View Full Version : Confessions of a Rookie
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I would like to thank a lot of folks on this sight for their valuable insight and advice. This past weekend, at the age of 50 I completed my first ever backpack adventure from Springer to Neels Gap. During the 3 months I accumulated my gear, I benefited greatly from the information on this site. Unfortunately I chose to ignore the very prudent advice about keeping the initial mileage low.
My legs felt so good, I fell victim to my need to see what was over the next hill. The problem with that approach is you feel good right up until you don't. I walked way to many miles the first two days, and ended up limping up and then down Blood Mtn all the way to Neels Gap on my final day on Sunday with a lot of knee pain. Additionally, in an effort to reduce my pack weight while climbing Blood, I failed to carry enough water and had a miserable final two miles into Neels. As I staggered across the parking lot looking for a Gatorade, what should have been a celebration when my wife met me at the finish, turned into a serious bout with dehydration.
At the end of the day however, the experience was phenomenal. I look forward to many more journeys on the trail, and am certain to be a little wiser for the experience.
LIhikers
05-07-2014, 01:12
Glad to hear you had a good trip, all in all.
The more you do this the more you'll learn, and the more you learn the better it will be.
Hang in there until you make some headway along the learning curve.
SCRUB HIKER
05-07-2014, 03:13
I also learned about how to judge both those things (mileage and water) for myself between Springer and Neels. There's pretty much no other way to learn, and that's two of the steepest parts of the curve out of the way. Good luck on future endeavors.
illabelle
05-07-2014, 05:12
Great picture, jbogggggggggggggggggggggg!
Gambit McCrae
05-07-2014, 08:26
What a great accomplishment for your first AT hike! I think I only did like 12 miles my first AT trip. You will learn from every trip and after a while it will begin to go very smooth for you :)
Inspiring! Good to know all the words spouted here on WB are more than idle chatter.
Turk6177
05-07-2014, 10:31
You have been bitten by the bug. I learn something new, and re-learn some old things I once learned and forgot, every time I backpack. I realize there are reasons I do things a certain way, and sometimes I pay for it when I ignore what I have learned and lazily take short cuts. Much like anything in life, experience is everything. You will find the more miles you put behind you, the more confident and proficient you get. I am somewhere in the middle right now, but I am having fun working on it. Congrats on the hike.
Thanks for the words of support. This was a first on many levels. I had never slept outside solo, other than car camping on a few trips when I was younger. Also, I was so comfortable in my new bridge hammock I slept like a baby. It was nice being able to use one of the many unofficial campsites along the trail. As the leaves had not fully bloomed I had some spectacular views and scenery from the campsites at higher elevation.
The only way to learn how to hike the AT is to hike the AT. My experience with hiking was similar, huge mistakes with equipment (using an expedition tent on the Florida Trail) and some very serious bouts with dehydration. In 2010 I walked from Springer to Harpers Ferry. That experience taught me how to hike long distances, and yes, still made many errors. CONGRATULATIONS...
I was happy in the midst of dangers and inconveniences. Daniel Boone
MuddyWaters
05-07-2014, 22:25
You learned 2 important things:
1) you can hike injured. So quit worrying about "what happens if......."
2) lack of water isnt that big of a deal. You would be surprised how far you can actually go between water sources. In the days before ways to carry water, ......people just didnt. Push this more as you gain experience, while you are carrying water, dont drink it. You will find that 10 miles without drinking water, really isnt a big deal unless its really hot. (all depends on temps obviously).
Then, you can quit worrying about that also.
You learned 2 important things:
1) you can hike injured. So quit worrying about "what happens if......."
2) lack of water isnt that big of a deal. You would be surprised how far you can actually go between water sources. In the days before ways to carry water, ......people just didnt. Push this more as you gain experience, while you are carrying water, dont drink it. You will find that 10 miles without drinking water, really isnt a big deal unless its really hot. (all depends on temps obviously).
Then, you can quit worrying about that also.
Disagree. Big time.
Skimping on water is seriously bad for you. It plays hell with kidneys and over the long term can cause kidney stones, which are no fun at all. In the short term it can kill you.
