Getting Ready

After a couple months of Winter laziness binge watching House of Cards, Rick and Morty, and Game of Thrones, it’s time to get ready. I have been getting ready in the sense of doing research, learning to hang a bear bag, getting my affairs in order, and gearing up, but sitting on a couch with a laptop can only do so much to prepare you for trekking up and down mountains full time for half a year.

I live in Long Beach, NY, and while this barrier island doesn’t offer much in topography, it does have a beautiful 2.2 mile boardwalk and plenty of weather. On Monday I did a loop of the boardwalk to test out my New Balance trail runners and clocked a bit over five miles from my apartment. Not big miles but just right to squeeze a long walk into the end of a busy day. On Tuesday I loaded up my Osprey Atmos, even filling my water reservoir to the top, and set out. The bag felt great, hugging my hips and spreading the weight evenly across my back and shoulders. I expected to be uncomfortable but once I got used to the novel feeling of being spooned by a backpack while walking I was fine. I even spent an hour on the phone with my sister talking about my upcoming adventure on the AT with no huffing and puffing on my end.

Last night I was tired after a long day at work and a storm had rolled in, but I peeled myself off the couch and put on my rain gear. I still need to get a larger pack cover so I left my bag at home. One of my favorite parts of living by the beach is experiencing the ocean in all types of weather across all the seasons. I always associated it with sunny summer days, but the Atlantic is always there, churning away on cold Winter nights. With the rain coming down, the spray coming off the ocean, and the boardwalk all but deserted, it was otherworldly. I took this picture very quickly to keep my phone dry. My rain pants and shell kept me dry and I didn’t freeze or overheat, and with my hood wrapped around the brim of my hat my glasses stayed relatively clear. My shoes got pretty soggy but they were dry this morning. I spent most of the walk on the phone with my friend Powers, planning out how he’ll drive up from Florida to meet me for a night in Neel Gap next month because he’s a champ. Next month…crazy.

Tonight I’m going to strap on my bag and climb the stairs in my building for an hour or two. That’s sure to be more of a workout than my nightly strolls. My neighbors might think I’m nuts, and they’ll probably be right. On Saturday my buddy Alex might be joining me for a Winter day hike up in Harriman.