I think I'm finished hiking for the summer. I might make it out in the fall though! Cooler weather would be nice.
I went out and hiked 95 miles (all of CT and half of MA) in a week. My knee was really bothering me the last couple days of it, so I came home to make sure that it would be okay. It is okay, but it took a few days of ice and rest and stretching to get it to quit hurting when I walked down stairs. I saw lots of red efts, ate lots of blueberries and got lots of mosquito bites while I was out. It was a lot of fun. I also put in my longest day so far on the trail, 21.4 miles on a mostly rainy day. That is 11 hours of hiking, eating while I hike and taking two 10 minute sit-down breaks. I was only going to do 18.6, but I saw that a person I had met on the trail was 1.8 mi further so I pushed on to have some company. It was worth it, I like to hike alone sometimes, but on a rainy day I'd rather have someone to hike with. The next day was rainy and it was nice to have the company.
I should put pictures up. I'll do that sometime next week. I should also update my sidebars and tidy up the blog in general. I can use it to keep track of my section hikes and see how much of the AT I've done. While I decided that I'm not a thru-hiker (right now anyway), I would like to finish the AT in sections. It is a bit inconvenient to do the southern half, but if I do it in large chunks it won't be too bad. I'm getting to like taking busses everywhere.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Update...
My friend and I went out and hiked, but not quite as far as planned. We did 36 miles of trail, but went home early due to the weather being in the high 90s that weekend. First day was 13 miles with nice weather. Second day was 17 miles with very hot weather, we didn't take enough water and there wasn't another water source for 13 miles...5 of our first 6 miles were over rocks with no sun cover. Needless to say it was a very long hot day. The next day we did 6 miles into town where we were "saved" by her mom. We spent the rest of our weekend inside with the AC and going to get vegan goodies at Vegan Treats.
It was fun and we would do it again. I also had a really bad head cold the whole weekend (it lasted long past the weekend too), and wasn't eating much while we were out. I'll be better prepared for hot weather next time.
Next time. I was going to go back out tomorrow, but am delaying it a bit for a bunch of reasons. I'm going to go back out the week after next. Then I can stay out for 3-4 weeks before I want to be home to do some other stuff. So I'm still section hiking and I'm really looking forward to getting back out and hiking. I hope the weather cools off some before I go, it would be nice if the thunderstorms would stop as well.
I do have some cool pictures from my last hike, but they are still on my camera and I don't have the cord with me right now. I'll get those up before I leave again though.
It was fun and we would do it again. I also had a really bad head cold the whole weekend (it lasted long past the weekend too), and wasn't eating much while we were out. I'll be better prepared for hot weather next time.
Next time. I was going to go back out tomorrow, but am delaying it a bit for a bunch of reasons. I'm going to go back out the week after next. Then I can stay out for 3-4 weeks before I want to be home to do some other stuff. So I'm still section hiking and I'm really looking forward to getting back out and hiking. I hope the weather cools off some before I go, it would be nice if the thunderstorms would stop as well.
I do have some cool pictures from my last hike, but they are still on my camera and I don't have the cord with me right now. I'll get those up before I leave again though.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Back to the AT
I'm leaving tomorrow to hike the last bit of PA with a friend (I'm skipping the middle half of PA for now). She'll be with me for a few days and then I'll most likely continue on my own for a while. Not sure how long, I guess I'll find out when I decide to come home again. I'm looking forward to it. It will be fun to be out there with someone that I know. And I can pick up my mail in Delaware Water Gap! The states get pretty small here, so if I stay out for a little while I could get through a few of them (NJ, NY, and CT).
I'm totally slacking, I should have put up some pictures while I was home. Umm, here are a few.
My alcohol stove, titanium pot (.86 liters), and tin foil windscreen.
Dinner= cous cous in a freezer bag, add hot water and stick in a hat to keep warm while it cooks. My spoon is in there too. Yummy! Never thought I'd be eating out of a hat though. This was every night, except the one night I had rice instead of cous cous which was a nice change.
My hammock in the wild. It worked great...I stayed dry while it was pouring rain outside. The clothes that I hung didn't fare so well, woops.
I saw trees and fields while hiking. Here is a pretty good representation of what I saw the whole time. I think I'll be seeing fewer fields now, but just as many trees. Lots of rocks in/on/as the trail too.
I'm totally slacking, I should have put up some pictures while I was home. Umm, here are a few.
My alcohol stove, titanium pot (.86 liters), and tin foil windscreen.
Dinner= cous cous in a freezer bag, add hot water and stick in a hat to keep warm while it cooks. My spoon is in there too. Yummy! Never thought I'd be eating out of a hat though. This was every night, except the one night I had rice instead of cous cous which was a nice change.
