View Full Version : Another season
KirkMcquest
10-17-2006, 08:02
Well another season is down. Old Mcquest has rescued a hiker, yo-yoed the LT, hooked up with a foxy hiker chic, blown through gear, discovered new gear, almost became hyperthermic, hiked 30 miles on no food, got drunk in a leanto, had gear stolen, ect,ect... What about you? lets hear some good stories.;)
KirkMcquest
10-17-2006, 08:28
crazy ones preferrably
-got into backpacking (done a lot of hiking and car camping, hadn't really done any backpacking before this year)
-chased by a longhorn (or some scottish cow w/ big ass horns, i know i'll be corrected on that one, but he was still big and he had HORNS)
-locked in a privy, could hear a group that had stopped for a snack moving away from the shelter (havn't closed a single privy door since then)
-set my leg on fire: tryed to pour alcohol (thinking it was water) over lit stove (not a good idea)
-told my self 'how bad can it get' as it starts to sprinkle, when i could have set up camp
-best hitch ever: Me and my dog got to the road same time as a church group did, both needing to hitch in town, i had a disadvantage because i had a dog, they had a disadvantage because they were a group of 11. 5 minutes after we got to the road, i jokingly put up my thumb as a dump truck was going by and he stopped giving all 12 + dog + gear a ride to town, perfect fit.
-spent way too much money at the baja cafe
-a postmaster in a particular small town let me and another hiker pitch our tents at their house, and shower, and do laundry and they made the best dinner ever- fresh fried squash, beer, steaks, and pork chops!
-discovered body glide
-helped check gypsy moth traps as part of a hitch into town
-hiked (barely) on benadryl
-learned about edibles and a few other survial (not sustainablity) tricks (thanks to eagle)
-ran into an old friend at kincora
-made new friends!!! (i know that one is cheesy but very true)
hmmm, i can't think of any other funny(-ish) storys off the top of my head
check out my website for pictures of the longhorn
homepage.mac.com/thickredhair
Hanna
Earl Grey
10-17-2006, 08:59
-did first overnight solo hikes
-hiked 16 miles in one day over rugged steep terrain
-overcame fear of sleeping by myself deep in the woods
-figured out the best way to start a fire through trial and error, logical thinking
-learned to rely on myself more in life
-met mr bear in the wild
-knows what its like to be dehydrated
-cant wait to do it again
Well The Only Wanderer here quit a perfectly good job and sold all of his belongings for a fraction of what it cost him and lit off on the trail in Hot Springs and hiked to Erwin and then hitched a ride to Damascus for TD's with the intention of hiking to Harpers Ferry and go to work for a buddy on a highway project but instead ended up in the hospital with blood clots a week after TD's with that being my closest brush with death so far. I've probably been closer to death a few times back when I use to play around with guns and have fights with others but was just too dumb to realize it.
And now I have become a permanent resident in a cottage right beside the AT. That is unless I win the lotto and take off hiking again........
Lone Wolf
10-17-2006, 09:00
Hiking season is year-round. Some great winter hiking/camping is coming soon.
RITBlake
10-17-2006, 09:48
got drunk in a leanto,
tell us about this one Mcquest
(well its the end of the year for me I broke my ankle and can no longer hike before winter)
Night hiked for the first time (very great experience but a little scary)
Finally got up mt. katahdin via the abol then hunt trails (a must do)
spent the night at a ski resort in my hennessy (spring) to snowboard both days of the weekend without paying 100 bucks for lodging
got my two best friends who had never previously hiked to come on a few overnights with me this spring
swam the first weekend of may in a mountain pool (emerald pool at the base of south baldface)
didn't hike tumbledown moutain for the first time in 8 years :eek:
started a fire in the rain
car camped
an awesome year just way too bad I broke my ankle now and missed all of the fall hiking
definitley excited to do it all again (except for missing tumbledown again thats not gonna happen again)
grizzlyadam
10-17-2006, 10:31
for me the season is just beginning.
The Solemates
10-17-2006, 11:17
for me the season is just beginning.
ditto...headed out the next few weekends for fall foilage photography. hope to get lost in the deep Ozarks.
DawnTreader
10-17-2006, 11:46
-ditched my tent to hang in luxury
-hiked the length of the AT in Maine
-Met some great friends..excellent peoples
-have become completely confident about my ability to complete a thru!
-GOT DRUNK IN A LEANTO!!!
-SMOKED SOME MAGICAL LEAVES IN THE WOODS!!
-lOST
Almost There
10-17-2006, 12:03
Winter is an awesome time to hike...and a time to get miles in I can't get in over the summer.
Good things I found out or learned this past year:
-Fully embraced the blueblazing hiker trash in me
-Hitchhiking with a female companion is the way to go!
-Screw big mile days....have fun
-Trailrunners are better than boots!
1st solo this season. Hiked two 15 mile days finished with a short out to Hot Springs. Funny thing happened if I can tell it so you can understand. My water filter started clogging and spitting water out on the 2nd day. Very hard to get water after that. Made it to the French Broad river and sat in the water to cool off. Got my water filter and sat on a log with the nalgene bottle between my legs and hunched over the filter pumping as hard as I could. I noticed a movement over my shoulder and saw a paddler in a canoe floating by and he could only see me from the backside as he floated up. He was looking at me hard. At that point I could see how stange my motions could look like from behind and quickly raised the filter up from between my legs so he could see what it was I was doing. Learned on solos that it is hard to do anything other than hike. Wore myself out. Better with a wife or friend to pass the time with. Solo is ok. Will do another one next year only wait for cooler temps.
twosticks
10-17-2006, 12:45
spent the night at a ski resort in my hennessy (spring) to snowboard both days of the weekend without paying 100 bucks for lodging
Now that is something I'll have to try.
