Trail Days!!

Trail Days Damascus VA

Well Trail days has come and gone for another year.  What a year it was!  Rain, fun, beer, good friends, food and of course, everyone knows of the tragedy that happened during the parade. The good news from the that is everyone will survive to hike again. 

Anyway, I am not going to dwell on the vehicle vrs pedestrian or in my opinion, the poor showing by the local police, fire and EMS crews.  I do have to wonder about a town of 1000 people who can have multiple humvee's for their police (why do they need those) but seem to have no training in MCI structure and command.  I would have to suspect the town is spending homeland security monies and my taxes on toys and not training.  Stupid.



Hikers Camping

Ok so there was my rant.  We arrived in Damascus Thursday night and quickly set up in the
campgrounds.  I had brought my tarp and quickly found a suitable  spot to pitch it.  Consideration was made to the terrain as well as for dead limbs in the trees as there was a prediction of severe storms in the forcast.  We ate, walked around the campgounds, partook of a few adult beverages and hung out with the hikers camping around us.  Luckily the storms never arived.

Friday I woke up early and we headed out to see what was going on.  We walked to town, moseyed around and ended up at Cowboys for breakfast.  Nothing like a great biscuit/gravy/egg breakfast with a side of locals gossiping.  The rest of the day was spend walking around enjoying the festival. Who can't resist people watching when there are 1000's of stinky hikers around.  The day was spent eating, the Blue Blaze sucks....I want Quincy's back, drinking and walking around looking at vendors.  So the big story of the day was I lost my phone.

Yes, I lost my phone.  It was raining and we decided to take a shuttle back into town because it was raining.  We got dropped of, went to get something to eat, talked for about an hour and a half and I noticed my phone was missing.  Well, long story short, after dumpster diving through chicken bones and garbage, I had given up on finding the stupid thing and decided to head back to the camp and head out to the next town to get a new one.  We picked up the shuttle back to camp and lo and behold, my phone was there with the driver.  There are still good people in this world.  Thank you to whoever turned in my phone.

Ad Hoc rear rain protection for
my tarp.

So the rest of the day was spent dodging raindrops and shopping.  I managed to buy a new pair of trail runners, picked up my tent from Yama Mountain Gear and had a wonderful if cool and rainy day.  Evening was spent eating and hanging out by the fire (a good hot fire will keep going even in the rain) and staying damp.  It was a good day.


The night brought rain and a bit of lighning but I stayed dry under my tarp.  However, the time honored drum circle and bonfire on the other side of the camp and the copious amounts of pot and alcohol being used in the camp made for a noisy night.  Oh well, no big deal it was funny listening to the stoners as I fell asleep.  Gotta love them.


Saturday we awoke and headed out to a bit of breakfast at the Volunteer Fire Department, packed up camp and moved to downtown Damascus where we were to check into the Old Mill Inn for the evening.  Sweet, a place to hang wet tents and tarps and a real hot shower.  A bit more walking around and we took our places to watch the hiker parade.  Ok, that did not happen and a somber mood fell across the town.  Google it if you want to find out more.  I do not care to go into it.  Suffice to say it was not good.  After that, an hour at the Hiker Talent Show put us in a better mood and we found our laughter again.  A brief walk back to the Inn and a bit of dinner and again another day of Trail Days was put to bed. 

Sunday we spent a leisurely morning between the Inn and the vendors, packed our stuff, bid goodbye to one of my favorite small towns and headed back home.  Sad that Trail Days had ended but with renewed want to hike the trail again.

Life is good.

Next Post will provide more pictures of Trail Days.

Updates.

Not much here other than I updated my gear page...so check it out.

Yama Mountain Gear Cuben Fiber Cirriform DW

A New Tent and Shaving Ounces Off My Base Weight.

