kjoyce4Over the past few years, since I’ve become an adult really, I’ve made a distinction between the pre-planning stage of any adventure, and actually planning. I call the former “plotting.” It has a somewhat mischievous tone, but also a lot less finality.
I’ve always had a fear of failure. I know it’s irrational and I’m learning to reframe it. Regardless, ever since I was in elementary school, I’ve been afraid of looking dumb. Maybe it’s a first-born thing? So instead of planning something and planning to follow through, I just don’t tell anyone about the things I’m planning.
When it comes to my goal to thru hike the Long Trail this summer, just plotting until a few days before the hike isn’t really an option. So I started slipping my plans into conversation, downloading the Guthook’s guide for the trail, and gathering gear.
In the past couple weeks, as it’s become increasingly clear that I can continue to support myself without taking the dreaded corporate job that hasn’t materialized, that plotting shifted into planning mode.
So this is the unofficial, official announcement of my plan to thru hike the Long Trail in Vermont this June.
It’s a hike I first started thinking about when I lived in Plattsburgh, NY, knowing I’d be moving to Vermont soon. My original plan was to take three weeks off between my first and second TV contracts, hiking the trail with my time off. But with the pandemic and only five days to move, I didn’t have a chance to make that dream a reality.
Circumstances have changed dramatically, and I’m so excited to be planning this hike. Over than next three and a half months, I’ll be working out what gear I need and doing as many test hikes as I can. I’m planning to hike part of the Appalachian Trail through Massachusetts and Connecticut as I try to get an idea of what the first hundred miles of the trail will be like. I’ve already done day hikes along many of the peaks in Northern Vermont and while I know it’ll be different with tired legs, I have a good idea of what the terrain looks like.
If you or anyone you know is an End-to-Ender, please leave your wisdom in the comments!
