Gear Review- Brasslite Turbo l-D alcohol stove.

Brasslite Turbo l-D Alcohol Stove Review.

I am always looking for a good, dependable stove for long distance backpacking.  With the choice of liquid fuel, canister, wood burning, alcohol or esbit tablets the choices can be overwhelming to the novice backpacker.  This review will not rehash the advantages and disadvantages of each type of stove but will focus on one of the stoves that I carry most of the time on my hikes.

I love alcohol stoves, I have tried many different designs from soda can stoves, cat food can stoves pressurized versions and everything in between. They all worked as intended, some better, some worse but I think I have found the stove that I will carry for a long time to come.  The Brasslite Turbo l-D


Information taken from the Brasslite website.

 Brasslite manufactures high quality, ultralight alcohol-fueled cooking stoves for backpacking and camping. Brasslite stoves are light as a feather and are small enough to fit inside any cook pot but in spite of their size and weight they are surprisingly stable, durable, and hot! Unlike other alcohol stoves currently on the market, Brasslite stoves have an adjustable sleeve that allows them to simmer perfectly. Brasslite stoves are easy to use and maintain. Unlike most commercial backpacking stoves Brasslite stoves have no valves or other moving parts, no plastic parts, and no pumps or seals to wear out. Alcohol stoves have been popular in Europe for years. They're a simple and environmentally-friendly alternative to wasteful gas canister stoves or heavy white gas stoves, but many hikers have avoided them because of their reputation for being slow to boil. Not Brasslite stoves! They will bring 16 oz. (500 ml) of water to a rolling boil in about 5 minutes.* If you're a gram-counting hiker in search of a truly lightweight stove that is both durable and 100% dependable, your search has ended! Whether you're an occasional backpacker or someone planning to walk for months, Brasslite stoves have what it takes to lighten your load and go the distance.

I had seen this stove in use on the trail several times and really liked what I saw.  The hikers using the stove seemed to like it, it was small, it was light and it looked well built.  The stove IS light weight weighing in at approximately 1.9 ounces and is made of brass.  It holds cookware with a diamater of up to 5 inches and 1 liter of volume.  This is perfect for the solo hiker (Brasslite does offer a larger version of this stove if you are not a solo hiker).  The stove stoves width is 2 inches...including the primer pan it will be 2.5 inches and about 2.5 inches tall and will hold 1 ounce of alcohol in its chamber.  This stove included a unique simmer ring which allows you to do a bit of simmering if you do not cook out of freezer bags and need to simmer something like soup or pasta for a while.

I have put this stove thru heavy use for the last six months and have nothing but praise for this little stove.  I can burn about 1/2 ounce of fuel and have 16 ounces of water boiling in about 5 minutes at an ambient temperature of 50 degrees.  I have experimented with the simmer ring and with an ounce of fuel, it appears to allow me to simmer a meal for about 15 minutes.

This stove gets a thumbs up from me.  It has found a home inside my mug and is my go to stove on the trail.
Check it out, buy it and see for yourself.

Appalachian Trail Hike: Daleville, Tinker Cliffs and McAfee Knob.

A December Hike On The Appalachian Trail

McAfee Knob

I found myself about 2 weeks ago looking at my schedule and to my good fortune, noticed that I had the following weekend free of all responsibility.  Sitting at work and realizing that I had no plans for the weekend, it did not take long to begin thinking about a hiking weekend.  The weather reports appeared favorable with warmer temperatures and no snow forecast for the mountains so the choice was easy.  So, I ruled out local hikes and decided to hike the Appalachian Trail.

So, the general area to hike was selected, now to figure out where to actually hike.  I posted to an Internet board that specializes in the Appalachian Trail (www.whiteblaze.net) seeking a hiking partner for the weekend. Generally I hike alone but thought if there was a hiker that wanted company it might be fun.  I very quickly received a response from one hiker who was hiking the VA  portion of the trail on the weekends who was hiking around Daleville and he was willing to help shuttle me back to my truck on Sunday.  I also was contacted by a Trail Angel who lives in Daleville, who was willing to shuttle me to the trail Saturday and actually ended up going above and beyond transportation for me.  Thank you!  After several phone calls and emails, plans were made and the weekend was around the corner.

Trail Angels are special people.  A Trail Angel is someone who takes it upon themselves to make themselves, their time, their cars and sometimes their homes available for hikers hiking the Appalachian Trail.  These people are special people and deserve the respect and admiration of every hiker on the trail.  There is a special Trail Angel in Daleville and I was not only privileged to meet her and her husband, but they invited me into their home Friday night so I did not have to hit the trail after dark and hike until I found somewhere to camp. They were already allowing two thru hikers, Eagle Eye and ? to stay several days at their home and this Trail Angel was shuttling these two hikers so they could slack pack portions of the trail. On a side note, these two hikers were about 100 miles from completing the Appalachian trail.  They had been on the trail for about 8 months, started in Georgia, walked to Bland VA, jumped up to Maine and walked back down to Bland.  Over 2000 miles.  Good Job and Congrats.

So, this Trail Angel and her family put me up for the evening, fed me a wonderful dinner, and I was entertained with great conversations of hiking and the Appalachian trail. Once again, you know who you are and thank you.  If you are ever up this way, let me know and I will return the favor.

The Appalachian Trail extends through the towns of "merged" towns of Daleville and Troutdale Virgina and makes access to the trail easy.  There is an outfitter in town for gear, good grocery stores for supplies and one awesome Trail Angel, but we will get to her later. For those traveling to the trail for a weekend hike, the trail head is right off Interstate 81 with a Super 8 Motel and a Howard Johnsons right next to the trail head.  Note: I was able to park in the Super 8 parking lot overnight with their permission.  Props to them for allowing me to park in a safe place.

