Project Eveningland

4/18/2023 Tuesday

When you sleep in the Relax Shack at Angel’s Rest Hiker Haven, the burdens of the world fall away. Maybe Benny and I should sell our place and move into a finished shed like the Relax Shack. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but a relax shack could be!

I’ve given up on getting a good breakfast. I’m eating bars and protein cookies and that kind of shit even in town! Madness, madness. Wedge and I hit up Walgreens and scored the last packages of Liquid I.V. drink mix. It’s an excellent product. A real boost to my hydration routine. But that name. At least two problems. First, the modifier liquid in the product name is completely wrong. Intravenous fluid is already liquid, so it makes no sense. Second, the product itself isn’t even a liquid! It’s a powder! And why am I the only one complaining about this?!

We stopped at Food City and got a few odds and ends. I helped Wedge generate some ideas for highly caloric things he can pack that don’t require cooking, which’ll help us when we have to dry camp in the next few days. I hope to show Wedge how wonderful dry camping can be (camping away from water sources, not dry in the sense of not having water with you). You fill up and then hike a few miles, often up onto a dry ridge. So many advantages: fewer bugs, drier sites, fewer animals (including bears), more sites, less crowding, warms up faster in the morning. It can be windy though and you have to carry the extra water weight. The forecast for tomorrow night up there is for very low winds.

I am in love with the idea of days with indeterminate ends, where you can stop when you feel tired or if you find a great site. I’ve been missing that. My tent has become a homey, familiar space, and I miss that, too.

At the core of my newest, most advanced backpacking techniques is an idea I haven’t seen in any books. Make yourself at home on trail. Not in the sense of bringing a big heavy stove and a huge tent and all kinds of luxuries, but in the sense of integrating backpacking items into your “normal” daily life. Use your backpacking flashlight to walk the dog. Take your backpacking umbrella with you when you have to walk in the sun or rain. Wear your backpacking layers and feel snuggly in them at night—like my micro grid fleece hoodie, which I have previously referred to as a “knockoff Melanzana.” Eat with your backpacking spoon at home. Hike regularly in your boots. Wear things on trail that make you feel like yourself (though they have to be practical for hiking).

It all contributes to a sense of normalcy. It helps one move away from thinking “when do I get to finish this and go home?!” I carry a tiny container of hair gel and some antiperspirant (mainly for in town). I get haircuts. I am me, my best self, but I am out in the woods getting lots of exercise. Feeling at home wouldn’t appeal to every hiker—some want to do something different for a while, and that’s totally, 100% legit. Call this technique integrated hiking (because you’re integrating your trail self and your other selves).

Anyway back to my rest day. Bought some mini bagels and frozen soft pretzels (with a can of nacho cheese) for a treat. Oh, who am I kidding, it’s a staple, not a treat! Don’t you judge me! Let thee who has never gone into “goblin mode” cast the first stone.

Wedge and I got a ton done. We washed every last scrap of clothing (we wore loaner clothes provided by the hostel). We treated our hiking clothes, packs, and tents with permethrin. Tick season is here or soon will be. I shaved, which was more like hacking through a jungle with a dual blade disposable razor. Took me about 45 minutes. My stubble will be nice for Benny when he gets here in less’n a week.

We organized all our food. I’m re-trying packing by days, rather than by type of food, but it just doesn’t pack down as well. It’s gonna be a heavy food carry. I fell asleep for 30 minutes here and there.

We walked back into town at dinner time to go to the place where they serve the best pizza, according to folks who live here. It was great and also immaculately clean! It was so calming to see every surface gleaming, the silverware wrapped carefully, the soda machines clean and in great condition. Oh, and pebble ice! I had a massive meal. My body is purring at me even as I write this.

We are gonna lay around in the Relax Shack tonight, and watch some dumb TV. And eat bananas. And drink cold water.