My hammock in the wild. It worked great...I stayed dry while it was pouring rain outside. The clothes that I hung didn't fare so well, woops.
I saw trees and fields while hiking. Here is a pretty good representation of what I saw the whole time. I think I'll be seeing fewer fields now, but just as many trees. Lots of rocks in/on/as the trail too.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Off the trail
I'm off the trail, for now at least. I took the train home from Harrisburg, PA yesterday. So I'm hanging out in Boston now. My roommate let me in last nite since I didn't have a set of keys with me and my kitties were happy to see me.
I might get back on the trail. I might just hike sections of it over the summer. I'm not quite sure yet, but I don't have to decide right away.
I hiked 136.6 miles in 11 days (12 if you count the day I took off) with a 30 pound pack. This morning I got up and ran the easiest 2.5 miles I've ever ran. I was barely breathing hard, so I know that I'm in much better shape than I was 2 weeks ago! I'll have to keep running and working out so that if I do decide to get back on the trail in a week or two I will still be in good shape for it!
I might get back on the trail. I might just hike sections of it over the summer. I'm not quite sure yet, but I don't have to decide right away.
I hiked 136.6 miles in 11 days (12 if you count the day I took off) with a 30 pound pack. This morning I got up and ran the easiest 2.5 miles I've ever ran. I was barely breathing hard, so I know that I'm in much better shape than I was 2 weeks ago! I'll have to keep running and working out so that if I do decide to get back on the trail in a week or two I will still be in good shape for it!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Doyle Hotel - Duncannon, PA
I made it to the Doyle in Duncannon today! Bar downstairs with cheap beer, and tator tots, plus a cheap room (Gobbles and I split the cost of one with 2 beds - $30 total!). I'm taking a day off tomorrow to rest my feet and recover a bit and get some food for the next week or so.
I hit my 100 mile mark early yesterday. I've been doing pretty big miles for just starting out, but so far the only problems are the freaking huge blisters on my right foot and the medium blisters on my left foot! I've been stretching and making good use of my trekking poles so everything else is feeling pretty good.
I've been hiking with Gobbles and Maytag. I also keep seeing a few people that don't have trail names yet, including 2 guys hiking with a cute dog. That makes it much better than hiking alone.
We hiked through some farmland yesterday. It was really pretty, but also really muddy. Finally a non-raining day, but my feet were completely soaked from the mud. Today was better, my feet dried out and now my shoes are just dirt crusted.
Met some of the guys that started in GA the other day. They are good to talk to, have lots of advice. They are doing huge miles, 20+ almost every day, up to 30 miles some days.
It was great to take a shower today and I'm going to get to do laundry!
Great to hear from you all in the comments! I'll try to figure out a way to get pictures on the blog, I haven't been to a big enough store to have the doohicky that I need to do it easily. Plus most hotel/hostel computers don't allow it. I have been trying to send somewhat frequent text messages to the blog, so keep checking the sidebar for those!
Bye for now! Laundry time!
I hit my 100 mile mark early yesterday. I've been doing pretty big miles for just starting out, but so far the only problems are the freaking huge blisters on my right foot and the medium blisters on my left foot! I've been stretching and making good use of my trekking poles so everything else is feeling pretty good.
I've been hiking with Gobbles and Maytag. I also keep seeing a few people that don't have trail names yet, including 2 guys hiking with a cute dog. That makes it much better than hiking alone.
We hiked through some farmland yesterday. It was really pretty, but also really muddy. Finally a non-raining day, but my feet were completely soaked from the mud. Today was better, my feet dried out and now my shoes are just dirt crusted.
Met some of the guys that started in GA the other day. They are good to talk to, have lots of advice. They are doing huge miles, 20+ almost every day, up to 30 miles some days.
It was great to take a shower today and I'm going to get to do laundry!
Great to hear from you all in the comments! I'll try to figure out a way to get pictures on the blog, I haven't been to a big enough store to have the doohicky that I need to do it easily. Plus most hotel/hostel computers don't allow it. I have been trying to send somewhat frequent text messages to the blog, so keep checking the sidebar for those!
Bye for now! Laundry time!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Free State Hiker Hostel
I put a permalink to my "schedule" in the sidebar. Makes it easier for my mom to find I'm sure!
'm finally dry! I'll give a quick run-down of my first few days hiking.