Early Morning at the Trail head.

I woke up early Saturday morning, grabbed a quick breakfast, loaded up the two thru hikers as they were headed to the same trail head as I was and prepared to begin my walk in the woods.  The hike was a 20 mile hike over two days and I had planned an easy 10 mile hike today ending up at a shelter for the evening.
Morning had not broke when I entered the woods. It was a bit chilly and I had on a base layer, shell and a light fleece to keep warm.  My headlight illuminated the way as the first light of dawn was still 20 minutes away.  It was good to be back in the woods.  I smiled to myself as I knew that this was where I needed to be this weekend.  The woods are a sanctuary, a place where the stresses of life sluff off your shoulders at the trail head and would not be thought of again until your hike is finished.  The smells and sounds of the woods are enticing and made me feel more alive than I had been for awhile.

I walked slowly, warming up my muscles for the days long hike.  I mentally prepared for a great day.  Ten miles is a short day of hiking and with such low miles, I had hours to meander the trail, to stop and listen to the forest, to watch the wildlife, to admire the views and maybe even read a book and nap along the trail.  Sweet.

Daleville VA now far below me.

Twenty minutes later, I had to stop to remove layers of clothing as I was getting very warm.  My muscles warmed up about the time I started up the first hills and I was enjoying the hike.  After a mile or two I come across a view of the town of Daleville now far below me. I take a moment to think about the people down there starting their Saturday morning, some getting ready for work, some feeding their children, some probably hung over after spending their paycheck at the the local watering hole and I realize that I would not trade places with any of them that day.  I was exactly where I needed to be.

Self Portrait at Hay Rock.

Hiker enjoying the views

The rest of the day was beautiful.  I spent time off the trail looking at the geology of the mountains.  I spent time sitting looking at the views, I read a book and yes, I took a nap.  I was in no hurry to get anywhere and I didn't get anywhere fast today.

I was able to watch the wildlife, deer, squirrels, turkey, cows, birds, and other assorted wildlife were seen.  Views were spectacular and the trail at times decided to be forgiving with soft dirt trails.  Other times, the trail decided it was time for me to work and would throw boulders, rocks, roots and other assorted obstacles in my way.  No matter, it was all good.  It was what I had come to seek out.

I arrived at the shelter about 3 pm.  No one was here and I set about my camp chores.  Blow up my mattress, get out my sleeping bag, stove and food. Change out of my stinky clothes and into a fresh shirt for camp.  I needed water so I headed towards the back of the shelter where there was supposed to be water.  Well, there was water, however it was from a dried up creek and the few pools of water available were stagnant looking.  So, I head back down the trail the way I came for about .3 miles where I was able to find a small stream with a trickle of running clear water.  I fill up my hydration bladder as well as my Gatorade bottle full of water and head back towards the shelter. I chemically sterilize my water with Aqua  Mira and collect firewood for a fire.  It was supposed to be chilly tonight and I had decided that while I cooked my gourmet dinner (right if instant noodles qualify) I was going to be warm.

As I was finishing gathering firewood a family walks down the trail and heads for the shelter.  I am a little disappointed as I was hoping to be the only one at the shelter.  However, they seem to be nice enough albeit noisy and as I cook dinner we talk about the trail and hiking. A fire was lit and we talked as the kids played Crazy Eights by the fire.  After an hour or so, I head off to the shelter and settle in for the night.  I fall asleep quickly listening to the fire crackling and popping and the quiet murmuring of the kids talking about bears.  Oh, lest I forget, the father decided to hang his bear bag next to the shelter instead of finding a tree several hundred yards away.  If I had of know that before I fell asleep, I would have made him move it away from the shelter.  Did he know I attract bears sometimes like flies to honey?

I woke up at 4:30, fixed a breakfast of oatmeal and pop tarts, packed my gear and was on the trail before 6 AM.  I love the early morning darkness and again hiked by headlamp until daybreak filtered down to the forest floor.  It was so peaceful.  That is until the forest decided I was enjoying the hike way to much and decided to put a slick rock under slick leaves that created a situation where I placed my foot on this hidden danger.  The foot slipped one way, my body and other leg went another and I felt the muscles in my right thigh scream "CCCCCCRRRRRRAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPP, that hurts"!  I now had a serious pulled muscle in my thigh and it hurt.  I tried to walk it off hoping it would loosen up.  Of course it didn't it only became more painful as I walked.  So I took a couple of Advil and continued on. What could I do?  I had to move on as I had a schedule to keep and I was hiking alone.

White Trail blaze and view from Tinker Cliff.

Well, I hiked slowly dreading the approach to Tinker Cliffs that was less than a mile away, It took me an hour to climb up to Tinker Cliffs limping along and nursing my sore leg.  However the views atop Tinker did make me forget the pain for a while.  Beautiful views were along every bit of the half mile cliff walk. I enjoyed the view but I was worried about my leg, the time it would take me to hike to the trail head and more importantly, I was wanted to enjoy some time at McAfee Knob, one of the best views on the Appalachian Trail.

As I continued hiking my thigh began to hurt even worse. Heck I could barely lift my leg and climbing uphill was very painful.  I dreaded having to lift my foot up where there was a need to "step up" and it seemed like I had to step up or over something every 10 feet. Ouch.  I was averaging less than one mile an hour on the trail.  It was going to be a long day.

