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The Bass Pro gift card is but a memory now! I emptied my pack, and drove out into Iowa to pay the place a visit. A very helpful saleswoman helped me load three cast iron skillets into the pack, then it was over to the shoe department to pick out boots and walk around a bit with a load on my back. I settled on a nice pair – sized 1/2 size larger than I usually wear, and wide; feet flatten and widen during long hikes. I bought some liquid soap, too.

Then… I fell victim to a classic AYCE. AYCEs are eagerly sought after and celebrated while on the trail, but not generally a good idea for the less-calorie-burning.

All You Can Eat

Bass Pro hosts a all you can eat fish fry on Fridays. Ooooh, was it good, coupled with a Guinness, but I couldn’t do it the justice a real hiker could! I ate early enough that I’ll be able to do my usual treadmilling later, no problem. 🙂

Then I sort my gear for a Saturday-Sunday winter camping/hiking trip. 🙂

Easier tonight, and the time seemed to go a lot faster, but I won’t claim it’s easy. 🙂 I was buoyed up by the thought that since God sent a set of seeming coincidences into my life when I begged him to, I better live up to my end of the bargain! It was a toss-up whether I would treadmill, or actually hit the sidewalks, but by the time I got around to it, the snow melt puddles were refreezing, and I didn’t feel like dodging ice patches.

Not much else to report tonight – Saturday, I plan to do some shopping online at REI or at Bass Pro in Iowa, so I need to draw up a sensible list. I keep *meaning* to, but… well, my brain wanders and I have to go find it.

God is good. God is so good!!!

I will be able to go on this hike without my medical bills hanging over my head. Wells Fargo is running a promotion that will enable me to pay them all off, NOW, and then gradually pay the bank back over the next 15 months without interest.  I’ll even have a little extra spending money! It is no exaggeration to say that right now, my eyes are leaking a bit. I guess God is willing that I go on and do this!

Yesterday’s treadmilling was hard. It’s not advised to eat a large meal of delicious Mexican first, but I stuck it out. 🙂 My ankles are sore today, I really need to buy some new boots that fit with good ankle support! Soon!!

This weekend will be some winter camping – temps in the high 40’s in the daytime, above freezing at night. Time to get off the treadmill, test out the 20 degree sleeping bag, tent, camping stove, etc… and do some /real/ hiking. Indian Cave has some steep trails, down by the Missouri River south of here. I will go there.

Forgive me, I am a little puddle of relief right now. Those bills were like an anchor dragging me down. *rubs eyes*

Another coffee break for Sisyphus!

1/4 of the time has disappeared!

Well, yesterday felt like I was walking with a bowling ball on my back.
Oh, wait. I was.
When I weighed 17 lbs more (which I do not miss), the weight was a lot easier to bear. Never noticed it. But 17 lbs on the back can get increasingly heavy. 🙂 I kept to the 5%/10% 5 minutes intervals, followed by a 3 min cool down, will try to switch it up soon, but doing it in 5 minute chunks seems to work for keeping it from being mind-numbingly boring. Just somewhat boring! 🙂

Today, I was carrying a full load of discouragement and doubt, and it felt heavier than the pack. Fortunately, I’m mostly over it now. God will either let me do the walk… or I’m not meant to. But I’m for sure going to make a good crack at it! Another kidneystone, but a friend recommended magnesium. It has helped him – I will try it out.

I am sending all three pairs of boots/trail runners back, actually; the pair I liked the most are too narrow, now that I assess more objectively. Feet tend to flatten and get bigger on trail, and cramped feet lead to sweating and blisters. I think I’ll end up going to Bass Pro or Cabelas and selecting a pair in the store instead. Also a pack cover, pepper spray, stuff bags, and a few other things. Oddly, backpacks are not waterproof.

I cannot wait to get on the trail. If I could start in March, I would, but it’s not practical. Starting from Harper’s Ferry, I could even start toward the end of April, instead of the beginning, and I have not completely ruled that out either. My train tickets are adjustable, I made sure of that. But… I’d rather not. We’ll see…

Ciao for tonight!