Day 1 (5/14): Got up, had breakfast, packed my pack, decided that I needed new stuff sacks so I got them at the outfitter and repacked my pack, went to the ATC headquarters and got my picture taken and left with a handful of strawberries toward the trail. Got on the trail. Went a couple of miles and started getting tired, went a bit farther with Time Travelor. Stopped for lunch and sent a text to the blog. Hiked the rest of the way to the Ed Garvey Shelter, stopping at every blaze for a drink/break whenever I had to go uphill. 6.4 miles hiked, made it to the shelter with plenty of time to relax and make dinner. There with Breezer, Kirby, Cookie, Skippy, Emily, and some people tenting. We were all in bed by 8:45pm (I wasn't tired yet). I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to a mouse chewing on my hair (I slept in the shelter).
Day 2 (5/15): Up at 5:45am. Made/ate oatmeal, packed and going by 7am. Hiked much better today. Fewer breaks and faster miles. Stopped at a state park and took a 45 minute break with Emily (she was waiting for a ride). Then played leap-frog with Breezer for the rest of the day. Ended up at Dalgren Camping area at about 2pm, hiked 10.9 miles. There were hot showers! Chris, Andrew and Champ (dog) showed up later and then another couple doing a section SOBO. We hung out the rest of the afternoon. I slept in my hammock for the first time. It was comfortable, and since it started raining soon after I went to bed (9pm) I am glad to say it was dry. I was woke up about 4am by a critter of some sort nosing around below me, I tried to ignore it, but since my pack was on the ground below me I got up which scared it off. My food was all hung in a tree out of reach!
Day 3 (5/16): Woke up 5:40 and it was still raining. Moved everything into the bathroom to pack it up. Ate a tortilla+pb for breakfast and still didn't get going til 7:45. I left with Chris, Andrew and Champ. They were planning on hiking 19 miles today so I thought it would be good to keep pace with them. My shoes were dry for maybe the 1st mile, then I had wet feet the rest of the time. My pack cover worked great and I had my rain jacket on. My hat was also great in keeping the water off my face and neck. Pants were damp, but not too bad. It rained for about the first 8 miles, then mostly let up (just showering a bit here and there to keep us wet). We made it 13.7 miles by 2:30. I stopped here at a hostel and they moved on. I am doing laundry, ordered food and hanging out now. I need to figure out when/where to do a resupply. I might try to do a small one in the morning. My hiker appetite is only starting to kick in. I just downed a bag of fries and a burrito (I was hungry enough that I didn't notice it had mushrooms til I was half done and didn't care until I was 3/4 done) and am getting ready to dig into the 2nd burrito (no mushrooms, only beans and rice). Yesterday I was having to force myself to eat enough, I think I managed 2500 calories. It is less of a problem today.
The miles are getting easier! I only have one blistery looking spot on my foot...I'll take care of it. And I've been able to shower every day so far (this might be the last one for a while). I'm a full day ahead of schedule and am looking forward to seeing what is ahead on the trail. I expect it will be more trees and rocks.
Oh, I saw a deer, lots of chipmunks, tons of bugs including huge bumblebees, a bunny, and more bugs. Saw some ticks, but not on me.
'm finally dry! I'll give a quick run-down of my first few days hiking.
Day 1 (5/14): Got up, had breakfast, packed my pack, decided that I needed new stuff sacks so I got them at the outfitter and repacked my pack, went to the ATC headquarters and got my picture taken and left with a handful of strawberries toward the trail. Got on the trail. Went a couple of miles and started getting tired, went a bit farther with Time Travelor. Stopped for lunch and sent a text to the blog. Hiked the rest of the way to the Ed Garvey Shelter, stopping at every blaze for a drink/break whenever I had to go uphill. 6.4 miles hiked, made it to the shelter with plenty of time to relax and make dinner. There with Breezer, Kirby, Cookie, Skippy, Emily, and some people tenting. We were all in bed by 8:45pm (I wasn't tired yet). I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to a mouse chewing on my hair (I slept in the shelter).
Day 2 (5/15): Up at 5:45am. Made/ate oatmeal, packed and going by 7am. Hiked much better today. Fewer breaks and faster miles. Stopped at a state park and took a 45 minute break with Emily (she was waiting for a ride). Then played leap-frog with Breezer for the rest of the day. Ended up at Dalgren Camping area at about 2pm, hiked 10.9 miles. There were hot showers! Chris, Andrew and Champ (dog) showed up later and then another couple doing a section SOBO. We hung out the rest of the afternoon. I slept in my hammock for the first time. It was comfortable, and since it started raining soon after I went to bed (9pm) I am glad to say it was dry. I was woke up about 4am by a critter of some sort nosing around below me, I tried to ignore it, but since my pack was on the ground below me I got up which scared it off. My food was all hung in a tree out of reach!
