Help Me Hike The Appalachian Trail
Donation protected
During the summer before seventh grade, I selected to go on a two-night "backpacking" trip for my school's field studies requirement. We had stopped to eat lunch on our first day, when dark clouds began rolling in overhead, and we heard thunder rumbling in the distance. Our trip leaders decided to re-route our hike to a nearby trail hostel, in hopes that they might have somewhere for us to stay safe and dry. When we made it there, we were taken in immediately.
When we awoke the next morning it was still pouring rain, so we stayed at the hostel and waited for it to pass. Everyone of my peers tried to busy themselves with card games and mischief. But I mostly just watched the real hikers, who were staying in the hostel as part of their long distance journeys on the trail. I stared as they cooked their meals on camp stoves in the screened picnic area, and meticulously packed away their belongings into backpacks, which were somehow much more compact than the one I'd brought for our short weekend stroll. I was far too intimidated to try to make conversation with any of them, so instead I asked our trip leaders about the trail, and the hikers who took it on: how far they hiked in a day, for how many days, where they slept, what they ate, how they fit it all into such a tiny stinking backpack. And I inspected every picture on the wall and hiker artifact I could find. By the time we hiked out of there after lunch, I was absolutely hooked. And I hoped that, someday, I would have the guts and the opportunity to take on the Appalachian Trail myself.
When we lost my mom's physical presence on earth, I lost a huge piece of my spirit and my identity. My first and only instinct about how to reclaim that: look to the woods I have always loved, and to my childhood dream of the person I had hoped to become.
Now, with great excitement, I announce my plans to embark on July 1st for an 11 week solo-hike, traversing the southern half of the Appalachian Trail.
Most guidebooks and trail blogs say that you will need an average of $1,00 for every month you plan to hike the trail. I have been setting aside every spare penny I can, and I've luckily already collected most of the necessary equipment. But I am hoping that this kick starter can serve as the boost I need to make ends meet, and avoid shortening my trip due to financial constraints.
The money you donate will go to one of the following things:
1. Food!
When you hike anywhere from 10-20 miles a day, you eat A LOT. I am greatly decreasing the cost of lightweight, packable food by making my own dehydrated camping meals at home and mailing them to myself on the trail, rather than stocking up on expensive packaged food in grocery stores along the way. But the ingredients definitely add up over 77 days on the trail, especially when having food that is high in nutrients, like nuts and jerkey, is so important.
2. Cost of living on rest days.
It is very important on a long distance hike to take rest days at trail hostels or nearby towns in order to minimize risk of injury and illness. I have scheduled mine at a rate of about one a week, and I am minimizing my costs by staying mostly in trail hostels that can receive my food packages for me, rather than paying for transportation to nearby trail towns, restraunts, and hotels. But the average cost of a night's stay in a trail hostel or campsite with accomidations is still about $20.
3. Fuel for my stove, and emergency repairs & restocks.
I will be using an MSR stove which runs on white gas, and I will need to repurchase it on the trail, along with any equipment that may become damaged unexpectedly.
4. Equipment.
Most of the equipment I need is already in my collection from over the years. However, there are some items that need to be replaced, especially first aid equipment. If you are interested in supplying a specific item directly instead of making a financial contribution, you can find my REI gift registry here:
http://www.rei.com/GiftRegistryDetails/GR114188830
When we awoke the next morning it was still pouring rain, so we stayed at the hostel and waited for it to pass. Everyone of my peers tried to busy themselves with card games and mischief. But I mostly just watched the real hikers, who were staying in the hostel as part of their long distance journeys on the trail. I stared as they cooked their meals on camp stoves in the screened picnic area, and meticulously packed away their belongings into backpacks, which were somehow much more compact than the one I'd brought for our short weekend stroll. I was far too intimidated to try to make conversation with any of them, so instead I asked our trip leaders about the trail, and the hikers who took it on: how far they hiked in a day, for how many days, where they slept, what they ate, how they fit it all into such a tiny stinking backpack. And I inspected every picture on the wall and hiker artifact I could find. By the time we hiked out of there after lunch, I was absolutely hooked. And I hoped that, someday, I would have the guts and the opportunity to take on the Appalachian Trail myself.
When we lost my mom's physical presence on earth, I lost a huge piece of my spirit and my identity. My first and only instinct about how to reclaim that: look to the woods I have always loved, and to my childhood dream of the person I had hoped to become.
Now, with great excitement, I announce my plans to embark on July 1st for an 11 week solo-hike, traversing the southern half of the Appalachian Trail.
Most guidebooks and trail blogs say that you will need an average of $1,00 for every month you plan to hike the trail. I have been setting aside every spare penny I can, and I've luckily already collected most of the necessary equipment. But I am hoping that this kick starter can serve as the boost I need to make ends meet, and avoid shortening my trip due to financial constraints.
The money you donate will go to one of the following things:
1. Food!
When you hike anywhere from 10-20 miles a day, you eat A LOT. I am greatly decreasing the cost of lightweight, packable food by making my own dehydrated camping meals at home and mailing them to myself on the trail, rather than stocking up on expensive packaged food in grocery stores along the way. But the ingredients definitely add up over 77 days on the trail, especially when having food that is high in nutrients, like nuts and jerkey, is so important.
2. Cost of living on rest days.
It is very important on a long distance hike to take rest days at trail hostels or nearby towns in order to minimize risk of injury and illness. I have scheduled mine at a rate of about one a week, and I am minimizing my costs by staying mostly in trail hostels that can receive my food packages for me, rather than paying for transportation to nearby trail towns, restraunts, and hotels. But the average cost of a night's stay in a trail hostel or campsite with accomidations is still about $20.
3. Fuel for my stove, and emergency repairs & restocks.
I will be using an MSR stove which runs on white gas, and I will need to repurchase it on the trail, along with any equipment that may become damaged unexpectedly.
4. Equipment.
Most of the equipment I need is already in my collection from over the years. However, there are some items that need to be replaced, especially first aid equipment. If you are interested in supplying a specific item directly instead of making a financial contribution, you can find my REI gift registry here:
http://www.rei.com/GiftRegistryDetails/GR114188830
Organizer
Jane Kilgour
Organizer
Richmond, VA