As for injuries, I'll just say... there's time to "suck it up" and there's a time to let a minor injury heal before it turns major.
Telling folks to ignore pain and get by on minimal water is not cool.
More on the kidney stones. From:
http://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/kidney-stones-cause
Kidney stones (http://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/default.htm) may form when the normal balance of water, salts, minerals, and other substances found in urine changes. How this balance changes determines the type of kidney (http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/picture-of-the-kidneys) stone you have. Most kidney stones are calcium-type (http://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/tc/types-of-kidney-stones-topic-overview)—they form when the calcium (http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-781-calcium.aspx?activeingredientid=781&activeingredientname=calcium) levels in your urine change.
Things that change your urine balance include:
Recommended Related to Kidney Stones
Understanding Kidney Stones -- the Basics (http://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/understanding-kidney-stones-basics)
Kidney stones are created when certain substances in urine -- including calcium, oxalate, and sometimes uric acid -- crystallize. These minerals and salts form crystals, which can then join together and form a kidney stone. Kidney stones usually form within the kidney, where urine collects before flowing into the ureter, the tube that leads to the bladder. Small kidney stones are able to pass out of the body in the urine -- and may go completely unnoticed by you. But larger stones can irritate...
Read the Understanding Kidney Stones -- the Basics article > > (http://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/understanding-kidney-stones-basics)
Not drinking enough water. When you don't drink enough water, the salts, minerals, and other substances in the urine can stick together and form a stone. This is the most common cause of kidney stones.
ScareBear
05-07-2014, 23:40
Dehydration IS a big deal, especially the older you are. Why risk damaging your kidneys by running dry? You need excess water volume to eliminate the additional waste products your body produces by constant exertion. If you don't effectively and in a timely manner eliminate these waste products, they accumulate where? And they do what? Yeah....it isn't good to run dry. See...there's this thing called lactic acid that your muscles produce when they are used...and if you don't get rid of this excess lactic acid, bad things begin to happen, in a rapidly escalating, almost exponential, manner. At the very least, by running dry, you are encouraging the formation of kidney stones. If you've ever passed a kidney stone, you will wish you had stayed hydrated. The more frequently you dehydrate, the more rapidly you develop kidney stones. This is a known medical fact beyond dispute. You aren't "training" your body to do anything by dehydrating it repeatedly, except for developing a tolerance to they symptoms of dehydration. Oh, and training it to produce kidney stones...
mrcoffeect
05-08-2014, 07:33
One thing I know. is, being thirsty with nothing to drink sucks way more, than carrying two pounds of water that you don't end up using.
bigcranky
05-08-2014, 09:05
At the end of the day however, the experience was phenomenal. I look forward to many more journeys on the trail, and am certain to be a little wiser for the experience.
Yup, this. Glad you had a great time and that you learned a lot. I still learn something from every hike, and write it down in a post-hike journal so I can refer to it when planning new adventures.
Odd Man Out
05-08-2014, 12:45
Glad you had a good trip.
I'm curious. What turned out to be "too many miles" for you and what was your pack weight.
Other 50ish hikers planning a 6 day - 70 mile hike in June might find that useful information.
bigcranky
05-08-2014, 14:52
I remember spending our third night on the trail at Gooch Mountain Shelter in June, 2003. We had hiked with our twleve year old daughter up the Approach Trail and camped on top of Springer on day 1, then walked the 8 miles to Hawk Mountain, then the 8 miles to Gooch. That evening two separate solo male hikers in their early 50s came into the shelter. Both had started from Springer that morning and done the 16 miles in one day, on their first day of a several weeks long hike. Both had tremendous knee pain and one was worried that he would need to get off the trail at the next road crossing.
I remember the one guy, from somewhere in the midwest, talking about how 16 miles seemed so simple during his planning for this hike -- it's just 8 hours of very slow walking! Anybody can do that, right?
So, my guess is that our intrepid friend jboggg discovered his knees on the steep downhill from the top of Justus Mountain or thereabouts. :)
MuddyWaters
05-08-2014, 20:05
Disagree. Big time.