At that point I could see how stange my motions could look like from behind and quickly raised the filter up from between my legs so he could see what it was I was doing.
LMAO! That is pretty funny. :D
Alligator
10-17-2006, 14:43
..., hooked up with a foxy hiker chic, ..., almost became hyperthermic, ..., ect,ect... Foxy hiker chics will do that to ya:cool: .
- Hiked 16 miles in four hours eating only Chicken in a Biscuit
- Burned most of the hair off my right leg in a gas flare-up
- Got locked in the Smokies
- Got quarter sized blisters for being stupid
- Did the illegal northside trail up the Chimneys
- Climbed 14er's
- Killed a copperhead with a machete
- Oh yeah, got drunk in a lean-to
- quit my job
- did 270 more miles thru Virginia
- got back with my x-wife
- killed a copperhead with a shovel
- didn't buy any new gear
- got drunk at an old friends house in New Hampshire the other day
- goin to Mexico in a couple of weeks
- goin to Canada the week after
- going hikin the next chance i get
Now that is something I'll have to try.
yeah it is definitley worth it! A little colder than I'm used too in the hennessy but nothing a few sleeping bags and sleeping pads won't fix. (the extra pack weight doesn't matter because you arent hiking any great distance) also pick a the side of the mountain with the water on it so making dinner and iced tea for the whole weekend etc is simple. definitley don't forget a friend and reading material because of the lack of hiking you don't fall asleep right away
and be sure to go on the "party weekend" with the pond skimming and concerts so you can be awoken after struggeling to fall asleep to the most random display of fireworks ever!
who knew how fun it could be to be a free loading hippie
1happyhiker
10-18-2006, 01:27
didnt get drunk in a lean to, my friend in KC makes the best mead on the planet. mead + ozark rivers + 96* day = having god complex and convincing floaters passing by i could walk on water.
someone stole my sleeping pad (TO YOU MORON, DIE SCUM) but left the 1000$ worth of other stuff including full pack, xm sat receiver, sunglasses and two pairs of $$$ boots, etc
broke up with my gf of 6 years, realized all the disposable income that i have now and bought new boots, tent and guitar
watched a young bald eagle fly around and play with its parents
more sar training, around 39 call outs and one roll of duct tape on the noob that had his first summer with the "dirty dozen"
BEST THING>>> went to the philippines, hiked mtn pinatubo and two other ACTIVE volcanoes, eat halo halo till i was sick, learned some tagalog and went diving in the south china sea and saw a battleship and saw some of the most amazing sun sets on the planet while drinking yeungling that traveled from nashville, th to south luzon UNSCAVED!
life is good.
-hh
Pokey2006
10-18-2006, 01:59
I didn't get drunk in a lean-to, but I sure did make a bunch of people laugh when I tried to set up my tent on a hill, in the dark, after I had over-indulged a wee bit.
Swiss Roll
10-18-2006, 10:00
Backpacked for the first time ever at the age of 40.
Fell in love with the beauty and simplicity of hiking and backpacking.
Felt as free as a child for the first time in decades.
Contributed to the local economy by buying one of everything at the backpacking store.
Overcame my fear of going #2 in the woods.
Daydreamed way too much about thruhiking.
Have a new life goal-thruhiking with my son in '18.
My new passion has motivated me to get to the gym, walk more, bike more-all in preparation for the hikes I have done/will do.
Reaffirmed my love for and awe of the Appalachian Mountains.
Backpacked for the first time ever at the age of 40.
Fell in love with the beauty and simplicity of hiking and backpacking.
Felt as free as a child for the first time in decades.
Contributed to the local economy by buying one of everything at the backpacking store.
Overcame my fear of going #2 in the woods.
Daydreamed way too much about thruhiking.
Have a new life goal-thruhiking with my son in '18.
My new passion has motivated me to get to the gym, walk more, bike more-all in preparation for the hikes I have done/will do.
Reaffirmed my love for and awe of the Appalachian Mountains.Nice post. Great to hear from new converts.:)
Monkeyboy
10-18-2006, 10:27
What are these "seasons" I keep hearing about......:)
Don't have those in Florida........must look into that.....probably some kind of conspiracy or something.....
Monkeyboy
10-18-2006, 10:30
Hiked in the Smokies, Grandfather Mountain......also did the Chimneys, but on the legal side.
Went whitewater rafting in NC
Decided to hike the AT in sections starting this coming summer with my son....
Decided he will be my age by the time we finish at one week per summer per year......
Will have to rethink about changing to two weeks per summer per year.....
Having fun planning my "quest".
Thanks for the great site to plan out a good trip!!!
Monkeyboy
Johnny Swank
10-18-2006, 18:29
Paddled the Mississippi River
Went on a (semi-permanent) hiatus from a PhD program
Got engaged:banana
Finishing a book
Getting ready to paddle the Cape Fear River http://www.sourcetosea.net/CapeFear/overview.html
Hell yes it's been a good year!