Items for Sale and New Ventures

Hello my stealthy hikers! It has been a long time again. I need to become more proactive with blogging. So much has happened in the last few months.

I started by moving across the country to the Los Angeles area. I work in Malibu and live now in the Venice Beach area. It's amazing. The beach life is so new to me. And there are new trails to discover all around this area. I'm itching to find a free weekend!

I also became engaged! Evidence below:

We've decided to get married in the redwood forests farther north in California. I'm super excited but again worried about the finances involved. Weddings are way too expensive. I cannot even have alcohol at the wedding because we would have to employ a ranger to watch over us.

In other news, I'm selling a few pieces of gear. I need to get rid of a few single person items to make way for a two person setup (and help pay for this wedding!). So if you see anything that interests you, let me know. Paypal only, shipping included.

Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 - $250
Used once!

Pacific Outdoor Peak AC Women's Inflatable Sleeping Pad - $40

Steripen Journey with a Fits All Filter (Never opened) - $50

Gregory Jade 60 Extra Small - $195

Love and Other Drugs

It has been a long time my friends. And so much has happened!

My best friend got married!

I fell in love with a man! (Who happens to be my best friend's new husband's twin brother..did you follow that?)

I met Appalachian Trail legend Gene Espy!

 

 

 And now I'm working out how to get a job and move to Los Angeles to be with my new man! I've been contemplating all of the many different hiking adventures I can have out there! Financially though it is a bit of struggle. But with all these new plans I've been contemplating taking on the Pacific Crest Trail and then returning to do the Appalachian Trail later.

The only new hiking gear I have happens to be this amazing jacking from Montbell and the carbon fiber trekking poles from REI:

I love it! My only qualms have been a lack of pockets and the poles have an issue staying open (but I have a feeling I just need to tighten the screws on them). I've also been thinking about getting the Zpacks two person quilt and Hexamid tent to share. My new man (I guess I should give him a name - Josh) has absolutely no hiking gear at all. He's been using some of mine and whatever I could scrounge up. So I'll be starting with scratch for him. He didn't even know the "no cotton" hiking clothing rule. (You should see my exasperated head shake)

I have been working on a few ideas for a business to start online. I've come up with the logo and name, but the actual product has me slightly stuck. Here are a few of my ideas:

- Backpacking gear redistribution (boring)
- A book that specifically caters to backpacking/hiking CLOTHING. (No more just one chapter in a book about overall backpacking issues)
- I've also been wanting to create a jacket that combines cuben fiber shell with a light weight fleece interior of some sort.....just an idea, to combine two jackets into one....
- And to go into a completely different direction, I have found out that I have the best ideas for bachelorette parties (to give an example, my best friend had such a good time at her combined bachelor/bachelorette party that she passed out standing up. I'm not joking, we had to carry her to a service elevator in the back to get her out of the bar. lol)....so I would have so much fun being a  bachelorette party planner or event manager....


So just a few ideas to get ready for the New Year!!!

Updates

It's been a while my friends. I've been back out to the trail a few times and I've been super busy.

News:

I'm employed! I'm working two separate jobs right now (one of them at REI) with a 3-4 year plan to pay off all of my debt. When that is finished, I will save a bit and try the trail again. This time on my own terms. I'm thinking about starting my own internet business as well to help fund some of my ideas. Now all that's missing from my life is a man who shares the same ambitions I do. lol. Good luck with that one. I'm reminded of a quote from Eat Pray Love that says you don't need a man, you need a champion. Way too true.

A friend of mine on the trail got lyme disease. But no worries, she took the meds in time and got back out there. So far only three of the people I met are still going at it (they're in CT and NH somewhere I think). I love all of them and I miss them terribly. I think about them every day and the lessons they helped me through. You can take the girl out of the trail, but you can't take the trail out of the girl.

I've done a few guided hikes down here in GA on the trail. I'll be taking the work group out soon. Those have been my chance to feel at home again.

Side note: I snore in my hammock. AWKWARD!

Enjoy some pics and I'll try to get back with more updates as I reconcile being away from the trail.

 

I forgot my spork and had to use my comb. Sad day.

 

Sad ends and Explanations

Sadly this course has come to its end. But I'm going to give you an explanation because I want to be honest.

A week or so ago, when I decided to get off, I felt great. I wanted to share my experience with everyone. I wanted to bring these amazing lessons I had learned home to my friends and family. I wanted to show people how exhilarated I felt, how excited I was for the future, and how amazing I felt about myself. For the first time in 5 years, when I looked in the mirror, I didn't see disappointment. I saw victory. And I wanted to share.

But when I got home, all I received was pressure. I needed time to associate these feelings with the civilized world, and I couldn't get that time. I received opposition when I wanted to go back. But all of this gave me another perspective. NO ONE IS EVER GOING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU OR I HAVE JUST BEEN THROUGH. Until they've climbed 6 miles up the side of a mountain, only to see another mile straight up, they won't get it. Until they've reached the top of that mountain and felt that timely breeze blow your hair back, they will not get it. Until they've spent the night exhausted in every bone, they will not get it. Until they've felt the total exhilaration of conquering 100 miles, they will not get it. They may appreciate some aspect of it, knowing that for you it was amazing. I felt like my trip was trivialized. Now that I had that "out of my system," I will now be able to do what normal Americans do.

