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Hiking in Hades

August 2011

Very cool post from Dame Sandi Adams….check out her blog at http://emptynestart.wordpress.com/

Overnighter on the Chattooga….aka Hades

Anxious to try out my new warbonnet hammock, I accept an invite from the Southeast Women Backpackers for an overnighter on the Chattooga River. Kellye, who I had met on a previous EXTREME Appalachian Trail hike, where we defied every law of common sense and hiked in some of the worst rain I have ever seen.( see previous post) and KP who I have not met, are my trail mates. (along with their dogs Sammy and Cowgirl) We meet early morning in Clayton and caravan to the end of the trail. As we pass the bank I notice that the temperature is at 93 on the bank sign and it is not even 11:00…..
We all pile into Kellye’s faithful Honda and bounce down some forest service road. We come to what appears to be a RIVER crossing in the road and Kellye makes us get out, backs it up and guns it through the water!! Woohooo! We wade across and jump in.
IMG_1732We finally locate the start of the trail, make the usual last minute adjustments to our packs and head down the trail. I am excited to hike on the Chattooga River and keep humming dueling banjos as we make our way.

It takes me all of ten minutes to realizeIMG_1748 that it is HOT, not the oh, I need a glass of ice tea hot, but HOLY MOSES, it is flaming inferno hot!! and at the fifteen minute mark, I am drenched from the inside out. KP and Cowgirl lead the way, with Kellye, Sammy and I lagging behind. We drank often in an effort to stay hydrated and stopped periodically to catch up. About three miles in we stopped for lunch and the dogs took a swim…..at this point, I am wishing I was a dog….in a nice air-conditioned house…
IMG_1854With some effort we pack up our lunch and head down the trail another 3 miles. Between the heat and a nagging foot injury, I started to FEEL it!!! About the time that I was consideringfalling over into the bushes, we arrive at a nice campsite right on the Chattooga River. (da da dadadadadada da)

IMG_1762We all have been affected by the heat and are a little slow setting up camp. I am soo anxious to hang my hammock that I go and stand in the almost tepid water willing my body to cool itself before beginning. Interestingly all three of us are in hammocks. Kellye, actually loaned me herHennessey hammock to try out on a previous trip, (I obviously loved it) and KP and I have a Warbonnet. I find two trees and with KP’s help, get my Warbonnet Blackbird andBig Mamba Jamba tarp hung.
Everything seems to take twice as long, due to the fact that the air is not moving,IMG_1771 the sun is blazing off the river and the temperature is climbing at 98according to my iphone and the weather channel (thank you Jim Cantor). But we keep the faith and after a bit, camp is set up and things cools down a little. We sit and share ideas and food, listen to a little Rascal Flatts and friends compliments of KP. Once it cools down enough, KP and Kellye have a fire building contest as I annoyingly hum the banjo theme from Deliverance.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S68SrTQOjRQ

Night falls and we all just enjoy the company of the river and admire KP’s hammock set up complete with sparkly lights, (I am sooo getting some), it finally cools down and not long after dark falls we each retire to hang in our hammocks. I slept great until sometime in the middle of the night when Sammy, (the beautiful German Shepherd) starts barking like a maniac and Cowgirl starts growling….I lay very still waiting as usual to be eaten by a giant bear. This does not happen and I slowly relax and slip back into a wonderful sleep swaying by the river as the frogs croak on.
Tuesday morning, found me the LAST out of my hammock, (WHAT!!) weIMG_1837 took our time with breakfast and breaking camp. It was around 5 miles to our cars but not an easy journey. We seemed to be going up and down a lot, though none of the climbs was terribly steep, it was still hot as Hades. We had to climb over, around and though many blow downs. (This Spring was tough on all of our southern trails.) We finally made it to the end by early afternoon and said our goodbyes. My first stop was theBurger King at the corner of 441 in Clayton where I used their bathroom to change into dry clean clothes and had a whopper and an Icee,which I had been fantasizing about since the night before. I made another stop at 23 and 441 at a Burger King and order another, a cherry AND coke icee. When I got to the window, the girl handed me TWO Icees!! LOL, I drank them both!!
IMG_1803One of the things I have loved about my meetup groups, the Trail Dames and Southeast Women Backpackers, has been the amazing people I have met and now consider friends. Women that I would never have encountered, much less spend enough time with to really get to know them. I have met, structural engineers, paralegals, retired military personnel, moms, girl scout directors, scientists, a whole slew of teachers and everything in between! All drawn together by a love of hiking and our gorgeous trails and mountains. I really treasure this special group of friends and always enjoy it when we can get together, (although I doubt any of us would recognize each other if we met dressed, with makeup and out of the woods!)

