Monday, Sep 15, 2008 at 09:37
I am not here to cost the taxpayer's money. In my line of work I see tax payers money flying out the door in numbers too high to count on an hourly basis. There are 7 months to go until I leave for your fine land. But that's only if things make sense. I do love life, and I do wish to return
home, so if there are flags that jump the border of complete foolishness, like 240km of no posotive water based on all feedbacks from 2005 until now. I just wont be going. Again, the heat, the wildlife, the distance really don't tap me on the shoulder. It's the distance between active wells. I can carry my own water with gear for 4 days before refilling. I can do 5 but I have labeled 5 as not worth it based on weight.
So until I hear otherwise about my last few areas of concern I continue to train and streamline my gear.
If it's a "green light" for going, at present I have no backup other than SPOT.
http://findmespot.com/Home.aspx Lords knows I have called enough air lifts for people. The idea of someone flying in to get me irks my senses. It means I was either unprepared = my own fault or the status of natural things changed, not my fault. I don't know anyone in Australia. This will be my first time. Have a number of adventure friends in NZ where I've vistied numerous times, but all are out and about or familied down. Wouldn't know what to look for in support. I have Kunnawarritji at 33 to email the folks that I'm not dead, but what do I tell someone else? Drive slow behind me until my face hits the dirt? I don't mean that last sentence in a smart way, but all I can do is continually reevaluate my situation as I progress, and if I need to pull a red card, I should do my best to do so near a more suitable traffic area to hitch a ride if possible - if one ever came along. The time on the plane ticket (not yet booked) will be 3.5 months. That's a window of approx. 3 weeks over what i expect to finish in. My efforts are at 20 miles/ 32 km per day at present in the Mojave desert here at
home. At that rate with room for foot injuries, muscle pulls, unknown hampers, and a simple desire to rest it a day, I'm looking at 2 to 2.5 months.
As silly as it might sound I thought of renting a camel to hump my gear, excuse the pun. An accomplished lady, with amazing accolades, by the name of Helen Thayer, of NZ
http://www.helenthayer.com used a camel at age 63 and her husband of 74 to cross the Gobi on foot for 2574km. It would save me the grief of carrying the extra water on my back and break down my need to talk to plants for companionship (would be a lot like the ex-wife actually).
Again, if my last question's are answered, I will look further into the back up. For now I don't want to get people in the helping mood only to tell them my research wasn't finished and never mind. I guess I could have someone read a book by the fire at a mid point to restock me, but that sounds worse than my hike.
If any of my words have sounded short, they are not meant that way. I'm just taking things one step at a time and trying to get a lot of details that could sway my journey onto map.
Kind regards
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