So thinking about it some more I came up with the next observations.

Going back year after year for a section is a good idea. I will be able to experience those joys and feelings at least once every year and know that life is not doomed. Sometimes in life you might get those feelings, but they are so small and minute. For instance, I sometimes feel it for a millisecond when I'm driving and the perfect song comes on the radio. And suddenly, the clouds part and the sun beams in an elegant manner. It brings that smile to my face and I realize "YES! This is what true joy feels like." But it is gone the next instant as the car horns blare at your inaccurate driving. Rarely do you experience those joys, so I want to make sure I have that at least once a year.

I don't want to finish this entire thing and come back to these same realizations. No one is going to get it. I'm still going to have to come back and try to get a job, only this time with 6 months unemployment to explain and far less money to get back on my feet. I'll receive the same pressure and same trivial feelings from everyone else. I've changed but they haven't.

There is also a money issue associated with this whole idea. The cost of getting back on the trail was higher than I originally planned. And right now I need this money to live off of while I search for a job. Sad but true.

It's been awesome. And I look forward to future adventures. I want to let everyone know how much I truly appreciated their support and guidance. It's been so humbling. I'm sorry if I've let anyone down. A special thanks to Peter for his constant support, my Uncle for his constant belief in my abilities, and to AWOL for his support as well.

Day 18

Today I did my first night hike!

We woke up at 3:00 am. Well we were pretty much already awake from the inability to sleep in that crappy shelter.

Four of us set out at 3:30 am with our head lamps to hike 6 some odd miles in the dark to get to Fontana Dam. My head lamp sucks for night hiking, so I tore up my ankles and feet because I couldn't see the rocks and roots. I took one hard fall that hit my arm hard. So for me night hiking = pain. I probably should've had some pain killers before we left too.

But we made it in around 6 and surprised the rest of the group as they were getting up at the Fontana Hilton Shelter. Surprise!!! Then we watched the sunrise from the dam.

Now I've caved in and bought myself a room at the Fontana Lodge. I've had a refreshing shower (which I needed after the shelter 2 nights ago. It was so dirty!) and I've had two meals at the dining room. I'll finally be able to get 1 night of good sleep. I have a feeling Rolling Thunder will be going to he big shelter and no one will get as good a sleep as I will. I'm anticipating amazingness tonight.

Tomorrow I head into the Smokies and won't get service for 5 - 6 days. It's going to be quite a climb out and I'm excited but nervous about the entire thing.

Day 17

I got up super early because of the lack of sleep the night before. I packed and set out before 7:30 am.

My legs didn't want to warm up this day. I had to take some Advil before I finally started to feel like I could take on the day.

When I finally got over the first uphill it was a nice trek for a while. I stayed with Deeds and Mellow for most of the day. I think they were going a bit slow though.

We hit Stecoah Gap and had some soda trail magic. While I drank my coke (refusing the Pepsi products because I'm from the Atlanta area) I talked with the other two about some other hikers. The two of them seem to sometimes say some cutting things about people. So I got nervous and said I hope they don't say mean things about me. And Mellow Yellow told me my biggest problem:

"Kat, the only one mean to you is yourself."

How true. How sad but true. How many times do I take everything hard? How many times do I beat myself up because I'm not perfect? It's something I'm going to have to do a lot of reflecting on. I don't want to do that anymore.

Well the next mile or so was ROUGH. Jacobs Ladder came next which was this super steep hill. Good Deeds decided to go the rest of the day barefoot, and I still fell far behind going up that monster.

The rest of the day was nice but a bit hot. I got a lot of vitamin D since the trees have yet to get leaves and cover us up.

We hiked all the way to Cable Gap shelter which was small and had an uneven floor. It was an uncomfortable night. Just after dark, Rolling Thunder shows up and asks if there is shelter space, which there wasn't. But he had to shine the light all over us as if we were lying. Then he parks his tent right in front of us. Correction: he had another hiker do it for him since he'd had such a bad and rough day.

I'm sorry but I hiked that same mountain you did buddy. No need to be nasty about it when you come in.

Well the night was warm and noisy.

Day 16

The hike out of the NOC was a long terrible uphill. It was hot, sweaty, uphill. I immediately wanted to go back and sleep in a bed again.

But I plunged up that uphill. There was a great view of Nantahala Gorge from up there. We reached the first shelter at 6 some odd miles and I was ready to call it a day.

Most of the group went on to conquer a 16 mile day. I spent the rest of the day resting and hanging out with Good Deeds and Mellow Yellow, who both decided to stay as well, probably more due to a St Pattys day hangover.

The shelter wound up getting pretty packed. And I found out how Rolling Thunder got his name. His sleeping pad is soooo loud when he rolls over that it sounds like thunder rolling through. And I had the fortune of sleeping right next to him.

There were also a group of people who didn't go to sleeping bag bed until 11:30 ish. Hiker bed time for most is between 7 and 9. When the sun goes down, I'm out. It was a very frustrating night. I also had to listen to a mouse running around near my head. Creeped me out.