View Full Version : What is your favorite hiking memory?
Just Jeff
05-19-2006, 00:18
What's your single most favorite hiking memory?
Aside from several good memories of hiking with my kids, my favorite is probably the NJ section north of Sunfish Pond, when I was almost spit'n distance from 3 bears and 7 deer in two days.
What's your single most favorite hiking memory?
Picking blueberries with my family near Lake Surprise off of the Stateline Trail in NJ when I was 5 or 6 years old. That's a stone's throw from the AT.
Green Bean
05-19-2006, 09:04
Sitting on top of Annoplis rocks in Marlyland on a beautiful afternoon. Also the views at Harpers Ferry. And of course meeting trail buds. ~GB
Kerosene
05-19-2006, 09:10
Wow, it's really difficult to limit it to one favorite.
My favorite section hike was in October 2003 from Buena Vista, Virginia south around Roanoke to Craig Creek Valley, just south of Dragon's Tooth. The fall colors were gorgeous (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=1734&original=1&c=member&imageuser=3), and the weather was perfect and dry for 9 straight days until I got back on the return flight from Roanoke and saw rain hitting the mountains. What a string of nice walks: Brown Mountain Creek, Lynchburg Reservoir, Punchbowl Shelter, James River Gorge, Carvin's Cove, Tinkers Cliffs, McAfee Knob, Dragon's Tooth, etc.
The very best memory of my thru hike can be put into two words---"trail people". In six months all the thru hikers I met were some of the most wonderful and intresting people I have ever known. I liked some more than others but everyone was intresting and many are friends to this day. You will never meet a better group of people than those on the trail. The folks who supported us in the hostels like Keith Shaw, Miss Janet, Gary and Lanney, and all those wonderful trail angels of course are part of my great memories. I guess my best memory is trail people.
one particular evening around a campfire with my then 10 year old daughter. we built a fire together (her first, really being involved in the gathering of sticks and tinder, etc.) as we sat talking in the dark, about all sorts of things we never really had time to address at home, the full moon came up over the hill... just a neat evening all around.
KirkMcquest
05-19-2006, 14:44
Hiking in Arizona at sunset, watching a cougar chase a deer up a mountain, or braving the Big indian ( NY ) during a violent storm; flooded trail, bloated river crossings, mudslides, etc,etc.
Single Most? Can't do it. Eating, reading and hanging out at Elmer's in Hot Springs. Meeting Baltimore Jack on his 8th thru hike. Eating dinner around Miss Janet's table. Driving around, grocery shopping and talking Air Force with Jack Peoples and having Kincora by myself. Meeting the wonderful staff at MRO in Damascus, VA. I got to stop, I could go on and on.
RITBlake
05-19-2006, 15:22
Mike and I's first section hike in Connecticut. We really had no idea what we were doing. Our packs were to heavy and we had planned on doing way too many miles for our first time out. About 3/4 through day one we flopped down on the trail about halfway up a climb. We were both exhausted and eager to stop for the day. We revaulated our plan and we agreed that if we weren't having fun something had to change. So we learned two great AT lessons that day, 1 is to be flexible in your plans and 2 is to listen to your body. if you feel exhausted, then stop. if you feel hungry, eat. simple. You really should be enjoying your time out on the trail and if you're not, somethings wrong.
I look back at this with a big smile and I do consider it my favorite hiking memory because its funny to think how naive we were. We ended up having a really great week on the trail and we got a chance to hang out with thru hikers and ask them about gear and the trail and the life. Less then a year later we were on our way up to Maine to begin our thru hike.
In July of 2000 I got to spend my birthday on an air field waiting to get into British Royal Air force Helicopters. It was the start of an awesome field exercises. I got to hike threw Scotland mountains. With 70lbs gear and 40lbs of radio gear I hiked up and down for days. I saw a couple of small castles and got to experience bogs. Have you ever had to be pulled into your pick up helicopter cause you and your radio gear is waist deep in bog. It was the best and a lot of first for me. First time I cooked with fuel sticks. Standing on the top of some unknown mountain overlooking Scotland was very aw striking for a boy from Louisiana where there are no mountains.
warren doyle
05-19-2006, 16:19
The unbroken circles at the end of the 1975, 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 Appalachian Trail Cirlce Expeditions.
littlelaurel59
05-19-2006, 16:45
1. As a 14 year old boy, seeing my first rattlesnake in Pisgah National Forest.
2. In the Smokies in 1980, seeing my first bear from 20 ft.
3. All of the hikes with my son, now 13. Next verse- GSMNP next weekend.
we were doin maryland and it was raining, damp ,dreary & foggy.we couldn't see anything at the scenic lookouts. on our last overnite we got to the ed garvey shelter .the rain let up,the shelter was the bomb we hung up all our crap to dry. we got a fire going. the dogs got to get outta the rain. we lit up a couple stogies chilled out. and later we met up with aloha ann who was thru hiking .we had a great time talking with her. needless to say i slept like a baby that nite. that shelter was like a four star hotel to me .lets go mets!
