Bringing Leave No Trace Out of the Wilderness

With all the talk these days about 'reducing our carbon footprint' - I can't help but think about the drastic reduction Billy Goat and I will be making when we leave behind our lives right now (chock full 'o central air conditioning, nicely packaged goods, and occassional steak dinners) for one of backpacking where leave no trace (LNT) principles dictate that we pack out all of our trash (including some I'd rather not speak of) & essentially respect the wildnerness by leaving it as we found it.

I couldn't help but think of these principles this morning as I noticed the state of our condo trash area this Monday morning on my way to work. The evidence of our own and our neighbors' conspicuous weekend consumption and waste is on display every Monday morning before the trash collectors come.

It's also been sobering to downsize our lives in preparation for showing our condo to prospective buyers. In the process of putting about 2/3 of our stuff in a good-sized storage locker, we've had to face the harsh reality of how much we own, buy and consume...and we leave in a 688 sq. ft. condo -- hardly a palace by US standards.

I'm hoping that 3 months of carrying our "houses" on our backs, we can retain more of the LNT principles once we reenter our urban lives.

Urban Splendor

This weekend we enjoyed the natural splendor in our own urban oasis. Spring has arrived in a big way to Capitol Hill... Who says you need to 'get away' to enjoy natural beauty. Here are just some Cap Hill wonders enountered in our walk -- all part of our 'farewell tour' in our own neighborhood.

walking away together

When I told my mom our plans for our AT trek, she joked that Polina should start in Maine, I should start in Georgia and we could finish together at the Harper’s Ferry halfway point. My mom, like most of our friends and family, probably picked up on the Billy Goat’s and Little Pony’s shared personality traits: passion mixed with a little bit of stubbornness—and extreme sensitivity, despite our semi-tough exteriors. My mom’s implicit message was that two people with these same qualities spending that much time over that much distance over such conditions were due for a relationship meltdown--and we haven't even married two years, much less reproduced. She should talk: when her and my dad go for a walk “together”, they amble out the door, up the driveway and onto the road Then she takes a left, he takes a right, and away they go. It must somehow work; they’ve been married 40+ years. We don’t intend to start back-to-back at Harper’s Ferry and go our separate ways, nor will we start at opposite ends of the trail. But metaphorically speaking, we expect that our adventure will accomplish both—get us better at meeting each other halfway and also knowing when it’s OK to walk away.

de-materializing

It seems somehow appropriate that one of the first major purchases I made when I moved to DC was one of the first I sold when preparing for our transition to the trail. For some reason, I had fixated for years on owning an armoire. Maybe it was the functionality and the aesthetics mixed with the sheer anachronism of a piece of furniture whose synonym described the stuff it was crafted to hold: wardrobe. Anyway, I’ve always been a sucker for anachronisms. But we needed room to “minimize” our condo for sale, it was too big and heavy to store and move, and, anyway, it was somewhat worse for the wear. We successfully “Craigslisted” it away—and used the proceeds to buy gear (of course). All in all, we’re looking forward to minimizing our material goods to 25-35-pound “houses on our back”. Longtime members of my posse are probably wondering about what my long-time companion Brett will be doing while Polina and I hit the trail? Stay tuned for the next post.

Training Hike in Shenandoah National Park

Our first big training hike in Shenandoah -- including a good bit along the AT portion that cuts through the park. We met up with a couple of thru-hikers who were on their way north providing some inspiration for our upcoming journey. Here are some pics from the weekend.

Exploring the great outdoors near you

Many of our friends and colleagues have begun asking questions about how one goes about preparing for hiking the AT. I think the first step is to begin exploring the great hiking opportunities near you. The nation's parks are an incredible resource, and while I can be a curmudgeon when it comes to government agencies, I have a newfound appreciation for the Department of the Interior and the great wisdom of those who helped create today's amazing park system. Far superior, IMHO, than any Disney World or action park, the state and national parks are an amazing national treasure and accessible to all.

To find a park near you, check out the National Parks Service. Billy Goat and I have been incredibly fortunate to be located in close proximity to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. We're heading there this weekend to escape as our realtor kicks off our open house (pray for us that this condo sells).