Approach trail to McAfee
Knob.

I limped along still enjoying the day until I got to within about 3/4 of a mile of McAfee Knob. There is about a .8 mile steep ascent to the top of the knob that took me over an hour to climb.  My leg hurt so much that I was having to stop every 100 feet and rest or the pain was overpowering.  Eventually, the end of the ascent came close.  The trail changed from dirt and roots to rocks and boulders. Within .2 miles I made it to the top of McAfee Knob.  The Knob is one of those special places on the trail.  In fact most of you readers that are not familiar with the trail will recognize the picture of me on the knob.  This is on of the most photographed places on the trail and most people will recognize the scene even if they have not put a foot on the trail.  The knob has an elevation of over 3000 feet and the views are out of the world.

As I limped the last few feet of trail to the knob, the wind was gusty and strong and after the exertion and sweat of walking the approach trail, the wind was quite cold....however as I walked out onto the knob and took in the view, the cold and soreness no longer mattered.  I stood there in awe, the blue sky, the white clouds, the miles and miles of views has a way of making one forget about the hardship.  I was lucky, there were only 2 couples on the knob when I arrived.  I spent an hour up there, taking photographs and silently enjoying the afternoon.  This is what hiking is all about.  The struggle to reach a special place a place to commune with nature in your own way...almost a religious experience.  This is the payoff that one never forgets.

My Special Time On McAfee Knob

The afternoon was quickly fading into evening and I had 4 miles of strenuous downhill miles to get to the trail head before dark.  I bid my goodbyes to McAfee and was able to average 2 miles an hour downhill even though I was in pain. I actually made it out before nightfall, found the parking area and waited about 45 minutes for the hiker that I was meeting to come off the trail.  We quickly introduced ourselves, packed our gear into his car and headed off to the local watering hole where we each celebrated out individual hikes together as only hikers can do.

What a great weekend hike for the beginning of December.  The weather was perfect and I actually enjoyed the mental battle I had with myself to keep going even though I was in constant pain.  Thanks to my Trail Angle and the other hiker who gave of themselves allowing me this wonderful weekend.  It is true, AT hikers are friends even if they have never met before.

So, I now need to plan my next hike....I am thinking an out an back over Christmas since I do not have any particular plans.  I wonder if there is someone else who is single away from their family who would  like to celebrate Christmas on the trail.

Till next time keep hiking your own hike.

Car Camping and Other Stuff

Car Camping, Bigfoot, and Other Stuff

 Ok, so it has been a while since I have had the time to actually post much here lately.  Between the blizzard last month, work and work, and a brief trip to North Carolina for a car camping trip with friends, I haven't had the time to update the blog.  So here goes.I headed down to North Carolina earlier this month and spent 3 nights camping with friends over my birthday weekend.  A weekend of good food, good friends and the great outdoors can do a body good.  Oh, and not least of all, spending time with my Godson and his little brother hunting Bigfoot was the highlight of the the weekend!  However, it was a bit strange to be car camping again.  Every time I car camp now I seem to have a bit of a love/hate relationship with staying at a campground.

My Godson and his brother
find Bigfoot's hiking stick!

It is nice to have some conveniences such as having a camper on site that has refrigeration for real food, power for charging Ipads, Ipods, and E-readers, beer, wine and other adult beverages and of course a bath house with hot water and real toilets!  It was great to be with the kids and friends but there is something to be said about being on a trail, finding a great stealth site or shelter, eating noodles with other hikers and having the feeling of accomplishment for the miles hiked that day.  I only wish some of my closest friends enjoyed hiking........however, one of my best friend have stated he would like to do a bit of hiking this spring over 4 or 5 days,  I wonder if that has to do with the hammock he bought from me while I was down there.:)

My lightweight backpacking tent (left) and a "normal" 2 man tent (left).
 To the left in the background is a lightweight hammock used for hiking.

I was looking forward to this trip, not only as I was able to hang out with close friends that I haven't seen for a while, but to shake down some equipment as well.   I am still working out the details of tent versus tarp for early spring hiking, as well as testing a new Neoair ultra light sleeping pad.  I also wanted an excuse to see how my new Western Mountaineering Versalite sleeping bag did in colder temperatures.  Well, is was a small test for the bag as the temperature only dropped down to 30 degrees F.

So, how did the shakedown of equipment go?  Well, I will be posting reviews of some of the equipment shortly but suffice to say, I think I really like my setup for the most part.  I do need to get another thin pad to place over my Neoair for cold weather camping to increase the R factor just a bit, but I think this pad and sleeping bag combo will be good to 15 degrees or so without the additional pad.  Hopefully, I will get out next month in the mountains to test out some colder weather camping with this equipment.

The Lightheart Gear Solo Tent
with Neoair pad inside.  Note
plenty of room is left for gear.

The hiking schedule for next year is a bit up in the air...finances, jobs, time off are all still up in the air.  Finding time to hike recently has become difficult due to the time change leaving daylight scares after work.  The weekends are even difficult as the part time job kind of interferes with time and not to mention the holidays.  I do get out to do a few miles of walking in the evenings around where I live.  It is just on pavement.  Ha ha.

I think I have collected most of the equipment I need for a long distance hike.  I would like to find a better summer sleeping bag, but it is not a major problem if I do not find the one I want on a deep discount.  I have great equipment that will go the distance and it is all lightweight helping to keep my pack weight down giving me a much better chance of not stressing my feet, knees and back during a long hike helping keep the risk of injury lower.