So, after watching more and more of my hiker friends who are attempting to thru hike the AT get off the trail and give up the dream of a thru hike this year, it seems that many of them are coming off due to knee and feet issues.  Ok, the weather this year has been bad.  The snow and cold weather that has been lacking for the last 10 years or so in the southern Appalachians was back with a vengeance.  If you started you hike in February, you probably were not prepared for the cold snowy weather this year.  Other than the weather, it seems that the knees and feet are problematic for many people hiking this year.  In fact most of the people I know that have come off the trail made it through the snow and ice only to be sidelined by knee pain and stress fractures.  One thing common to these people that have come off the trail seems to be they are carrying heavier packs, which have to contribute to their knee and foot problems.

So, I have been looking at my pack weights. I am a light weight hiker.  I do not over pack and I am conscious about the weight I carry.  At the moment, my pack weight with 5 days food and water for a hike on the AT is less than 28 pounds and that is when I am packed with my winter gear.  Saying that, I do have room to lessen that weight.  There are items that I am carrying that are the lightest I can carry, however I can reduce weight of things like my tent, stakes,ground cloths among other things.  So I began the search to find a new shelter.

At the moment, I have a silnylon tarp weighing in at 14 ounces and a Lightheart Gear tent which weighs in at a respectable 27 ounces.  Both of these shelters are considered light, however with cuben fiber available, I could shave 8 to 10 ounces off my pack weight by moving away from silnylon and into cuben fiber shelters.

I narrowed my choice down to the HMG Echo 1 cuben fiber shelter or the Yama Mountain Gear cuben fiber Cirriform Double Wall Shelter.  Both are great shelters from great boutique gear companies.  Both are well made and have a great reputation.  I selected the Yama Mountain Gear shelter due to its lighter weight and to be honest, Gen (the owner) and his superb customer service.  Gen answered my questions via email quickly and was even willing to make this shelter and deliver it to me at Trail Days even though it was less than a week away from when I ordered it.  Oh, I also wanted him to modify the tent and add tie outs and he was accommodating to my requests as well.

Cuben Fiber Yama Mountain Gear's Cirriform Tarp.

 

 



So, check out some info on the new Cirriform Tent. 

This shelter comes in either a single wall or double wall version.  I elected the double wall version as I will be able to remove the "inner tent" before and after bug season when it is not really needed and I will have about a 10 ounce shelter.  With the bug "tent" added in the summer, the total weight is less than 18 ounces.  Talk about dropping weight quickly! I reduced my tent weight by 10 ounces!

So, Gen is bringing my new Cirriform DW to Trail Days and I will be able to actually set it up and use it that same weekend!  I promise pictures and a detailed review shortly after Trail Days.  Suffice to say I am excited at the possibilities with this shelter.

Until next time....hike your own hike.




Updates

Wow, How Time Flies:

Wow, how time flies.  Since I last posted almost 2.5 months ago so many things have occurred.  I got my first good hike in this year.  I hiked around Damascus, (of course), did about 40 miles and experienced everything from freezing cold temperatures, sunny warm days, rain, snow, sleet and mud.  You have to love what the mountains can throw at you in March.  I did realize I had really lost muscle tone and spent way to much time sitting behind a desk last winter.  HAHA.

I continue to plan my hike.  I know that 2014 must be the year I must commit to the hike.  I have a year of planning behind me already.  I have pared my gear down, experimented with what works best, worked on getting my pack weight down and fine tuned my equipment. 
I seek the solitude of the woods, camaraderie of like minded persons. Persons with wanderlust and a sense of freedom. Yes, I yearn to be a gypsy of the woods.

I have made my decision.  I have the assets to make the hike.  Well, if I sell my truck I will have the money to hike as well as a bit left over to begin my life again.  I realize I do not need much to be happy.  I know I can survive if I need to with very little money and be happy.  However, the rational side of me says that to hike 6 months at my age, when I have no savings and my future is questionable, I should ignore the feelings of wanderlust and concentrate on getting back on my feet financially and forgo this hike.  However, I know that is not the correct choice for me. I know this,however, I feel like once I commit totally to this endeavor, many people will try to get me to change my mind.  They will see this as foolhardy, a waste of time, a diversion.  Well, Fuck Them......

Ok, well that may have been a bit strong...haha......but the sentiment is honest.  Sometimes to grow you must close your eyes and just step off the cliff.  Take the risk, learn, grow, have fun.  This is what I am going to do.  There will be opportunity for me after I reach Katahdin.  In fact, a new person may emerge with focus and clarity found.  I am going on an adventure most people can only dream about. 