 

Maryland Dames Hike…..SNP

Awesome hike report from our Maryland Dames…..
Four of us set out on Wednesday, July 27th, for Shenandoah National Park to take on the 7 1/2 mile Rapidan-Laurel Prong -Hazel Top hike. We all went in my van and left Frederick at noon so that we could arrive at our lodge shortly after check-in time. We had reservations for two rooms, 2 queen beds in each room, at Big Meadows Lodge in the central district of SNP, mile marker 51. The drive went well and we had a wonderful time just chatting as we enjoyed the scenery along the way. We were at the lodge by 3:15 pm. We had hoped for, or actually assumed really, adjoined rooms but that was not to be. Barb K and I shared a room on the first floor of the Rapidan building and Barb M and Katrinka shared a room on the far end of the second floor. We did try to get the rooms changed but the lodge was already booked up and there was no way to manage it.

We settled our bags, checked out our rooms and the lovely views they had, and went to the lodge’s New Market Tap Room for drinks and appetizers. Not a bad way to start a hiking trip, aye? Winking smile We enjoyed cocktails, spinach dip and quesadillas while carrying on a nice long discussion about the books that we enjoyed and the possibility of a Dames book group in the future. Then it was upstairs to the lodge dining room for dinner and wine. Lovely! Afterward Barb K went to our room to relax and read while I went up to the other room to join Barb M and Katrinka on their balcony and watched the sun set. We watched deer silently stroll out of the woods to begin their evening browsing and we think we may have caught a glimpse of a black bear cub, still quite small, as it waddled out of the woods and into the safety of some heavy ground cover. It was a gorgeous evening of peace, towering pink edged clouds, and companionship. Off to bed as we had an early morning start planned.

Always an early riser, I was up first around 5 am, showered and sitting on the patio of our room drinking coffee as the sky lightened up. Birds called and sang, deer wandered out, and soft breezes rose along with the sun. We met for breakfast at 7:30 am, again eating in the lodge dining room, and then drove the 2 miles south to the trail head at Milam Gap parking lot. There was a short-lived panic attack on my part when I thought I had left my wallet in the lodge’s restroom. I raced back, searched around, found no one had turned it in, went back out to the van and searched again….to find it in the glove compartment. HUGE relief, but sorry that I had delayed our hike start.

We set off across the road and into the woods, hitting the Mill Prong Trail first. This part of the hike descends gently deeper and deeper into the woods toward Mill Prong Creek. The creek eventually joins Laurel Prong Creek and these two cold, rushing streams form Rapidan River, which drew President Herbert Hoover to the area with the dream of building a fishing camp as Presidential retreat – the first of it’s kind. Two miles in from the start of the hike, Rapidan Camp is the predecessor to Roosevelt’s Shangri-La in Thurmont MD, eventually renamed Camp David by President Eisenhower. We crossed the creek and picked up the trail again as it paralleled the water until we reached Rapidan Camp. The original Brown House (designed by Mrs Hoover as the residence) is still there and is often open for tours. There is usually a caretaker there to answer questions and explain the camp’s history. One other building, the Prime Minister’s cabin, is also open to the public and contains self-guided displays from the era. We spent about half an hour exploring the camp and chatting with the caretaker before picking up our poles and packs and setting off once more. The day was warming up but still much cooler than the heat we knew would be building in the Frederick area by then.