Day 3 (5/16): Woke up 5:40 and it was still raining. Moved everything into the bathroom to pack it up. Ate a tortilla+pb for breakfast and still didn't get going til 7:45. I left with Chris, Andrew and Champ. They were planning on hiking 19 miles today so I thought it would be good to keep pace with them. My shoes were dry for maybe the 1st mile, then I had wet feet the rest of the time. My pack cover worked great and I had my rain jacket on. My hat was also great in keeping the water off my face and neck. Pants were damp, but not too bad. It rained for about the first 8 miles, then mostly let up (just showering a bit here and there to keep us wet). We made it 13.7 miles by 2:30. I stopped here at a hostel and they moved on. I am doing laundry, ordered food and hanging out now. I need to figure out when/where to do a resupply. I might try to do a small one in the morning. My hiker appetite is only starting to kick in. I just downed a bag of fries and a burrito (I was hungry enough that I didn't notice it had mushrooms til I was half done and didn't care until I was 3/4 done) and am getting ready to dig into the 2nd burrito (no mushrooms, only beans and rice). Yesterday I was having to force myself to eat enough, I think I managed 2500 calories. It is less of a problem today.
The miles are getting easier! I only have one blistery looking spot on my foot...I'll take care of it. And I've been able to shower every day so far (this might be the last one for a while). I'm a full day ahead of schedule and am looking forward to seeing what is ahead on the trail. I expect it will be more trees and rocks.
Oh, I saw a deer, lots of chipmunks, tons of bugs including huge bumblebees, a bunny, and more bugs. Saw some ticks, but not on me.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Bye!
I leave tomorrow for Harper's Ferry! I'm doing a million things all at once, but wanted to get on to say hi and bye.
Gotta get packing again!
Gotta get packing again!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Home
What is it? Home is where you hang your hat. Something like that. My hat, a cute Tilley, will be hung in (or near) my new home starting next Wednesday. My new home being my Hennessy Hammock. I took it to my "backyard" today and did another set-up test (gotta make sure I remember the knots!). "backyard" = brick park with trees and a fountain 2 blocks away
Here is my new home! Portable! Lightweight! Cute! What more could you want?
It has a pocket and hooks inside...my new home comes with storage.
And look at all the extra space I have inside...just as much space at my head too.
And it rolls up all nice and tidy so I can fold it up and pack it. This is with one of the covers pulled back a bit.
And this is how I'll be carrying my hammock and everything that I will use/need/have for the hike. I should get a picture of it without the pack cover. And I have shorter trekking poles now that fit inside it, much better!
Here is my new home! Portable! Lightweight! Cute! What more could you want?
It has a pocket and hooks inside...my new home comes with storage.
And look at all the extra space I have inside...just as much space at my head too.
And it rolls up all nice and tidy so I can fold it up and pack it. This is with one of the covers pulled back a bit.
And this is how I'll be carrying my hammock and everything that I will use/need/have for the hike. I should get a picture of it without the pack cover. And I have shorter trekking poles now that fit inside it, much better!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Mail Drops NOBO Part
I'm listing this mostly for my dad. I don't expect care packages, but if you do care and want to send a package, I will graciously and happily accept! Remember, I am vegan and have to carry everything that is sent. Here is a great article about care packages with some ideas. Oh, and for my knitter friends, I'm not taking any knitting.
Here are the addresses for the mail drops for the NOBO half of my hike. I'm still sorting out the SOBO half. The format is:
MY REAL NAME (aka ME)
C/O General Delivery
Town, State Zip
Hold for AT Hiker ETA: DATE
OR
MY REAL NAME
C/O business name
business address
town, state zip
Hold for AT Hiker ETA: DATE
MY REAL NAME = if you don't know it, send an email to veganhiker at yahoo dot com My mother will be checking this email address for me and she is paranoid so mention how you know about my blog to put her mind at ease and put something like "real name" in the subject to make it easy on her. If you don't put my real name on the package, I won't be able to get it!
Also, the post office prefers that everything is sent priority mail, using a priority mail label instead of just writing on the box. So please make it easy for them and do this. Everything must be shipped USPS. UPS and FedEx don't like hikers.
One more thing, try to get it to the PO a few days before the date listed. I'll probably start to fall behind at some point, but I'm starting out a bit quicker htan anticipated.
NOBO
Here are the addresses for the mail drops for the NOBO half of my hike. I'm still sorting out the SOBO half. The format is:
MY REAL NAME (aka ME)
C/O General Delivery
Town, State Zip
Hold for AT Hiker ETA: DATE
OR
MY REAL NAME
C/O business name
business address
town, state zip
Hold for AT Hiker ETA: DATE
MY REAL NAME = if you don't know it, send an email to veganhiker at yahoo dot com My mother will be checking this email address for me and she is paranoid so mention how you know about my blog to put her mind at ease and put something like "real name" in the subject to make it easy on her. If you don't put my real name on the package, I won't be able to get it!
