What worries me the most about my upcoming hike? I have a few concerns. Weather could be an issue. It’s been a cold, wet winter on the East Coast. If winter weather continues into Spring, it will be a long, cold hike. I worry about catching lyme disease. I’ll check myself for ticks often and treat my clothes with permethrin to reduce that risk. Weight loss might be a problem. I expect to lose 20 – 30 pounds and I can’t let that impact my hike. Hikers lose 6,000 calories/day and there’s no way to carry enough food to replenish that loss. I’ll eat at restaurants along the way and help myself to another dessert. I have no worries about bears, snakes, and banjo-picking southerners.
Tom's 2014 Appalachian Trail Hike 