PDA

View Full Version : I'm finally taking the plunge...



dixicritter
03-09-2007, 21:46
SGT Rock is on cloud nine. He's getting his wish. I finally agreed to go hiking this weekend with him and the boys on my first overnighter. I'm even gonna sleep in a hammock. :D

Guess I can't call myself a non-hiker anymore after this huh? LOL

peter_pan
03-09-2007, 21:51
HoooHAh....

Dixicritter,

Make sure that Rock puts the No Sniveller on your hammock. ;)

Enjoy the hanging.

Pan

LeeF
03-09-2007, 21:51
Great! At the very least it will give you a greater understanding of our hobby. It could be the beginning of your addiction. Have fun!

TJ aka Teej
03-09-2007, 21:52
Check your pack for rocks, Dixi! :D

attroll
03-09-2007, 21:59
See what being seperated for a period of time from one another does. It makes the each of you realize that you each need to give in a little. So you might just be hooked after this weekend Dixie. So then we can call you Swing Dixie. LOL

Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-09-2007, 22:02
::: Female dino doing cartwheels about Dixie hiking :::
You can do it. I know you can. You'll be the cutest bear burrito in the woods. Let me know where they took you when you get back. And remember, if it gets hard, just rest a few minutes. It isn't a race - it is a journey.

BTW, we drove by you house the other day. We were trying to find a trailhead in Top of the World and ended up in Butterfly Gap..... when I finally figured out where we were, we headed for Laurel River Road and hiked a trail off it.

Skidsteer
03-09-2007, 22:08
Enjoy yourselves!

Sly
03-09-2007, 22:19
Kludos! :D

Gray Blazer
03-09-2007, 22:40
It's a slippery slope. :D Have fun.

SGT Rock
03-09-2007, 22:47
She is going to get the cadilac treatment for this one. She is getting the big hammock, no-sniveler underquilt, campfire built by the boys, etc. etc. I even offered to carry everything for her all she has to do is just walk. She at least said no to that one.

And you guys thought I was an ultralighter ;)

Alligator
03-09-2007, 22:51
She is going to get the cadilac treatment for this one. She is getting the big hammock, no-sniveler underquilt, campfire built by the boys, etc. etc. I even offered to carry everything for her all she has to do is just walk. She at least said no to that one.

And you guys thought I was an ultralighter ;)Well, someone has to carry the whiskey, might as well be her. Keep her in the front:jump.

Alligator
03-09-2007, 23:02
And don't think I'm dissing your load carrying capacity Dixi. I've heard a story or two about that Sgt. Rock and I suspect he'll be handing you a cask.

dixicritter
03-10-2007, 09:39
We'll be heading out soon. I plan on going and just having a great time with my guys! I know they are all excited, Rock is already packing the backpacks in the car as I type this...LOL.

Will give a full report when we get back tomorrow I promise. :D

Lumberjack
03-10-2007, 10:05
Dont forget to pull out a hair dryer at the campsite and ask rock where to plug it in... :D

good luck and enjoy

peanuts
03-10-2007, 10:06
YOU GO GIRL!! you will love it!! and welcome to the hanging crowd..
can't wait for full report and pics!

dixicritter
03-11-2007, 15:01
LOL... I didn't take a hairdryer, but that would've been funny since I know better than that.

It was a really short hike compared to the mileage that most of y'all make. 1.1 miles roughly from the car to the campsite (according to SGT Rock), but then with my physical health what it is that was quite long enough for me. Then we mostly spent the next little while setting up the 4 hammocks. The one that took the longest was Creek Hopper's (go figure the smallest one) must be harder to judge on tree distance for that one or something I don't know. Or it could've been that DeadMan Walking was setting it up...LOL.

Then Rock gathered up a mess of firewood, which didn't seem to take anytime, and we settled down for lunch.

About the time the Frolicking Dinos arrived I think we were just sitting around talking and such. We did a good bit of that, just enjoying the company, the fire and being there.

I laughed so much yesterday at and with my guys that my sides are sore. We had a GREAT time. The only thing we're going to have to work on is how to sleep me a little more comfy in that hammock. But I'm sure we'll get that worked out too (I hope).

I uploaded pictures to my gallery, not very many of SGT Rock because he wouldn't turn loose of the camera. Although I did get my hands on it this morning when he was dressed up like "REI MAN" this morning. LOL.

I was laughing at him (again) and told him he looked like one of those yuppy bikers that ride up our road in those spandex outfits. So he decided to strike a pose, and I decided to snap a pic... :D Then there stood our son in his "Hikertrash man" outfit... the "I don't give a care" look, which was basically the same way I was dressed. So I made him strike a pose too (wasn't too hard the water bladder was his idea).

All in all.... a good time was had by all I do believe. Also, I am not opposed to going again, if we can work out that sleeping issue I mentioned. We have plans to do some testing here at home (right up Rock's alley...LOL).

Sly
03-11-2007, 15:06
So good to hear you had a great time!

Sly
03-11-2007, 15:08
It's hard to tell but I think Sgt Rock and I have the same altimeter/watch.

