Taking a Zero Day

You know you might be a long distance hiker if you start the morning emptying the floor of your house into a bathtub as part of your effort to keep things cleaned up on the trail.

Keeping things clean in the house of Big Agnes

Have no fear.  We did the right thing and responsibly cleaned up our mess.  We’re a bit uncivilized, but we’re not savages.

Today we took a zero day.  For those that might be new to the lingo of long distance hiking, a zero day happens when you make zero miles in the direction of your ultimate destination.  

We had been walking for eight days straight, and we were both a little worn.  Today was predicted to end with a rainy afternoon and evening, and I’m nursing the first blister of the expedition.  It was time to take a day and rest, resupply and reorganize.

In addition to cleaning and dying our camping equipment, rain gear, pack covers, and packs which had become thoroughly soaked during our trekking over the last eight days, we did all of our laundry.  I can tell you that the stench of eight days of road was beginning to get quite potent, so the six dollars a load in the guest laudry was probably worth it overall.

Additionally, we planned out the next couple of days which we hope will involve a two-day, forty-one mile push to Dalton, Massachusetts.  Dalton, MA is where the famous Appalachian Trail crosses the less famous route of the N2N-TCP. I don’t know what we’ll find there, but we’re counting on a hiker friendly welcome because the intervening distance promises to be beautiful but a remote trek through the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts.  

In the morning we went to the post office, and I sent off a package with a pair of long hiking pants and a heavy fleece sweater that I don’t think I’ll need since the spring is finally arriving.  We resupplied with some food (Ramen, cheese, and peanut butter) and Dad replaced a set of gloves and a sun hat that had proved to be less than satisfactory. We walked just a little over three miles for the in and around errands in Hadley, Massachusetts.

I don’t know about Dad, but I needed the rest.  I took about a two hour nap this afternoon, and I feel ready to get out and hit the trail tomorrow.

Wish us luck as we move to start increasing our daily distances!