We hiked along about another mile or so on easy terrain, crossing creeks, and eventually reaching the beginning of a 3 mile ascent that would take us up to Hazel Top, the 3rd highest point in SNP. The first mile of the ascent is a long, steep, switchback. It tops out on a ridge line, takes a hard right turn, and continues up and up and up the side of the ridge. Enormous, ancient rock formations form a wall on your right and the steep descending hillside and valleys are on your left. The trail grows quite rocky and narrow as it takes you the 2 miles to it’s junction with the AT. We identified wildflowers along the way – native red columbine, turk’s cap lily, joe-pye weed, trumpet vine. There were many others that we could not identify in spite of the book I was carrying – “Wildflowers of Shenandoah National Park.” For a few seconds we found ourselves frozen in place as the unmistakable whine-roar of low flying fighter jets approached. We caught a glimpse of them through the tree cover and they were gone in a flash.

I had done this hike with my husband in May 2010 and I truly did not recall the long steep slog from the junction of the AT to Hazel Top! From the start of the ascent on the switchback to Hazel Top we gained 1000 feet of elevation. That’s a lot of continuous gain. The day was definitely getting hotter and more humid. We found some rocks to sit on (before reaching Hazel Top) and sat down to rest and eat our lunches. Huge flies clung and bit, no doubt feasting on our salty sweaty selves. We swatted, ate, cursed, ate, swatted, cursed…….pretty much any typical lunch stop on any summer time hike in the northeast! We finished up, stood up on sore, tight leg muscles, and continued on to our goal of Hazel Top summit.

There is a short side trail leading to the left off of the AT to the rock formations that give the best panoramic views of the mountains and valleys. As each person climbed up onto the rocks “Oh my, look at that.” “Oh my God” “Wow, just wow.” could be heard. Ridge after ridge after ridge of mountains dipped, rose, and dipped and rose again in the distance in multi-colors of greens, blues, grays. We took it all in, deeply grateful for the opportunity to be out there. With deep sighs, it was time to move on. From this point the AT is described as taking an “incredibly delightful descent”, and delightful it is. The trail heads down and down in a very gentle slope, through trees, grasses, huge stands of turk’s cap lilies, ferns that were 3 – 4 feet tall. We encountered a pair of deer on the trail and stood still and silent. They did the same and gazed back at us. As we slowly moved forward they would also move away from us, but never very far nor very fast. They stepped into the woods and grass and let us get within about 30 feet. We took pictures, thanked them for their cooperation and patience with us, and continued on back to Milam Gap and the van.

We made a stop at Big Meadows Wayside to use the restrooms, buy some cold drinks and blackberry ice cream, piled back into the van and took off for home. It was agreed all around that our time in SNP was perfection and that we definitely want to do it again. It is well worth the time and expense to get there the day before a long hike and spend the night. We also realized that it would have been very well worth the cost to stay one more night after the hike, rather than make a 3 – 4 hour drive back. The lodges feature live music in the evenings and it would have been heaven to go back to our rooms, shower, change into non-hiking clothes, and enjoy another night of cocktails, dinner, and some good ol’ mountain music.

The photos of this hike can be found on the Meetup site. Enjoy!

Linda

How I want to be when I grow up…

This is a seriously AWESOME post by Dame Sandi Adams!!

Inspiring Aging or How I Want to Be When I Grow Up…

I’ve thought a lot about getting older lately… Probably because I am older. This birthday, I finally conceded to being middle aged…, considering 106 to be a respectable run. Sometimes I look in the mirror and am surprised. In my head, I don’t feel different and my body is still strong. ( though a few chinks in the armor are beginning..)
That is why I adore reading about people, who challenge themselves and are still moving, dancing, hiking, playing and living out dreams.

Last week I came across a blog post on Hiker to Hiker, that reallycarolina mt club made me smile. It was titled “Taking Care of the Elderly on the AT” The Carolina Mountain Club had planned a 9 mile hike led by an 81 year old. They all are over 50, as they point out, some way over 50. (These are my people)
Even thought it was hot, (we are southerners and it is hot here in the summer….) and the weather man kept telling them to “be careful and check on the elderly,” they still kept it moving and had a splendid day on the Appalachian Trail.

