Pre-Hike Hike

In just a little more than a week, we'll be hitting the trail again to finish the Maryland section.  It will also be my son's first backpacking trip.  We hiked a local trail this past weekend (Game Day Sunday obvious from the photo) to work on breaking in his new hiking boots.  I'm slightly concerned about this trip with him.  There were comments like "This downhill is killing my knees!" (it was about a 6 inch elevation change- when he stepped down off a rock) and "Wow, I think we've gone about 3 miles so far, my legs are killing me!" (we hadn't even gone a half a mile).  Our first day is about 11 miles.  I'm just hoping I can bring a lot of Snickers bars because he is going to turn into a monster ever mile or so.  Luckily we've figured out his food for the most part.  He likes Ramen noodles and he likes the Mountain House Mac & Cheese.  We still have to try eggs in the form of a burrito (Mountain House eggs with cheese rolled in a tortilla), but he won't starve, and I'm comfortable that he'll have enough protein.  I'm just hoping that we can find enough to talk about to keep his mind off how much walking he's doing.  I don't think I know enough about Minecraft to get the job done.
As for me, I'm slightly worried about my hip/butt injury.  I've been seeing a chiropractor, and I'm down to just one visit every other week.  But I still have pain on hills and with added weight.  I've been doing squats daily (really, Mom, I have) to try to build up my butt muscles.  This last hike we did I was pain free, but I also wasn't carrying my pack, and it wasn't too strenuous.  But I'll be taking my Vitamin I (ibuprofen), and I'll also be trying out some Salonpas pain patches per the doctor's suggestion.  So now it just a matter of finalizing food, packing the packs and getting some decent weather.

Tent Practice Runs

One of the other things we did this weekend to prepare for the trip was to set up our tents.  I highly recommend setting up and taking down your tent more than once before you head out on a trip- even if you're familiar with your tent.  If it's raining or dark out, you want to be comfortable with setting up the tent without having to stand around reading a set of directions.  And if it's been a while since you've used the tent, it's always a good idea to set it up to make sure everything is there and in good working order. You don't want to fix problems on the trail when you could have fixed them in your back yard on a sunny day.








My tent sets up pretty easily.  I have the REI Quarter Dome T2+.  It's a 2 man tent with a little extra space.  I really like the tent even though I have yet to use it on the trail (I did use it in the back yard).  Reviews for this tent mention how complicated it is to set up.  At first I agreed, but realized I was over thinking the set up.  The tent and poles are completely color coded.  It's really a no-brainer and if you have trouble setting up this tent it's because you think it's more complicated than it really is.  Match up the colored lines with the colored poles and that's it.  I had heard or read somewhere that it's possible to set up just the rainfly for this tent and wanted to try that out.  It didn't work very well for me (yet) and since I have enough people to help me keep the tent dry if I need to set up in the rain, I'm not going to bother with it right now.  I did read the directions and discovered a few things about the tent I never bothered to learn about, so I'm fairly comfortable with setting it up.



My mom and cousin have a Eureka Spitfire Solo tent.  It isn't a free standing tent and has a funky shape (like an alien pod or something), so it was important to make sure we knew how to set that up.  Set up is actually pretty simple with 2 short pole configurations and some stakes. But the rainfly gave us a little trouble.  The instructions say the rainfly should not touch the sides of the tent, but in one spot we couldn't get it to not touch the side of the tent.  After some fiddling, I finally called my cousin to get her thoughts and we got it figured out.  With this tent, you need to make sure you stake it down in the exact order the instructions state.  You also need to make sure you have it straight and not "cattywampus" (my cousin's official term) because being slightly off can throw the fly out of whack.  Luckily, my cousin will be on the trip and available to help out with the tent if need be. 



I think for the most part, we're all set.  I'm hitting the store today for last minute items we need, and I'll be packing the food this evening and getting things arranged in my pack.   See you when/if we return!

One Last Hike

packs lined up at the Catoctin Mountain Park

Wolf Rock

With the gorgeous weather this past Sunday, we decided to head out for a hike to work out any last minute issues.  Most of us has a full pack (minus food) to see how we would do.  The terrain was rocky and had a couple of steep inclines.
And it kicked our butts.  Well most of our butts, my mom was good to go for more. 
It's true, it kicked my butt, but it was mostly sore muscles and fatigue.  The pack weight wasn't too bad and my back never bothered me.  My pack is right around 20.5 pounds without my food.  I'm hoping the food is under 5 pounds, and if not, I'm already thinking about what I can leave behind to save some weight.    Honestly, my muscles aren't that sore today either.  I'm wondering if the higher temps played a part and perhaps I wasn't hydrating as well as I should have been. 

