First Solo Multi-day Trip

[NEHikingNewbie]

Hey! I've been lurking here for about a week now and joined yesterday. My first experience with hiking the AT was when a friend of mine at work took me up to the White Mountains last September and we hiked up Kinsman Ridge. Or rather, we hiked up as much of it as I could manage and we stayed at Eliza Brook Shelter, then hiked back to the truck the next day since we only had the weekend. As tough as that was for my first hike, it didn't turn me off from hiking and I have been on a lot of day hikes since then. I had to take some time off from hiking after I had shoulder surgery last November, but I've been back at it since spring rolled around and I feel like I am ready for my first solo multi-day hike. I am planning on doing a section of the AT from Seth Warner Shelter in VT to somewhere in the vicinity of Tyringham, MA over the course of four days. I know going southbound the ascent up Mt. Greylock is going to be pretty intense, at least for me since I'm not currently in the best of shape, so that is planned as a low mileage day. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice in general for my first solo section hike or for that particular section of the trail. Thanks and happy trails, everyone!

[CELTIC BUCK]

take hiking poles; sweater and extra socks

[TREKMAN001]

What does your gear list look like? I used to have a tendency to OVER pack. Now, after a few trips I have learned what I need and don't need. It has helped lighten my pack. (not to mention the zillions of tips I have picked up on this website...) Be careful out there. The Whites are a serious place to play! Enjoy your trip!

Guy.

[Water Rat]

Take your time - Plan a shorter hike than what you actually think you can do. This will allow you to take it all in and enjoy the experience.
Make note of what you wish you had brought with you, what equipment you need to bring with you next time, and what equipment your brought and wish you hadn't.

Most important - check the weather before you go. The weather can change fast in the Whites and you do not want to be caught unprepared. It is absolutely gorgeous up there on a beautiful day, but can be dangerous on a bad day. In addition.... Have fun! Enjoy your hike! Take pics, keep a journal, or otherwise record your hike...even if it is just in your mind! You will want to look back on this hike and reflect. :)

Oh, and :welcome

[NEHikingNewbie]

take hiking poles; sweater and extra socks

I hear you on the trekking poles. That first hike in the Whites I didn't have any. I found a good walking stick fortunately, but I'm sure that's no match for a good pair of trekking poles.


What does your gear list look like? I used to have a tendency to OVER pack. Now, after a few trips I have learned what I need and don't need. It has helped lighten my pack. (not to mention the zillions of tips I have picked up on this website...) Be careful out there. The Whites are a serious place to play! Enjoy your trip!

Guy.

My pack is an Osprey Kestrel 48 in which I pack the following gear:

-Thermarest Sleeping Pad
-EMS Mountain Light 800 Fill Down 15 F Sleeping Bag
-Katadyn Hiker Pro filter
-Osprey 2L Hydration Reservoir
-First Aid Kit
-Pocket Rocket Stove
-Basic SS Cup for boiling water
-Aluminum Alloy Trekking Poles
-100 ft of 550 paracord
-A couple carabiners
-Headlamp
-Toiletries (toothpaste, body glide, tp)
-Bug spray

Without food, stove fuel, or the tent I will be buying later this week, I'm at about 10 lbs pack weight using the "difference in weight by stepping on a scale with and without the pack" method. Adding four pounds for having a full hydration reservoir and what I imagine will be no more than a 4 lbs tent, I'm up to 18 lbs. Throw in 5 days worth of food, which for me will be oats in the morning, trail mix for light snacking during the day, and a Mountain House meal for dinner, and I don't see my full pack weight going very much over 25 lbs, certainly not over 30 lbs.

Thanks for the well wishes on my trip. Once I summit Mt Greylock it will be the highest elevation I've ever been that I reached entirely on foot.

[illabelle]

If I read your post right, you're not planning to hike the Whites, you're doing a section mostly in Massachusetts. When we did that area, we "cheated" and used the local bus system to slack from Cheshire northbound over Greylock instead of climbing that hill with full packs. On our way down, we met SOBO thrus on their way up. This was early October. I remember one named Cornbread who was hoping to get to Damascus by Thanksgiving. Met him again at the Cookie Lady's house after we returned to Cheshire and went SOBO.

