The Plan

My general strategy will be to obtain food at 4-day intervals, more or less, from grocery stores on or near the trail.  I will not carry a stove, fuel, cookware, or eating utensils; therefore, the food must be pre-cooked.  Typically, I will eat Carnation instant breakfast, Ramen noodles, peanut butter, and other foods with high calorie per gram ratios.  I plan to minimize expenses by avoiding hotels and restaurants as much as possible (at least when I am not with Sarah).  Although there are shelters available on the trail, I will be hiking with the wave of some 2,000 others, so competition for the shelters will be fierce.  I plan to hike at a slow pace, but for longer hours than most of the others.  Because the shelters are first come first serve, I will be prepared to rely on my tent.  I intend to average 13 miles per day.  I will earn a day off whenever I get 13 miles ahead of schedule.  At this point, my biggest uncertainties are the rain and the food selection.  I have little experience backpacking in wet climates.  l will be starting just after the peak of the stampede, so I am not sure how much food will be left on the shelves by the time I reach the stores. 

View my itinerary on the next page on this blog.  When a P.O. is included with a town’s name, it means I will be checking the mail there.  If you want to send me something, please use the following address format:

John Bigelow (Name has to match my ID)

General Delivery

Town name and zip code

Expected pick-up date

If I get ahead of the itinerary, I will let Sarah know, so Helen can update it.

That’s all for now, I probably won’t write again until I hit the trail.