Hit the road

I am finally ready to go. I just videoed myself packing my backpack so I know exactly what I started with. I am sure it is a really boring video because I am dead tired, but I'll post it to youtube anyways. It will be interesting to see what equipment I shed along the way. I feel like I have eliminated everything unnecessary, but I may find at some point that I don't need a specific article for some reason or another. I am also looking forward to seeing how the food works out. Mom and I have spent hours reading recipes, putting shopping lists together, walking around Wegmans discussing options, measuring quantities, and filling up Ziploc bags. We have the first 850 miles covered. Mom has agreed to finish doing all the food prep while I am hiking which I really appreciate. I just hope that I have stuck the magic balance between weight and calories. They say you should carry no more than 2 pounds of food per day on the trail. My first set of rations was right on. I am sure I will learn a lot as I hike.
So the plan for Thursday is wake up, load the car, review the food drop plan with Mom and Dad, and hit the road. We will take two days to drive down to Springer Mountain. I'll hit the trail on Saturday morning.