MilesForMeals: January 2012

Monday, January 9, 2012

Losing some (pack) weight

The awesome folks at Whole Earth Provisions are outfitting me with some of the big ticket items for the hike, like sleeping bag, pack, water filter, and shelter. The pack we decided on is the Osprey Atmos 50, which is a super great pack. Off the shelf it weighs in at a pretty light 56 oz. After some of my own modifications, I managed to shave almost 10 oz! That might not sound like much, but when you're trying to keep your base pack weight under 15 lbs that much weight is pretty significant!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

First Training Hike

I spent most of Saturday hiking a 5 hour, 20 mile round trip from my house in West Houston to downtown - my first long training hike! I'm putting the final touches on my gear, so I was able to hike with almost all of the gear that I'll be bringing with me when I hit the trail in February. The weather was perfect at 75 degrees and sunny. Early January and I was in shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt - typical Houston! My cardiovascular fitness is pretty well developed from all the hours I've spent cycling, and I think the 5 hour rides through the mountains and hills of Marin with my San Francisco riding buddy Shundo are going to pay off. The weight of the pack on my shoulders will take some getting used to, though. By far the biggest concern was my footwear. After about 45 minutes of walking I already had several hot spots on each foot which had developed into full blisters by the time I reached downtown Houston. I'll need to spend some time troubleshooting my footwear. I was hiking in basic running shoes, as I've heard a lot of long distance hikers prefer them to boots for their lighter weight. I was also wearing very thin synthetic cycling socks, which may have contributed to the problem. For my next long hike I'll either try the lightweight Keen hiking boots I've had for a few years or my Chacos. Hiking the AT in sandals may sound crazy, but several people have done it with great results. The increased ventilation with sandals supposedly offers great blister protection, and fording creeks becomes a breeze. Next weekend I'll hopefully make the trip up to Austin for a few nights out under the stars at Enchanted Rock in the hill country with my good friend Emre Erdener. Stay tuned!

About this project

In February of 2012, I will embark on a five month trek from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Mount Katahdin, Maine along the entirety of the Appalachian Trail to benefit Yellowstone Academy. Yellowstone was created in July 2001, for the purpose of establishing a Christian private school exclusively serving low-income children in Houston’s inner city. Yellowstone was founded on the belief that, through quality education, children living in poverty can transcend their circumstances and grow up to become responsible, productive adults. The school exclusively serves children from very low-income families with a program that provides and nurtures the educational, spiritual, social, and practical resources that every person needs to succeed in life.

Listed below is the profile of the 320 students and their families that were served by Yellowstone in 2010-2011:

 100% of admissions from low-income families

 87% from families living in poverty

 $8,088: Median family annual income

 93% live in single parent households

 95% of students are African American

Although many take it for granted, there are those living in Houston, in the shadow of downtown, who are not sure where their next meal will come from. Yellowstone serves these children. They live in extreme poverty and need a school like Yellowstone to provide them with the resources they need to thrive. The School Meal Program is the largest single item in the budget, other than salaries. Here is a breakdown of the costs associated with the meal program for the 2011-2012 academic year:

 Total Cost of Meals Program: $374,046.00

 Average annual cost per student: $1,002.80

 Average cost per student per day: $5.45

I encourage you to help me make a very real difference in the lives of the children enrolled at Yellowstone Academy by making a generous donation to this cause. 100% of the proceeds from the hike will benefit student meals at Yellowstone. Each donation is fully tax-deductible under Yellowstone’s 501(c) 3 status, and all donors will have a tax receipt verifying their generous donation to Yellowstone Academy returned to them as quickly as possible. If you would like to make a donation to support this important cause, please make checks out to “Yellowstone Academy” with “Miles for Meals” in the memo line and send to 1126 Riverbend, Houston, TX 77063. Donations can also be online through a secure link here. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have. Anything you are willing to donate will be greatly appreciated, as no amount is too small.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Losing some (pack) weight

Sunday, January 8, 2012

First Training Hike

Subscribe To

Search This Blog