I’ve also been following Cimarron, an 88 year old man who has been THRU HIKINGthe Appalachian Trail since February and has completed 914.5 miles as of today.

cimarrontj11863_060811_183637_617926tj11863_061011_164724_618339
His quote before starting says it all, “If you never try to do it. You will never know you could do it.” You can read his trail journal HERE

This week Diana Nyed attempted to swim from Cuba to Key West, Florida at the age of 61. Moments before slipping into the water, Ms. Nyad, clad in a black swimsuit and a blue swim cap, played reveille on a bugle. “I’m almost 62 years old,” she declared. “I’m standing here at the prime of my life; I think this is the prime, when one reaches this age. You still have a body that’s strong, but now you have a better mind.”

While her journey was cut short, she still managed to swim for 29 hours, t1larg_diana_swimming_day1suffering through an asthma attack, shoulder pain, in cold. shark and jellyfish infested waters and finally abandoning her quest after becoming violently ill. Her comments following the experience were inspiring. She said that her goal had been to demonstrate to people in their 60s that “life is not over” and that the age of “60 is the new 40.” “I wasn’t the best swimmer I could be — the asthma and the shoulder made sure of that,” she said. “I was my most courageous self.”

“Life goes by so quickly and, at my age, you really feel the passage of time,” she said. “People my age must try to live vital, energetic lives. We’re still young. We’re not our mothers’ generation at 60.” For people over 60, she said, the goal should be “to live a life with no regrets and no worries about what you are going to do with your time. Fill it with passion. Be your best self.”
I think these are words that are worth living by no matter your age. So if you are sitting around on your hiney feeling sorry for yourself, put one foot in front of the other and you never know where you might end up.
We should all try to be our most courageous selves…

Backpacking Solo

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Backpacking solo

When Still Waters first asked me to help her with her first solo backpacking experience, I was eager to share what I’ve learned the last 3 years going solo. But there are also risks to backpacking by yourself. So we came up with a plan to do a two night trip- we’d backpack together the first night, and then the second night we’d each go solo on the same trail, and meet back up again afterwards. She’d have a chance to double check her gear on the first night (as the temps got down into the 20’s- burr!) before her first night out on her own.

Still Water, Solo Backpacker.
First night: comfortable into the 20’s
We set off on the Chattooga Cliffs Trail in North Carolina from the Bull Pen Bridge Trailhead (10.2 miles total out and back). This trail was really beautiful back in July, though I’d recalled it was also technically challenging- several rock scrambles and butt-scoots. As part of my preparations for the PCT, I was carrying a bear canister for the first time with enough food for several days. And if that wasn’t enough, the trail was icy so those were ice-encrusted rock scrambles, with the extra 10 lbs in my pack. This was NOT something I’d do solo, but it was a good challenge with Still Waters. One of the important things about choosing to go solo is deciding when to take risks and when to play it safe. When I go solo, I know where my limits are and where I can push things.

Icy and challenging Chattooga Cliffs Trail.

It was great practice carrying the bear canister, seeing how well it fit in my pack, and opening it in the cold with this method.
Selecting a solo campsite
We talked a lot the first night about differences between backpacking with a friend and going solo. For me the biggest difference is in choosing a campsite. When we camp with a group, campsite selection is often dictated by space or aesthetics, and is restricted (usually) to established sites. Going solo, I camp far from trailheads, and I make make myself either highly visible or highly invisible. If I use an established campsite, if anyone is camped nearby, I’ll be assertive and talk to the other campers and see if I get a good feeling, all before I set up. Otherwise, I stealth camp. On our first night, we camped at a stealth site that is typical for me when I go solo- we “went high”, halfway up the hillside where it is warmer, and hidden from view of the trail.

