation is bad, and most importantly, my back door is 15 feet away. Otherwise, I would be spending the night curled up under 5 blankets, watching Netflix in my undies and eating Nutella with a spoon.

"Now Alden," you might be saying. "This seems like a pretty extreme post, especially since people die on the trail so rarely. Is this really necessary?"

Frankly, yes it is.
Because two people have already died along the trail this year.

Granted, one of those deaths has been ruled a suicide, While this is incredibly saddening and my heart goes out to the victim's friends and families, I would like to focus for a minute on the other death.
This past Monday (2/16) the body of Kate Matrosova was found near Mt. Washington, NH, a day after her emergency beacon was activated. An experienced hiker and no stranger to the cold, Kate was a native to Siberia and had summited several notable peaks, including Uhuru Peak, on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Over the weekend, she took off from her NYC home to try and hike up Mt. Washington, which is notorious for being the deadliest peak in the lower 48 states. By Sunday afternoon, temperatures had dropped down to 35°F (-37.2°C) and winds were whipping at up to 100 mph (160kmh), bringing wind chill temperatures as low as -92°F (-68.8°C). It took teams of Fish and Game officers, Androscoggin Valley S/R responders, and Mountain Rescue Service members a full day to find her, at which point it was too late.

Now, this is an extreme situation. A very extreme situation. Most people will never find themselves facing conditions anything like this, but taking note of what happened still bears a lot of merit. Despite years of experience, Kate was taken unawares, and paid dearly for it. The same thing can happen to anyone else, at any time. Fortunately, we're usually able to cope with the issues and move on- if you're cold, go inside. If you get hurt, call an ambulance.
In a wilderness situation though, those coping mechanisms are limited drastically. A temperature 10° below forecast could spell a night of hypothermia and an ugly morning, at best.

So, fellow hikers, I ask you to please prepare.
Don't ask yourself "What do I need?"
Ask yourself "What might I need?"

*     *     *     *     *
Side Note
Due to the extreme conditions on the trail, as well as a suggestion from the USDA Forest Service, I've yet again decided to suspend my start date. As it stands now, my parents and I will be driving down to Springer Mt. on Thursday, Feb. 26th, and I will begin walking on the 27th.

Best wishes to those already on the trail- Hope you all are taking some well-earned zeroes and are staying warm.

*     *     *     *     *


This was not an incredibly fun post. If you've made it this far, thank you!
Hopefully I haven't done too much to ruin your day/hour/week/life/current relationship/other.

If you're worried that I have, go ahead and mosey yourself on over to r/animalsbeingjerks (<-- that's a link!)
Everything there is an absolute riot, and is bound to warm even the chilliest of moods.

Winter Storm Sleep Test

Almost everyone in the Southern US remembers Snowmageddon 2014; Inches of snow covered the entire nation south of the Mason-Dixon line and east of the Mississippi. Raleigh itself got somewhere around 3 inches, and shut down for days.
Not only are we just miserably equipped to handle more than a few snowflakes, but every day for a few days after the snow, it melts and refreezes overnight. Every morning, black ice is everywhere.

Well, today is supposed to be Snowmageddon 2015. Naturally, it seemed like a great chance to test my sleep system in a nasty, wet, cold environment. Since tonight went so well, I figured it'd be safe to give it another shot tonight.

It's supposed to be a bit warmer tonight- 23°F, instead of 17°F. Plenty of snow and freezing rain, though. In fact, every half hour or so, I need to punch a layer of ice off of the roof of my tent- it freezes solid!

Again tho, wrapped up in a 0° bag and Arc'teryx Atom down jacket, I'm pretty comfy.
Hopefully all will go well again, and I'll have another good post in the morning.

Sleep Test 1- I Survived!

Good Lord, when am I ever awake at 7:35 in the morning? I must really be serious about this whole "hike 2200 miles" thing.

In other news, I survived the night! Aside from some chilly feet around 11:30 (nothing a hot Nalgene couldn't fix) I was quite comfortable.
Actually, that's a solid ProTip: If you're ever camping and you get cold, boil up some water on your camp stove, pour it into your water bottle, and stick it in your sleeping bag. Not only does this warm your precious footsies, it will hopefully prevent your water from freezing overnight.

Anyway, that's my quota for actual real sentences this early in the morning. Too much more and I'll just start to sound kinda dumb.
I'm gonna go make a mocha!

I'll post more this afternoon about tonight (and maybe tomorrow night)

Cold Weather Test: Night 1

17 degrees in Raleigh tonight! When does that ever happen?

We figured that it's cold enough that all the friendly neighborhood vagrants wi be staying indoors tonight, so I opted to set up the tent and test out my sleep system. So far, I'm warm and cozy, and I'm not even in my thermals. I'm definitely going to stick out the night, and post results in the morning.
If all goes well, I'll do the same thing tomorrow night as well. It will be warmer, but a winter storm will be blowing through- Snowmageddon 2015!

posted from Bloggeroid