It turns out that I have some explaining to do. Everyone is not familiar with the Bataan Death March, including my wife Tina. At the beginning of World War Two and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invaded the Philippines. The Philippines were then a possession of the United States. The American and Filipino defenders fought the invasion under terrible conditions. The last hold outs were on the Islands of Corregidor, and Luzon. The defeated soldiers were marched to their internment camps up the Bataan Peninsula. Bataan is a peninsula in Manila Bay. During the march many of the soldiers were killed by their captors or died due the terrible conditions of the march. This became known as the Bataan Death March. The march I am doing commemorates this event. The conditions in the camps were horrific to the end of the war. The American and Filipino soldiers were liberated when the Japanese were driven from the Philippines years later by Douglas McArthur’s army.
In addition to the conditioning that is the most important prep for the march, there is a bunch of house cleaning items that I need to take care of. Fortunately I have the proper clothes, a poncho, wool hiking sox, hat and first aid kit. I have a hydration pack but I need a new bladder for it. I also need new shoes. My second pair of trail runners are completely worn out. I plan to stay with Hoka Speedgoats but I may go with a different insert as the wear pattern is funny.
I have mapped a route along the Metacomet Trail. I am going to have to include a portion that is not familiar to me. I can include it as part of my prep. This afternoon I plan to take a trip to my intended starting position.
I have reached out to son Jim and to hiking partner Ed. It would be fun to have some company on part of the march. In addition Tina has said that she would like to march the last couple of miles. This could be great in that I plan to finish with a loop around Penwood Forest. I will need to do this to insure that I complete an entire 26.2 miles. Big talk now as I could be dying half way through.
Since I may be including others whose schedules may not match mine, I may have to alter the starting day. The official march is on the 10th of April. However, the virtual march can happen between 9 April and 18 April.
Backpacking Bill 