I am truly coming to appreciate hiking and camping with just the minimum equipment needed for food, shelter, and comfort.  I have come to realize that as I examine what I really need while hiking, the same principles apply in the real world as well.   We have become a nation of excess, buying our happiness with stuff.  When we look at all the trapping we collect, and how most of the stuff we have is so unnecessary and useless, it is beginning to change my thinking about materialistic crap.  I have changed my ideas of what it is to be successful and realize it is not about the accumulation of crap.  It will be interesting to see how I view this in a few years however.

So with that, my early New Years Resolution will be to update this blog more often.  I guess a good goal will be twice a month if not more.  More reviews of the trails I hike, more reviews of my equipment and maybe even more insight into myself.

So for now Mitch, Stacy, Brian, Alison, Cam, Reagan, and Nicole, thanks for the great birthday weekend camping. I miss you guys and wish I lived closer to you..........,I hope everybody had a Happy Thanksgiving with friends and family and remember to keep the compass pointed north.

November 1st, Snow, and testing equipment.

Blizzards in October.



View from my office

 Who would have thought that one week in October it would be in the 60's and the next week we would be in the middle of a blizzard.  Well that is exactly what happened here in the mountains.  2-3 feet at snow at elevation, power outages, wind and a lot of snow.  The silver lining is I did not lose power and I got to test out my OR puffy down jacket and other cold weather clothing in a "controlled" environment.




So the down OR puffy jacket, fleeces, capilene base layers, and assorted clothing came out of storage for a workout.  It was great being able to try different weight base layers, mid layers and outer wind/rain layers over the last couple of days. So some of the lessons learned were:



Hanging out in my OR
down puffy.

 1.  The Capilene 1 pants are definitely warm enough for most hiking applications unless it gets extremely cold.

2. The Capilene 3 top is extremely warm and will be a good camp shirt for early spring in the mountains.

3.  I need a fleece hoodie similar to the Patagonia R1.  My neck did get a bit cold when not wearing my puffy jacket with the hood.  I think a fleece hoodie with a buff used as a neck gaiter will probably work.  Couple these with a good wool/fleece cap and I may be able to forgo a balaclava.  I guess I will have to wait for colder weather to test this hypothesis.

4.  I need some overmitts to cut the wind from getting through my wool glove liners as well as helping to keep my liners dry.

5.  I may invest in some longer gaiters for late winter/early spring hiking.  Postholing with short gaiters = wet socks and wet calves.

6.  Dri ducks are not the answer for lightweight wind/snow pants!

7.  The OR Helium II rain shell is so lightweight and works great as a wind shell.  I am very happy with it!

I had wanted to put up the Lightheart tent as well as the tarp to see how they performed under a snow load.  I guess I am glad that I did not get them set up before the wind and snow came due to the amount of snow that we actually ended up with.  I can only wonder how they would have done.  I will just have to wait till we get a normal snow later this winter to test them.

So, thanks to the blizzard, I am more confident in my winter hiking clothing ability to keep me warm in most situations.  I am still thinking about a canister stove to replace my alcohol stove for winter hiking as alcohol will not function well below 30 degrees for me.  A  lightweight ( <under 3 ounces) wood burning cooking stove is under consideration as well. I am also on the hunt for a pair of lightly used snowshoes for hiking this winter.  I have the feeling it will be a snowy winter.

The Western Mountain Sleeping Bag is Awesome!



Western Mountaineering
Versalite down bag.
I look like a caterpillar!

 So, as you guys know from a previous post, the Western Mountaineering Versalite sleeping bag arrived.  What an awesome bag it is.  Light, extremely warm and roomy enough for us people that move around in a sleeping bag.  I can't wait till the temperatures get a bit colder to really test it out.  Western Mountaineering thank you for making an American made bag that is just awesome.

So all in all thank you Blizzardcane Sandy!  You have helped me shake down my cold weather equipment and I love your for that.  However, Please do not come back this way.

To all those SOBO Appalachian Trail hikers that are still on the trail (Short Legs in paticular), I know Sandy has kicked your tail.  Stay warm, dry, and safe if you are on the trail during this snow event. Oh and remember, if you are hiking on, watch out for new deadfalls and make sure to check above your camping site for dead limbs.  They will be coming down. I can't wait to read some of your journals and how you coped with the storm.

Trying to keep the compass pointed North for 2013.



A Couple of Things...Of Fire Starter and Sleeping Bags.

Where is UPS?  It is a Friday afternoon and I am anxious for UPS to arrive. Why?  I have initiated the ultimate trade/barter and have ended up with a very lightly used Western Mountaineering Versalite  10 degree 900 fill down sleeping bag. 

Why am I so excited?  Well, First, Western Mountaineering bags are regarded as being one of the 2 or three best made sleeping bags in the world.  They are hand made with only the best goose down used as the fill.  The construction from what I have seen from other people that own the bag is awesome and the attention to detail is phenomenal. Secondly, the bag is light.  Secondly, at only 2 pounds, it almost as light as my 32 degree bag and it will compress better allowing for more room in my backpack.  This compressibility and super light weight will allow me to carry the same pack I use in the summer and help keep my winter pack weight at less than 30 lbs with food, water, and additional supplies needed for winter hiking.  Thirdly, I seem to be a bit of a warm sleeper, with a decent pad underneath me and dressed in my down clothing and heavy base layers, I am hoping that due to the conservative rating this bag might just hold me over and keep me warm down in to the low single digits if the weather were to get colder than what I am planning while out hiking.  Not that I want to push it, but it would be nice to be able to survive a colder night and less chilled if I find myself in an emergency situation. The best reason is I was able to negotiate a great trade involving several people to bring my net cost down to about nothing.  This bag retails for about $500.00 and with my net cost, I must say I am very pleased. 