Chimney Rock

So this week, I'm working on meals and relaxing.  I'm babying my crappy knee before the departure on Friday, and I'm hoping it won't give me too many problems on the trail. 
After the hike yesterday, I've been a little concerned about how well I'll do on the trail.  Our hike on the AT in Pine Grove Furnace had us doing almost 6 miles in 3.5 hours.  Yesterday we did almost 3.5 miles in 4 hours so half the speed we were thinking.  Luckily it doesn't get dark until 8pm so we'll have 12 hours to hike our first day.  Hopefully with Some well placed breaks during the day we'll all managed just fine.

Making Footprints

Mom's tent look like an alien. I'm jealous.

I'm not talking about footprints in the sand (though I love the beach and wouldn't mind being able to make that sort of footprint); I'm talking about a footprint for a tent.  The term footprint was relatively new to me.  Basically, it's material that is cut to the shape of the tent and placed under it to protect the bottom of the tent from moisture and sharp rocks or sticks.  Basically what I always used a tarp for when I went camping at camp grounds.  But, since a tarp has some weight to it, most backpacking tents have a footprint made by the manufacturer.  And sometimes, like in my case, the footprint is not available so you make your own.  My mom also had to make her own.
We looked at 2 different possible materials to use to make the footprint.  One was Low-E Insulation which is lightweight and offers insulation.  You can find rolls of 2'x25' on Amazon.  The other option was Tyvek house wrap.  After weighing the pros and cons, we went with the Tyvek which I purchased through Ultralite Outfitters.  I was able to get a 5'x16' piece to make 2 footprints.  I'm a little torn about recommending Ultralite Outfitters 100% because there was an issue with my order.  At first they said they didn't have enough Tyvek available to cut the 16ft I ordered.  I ended up telling them to cancel the order and refund the money (about $35), but I ended up getting an email saying they were able to fulfill the order and it had shipped.  I received it very quickly, and the response about the problem was prompt, but I was slightly irked about the snafu.   Anyway, I got what I needed and ordered and all was good. 
The reasons we went with the Tyvek over the Low E were 1. Tyvek is lighter and packs smaller (Low E is lightweight but has more bulk to it) and 2. With insulated sleeping pads, we didn't need the added insulation.  I think it might be nice to have a piece of Low E to line the inside floor of the tent or as an extra insulator under your sleeping bag if you're backpacking in colder weather, but for now the Tyvek is good enough.
Despite the crazy weather this weekend (it snowed), we were able to get the footprints cut by setting the tents up in the living room. We simply set the tents on the Tyvek and cut around them.  The most important thing is to make sure your footprint doesn't extend past the edge of the tent.  If your footprint goes past the outside edge of the tent and it rains, the water will collect on the footprint and run under the tent and you'll be floating on your sleeping pad.  Really.
So we managed to get the footprints finished, and we ended the weekend with a trip to REI.  I exchanged my leaky valved sleeping pad and got the smaller waterproof compression sack for my sleeping bag.  We purchased some of our food and got the last minute odds and ends that we needed from REI.  I need to dehydrate some things and pick up the rest of my meals at the store and other than clothing I'll be set (still waiting on the weather forecast). 

Only 11 days to go!

Pine Grove Furnace

This past weekend, myself, my husband and my cousin  drove out to Pine Grove Furnace State Park to hike a section of the Appalachian Trail out and back.  We're getting close to our departure date for our trip, so we're trying to get ready.  Some of us are testing out how injuries are healing to see how we do and some of us are working on fine tuning our packs to get the weight and fit just right.
The weather was a little iffy at first.  Winds had been gusting to 60 MPH the night before and while they had died down some it was still quite blustery out.  And it was cold.  It gave me a chance to try out the $5.00 base layers I purchased on clearance at Walmart.  I'm happy to report that a top base layer, a long sleeve moisture wicking top and my Columbia Omni-Heat jacket were sufficient to keep me warm.  In fact, I had to unzip halfway through because I was sweating. On the bottom, I only had on a pair of fleece lined leggings (also a Walmart clearance steal) and I was good to go.  Should the weather be chilly, that will be the clothing I plan to wear.  Clothing is my one issue at this point.  The weather is so up and down (it was almost 80* 2 days before this), I won't be able to really make a choice until closer to the time we leave.
Our goal was to hike a mile or two, eat lunch then turn around and head back to the cars.  We ended up hiking 2.9 miles before stopping.  In total, we hiked just shy of 6 miles (5.8) in 3 hours and 30 minutes which includes the time we spent eating lunch.  All three of us were pleased with our pace, especially since the start was a steady incline.  I had to stop and take a few breaks on the way up and still we made decent time.  I was carrying about 19 pounds in my pack, and I was pleased with how well I did.  Those of us who are nursing injuries also did well and were encouraged that we didn't have any significant issues. 
All that is left for me to do is to start packing and deciding what goes and what stays based on need and weight.  I want to try to keep the pack around 20 pounds as much as possible.  I'm hoping for warmer temps because that means lighter clothing.
It was a really great hike full of positives- beautiful day, no problem with injuries and a faster hiking time than expected.