TOW
03-11-2007, 15:48
What a beautiful family gathering, there is no doubt that love runs high in your family Dixie!

peter_pan
03-11-2007, 20:23
Allllllright.... welcome hanger....:)

Pan

dixicritter
03-11-2007, 21:00
It's hard to tell but I think Sgt Rock and I have the same altimeter/watch.

He said his only has a compass, no altimeter...LOL.



What a beautiful family gathering, there is no doubt that love runs high in your family Dixie!

Thank you TOW! We sorta put up with each other... ;)



Allllllright.... welcome hanger....:)

Pan


Pan, the No-Sniveler kept me nice and warm last night. One of the things we are thinking about testing is adding another layer of insulation between the No-Sniveler and the hammock then me not sleeping on a pad at all inside the hammock. Part of my discomfort was from the hard sleeping pad I was sleeping on for insulation last night.

Getting cold is not an option for me. That would cause other problems. I trust Rock to help me figure this one out, he's been "hanging" for quite a while now. :)

He's got a couple more "action" shots of me crossing a creek on his camera that I didn't get downloaded to my computer earlier today, I bet he'll be posting those at some point. LOL.

Sly
03-11-2007, 21:01
He said his only has a compass, no altimeter...LOL.
.

Is he sure? Have him press the button on the side! ;)

SGT Rock
03-11-2007, 21:08
She has been getting cold lately so I added a pad we probably didn't need in hindsight. I think the solution is to just go with a good underquilt layer for her and no pad - just hammock fabric. I think we are going to go again soon. Maybe in a couple of weekends I will take her on a trip to Overmountain Shelter to hang out some there and see Ms Janet while we are up that way.

MOWGLI
03-11-2007, 21:35
Did you have any rain? I felt 3 raindrops (seriously!). Not bad for what was being called a 60% chance of rain on Friday!

How were the gnats? They were pesky on the BMT south of the Hiwassee River.

TJ aka Teej
03-11-2007, 21:54
Nice pics in the gallery, dixi! :D

dixicritter
03-11-2007, 23:56
Did you have any rain? I felt 3 raindrops (seriously!). Not bad for what was being called a 60% chance of rain on Friday!

How were the gnats? They were pesky on the BMT south of the Hiwassee River.

We had two times of extremely light sprinkles, I probably felt two or three drops tops myself both times. Last forecast I had seen for yesterday called for something like 30% chance for scattered rain showers, so we decided that was our 30% of rain and since it was spread out in two sessions that counted as "scattered". :D

The gnats weren't too bad since we had a campfire going thank goodness. We did have a few though.


Nice pics in the gallery, dixi! :D


Thank ya Teej! :D

emerald
03-12-2007, 00:24
Thank you for posting the photos. I enjoyed them and look forward to meeting you.

weary
03-12-2007, 10:45
Even the most dedicated antihikers can be changed. My wife announced after we were married that, "I'm not going to lower myself to sleeping on the ground." But we were camping in Baxter Park two years later with an 11-month old daughter.

By the time the daughter was six we were backpacking half way to the summit of Katahdin with the daughter and two younger siblings. By the time my daughter was eight, we almost got arrested for taking the youngest to the summit of Katahdin before he was of legal summiting age.

Have a great trip. But be careful. Backpacking is a slippery slope, even on the uphills.

Weary

Gray Blazer
03-12-2007, 10:51
She has been getting cold lately so I added a pad we probably didn't need in hindsight. I think the solution is to just go with a good underquilt layer for her and no pad - just hammock fabric. I think we are going to go again soon. Maybe in a couple of weekends I will take her on a trip to Overmountain Shelter to hang out some there and see Ms Janet while we are up that way.

Last weekend in march? Are you gonna be at Ron Haven's April Fool's Bash?

dixicritter
03-14-2007, 12:23
Even the most dedicated antihikers can be changed. My wife announced after we were married that, "I'm not going to lower myself to sleeping on the ground." But we were camping in Baxter Park two years later with an 11-month old daughter.

By the time the daughter was six we were backpacking half way to the summit of Katahdin with the daughter and two younger siblings. By the time my daughter was eight, we almost got arrested for taking the youngest to the summit of Katahdin before he was of legal summiting age.

Have a great trip. But be careful. Backpacking is a slippery slope, even on the uphills.

Weary

I've said for YEARS that I'd never go overnight hiking... guess I should've been more careful about that statement. LOL. It did take him 18 years and two tours in Iraq to get me to agree though. I think it was probably more the latter of the two that softened my stance on the whole matter truth be told. ;)

The path we took was a really easy one by most folks standards, but it pretty much wiped me out for a couple of days afterwards. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, have been diagnosed since 2005, as well as a few other health issues that affect my eyesight though mostly at night.

I know one thing... There will be no night hiking for this chick...LOL.


Last weekend in march? Are you gonna be at Ron Haven's April Fool's Bash?

We are going to try and be there. We have talked about many times.

smokymtnsteve
03-16-2007, 16:27
dixi...if I hike with my health issues anybody can:sun

..plus U have an expert caretaker with U...good luck