Getting Outside

Roxy knows the tent is her home.

After spending every weekend of the past 3 months either renovating the house or moving into the new apartment, it felt amazing to finally have a weekend with no responsibilities! Of course Roxy and I used the opportunity to get out and test some of our new gear and see if we were tough enough to handle the 20 degree temperatures. Here are a few things we learned:

1. It would be a good idea to check your batteries before going anywhere. I was super pumped about using my headlamp to read “Southbound” before going to bed… unfortunately the batteries were completely dead.
2.  As long as you’re checking things, you might want to check the lighter fluid level in the lighter you grab. Mine had just enough to light my stove for dinner, but not enough to make coffee in the morning.



Dressing up to stay warm at night.

3. The cold is not that cold when your dog is with you :) Despite the 20 degree low at night, Roxy and I stayed plenty warm. Probably an unnecessary precaution, but I made Roxy wear one of my long-sleeved fleece-lined running shirts for the night. She didn’t show any signs of being cold, but my overprotective mom instincts kicked in and I felt the need to dress her up. She didn’t mind playing dress up and actually looked quite cute in my clothes.
4.  Life is better in the woods. I know this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but after 3 months of not camping, it was invigorating to get outside again. I can see a marked improvement in both Roxy’s personality and my well-being after even just one night out in the woods. When the only thing you need to worry about is having enough to eat and not freezing, life seems pretty simple. All the stress and anxiety that come with daily life just disappear in the woods.

Near the end of our hike, still bounding joyfully through the woods

Overall we are feeling confident about the AT. We traveled to Morgan-Monroe State Forest and hiked about 3 miles Friday night, camped, and then hiked another 10 miles this morning. Not a huge distance, but for the first time out in 3 months we are both feeling pretty good. Roxy carried her GroundBird Gear pack with 4 cups of dog food, 1 small can of wet dog food, and one light blanket. I used my Gossamer Gear Mariposa pack for the first time and carried the following: MSR Hubba NX Tent, Marmot 20 degree down sleeping bag, z-lite sleeping pad, a huge fleece blanket for Roxy (it will definitely not be coming on the AT with us), pocket rocket stove, 1 liter pot, food for 2 days, 3 liters of water, headlamp, small first aid kit, Southbound book, and various small personal hygiene items. The weight was very manageable and the pack fit great. Roxy didn’t seem to notice her pack at all, and didn’t get tired out by the short trip at all. We stopped at the dog park to run out some extra energy on our way back home, and she still is sitting beside me with her ball wondering why we are not playing. Her endurance is remarkable and I can’t wait to get out on the trail with her.

Roxy is clearly over the constant selfies. Deal with it pup, this is what we will be doing on the AT for 6 months!