Ok so my ramblings are over for the time.  I guess I needed to vent a bit and now, with clarity, I bid everyone good night.

CW

Less Than Three Weeks Away From The Trail.

Tennessee Bound

 

 

Well it is time to really look at my gear for the little trip I have planned for the middle of March.  Yes, the first "big hike" of the year is fast approaching and I am looking forward to being able to take a quick break from the day to day issues and only worry about the weather, food, hypothermia, bears, mountains, blishers, sore joints while enjoying the vista present before spring arrives and the forest hides those beautiful views with a curtain of green foliage. 

 

I will be hiking with one of my closets friends, nay my best friend and it shall be an adventure.  He is attempting his first backpacking trip on the AT and I, well let's just say I am neediing to get out and and roam some trails.  So, it should be interesting.  The plan is to head into Damascus and catch a shuttle down into Tennessee and take 4 days and hike back to Damascus.  40 miles should be a great first hike of the year.  That is if the weather cooperates!!!  March in the mountains could have some interesting weather patterns.

 

 

Not much else is going on at the moment, I just wanted to let everyone know what I was up to recently. 

 

 

Hiking my own hike today..

 

CW.

Spice Up Your Trail Food.

......Spice up your trail food.



Ramen Noodles. A hiker staple.

So I have been looking at foods and recipes to replace or add additional flavor and calories to the old staples of Ramen and Korrs side dishes for my dinners when hiking. I don't mind these as I generally just want a quick hot dinner and head off to bed after a tiring day of tramping over hill and dale.  However, on a long hike, eating the same foods day after day can become very boring.  Yes, you can spice up your boiling bag of noodles with plants such as ramps when in season, but it is nice to be able to really vary the flavor factor from time to time, not to mention while resupplying in town totally being able to change the food you are carrying just for variety.

So, this is the first of hopefully several different recipes that may lead you to thinking about what you carry in your food bag on that long hike.  If anyone has a great recipe that is light and packs calories, feel free to email me and I will add it to a future post.



Here is a breakfast that beats pop tarts and breakfast bars:

Instant Cream of Wheat or Oatmeal in your favorite flavor, add slivered almonds and whatever dried fruit you have available.
A hard boiled egg.  Yes I know that is difficult, Just grab a dozed eggs while in town and boil them the night before you leave the hostel you are enjoying.  Take a couple with you for the next mornings breakfast and give the rest away to other hikers.  I guarantee you you will be loved!
If no hard boiled eggs, freezer bag cook some powered eggs and add some red pepper flakes and a bit of jerky.  Or try adding a few dried veggies and onion flakes to have a scrambled egg "hikers omelet".
Your favorite hot beverage of choice.

Here is a dinner that is supposed to be amazing on the trail.  I haven't tried it but it will be in my food bag on my next hike.  This comes from hiking guru Bob Gabrielsen and is very easy to prepare.

Backcounty Thanksgiving:

Chicken in a foil packet with stove top stuffing.  Don't forget to mix in some craisens in with it.  Sounds delicious and hearty!

Another suggestion using stove top stuffing is to add dehydrated potatoes and spam.  Yes I know, spam. You are not a hiker if you do not add spam to your food bag.  Easy to carry and packs a fair amount of protein and calories for its weight.  Heat or fry the  the span on your stove first.

Another one that I found on a FaceBook page is this.  At lunch, put dehydrated peas in water and carry till supper time.  At supper, measure water needed for Near East Brand Cous cous with roasted garlic and olive oil, add additional olive oil, the peas and a pouch of chicken.
Bring to a boil.
Add the spice packet and cous cous.
Stir and remove from heat.
Let it sit in a cozy for 10 minutes,
Fluff with fork, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and enjoy.


Another thing I carry is Bear Creek Veggie Beef dry soup mix.  First, the soup made from this mix is delicious, second, this brand can be found at most grocery stores and even at some of the dollar type places.  Secondly, the mix can be added to your other dishes to give your dinner flavor as well as some needed vitamins from the dehydrated veggies.  Remember the powdered eggs!  Throw some of this in with them when rehydrating the eggs.  Tastes great.

