I immediately regret this decision.

I mean, not really. But that approach trail was 8.8 miles of misery. For those debating it, skip it. I slack packed it and it still kicked my butt. Got passed by Pack, a thru-hiker who hiked the PCT last year. Dude is a beast. With a beast. He hikes with this crazy upbeat little dog named Bella. That dog will hike me under the table. Drank an ale-8-one on the first white blaze and took the requisite selfie. Forgot the duck lips. Dad drove up the road that leads up here and met me at the southern terminus. Sounds so grandiose, doesn't it? Much better than trail head. That sounds like a rustic bathroom. They are driving back as I type this. I'm the only one still up. Had some hail. Not much, but not what I was expecting. About 7 or 8 people are here. All seem pretty friendly. Umm. I am going to bed. Goodnight y'all. 

Time runs short...

Day after tomorrow someone will be driving me down to Georgia, and the day after that I will be doing the approach trail.  That's as far as I have set in stone.  All the last minute details are cropping up, and I'm scrambling to get everything done.  Not for the Trail itself, but all of the minutiae that prepares our little piece of the world for my extended absence.  Not quite as bad as a deployment, but we also don't have the supporting infrastructure (and paychecks!) that we had for my deployments, so it's a bit different.  My wife asked me if I was excited yesterday, and was surprised when I said no.  I don't feel excited.  I am just frustrated that I'm not on the trail already.  I just want to start it and not worry about everything else.  Which, of course, is probably a Bad Idea.  But almost through with all of the important stuff I have to take care of.  

Non-trail related, I had my first flying lesson today.  It was a rather intriguing experience, once I got a little used to the plane's bumping around in the air.  The pilot let me handle the take-off, which might not have been as graceful as others I have seen, but he landed it himself.  No faith in me, I guess.  If anyone around Lexington looked up around the middle of the day and saw a plane flying in an erratic circle around UK, that was me.  Also, this morning I received my acceptance letter into grad school.  So it's been a rather pleasant day for me so far.

Clothes make the man.

So this post should be shorter, since I wasn't that invested into the decision making process required behind each of these items.  Let's start with the awkward ones.  Ex Officio boxer briefs.  That's right ladies, silky smooth.  My base layer (long underwear for you non-hikers) is some random army issued synthetics that worked in the Korengal, so I figure they'll work here.  Ex Officio pants.  They accentuate my legs.  A couple of synthetic t-shirts and a pair of running shorts.  Smartwool socks and neck gaiter, random military microfleece hat, and a microfleece top for those cold nights.  That's more or less it, minus the two somewhat more technical items.

The jacket.  Eddie Bauer Downlight jacket.  I know, right?  I was a skeptic also, but turns out Eddie Bauer is really getting into technical gear again, and this jacket is pretty great, at a considerably lower price point than many others.  Add a lifetime guarantee, and I'm sold.

The boots.  So, I lied earlier.  Shoes are actually probably more important than the pack.  Merrell Proterra Mid GTX.  I wouldn't have gone with the Gore-tex version, but I'm expecting a whole lot of trudging through snow (also got some gaiters for that reason).  I'm planning on wearing these until it warms up enough that I can switch to my Chacos, and then finishing the journey with the blissful freedom of open toes.

The Gear Issue

So, one of the first things that everyone wants to know when they realize you're serious about thru-hiking the AT (after "Are you taking a gun?" and "How long is that going to take?") is what gear you're taking.  Other back-packers want to compare notes, either to find possible improvements for their own set-ups, or to sneer derisively because their pack/sleeping bag/jacket weights three ounces less than yours or their cooking system is incrementally more efficient.  The sneers are quite friendly, more of a "Oh?  You got Brand A?  I went with Brand B after comparing.  With the weight I saved I can carry three more peanuts.  Only cost me $340 more!" kind of thing.  If you're not interested in what I carry, then feel free to skim/skip the rest of this post.

Before I really get started I want to give a shout out to Bill Bentley over at www.pinemtoutfitters.com, a recent addition to the local businesses in my hometown of Whitesburg.  I've spent several hours in there discussing with him both gear and hiking in general, and he's proven himself both knowledgeable and competent (and reasonably priced!).  So if you're ever in east Kentucky, hiking the Pine Mountain Trail or canoeing the Kentucky River, stop by there and he'll hook you up.

So, in my opinion, the most important item is the actual pack you're carrying.  I went with the Granite Gear Blaze AC 60.  I have no idea what AC means, but I assumed the 60 means liters.  I was issued a Granite Gear pack for my last two trips to Afghanistan, and I promised myself I would buy myself one when my playing Army days were through.  Loving it.  I mean, I'm sure there are tons of packs out there that are awesome, but I'm forming a bond with this one that should last longer than most of my previous relationships (before meeting my beautiful wife, of course!).  I got the optional pack lid for it, but you can leave it off if you really want to watch the weight.  I like having it for things like the guidebook, my journal, and my headlamp.  That sort of thing.

