Excited about my weekend plans...
Martel
Posts: 3,306 ✭✭✭✭
The distance on the Appalachian Trail between I70 Footbridge-US40, MD and US30-Caledonia State Park, PA is 36.5 miles. Offset | Milestone |
|---|---|
0.0 | I70 Footbridge-US40, MD |
0.6 | Pine Knob Shelter, MD |
8.8 | Ensign Cowall Shelter, MD |
13.7 | Raven Rock Shelter, MD |
18.6 | Pennsylvania-Maryland Line |
23.3 | Deer Lick Shelters, PA |
25.7 | Antietam Shelter, PA |
26.9 | Tumbling Run Shelters, PA |
33.5 | Rocky Mountain Shelters Side Trail, PA |
36.5 | US30-Caledonia State Park, PA |
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
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I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
I think we're going to try for 13.7 miles to Raven Rock shelter. There's a little more added on from the parking area to the AT, but not too much. From there to Antietam Shelter on Friday for 12 miles or so. Then an easy 10.8 on the last day.
The second day might be killer. The first day has an initial climb and then is rolling. Maybe 1400 to 1600 feet in elevation change, but not much at one time for most of it. The second day has a lot more elevation change. The final day has a good amount of elevation change, but most of it comes near the end and is a descent. We'll see if the knees hold out.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Hopefully the weather holds up and you don't have to battle any thunderstorms along the way.
So you'll be doing 3 days of hiking?
Are you camping along the way?
If so, what's your backpack/tent/etc setup like?
The reason I ask, is that the we're tossing around the idea of getting some new equipment so we can do over-night hiking/backpacking trips. Our current gear is good for "car camping" but too heavy for backpacking.
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
I'm borrowing a pack-it's a Kelty internal frame. I haven't done a backpacking trip since before grad school, and most of those were only overnighters after getting married in 02. This is 3 days, 2 nights. This is kind of a trial run with lots of bailout options along the way. My buddy is bringing the stove and water filter. I'd recommend trying it this way rather than buying a bunch of stuff right off the bat. Back in the day I used external frame packs exclusively, but they're harder to come by now. I liked the attachment points, and I seemed to be able to adjust fit to my 6'5'' body better. Now, I'm probably going to go for my own pack if this weekend works out. I did get new boots in April in order to break them in. Vasque, but not sure the model right now.
I'm trying the hammock thing rather than a tent. I like my backyard hammock and nap great in it. I've got a sleeping pad and my son's bag (mine is a 0 degree and heavier than I want). I got the cheapest hammock that would hold my weight to try it out. Worked okay on a test set-up. If weather continues to say no rain, I probably won't even take a tarp. I haven't found a good mosquito net option for cheap, so that worries me a bit.
I used to backpack a lot when I was in college and before getting married. Now that I'm only an hour or so from the AT and lots of history I want to get back into it. My wife likes car camping, but we sold a ton of gear when we moved into married student housing 6 or 7 years ago. We're slowly building our gear back up. But you're right, none of it is good for packing.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
I remember being on a construction job in Colorado in '71. We were living in Kremmling but the jobsite was up at 9,000 ft. A friend in town had a hunting cabin he said I could use when elk season opened. The only drawback was that the road only came to about 3 or 4 miles from the cabin. My wife drove me to the end of the road and dropped me off with my pack and my rifle. Then she'd pick me up on a pre-arranged day when I hiked back out to the road.
Only a couple minor problems - my pack and rifle weighed 77lbs (had a bunch of canned goods I'd leave behind) and the day after I hiked in it snowed about 8" overnight. It made for easy tracking but the hike out wasn't as easy as coming in.
Didnt get an elk that year but the time I spent in the woods around that cabin was just superlative. The extreme silence and the snow-covered scenery were just magnificent.
Thanks for bringing that memory back to mind, my friend. I hope your trip is a safe, extremely enjoyable one. Wish I were young enough to join you. It sounds wonderful...
There's no real training for backpacking except to do more backpacking. I should have had my pack weighed down and been walking with it for extended periods. Even if you strengthen your muscles, they're still going to get tired with a constant extra 40+ pounds as you climb up and down uneven trails. I'm not too disappointed and hope to try again in the fall on another section.
Weight is all-important. You're always between the decision of "Do I really want to include this weight? But what if I wind up really needing it?" I packed too much--although not enough moleskin or a pair of scissors up to cutting what I did bring. I forgot how much of a pain that stuff can be with just a knife. I have blisters on blisters, but wouldn't trade it for the world. Any chance to get out in the wild is good.
I did get a couple of pics that I'll upload at some point. I also had a camera malfunction and lost some good ones.
I will say, I think even though I was on the "easy" section of the AT, it was harder hiking than I remember the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, or J-Tree being. Granted that was about 20 years ago, so my memories might be hazy, and my joints were certainly younger. Still, the paths were so rocky you had uncertain footing nearly 75% of the time I'd guess. My size 13s need a big landing space. I missed once and got a little lateral movement on legs with tired muscles. I know the boots saved my ankles, but that means the knee was just the next joint up. The pain's not too bad, and little to no swelling makes me suspect just a mild sprain/strain of the LCL with maybe some patellar tendon stretching, too.
So the goal was 36.5, I made it over 18.5. My buddy finished out. He said the hiking was easier than the first two days, but I know I couldn't have done the big up right after I stopped or big down on day 3. Plus there was some scrambling over rocks.
BTW, the hammock was fantastic for this. Lighter than a tent. Even had I needed a tarp/fly. It would have been nasty had it gotten much colder at night, but I could have taken a heavier bag, too. Mine was only rated to 50, even though I have a 0 degree I could have brought. A pad was necessary. Positioning of the lines is critical for comfort; pick good trees to stretch it tight. It was nice to adjust it to elevate the feet a little to reduce swelling the first night.
Added bonus...on this kind of hike, your morning routine will have the best view you'll ever get after the coffee kicks in! Who needs a book?
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
BTW, I almost packed one of each cigar so my buddy and I could stand on either side of the line and smoke 'em. I haven't tried either the North or the South and thought this would be a good excuse opportunity to try them. Still, since the office is under 3 miles away from the line as the crow flies, I guess I don't need to be on the trail to try this.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Thanks for sharing your awesome weekend with us, the pictures are stunning.
So, when is the next one?
Brett