Category Archives: Updates

Change Is Coming

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Been plowing through footage and am looking forward to putting this all together. Ideas are flowing, which is awesome. There will be some changes coming to the website soon, I am looking for a less blog-style layout and a more “this is my movie!” layout 🙂

For now, some more awesome pictures to keep you at the edge of your seat 😉

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2012 The Gathering

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As I continue to go through 200 hours of footage (the normal documentary has around 30 hours after production), I want to draw your attention to The Gathering. An event all Appalachian Trail. From information to presentations. It’s happening this weekend in West Virginia. If you’re in that area, do check it out! Many of my fellow thru-hikers will be attending. Meanwhile, I will dream of trail and trail-life things as I hope to finish reviewing all the footage this weekend. Check out the link for The Gathering here:

http://www.aldha.org/gathring.htm

A Few More Stills

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Still reviewing footage. Very happy with some of the moments I have captured. The good news is the humor and drama seems to be reading well with a few select people that have looked over some of the footage with me. I can’t wait to start the edit. But, for now I have looked at all my footage through May! Wooohooo! Here are a few more images for you all to enjoy:

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Happily Mal-adjusted

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As time goes on, I’ve realized I am happier being “maladjusted”. I don’t want to go back to the high stress life I had before. There’s traffic? Duh, lots of people live here. I spilled tea on my white shirt, one less thing I have to own. It’s raining? Good, we need it, there’s been a massive drought and I have a dry place to go at night. All these things, and many others, used to stress me out. There’s so very many things to be thankful for and the biggest lesson is simplicity. I’ve been going through my things and sending them to good will. I don’t need 100 shirts, obviously an exaggeration, but being ruled by our “stuff” is a sure fire way to add stress. I can tell you from experience now that life is more full filling when everything you own is what you carry on your back. Your “things” are broken down into necessity. Wants are tangible and simple. On the trail I only ever wanted to shower, have a cold or hot drink and have the time to wash my clothes. I never want to become a consumerist again and that, I am perfectly okay with. So this is me, Kori (still feels weird when people call me by my real name…), happily maladjusted.

FAQ’s

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As my departure date creeps closer, I find myself being asked a lot of the same questions.  So as not to neglect those that are checking my website (you’re the best), I figured I would answer some of them on here. Enjoy it! (and some of my sarcasm) 😉

Are you bringing a gun?

NO!!!! No one hikes the Appalachian Trail with a gun. Though, I am partial to a .22 rifle.

So, how long are you actually away from civilization?

Besides the 100 mile wilderness, on average, you are a day to three days away from a town where you could resupply. Or so I believe.

Are you afraid?

No, I am completely going into this with the mindset of doing my best (110%) and loving every minute of it.  The only fear about the elements of the trail is the very smart fear (in my humble opinion) of lyme disease.  Due to the warmer weather, the ticks are everywhere and this is supposed to be a bad year for it.

What are you going to eat?

Mostly carbs. Dehydrated food. I have been making little prepared meals full of couscous and dried vegetables. I am REALLY looking forward to the farm stands that I know of at certain points on the trail. There is nothing like fresh and raw fruits and vegetables!

What happens if you fall off a cliff or a bear attacks you?

In the history of the trail, no one thru-hiking has fallen off a cliff and died or been attacked by a bear.  Day hikers have befallen tough situations, but as of now (knock on wood) it has not happened to any thru-hikers.  Yes, there will be bears. No, I will not be hanging off cliffs…..unless I want to capture a gorgeous image…

…the big dangers are injury, illness and my own mental capacity to stick with it!

Vote Now!

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Hey all, with a little less than two weeks to go until I embark on my journey, I wanted to ask for a favor….a two second favor 🙂

Wrigley and King a short film I was Cinematographer for has been put up for an audience award at Memphis International Film Festival and it needs your vote! You can only vote once and it takes just a second, please vote and spread the word if you can. The film has been selected for 12 film festivals and this kind of award could be huge for it!

