One Week Left

4:45AM: I was climbing the hill in a driving rain, hoping that my pack cover was doing its job. The temperature was hovering in the mid 30s as I zipped my rain jacket up a little tighter. My trusty trekking umbrella was getting a good workout, but holding up well, as was I.

With only a couple weeks to go, I had started doing training hikes with a pack every day instead of every other day. I was up to 12 miles with a full load and the rain and the temperature were all part of the plan. Making sure all my gear works as it should before I get on the trail has always been my MO. The precip and cold were just frosting on the cake. Extra testing, if you will. So even though I was hiking in the dark, and the cold, and the rain I was happy. Yeah, I know, not normal :^)

In other prep, I have packed all my resupply boxes and will mail out the first one tomorrow, allowing about 12 days for it to get to the first pick-up point. I will mail the second one just before I go next week for similar timing. I also checked the Walmart nearest my motel in Fort Smith, AR to make sure they carry gas canisters for my stove. Then yesterday I scanned the Ouachita Trail Guide book into a PDF document that I can carry on my phone. Those electrons don’t weigh very much. I’ve also added a second carrier to my phone in the off chance that it will increase my chances of a phone connection.

Last weekend, I finally sat down with my topo maps and spent the better part of the day painstakingly looking at every mile of the trail, where the water and potential campsites were, and where the fords were for the rivers. I learned that there is one section with over 25 miles between reliable water sources. So I will be carrying an extra 2 L bottle to bring me up to 5 L, so I can make that distance. I also learned that there are, not one, not two, but three different kinds of poisonous snakes along this trail. So I will be on the lookout for water moccasins, copperheads, and the ever present rattlesnake. Yay!

But I am really looking forward to getting back on the trail. There is something exhilarating about exploring new territory. To take in landscapes at the pace of walking. To watch the moon night after night as it moves through its phases. To experience the sounds and smells around me, unadulterated by car exhaust and industrial fumes. To gauge the power of a river, the severity of a storm, or the  energy I have left when there are still a few miles to go, these are the province of my treks. As ephemeral as that is, that is what drives me.

So I am in fair to middling shape. I have obsessed about all the details of the trip, too many times. I think I’m mentally prepared. so now I just have to wait a week and then start the adventure. Easy Peezy.

 I fly out next Wednesday and will try to post a blog every day after that until I finish the trek. As usual, given the vagaries of the phone signal and Internet on the trail, the posts may come in fits and starts. But, I will write daily and eventually they will all get posted. Stay tuned…