Picnic

Picnic

On Posted on by Picnic to Appalachian Trail, Exercise, Hike, Hiking, Humor, Life, Nature, Seeing the world, Tale of a Trail, Uncategorized, Weight Loss

I survived so far!

Monadnock Panorama 1
A glimpse of the Appalachian Trail from Mount Manadnock in New Hampshire

I went hiking for the first time in a couple of years yesterday. An actual hike that included mountains, death-defying acts of acrobatic skill, beasties galore, and pain and sweat. I did this to get back in the groove, making sure that I am well prepared for the short stroll that Mark and I are planning on taking in a few years. Despite my recent great advances in a super human physique … I barely survived the grueling adventure! But I did pick up a few tips that might come in handy for our future planning, so I figured I would note them down here so Mark and I can refer to it later:

  • Ideally your shoes should have about as much traction as say … a Humvee.
  • A few sherpas is a must. Preferably some really hot …. ahem … FIT sherpas.

Monadnock 0032 Monadnock 0031 Monadnock 0016

 

  • At least one of the sherpas should know how to perform CPR. Massage skills will be useful as well.
I survived ... I think!
I survived … I think!

 

  • Make sure your sherpas are happy.
Isn't he dreamy?
Isn’t he dreamy?

 

  • Be prepared for all manners of beasts!
Pure menace!
Pure menace!
Supersonic hawks?
Supersonic hawks?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Keep the mountain clean!

Monadnock 0052

Um. That's my shoe.
Um. That’s my shoe.

 

  • TOILET PAPER!!!!

Yep preparation is KEY! But there still may be moments when our dogs suddenly become multilingual and yell at us in languages we have never heard before; moments when our body says … “You’re kidding right?”; moments when our stomach lets out a determined yet oddly understandable growl that sounds suspiciously like “STEAK! NOW!; in short moments when we will once again be wondering, “Why would any sane person even CONSIDER doing something so insane as this?” Fortunately, when those moments arrive, one just need raise the eyes a bit:

Monadnock Panorama 2_small
Yeah. That’s why.
At the peak! Now where's the damn elevator?
At the peak! Now where’s the damn elevator?

If ya wanna see pics of the hike, check out here.

 

P.S. My stats after week 4:

Starting weight: 245 lbs

Goal: @ 200 lbs at the beginning of the hike

 

Week 1:

0 miles walked.

Weight: 242 (- 3 lbs total)

 

Week 2:

8.969 miles walked

Weight: 239 (-6 lbs total)

 

Week 3:

4.548 miles walked

Weight: 239 (-6 lbs total)

 

Week 4:

18.638 miles walked (3.9 Mountain Miles)

Weight: 238 (-7 lbs total)

 

Highlight – Actually hiked and survived. Lowlight – If I am still hiking at the same pace in 2016, it will take me about 30 years to finish the trail, assuming I encounter quite a few soft hearted beasts of burden along the way.

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