Also, the post office prefers that everything is sent priority mail, using a priority mail label instead of just writing on the box. So please make it easy for them and do this. Everything must be shipped USPS. UPS and FedEx don't like hikers.
One more thing, try to get it to the PO a few days before the date listed. I'll probably start to fall behind at some point, but I'm starting out a bit quicker htan anticipated.
NOBO
| ETA | Place | Cum. Miles | Resupply Address |
| 5/14 | Harpers Ferry | 0 | Start |
| 5/18 | Smithburg, MD | 31 | Shop |
| 5/23 | Pine Grove Furnace St. Park | 78.8 | ME
|
| 5/27 | Duncannon, PA | 123.9 | Shop |
| 6/1 | Port Clinton, PA | 193.8 | ME
|
| 6/9 | Del Water Gap, PA | 270.1 | J is bringing me stuff here...if you want her to bring anything send an email to my mom at the address above to find out how to get it to me. I won't stop at the PO here. |
| 6/13 | Unionville, NY | 321.6 | Shop |
| 6/17 | Ft. Montgomery, NY | 379.0 | Shop |
| 6/22 | Kent, CT | 449.2.6 | Shop |
| 6/26 | Great Barrington, MA | 497.0 | Shop |
| 6/30 | Dalton, MA | 549.8 | ME
|
| 7/3 | North Adams, MA | 568.4 | Shop |
| 7/8 | Manchester Center, VT | 626.9 | Shop |
| 7/12 | Killington, VT | 680.0 | Shop |
| 7/15 | Hanover, NH | 722.8 | Shop |
| 7/18 | Glencliff, NH | 766.2 | ME
|
| 7/21 | Crawford Notch, NH | 819.7 | ME
|
| 7/24 | Gorham, NH | 866.8 | Shop |
| 7/28 | Andover, ME | 908.2 | ME
|
| 8/2 | Stratton, ME | 976.9 | Shop |
| 8/7 | Monson, ME | 1046.9 | Shop |
| 8/16 | Abol Bridge, ME | 1149.6 | Shop |
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Hiking Schedule
Here is a table with my planned stops. I'll definitely hike at whatever pace is comfortable for me, but this is what I kinda expect to do. I doubt that I will go any faster, but if you are going to send something to a mail location, send it earlier rather than later. The post offices will hold packages for 15-30 days. And check back here to see if I've updated this...I'll try to if I start to get drastically off from what is here.
NOBO
SOBO
NOBO
| ETA | Place | Cum. Miles | Resupply |
| 5/14 | Harpers Ferry | 0 | Start |
| 5/18 | Smithburg, MD | 31 | Shop |
| 5/23 | Pine Grove Furnace St. Park | 78.8 | Shop |
| 5/27 | Duncannon, PA | 123.9 | Shop |
| 6/1 | Port Clinton, PA | 193.8 | |
| 6/9 | Del Water Gap, PA | 270.1 | |
| 6/13 | Unionville, NY | 321.6 | Shop |
| 6/17 | Ft. Montgomery, NY | 379.0 | Shop |
| 6/22 | Kent, CT | 449.2.6 | Shop |
| 6/26 | Great Barrington, MA | 497.0 | Shop |
| 6/30 | Dalton, MA | 549.8 | |
| 7/3 | North Adams, MA | 568.4 | Shop |
| 7/8 | Manchester Center, VT | 626.9 | Shop |
| 7/12 | Killington, VT | 680.0 | Shop |
| 7/15 | Hanover, NH | 722.8 | Shop |
| 7/18 | Glencliff, NH | 766.2 | |
| 7/21 | Crawford Notch, NH | 819.7 | |
| 7/24 | Gorham, NH | 866.8 | Shop |
| 7/28 | Andover, ME | 908.2 | |
| 8/2 | Stratton, ME | 976.9 | Shop |
| 8/7 | Monson, ME | 1046.9 | Shop |
| 8/16 | Abol Bridge, ME | 1149.6 | Shop |
SOBO
| ETA | Place | Cum. Miles | Resupply |
| 8/28 | Harpers Ferry | 1164.7 | Re-Start |
| 9/2 | Front Royal, VA | 1221.5 | Shop |
| 9/7 | Waynesboro, VA | 1325.7 | Shop |
| 9/13 | Glasgow, VA | 1415.0 | |
| 9/17 | Daleville, VA | 1468.9 | Shop |
| 9/23 | Pearisburg, VA | 1552.2 | Shop |
| 9/30 | Troutdale, VA | 1665.9 | |
| 10/3 | Damascus, VA | 1715.1 | Shop |
| 10/8 | US Rte 19E | 1789.6 | Shop |
| 10/12 | Erwin, TN | 1836.4 | Shop |
| 10/16 | Hot Springs, NC | 1904.5 | |
| 10/20 | Gatlinburg, TN | 1971.6 | Shop |
| 10/25 | Fontana Dam, NC | 2013.7 | Shop |
| 10/29 | Franklin, NC | 2068.6 | Shop |
| 11/3 | Neels Gap | 2145.5 | Shop |
Monday, April 28, 2008
Hammock
I finally tried to set up my hammock. It is a Hennessy Hammock, the Ultralite Backpacker A-Sym.