Now, the drawbacks.  Well, the big one is the bag is down.  Care must be taken not to get it wet as it will lose all of its insulating properties.  This means in wet/damp weather, I will have to be careful packing the bag with additional waterproofing material such as a turkey basting bag or additional stuff sack or dry bag to make sure it stays dry in the bag.  Hopefully, between a pack cover, bag liner, sil-nylon stuff sack and a  turkey basting bag, I will not worry about the sleeping bag in the back pack.  I will have to worry a bit about the bag and condensation from my breath and from the bag brushing up against the walls of my tent.  I understand this is not a huge problem due to the water resistant fabric and any moisture that will seep in will generally dry out in an hour or two in the sun....at least that is what I have been told and read on the internet.

The other drawback is that I am scared I will like the bag so much, I will have to begin hunting a new lightweight summer bag as well.  Have no fear, the deal maker is up to the challenge if need be. 

So, I am waiting patiently for the UPS guy to show up today.  Hopefully with the temperatures dropping and winter around the corner, I will get to see if this Western Mountaineering sleeping bag is the "Bee's Knees".

If you would like more information on the Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags check out their website at www.westernmountaineering.com.  Hopefully I will have a first impressions review shortly.

Fire Starters.

What is in your backpack for emergency firestarting especially if the tinder and wood you are finding is damp.  Can you find dry tinder to start a fire?  I can but it can be time consuming to get this type of fire going.  Imagine, it is cold, wet, the wind is blowing and you are hypothermic.  You need to start a fire quickly.  What do you do?

Well, check out this website.  It shows an extremely light way to carry emergency fire starter using candle wax and makeup remover pads.  Apparently, these should burn for 4 minutes allowing enough time for the kindling to ignite and start a fire.  This could be a life saver for the hiker that is hypothermic and wet!  They are so light, it should be no problem putting 5 or 6 in your first aid/emergency kit.

Check it out!


http://jjmatheshikes.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-like-fire-and-im-always-interested-in.html.


Well, I checked out the UPS tracking site and it shows that my sleeping bag has been delivered and at the front door of the house.  Time to walk over there and check it out.

Till next time, go take a walk in the woods.

Do You Need Maps On The Appalachian Trail?

I found this humorous tidbit on FaceBook today.  I thought it was funny and thought I would share it.

Do you NEED maps for thru-hiking the A.T.?

Survivalist: What idiot would go into the woods for a long time and NOT carry maps? Do you have a good knife? And what weapons do you plan on bringing to down larger prey if you can’t get to a store for 3 weeks?

Facebook complaint immediately to the author demanding changes with my iPhone as soon as I got back on the trail.
...

Tinkerer: Well of course I used maps every step of the way. I’m a little unnerved though. Yesterday my GPS watch readings and my maps were off over 68.38 feet in elevation gains / losses for the day. Look, I’ll show you in my log book.

Realist: You don’t need them. How lost can you get really? Maps are just dead weight to carry 2000+ miles, how smart is that? You do realize the trail is marked the whole way right?

Average Joe or Sarah: I took them, didn’t much use them though.

Updates and an October Hike Part 2.

A Long Day.

North of Damascus VA on the
Appalachian Trail

To continue on with the hike, I awoke early to a quiet camp, well that is not true....10 or so hikers means a cacophony of snoring!  I think the only persons who as a group snore louder must be persons in the employ of Fire or EMS!  Ok, so other than the snoring, it was a peaceful morning. Dawn was just breaking and the soft light of morning was just beginning to creep in between the trees.  I visited the privy and yes the story of the Lorax is still written on the privy wall, and then proceeded to break down my camp. By this time, hikers were stirring and beginning to wake up and move about.  Within an hour, everyone was scurrying around, eating, and packing up for another day of hiking.

We had planned to leave camp and hike to the next shelter for the evening.  However, it appeared as if the shelter was only 6 miles away and we would probably be hiking on and stealth camping along the trail to add a few miles to the day.  Well, we made good time and everyone arrived at the shelter just after noon and we decided to hike on for a few miles and find a camping site later.  So we hiked on.

We hiked about another 4 miles and I had plans to camp down by a river at a beautiful campsite I had found the last time I had hiked this area.  As luck would have it, it was taken up by a large group of campers so we moved on.  We ended up crossing HWY 58 looking for a shelter but the one we found was rocky and by the road.  Noise and the possibility of drunken local campers coming in to the site for a weekend camp helped make the decision to move on easier.  This began the discussion of cravings for Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, and ice cream.  So, as it was less than 5 miles to Damascus a plan was formed while hiking that we would continue hiking into town.  Long story short, I "bonked" on the trail as I found I had little energy to hike up the last mountain and was passed by my hiking mates.  After a 20 minute break, and some food, I proceeded up and over this mountain and began the 2 mile downhill walk into Damascus.  The problem was it was 2 miles of walking a rocky trail in the dark with only a small headlamp to lead the way.  All in all it was a fun walk in the dark and I  highly recommend night hiking.

I was met in Damascus by my friends...haha they found me at the gas stations sucking down Mt. Dew and ice cream, headed to dinner and then back to the hostel to rest. 
.....I love the trail and am craving a long hike. If I can find the right winter sleeping bag, I will be back in Damascus soon!

