Sunday, January 15, 2012

2012


2012 is here and boy, am I Stoked!   As it stands today, I’m looking at about 6 weeks and 3 days till I depart on Springer Mountain.  I’ve acquired all necessary gear and have a pack that weighs about 30lbs….it really paid to count those ounces in gear selections!  I was listing gear before as I blogged, but feeling too lazy at this pint ;-).  At some point over the next month, I’ll compile a complete list of gear I’m using for the hike.  I’ll also let you know along the way what fails, what exceeds expectations and what I send home/swap out.
One new and exciting thing to point out is that I will be departing with two friends, Nick Figel and Kelly Barbato.  These guys will join me for the first two weeks of the trail which will be all of Georgia and the bottom half of NC???  We’ll see how it goes and what kind of time we can make as a group.  The first leg of the A.T. is known for shutting down people and/or slowing progress.  My own ego says I’ll be waiting for them…..but I know better than to make such a bold statement.  They could end up waiting for me, who knows??? 
My training waned for a bit there, but has really picked up as of late.  5 days a week weight training with cardio; a mix of walking, jogging, mountain biking (its actually been THAT warm this winter so far) and doing step routines on my weight bench with as much as 30lbs in each hand.  I’ve started stretching more, but really need to implement a routine into an everyday thing.  I’ve had problems with my right hip flexor since my 2 month conservation stint in Costa Rica the summer before last.  I don’t know what I did to it…in all honesty, before that; I didn’t even know what a hip flexor was.  I noticed towards the end of my time there that I was getting excruciating pains in a muscle right by my hip on my right leg.  I was drastically hobbling around by the end of the nightly turtle patrols.  In true Erik fashion, I never saw a doctor about it.  Over the last year and a half, it pops up once in a while.  I’ve got a stretch for it that is amazing, it truly outlines the difference felt between the left and right one.  Staying on top of it keeps it from acting up lout of nowhere.  However, it makes me nervous thinking that it could be a trip ending pain if not taken care of during my hike.  On the bright side, I haven’t had many problems from it during my hikes. Just a little tenderness when it hasn’t been stretched well prior to hiking. Hopefully, if anything arises with it, it will just lead to an extra day of rest ;-)
Yesterday I had the opportunity to sit in on an A.T. thru-hikers clinic at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.  It was pretty cool, not much new information for me.  However, they did do a shakedown of my hiking pack and gear.  This is a process where I bring in my fully loaded pack and they rip it all out and assess everything.  They tell ya what you will need versus what you won’t use and offer other options for certain products.  I am very proud to say, there wasn’t really anything to change with my gear.  I took their advice on getting (I purchased one) an evac bag for my sleeping bag as opposed to a cuben fiber bag.  I’m leaving out a hiking towel, or cutting it down drastically…..which ever I decide on, and packing my tent differently.  That was all about he had to say, made me quite proud of my researched choices in gear!  Plus, after seeing some others bags….I know I was MUCH lighter than them and was rocking better with less with in my selections.  I was questioning some people and if they have ever actually hiked before.  There were others (quite a few) in the class that look like a flight of stairs would be VERY challenging, let alone mountains.  I know that’s shallow or mean or whatever, but it’s the truth.  Anyway, my time at NOC was awesome and the staff is SO very cool and knowledgeable!  They rock! I look forward to my next visit, if not for gear, then along the trail, as it crosses paths there.
On the school front, I’ve sent in apps to Northern Arizona University, U.C. Denver and Evergreen State and getting ready to mail the final one to Portland State.  I’m studying, more halfheartedly than adamantly, for the GRE.  I slacked because I’ve been nailing it on all the practice questions.  However, I’ve gotten cocky on tests before and had hurt my score at the end.  So, with new vigor and pressure for time I’ll be jamming on it over the 2-3 weeks.  I have to take it no later than the 2nd week of Feb and should take it during the first week.  We’ll see what happens there, either way it will be done and I know I’ll do just fine on it.  My admittance isn’t exactly riding on it or anything.  I contacted two Profs at NAU in regards for getting advisement while I’m there.  Both NAU and Portland, require you to be accepted under a prof for the program.  One of them wrote back almost immediately praising my CV.  He wouldn’t have the room to take me on but recommended a colleague of his.  That guy, just so happened to be the other Prof I wrote.  Looks and sounds promising so far, we’ll see.   I’ll be writing several Profs at Portland as soon as I send off the application packet.  I’m waiting on one transcript and my letters of rec (in sealed envelopes) from the 3 Profs writing on my behalf.
All in all, I’m down to the wire and am VERY excited!  This is going to be a very exciting year.  Happy (Belated) New Year to everyone!

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