Gas prices and hiking

[RedBeerd]

Hello all,
In my area of CT gas prices are at $4.00 per gallon or a little more and expected to keep rising. Usually I make the round trip to the Whites quite frequently in the summer to hit some 4k or some easier trails with my mom. However this summer thats not looking likely as even though I drive a 30mpg car, its just going to cost too damn much!! Fortunately for me I have AT trail access about 60 miles away. I will be exploring that more thoroughly this season (before my LT thru hike in july )

Anyways, will steep gas prices foil any hiking this year for anybody?

[Spokes]

Nope, I pre-planned and got a Toyota Prius in December 2010. Best purchased I've made beside my iPad2. It's made it to every trailhead so far and climbed some pretty steep gravel country roads in Ashe County, NC.

Very pleased.

Cheers!

[BCPete]

I pre-planned and got a Toyota Prius in December 2010.

Gotta love the Prius! I get 51 mpg with mine - and that's actual mileage, not some made up number that the car ads spot off about! I still have a Jeep to get to off-the-beaten path trailheads, but the Prius gets me everywhere else. I don't think I'll ever drive another type of vehicle after having this car for four years now - it's ruined me for gas mileage!

[Jeff]

Keep those gas prices in mind when you are asking folks to quote a price for a shuttle.

[RedBeerd]

I am anti-prius..but that's a story for another thread

[Spokes]

I am anti-prius..but that's a story for another thread

That's what I said too when I owned a Tundra pick-up and then felt the pain of filling it up when getting 15 mpg.

Your comment reminds me of all that stuff my Dad said back when I was a kid:

"Them Japanese cars will never take off in the US."

"Who's gonna pay money for bottled water?"

"Cable TV? Who's gonna pay to watch TV?"

"Coleman. It's the only stove to carry when hiking"

My, my, times have changed.

[Pedaling Fool]

..."Them Japanese cars will never take off in the US."...

Not long after WWII, Japan became somewhat of the world's China, not as big, but they were producing a lot and people generally looked at the stuff from Japan as cheap junk. But now they're a leader in many respects in producing quality goods. I remember when my mom bought a toyota back in the 70's, it was a joke then, but now they're a major company. Much respect for the Japanese.

[JAK]

Not long after WWII, Japan became somewhat of the world's China, not as big, but they were producing a lot and people generally looked at the stuff from Japan as cheap junk. But now they're a leader in many respects in producing quality goods. I remember when my mom bought a toyota back in the 70's, it was a joke then, but now they're a major company. Much respect for the Japanese.

Back in 1970 one of my classmates took a trip to Japan, so our teacher showed us some films, and my friend brought back lots of pictures, and gave us all 1 Yen which was only worth 0.2 cents at the time. The teacher also had us bring something made in Japan in to school. At that time it was still mostly things like cheap paper-mache vases and stuff, but transistor radios might have started coming in also. I visited Japan when I was in the Navy, 14 or 15 years later, and a Yen was worth about a cent, and cars and electronics had gotten alot better. Last 30 years not much has changed in Japan, but China. WOW. Next 30 years???

[rocketsocks]

Back in 1970 one of my classmates took a trip to Japan, so our teacher showed us some films, and my friend brought back lots of pictures, and gave us all 1 Yen which was only worth 0.2 cents at the time. The teacher also had us bring something made in Japan in to school. At that time it was still mostly things like cheap paper-mache vases and stuff, but transistor radios might have started coming in also. I visited Japan when I was in the Navy, 14 or 15 years later, and a Yen was worth about a cent, and cars and electronics had gotten a lot better. Last 30 years not much has changed in Japan, but China. WOW. Next 30 years???

Were all working for the japanese,little cars and color TV's,all the money goes over sea's to the eastern sphere.One day were gonna roos our loots,wear oriental jeans and boots,and drink nothing but kawasaki sake rice wine and mitsubishi light beer~The Doo Doo Wahs

[RWheeler]

I don't normally say anything about spelling/grammar, I know I got serious personal issues there, but I believe you should have written cent vs cents. As in 2/10 of a cent

Nah, if you write it as .2, then it'd be cents. If you write it as 2/10 of a.. then it'd be cent. The reason being the latter, the "cent" applies to "a", implying a whole. Any number other than 1 (including fractions) uses a "plural" form of nouns.

"How much gas did you need to put in the car?" ".5 gallons" OR "half a gallon"

[coach lou]

HP627... I live in Saybrook, and that's still 6 gallons back & forth even in my hot rod Subaru. During fall and winter I was up there[CTAT] every other weekend, working the prep schools, so I could sqeeze in overniters, 3days, or day hikes. I've walked VT & NH, so I am looking south. Carlisle, Pa. is a tankful. I was really looking to knock out some miles before this wild hair subsides!!! If we send more jets to the mid-east, we'll be hiking in Cockaponset State Forest!

[Pedaling Fool]

I bet not too many hikers will be slackpacking this year

[Spokes]

Slackpacking is like a bad carnival game..... You end up spending a whole lot of money for a very little prize.

[Nutbrown]

HA! I have a 1982 Hyundai Elantra that gets 40mpg AND it won't get stolen at the trail head! FTW

[Chicken Feathers]

HA! I have a 1982 Hyundai Elantra that gets 40mpg AND it won't get stolen at the trail head! FTW

older model cars are more likely to be stole than new cars. No title needed to sell it for scrap. This does not make sense to me but that is what I heard on news.

[Theosus]

All the good hiking places are a hundred miles or more from me. Suddenly my 2004 camry looks a lot better than my wife's newer CRV. It's still in good shape, and that fact that my kid trashed the interior with crayons and koolaid makes it a good choice for hauling crap around. And the tires are half the price, too (not to mention the full size spare instead of the doughnut tire). But gas is still a factor...

[Spokes]

HA! I have a 1982 Hyundai Elantra that gets 40mpg AND it won't get stolen at the trail head! FTW

Too funny!

[moytoy]

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-.../dp/1579541992

[Spokes]

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-.../dp/1579541992

Been there:

www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/ibikefar

I found the cost of food consumed to maintain cycling energy evens out when you correlate it to the cost of petrol per gallon.

[garlic08]

Been there:

www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/ibikefar

I found the cost of food consumed to maintain cycling energy evens out when you correlate it to the cost of petrol per gallon.

I try not to think of that. It's easy enough not to when you're riding.

I'll be riding the Northern Tier. I did the TransAm route in '96, just before I started LD hiking. Nice journal.

Thoughts on the Prius battery--it's too small to provide any real traction power. You can buy one for a few hundred dollars at salvage yards, as mentioned above. The way I see it, the battery allows zero emissions at idle and powers the two motors in the constantly variable transmission. Both of those reduce emissions and improve efficiency in city driving.