So, I will actually finish the next couple of days of the trip in a following post.  As soon as I find the time.

Updates and an October Hike

A Fall Return to the Virginia Mountains.

Self Portrait coming down
Whitetop Mountain

So, it has been a while since I updated the blog.  Sorry about that but come on, I have been busy!  So to de-stress, a couple of friends and I decided to head down to Damascus, VA to do a little hiking in the mountains and then a day of enjoying the small town life in Damascus.

Gear Check!

So we arrived in Damascus last Thursday night, received the keys to our rooms in the hiker hostel, checked out our gear one last time and then headed out to the local eating establishment for a bit of pizza before heading to bed so we would be rested when our shuttle to the trail head arrived Friday morning.

Friday morning arrived cool and sunny as we waited for our shuttle to arrive.  The drive through the mountains to the trail head was beautiful and the van driver (Jeff from MRO Outfitters) was talkative and was narrating the drive with information and history of the area.  The drive was pleasant enough and after about 45 minutes we arrive at Elk Gardens trail head (elevation 4430')  for the Appalachian Trail.



Elk Gardens Trail Head looking North towards
Mt. Rogers.

 The morning was sunny and breezy with a slight chill in the air as well as a bit breezy with 15 mph winds as we entered the forest at Elk Garden.  As we enter the forest, the cares of the world slip away.  It is us and nature...no phones, no cars, not a single luxury...Oh crap....Gilligans's Island syndrome is kicking in.  Ok, so I brought a luxury or two, my Ipod and an extra fleece. 



Hikers hikinig towards Whitetop
Mountain



The morning was spent with a moderate climb up Whitetop Mountain to Buzzard Rock where we intended to stop and eat lunch.  The temperatures during the climb were perfect and a light base layer was all that was needed to keep warm.  However, as I stepped out of the forest and onto the mountain bald, the wind was forceful and the temperatures on the exposed mountain reflected that.  Due to the wind and the temperature we decided to stop for a short break, photos, and to take in the view and then push on back into the forest and find a place for lunch.



Buzzard Rock



Whitetop Mountain

  Whitetop Mountain (Elevation 5080')

  Buzzard Rock on Whitetop Mountain

As we descended on the other side of Whitetop, I moved ahead of my friends to experience the forest as a solo hiker.  The rustle of the wind in the treetops, the birds singing their sweet songs, and the ground animals busily gathering nuts for the winter are music to my soul.  There is something to be said for a solo hike in the woods to rejuvenate the body and soul.  Lunch was taken at a trail head while waiting for my friends to catch up. As I was finishing lunch, several section hikers appear with my friends from the forest no worse for wear....well, except for some severe blister problems developing which made one of my friends switch from hiking shoes to sandals....which she ended up doing over 20 miles in....talk about strong hiking...



Lost Mountain Shelter

 After the lunch break and a good rest, we proceeded to hike to Lost Mountain Shelter, our destination for the evening.  Arrival at the shelter was around 4 pm.  We busily went about our camp chores, refilling and treating water from the spring, hanging bear bags, setting up tents, gathering firewood for a fire, and getting dinner prepped.

While getting set up for the evening, the shelter was a busy place with hikers coming in for a rest and moving on as well as hikers stopping here for the evening.  By the end of the night I think there were 10-12 persons either sleeping in the shelter or in tents pitched close by. 



After dinner conversation at
Lost Mountain Shelter

 Dinner was a pesto noodle dinner, ham jerky and a cup of hot chocolate.  A fire was lit and conversations of hiking, equipment, and other typical hiker conversation ensued well past hiker midnight.  It was a great night at Lost Mountain Shelter but sleep beckoned and I was wanting to try the new tent so off to bed around 10 pm.



LightHeart Solo Tent

 If you have been following the blog you know that I have been experimenting with shelters and I was excited to be able to try out a LightHeart Solo shelter. I must say it was easy and quick to erect and even though there was no rain, it appears to be designed well and should be able to easily repel hard rain.  I guess the rain test will have to wait for another day though.  There was enough room in the tent for me and if needed due to conditions, I can move all my gear inside with me and still have room enough to sleep comfortably. 


All in all it was a most excellent day of hiking in the Virginia Mountains...and the best part, no blisters and no Tylenol was needed for sore muscles at the end of the day....at least for me.....Paws, that was another story as far as blisters.....all I can say is she is definitely a hiker. :)

Oh, total miles for the day, 8 miles, pack weight loaded with food and water was ~ 26 pounds.  The next post will detail our long unplanned 17 mile day.....stay tuned.

Trail Journals, September Christmas and Other Erratta.

"It has been another great day on the Trail in spite of the rain. Tomorrow's forecast is for more rain but we'll take what comes. That's life on the Trail...you can't beat it!!" Footsteps, Appalachian Trail, 2001 

I have decided to keep a hike journal on www.trailjournals.com during my hike. I will have a direct link to this journal posted here in the next few days.  You can read more about my prep as well as when I am hiking, I will be updating my progress as much as I can on trailjournals.com.  It has a much simpler interface than this site and that will make it easier for me to update my journal more often while on the trail.

Trailjournals.com is a great place to read other peoples journals from their attempts to hike most of the long trails in the United States.  It makes for interesting reading and believe it or not, some are very well written allowing the reader to become immersed in the day to day trail life. Check it out...

So, it is Christmas in September!  I received the new tent and today I received some new winter hiking clothing.  www.backcountry.com had a great sale and I was able to pick up a Mountain Hardwear micro fleece sweater, new merino wool glove liners, carpeline 3 shirt and a carpeline 2 pair of bottoms and spent less than $100.  Now that was a bargain.  Well, the base layer is a HIDEOUS olive green but who cares! I will be warm and dry during winter training and on the first leg of the hike.