Skimping on water is seriously bad for you. It plays hell with kidneys and over the long term can cause kidney stones, which are no fun at all. In the short term it can kill you.
As for injuries, I'll just say... there's time to "suck it up" and there's a time to let a minor injury heal before it turns major.
Telling folks to ignore pain and get by on minimal water is not cool.
I didnt tell anyone to ignore pain. I said its something you dont have to worry about anymore, once youve done it. Ive hiked 30+ miles with stress fracture, and 40 or so not being able to bend my right knee. Once you have done these things and know you can do these things to get to help if you are ever called upon to do so, you simply dont worry much about the possibility of minor injuries, and that is a common worry of lots of new hikers, which can lead them to bring excess gear.
As to water, I dont recall telling anyone to seriously dehydrate themselves either . Drink your fill at sources, about a liter or more, and you can go quite far without ever taking another sip if you ever have too. Then you dont worry about running out of water when you know you can do the distance if needed. Never did I suggest anyone not carry water either. You are implying that walking 10 miles without water would seriously dehydrate you. Um....not true. In 100 degree heat, with a 50 lb pack, yes. In 50F weather with a 25 lb pack, not a chance.
You are also not going to cause kidney stones in 2 hours of hiking less than optimally hydrated sometime. From what Ive seen, most people stay far better hydrated while hiking, than they do in their daily lives. Drinking coffee at work (diuretic) , and not drinking enough water leads many people to stay in a constant state of low hydration. This lead to me getting a kidney stone once.
Yes some people, especially elderly, are much more succeptible to dehydration problems,( as well as heat stroke). Im referring to people in good shape here of course.
For the rest, just carry a PLB and use it if you run low on water I guess, or twist your ankle.
My pack weight was at 25lbs not counting food and water. I left Springer at 1:00PM on Friday and camped at an unofficial tent site between Horse gap and Cooper gap around the 11 mile mark. I was tired, but no discomfort. Saturday I started hiking at 8AM sharp, stopped for an hour around noon to eat lunch and lay in the hammock. Made it to Woody gap by 2:30 - 3:00PM. Was already feeling the knee by this point, but decided to keep pushing so I could have an "easier" day on Sunday. Ended up camping just off the trail at about the 23 mile mark.
As stated earlier, my easy day on Sunday didn't work out as planned. Looking back, had I had a hiking partner I don't believe I would have been inclined to hike so far. But as it was, I found myself a little bored just sitting around taking it easy, so I decided I may as well be walking.
My buddy who was supposed to have been hiking with me had also cautioned me about doing too many miles too soon. But I knew better. Always tried to stay in shape, and had never had any knee problems. Well, you guys already know the rest of the story.
When I related my story to my buddy (best friends since 8th grade, so he has all the dirt on me) he said "you have always had to learn things the hard way". Then announced he would be referring to me as "Hardway" when we do make it on to the trail again next month. Oh well, I suppose a trail name could be a lot worse. Hope to meet you all on the trail soon.
bigcranky
05-08-2014, 22:13
Looking back, had I had a hiking partner I don't believe I would have been inclined to hike so far. But as it was, I found myself a little bored just sitting around taking it easy, so I decided I may as well be walking.
This is exactly what happens to me on my summer solo hikes. It's hard to just sit for an hour or two at lunch, and take long breaks, and all by myself. Much easier with a hiking partner.
MuddyWaters
05-08-2014, 22:35
Looking back, had I had a hiking partner I don't believe I would have been inclined to hike so far. But as it was, I found myself a little bored just sitting around taking it easy, so I decided I may as well be walking.
Maybe. Or conversely, you might have tried to keep up with them, and done the same thing. Depends on the partner.
I think the most common cause of injury of new thru hikers in the spring, is trying to keep up with others when they arent able to yet, especially if they started together. It catches up to them fast. Before they get out of GA often.
Ricky&Jack
05-10-2014, 01:29
Congrats on the first hike...
I live in dalton, and Today I bought a pack for me and a saddle bag for my husky...
My first overnighter is planned for next week.
I had only planned to do the 8.9 mi from Amnicola to springer.
