Off and Hiking Again!

I had the chance last Friday to run by the Frazee Dream Center and spend a little time with the kids there... always fun!  I told them a little about my Appalachian Trail hike experience thus far, and as always, they had some great questions.  One of my objectives for this hike, as I have mentioned, is to raise funds and awareness of this great organization that serves needy inner city children in Greenville.  If you haven't seen my chat with Matt Reeves, the co-director of the organization along with his wife Jenny, please do so by clicking on the video link to the right of this blog.

Yesterday, I received some great news... Dr. Leeke informed me that my follow-up chest x-ray was clear and that I am free to resume my hike!  I plan to drive back to Front Royal, Virginia with Anne, brother Dave and sister-in-law Isa today.  We'll have a nice dinner there this evening, and then tomorrow morning they will drop me back at the trail where I had come off about a month ago.

Right now I am feeling very grateful - for the time I have had with family and friends to heal, for all those in the medical community who have provided care for me, and for all those who are interested in helping to make my hike a success and have offered words of encouragement and advice.  I feel good, having gradually increased my level of exercise as I have been able to.

Here are some of the things I will be doing differently as I go back out to hike:

• I've decided to use a trail shoe rather than the full boot that I used in the cooler weather.  I've decided on an Oboz Sawtooth Low shoe, with the green Superfeet insole.  Thanks to Joey Fuseler who researched this issue for me and made the recommendation.  I've decided to avoid the Goretex now that the weather is warmer to improve breathability and avoid building up sweat and moisture from the inside.  I've decided to "let them get wet" if it is raining out, with the understanding that they will dry out fairly quickly in the warmer weather once the rain lets up.  Thanks to sister-in-law Mary too, for getting me an awesome pair of Oofos sandals to wear around the shelter at the end of the day.  They are really comfortable with great arch support.
• I will be wearing lightweight Injinji toe socks as the inner liner with a second lightweight anklet sock outside.  The toe socks should prevent any blisters due to toe-to-toe rubbing.
  
• I have done a number of things to reduce the amount of weight I am carrying in my pack, including:
  
  
  • Eating only cold foods while on the trail to avoid the need for the stove, fuel canister, cook pot and hot drink mug.  (Thanks to Eric at Half Moon Outfitters who introduced me to the concept of Chia seed gels for hydration and nutrition.)
  • Limiting "extra" clothes to a rain jacket, socks, a bathing suit and a T-shirt.  (Leaving behind items like Goretex pants, fleece jackets, and gaiters.)
  • Switching to a summer weight sleeping bag.  I will be taking out a Marmot Nanowave 45 Degree sleeping bag, which will not only save on weight, but importantly on volume too.
  • Even a little thing like switching out my two 1-liter Nalgene bottles with two 1-quart Gatorade bottles.  They hold essentially the same volumes, but the Gatorade bottles are 4-1/2 ounces lighter (each).  In the freezing weather during the early part of the hike the Nalgene bottles were  necessary because they are so robust when they go through freeze and thaw cycles, but I am counting on being done with freeze cycles.
  
  Off we go!  Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.