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Let’s Make Them Balloons!

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Todays blog entry is from fellow Dame Trina….. 

These thoughts are in response to a 30 Day Challenge we are doing in which each Dame picks a personal goal to work towards for the month. 

“Good morning ladies.  I had a thought this morning that I thought I would share as we start this new 30 days. For those that I haven’t met yet, philosophy is oft my middle name…

With that said, let’s get our philosophy on:

I had another long 16 hour day yesterday at work that ended with a round of layoffs and more work added to my plate.  As I was dressing after no sleep and knowing that today wouldn’t be any better, I was contemplating that oft stated line that when you begin a challenge, you will be met with obstacles to challenge you to make sure you really want it.  I considered my obstacles from now and the past and it occurred to me that although they may be a different ride, they are in the same playground.

And that’s when it hit me, that line is not only bull but it leads to subconscious negative thinking that in itself is sabotaging!  Try this exercise:  imagine that there is a balloon on a string in front of you.  Now reach out with both hands, grab the string and bring the balloon to you.  Now repeat the exercise but imagine that it is a 1000 pound weight instead of a balloon.  You can actually break a sweat and work every organ in the body with this simple exercise.

So how many other places do we add weights?  By viewing these items as obstacles, I’m making this journey much more difficult including adding a silent negativity to myself that brings me down when I don’t realize it.  Do we get on a scale and don’t feel good about ourselves unless we reach a specific weight?

There are usually reasons we are where we are and we need to overcome those to truly change; otherwise any change we manage to succeed in will not stick or it will manifest itself elsewhere.  How easy will change be?  Do we put weights there or balloons?  It’s as hard as we choose it to be. We may miss one day but does this abort the journey?  It’s not the goal.

Perhaps these things that come up in our life are not ‘obstacles’ at all, but are actually the very reasons that have put us where we are in the first place and they show up, not to have us prove we truly want this goal but so we can overcome them and grow! Someone may be saying, great she is finally going to deal with this crap, let me hand her the blocks so all she has to do is walk past them and be done!  What a gift!  We have everything we need to succeed right in front of us – outside obstacles and any inside stresses and fears and so on.  This time I will not set myself up for failure with negative thinking, challenges or even unrealistic goals that are not for me.  Let’s change our entire being for the better now.  Do you have weights inside of you?  Let’s make them balloons and let them fly off!

– Trina

Dreaming In The Rain-AT 3.19.03

Dreaming in the Rain

(Excerpt from Mud Butts AT Journal 3.19.03)
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Ok…..don’t panic…but I am in the middle of a firefight! Seriously! There are bombs and machine guns going off all around me! I am the Hawk Mountain shelter and I had forgotten that the Army Rangers use this area for training. In fact, five of them walked up to the shelter to talk about….I don’t know…bombs or something, and even though I needed help with the bear cables, I was way too intimidated to talk to them! In any case, you have to admit, this is a heck of a way to arrive at the beginning of a dream that has been years in the making….

Yep…after lots of dreaming and planning, I am officially off on my Appalachian Trail thru hike.  I have to tell you first off that I have the greatest parents in the whole world! They got up at o’dark-thirty to drive me to Amicalola State Park so that I could sign in and weigh my pack. I wasn’t doing the aproach trail,but I really wanted to do all the official stuff. Then they drove me up FS42 to the Springer Mountain parking lot. But wait!! That is not all! Then they hiked up Springer Mountain with me in the rain!! Have I mentioned that my parents aren’t hikers!? Well, they are now! They were awesome!
When we got to the top, up walked a guy with a bottle of champagne to share with all of the thru hikers starting today! Trail magic! And I haven’t even stepped off of the mountain yet! His name is Ken Connely and he is celebrating the anniverary of his own thru hike. Isn’t that neat? I tell you what…these thru hikers are pretty special people.
Well, it is my first day out and I have cried all day. First I cried on Springer Mountain with my mom and dad cause I just couldn’t believe that I was finally here. I truly thought this day would never come. Then, after a long day of cold rain and being soaked to the bone, I cried when I got to the shelter. It was almost dark and when I finally got here and I was so happy that I had reached my goal for the day.
After I put my tent up and went down to the spring to get water, I cried again because it hit me that I can really do this. I AM really doing this.
Well, there is a lot more to tell but I am freezing to death.   I have been rained on for about nine hours, my right foot has a huge blister, my whole body aches, all I had for dinner was half a candy bar cause I was too tired to cook and there are bombs going off all around me.
And I am having the time of my life! 🙂
Love, Anna aka Mud Butt

Fashion Week on the AT

Fashion Week on the AT

(10 Essentials #5)

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Next on our list of the must-haves in any Dames backpack is extra clothes.  Now, you don’t need an entire wardrobe….I promise that no one cares if you match or not.  J But think about it for a second….what if you did get stuck in the woods for the night?  What would keep you fairly warm and dry?  For me, this is fairly uncomplicated. I always carry a rain jacket of sorts and I always carry a couple of big black trash bags.