But maybe it would be a good first hike for me too if I just kept going to neels gap as well.
Any plans to hilt it again soon?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
ScareBear
05-12-2014, 07:38
I remember spending our third night on the trail at Gooch Mountain Shelter in June, 2003. We had hiked with our twleve year old daughter up the Approach Trail and camped on top of Springer on day 1, then walked the 8 miles to Hawk Mountain, then the 8 miles to Gooch. That evening two separate solo male hikers in their early 50s came into the shelter. Both had started from Springer that morning and done the 16 miles in one day, on their first day of a several weeks long hike. Both had tremendous knee pain and one was worried that he would need to get off the trail at the next road crossing.
I remember the one guy, from somewhere in the midwest, talking about how 16 miles seemed so simple during his planning for this hike -- it's just 8 hours of very slow walking! Anybody can do that, right?
So, my guess is that our intrepid friend jboggg discovered his knees on the steep downhill from the top of Justus Mountain or thereabouts. :)
Distance covered depends on many factors, all unique to the individual hiker. First and foremost is physical conditioning. I like to tell people that ask me how to tell if they are in shape enough to hike the Georgia portion of the AT the following:
1. Put on your pack with your intended trail weight.
2. Go to a tall building that you have access to.
3. Go to the staircase.
4. Hike up ten stories(approximately 120') without using the rail for support or stopping.
5. Turn around and descend the ten stories without using the rail for support or stopping.
If you are unable to complete this test successfully, you have no business on the Georgia section of the AT.
Now, even if you can complete this test, you may not be able to hike more than 5 miles or so a day, because of prior damage to your knees. It is the descents that usually take their toll on knees. However, I wish to make one thing perfectly clear to anyone who has had knee surgery, especially ACL replacement. If you are over 50 and think that you can hike the AT without some knee discomfort or pain, then I want the number of your ortho. It really is a matter of sucking it up. We met a guy at Gooch Shelter who was considering bailing on his thru hike because his surgically reconstructed knee hurt. No kidding? Mine too. It always will. So, I asked him how much ibuprofen he was taking. He didn't bring any. Sorry, you aren't getting any of mine. That lack of personal insight and self-awareness is ridiculous. He obviously had not trained for the event. At all.
So, if I, an over 50 with a surgically reconstructed knee, can get 8 miles/day in GA, it can be done. However, I could not do it without:
1. Adequate training.
2. Self-awareness.
3. Ibuprofen.
Part of valor is discretion. When the knee starts barking too loudly, I stop hiking. Period. Full stop. End of sentence. To continue on is foolish. I know(self-awareness and training) that if I keep pushing it when it barks too loudly, I will not get an early start the next day, due to pain. And, I know that pain is what, exactly? A symptom. A symptom of something not good. I have to live with some level of pain in that knee, on a daily basis. That is the price of having some dead person's tendons substituting for your ACL. However, I don't have to cock it up by pushing myself when the pain passes its usual and customary point. There are NO heroes on the ACL. Only hikers.
bigcranky
05-12-2014, 09:13
If you are unable to complete this test successfully, you have no business on the Georgia section of the AT.
Overall, yours is a good post, but I have to disagree with this conclusion. There is no shame or harm in needing to stop for a break on the way up a steep climb -- even several times if necessary. If all the beginning thru-hikers had to pass your test before starting, the vast majority would fail, including many who otherwise complete successful thru-hikes.
Heck, I couldn't pass your test right now. It takes me several days on the trail to get my legs back, even with all the walking I do at home and work.
good job! most of us have been there too... I remember a similar first hike and bout with dehydration on that section in summer 2009. Congrats on your first AT hike. That knee pain might be ITBS if you suffered it on the Blood Mtn downhill into Neels Gap. Keep at it, it's easy to become addicted to hiking in the mountains.
thiggins
05-12-2014, 13:56
Congrats on the first hike...
I live in dalton, and Today I bought a pack for me and a saddle bag for my husky...
My first overnighter is planned for next week.
I had only planned to do the 8.9 mi from Amnicola to springer.
But maybe it would be a good first hike for me too if I just kept going to neels gap as well.