Finances.  Finances still worry me at this time.  February/March is coming up fast and I still have not figured out if I am going to have sufficient funds for the hike.  Oh well, I can only do what I can do and hope it works out.  I am still trying to figure out how to bring more money into the coffers.

Training.  The next long training hike is coming up quickly.  The second weekend of October I will be hiking with a couple of other hikers somewhere on the AT in Virginia. The plan is to hike 30-35 miles over a long weekend.  Shorter miles averaging 10 miles a day but at a quicker pace are planned.  This will allow time during the day to work with gear and increase cardio as well as loiter at the more scenic views.  The new tent will be getting a workout this weekend.

Well that is all for the moment...as usual, just follow the compass rose north to Katahdin.




 

A New Tent In the Inventory!

Lightheart Gear Solo Tent

Ventilated mode with
the fly pulled up.



First Pitch in the Front

Yard

 So I recieved a Lightheart Gear Solo Tent in the mail today!  I took a few moments at lunch to set it up and I have to say, other than a slicker than $%$#@ slippery floor ( which I can "fix") this is one cool tent.  I was able to set it up in under 4 minutes out of the box!  Not bad for the first time trying to set it up. 

So Saturday I will have to seam seal it and then wait a couple of weeks till I can hit the trail and try it out. It looks like it is the solution I am looking for......

Tyvex, tent, and stuff sack.

 Ground cloth, tent bag and tent.  Nice and compact.  Sweet.

Following the Compass Rose North.



The Decision Is Made. The New Tent Is On The Way

The New Tent: The LightHeart Gear Solo Standard.

LighHeart Gear Solo

If you have been following the blog, you have been exposed to some of my discussion of tents, tarps and hammocks and now have an idea of the different though processes people have for purchasing each type of shelter. I have been going through a very similar thought process recently regarding the purchase of a new shelter for the late winter/early spring portion of my hike.

I have multiple shelters to choose from for the hike. For the majority of the hike, I am planning on using either a hammock or more likely my tarp. The tarp is the obvious choice for light weight, and the hammock, although heavier will sleep more comfortably and may be the choice for most of the hike if I decide to try to stay away from the shelters with the problems of overcrowding, snoring, and mice.  However, I have been thinking about the beginning of the hike, especially if the weather is mild and I start hiking early in the season.  By starting in mid February I can beat the crowds that are associated with a late March or early April start.  The danger of such an early start is of course the weather.  The mountains of Georgia, North Carolina and the Smokey Mountains are guaranteed to be cold, the gamble is how much ice and snow I could encounter.  I am trying to minimize the risk of snow and ice by only starting such an early hike only if the winter has been mild.  However, I do realize that even with a mild winter I must be prepared for severe weather and this has help make my decision to purchase a tent.

If in the case of snow and ice, the obvious choice of shelter if I am not able to get into a close town is to wait out the weather in a shelter.  However, depending on how severe the weather becomes, my location on the trail, how I am fairing physically, the shelter may not be close enough to travel to.  In that case I have to have a back up plan and other shelter available.

My tarp could be a viable shelter.  It is my go to shelter for the summer portion of my hike.  It will work but has some possible drawbacks.  First, even in a storm pitch, there is one side that remains open, if the wind shifts it can expose the occupant to the weather requiring repitching the tarp in a different direction. Secondly, if I have to pitch the tarp over snowy, icy or muddy ground, there is the problem of moisture and the chance of wet sleeping bags and clothes.  This is not something that I would want to deal with extreme weather.

My hammock would be an excellent shelter as it is pitched above ground and as such there is no issues of having to deal with snow, ice and mud on the ground.  You will hang over the mess.  With a tight pitch of the hammock tarp, the tarp should shed any snow buildup easily.  There are two drawbacks of the hammock.  First, is that if I have to shelter over for several days, the hammock would be tight and cramped if I had to basically lay in it for a day or two, Secondly, in order to be warm in the hammock, I am going to have to carry several pounds of additional insulation (called underquilts and overquilts) to keep warm.  The hammock is a usable shelter, but with additional weight and space requirements of additional insulation as well as being confining if I had to shelter in it for several days, I do not look forward to using a hammock for this portion of my hike.

So the other choice is carrying a tent.  The tent allows me to clear away snow on the ground, lay a ground cloth down to protect the floor of the tent from moisture, The tent obviously has an enclosed entryway and as it is enclosed, may potentially be warmer than the outside air temperature due to helping to keep body heat in the enclosed space.  Shedding of snowfall on the outside of the tent, with the right design should be workable as well.  After reviewing all the options, I elected to go with a tent.  Now the fun began, what tent to buy.

No tent poles with this tent!  It uses your
trekking poles to drop weight.

Well, without rehashing cuben fiber vs Sil-nylon, i opted to carry a few more ounces and go with a hybrid sil-nylon tent by Lightheart Designs. A hybrid designed tent is a tent that is partially a single wall tent as well as areas that have a double wall design. (typically similar to a rain fly.)  This tent is large enough for a person and their gear, and the design should hopefully allieve some of the issues of condensation that are extremely common with single walled tents, keeping me drier if I have to hole up in the tent for several days.  The generous space of this tent should allow me to move around a bit, dress, or read and play cards to cut the boredom while couped up.

