Trying Something New

I've been retired for a little over a year now and have exhausted the pent up wanderlust created by years of constrained working enough to settle down to a bit of self-created constraining. Creativity thrives, so I've heard, within a set of constraining parameters. With too much freedom, the mind wastes time and energy just trying to figure out where it is and what it wants to do. So, I evolved this project in order to put some control on my wandering mind.

It may seem silly and simple on the onset, but I think it has all the makings of something that will satisfy many of my requirements. The musts are at this time:

1. Be fun
2. Have some usefulness to it
3. Provide learning opportunities
4. Be shareable
5. Be relatively inexpensive
6. Provide value

The project is to design and build a cargo tricycle with a refrigerator on the front for selling cold treats.

There is so much mind candy here! It's a fairly complex building project. I'll have to learn Sketchup to design it, learn how to weld to build it, and work with the city to figure out how to get the business operational. I feel if that I can document the process well enough, it will be shareable and useful to others trying to create a small business that doesn't need a huge amount of capital to get going. And, what's not fun about an ice cream cart?

Italian Cargo Bike Manufacturer Site 

Three Months of Training in Huntsville, Texas

Our training really started much earlier, but we approached it with much more seriousness once we reached Nedra's place in Huntsville. We had tried to walk as much as possible, yet I think the walks were just reminding our bodies that they were made for something other than sitting rather than actual making progress towards a higher level of fitness. Once we got settled in, it seemed that the clock was actually moving faster and we could see that it wasn't  going to be long before we were set to be on the trail. 

Pam used a gift from her dad to contract with Brandi down at Hard Body Studios to create and lead us through a work out plan that would at the very least give us a hedge against immediate injury on the trail. Brandi and Cory, the really nice guy who guided us through most of our workouts, were the only two I saw there with hard bodies and we were not going to join them in six weeks. By the time the first set of sessions were over, we knew that we were going to have to get another set. We had progressed only far enough to know that we had a ways to go to be even slightly in shape enough to not get hurt just stepping on the trail. After two sets, 12 weeks, at two sessions a week, plus a couple of sessions on our own each week, we feel stronger. Not strong, per se, but stronger. We haven't lost any weight to speak of, which can be discouraging. We're hoping that the muscle is heavier than fat theory is the cause. 

In addition to the workouts, we walked--a lot. We started with no weight, just a day pack with sandwiches and water, to full weighted packs with a full load of food. We walked to the grocery. Not having a car made sure that we weren't tempted on the hot days to drive. Our first 10 miler with full packs felt like we were going to need a least a week of rest to recover. Today's 8-miler with full packs was made at 25-minute miles, which included a bathroom break at HomeDepot and some time trying to convince some horses that apples are a treat. Have you ever heard of horses not eagerly going after apples? We joined the Lone Star Hiking Club and got a few hikes in with them; two with full packs. We did an overnighter. Then we did a multi-day backpack. 

We are as ready as we are going to be, as we board the bus in the morning and are on the trail in less than seven days. Away we go!

A Four Day Shakedown Hike

Things came together faster than we had figured with some mail thing that we were waiting on, so we canceled our workout session for the day and made preparations to go backpacking. The weather forecast was for clear, but warm weather (possibly 80's), and 75% humidity.

Our food was all ready to go from the night before. Four days of food. There was still room in the food bags, so we figured we could hold a couple more days worth if needed. It came to 11 lbs. for the four days. Three dinners with some sort of protein. granola for three breakfasts with Nestle Nido Fortificada Mexican powered milk--it was the only thing available at the store. Some wraps with summer sausage and sharp cheddar cheese and mustard for lunch. The first day out we had some left over steak that was covered in salsa for the meat in the wraps. And an indiscriminate amount of snack stuff. 

We finished packing our clothes. It's not that hard these days, as there isn't much else in our room. Pam forgot her ID and money, but we should be fine as long as I don't lose my wallet. 

We were out the door at 10:20am. We made it several hundred yards down the road when Pam realized that she'd left her long sleeve shirt at home and it would be needed, especially if it got real sunny out. If it rained, she had rain gear. 

We walked our normal route, as if heading to the grocery store, and continued down Smither to the Veterans Memorial Parkway. Instead of going all the way to the frontage road, we cut through Elkens Creek subdivision. If I would have known that we could have walked all the way through the subdivision to connect to the Lone Star Hiking Trail, I would have done that. We instead connected to the LSHT at the frontage road next to I-45 and hiked the 2.5 miles into Huntsville State Park.

We got to the entrance station just two minutes before they would normally close on a Thursday (4:45pm), but this week was special; it was Spring Break. We had absolutely no idea. The place was packed. So packed that we had to spring for an RV spot, as it was the only camp spot left open. After the 12+ mile hike, the $35 seemed like a fair price for a shower. 

There are 30 Alligators in this Park

We found a space for our tent that was as far from the park road as possible. This small footprint of our new tent makes it much easier to find a place with relative levelness to place it. The spot has to meet other criteria too, like not being in a drainage area, not have too many sharp objects to expel, and possible good orientation for beneficial breezes. 

Our Little Abode in the midst of Mansions

Dinner was Annie's spiral pasta with white cheddar cheese powder and half a small summer sausage cut up into it. It was yummy!

It didn't take long to get into bed and sleeping soundly after we had showers, as the sun was down and dusk setting in. We were beat.

It took us two hours to get moving the next morning. I think every move we made took twice as long as it does on a normal day. "Normal" defined as one where we didn't walk 12 miles the day before. Breakfast was cold cereal ready to go, just add water, and a cup of hot tea.  Not exactly a complex meal to make.

A Nice Bridge

10:20am we were headed back up the road that we'd walked in on to get back to the  Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT). This is not a criticism against either one of these agencies specifically, but more of an example of the general lack of coordination I regularly see between neighboring agencies. The signage for these trails and how to navigate between them sucks. The only prominent sign in the state park was the one that announced that you couldn't enter unless you paid your fee--kind of clues you into the priorities here. Yet, it gives you not a wit of an idea where to pay your fee, even though you are obviously able to walk into the place from the trail. On the other side of the coin, the LSHT maps have no indication that other trails exist in their vicinity or cross the LSHT. Throw into the mix the National Forest that borders the Huntsville SP, which has trail closure signs up for certain mountain bike trails, but have no indication about either the LSHT or the Huntsville SP trails even existing.  People, can we possibly start working together here?!

No Indication of Other Trails

Coral Snake--Red Touches Yellow, You're a Dead Fellow"

We missed our water source, walked right by it. I'm going to blame the fact that the guide for the LSHT was written for the trail to be walked from west to east and we were not going that direction for my missing the clue to the major water source. That being said, I'm glad that I didn't as it would have meant me carrying that extra water that much further than I already did. Instead of filling up at the spigot on the outside of the pump house for Huntsville water pump,  I guided us to the water treatment plant--they sound sort of similar, don't they? There is a big difference! While it looked like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, it was a different shade of brown that faced us as we walked up on the plant. Luckily, there was a Water Treatment worker there that had just got done testing the water out of the spigot for the appropriate level of chlorine. It looked clean. It smelled okay. I understand the basics of water treatment and how it turns our wastewater into drinkable water. Yet...I still filtered the water before it went into our bottles. I filled another three liter bladder to carry to camp, as I didn't know about the water sources further on. In the heat of the afternoon, I felt those easy 10 extra pounds on my back. 

Hot and Tired

The dry camp at Mile Marker 29 was as rustic as they described in the guide. If we didn't have good folks build a camp there, though, you'd damn near need to camp in the middle of the trail. These woods don't have a lot of open space that haven't been cleared out by someone. We were in the midst of cleaning some of the sweat off of our naked bodies with a few cups of our precious water when we heard voices. These voices were the advance crew of a group of Boy Scouts who were about to arrive after hiking 16 miles on the LSHT. There were about 20 of them, along with a few adults. Pam barely was able get some clothes on after jumping into the tent. These boys were preparing for a trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. It was amazing to watch how fast they were able to set up their tents and get themselves organized for dinner. Brought a smile to my old Boy Scout self.

"Primitive Hiker Camp"

We laid in bed the next morning to let the boys eat breakfast, pack, do their stretching exercises, and get off down the trail before venturing out. It only took us an hour to get going ourselves. After breakfast and refilling our water bottles, we had about a liter left in the bladder. Not to be wasted, I strapped it to the top of my pack and off we went. 

Down the trail just a little bit, we saw the new campground being built by the Sam Houston Trails Coalition. This one was going to be a bit swankier than the one at Mile Marker 29. If we would have known about the other older campground on the east side of the stagnant pond, we would have moved our campsite and let the Boy Scouts have the whole of MM29 camp to themselves. As you can see from the picture above, MM29 is barely a clearing. I wouldn't call it a camp.

We needed the trail guide to walk this next section of trail, as the markings are frustratingly sparse. There was water of varying qualities in the creek beds along this stretch of the trail, but we had enough to carry us through the day.

When we finally reached the Stubblefield Recreation Area, it really shouldn't have been a surprise that it too was packed to the hilt. Even the Overflow area, which has no water or noticeable toilet facilities, was packed. There was trash piled at every eddy in the road, at the ends of the bridge, along with the trash bins overflowing. It was a busy spring break week.

We inquired around to find the camp host to see if some accommodation could be made. Isaac and his wife, a couple of young kids--literally in their early 20s--were living in a 34 foot fifth wheel with two cute-as-hell little ones. They had obviously been schooled by the rangers about stretching the rules, so they gave us the bad news. Sometimes, I wish that I would just not ask permission so often. In this case, after talking with Isaac and his wife for a bit, she let on that he was an Uber driver. It would cost us $15 to get a ride back to Huntsville--the same amount to camp for the night. Faced with having to squeeze into an already overloaded Overflow campsite and walking back the 14.3 miles along Possum Walk Way back into Huntsville versus getting a ride back for the same cost, the decision was easily made. We asked Isaac if we could shower first so as not to stink up his new car so much. He had no problem with that as he needed to get out of his pajamas and get some jeans on first anyway. 

In the intervening time, a young man with long brown hair and a beard and mustache that belonged on one of the Three Musketeers stepped up to chat with us. He was also looking for the camp host. We didn't get his name, but I would have bought his hat off of him if I thought that I had enough  cash and that he would have even considered selling it. He was looking to do some of the LSHT with his dog to get prepared for hiking the Pacific Crest Trail this year. He had completed the Appalachian Trail last year, so we had lots of questions!  Isaac the Camp Host joined us and answered the young man's question about how long he was allowed to leave his vehicle at the trailhead for his hike. We said our goodbyes and he was off to his adventure. 

Isaac opened the trunk to his Prius--a car purchased for the express purpose of doing Uber--and we loaded our packs, shoes and sticks into the back. I asked him if he and his family ate pizza, as I wanted him to stop by Caesar's Pizza on the way home. He said he wouldn't mind stopping, but also wouldn't turn down the pizza. With the pizzas in hand, we were soon back home. I gladly took another shower after we woofed down a few pieces of pizza and a beer. After quickly unpacking, I settled into a deep nap at 5:30pm. One of the most awesome things about being retired is not caring if I nap and am up half the night. In this case, it mattered not as I was ready to go back to bed about 10pm. 

We did a little over 30 miles in three days of hiking. While respectable, we still have a month of getting ready and to make some more progress. We are feeling stronger and stronger every day. That part feels awesome!

Our First Shakedown Hike

Shakedown Hike to Huntsville State Park

We couldn't have asked for a better day to see if we were close to ready. The high was around 65 degrees, but it felt warm even with shorts on. We were sweating, but the sun wasn't sapping our energy as it was the other day we hiked when it was 83.

Our macaroni and cheese, the kind in the natural foods isle, worked great. Instead of six cups of water to make the noodles, we used about four cups for two packages of noodles and used the cozie to do most of the cooking. The four cups of water covered the dry noodles with maybe a knuckle's worth extra. After getting the water boiling, I added the noodles and then let it boil for a couple of minutes before putting the pot into the cozie. We had some neighbors come by for a chat, so I don't know exactly how long the noodles cooked, but it was maybe 15 minutes. The noodles were perfect. Pam had another idea that worked awesome. Instead of draining the noodle water, we just added the milk powder to the remaining water, then added the cheese powder and stirred it up, then added the chopped precooked bacon. It filled our two bowls perfectly (overflowing) and we ate it all up.

We were in bed a little after that 7pm; just after the sun went down. We listened to Mighty Blue on the AT for an hour and settled in to rest. Rest was a fitful one for me, and because of my tossing and turning Pam woke up chilled every time I turned over and let air into the quilt. This brought on the discussion of us needing our own sleeping bags. Without the ability to get a good night's sleep, we'd be worn out in no time.

We purchased our 3-person Kelty Gunnison 3.2 tent for our bicycle tour through the San Juan Island/Southern Gulf Island about four years ago. It seemed to me then that with bicycles the added weight wouldn't be that big a deal. I was wrong then and when faced with carrying the 8-pound tent on my back, I'm especially noticing how wrong I am again. Plus, just the physical size of the tent is unwieldy. I had taken it out of it's single long stuff sack and broke it up into to two smaller sacks in the hopes of making the bulk more manageable, but its still won't fit inside the pack. After a good deal of discussion and reading more reviews than I did when I bought a new car, we enhanced our yearly kickback from REI and ordered a new tent. This time we're going smaller and lighter with the Big Agnes Copper Spur High Volume (relative) Ultra Light 2 (also relative).