The sleeping bag.  This is what will cause the most controversy, I think.  I'm going with my 10+ years old North Face Cat's Meow.  I know, right?  The thing is, once I joined the Army, I only used the issued bags and stored this in it's mesh storage sack, so this thing is more or less brand new (with ten year old technology, granted) and it saved me several hundred bucks.  Sure, there's lighter bags and more compressible bags, but this thing fits and I tried it out the other night in sub 20 degree temperature and I got too hot, so I'm rolling with it.  Scoff if you will.  Sidenote: If you scoff at a scarf, you're scorfing.

The shelter.  I'd say tent, but that's not necessarily a given nowadays.  It is in this case.  Henry Shire's Tarptent.  You can find them over at www.tarptent.com.  I became aware of this guy and his impressive products through some internet research, and he's developing quite a following.  I went with the Double Rainbow, because I'd never seen anything so beautiful.  Actually I went with it because of a couple who were so nuts about it that they dedicated a blog page to it (trektogether.blogspot.com, worth a visit, pretty inspiring people).  I've only tried it out a couple of times, but it's light and easy, both of which appeal to my inherent laziness.

The bed.  Big Agnes Insulated Air Core.  I'm not really fond of inflatable pads (see inherent laziness above), but there's a daggone polar vortex going on, so I figure I better be prepared to keep my tush off the ground.  I've slept on it, it's narrower than I prefer, but it kept me warm and I didn't have challenges falling asleep.  Also, it's light and pretty small, and Big Agnes has a reputation for standing by it's products.

Cooking system.  Jetboil.  Again, inherent laziness.  I have always thought these things were so cool, but this is the first time I've had an actual excuse to buy one.  This is easier to cook with than my stove at my house.  And faster than everything, and more compact than almost anything on the market.  I'd been worried about finding fuel canisters on the trail, but reading a lot of blogs and forums convinced me that they have become common and easy to find in recent years.  I'm using a spoon as my utensil, by the way, which has caused some controversy in my household as my wife bought me a spork for Valentine's day.  Extremely thoughtful gift, actually, but she was pretty upset (i.e. "pissed") when I told her I was gonna exchange it for a spoon.  She'll have several months to get over it.

What's in a name?

I should probably mention where I got "Midnight Sparkle" from.  My Army buddy (I feel like a crusty 'ol vet when I say that) has this adorable little girl named Alexis who has this thing for My Little Pony.  While visiting, she wanted to show me all of her ponies, and decided that if I were a magical flying pony that could talk my name would be "Midnight Sparkle."  She didn't budge from this, and while her parents thought the name more fitting for an exotic dancer, to this day she calls me Midnight Sparkle.  And so a legend was born.  Or at least a trail name.

I am really hoping people shorten it to just "Midnight."  Much more manly.

Life Transistions

Three weeks ago I was a Special Operations Combat Medic in the United States Army.  Now I'm an Honorably Discharged unemployed veteran, a statistic.  A bit of a twist, however, as I am more or less intentionally unemployed, because in two weeks I will be undertaking a rather extraordinary journey.  Or rather, it used to be extraordinary.  Now, if not common, it's at least not unheard of to come across someone who has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail.  Or at least claims to have.  It's like combat.  Everyone you know who was in the military has some sort of story about the craziness they saw, and the scars, usually mental, that these experiences have left behind.  I have these stories, too.  Mine are true.  I'm not sure about the scars.  I never felt like I was hurting before, but these last couple of months while I've been on terminal leave have made me aware of.... differences.  Nine years in the Army and three combat tours to Afghanistan later, I don't really understand the civilian world.  Civilians react differently.  Different worries, different complaints, different reactions.  I've been able to fake it so far, but I'm quite cognizant of the disparities in my world view.  I'm expecting this to help me adjust to life without the structure of the military.  

I am also using this trip into the wilderness to come closer to God. From the beginning, the Bible is filled with examples of people entering the wilderness for extended times to walk with God, including Adam, Moses, David, John the Baptist, Paul, and even Jesus.  So there's that.  I don't really have any idea of how it's supposed to work other than reading the Bible and prayer, but I'm hoping for a burning bush.  

Lastly, I have the opportunity.  I got back from my last trip to Afghanistan (so far) on Halloween, and I came back with some extra money I won from some Navy SEALs in poker.  My wife is in medical school and gets highly annoyed when I bother her when she's trying to study (she might not even realize I'm gone).  I don't have a TV or video game systems, and I've applied for grad school (still waiting to hear back but I'm optimistic, they accepted me once before), which doesn't start until around the end of July.  Which gives me a little over four months to complete the Trail, and I probably won't have this opportunity again until I retire from my next career/source of income.  Stars are aligned, so I'm pulling the trigger.  The tent, backpack, sleeping bag, camera, and other miscellaneous gear and expensive stuff is all bought.  All I really need now is a spoon.  So, March 1st, Appalachian Trail.  We have a date.