National Geographic's Documentary

If you want to learn more about the AT and the treasures it holds, you can watch National Geographic's documentary.  You can watch it instantly on Netflix!

Culinary Expert

Not that this transfers well to cooking while backpacking, but I'm in the Buffalo News:

http://www.buffalonews.com/life/taste/article471053.ece

Equipment fail #1

I took this picture of Chad and his home-made pop can stove. They are super light weight and small, and most importantly FREE. It runs off of alcohol which is advantageous because it is easy to carry (plastic bottle as opposed to metal) and readily available at stores. We used "HEET" a methanol antifreeze. Unfortunately, we have been trying to use it with little succes. Might try a different design, or a different style of stove.

Letchworth for training

at Letchworth for some training. We want to test out all of our gear, make sure everything is working properly, see if there was anything we wished we had, and get rid of anything we don't need to make our packs lighter. Better here than on the AT! Last night we stayed in a tent, then this morning we hiked about 8 miles to get to this "scenic view" which was a bit disappointing. Then we hiked back 4 miles to stay in a lean to. Suprisingly, we haven't had the chance to test out our raingear. My feet are sore, my legs are tired, and my shoulders are achy.  Overall, a good day!

Nuts Online Shopping List

I asked Chad what he wants me to order from Nuts Online. This is what he gave me. He really likes oatmeal. 

I ended up buying about 28 pounds of yummies (trail mix, dried fruit, nuts, freeze dried veggies, sweets, freeze dried ice cream, etc.).  I'm not worried about wasting anything, we will probably be burning about 5,000 calories/day!

These boots were made for walkin'

My new smart wool socks. Don't worry, I have enough so they won't match. They are $16.50/pair, but keeping your feet comfy and healthy is really important for a 400 mile trek. I've been wearing my hiking shoes for the past few weeks to help break them in. I opted for shoes instead of boots because it is going to be really hot, and I have pretty strong ankles and don't need the extra support. I'll also be buying a pair of crocs to wear at the end of each day. They are leightweight and will allow my feet to dry out and breathe.

Announcement!

Hi Everybody!  Recent cuts in DOE grants have given me and a coworker the opportunity to take 5 weeks off work.  We'll be spending that time hiking the Appalachian Trail!  For those of you who aren't familiar, the Appalachian Trail (or AT) runs along the east coast from the highest peak in the north (Mt. Katahdin in Maine) to the highest peak in the south (Springer Mountain in Georgia).  The entire trail is over 2000 miles and takes about 6 months to complete. See map:

Appalachian Trail Conservancy Interactive Map

Tentaively, our plan is to start July 6th in NJ, near the NY border and work our way through New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and into New Hampshire.  The hike will start off easy and mostly flat, and gradually become more difficult in the Green Mountains of VT and NH.  have to return to work mid-August.

I'll use this blog to keep you posted on my plans and preparations, as well as the trek itself.