Click on this link: http://onlocationmemphis.org/fanfav-student and select Wrigley and King.

Thank you all!!!

P.S. – sooooooo excited to start my hike. Been testing out solar chargers and other gear. Can’t wait to get out there and post my first blog from the trail 😀

Gear Review: Supplex Sweater

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I had the pleasure of working in 20 degree and snowy Maine this past weekend as a Camera Operator for a Children’s TV Show Pilot and I was beyond excited to test out some of my gear from my Sponsor Wiggy’s.

The name of the Supplex Sweater is slightly misleading.  It is better than the image that a sweater presents in ones mind (wool ugly Christmas sweater, anyone?).  Really, this is by far, the best winter jacket I have ever owned.  EVER.  We are talking about someone that

Wiggy's Supplex Sweater

can only stand about 30 minutes in the cold before starting to feel like my insides are freezing over…..sorry, that might not be the best visual.  But in all seriousness, I was facing some extreme wind, sleet, snow and low temperatures and I felt like I was indoors the whole entire time. I was unbelievably comfortable.

Straight from the Sponsor’s website:

We call this a sweater since it replaces a sweater. It is extremely light in weight. The front zipper is backed by a draft baffel. The Lamilite insulation is the same as that used in the Overbag. The base of the garment is a nylon rib, as are the wristlets. The Raglan sleeve allows freedom of movement. It can be worn as is or under a variety of garments when layering. And is especially good as a foulweather liner

Not only that, but, it is completely machine washable and made in the United States.  These are all pluses, folks.  I now feel fully prepared to face whatever the mountains may throw at me next month and that is a huge weight off my mind.  If you get a chance, check out my sponsor’s page here: Wiggy’s.com

Meanwhile, I leave you with a still I took during a second of downtime this weekend near White Cap Mountain in Maine:

Much Needed Inspiration

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There is certainly a great deal to prep for when one is getting ready to head out for almost six months.  I find that it is easy to lose sight of why you are doing something when there are a lot of other details thrown into the mix that need your immediate attention.

Thankfully, I took a little time today to pick up one of the best books I have ever read: Aron Ralston’s Between a Rock and a Hard Place.  Not only is his story truly inspirational, but, the best thing about the book is how he starts the chapters with famous quotes.

One that is really sticking with me today is:

“Mountains are the means, the man is the end. The goal is not to reach the tops of mountains, but to improve the man.” – Walter Bonatti, Italian Climber

Everyone has an opinion on who will finish the Appalachian Trail, or in broader terms, who will succeed in their chosen endeavors.  Is the final success really gauged by the achievement, or by the journey?

Should we all rush the time we must take to prepare ourselves for our journey, or savior the effort it takes to get there?  I firmly believe it is that effort that makes our character.  Without betterment, we are nothing but status updates, plaques, or deeds to a home.  Judgment should not be made on the material, but the improvement of self.

As I take this quote to heart and re-energize my preparations to depart on a journey that will truly change me, I hope that other people take this and apply it to what you are stressing about, suffering through, or dealing with.  I hope my shared moment of inspiration does for you today, what it did for me.

Pack Shakedown

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Phew. I underwent a pack shakedown this past weekend….and already things feel lighter.

Special thanks to class of 2011 thru-hiker Eats for being a big guiding force/advice giver.  Through his knowledge I learned how to do my own pack shakedown, pretty simple really!  How to do this, you might ask? Gather all your gear, and separate it into these categories:

Clothing, Personal, Water, Misc., Cooking, Sleep System, First Aid and Tent.

Cut where things are unnecessary.  A good rule of thumb is if things don’t have more than one purpose, it probably isn’t worth the weight.  Of course, I didn’t have my other category available: cameras. Here is hoping I make it under 40 pounds! 🙂

Now, to leave you with a song that I not only love, by an artist I have been following around from her early career, but also a song that is oddly appropriate: