Back to Planning a Thru Hike

Being able to jump from one topic to another is a sign of something or other. Insanity? Being Blonde? I do know that I'm not senile, as I'd thought. Turns out, that 'according to experts' the human brain has just about all it can store by the time a person reaches the age of 50. Additional storage of new facts and experiences has to go somewhere and sometimes it "overlays" on other stored data in the brain. So you go hunting for a name or some information and you can't locate it in the brain-file. Don't beat yourself up over it. Laugh at yourself and get someone to help you recall whatever it is you're looking for. But this only works if you're over the age of 50. YMMV

That aside. Time to think about food. There are a variety of options for the backpacker. We have dehydrated food. Light but expensive. We have do it yourself dehydraters. Time consuming. We have a lot of stuff on the grocery shelf that's ready to eat with a bit of boiling water and some "cozie" time. Do a taste test first.

I tried something one "week" when I was hiking the Georgia section of the AT. I had talked to a person who'd eaten rehydrated lentils and rice for his meals. No cooking. You put the lentils and rice in a jar, fill with water and by supper time, your meal is ready. So, the first day, it was fine. The second day, it was hard to swallow. The third day I could not make my mouth open for the spoonful of lentils and rice. Won't ever do that again. I came down the Trail at Neel Gap and a friend I'd met who had left the Trail at Gooch Gap due to 'blown out knees' had placed a huge poster near the phone booth. The poster said "Coosa, If you want a ride home, here's 35 cents for a phone call." And his number was written there. Well, my feet were blistered, I was hungry for real food, and I left the Trail. I've done some sections since, but never anything long enough to need a resupply.

Okay, back to food. Enertia Foods is recommended by one friend. I think I may purchase their 'sample box' to taste test. I've been reading emails written by Baltimore Jack regarding amenities along the Trail: where to purchase foods, where to send a food-box because there's little food available. My friend, Gutsy, wrote at the end of her Thru Hike journal that if she had the opportunity to do it over again, she'd use fewer mail-drops of food and purchase at groceries or convenience stores.

So that's where I am this eveing, and I welcome comments and urls from my reading audience. And not everyone gets a photo on this blog.