Annnnd last night saw me sleepless at 1AM, logisticizing! I really couldn’t turn my brain off enough to get to sleep, so I started plotting the first week out. They strongly advise you to walk no more than 8-10 miles a day for the first week or two, at least, no matter how much preconditioning you have done. So I will start in Harpers Ferry on a Monday, and walk to Blue Ridge Summit, PA, about 44 miles away, arriving on Saturday in time to restock food supplies and go to Mass at 4:3o. There’s a shelter only two miles or so further on, to go to after Mass finishes. 🙂 I also plotted out where I will stay each night between.

That is the plan. But I’ve been on enough trips to know it’s written in sand, not stone. It does help to have a general idea though!

And now, trail reflections today: Regarding “maildrops” – having boxes of useful things (food, warm gear, etc) pre-mailed to a series of post offices and trail hostels ahead of time, to be waiting when you come through and pick them up. I thought about it, but I think I’ll opt for a “bounce box” instead – one box that I keep refilling myself, and sending ahead of me. I don’t want to try to juggle post office schedules and trail schedules around for multiple boxes. I will pack a box in March and send it to either Harpers Ferry or Blue Ridge Summit in PA – they will hold packages for a month or so.

Tonight’s bout on the treadmill will feature a 13 lb bowling ball nestled into a bed of tent rainfly. Total weight, with the pack weight added: 17.5 lbs. I might not do the grade increase. Well, not completely.
I was going to go to Bass Pro tonight, but the weather says no.

These song for today: Céline Dion – That’s The Way It Is

That no-exercise day? Forget it. I pulled on a pair of running shoes, soft-sided sneakers, and hit the treadmill. It only took a righteous nudge from my brother around 9 PM, and I was already feeling antsy. Can’t take time off on the AT every time I get a blister after all.

Things done today off the massive to-do list:

• Finished the church list
• Bought some necessary clothing

I think I’m thinner. It’s hard to tell, the scale hasn’t moved that much, if at all, but I think I am. It would be strange if I am not. Also dealing with a (small, I pray!!!) kidneystone, despite the fact my water consumption has at least doubled.

Today is a *planned* rest day. Tomorrow, the pack weight increases from 10 to 15 lbs, and I switch from the dayhiker pack to the real thing, the full backpack. The grades also increase from 5%/10% to 7%/12%. This should be interesting…

Oy vey, I made a stupid mistake yesterday. Glad that I got it out of the way now, so I don’t have to make it later, on the trail itself. 🙂

Note: just because new boots /feel/ comfortable, doesn’t mean you should let them seduce you into immediately doing the entire workout wearing them. End result is a huge blister on the left heel, a smaller one on the right heel, and heels that feel bruised. Walking in even the old comfy boots is painful.

What did I learn from this?

• How to apply moleskin to cover a blister
• That I should probably buy more cushioney insoles to replace the ones the boots came with
• That boots should be broken in by wearing in every day conditions, normal workday walking around
• That I am going to take an unexpected no-exercise day today instead of tomorrow

But that is life for you! Mistakes happen so you can learn from them… even if you should have known better in the beginning. 🙂

The boots are here!

And the books!

And the smartphone.

Tonight, another round of varying grades, 48 minutes, on the treadmill, during which the Betsy learns that new boots do indeed cause blisters on the heel! But I have a PLAN. Since I have two and a half months to break these things in, and I don’t want to wear them out before I even hit the trail, I’ll wear them once a week during an exercise session, and keep a close eye on my heels, until the boots either soften, or the heels toughen up. The other days will be in the old boots.

Other than the heel issue, I really like these boots. Great ankle support. The other pair was higher topped, and the top of the boot felt like a vise around my upper ankle. I will send them back, along with those trail runners, now that I can reuse one of the boxes they came in.

Today’s bit of research is because I’m a cheapskate, and Wells Fargo does not have branches out east. Looking into banks that have branches up and down the AT, so I can avoid having to pay ATM fees when I pull money out. Of course, there is always the cash back option.

Three weeks in. 🙂

On the AT, people will sometimes take a day off off the trail. It’s called a “zero day” – zero miles walked. They stay in a town, do laundry, update social media, eat large meals, and generally relax. It’s good to take a break every now and then.

Yesterday, in the spirit of the trail, I had a zero day. I did nothing trail related; Dad and Tom and I went bowling, I updated my blog, I turned in early. Tonight I’ll treadmill again. But yesterday, I just relaxed. Twas nice. 🙂