I returned home last Friday after working for 3 months in the United Arab Emirates. I've spent much of the past week packing my backpack and making last minute arrangements. Am I ready to go? I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be. My pack weighs in at about 28 pounds. That's a little heavier than I had hoped, but includes about 3 days of food and a liter of water. I'll keep trying to whittle the weight down as I toss out things I end up not needing. They say you pack your fears and I've been trying to avoid that, but I'm sure a few fears snuck in there!
Lots of folks have asked me if I'm still planning on hiking during the Coronavirus pandemic. The answer is yes. Is that the right decision? I guess we'll see. I'm disappointed I won't meet as many international hikers as usual since travel has been severely impacted. And getting your hands on hand sanitizer seems almost impossible right now. However, I've got hand sanitizer which will last for awhile and I have soap which works better anyway. I've also heard rumors of hostels, hotels,, etc. possibly shutting down and it may be harder to catch a shuttle into some trail towns. On the other hand, I feel like I'll be just as safe on the trail as anywhere else. I don't plan on sleeping in many shelters unless required to do so (Great Smoky Mountains National Park). As for shuttles? Well, I guess I can always walk into a town if necessary. Many a hiker has done that over the decades. I feel fortunate to have plenty of family and friends that are not far from the trail along much of the route and who I've been counting on for support anyway. Although I may be hiking "solo," I certainly would not be able to do it without their help.
Next stop - Springer Mountain!
Lots of folks have asked me if I'm still planning on hiking during the Coronavirus pandemic. The answer is yes. Is that the right decision? I guess we'll see. I'm disappointed I won't meet as many international hikers as usual since travel has been severely impacted. And getting your hands on hand sanitizer seems almost impossible right now. However, I've got hand sanitizer which will last for awhile and I have soap which works better anyway. I've also heard rumors of hostels, hotels,, etc. possibly shutting down and it may be harder to catch a shuttle into some trail towns. On the other hand, I feel like I'll be just as safe on the trail as anywhere else. I don't plan on sleeping in many shelters unless required to do so (Great Smoky Mountains National Park). As for shuttles? Well, I guess I can always walk into a town if necessary. Many a hiker has done that over the decades. I feel fortunate to have plenty of family and friends that are not far from the trail along much of the route and who I've been counting on for support anyway. Although I may be hiking "solo," I certainly would not be able to do it without their help.
Next stop - Springer Mountain!
Good luck
ReplyDelete