Be careful, I remember one spot a few hours south of Cheshire where the AT turns left to climb the ridge, but some other trail continues straight. We missed the turn, so did a few others. Turns out the double blaze was hidden behind foliage.

[NEHikingNewbie]

Take your time - Plan a shorter hike than what you actually think you can do. This will allow you to take it all in and enjoy the experience.
Make note of what you wish you had brought with you, what equipment you need to bring with you next time, and what equipment your brought and wish you hadn't.

Most important - check the weather before you go. The weather can change fast in the Whites and you do not want to be caught unprepared. It is absolutely gorgeous up there on a beautiful day, but can be dangerous on a bad day. In addition.... Have fun! Enjoy your hike! Take pics, keep a journal, or otherwise record your hike...even if it is just in your mind! You will want to look back on this hike and reflect. :)

Oh, and :welcome

Thanks for the tips. It is gorgeous up in the Whites, but I won't be going there this trip, though I do plan on getting back there later this year and hopefully making it further up Kinsman Ridge than I did my first time there. Thanks for the warm welcome as well! :) This seems to be a great community with a lot of knowledge to be gained.

[NEHikingNewbie]

If I read your post right, you're not planning to hike the Whites, you're doing a section mostly in Massachusetts. When we did that area, we "cheated" and used the local bus system to slack from Cheshire northbound over Greylock instead of climbing that hill with full packs. On our way down, we met SOBO thrus on their way up. This was early October. I remember one named Cornbread who was hoping to get to Damascus by Thanksgiving. Met him again at the Cookie Lady's house after we returned to Cheshire and went SOBO.

Be careful, I remember one spot a few hours south of Cheshire where the AT turns left to climb the ridge, but some other trail continues straight. We missed the turn, so did a few others. Turns out the double blaze was hidden behind foliage.

That's right, I'll be southbound from just north of the VT-MA line to Tyringham, MA. Thanks for warning me about the hidden double blaze. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for it.

[shrapnel]

My friend and I did that section in late summer/fall. Since you are starting at the seth warner shelter (or around it), just be aware of how crappy the roads are in that area. Risky Ranch Road is for ****, unless you have a 4 x 4 with high clearance. Maybe County Road will offer you a better place to drop off (I am not sure if you are getting dropped off or what your arrangement is). My advice is to push up Greylock, it is not as bad as you think, only the very top near Bascom Lodge. The reason is Bascom Lodge itself. Make arrangements to stay or camp there. My friend and I stayed at the lodge. They have bunkbed rooms and showers (hell yeah!). Very clean and comfortable. Bring ear plugs so you will not be bothered (the room sleeps 10). All that for $35.00. Believe me, you will not regret it. The walk out of Greylock is all down hill for a long time into Cheshire. There is a climb out of Cheshire with an awesome view (The Cobbles). Dalton is a small town after that that has a bar that serves wings and sandwiches. My friend and I watched the Pats game there - cool place. All the shelters have lofts and are in pretty good shape. There is plenty of water and re-supply places. Do your research. I plan out every mile of my hikes and that makes the experience so much easier/more enjoyable. The only thing else I would add is to do this trip in the fall with the colored foliage.

[NEHikingNewbie]

My friend and I did that section in late summer/fall. Since you are starting at the seth warner shelter (or around it), just be aware of how crappy the roads are in that area. Risky Ranch Road is for ****, unless you have a 4 x 4 with high clearance. Maybe County Road will offer you a better place to drop off (I am not sure if you are getting dropped off or what your arrangement is). My advice is to push up Greylock, it is not as bad as you think, only the very top near Bascom Lodge. The reason is Bascom Lodge itself. Make arrangements to stay or camp there. My friend and I stayed at the lodge. They have bunkbed rooms and showers (hell yeah!). Very clean and comfortable. Bring ear plugs so you will not be bothered (the room sleeps 10). All that for $35.00. Believe me, you will not regret it. The walk out of Greylock is all down hill for a long time into Cheshire. There is a climb out of Cheshire with an awesome view (The Cobbles). Dalton is a small town after that that has a bar that serves wings and sandwiches. My friend and I watched the Pats game there - cool place. All the shelters have lofts and are in pretty good shape. There is plenty of water and re-supply places. Do your research. I plan out every mile of my hikes and that makes the experience so much easier/more enjoyable. The only thing else I would add is to do this trip in the fall with the colored foliage.