LightHeart Solo.  Fly folded up

The LightHeart Solo may find it stays in the pack well past Damascus VA if the spring is wetter than usual.  As it is a fairly light tent and is enclosed with bug netting it may be an option instead switching out early to the tarp.  The tarp and a bug shelter will weigh about 24 ounces and the tent only weighs 27 ounces so it could definitely stay in the pack longer till we get past the worst of the mosquito season.

So, the tent has been ordered and should be here in the next day or two.  Seam sealing will be done this weekend and I will be taking this tent on the trails over the next couple of weeks during my shakedown hikes.  So be looking for a review of the tent shortly.  Until then, check out these unique tents at www.lightheartgear.com for further specs and information.

Following the Compass Rose North.
AT Hiker......

New Equipment

New Equipment

Vasque Blur SL
Trail Runners

So, I was able to add a couple pieces of clothing for my hike.  I am trying to find the last few major items I need and was able to grab my puffy jacket and a second set of trail runners inexpensively at the thrift store and outfitter.  I love a good sale at the outfitters and thrift stores rule sometimes.







OR Puffy Jacket

So, only a few bucks were spent and I am that much closer to completing my gear.  Now to find a tent for the beginning of the hike, cold weather base layers, a  good fleece pullover, a couple additional pairs of socks, and a cold weather sleeping bag.  Once I aquire this equipment, I believe most of the equipment will be purchased and I can enjoy any weather condition I may want to hike in.


New Hiker Dictionary Page

NEW PAGE ADDED

For you non-hikers that are following the blog, I have added a tab at the top of the page that links to my new Hiker Dictionary page.  Check it out.

Rainy Wet Virginia.

A Wash of a Weekend

So, what happens when your best laid intentions fall apart?  Well, you do as I do and punt so to speak.  The plan was to head out to Rocky Knob in Virginia, do a bit of hiking and hang out with some friends camping for the weekend.  Of course the hurricane in the gulf was predicted to reach out to Virginia with possible thunderstorms and rain as it moved up the United States...as a side note, I need to look at an atlas as I am sure Virginia must be a suburb of Seattle!  Does it every stop raining in this area for long? Sheesh.



Woods and a campsite at Rocky Knob.
Notice the rain and mist.

So, the plans changed into a gear test for my hammock instead.  I have been debating ditching the tarp that came with my Hennessy Hammock and using my 8x10 silnylon tarp instead.  I think it was a good call as there were limited trees to hang from and I could not really position the hammock for the weather properly and we did get some heavier rains throughout the weekend.  So, let's call this a hammock shakedown weekend instead of a good hiking weekend.



Floyd VA

All was not to waste, I did find a very cute town called Floyd Va.  just north of Rocky Knob and if you are ever in that part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it is definitely worth a couple of hours for lunch and shopping.  The company this weekend was awesome and I was able to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in quite a while. Hmmm...oh, the trail?  I did get on the trail and will have to return in better weather when I can actually enjoy a dry hike ans spend some time actually looking at the scenery....All I saw was rain and mud....grrrr.



My Hammock and tarp.
Notice the  uneven rocky ground?
Advantage goes to the hammock
instead of a tent this time.

So, about the hammock, I did like my new tarp with the hammock, it provides a much better coverage area and protection from the elements than the HH Tarp that came with the hammock. I did use every piece of tie down rope I could find due to the thunderstorms and wind we were anticipating and the tarp held strong and tight..Sweet.  Not a drop of water entered the hammock area and both my sleeping bag and myself remained fat and and happy every night.  I did notice my back beginning to get cold due to no real insulation under me so now and I realize that if I am going to take the hammock on the AT in March, I really need to look at insulations and possible underquilts to keep me warm.....

So, all in all, it was a successful weekend even though the hiking was limited..Good food, good friends, and a field test of my hammock in a great deal of rain made for an enjoyable time.

A damp wet hiker,
Bruce

Gotta Love the Relatively Unknown Local Trails.

Local Trail/Awesome Views

 

 

 

Endless Wall Trail

Ah, the pseudo secret local trails.  Where I live there are many beautiful trails to train on and believe me I love hiking them all.  Flashback to yesterday.... I believe I found my favorite!  The Endless Wall Trail at the gorge has to  be hands down my favorite local trail within an hour of my house.

 This is not a long trail, in fact to get any worthwhile training  out of it, you must do the out and back several times as the trail from trail head to trail head and return is a scant 5 miles.  The terain is easy with some minor up and downs but is mostly flat following the canyon rim.  The trail surface is mostly soft dirt with only a few short rocky sections. The National Parks Service rates this trail as easy to moderate but believe me, there is no moderate to this trail, It is easy. Warning, if you bring children or pets, keep a sharp watch on the them.  There are no railings around the cliffs so be careful around the edge!!

Because this trail so easy The Endless Wall Trail is not the best trail for mountainous trail conditioning, however it was a great break to rest my ankle that has been hurting lately and the views more than make up for the lack elevation.  You can rack up the miles easily with multiple out and backs and the views will keep you entertained.  So I am going to call the the trail for fast walking and cardio conditioning only but the views more than make up for the lack of elevation gain.  With that, I will let the pictures finish the rest of the story.  Enjoy.

The trail heading to the cliffs.  Notice the leaves are already starting to fall onto the trail because of all the rain this summer.

 

A cute hiker bridge over the now dry creekbed.

Canyon rim.

Another canyon rim pic.

Ladders down the cliff face.



The view looking east into the Gourge.  The New River can be seen almost 1000 ft below.

Till next time....keep looking north towards Katadhin.