The Current State of Affairs

Hello all! No, I have not dropped off the face of the Earth, although I can understand if that’s what everyone thinks. While this may not specifically be a “trail” update, it’s an update of sorts on my pre-trail life. As I am sure you are all aware, hiking the AT is actually expensive. Who knew we’d pay so much money to live like hobos? Rest assured, I am still very much alive, despite the unreasonably long time in between blogs. I am currently working my ass off literally ALL THE TIME to save for the coming adventure.

What is it I do, you ask?

We-ell I just so happen to be the raddest lift attendant ever. I’m also sort of the boss too. Sometimes I’m the supervisor and sometimes I actually run a lift. It just depends on what we need at the time. I work open to close six days a week, which comes out to about 83 hours a week. We have night skiing so that helps the paycheck quite a bit. So if anyone’s in New Hampshire come visit me at Pats Peak!

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Hanging off the 50ft. high tubing backstop to reset the fence. Photo cred to @njedgar. Yall should follow him on instagram because he’s a savage. Also featuring the one and only Stef from patrol.

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Someone has to check on the top stations. Such a difficult task…

 

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unseasonable warm weather got me showing off my boot socks. Photo cred to @njedgar

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Suns out guns out… Photo cred to @njedgar

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Rocking the shorts for the February heat wave. Photo cred to @elizabethhasinstagram

And Now Back to the AT

Once we lose night skiing next week I will be able to get back to running and rock climbing to help get in some sort of shape for the AT. Waking up at 5:30 to go for a run in the cold and dark got really exhausting really quick. I’m not worried though, I know the trail will get me into the shape I need to be in. I have zero problems with starting slow.

My gear is just about ready to go, and as soon as I have it down 100% you will see a gear list. Recently I made the decision to buy a new sleeping bag. I currently own a bag that is about 10 years old, and rated as a “you won’t die” at 20 degrees. Now seems about as good a time as any to upgrade my gear, so as soon as I know what I want I’ll be pulling the trigger on that. I welcome and appreciate suggestions.

I’m looking forward to the trail now because it’s the only thing that I have in my head as a certainty. I’m going to do it. Many other things in my life that I once looked at as sure things now seem questionable. I don’t have a plan past the AT anymore. Maybe I’ll go to grad school, and maybe I won’t. I don’t even know if I want to. It seems silly to spend another 150k and three plus more years for a piece of paper to get a job I’m not sure I want anymore. If one thing is for sure, I have a lot of thinking to do and a lot of time to do it.

 

 

Sidenote: you can see some of the peaks the AT goes over in NH from the summit of the ski area I work at, and it’s actually killing me. 36 days!!

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These are a few of my instagram posts from work. You can find me at erica.runs.

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Beginner area resident snowman

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Summit picture on a semi-clear day

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