It's been 2 months since our last post, and a lot has happened. I made an announcement to my family at Christmas, which was very nerve-racking, since well, they were expecting a different sort of announcement. One that a married couple of a year and a half might usually make. They were all very receptive and curious and it went very well I think.
Now, Emily's parents, they're a bit more skeptical, for obvious reasons.
They don't have the luxury that my parents have: I've already done something like this. Emily hasn't. Also, they aren't quite sure this is a smart thing to do, especially in these tough economic times, but they are being very supportive, and also very curious.
So, the planning. What goes into this? Well, for the last year+, we've been reading stories of past thru-hikers, from one of a couple who successfully completed it, to one of a man who hiked it in record time (this guy averaged something like 32 miles per day -wow). Here are some examples:
A to-do list, very important, for me at least. It's got everything from setting up supply boxes to cancelling cable and internet to finding homes for the pets. There's a lot to do!
Here are some other books we bought, but these will actually be carried on the trail (not all at once). The databook covers the whole trail, listing everything from water supplies to road crossings. The larger guidebooks, broken down into 3 sections (southern CA, northern CA, and OR&WA), have detailed maps and trail descriptions.
Although we've both been hiking for years, we still have stuff to buy for this long distance hike. Here's our newest possession. Not the cat. That's Tigger, she's 13, and she's happy that we bought this GPS satellite messenger, so she (and our families) can follow our progress on the internet, and know that we're safe.
And here are 2 websites we've been using as resources:
-Chris