Some recommendations for Shenandoah:

(1) -- drive along Skyline drive;
(2) -- hike the Jeremy's Run trail;
(3) -- visit Herbert Hoover's retreat - Rapidan Camp -- his "summer White House" (the predecessor to Camp David) that Mr. & Mrs. Hoover built to escape the hot DC summers (imagine that!)

If you have a tent, there are many campsite options -- if you aren't one for "roughing it" check out the lovely cabins or resort facilities available for visitors (we stayed in Skyland Resort when the Makievsky clan visited in Sept. 2006 and loved it!).

Trail Grub

So I'm a total foodie, and perhaps the one thing I obsess about more than encountering a bear or snake is what I'm gonna eat. In fact, I'd say that's the foremost thought in mind.

I'm stockpiling recipes and am always on the lookout for more.

My idols when it comes to trail cooking - friends Kate & Matt Bates and Eric & Renee Treml - who we hiked the Grand Canyon with in May 2006.

Kate inspired me to buy an Excalibur dehydrator to dehydrate (and make light and less perishable) virtually any food you can imagine. And Eric and Renee skillfully demonstrated that vegetarians have more fun on the trail when it comes to eating.

I hope Renee won't mind if I share this tasty recipe from her:

Veggie "Sausage"
(we divide this up so it serves as side dish for several breakfasts)
1 c. bulgur wheat
1/2 c. TVP (texturized veggie protein)
1/4 c. flour
dried equivalent of 1 egg
1 T. nutritional yeast (optional)
a few T. (to taste) of breakfast sausage seasoning or mix up dried sage/garlic powder/salt/pepper/red pepper/paprika (or your favorite sausage seasonings)
To the above add... 2.5 cups boiling water and let sit for 10 mins or so... then fry up in oil.

Have more recipes? Post them here in the comments section or email them to me at polinamakievsky@hotmail.com and I'll share them on the blog.

Map of AT

Many of you have asked about the points on the AT that we'll be hiking through - and some hope to meet us along the way. Check out Backpacker Magazine's great map which also features excellent day hikes and adventures on the AT...if you're still deciding where to meet us...

(hint: click on "View AT Map" and "Best of the AT")

What would your adventure look like?

So by this point, you've figured out that we're hiking the trail and that's our big adventure (or rather, first big adventure as Mr. and Mrs. Smaglievsky). What's your dream for a great adventure?

Here's a little bit on what brought me here:
So Paul (aka - Billy Goat) and I have been thinking about the AT separately and together as a couple for some time. I first considered it when I first learned about the AT - around 2000-2001 when I read Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" . At the time, being a city kid (bred in NYC), I would hardly describe myself as outdoorsy, but the book left me with a newfound appreciation of something as magnificent as a 2,000+ mile trail -- it's history, and the adventure of thru-hiking it. I thought -- this might be something I might want to do one day. Flash forward to 2004 when I began dating Mr. Eagle Scout whose been thinking about the AT as a real adventure in his future...and the rest is history, as they say.

My first time...
My first camping trip ever was to beautiful Assateague Island with Paul. I redefined his notion of camping by convincing him to drive to a nearby crab shack and buy some steamed crabs and a six pack. Today I'm proud to say I chaw on jerky and can light a camp stove in the dark with the best of 'em!

When it's time to go...
So why the trail for me? Now? Well ... apart from the fact that my butt is starting to resemble the cushion on my office chair (or is it that my office chair is taking on the shape of my butt??) -- Billy Goat and I knew we wanted to go on an adventure...and there is no good time or right time...so we set the date. For me, it's a time to recharge my batteries (no emails, no conference calls, no more Corner Bakery catered work gatherings, no more politics). the only complex dynamics I want to navigate are those between me and mother nature (oh, and I suppose there is the matter of Billy Goat). And when people ask me what I do (in DC, that is the question), I would rather share my adventure than hand them a business card...because aren't we more than the sum of our job titles?)

Everyone (almost everyone?) has been supportive and celebratory with us. It's made me realize that everyone needs an adventure (in fact, we probably need more than one) to look forward to. Something that restores and reconnects us back to ourselves so that we can grow and be better versions of us.

What's your dream adventure? If you were to quit your job in 2 -3 months, what would you do?