I was out at The Fells with S a week and a half ago and we tried to set it up. It kinda worked, but the instructions on the hammock bag were not very clear and I had no clue how to tie the knots! So last week I got online and found a video. That helped a lot! I watched it a bunch of times and practiced the knots at home.
Then I took my hammock out to the closest thing I have to a backyard. The Paul Revere Mall - a stretch of brick and trees between the Old North Church and some other church. I picked out two of the smaller trees that looked a good distance apart. It took a few minutes to get it all untwisted from when I'd tried to hang it previously. The actual hanging wasn't too bad though. Next time it will be quicker. I spent lots of time centering it and not a whole lot of time tying the knots.
Once it was up, I figured I should try getting in it...just to make sure it would hold. I crawled in through the opening on the bottom (the top is bugnetted) and stretched out. It didn't fall!
It was pretty dark out by then, so I didn't get any pictures of it hanging. I wanted to pack it up in the snake skins. That actually took more time than hanging it. I'll know how to wrap it up better next time though so it should slide in easier.
Here is my hammock all ready for me to take it out and see if I can replicate my successful hanging.
I was out at The Fells with S a week and a half ago and we tried to set it up. It kinda worked, but the instructions on the hammock bag were not very clear and I had no clue how to tie the knots! So last week I got online and found a video. That helped a lot! I watched it a bunch of times and practiced the knots at home.
Then I took my hammock out to the closest thing I have to a backyard. The Paul Revere Mall - a stretch of brick and trees between the Old North Church and some other church. I picked out two of the smaller trees that looked a good distance apart. It took a few minutes to get it all untwisted from when I'd tried to hang it previously. The actual hanging wasn't too bad though. Next time it will be quicker. I spent lots of time centering it and not a whole lot of time tying the knots.
Once it was up, I figured I should try getting in it...just to make sure it would hold. I crawled in through the opening on the bottom (the top is bugnetted) and stretched out. It didn't fall!
It was pretty dark out by then, so I didn't get any pictures of it hanging. I wanted to pack it up in the snake skins. That actually took more time than hanging it. I'll know how to wrap it up better next time though so it should slide in easier.
Here is my hammock all ready for me to take it out and see if I can replicate my successful hanging.
Monday, April 14, 2008
mini test hike
I did a short hike this weekend, partly so I could test my new pack. 2 friends (umm, maybe they need nicknames, I'll think on it) and myself went out to The Fells on Sunday morning. I loaded my Moonbow pack with 18 pounds and it felt really good. Soooo much better than my Osprey felt at 20 pounds. We took the bus replacement service* to the end of the subway line and it was a short walk to the trails. We hiked probably 3-4 miles on the trails, plus the 1/2 mile to and from the subway and the 1/4 mile to and from the trail...5-5.5 miles total. Not too bad.
I found the Moonbow really easy to pack. I put my sleep pad down and then my sleeping bag. I stuck my hammock in the fold, then a sack with all my hiking clothes (way more than I'll take on the trail). I stuck in a few Nalgene bottles of water for weight, my stove, and some toilet paper. Folded it in half and snapped it shut. After a brief technical difficulty (some of the buckles needed to be taken off and turned over and put back on, they were not holding when I tightened the straps, but a super easy fix was all it needed) I had a ready to go pack. I stuck my trekking poles in one side, another bottle of water+snack+purse in the outside pocket and was on my way.
This was also good because it looks like I'm going to be at a good weight for hiking. I wasn't too worried as I've been shopping for lightweight stuff, but it was good to estimate that I'll be at 15ish pounds without food and water.
*bus replacement service = the f-ing subway seems to always close the same section of tracks on the weekends. They do run buses, but I get bus-sick and it is never a good experience. I was ready to upchuck on someones shoes by the time we got off on the way home from our hike. Luckily I don't get subway-sick.