Weighing In

On the first attempt at our backpacking trip, I just packed the pack and put it on and weighed it using the bathroom scale.  It was heavy.  Big E (my husband) and I tried shuffling things around and trading items, but we really had no clue what weighed what, so the trading and shuffling wasn't very effective.
I had seen different posts on groups online about how they weighed each individual item, and honestly, I thought that was silly and overkill.  Then I listened to a podcast that discussed the same thing.  The idea is, if you know the weight of each item in ounces, you can make decisions on each individual item and shed the pounds that way (shave ounces, shed pounds).  I have since become obsessed with the weight of all my stuff.  In fact, the new sleeping bag I ordered is actually a men's short because it saved me $10 but also because it was 2-3 ounces lighter than the woman's version.  So, anyway, yesterday afternoon, I sat down and started weighing everything.  So far, I'm at 18.5 pounds (including the pack).  This doesn't include clothing, food, water or the tent.  It also doesn't include a first aide kit because I realized how heavy they were, so I'm going to rethink my first aide supplies (really, I don't think I need tongue depressors for finger splits when a twig will work nicely in a pinch- not that I plan on breaking a finger).  It did include 3 pairs of hiking socks, which are surprisingly heavy.  Since I'm taking sock liners (essentially a thin pair of socks worn under hiking socks to help prevent blisters), I think I can get away with leaving behind at least 1 extra pair if not 2.  I'm also not planning on taking too many clothes.  Not that I have any intentions of naked backpacking (though there is a naked backpacking day on June 21st FYI).  Clothes are heavy, so if I can take the bare minimum, I'll be good.  Basically, I'll have to wait and see what the weather is going to be like.  I'm hoping for warmer temps so I can wear shorts and leave the base layers at home.
Saving ounces here and there by deciding what is really important to take is how I hope to keep my pack weight as close to 20 pounds as possible.  If I can manage that, I'll be good to go!

Dividends are a Glorious Thing

This was my Easter basket.  The Easter Bunny didn't bring it, I had to buy it all myself, and I got in trouble with the husband for how much I spent.... but still worth it.  Three of the four of us heading out on this trip went to REI this weekend to get some last minute items.  March bring REI dividends and 20% coupons and both were burning holes in my pocket.  I ordered a new sleeping bag (it cost me $2 and change after the coupon and dividend), got some loksaks for food and trash, a waterproof compression sack for the new sleeping bag (but I got the Large instead of the Medium, now I want to take it back to get the Medium), a dry sack for holding all the food and hanging it from a tree (which I need to practice doing), freeze dried food, some ultra light tent stakes and a plastic bottle to use as a flask. But, because I want to lighten my load, I'm thinking of for going the flask. I think I'm going to be way too tired to bother with whiskey. 
Following the shopping spree, we hit a nearby pizza place with some of the best pizza I've had in a while, to have a planning meeting and lunch.  We worked out a game plan for our overnight stops, and talked about food and what items could be shared to save weight in each others' packs.   It was an awesome day.  The excitement is definitely building for this trip.

Backpacking Command Central

It's starting to get real, folks.  This weekend, 3 of us are making a trip down to REI followed by a lunch meeting to plan out the particulars of the upcoming trip.  Things have a way of sneaking up on you even when you're paying attention.  This time next month we'll be on our second day of our trip, provided we don't have any odd weather occurrences.
In preparation of our meeting, I've been mapping out our stops each day and the mileage between each.  We have some options about where to stop, and I imagine we'll come to a consensus this weekend.  I still need to figure out the last 2 days/20 miles that my mother and I will be doing.
I've also been working on the plan for what's going in my pack.  I'm determined to lighten my load this time around.  I borrowed a digital scale so I can measure each thing that goes into my pack.  Last time I just packed my pack with everything I planned to bring and weighed myself on the bathroom scale to see how heavy it was.  It was 27 pounds, and to me that was heavy.  My husband's was 30+ pounds.  So, following the suggestion from the backpacking podcast I've been listening to (The First 40 Miles), I'm going to weigh each item and make decisions based on the weight of those individual things.  I know one thing I'm going to make sure I do is to not pack the stuff I need for the extra 2 days in my pack.  When my dad comes to meet us at Harper's Ferry, I'll make sure that extra stuff is in the vehicle he's bringing (food, change of clothes, etc) so I don't have that extra weight.  I also plan to offload stuff I don't need for the extra days.  My mom and I can share my 2 man tent, so she'll be able to leave hers with my dad, and she and I can split up mine between us to lighten the load.  I'm thinking those extra 20 miles won't be too bad as far as pack weight, and that's just fine with me!