(Hey, I never said that I was the height of fashion!!)

As for the rain jacket, it does double duty.  Of course, if it rains it keeps you dry.  But it also serves as a great wind breaker and a wonderful layer for keeping in the heat.  In the summer, these usually suffice for my day hikes.  However, in the winter, I also carry an extra long-sleeve fleece.  The fleece isn’t great for keeping you dry….in fact; it is downright lousy for that.  But combined with the rain jacket, it works like a charm!

As for the trash bags, I am guessing that you never considered a Hefty bag as a fashion accessory.  J  Well, a big, black trash bag is one of the best things you can carry in your pack. Poke holes in it for your head and arms and you have a make-shift rain cover.  Pull it over your legs and you have another layer to keep you warm and somewhat dry if you have to spend some time hunkered down.  Line your pack with one, and your stuff stands a great chance to stay dry in a downpour!  Can you see how flexible it can be?

If you notice, the emphasis is on staying dry and warm.  That is the ticket to staying healthy and, in extreme cases, alive on the trail.  Hypothermia is no joke.  And if you end up having to spend more time in the woods than you planned, having these few extra things can make a huge difference in your experience.

There are arguments for lots of other clothing choices for your backpack, but for a day hike, these will do the trick most of the time.  The only thing I would add would be a hat.  Again, it keeps in body warmth like crazy, and can also keep the rain and sun off your face.

As for the clothes that you actually wear when you hike, just say “no” to cotton.  Have you ever heard the saying, “Cotton kills”?  I know it sounds a bit melodramatic, but the truth is, when a cotton tee shirt gets wet, it loses all ability to keep you warm.  And wet doesn’t just happen in the rain.  A few hard hours of climbing some hills and you just might find yourself damp with sweat.  When that breeze kicks up, you will quickly notice that your favorite 80’s band’s tee shirt just isn’t getting the job done.

So what is a Dame supposed to wear?  Wicking fabrics, nylons, rayon’s, anything that is not cotton.  This used to mean expensive clothing at a specialty store, but these days, you can find this stuff everywhere!  Just look in the workout clothing and there will be lots of stuff to choose from.  For the curvy Dame, I really like Junonia.  They are a catalog of outdoor and workout clothing for curvy women and their selection is fantastic!  REI also has a line of ‘extended-sized’ clothing that is available through their website.

It is for these reasons that jeans are a really bad choice for hiking, also.  Not only are they cotton, but the chafing can be really unfortunate.  (We will cover that later!!)  Pick out a comfortable pair of light-weight pants or shorts and pair them with a cute wicking tee shirt and you will be ready to go!  If you find some that are matching, you might just be the most fashionable Dame on the trail that day!!  Just don’t forget those trash bags!!   J

What kind of extra clothing do you carry in your pack?  Click on the link below and share it with your fellow Dames….

Anna aka Mud Butt

Mud, Mud and More Mud….. AT 3.20.03

Mud, mud and more mud!
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(Excerpt from Mud Butts AT Journal-3.30.03)

Note: We will get back to the 10 Essentials soon…..I promise!