With this new tent, we expect there won't be that much opportunity to be wandering off with the quilt. We're going to try this new combo on our next shakedown hike next week. If it works out, it'll save us from buying two new sleeping quilt/bags.

My Feet

I lay in bed this morning as I was waking examining my feet. Noticing the increased toughness. Not like in the calluses sort of tough, yet an internal toughness where my feet can take walking outside on uneven ground and not be cut or hurt--maybe eventually. I can feel the effects of our walking now with weight on our backs. It's different from just walking or walking with the small weight of a day pack, as the added weight of a full backpack with 30 extra pounds in it pushes the foot out into the boot with forces that they are not accustomed to yet. The muscles must work harder to retain balance and propel you forward. These are not things they do without complaint.

The other day, as we were on the last mile of an eight plus mile hike around Huntsville, I was starting to feel the warmth of the skin around my right little toe. That familiar feeling of a blister forming. This is when I should have stopped and cared for it, but instead I just slowed my pace a bit to make it home without hopefully too much damage. This morning, I was feeling the itchiness of that skin healing and the skin forming a callus in that vulnerable spot where my little toe curves under the next toe due to the design of my foot.

"The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art." ~Leonardo da Vinci 

I was told by a podiatrist once that I should give up on the idea of hiking or backpacking, as my feet were not shaped for it. My little toes would always be susceptible to blisters, as with each step they would slip under the next toe and be squirted out as I stepped down on it. And, that there was no way to change it. I can say from past backpacking trips, his assessment was correct. By the end of the first day of these backpacking trips, which was always ended up being a hard day, the little toes on each foot had developed a blister that had engulfed the entire toe. By the end of the second day, the skin on those toes had been completely worn off and I was left with bloody little stumps. Bloody painful little stumps.

Instead of just taking off hard and creating a problem that will not end well, this time we are working our body up to the desired level of toughness where we might be able to avoid some of the injuries and pain that would surely come if we didn't. This is not happening without pain, more than just spreading the pain out over a longer period of time to give the body time to adjust and toughen.

This explanation of toughness from the Wikipedia entry is appropriate: "In materials science and metallurgy, toughness is the ability of a material to absorb energy and plastically deform without fracturing.^[1] One definition of material toughness is the amount of energy per unit volume that a material can absorb before rupturing. It is also defined as a material's resistance to fracture when stressed.
Toughness requires a balance of strength and ductility.<sup>[1]"
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toughness</sup> 

I have read in several of the forums, writings and books about the need to toughen the feet. Even Ray Jardine says that he and his wife Jenny will walk the trail barefoot a little bit each day to give their feet time to dry out and also to feel the trail toughen their feet. Given this advice, I have begun to go around with bare feet whenever possible. I don't think I'll get to the point of my old neighbor, whom I called with respect "The Barefoot Hippie", where I almost never where shoes, but I can feel the difference already in these short few weeks.

I want our walk to be a successful one and I don't want my feet being so torn up damaged that it threatens to take me off the trail. I am feeling the pain of my efforts now in hopes that it pays off in my feet being tough enough to make the journey.

Logistics for a Modified Cool Breeze Hike of the AT

From The Appalachian Trail Conservancy's web site:

modified cool breeze

Hike the Trail in three ​sections. Start with the middle third of the Trail southbound, followed by the northern third northbound, ending with the southern third southbound.

 As we were reviewing the options on the ATC's web site, we liked the way this option sounded. Neither Pam or I deal well with the heat. Even when I lived in California, the heat would take me down if I didn't listen to my body. After living in the NW, where 60 degrees is considered a nice, warm day, I am now conditioned to avoid heat where I can. The heat along the East coast, combined with the humidity can and does kill people. 

We have been listening to a very good podcast presented by a hiker from the Class of 2014. We decided to wrote to Steve (Mighty Blue was his trail name) about his take on our idea to do this alternate hike configuration. His advice was to finish at Mt. Katahdin, as the culmination of the energy of the hike really made the hike up Katahdin magical. We gave Steve's suggestion a lot of thought and discussion, but in the end we decided to stick with our original plan. 