The Chattooga is gorgeous, but we didn’t camp near it cause it would have been even more cold down along it’s banks.
Why go solo?
Everyone has their own motivation for going solo. Still Waters was interested in having a quiet, peaceful experience. I went solo backpacking at first because I wanted the confidence boost and because I though it would prepare me for a thru hike, but then because I found it made me a more competent backpacker. It allowed me to do more miles than I would with friends or groups. As I experimented with pace, nutrition, and techniques, my backpacking skills improved by leaps and bounds as I learned to listen to my body and develop my own style that was in tune with what worked for me. Things I hadn’t learned when surrounded by other people when decisions are made for the benefit of the group. Guess the important thing is to keep in mind why you want to go solo.

Second night: going solo
The next morning, Still Waters dropped me off at the Bad Creek Trail, which led to the start of my Chattooga River Trail thru hike, while she set off on her solo from the Nicholson Ford Trailhead. I’ve section hiked the entire Chattooga River Trail multiple times, but this was my first time going in one continuous trip- 40.5 miles in 2 days. With the bear canister. With another 20-degree night. I’m not gonna lie- this trip reminded me about the best and worst of hiking solo. I hit a low point on the last day when I could tell I was pushing too fast. My feet were not used to carrying that much weight. I knew I needed take a break and not get so *freaking obsessed* with my miles per hour, and also not to worry so much about how many extra minutes it took me to get packed up in the morning fumbling around with my gloves on. When I’m solo, I see more clearly how I can be my own worst enemy.

At low points, it always helps to take dorky self-portraits, get email messages from friends, and write to-do lists.
But then, soloing has it’s high points too. One neat thing was seeing a bear as I hiked the last mile to my car in the dusk/dark. This was cool because not only wasn’t I scared of the bear like I used to be, but it was actually enjoyable seeing this wild creature- yay! I’ve seen enough bears now that I know what to expect from the bears around here. The other thing I like about going solo is that it makes me feel like I can take on anything I set my mind to. For example, I DIDN’T GET COLD HANDS despite the temps dipping into the 20’s. I also felt like I was in good shape, doing these back to back 20 mile days carrying extra weight with really short hours of daylight. So, happy overall.

After the trip, I met up with Still Waters to hear about her successful solo night on the trail. She’d found an awesome stealth site and stayed warm. Way to go Still Waters! Hope you have many safe and enjoyable nights out on the trail!

Here are some other tIps for going solo that we discussed:

-When first going solo, start small. I’d go to places where I was very comfortable- state parks where I could sign in at the park office, or the Appalachian Trail where there is a trail culture that I trust. Start with solo day hikes.

-Take care of yourself- this is your number one priority- don’t mess around. Listen to your body, adjust your pace, and be mindful.

-Be aware. Pay attention to everyone you see on the trail. Listen to your gut. Know your strengths and be prepared. I also took wilderness first aid and self-defense courses.

-Enjoy yourself. Do exactly what you want, when you want. Linger at waterfalls. Go swimming. Take a nap. Eat dinner at 3 PM. Savor every moment. Remember the distinction between being alone and being lonely.

Giving my feet a break and having an early dinner (dehydrated roasted veggies & sweet potato soup).
-Create a safety net. I tell two people where I’m going, where I’m parking, and when I’ll be back. I stick to the plan. I carry a cell phone and a SPOT. I check back in after I return, so my friends always expect my follow up text. My friends also have gotten in the habit of sending me foul weather alerts (thunderstorms, ice storms), and this has proved VERY helpful several times.

-Know where you can get cell signal. I don’t normally advocate relying on cell phones in the backcountry, but I have found it very helpful to know the locations of cell service on various ridges or gaps on some of my favorite trails. Where reception is faint, text messages are more reliable than calling or email.

-Don’t get lost. Until I was very comfortable going solo, I’d stick to routes I knew. I always pay constant attention to my location and where I am going. I take extra time at all trail junctions, I backtrack if I have any doubt, I take photos of signs and trail junctions (with time stamps so I keep track of my pace so I can calculate expected travel times to various places). I bring multiple maps and trail guides. I research my trips throughougly, calling the local ranger station a few days before, reading blogs, forums, and websites. I have backup plans and I know alternate routes.