I found the Moonbow really easy to pack. I put my sleep pad down and then my sleeping bag. I stuck my hammock in the fold, then a sack with all my hiking clothes (way more than I'll take on the trail). I stuck in a few Nalgene bottles of water for weight, my stove, and some toilet paper. Folded it in half and snapped it shut. After a brief technical difficulty (some of the buckles needed to be taken off and turned over and put back on, they were not holding when I tightened the straps, but a super easy fix was all it needed) I had a ready to go pack. I stuck my trekking poles in one side, another bottle of water+snack+purse in the outside pocket and was on my way.
This was also good because it looks like I'm going to be at a good weight for hiking. I wasn't too worried as I've been shopping for lightweight stuff, but it was good to estimate that I'll be at 15ish pounds without food and water.
*bus replacement service = the f-ing subway seems to always close the same section of tracks on the weekends. They do run buses, but I get bus-sick and it is never a good experience. I was ready to upchuck on someones shoes by the time we got off on the way home from our hike. Luckily I don't get subway-sick.
Friday, April 4, 2008
trimming the weight
Quite literally. I did a preliminary cutting down of my maps. I trimmed off as much of the white space as possible without taking any words off. The map paper is heavy and I have to carry at least a few of them at a time!
Next time I'll be taking off the information that I consider unneccessary. Elevation profiles (they are in the guide I'm taking) and info about the area. I didn't want to get too carried away the first time though :)
Next time I'll be taking off the information that I consider unneccessary. Elevation profiles (they are in the guide I'm taking) and info about the area. I didn't want to get too carried away the first time though :)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Gear - shoes, socks, stove
Wanna see some pics of my gear? Probably not, but here they are anyway! I've got some more stuff that I don't have pictures of yet. And my pack has been ordered, I'm so excited! I'll make a real gear list sometime.
Shoes: Merrell Moab Vents, size 36. I'm wondering if I shouldn't have gotten a size 37, but I didn't want my shoe falling off so I can buy a larger size part way through if I need to.
Socks: Smartwool medium weight hiking socks, women's size small. And FoxRiver Sock liners, size small. I like the Smartwool socks okay. 3 out of the 6 sock liners have had holes in them though, so I'm going to return another pair and see if they have a different brand of liners. I'd heard good things, but holes in the socks that I've never worn is not cool! I wanna make my own holes in them. I need some more socks, I think I'll order the smartwools online (cheaper) and maybe the liners too once I figure that out! I'll be taking 3 pairs of smartwools and 2 liners, but will surely need to replace them. I'm figuring at least 2 replacements for each sock.
And a stove: Jet Boil. They only had black, I wanted red. Oh well. This worked great when I tried it. Lights super easy, even in the freezing cold! The black stove under the cup comes off and fits inside with the fuel cannister. The black plastic cup to the right fits over the silver part on the bottom of the cup.
Shoes: Merrell Moab Vents, size 36. I'm wondering if I shouldn't have gotten a size 37, but I didn't want my shoe falling off so I can buy a larger size part way through if I need to.
Socks: Smartwool medium weight hiking socks, women's size small. And FoxRiver Sock liners, size small. I like the Smartwool socks okay. 3 out of the 6 sock liners have had holes in them though, so I'm going to return another pair and see if they have a different brand of liners. I'd heard good things, but holes in the socks that I've never worn is not cool! I wanna make my own holes in them. I need some more socks, I think I'll order the smartwools online (cheaper) and maybe the liners too once I figure that out! I'll be taking 3 pairs of smartwools and 2 liners, but will surely need to replace them. I'm figuring at least 2 replacements for each sock.
And a stove: Jet Boil. They only had black, I wanted red. Oh well. This worked great when I tried it. Lights super easy, even in the freezing cold! The black stove under the cup comes off and fits inside with the fuel cannister. The black plastic cup to the right fits over the silver part on the bottom of the cup.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Planning
I've been reading other hikers' journals. It feels like everybody takes a year or more to plan their hike. I decided at the end of February to do this and am leaving mid-May. I'm planning my hike in the amount of time that most people are finalizing everything and finishing up their drop boxes.
So far everything has gone very smoothly. I have a few different to-do lists and am crossing things off regularly. I'm trying to get as many of the quick things done soon...they are easy to put off, but it seems to make more sense to do them now and then only have to worry about the bigger things.
I did start planning my itinerary. Who knows how well I will follow it, but I wanted some sort of plan to start with. It took me 2 hours to figure out 200 miles of trail! I've got to start figuring out food soon too...I have ideas but nothing actually planned yet.