Having a good excuse to visit our friends ,John and Sue, in NJ was up there on the list of reasons. We would get to see them before heading off on the trail going south and then again when we were about to head north. The AT is about a 1/2 hour from their home. Also, if Bob and Terri haven't already moved to Texas by November, I might be able to convince these friends in Georgia to share a couple of congratulatory beers with us when/if we reach Springer Mountain. 

There are a few legs of this off-trail journey that have to be worked out. Getting from Huntsville, Texas (we are visiting Nedra here) to NJ is the first issue. John and Sue have generously agreed to drive us to the trail head after our visit. Once we hike to Troutville, Virgina, we have to get back to NJ or Bear Mountain area to hike the second leg north. Then, once we finish Mount Katahdin, ME, we'll have to get back down to Troutville to hike south. Then, then, the real question is what do we do with our life after the terminus at Springer Mountain???  Take one day at a time, I guess. Below logistics are we have figured out so far.

Huntsville, TX to Bear Mountain State Park, New York

Huntsville, TX to New Orleans, LA
Use Greyhound to get to New Orleans  $50/ea with one checked bag ($56/ea on weekends)

7:05am to 8:30pm with a 5-hour layover in downtown Houston

 AirB&B in NOLA
1 night stay in a home,  $63

New Orleans, LA to Penn Station, NYC

Amtrak ($260 for 2)  30-hour duration
20 Crescent Route

7:00am to 1:46pm the next day

Penn Station NYC to Westwood, NJ 
via bus--about an hour and half ride
Walk or use subway to bus station

Stay in Westwood, NJ
Visit good friends, share a few meals, play some music

Westwood, NJ to Bear Mountain State Park, New York
about a half-hour drive
Sunday, April 30th John and Sue have kindly offered to drive us to the trail head

Hiking
Once on the trail, we head south for 673.3 miles to Troutville, Virgina. Figure two months of travel as a rough estimate. May and June.

Troutville, VA to Bear Mountain State Park, NY
Troutville, VA to Roanoke, VA
 is 13 miles. There doesn't seem to be any public transit available.  Possibly set up an Uber account or the shuttle in Roanoke (Homer Witcher, witchers4@juno.com)

Amtrak Roanake, VA to Penn Station, NY 
$330 for 2

Roanoke, VA - Civic Center Bus Stop (RNK) to

New York, NY - Penn Station (NYP) 

Bus to Westwood, NJ

Westwood, NJ to Bear Mountain State Park, New York
John and Sue may take us or bus to Peekskill, NY, which is about four miles from where we started our walk--3-hour bus ride up the east side of the Hudson River.

Hiking
 While we may have to back track a few miles to make sure we cover the whole trail (if that's important to us), we head north from Bear Mountain State park to the northern terminus of Mount Katahdin. This is reported to be the toughest section of the trail, which contains the White Mountains of Vermont and Maine's 100-mile Wilderness. The 786.9 miles from Bear Mtn. SP to Mt. Katahdin could take as long as three months to get through. July, August and September.

Mount Katahdin State Park, Maine to Troutville, VI

Mount Katahdin SP to Millinocket
The Appalachian Trail Lodge (207-723-4321) (www.appachaintraillodge.com) in Millinocket has a shuttle service
Check Whiteblaze.net for other options
With lodging at the Lodge and shuttle services from Katahdin to Medway, $70-100

Millinocket to Medway
Appalachian Trail Lodge shuttle service--see above

Medway to Bangor 
Cyr Bus Lines 800.244.2335 <http://johntcyrandsons.com/daily-service/> One-way routes 7D $12. Cash & CC accepted. Routes below are to Concord Hub near airport; bus also stops at Greyhound station 20 min later on arrival

Medway 9:30am (station at Irving store) to Bangor 10:50

Bangor, ME to Boston, MA (South Station)
Concord Coach Lines  $43/each
https://concordcoachlines.com/route/bangor-augusta-boston-logan-airport/
Terminal located at Bangor Transportation Center, 1039 Union Street (1.5 miles from Bangor Airport)
Leaves Bangon 7:00am; Arrives Boston South Station 11:25am

Hotel in Boston 
Club Quarters Hotel in Boston $109/night
161 Devonshire St, Boston, MA 02110
7 minute walk from South Station

Boston, Mass. (South Station) to Roanoke, VA (Roanoke - Civic Center Bus Stop, VA (RNK))
Amtrak $230 for 2  Duration around 14 hours
Leaves 8:15am from Boston South Station
Arrives in Roanoke 10:25pm

Hotel in Roanoke
Hampton Inn & Suites Roanoke-Downtown
27 Church Ave SE, Roanoke, VA 24011
14 minute walk from Civic Center Bus Stop
 
Roanoke, VA to Troutville, VA
Shuttle in Roanoke (Homer Witcher, witchers4@juno.com)

Hiking
We resume hiking south from Troutville, VA and hike 729.6 miles to Springer Mountain in Georgia.