Thanks for the heads up about the drop off to get to get to Seth Warner Shelter. I am currently planning on getting dropped off as close to Seth Warner as possible, probably on County Rd which is what the Appalachian Trail Guide I bought says to do. I will definitely try to push on through to summit Greylock. It's only about 3 extra miles from my original plan, but they will be a tough 3 miles. I suppose if I make reservations, it will be a little extra motivation to move my butt up the mountain since I wouldn't be able to get a refund. I'm with you on planning out every mile. Seeing as this is my first solo trip, I'll likely be planning right up until I get dropped off at the trail head. I'm most apprehensive about camping out at Seth Warner that first night since it will be my first time spending a night out in the woods by myself. Maybe I'll get lucky and have some thru hikers there to keep me company, haha.

[TREKMAN001]

My pack is an Osprey Kestrel 48 in which I pack the following gear:

-Thermarest Sleeping Pad
-EMS Mountain Light 800 Fill Down 15 F Sleeping Bag
-Katadyn Hiker Pro filter
-Osprey 2L Hydration Reservoir
-First Aid Kit
-Pocket Rocket Stove
-Basic SS Cup for boiling water
-Aluminum Alloy Trekking Poles
-100 ft of 550 paracord
-A couple carabiners
-Headlamp
-Toiletries (toothpaste, body glide, tp)
-Bug spray

I have the exact same pack! I love the pack, but it's a little tight for anything beyond 2-3 days.
-100 ft of 550 paracord - for bear bagging or tarp? Seems a little long either way?
-ss cup for boiling - switch to an aluminum or Ti pot... save a little weight?
-thermarest pad - self inflating or CCF? - I got rid of my self inflating... too heavy, and not comfortable anyway.
-Osprey 2L water bag - I got rid of my and just use bottles now. I like seeing how much water I have. Plus it was really fiddly, trying to get a FULL bladder packed in the space provided. I kept the sip tube and nozzle, it fits perfectly on a 1L soda bottle and is easier to deal with.
I just did my first 35 miler... go as light as you can. Water is heavy, and I found 2L to be perfect on my trip. Run out of the first liter, time to look for the next water source.
Happy Trails!
Guy

[NEHikingNewbie]

I have the exact same pack! I love the pack, but it's a little tight for anything beyond 2-3 days.
-100 ft of 550 paracord - for bear bagging or tarp? Seems a little long either way?
-ss cup for boiling - switch to an aluminum or Ti pot... save a little weight?
-thermarest pad - self inflating or CCF? - I got rid of my self inflating... too heavy, and not comfortable anyway.
-Osprey 2L water bag - I got rid of my and just use bottles now. I like seeing how much water I have. Plus it was really fiddly, trying to get a FULL bladder packed in the space provided. I kept the sip tube and nozzle, it fits perfectly on a 1L soda bottle and is easier to deal with.
I just did my first 35 miler... go as light as you can. Water is heavy, and I found 2L to be perfect on my trip. Run out of the first liter, time to look for the next water source.
Happy Trails!
Guy

It is a little tight at the moment being fully packed with 4 days worth of food, but it should do fine at ~27 lbs with food and everything. I would definitely get a new pack if I wanted to do anything over 4 days unless I'm willing to go with more compact food and doing it no cook so I don't have to pack a stove or cup. 100 ft of paracord is a little long, I agree, but I'd rather have too much than not enough. I try not to over-prepare for unlikely situations, but cordage is one of those essentials in a survival situation. I will look into alternative materials for my cup, thanks for the suggestion. The pad is self-inflating and it's been comfortable enough so far. If I ever get into UL, then that will probably be one of the first things I replace. I've loved my water bag from the first time I used it. The trick, I found, to fitting it in while full of water is to put it in empty, then fill it up once it's in place. I see what you mean about wanting to know how much water you have, though.

Thanks for all your suggestions and I will let you know when I get back from my trip of any lessons learned.