I'm mailing off my the order for my pack today...a Moonbow Gearskin. I've got most of my "big" gear items and need to start filling in all of the smaller things that I will need! I should go buy a scale and start a gear inventory so I can keep track of it all better. I do have a spreadsheet with two tabs dedicated to gear, but I'm not 100% happy with either method yet.
So far everything has gone very smoothly. I have a few different to-do lists and am crossing things off regularly. I'm trying to get as many of the quick things done soon...they are easy to put off, but it seems to make more sense to do them now and then only have to worry about the bigger things.
I did start planning my itinerary. Who knows how well I will follow it, but I wanted some sort of plan to start with. It took me 2 hours to figure out 200 miles of trail! I've got to start figuring out food soon too...I have ideas but nothing actually planned yet.
I'm mailing off my the order for my pack today...a Moonbow Gearskin. I've got most of my "big" gear items and need to start filling in all of the smaller things that I will need! I should go buy a scale and start a gear inventory so I can keep track of it all better. I do have a spreadsheet with two tabs dedicated to gear, but I'm not 100% happy with either method yet.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
State-by-State
I am anxiously awaiting delivery of my maps. I need to see where I am going, need to start planning it all out. To that effect, here is a consolidation of info found on the AT site. It at least gives an overview of the hike and lets me see what new states I get to go to!
I'll be starting in Harpers Ferry, WV both directions.
NOBO
SOBO
Here are the states that I have been to pre-hike (I'm not sure about Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, or Michigan and I've had lots of layovers in Texas but have never left the airport)
create your own personalized map of the USA
Post-hike the map will look like this. I'll have to find a reason to visit Delaware, it looks all lonely and grey up there! Just so you don't have to count, that only leaves 15 states that I haven't (or don't remember having) visited.
create your own personalized map of the USA
I'll be starting in Harpers Ferry, WV both directions.
NOBO
| State | Miles | Elevation | Difficulty |
| WV | <4 | 265-1200 | 2-3 |
| MD | 41 | 230-1880 | 2-3 |
| PA | 229 | 320-2080 | 2-4 |
| NJ | 72 | 350-1685 | 2-5 |
| NY | 88 | 124-1433 | 2-5 |
| CT | 52 | 260-2316 | 4-5 |
| MA | 90 | 650-3491 | 3-6 |
| VT | 150 | 400-4010 | 5-6 |
| NH | 161 | 400-6288 | 6-10 |
| ME | 281 | 490-5267 | 3-10 |
SOBO
| State | Miles | Elevation | Difficulty |
| WV | <4 | 265-1200 | 2-3 |
| VA | 550 | 265-1200 | 2-6 |
| TN | 293 | 265-5500 | 5-6 |
| NC | 88 | 1725-5498 | 3-6 |
| GA | 75 | 2510-4461 | 6 |
Here are the states that I have been to pre-hike (I'm not sure about Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, or Michigan and I've had lots of layovers in Texas but have never left the airport)
create your own personalized map of the USA
Post-hike the map will look like this. I'll have to find a reason to visit Delaware, it looks all lonely and grey up there! Just so you don't have to count, that only leaves 15 states that I haven't (or don't remember having) visited.
create your own personalized map of the USA
Sunday, March 16, 2008
I'm going to hike!
Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog. I'm planning on doing a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, from now on I'm probably call it the AT.
For those not in the know, the AT is a trail from Georgia (Springer Mountain) to Maine (Katahdin) that is 2175 miles long. It passes through 14 states. It takes from 5-7 months on average to hike the whole thing.
My plan is to start in mid-May in Harpers Ferry, WV and hike north to Katahdin, then return to Harpers Ferry and hike south to Springer Mt. I'm doing a flip-flop hike because of start dates. I can't start soon enough to do NOBO (north bound) and I don't want to wait an extra month to do SOBO (south bound). I know there are others doing the same hike I am at around the same time, so I'll have them for company on the trail.
I'll be posting lists of gear and pictures of gear and probably some more about gear. I'm shooting for a total pack weight of 20-25 pounds including food and 2L of water, so gear is an important part of it.
Food might also be a topic. I'm been vegan for over 3 years and vegetarian for over 7 years before that. It hasn't been a problem, and I don't anticipate it being much of a challenge on the trail. I'll have to eat a little different than everyone else, but I do that anyway! Now that I've got a lot of my gear planned out I'm going to start looking at food and deciding how heavily to rely on mail drops.
I'll post about other things that come up as I'm planning. Once I actually get on the trail, this is where updates will occur, but I won't promise them often.
And for family and such reading this. Remember that this is the internet. I'm not using my full name for a reason. Anybody and everybody can read any comments that you make. I can delete them but the internet caches stuff and there is the possibility of it being pulled up in a search. So don't write anything that I wouldn't want a future employer reading.
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