Christmas in March

Our rescheduled back packing trip is fast approaching, and just in time is my REI dividend.  It's really just like Christmas.  While I have already managed to procure the items I need for the trip (i.e., pack, boots, tent, etc.), I do really want a new sleeping bag. 

The sleeping bag I own now is great.  It keeps me toasty on camping trips.  However, it isn't meant for back packing, which means it's large, bulky and heavy.  Plus I purchased it from Sunny's Surplus some time ago- and their stores have been closed since 2007.  I used my son's youth sized bag when we went for our first trip attempt.  I tried his bag out at home and thought it fit. But when I went to use it in the middle of a howling nor'easter, it just wasn't long enough to hunker down in. 
So thank goodness for REI's member dividend (and 20% off coupon).  I've chosen a new sleeping bag that is only 2lbs8oz and I'll end up paying under $10 out of pocket when it's all said and done.  That leaves more money in my pocket to spend on other stuff I need.  I'm compiling a list now of all the little odds and ends I need to get before the next trip. 
Only 34 days to go!

Preparing

  This weekend I took my Cub Scouts to the annual Klondike Derby.  For those not familiar, the Klondike Derby involves a dog sled type sled that the scouts pull around to different stations where they need to work together as a team to accomplish the tasks involved.  At the end of the day, they work together to pull the sled in a race.  It was a fun day, but that's not really what I was focusing on here.  Because there was so much walking involved, I decided to work on breaking in my new hiking boots and wear my pack.

There isn't really much time before we head out again to finish our first section hike, so I used my scout weekend as a "get ready for my hike weekend".  There was a lot of snow, a lot of mud, a lot of mucky water and a lot of change in the temperatures (cold in the morning and night, warm in the afternoon).  I'm happy to report that the boots worked beautifully.  Other than about 20 minutes of feeling a little cold in the morning, my toes were fine.  I trudged through melting snow, mud and a few inches of water and my feet stayed dry.  I didn't have any issues with my pack, and I'm sorry I didn't add a little more weight to it.  I only had a few pounds in it and no where near the weight I know I'll carry on the hike.

All in all, it was a good day.  I was exhausted and my muscles ached, but it felt good.  And it was great being in the mountains close to the Appalachian Trail (the trail actually passes by the Camp's property).  Soon I'll be taking sunset photos from the AT!

Eleven Days and Counting

It's getting down to crunch time here.  There are only 11 days until we head out on the trail.

This weekend, my mom and I decided to test our tents and sleeping stuff.

WE don't have to worry about bears in the backyard, but the chickens were interested in what was going on.

Both tents were easy to set up.

I'd like to set mine up again to show my husband the ins and outs of it

so he can help with it on the trail.

My mom isn't as comfortable with all the camping stuff, 

but she far surpasses us with the physical fitness.

So she can haul our asses up the hills, 

and we'll make sure her tent isn't going to leak or blow away.

Packing up "camp" was a cinch as well.

And so far my pack is only about 15 lbs.

That includes the tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, 

some clothes and the camera.

I'm certain I will be well below 25 lbs which will be awesome

(plus my husband can carry some stuff too).

I did learn that I need a new sleeping pad.

Mine has a leak and I was on the ground by very early morning.

(you know, the morning where the sun isn't up but the neighbor's rooster thinks it is and starts crowing)

All in all, I'm certain I'm nearly prepared for the trip.

Food plans are coming along, and I've chosen my clothing.

All that is left is assembling the first aid kit and some other odds and ends.

