So this is starting to get really real! We leave for GA early tomorrow morning and I’ll begin hiking on Friday.
I’m very anxious to get going. Hope I’m ready!
Two of the things people commonly ask if I’m nervous about are (1) bears and (2) scenes from Deliverance. I’m not worried about bears. Figure I can outrun at least one other hiker! To the Deliverance references, I’ll just say that I’ve practiced my pig squeal!
I do have some concerns. Most of them center around not finishing. and these are the biggest…
Ticks and Lyme Disease. My biggest concern by quite a bit. The deer ticks that carry Lyme disease are very small and difficult to spot. Don’t want to get laid up somewhere for a week (or longer) with Lyme disease. Not good!
My Survival Skills. I’m not a fan of camping and I have no experience doing anything like this. My mechanical skills are minimal (and Kris would say that they’re worse than that!). It’s so bad that I am concerned about tying knots! You get the picture. Hopefully I don’t have to fix anything in the middle of nowhere!!
Lousy Weather. Not a big fan of walking in the rain. Even less a fan of being cold at night. Timed my start date to try to avoid snow. I have some concern with my sleeping bag. Shaved 3 or 4 ozs of weight but it’s only recommended to 29 degrees. Most hikers start with a bag rated to 20 degrees. Hope I don’t regret that decision!
Emergency or Injury. I know that it will be painful at times. Hurt I can handle. Getting injured would suck! I hope my family and friends stay safe and healthy while I’m gone.
Thanks again for all of your support. To all of you who have pledged, double thanks!! We’ll keep the pledge page open during entirety of hike so get your family and friends tuned in!
Just Pete Hiking 