we were doin maryland and it was raining, damp ,dreary & foggy.we couldn't see anything at the scenic lookouts. on our last overnite we got to the ed garvey shelter .the rain let up,the shelter was the bomb we hung up all our crap to dry. we got a fire going. the dogs got to get outta the rain. we lit up a couple stogies chilled out. and later we met up with aloha ann who was thru hiking .we had a great time talking with her. needless to say i slept like a baby that nite. that shelter was like a four star hotel to me .lets go mets!
You were going really good til that last sentence. ;)
Programbo
05-19-2006, 20:28
I have way to many to pick just one..I remember many a time coming out onto some nice overlook in the fall and just wishing I could hike and live on the trail forever...Cooking a nice meal in one of the older shelters and enjoying the peace and solitude...
But if you want a specific memory..Back in the mid-70`s I recall hiking in really hot weather..I mean like 90`s.. and going over a series of climbs up and down the sides of these steep balds and all the water sources were dried up..I was parched...Anyway I finally came to a hardtop road and followed it down like 1/4 mile to a gas station..There was one of those old soda machines with the door that opened and you pulled the soda bottles out of a slot..Anyway I bought a Coke (Which came in those tall light green bottles then) and it was so cold there was frost forming on the sides of the bottle when I pulled it out..That was one of the best sodas I`ve had in my life
What's your single most favorite hiking memory?
Aside from several good memories of hiking with my kids, my favorite is probably the NJ section north of Sunfish Pond, when I was almost spit'n distance from 3 bears and 7 deer in two days.
i would have to say fantasizing about hillary while hanging in my hammock:cool: neo
http://www.hillary.org/img/hillary1.jpg
Just Jeff
05-19-2006, 21:31
15 good posts in a row...
SGT Rock
05-20-2006, 02:43
The first weekend back from my first tour in Iraq sitting around a campfire with my kids. But that is only one of many.
atraildreamer
05-20-2006, 03:05
Early 70's, Statton Mtn Shelter, Long Trail, VT. Had the shelter to myself, heard a noise. Turned on my Mallory flashlight (remember them?) and saw a porky obout 3 feet from my face. :eek: Porky waddled away. I shut the light off and sat up for a look at a BEAUTIFUL, cloud-free, star-filled night. I tried to spot the Comet Kohoutek :rolleyes: without success, but still enjoying the view. Got a bit chilly, so I crawled back into my Gerry (remember them?) down bag and got all toasty again. 20 minutes later, heard some more noise. Porky had returned with a friend ! :eek: :eek: Hit them with the flashlight beam, and a bit of yelling, until they departed for good. Slept like a log for the rest of the night!
Lots of cool memories mentioned above!
As others have mentioned, it's hard to pick one so......one of my favorites is getting caught in a severe thunder storm hiking to the top of Shavers Mtn in West Virghinia. It was like the thunder was right next to us. Not like being far in the sky. We were in the sky with the thunder and lightning. We kicked it in high gear to run for the shelter. It was at the end of the day's hike and we were tired and after the thunder and lightning quit it just rained hard and steady all evening and night on the tin roof of the shelter. WOW! That was relaxing! It was the first day of a 5 day backpack trip.
Aug 2006, got married on the steps of the Church of the Appalachian Mts, Delaware Water Gap PA, and then did our section hike that week through NJ into NY. Nice to get married in your shorts and Tshirt, with your backpack by your side :)
Sir-P-Alot
05-20-2006, 09:14
I was 15 and hiked the georgia section by myself over a christmas break. Their was snow for alot of the trip and I climbed Trey Mtn. in a blizzard. Upon arriving I met a crazy Southbounder. He was 1 of only two people I met that week. I took the Kimsey Creek trail down to Standing Indian Campground to finish the hike to find them closed and all the phones shut down. I then hitched a ride with a group of scouts into town. At 15 this was the adventure of a lifetime and my first time really alone with the woods.
the goat
05-20-2006, 09:43
november 2001, i saw the leonids meteor shower on a clear cool night in the grayson highlands. i was cowboy camping in a high field by myself and what i witnessed was the most spectacular display nature has given me to date. the next day on npr, i heard that the leonids would not be that bright again for another 80-some years.