Also remember that hard salami and hard cheeses will last without refrigeration.  So add a bit of salami, summer sausage, cheese into your dinner pot. Your taste buds and body will thank you.

Now, I want to hit the trail and let some of the hikers drool over my "gourmet" meals while they are eating Ramen and Snickers Bars.  Ok, I may pack a bit of extra and share with a thru hiker or two....

Keep putting those feet in front of you one step at the time and enjoy the vistas.

IT IS BUTT FREEZING COLD! TRAIL NAME FROM A FRIEND.

OK, So I Have Been Busy!  Give Me A Break. 

 

 

 

Dressing for 5 degree weather.

OK, so what that I have been a bit lazy  and not posting to my blog recently.  Well, actually I have been just plain busy what with the holidays, work, trying to stay warm when it is 5 degrees and snowy.  Yes it is just plain freaking cold here right now.  When it is this cold with ice and snow, motivation to hike is difficult to find.  Couple a lack of motivation and the early sunset times, it is difficult to get much hiking in. 

However, the butt freezing weather does create an opportunity for cold weather gear testing and that is what I did this morning.  I really wanted to test whether the gear I had would keep me warm in some of the more extreme temperatures I may encounter while hiking the AT in the late winter or early spring.  So today I am dressed in my OR 900 fill down jacket, my 900 fill Patagonia down vest, a micro fleece 1/2 zip and off course a snug wool hat and merino wool glove liners. Don't I look like a hiker at least?

So, what are my feelings on this gear.  Well after more than an hour standing and moving around outside, I must say that everything above my waist stayed toasty warm.  Why did I say everything above the waist?  Well, I am wearing jeans and my legs are freezing right now.  HA HA.  I am not sure everyone would appreciate full hiker garb at work so jeans it is today. I hope to get out tomorrow morning for a quick little 4 or 5 mile hike before having to head to the part time job in the afternoon.  Full Hiker Trash regalia will be worn!!!!!  Ha Ha.

My hiking plans are up in the air for this spring and summer right now, work demands and obligations are bearing down and it looks like instead of a good long 3 week training hike, I will be doing many more shorter 3 day hikes with one or two week long hikes this summer.  First decent hike will be in March with a friend who has never been on a long distance hike so I have limited the mileage to 40 miles with him over 3 or 4 days.  So, I will  head down to Damascus VA for 4 or 5 days and do some late winter hiking.  I have been coaching my friend with his gear purchases and we  will see how heavy his backpack is when I arrive.  The line is 3-1 the backpack will weigh in over 50 pounds.  I hope not however for his sake.  No matter,  it will be fun even if we do not make good daily mileage.  Good friends, hiking, and being in the woods is just what I need after a cold snowy winter.

So, I am thinking about changing my trail name.  I have had my trail name for quite awhile but someone made a comment and threw out a new nickname and I think I like it.  I do not think this person realizes what a trail name is or even that they exist.  However the nickname actually kind of works in a way and would definitely make me smile when someone calls it out. So, I am thinking about changing it when I hit the trail for my March hike.  I guess I have time to think about it.  Changing a trail name is something I do not take lightly. 

So, that is all, for those of you that are hiking this time of year, remember to be cautious of hypothermia, especially while in camp or when stopped for any length of time on the trail.  Be proactive, keep snacks on hand to provide fuel for your body between meals, and by all means, keep drinking water.  Keep an extra layer of clothing ready in case you run into colder temperatures than you plan for.  Remember, you will lose fluids when you breath and without the rest of your body sweating, you may dehydrate yourself without realizing it.  And by all means, practice your winter survival skills close to home before undertaking a significant winter hike.  It is easier to learn from your mistakes on a local overnight camp where your car is available to keep you warm if need be than on the trail miles from civilization.

Oh, and on an aside, if you are that friend that may have inspired the new trail name.  Hey There, I hope you found this blog interesting.....MSP.

So, till next time.  Hike your own hike and be safe on the trail.