Wandering the AT

Well, as spring begins to show itself I find myself longing for the trail again. Since my last hike I have upgraded from my crappy $20 solo tent of doom to a new Hennessy Hammock Ultralight Backpacker A-Sym Zip. I have set it up in my backyard a few times just to get the "hang" of it and figure out how well I will be suited for this in place of grounding myself in a tent like I have been doing for 30 years. All in all, I am very pleased. I have caught a couple naps in it and find it very comfortable down to about 40 degrees. I am working on some type of radiant padding that will shield my butt from the convective loss of heat from the bottom side of the hammock.

So with this new found excitement I am planning a SOBO hike through the Shenandoah National Park with Rusty Nuts at the end of March. The weather could really go either way as this winter has been more unpredictable than ever before. 60 degrees one day then 5" of snow the next. We are looking at a 5 day trip averaging about 15-25 miles a day which is pushing the limits for my daily mileage. I am hoping with the cooler temps and more subtle trail conditions we should have no issues in mileage. I am also hoping to get a food resupply or cache halfway through as we pass within a few miles of my house. What's that?... Yeah, I'm smelling steak that night too!SW

Well as this is my first post to this blog, or any other for the matter, I will leave it cut short for now to test out the feasibility of updating this via my iPhone.