Being sung to by a drunk guituar player at Dot's in Damascus, just after the bottle of wine on the front porch of the Lazy Fox B&B (with my wife), just after a great hike into town from Mt. Rogers. Second place would be watching the small black bear walking away from our campsite one morning near Pine Mountain (Grayson Highland area). Key thing here is "walking away".
saimyoji
05-20-2006, 12:33
OK, this will be a little long....
I drove up to the north end of Honshu (Japan) and spent a day driving the western coast of Aomori, checking out all the monolithic cliff faces. I found a nice hill (900') that rose up from the rocky beach to a nice grassy plain. I set up camp and hiked down to the beach with a bucket, which I proceeded to fill with all the bounty I could find in the sea there: snails, sea urchins, and I was lucky to snag a medium sized fish (no idea what kind) in my net. When the sun began to make its final repose for the day, I found a hose, rinsed off and began the hike back to camp. Set up a fire and as my water boiled I watched the sunset over the sea of Japan. As the sky grew darker, the squid boats set out for the night's catch. I watched boats fire up the lights strung from bow to stern (the lights attract the squid, which come up from hundreds of feet down) and they dotted the ocean, their numbers growing as the night progressed. Dinner that night was delicious: grilled snail and unknown fish, with raw sea urchin spiced with a little sea water. All accompanied with large amounts of beer. I didn't need the rainfly on my tent that night, and I could see the stars out both windows. Early in the morning a slight breeze brought the smell of the bath houses firing the wood boilers; a very sweet, smoky smell.
The embers of my fire were still hot and needed only a little encouragement before I had them stoked again. As I was finishing my morning coffee a policeman appeared. Seems that camping there is illegal, as is taking sea urchin from the beach, as is having an open fire there. I explained that I'm only a poor foreigner and had no concept of these rules. I explained that in my country we do such things to commune with nature, to experience the primeval connection to the earth and the universe (I speak fluent Japanese you see). He looked at me for a moment, looked around at the view, the sun peaking over the mountains to the east, looked at me again and said: "そうだね。こんな所なんて気色も良いししょうがないね。コーヒー。" Which basically means, "Yeah, a place like this, how could you resist. Gimme some coffee." We chatted while we shared a cup of coffee, then he gave me directions to the local bath house. The last thing he said before he walked off was: "Oh yeah, and if I catch you here again...you better have some decent coffee."
Only thing I regret about that trip was that I didn't take my camera.
I would have to say my favorite memory of the Appalachian Trail is the sections at the Start in April and May of 1995. Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and S. Virginia. Everything was new and exciting at the beginning of my thru-hike in 1995. It started April 15th so spring was all over the trail. Flowers, Trees, wildlife, etc....... That whole section(500mi) was the best part for me. I was seeing things and experiencing situations that were new, thrilling, scary, and educational all at the same time. I will never forget any part of the trail, but From Georgia to S. Virginia is the best part of the trail which I will treasure for a lifetime and more.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
Vortex GA-ME 95
Dances with Mice
05-20-2006, 15:43
I've written about it before:
It was somewhere on the Duncan Ridge / Benton Mac Trail a couple years ago, I was just be-bopping along, head down, making miles, long strides just really stepping out, absolutely "in the zone" as Wookie would say. I heard something in front of me and looked up.
Precisely then a big white tail buck trotting down the trail from the other direction looked up. We both skidded to a stop, gravel flying, we were about ten'ish feet apart. He snorted, I gasped. I stepped to my right and he to his left, same direction, and we froze. Oops. Then I veered left as he went right, same direction again, and we both froze. Finally he jumped clear across the trail and ran straight down the ridge crashing through the bushes and out of sight.
I was left alone thinking "Damn!! Where did he come from?!"
The buck was probably thinking the exact same thing.
As with most of us, hard to pick just one but: The Butterfly Battles my son and I witnessed near NOC a few years back. We had stopped for a mid day break and never knew such things could happened. All sorts of butterflies fighting for a particular spot. Some were wounded, some just gave up and left, a few were mortally wounded and a very few were the victors. We watched for about an hour and kept asking each other if it was really happening. Never figured out what was so special about this one spot but they sure knew. A fine day it was!
Just Jeff
05-20-2006, 19:34
In May 05, the second day of my Foothills Trail hike - I was on the trail coming down a drainage and I stopped to pee. It was too steep to leave the trail, so I just went off the edge of the trail. Before I finished, I saw a full-grown whitetail doe coming down from the ridge towards the trail. She stepped out onto the trail, sniffed the ground where I had walked, sniffed the air and looked at me. She was about 100 feet away. Then she walked towards me, sniffed a little more, looked at me, and walked closer. When she was about 50 feet away, she went on down the drainage – slowly, munching grass every few steps, and turning to look back at me. I just stood still, with my brains still in my hand for most of it, but even when I walked away she didn’t get spooked.