View Full Version : Best day on the trail!
saimyoji
08-16-2006, 02:28
As the hiking season is reaching its peak (no pun intended ;)) I thought it would be nice to focus on good things on the trail. Those of you familiar with my postings will note that I deviate from the dark side here and encourage you to share the experience of your best day on the trail. What happened? What made it so great?
Remember, your best day is not just a good day, but THE DAY above and beyond all others.
Only qualification here is that this is NOT thru-hiker specific. :sun
Mine? I'm still looking forward to it. :cool:
BTW I'll be stomping around the Pinnacle in a few hours if anyone cares. I'll post pics if I make it back alive.
Blissful
08-16-2006, 13:02
Mine will be when I start my thru hike on March 1st, 2007.
Probably will shed a tear or two too when it finally dawns on me -
This is REAL!!!!
DawnTreader
08-16-2006, 13:43
tough question...best day on the trail.. hmmmm.
one that stands out in my mind was the day i climbed saddleback in maine. It was beautiful.. absolutely perfect. I spent six hours on the ridge that day. mostly eating. I napped, smoked, chilled... watched the fast people fly by.. I intitially planned on a big day, but once I reached saddleback jr.s peak, I took a look around and decided to spend the day on top of the mountain.. I left poplar ridge at six in the morning.. I got to piazza rock at 4 in the afternoon... 9 miles in 10 hours.. It was a glorious day.. spent with the best of friends.. brit, duncan(grit), and warrgeyagi.. I've found that I remember, and enjoy the slow days more than the bustin' miles days..
The day got better at piazza rock when silver toe showed up with some excellent trail magic.. great people, great hike, great shelter, and to top it off, hot food in Rangeley the next morning.. couldn't beat it..
Don't remember where I started from but it was a 20 mile day that ended up at the Audie Murphy Memorial I remember writing in my journal. Its Memorial Day there's not a more finer place to camp tonight than right here alongside this memorial dedicated to Americas Most Decorated Soldier of WWII. I paused to remember my Uncle, PFC James Patrick O'Shaughnessey KIA WWII. I silently thanked all those who made the ultimate sacrifice so I could enjoy this day. I slept like a rock!
Lone Wolf
08-16-2006, 20:12
Don't remember where I started from but it was a 20 mile day that ended up at the Audie Murphy Memorial I remember writing in my journal. Its Memorial Day there's not a more finer place to camp tonight than right here alongside this memorial dedicated to Americas Most Decorated Soldier of WWII. I paused to remember my Uncle, PFC James Patrick O'Shaughnessey KIA WWII. I silently thanked all those who made the ultimate sacrifice so I could enjoy this day. I slept like a rock!
***n A! It ain't always about the views, etc., etc., etc. but much more important stuff.
Programbo
08-16-2006, 20:21
While I have a lot of wonderful memories from way back when I shall take this a different direction.....I hiked extensively in the 70`s but had my last real hike on the AT in 1980 (Although I stayed in touch with the hiking community by selling backpacking equipment full time for 11 years from 1985-1996)...Anyway I had a million happy memories of my time on the trail (Which had to do since I lost my 100`s of hiking photos when my younger brother was evicted from his apartment while I was away in the service)....In 2004 I suffered what is commonly called a "massive heart attack"..I suffered cardiac death as my heart and breathing stopped for several minutes..Luckily the paramedics were able to shock my heart back into a normal rhythm....I say "luckily" as only about 5% of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting survive....Unfortunately I lost 30% of the function in my heart all in the chamber that pumps the oxygen rich blood thru my body (The day I came out of the hospital it was at 50% but I gained back 20% which is all I`ll get)...It was hard getting back into any sort of shape as I tired so easily and it was so disheartening..I decided I needed a goal to work towards and while looking online I came upon the WhiteBlaze website and while looking at the photos I found my goal..I would get into good enough shape to make it to my favorite old AT shelter..To make a long story short I finally felt ready and on a nice crisp fall day I found myself on the trail once again and after a short hike I saw the shelter appear..Words can`t describe the joy and happiness I felt as I neared the shelter..It was as if the decades just disappeared and the magic I felt on the trail as a youth was still in the air...Combined with the knowledge that I was at this spot after surviving such a close brush with death..The emotions can`t be expressed..It was the most wonderous moment you can imagine......Anyway that`s my best day on the AT......I have many similar hiking memories as I`m sure everyone here does but that particular moment in time at that shelter was magical
..clip.. Remember, your best day is not just a good day, but THE DAY above and beyond all others. <CLIP>
Only qualification here is that this is NOT thru-hiker specific. ...clip...
<CLIP>
My best days on the trail are always spent with my boys - and my puppy!
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=9361&c=517
My 11-yr old is all over me about when we'll get back on the trail. I own a seasonal business (and summer is our season) - so had to tell him, "well, maybe October"....he wasn't happy! He said he wanted to go to Shining Rock this weekend!