Post Springer Mountain

It's eight miles from the terminus at the top of Springer Mountain to the Amicalola Falls State Park. Whether we stay the night at the park or get a shuttle to Dahlonega or hitch a ride to Calhoun to have a beer with some friends or...it all really depends on where we're going after the trail, which has not been determined yet.

The Hiker's Bubble

Along the Appalachian Trail and other long trails too, hikers tend to clump together in small groups called "a bubble" as they move along they trail. These bubbles can stay together for months or just a few hours depending on a lot of factors such as the hikers' compatibility, goals, pace, etc. Right now, I think Pam and I are in a different kind of hiker's bubble. Our bubble is a mental one.

Every part of our day, it seems, is consumed with some activity surrounding our upcoming walk. What kind of tee-shirt should I purchase? Is our tent too heavy at 7.2 lbs. or should we break out $400-500 for one that is 3 lbs. lighter? Will our packs hold it all? If they can, will we be able to carry them? Will be in good enough shape when we start? Is it better to prepare food boxes to be shipped to us while we are on the trail or just purchase food in the towns along the trail? Was that nine and half foot rattle snake from Georgia I saw on Facebook real or Photoshopped? The questions are endless, as is the advice from every perspective.

There is a saying on the trail to Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH), which is definitely something I think we should do. Now, figuring out what your HYOH is going to look like creates a bit of anxiety at the least and will drive to not want to continue at the extreme. There are a great deal of unknowns. Trail guides, and there are a lot of them, can only cover so much. So, like anything else, you take the advice that makes sense to you run with it. You take someone else's list and begin modifying it to make it your own, such as the one I got from a guy named "Griz" and is now my list. The process of refinement is endless and fluid as your information grows as your education gets deeper. At some point, either dictated by time or money, we will stop refining and just go. I have a feeling we're going to run out of both.

Back to the bubble.

The Problem with Being Adventurous

Today, we are on workout #9. A "workout" is counted when you actually make it to the gym and move your body in strange and painful ways for at least an hour so that you emerge with your clothes fully soaked from sweat and you're breathing like someone with chronic emphysema. All eight so far have been successful. Today's workout also coincides with our session with Brandi. Brandi has a last name, but only using her first name makes her sound like she's a bubbly, little thing that entertains you as you move from machine to machine. This is only an illusion that allows you to go back to the next session. A hand-written note on her white board sums it up nicely, "Brandi, we love you, but you are brutal". Our last 45 minute session left Pam almost in tears and both of us feeling the effects four days later. And, that was a session using a couple of small hand weights and an exercise ball.

Our preparations also include walking--a lot. We walk to the grocery story or to a highway down the road a ways. We walk anywhere we can. The other day I had the bright idea to get a couple of cases of water at the grocery store, which is a convenient two miles away. Even though I had brought our pocket scale with me, I wasn't smart enough to weight the cases before I purchased them. I mean, really, how heavy could they be? Well, after I coaxed one full case into my pack along with the remaining heavy food, I squirreled away as many bottles from the second case into empty corners of the pack. The rest I put into Pam's pack once she was finished with her teeth cleaning at the dentist. Yet another hint to martial bliss--don't put things in your wife's pack. That was a long two miles and the 60 pounds in my pack was the easiest part.

Our bodies are going through the frustrating part of rearranging right now. Frustrating, because you feel stronger--and are stronger--but the scale says that you might as well have that cup of ice cream. We are not dropping a pound no matter how many times we reset the scale. We realize that the trail will deliver the weight loss in due time, but we are hoping for a little relief to help avoid injuries where we can. Stress fractures from over-exertion are common in this endeavor and force many folks off the trail early into their trip. Having too much weight on your back, being unprepared for that weight, and trying to move too fast are a sure ticket to getting stress fractures.

We are committed to putting our best foot forward on this walk, every day we walk down the small hill to the Brandi's Hard Body Studio and try and emulate the intensity she or her assistant Cory put us through in the previous session. We fail at the intensity part, because, I think, your body has a natural ability it to protect itself from things that are painful. Yet, we are there making some progress. The end of April is going to come a lot sooner than we think, but I'm glad that we are doing this now and not trying to do it on the trail.