My Trowel is Blue (and answers to other common questions)

Author

Lindsey Monteith
February 25, 2024

Updates from the Mountains

Episode #2: Answering Questions to Distract Myself from being Nervous

Hi, it’s me again. Thanks to everyone who’s interested enough in my shenanigans to join this mailing list. If you joined after my first message sent, unfortunately I don’t know how technology works so I don’t think you’ll ever see that first post (unless you can see it on the actual web page??). But don’t worry about it. It wasn’t super interesting or important. Anywhomst, I’m back.

I wanted to take this time to just answer some of the questions I often get so you all can hopefully get a better understanding of what’s going on.

Yay! FAQs!

  • When and where are you starting?

    • March 17th (Hozier’s birthday, for those who care) is my first day hiking! - although the first day of hiking isn’t even officially on the AT. There’s an 8-mile approach hike from Amicalola Falls State Park (in northern Georgia) to the first “white blaze” of the AT; and it includes a 600 step staircase! so fun.

  • Are you going by yourself?

    • No! Do you think my mother would allow that? If you’re not fake like some people (*coughKaitycough*), you would have read my first email and seen that I’m hiking with my friend Eitan! All jokes aside, you should check out Eitan’s blog on The Trek.

  • Which direction are you hiking? Are you doing the whole thing?

    • I’m just going northbound (aka NOBO). No flip-flopping. And yes, the plan is to do the whole thing. Georgia to Maine.

  • How long do you expect it to take?

    • I’m allocating 6 months. I could finish earlier, but I don’t want to rush it. I’m expecting us to reach the northern terminus around early to mid August.

  • What are you going to eat?

    • just beef jerky. (iykyk)

    • jk, I’m mailing myself a lot of snacks and dried meals for dinner along the way (with the help of my dad 🥰 ), and probably picking up lunch supplies as I go. Anything on a tortilla. delicious.

    • lots of oatmeal, coffee, and peabages (PB&Js, on a tortilla ofc)

    • i will gladly take generous donations to fund dried mango purchases.

  • Will you have your phone with you?

    • yes. it’s 2024. gotta take pictures and call my parents.

  • What’s your base weight/how much does your bag weigh?

    • I really hate these comparisons, so I won’t give exact numbers. I’m expecting everything (not just “base weight”) to be about 25lbs. Which will fluctuate with the amount of food and water I have at any given point.

  • Are you going to be showering? Are you disgusting?

    • Yes and yes. I’m expecting to shower probably once a week (give or take) when I can get into towns and have access to it. I’ll also try to bathe in streams when I can :)

    • I am a bit disgusting. Sometimes you just have to embrace being a dirtbag.

  • Will you bring a journal with you? A book? Will you listen to music?

    • Probably not; unfortunately no; yes of course

    • Journals and books are a little heavy, so I don’t want that extra weight when I can journal on my phone and through these emails. If I decide I want a book at some point (especially in the summer when I drop some of the extra weight of colder weather gear), I suppose I can pick one up or have one sent to me.

    • Generally, I don’t listen to music when I’m hiking. At least not on day hikes. But I definitely make exceptions for longer trips. You all know I can’t live without music. That being said, if anyone has any song and/or playlist requests for me to download before I leave PLEASE send them my way.

    • I’ll also probably download some podcasts to keep me entertained (s/o to Completely Arbortrary).

  • “I wanna know what color your poop shovel is, I feel like that’ll be a frequent q” - Kaity

    • it’s blue.

Hopefully that was a helpful list of FAQs. I still feel a little uncomfortable writing these posts because they feel very self-centered and I don’t like a lot of attention. Do not perceive me. But I am very grateful to have people in my life who care about me enough to want to be updated on my little adventure. I’ll do my best not to be annoying.

Look out for one or two more emails before I officially start! (I plan on making a “final preparations” post and then maybe a short post the day before starting).

Cool beans. Here’s a picture of me “training”:

I’ll sign off with a song request of my own: Canyon by JOSEPH

:) K bye

P.S. regarding that request for dried mango funds, my Venmo is @Lb_Monteith