What a day! I don’t even know where to start. I got a late start this morning…mostly cause I slept too late. I am learning that the hardest part of thru hiking is not climbing mountains…it is getting out of your sleeping bag in the morning! And to make things worse, when I woke up this morning, everything in my tent was soaked! Of course, the clothes I wore yesterday were soaked, and it took me a good 15 minutesto get up the courage to put them back on again. Truly, nothing is worse than having to put on an icy, wet sports bra!  Oh well…..I am only carrying 2 sets of clothing,one for hiking and one for sleeping, so on they went!
I did spend some time talking to a nice couple that had passed me several times yesterday. Their names are Marty and Kara and they are very cool. Unfortuntely, everyone is moving so much faster than me, however, so I don’t expect I will see them again
Oh well, maybe we will reonnect later this Spring at Trail Days in Damascus!
Well, the day was long and hard and wet and muddy. Did I mention that this is hard!? At one point, I ran out of water about three miles from my next water source. And don’t think that the irony of the situaion escaped me! Rain and mud everywhere but nothing to drink! Well, as I came down into Coopers Gap I was miserable. EXTREMELY miserable! Up ahead through the fog,(did I mention that it was pea soup all day?) I caught a glimpse of something red and green. As I got closer, I realized that it was a pile of soda cans. My heart literally started racing….please, please let one of them be full! You see, trail angels will do that sometimes…leave a bunch of sodas in a creek or something…but what if they were all empty?!?! I was truly panicked at the thought.  When I walked up and saw that they were full, I literally burst into tears. I was so cold, so tired, in sooo much pain,and soooo thirsty. And someone I will never meet did one little thing that completely changed my day. Whoever you are, thank you,thank you thank you!  You will never know what you did!
Well, after that, I flew over the next two miles…well,ok, I trudged…:), but I finally made it to Justus Creek. I had beautiful little camp site next to a stream with a little waterfall. A couple across the stream from me came over later, introduced themselves and invited me to come share their pot of stew. Being exhausted, (an more than a bit intimidated) I regretfully declined, but the offer really warmed my heart. Life is looking up. Everythng I have is still soaked, but I am surviving! 🙂

Love, Anna aka Mud Butt

What Goes in a First Aid Kit?

What Goes in a First Aid Kit?  (10 Essentials #4)

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Taking care of yourself on the trail is paramount and often it is the little things that you carry that make the most difference. That is why another essential item in any Dames pack is a good first aid kit.  It doesn’t need to be huge, but there are a few things that it must have.

Think about it….when you go about your daily life exercising, going to the grocery store, or playing with your kids, what are your most basic first aid needs?  Hiking on a trail is not much different from regular life and most of your first aid needs will come in the form of scrapes, bruises, small cuts and bug bites.  For these, you will want to carry a nice little assortment of band-aids, some first aid ointment and a pain reliever of some type.  It won’t require a degree in medicine to throw together a few of these in a plastic baggie, and you will have taken care of the first part of putting together your first aid kit.

The biggest difference between everyday first aid kits and hiking first aid kits has to do with blister treatment and prevention.  Taking care of your feet on a hiking trail is the most important thing you can do, in my opinion.  Trust me,  you are going to need your feet to get you back home!  So for blister treatment, the first item you need is a big dollop of common sense.  Don’t go out for a five mile hike in brand new boots.  And when you feel a blister starting to form,  commonly known as a ‘hot spot’, stop and take care of it. Right away.  I will admit to several times when I knew a blister was coming on and figured that I would just gut it out until I got back to the car.  Those were pretty unpleasant hikes.

Most books will tell you to carry and use moleskin for blister-prone areas.  I personally haven’t had a great deal of luck with it, though.  I carry duct tape and am a huge believer in it!  Using duct tape on your heels and anywhere else that socks and shoes are rubbing creates a surface in which the friction is removed from your skin.  Trust me, it works like a charm.  This is a commonly used item in backpacking and hiking circles, and alas, was not my idea.  But to whoever came up with the notion, I am eternally grateful! Just wrap a five foot piece around a small golf pencil and throw it into your kit.  If you are prone to blisters, consider applying duct tape to the needed areas before you go out on a hike.

Note: If you have a blister that has broken open, cover it with a bandage before you apply duct tape to the area.  The glue in duct tape is not good for open wounds at all!

Some other helpful items in a first aid kit are Benadryl for allergic reactions, alarge triangular bandage for wrapping up sprains, and a small pamphlet on wilderness first aid.  There are lots of websites out there that can make suggestions for items to go in your first aid kit.  One of my favorites is http://www.ehow.com/how_9058_make-outdoor-first.html

The main thing is to create a kit that works for you.

Some final thoughts on first aid, make sure that if you take prescription medicine that you bring a little with you and if you have any special medical needs, communicate those to the friends that you have hiking with you.

The most important thing you can do is to take a wilderness first aid class, complete with CPR training.  This is the kind of thing that can go a long way towards making you not only a safe hiker, but a safe hiking partner.  Last but not least, remember to never dispense medicine to someone other than yourself.    I am not a doctor!  These things work for me but I encourage you to ask your doctor about their recommendation for your personal first aid kit.

What do you keep in your first aid kit? Click the comment link below and let us know…

Anna aka Mud Butt