Trail Journal

Link to my trail journal:

 

http://www.trailjournals.com/zipper/

Northern Lights

When conditions are right, catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights becomes a possibility.

Follerin' Aurora_Alerts on Twitter (and checking the above map) is the best way to go.

Example:  If the alert says "In 43 minutes the Aurora Borealis should be at STORM LEVEL (6 Kp)" and you're camping in the White Mountains on a clear night, you should be in business.

Song for SOBO Finishers

Great tune for south-bounders finishing up this week:

Water Purification

Originally planned to use a filter to purify water on the trail, but leaving in February means there will likely be quite a few cold nights early on.  Filters don't like freezing weather, so I'm not so sure one would survive.

Aqua Mira drops are popular with thru-hikers.  Since the product is rather expensive and not always available along the trail, I'd have to rely on mail drops for a reliable resupply.

I've settled on good old-fashioned chlorine bleach.  It's cheap.  It's available along the trail.  It's easy to store and use.

Downside:  Bleach doesn't kill cryptosporidium.

Spiderman's Great Mix of Video & Stills

Great AT Video