Where Have You Been

When I return to blog after being MIA (again) I'm always reminded of my grandmother mother, hands on her hips, demanding to know "Where in the world have you been?!" back in the days of my youth.  Sometimes the explanations ran to the creative side.  This time I have the photo to prove I was actually stranded on an island of dinosaurs after a hurricane destroyed power on the island and I missed the last boat to the mainland. 
So really, I was on vacation (the photo is from the Virginia Living Museum, who knew Velociraptors were indigenous to Virginia).  So far I haven't been able to do much of anything that has any thing to do with hiking or backpacking.  There was a scout camping trip to Luray Caverns, but that's as close as I've come in some time.  Between weekend trips to the beach, scouting events, work and stresses of life, I haven't had time for much of anything, including working on that ghost book.  There was a weekend trip to REI in the works, but that had to be canceled because of a funeral.  I know I should get out there and start hiking and go be in nature where the stress is usually a little less, but the stress is so great it's actually keeping me from being able to motivate myself to get out there.  I'm going on my first backpacking trip in a little over 2 months and so far I have a pack, a pair of boots I'm still not 100% convinced fit me right, hiking poles, a map, a data book and a headband.  Oh, and a pocket knife. I'm not in shape and not very confident that my back will be strong enough for 30 pounds and my biggest worry: I'm not confident that I'm going to manage to make it 40 miles on a bum butt.
So, I guess it's time for some stress management, time management and preparation.  I'm a procrastinator and I seem to do my best work under pressure.  Here's hoping that applies to the AT.

The Compression Sack: Round 1

So, my latest purchase at REI was a compression sack for my sleeping bag.  I've been wondering what I should do about the sleeping bag issue because mine isn't really a backpacking bag, meaning it wasn't designed with weight in mind.  Not that it's really heavy, I just know that there are sleeping bags out there that are much lighter.  Packing as light as I can has become more of a focus for me now than it was in the beginning of planning this trip.  My butt muscle injury has forced me to be more attentive in planning out what I'm taking and how much it weighs.  And since I'm trying to keep the cost of the trip down some, if I can get away without purchasing a new sleeping bag, that would be great.  So I went and got my bag and opened the compression sack and laid them out together.  Immediately, I knew I should have listened to the nice REI Salesman and purchased the larger compression sack.  But I, in my infinite wisdom, was pretty sure I could make my bag fit the compression sack in the next size down (also, it was a nice green color).  

So, I commenced stuffing.  I think I managed to get about 2/3 of the sleeping bag in the sack.  And that's it.  So the moral of this story is to listen to the nice REI Salesperson when they tell you what they recommend (they haven't steered me wrong yet).  So, I plan on seeing if my husband's bag will fit in the sack (I doubt it but I'm going to try anyway) and if that doesn't work I'm sure there are some other things I could use it for, like clothes (Though the running joke after our Catoctin hike was that we weren't bringing a change of clothes to save on weight).  I managed to find my Big Agnes sleeping pad so I can get that rolled up and ready and make sure it's good to go, except I'm not 100% certain where it's carrying bag is.  That will be the next adventure.

Getting Out There

Sunday, I made it out on the trail.  Well, not the trail, but a trail at a local state park.  I was joined by my husband, mother and friend who are also going on the big hike plus my son and my friend's son and husband. The trail was muddy and mostly covered in snow, but the temperature was in the low 40's and the wind had stopped. 
Even though this trail is only about 20 minutes from my house, it was the first time I had been on it. The trail is about 1.5 miles and works its way around Lake Marburg.  It's the steeper of the 2 trails there in the park, so it gave us the opportunity to start working on climbing hills.  It also provided insight into who was more adept at following the trail (my husband won't be navigating) and what some of the concerns might be (my husband is worried about food).
This has been the best hike out of the few I've managed so far this year.  Though not as long as I had hoped, it did offer some different terrain.  While going to the gym and working out is definitely something that is needed, nothing compares to actually going out and hiking the trails.  Letting your body experience the actual conditions you're working on tackling (like terrain) prepares you more than working on the smooth elliptical or treadmill.  And nothing compares to being out in nature, which is also a mood booster.  All in all, it was a great way to spend some time in the afternoon with friends and family.  And did I mention not once did my 8 year old ask "How much further" or "Are we almost done" or "Can we go back", instead he asked if we could turn around and hike it again in the opposite direction. Though we didn't turn around and hike back (though part of me is sorry we didn't), we do plan on going out at least once each weekend to hike various trails in the area.  There will also be some overnight trips planned once the weather improves.  I am beyond excited about all of it, not just the actual trip (though I'm soo ready to go!) but all the preparing leading up to it.  Knowing there are going to be regular hikes each week gives me something to look forward to.
So, for those of you dealing with the winter blues or SAD or depression or couch potatoitis, get out there.  Take your kids and go outside and hike.  It really does make you happier. 

Photo of 4 out of the 7 of our motley crew of hikers who 

will be braving the section hike in October.