Any plans to hilt it again soon?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We've done that with our dog a couple of times. A few recommendations: Skip the hike from the bottom to the top of the falls, the iron/metal steps cannot be done by a dog...pure torture for everyone. I would park at the top of the falls. Also, there is NO WATER on the approach trail, so hike up the Hike Inn trail, and get awesome water at the Hike Inn. They love visitors and you can donate a few bucks. Trust me, this is a MUCH easier way to do it, especially with a doggie.
Last Call
05-12-2014, 14:15
Water on the Approach Trail at Frosty Mountain Spring, .2 mile East, also at Black Gap shelter .1 mile West.
Sounds like you learned a lot! And I think "Hardway" is a great trail name, lol :)
With time you will figure out how much water you need, but as you experienced it's probably better to bring extra just in case! After all the hand wringing about gear, when you get right down to it, the only thing in your pack that you will definitely suffer without is WATER! :)
Sounds like you learned a lot! And I think "Hardway" is a great trail name, lol :)
With time you will figure out how much water you need, but as you experienced it's probably better to bring extra just in case! After all the hand wringing about gear, when you get right down to it, the only thing in your pack that you will definitely suffer without is WATER! :)
Not sure about "only" but it's high on the list.
We talk about hiking as something that doesn't take a whole lot of mental effort, and that's mainly true in my experience. But -- what mental effort there is, is spent making sure we have certain essentials under control, and water is probably #1 under "essentials." (#2 might be remaining injury-free, #3 and #4 might relate to food and shelter.)
"At least 1,000 hospital patients in England die each month from avoidable kidney problems, according to a study commissioned by the NHS.Researchers found that 15,000-40,000 excess deaths every year are caused by acute kidney injury (AKI), which causes a loss of kidney function and can develop very quickly. It can occur in people who are already ill with conditions such as heart failure or diabetes and those admitted to hospital with infections.
AKI can also develop after major surgery, such as some kinds of heart surgery, because the kidneys can be deprived of normal blood flow during the procedure. Severe dehydration is one of the main causes of the condition."
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/apr/22/avoidable-deaths-acute-kidney-injury
ScareBear
05-21-2014, 17:14
Overall, yours is a good post, but I have to disagree with this conclusion. There is no shame or harm in needing to stop for a break on the way up a steep climb -- even several times if necessary. If all the beginning thru-hikers had to pass your test before starting, the vast majority would fail, including many who otherwise complete successful thru-hikes.
Heck, I couldn't pass your test right now. It takes me several days on the trail to get my legs back, even with all the walking I do at home and work.
Seriously? You couldn't do a 120' vertical stair ascent with pack? I can't imagine how many times you would have to stop going up the pulls of Justus or Blood. Of course, it can be done if you can't pass this test. But, the concept of "hiking yourself into shape" gets very very fuzzy for us over 50 folks. It takes soooooo much longer to add long muscle fiber over 50, unless you are a male taking T. For anyone up to 45 years, I would say after a week or 40 miles in Georgia, you are in decent trail shape, if you weren't at the start. For over 50's, you will need to limit your distance/exertion on your first week and protein load to see any appreciable muscle tone/gain after that week. Too much exertion + too little protein=fatigued muscles that are more likely to suffer injury and generally hurt like hell. Its all about pacing yourself. Which is why, especially for over 50's, my little test seems proper. It also gives these folks a fair idea of what just 20 minutes on the trail in Georgia feels like....YMMV....just sayin....
flemdawg1
05-21-2014, 17:24
Sounds like you learned a lot! And I think "Hardway" is a great trail name, lol :)
Variations can be: Anphernee, Penny or Wife Beater.
bigcranky
05-21-2014, 20:00
Seriously? You couldn't do a 120' vertical stair ascent with pack?]
Ten stories with a full pack without stopping or touching the rail? Nope. But I did climb Sassafras last time without stopping. Stopped on Justus a couple of times going southbound the time before that, but it's a long slog even after a week on the trail.
Who cares if I need to stop on the way up a steep climb? Saying that someone who can't climb ten flights without stopping "has no business on the Georgia AT" is kind of extreme.