Author Archives: atsioneva

I’m going outside now. I may be a while.

Today was a day of ups and downs, quite literally. Harper’s Ferry is a town of many many hills, and I have come to know the biggest one quite well. Good practice!

Well, all the planning, all the panicking, all the purchasing and testing of gear and patience… It all culminates tomorrow, in the end of the prelude. Now comes the real beginning. And I will not be alone – because of the festival this weekend, I’m in what’s called a hiker ‘bubble’, a group of hikers on the trail at the same place at the same time. It will not last, as we each hike at our own pace, but for the first few, crucial days, yes.

Tonight I am very tired, and will turn in early, but I have some prep to do first. One of the things they offered at the festival was to have an experienced hiker go through your pack with an eye to cutting down on weight by winnowing out things that are not necessary. I took advantage of this shakedown – overall, I packed well, but there are things I am going to mail ahead of me all the same, on recommendation. The booklover in me shuddered, but I cut the pages with maps and town info for the next two weeks from my AT guide, and will mail the rest of the guide ahead of me. Cold weather gear I will hang on to until May, then mail ahead to New Hampshire in case I need it in the White Mountains.

One final checkthrough, reassembly of the pack as a stack, with the less crucial items on the bottom, and I’m done. The ceremonial sendoff / group photo is tomorrow at 8, but I think I will fill myself up on pancakes before actually hitting the trail.

Something tells me I will need the energy – the first three miles or so are supposed to very nice, but then a very hard climb for the next 3 or 4. Like a Harper’s Ferry hill on steroids. My throat is still sore, not completely recovered from all the coughing of the past week, but that too shall pass. At least the coughing has stopped!

Well, a long one tonight. Don’t forget to follow, so you know when the next one drops. I’ll post something really quick in the AM.

Peace!

The days of regular daily entries are about to end. I highly recommend readers click on the ‘follow’ link and enter email addresses, so you are notified when new entries do appear. 🙂 But up to you!

Arrival. I have a bunk. Stretched out on it right now. I stuck a pin in the map to indicate Nebraskaness. Once my stomach settles, I shall eat – that hill is still murder. Easier today than a week ago though.

And now back from dinner, with a stomach full of ziti. Six of us went out to eat, there are about 15 at the hostel right now. This is going to be very very cool! Scored a tube of sunscreen from the hiker box of giveaways – 50 spf! Exactly what I needed.

Words can’t express the coolness factor right now. This is perfect. Yeah!

BTW, the trail name Ziptie seems to be a huge hit. 🙂

Ciao for tonight!

Here I Go Again

Not much to report today. My face was numb half the day and I slept a lot… Dinner out with my sister and brother in law, another walk with my niece, but no caching.  The maps and a missing debit card arrived in the mail today – good timing, thanks, Tom. But I’ll have to buy new walking sticks.

Tomorrow, I head back to Harper’s Ferry. Time to start revving up the enthusiasm circuits again, they have gotten rusty during this annoying illness-induced hiatus! I plan to start hiking, /finally/, on Sunday.

Ciao!

Gah! Sunburn! I’m a pink!

Oh well. Small price to pay for an enjoyable day… I spent a good six hours darting from one museum to another on the National Mall – Holocaust Memorial Museum, American History, Art. I barely scratched the surface on any of them, but they all made an impact. Plus I took the tour at the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, and watched money literally being made before my eyes! I was so sad they didn’t offer free samples at the end though, most tours do.

Still coughing, still congested, but getting there. After I got back, one of my nieces and I went for a walk. Her parents may never forgive me… I told her about geocaching, and she’s all excited. I got her father’s permission to take her and at least one of her sisters to a nearby park tomorrow after school that has a couple caches. Nice to be up and about again, and to spend some time with them.

Dentist again tomorrow, yay. So I can have sunburn, numb face, coughing, sneezing, AND congestion all at once! Man, how did I get to be so lucky? At least my voice is mostly back.

Well, ciao for tonight!

… in which our heroine visits the dentist. Very very exciting! It was very scrapey. And something I meant to do before leaving Bellevue, but since I have time now and didn’t then… I have to go back on Thursday for a cavity filling or two. Necessary expense. No guilt.

Feeling better today, but still coughing, oh yes. But on the mend. I am enjoying the time with family… Picture two people – myself and my Nigerian-born brother-in-law arguing politics. Both of us with extremely hoarse voices, from similar causes. It makes for an interesting time. And a lot of coughing.

It’s been a long time since I left Maryland – nothing looks the same anymore. I think tomorrow I’ll go wander around the Smithsonian awhile, I haven’t been there in over ten years. Maybe even snag a geocache or two.

Ciao!

So far, a lot of resting; some sleeping; a fair deal of coughing, and some time for thinking.

I made travel arrangements back to Harper’s Ferry on Friday (train ticket was only $13), and staying at a hostel Friday night, at an EconoLodge Saturday (the hostel was fully book on account of the festival), which costs about three times the hostel cost.

It got me to thinking… I haven’t successfully switched my mindset from “steady paycheck coming in” to “don’t go over the budget”. I’ve been cheating a little, using the credit card instead of the trip-specific debit card. If I can’t get that under control, I’ll have to resort to harsher methods, like physical separation from the credit card… The problem is that I have the bloody number and other data memorized. Ah, well, I will work on that this week.

I might also make a dental visit, getting a few pain twinges, and I should get it checked out while the insurance is still good, to the end of the month. Maybe this extra week was a blessing in disguise, but grrrr! I was supposed to be hiking today!

If I had even half my nephews’ energy…

Ciao!

It was/is an upper respiratory virus, apparently. I have some steroids (should help me breathe, plus, stronger muscles! Yeah!), an inhaler, and medication to kill this cough that is killing my throat.

So… My older sister from Beltsville, MD was kind enough to come collect me until I get some better, I will head back to WV on Friday. My three nieces promptly braided my hair. I feel like I have been accepted into the tribe!

I did do some wandering around Harper’s Ferry before she arrived – the hill to climb from the Amtrak station to the AT Center is murder, particularly when you are sick. I chatted with a former thru hiker at the outfitter shop, who had had to postpone his hike because of the flu, so I felt consoled.

Also…  Apparently Harper’s Ferry is hosting a Flip Flop Festival this weekend for hikers like me, starting in the middle. I don’t want to miss that – plus it means that I won’t be the only one setting off this weekend, not by a long shot. Mixed feelings about that, but it’ll reassure some of you. 🙂 So that is good.

Turning in now… Exhausted!

Ciao!