Skidsteer
08-16-2006, 23:24
..I decided I needed a goal to work towards and while looking online I came upon the WhiteBlaze website and while looking at the photos I found my goal..I would get into good enough shape to make it to my favorite old AT shelter..To make a long story short I finally felt ready and on a nice crisp fall day I found myself on the trail once again and after a short hike I saw the shelter appear..Words can`t describe the joy and happiness I felt as I neared the shelter..It was as if the decades just disappeared and the magic I felt on the trail as a youth was still in the air...Combined with the knowledge that I was at this spot after surviving such a close brush with death..The emotions can`t be expressed..It was the most wonderous moment you can imagine......Anyway that`s my best day on the AT......I have many similar hiking memories as I`m sure everyone here does but that particular moment in time at that shelter was magical
Good on ya, Programbo. You planning another hike?
tiamalle
08-17-2006, 00:06
My best days on the trail are always spent with my boys - and my puppy!
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=9361&c=517
My 11-yr old is all over me about when we'll get back on the trail. I own a seasonal business (and summer is our season) - so had to tell him, "well, maybe October"....he wasn't happy! He said he wanted to go to Shining Rock this weekend!Let's face it!the worst day on the trail is better than a good day on the job.:D
trailangelmary
08-17-2006, 00:07
but that particular moment in time at that shelter was magical
What shelter was that?
And hats off to you, for reaching your goal.
fiddlehead
08-17-2006, 00:34
Well, i started typing my story but realized it was about to become X-rated and since that is against the whiteblaze rules, you'll have to use your imagination. But it was on the trail near PA-183 (right On the trail)
hammock engineer
08-17-2006, 00:46
Well, i started typing my story but realized it was about to become X-rated and since that is against the whiteblaze rules, you'll have to use your imagination. But it was on the trail near PA-183 (right On the trail)
Come on, you can't leave it at that. That is just like saying, I have a funny joke, but I am not going to tell it to you.
fiddlehead
08-17-2006, 02:22
OK, if you insist, i'll try to keep it clean.
i was up there with a lovely girl, (no names now) and we were both thinking it'd be cool to do it right on the trail. In the middle of all of that, a hiker stepped right over us and didn't say a word. We didn't look up to see who it was but saw the footsteps walking away. It was a shock to all of us i imagine.
Although i've had many awesome days on "the trail" or trails, i don't like trying to pick "The best" as it's not something i rate or anything. Many days are Great. some suck.
But the above story is one that stuck in my mind is being one of the better ones. I was in my 20's at the time.
well looking back thru the yrs I would say that this yr on wesser bald, and just hiking along the trail realizing all my past mistakes while hiking,and how gratefull of the changes I had made thru the last few yrs,I just thank the lord. I can still hike and really enjoy the mountians clearer.ky
Big Dawg
08-17-2006, 08:52
............
:D any day i am hanging in my hammock and cooking in my jetboil:cool: neo
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=12096&c=577
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=11901&catid=member&imageuser=3462
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=7104&catid=searchresults&searchid=4534
Big Dawg
08-17-2006, 08:56
***n A! It ain't always about the views, etc., etc., etc. but much more important stuff.
Couldn't agree more L.Wolf,,,, although the views are nice.:D
Best day on the trail?,,,,, hmmmmmmm, I'll have to think on that one.
Programbo wins
Sitting on a rock and watch Mt Rogers to see if it would do anything with a couple of guys from my high school class. Hiking Roan Mtn with my kids was pretty spectacular and seeing my son get his first AT scout patch from doing it.
any day you are out there is the best day :banana
While I cannot recall anything specific right now, I do recall my first twelve months on and along the trail and in the towns as being some of the most awesome experiences with nature and people. I quickly became addicted to the trail and the people of the trail. I lived on this trail for almost three years, and my life and thinking changed dramatically.
Programbo
08-17-2006, 18:54
>>>>Good on ya, Programbo. You planning another hike?<<<<
>>>>What shelter was that? And hats off to you, for reaching your goal.<<<<
Thanks for the kind words...Actually I`ve slowly built up to taking short day hikes at various spots on the AT that don`t involve any huge climbs...I stop off at the local high school on the way home from work each night and walk awhile and go up and down the steps in the stadium...I still tire easily but I think that`s a by product of the heart medications I take which keep my heart rate low..My blood pressure can be like 96/52 when I get up in the morning....The shelter I went to on that first little hike was Pine Knob shelter in Maryland..I`m sure anyone who is familiar with that shelter knows it`s not an overly long walk (Less than a mile) and has only a few little uphill parts but for someone who was in the shape I was in at the time and considering it was the fartherest I had walked and the fartherest away from help I had gone after my attack it was quite a milestone physically and mentally :)
PS: I`m enjoying reading everyones favorite days..It helps me see that many of the new generation of hikers do appreciate the trail for many of the same reasons I did long ago
Because of my youthful existence, I have not had extensive backpacking experiance but the ones I have had are what, obviousy, made me want to someday hike the AT. One that stands out to me was when I was with a group and we had planned a three day hike. However, instead of staying at our first campsite we did a night hike to the second campsite. We reached the campsite around midnight, but the rest of the trip was spent reveling in our accomplishments.
While I'm here, nice one, Programbo. Congratulations.