-Bring music or podcasts to listen to before you go to sleep. Or bring earplugs. Helps keep away the sounds of night-time monsters. This doesn’t creep me out anymore (much) but it used to.

-Take advantage of the extra time and freedom to cultivate your backpacking skills. For example, spending extra time exploring when looking for campsites has provided me with a better understanding of how the wind moves over gaps and ridges and which plant communities are found on warmer vs. wetter slopes. I also spend more time taking photos and looking at plants when I’m by myself- all things I enjoy.

Still Waters

Trail Report-Pine Log Creek Trail

Trail report from Dame Sandi Adams…..

Pine Log Creek Trail….has it ALL!

Total distance: 4.6 miles
Parking lot Lead Trail: .46
West Loop : 2.12
East Loop: 1.54
Quarry Trail .03
After a friend at work told me about this trail, I put it on my short list for spontaneous hiking.(Also while searching for information about this trail, I read of a stray nude hiker that appears on it but this did not in any way influence my decision….) Friday morning started cool compared to the inferno heat we have been having so David and I packed it up and headed off to try it out.

Pine Log Creek Trail is located in Bartow County only 25 miles from our doorstep. We arrived early to an empty parking area, strapped on the pack and after viewing the faded out map posted, took off to the sounds of birds chattering and a neighboring rooster going crazy. Shortly after crossing a dry creek bed we came to a cool running bend in the creek with a beautifully built wooden bridge crossing. There are actually seven rustic footbridges over Pine Log Creek throughout the well maintained 5 mile hike. The trail includes two loops east and west and a short side trail to an old CCC quarry pond.
We opted to take the east loop first which took us over the creek and through a series of switchbacks to peaks of views of Pine Log Mountain. (Winter will be spectacular!) This trail overlooks a pastoral valley that was once home to the Cherokee village of Pine Log before the native people’s removal west on the Trail of Tears in the 1830s. There are numerous large rock croppings and boulders. The black eyed susans, several varieties of fern,( some HUGE), many giant very old trees along with the winding creek made this a very diverse beautiful trail. We saw traces of the stormy Spring in the form of someones chicken house roof scattered throughout the forest and brush.
The jewel of the trip was located a short distance off the trail in the form of an old quarry pond. David quickly identified several large mouth bass, brim and a stray catfish in the clear water vowing to bring a fishing pole the next trip. (NOTE: There is a large sign that prohibits fishing and overnight camping at the trail head) This was a peaceful, beautiful treat and great spot for a lunch or a quick swim.
After exploring the quarry we picked the trail back up and came to the west loop junction continuing over the creek and up the ridge for more views. We took a short stop to hang my hammock for David to tryout and discovered a little box turtle who watching our efforts. One thing to be aware of with this trail is someone has removed the trail loop signs. The posts are there but no signs. We found ourselves taking the east loop again before catching our mistake.
We ended our hike by cooling our feet and wading in the creek under the entry bridge. We both commented that it reminded us of childhood locations where we were free to play and explore. The only “excitement” of the trip came while we were drying off and observed a snake drop off the bank and swim right into the area we had been in. Of course I identified it as a copperhead or water moccasin but really think it was a red rat snake…
This trail is most definitely a jewel and will be on our list of backyard favorites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4YE_ETyaTCM

Difficulty: Moderate-Some parts are listed as strenuous but not really
Directions
from I-575 in Canton: Take Riverstone Pkwy exit 20, head West for about .5 mi. Take right onto Reinhardt College Pkwy and continue until it dead ends into Hwy 140. Take right onto Hwy 140 W (still also Reinhardt College Pkwy) and go approximately 12 miles. Trail head will be on your right.
From I-75 in Cartersville: Take exit 293 and head North on Hwy 411 for about 7.5 mi. Take a right onto Hwy 140 East and go about 3.2 mi, trail head will be on your left.