Pre-Hike Hike

In just a little more than a week, we'll be hitting the trail again to finish the Maryland section.  It will also be my son's first backpacking trip.  We hiked a local trail this past weekend (Game Day Sunday obvious from the photo) to work on breaking in his new hiking boots.  I'm slightly concerned about this trip with him.  There were comments like "This downhill is killing my knees!" (it was about a 6 inch elevation change- when he stepped down off a rock) and "Wow, I think we've gone about 3 miles so far, my legs are killing me!" (we hadn't even gone a half a mile).  Our first day is about 11 miles.  I'm just hoping I can bring a lot of Snickers bars because he is going to turn into a monster ever mile or so.  Luckily we've figured out his food for the most part.  He likes Ramen noodles and he likes the Mountain House Mac & Cheese.  We still have to try eggs in the form of a burrito (Mountain House eggs with cheese rolled in a tortilla), but he won't starve, and I'm comfortable that he'll have enough protein.  I'm just hoping that we can find enough to talk about to keep his mind off how much walking he's doing.  I don't think I know enough about Minecraft to get the job done.
As for me, I'm slightly worried about my hip/butt injury.  I've been seeing a chiropractor, and I'm down to just one visit every other week.  But I still have pain on hills and with added weight.  I've been doing squats daily (really, Mom, I have) to try to build up my butt muscles.  This last hike we did I was pain free, but I also wasn't carrying my pack, and it wasn't too strenuous.  But I'll be taking my Vitamin I (ibuprofen), and I'll also be trying out some Salonpas pain patches per the doctor's suggestion.  So now it just a matter of finalizing food, packing the packs and getting some decent weather.

Back to the Trail

In a little less than a month, I'll be heading back to the Appalachian Trail for an overnight to finish the Maryland section.  This will be my first trip since being treated for a screwed up pelvis, or a badass, whichever you prefer.  It's also the first time my son will go on an overnight trip.  Or a hike longer than 6 miles.  I'm hoping the running he's doing at soccer will help him with his endurance, but really, I'm most concerned about his food.
To say he is a picky eater is an understatement.   His typical menu consists of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwiches, chicken nuggets, french fries, grilled cheese and ketchup.  The peanut butter and ketchup can easily be brought along on a backpacking trip, but I'm not planning on packing a stove, and I'm fairly certain McDonald's hasn't opened a hike thru window on the AT yet.  Dinner is my biggest challenge since I can pack his Fluffernutter sandwich for lunch and have Poptarts for breakfast. This weekend, we're going to be taste testing some Ramen noodles and possibly seeing about throwing some chicken in with it.  If that doesn't work, I'll see if there's a mac and cheese I can convince him to eat (I know, what kid doesn't eat mac and cheese??).  During the discussion about food, he suggested bringing hot dogs for dinner.  When I told him that wasn't an option his reply was, "Hopefully there will be some trail magic."
Keep dreaming kid.