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twinkles
03-14-2007, 11:52
About 15 months ago when I went on my first ever camping trip I shared it here and you all were supportive. I have now gone on several one nighters---mostly fairly short hikes with my wife. Finally, I have now made time for my first multi-night solo hike. I am going from Amicalola to Neal’s Gap. I am leaving for Amicalola now and the wife will pick me up in Neal’s Gap on Sunday (if I get to Neal’s Gap too soon, I will just hike past it and then backtrack for the pickup). I have planned it as a virtual dress rehearsal for the start of my “big hike.” I suppose it is possible that this “experiment” will spell the end of my Appalachian Trail obsession, but I am hoping it will keep the fire burning.
In the interests of weight obsessing (a sub-hobby I much enjoy), here are my stats:

Pack Weight 28.5
Skin-out weight 34
Carcass weight 192.4

Pack weight includes 8 ounces grain alcohol, 6 pounds of food and a liter of water.
I know some of you hardier guys could probably do a number on my pack weight, but I am thinking the most promising element for weight reduction at this point is the carcass.

Skidsteer
03-14-2007, 12:01
I wouldn't worry too much about this trip 'ending your obsession'. :cool:

bigmac_in
03-14-2007, 12:13
Let us know if you get past Neels Gap and come back for your ride. That would be pretty good hiking for your first multi-night hike. Not saying you aren't going to do it - it's definately possible. Just interested and would like to get a trip report.

Have fun - that's good hiking down there.

Lone Wolf
03-14-2007, 12:14
what is skin-out weight

Skidsteer
03-14-2007, 12:20
what is skin-out weight

I think Twinkles means F.rom the S.kin O.ut. Includes everything worn plus the pack. Clothes, glasses, hat, etc.

eventidecu
03-14-2007, 12:50
Just don't let the straight up and down there in GA get you down. Someone forgot to teach those Ga folks what a switch back is I think. A good two or three day shake down trip is the Standing Indian section there in Franklin. You can park at the park and hike 28 mi or so in a loop back to your car. I like to hike the 4 mi up on Kimsey Cr from the park to Standing Indian shelter in the evening and camp, then take off the next morning for the next shelter. There are plenty of bail out points if you get hurt ( hiking alone) or just can't make it for one reason or another. And plenty of tent sights and water all along the way. A good place to hike alone and get in shape without having to kill yourself packing in a ton of supplies and water. Find out where the water is before going the first time because a couple of them are not obvious.

Lion King
03-14-2007, 15:18
Well, if you can do that strecth you can do the whole trail....physically speaking.

Have fun, enjoy and damn I miss the AT

mweinstone
03-14-2007, 15:26
mom?,.... come on downstairs and see this...........we got us one of them thar minnesota smith types what with his pre launch shakedown cruise and excelent mindset! im a bettin hes got one o them snowfall charts too!

actually dude , you sound great to go. keep posting and let us know all the facts. remember, warm winter means less clothing.

Fannypack
03-14-2007, 16:21
Have fun, enjoy and damn I miss the AT
Lion King, aren't u on the AT?
Your Location: Glencliff NH .....

Zip
03-14-2007, 21:49
That's a nice hike. I hiked from Springer to NOC last year and I remember making it to Neal's Gap in 2 days but I didn't hike the approach trail. I think you will make it fine. Good Luck!

Lion King
03-15-2007, 00:55
Lion King, aren't u on the AT?
Your Location: Glencliff NH .....


Not right now, Im in Hollywood CA.
Just got done filming a DUCATI commercial (Italian Racing Hog) and missed my train today...going back to Dallas in two days, then hopefully AT some poitn this Spring and Trail Days.

Im a small bottle of Jack in right now...weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

highway
03-15-2007, 05:33
About 15 months ago when I went on my first ever camping trip I shared it here and you all were supportive. I have now gone on several one nighters---mostly fairly short hikes with my wife. Finally, I have now made time for my first multi-night solo hike. I am going from Amicalola to Neal’s Gap. I am leaving for Amicalola now and the wife will pick me up in Neal’s Gap on Sunday (if I get to Neal’s Gap too soon, I will just hike past it and then backtrack for the pickup). I have planned it as a virtual dress rehearsal for the start of my “big hike.” I suppose it is possible that this “experiment” will spell the end of my Appalachian Trail obsession, but I am hoping it will keep the fire burning.
In the interests of weight obsessing (a sub-hobby I much enjoy), here are my stats:

Pack Weight 28.5
Skin-out weight 34
Carcass weight 192.4

Pack weight includes 8 ounces grain alcohol, 6 pounds of food and a liter of water.
I know some of you hardier guys could probably do a number on my pack weight, but I am thinking the most promising element for weight reduction at this point is the carcass.

Grain alcohol? If you mean some form of drinking spirits, great, but if it is stove fuel you should know that drinking spirits by definition make poor alcohol stove fuel because if its BTU disadvantage of not being 100% alcohol (200 proof).

Six pounds of food? I consider that too much food to take for such a short trip, (40 miles) especially at the beginning of one. Even walking at a slow saunter you should do it in 4 days so take just 3 days food. I consider, for me at least, 1.25 pounds of dry food to be optimum per day at the beginning of a hike. I'd cut your six pounds food taken by about half.

twinkles
03-18-2007, 18:23
Trip report and replies to comments (thanks for all)

L. Wolf, darn it all, here I was trying to be a pretender and report my “from skin out” weight so I could sound savvy and I went and dropped the preposition. Like Skidsteer says—I meant everything, pack, shoes, socks, poles, pants, shirt, glasses, and hat. ;)

Mweinstone, I am not from Minnesota, I am a Georgia boy. :D

Highway, You were right as rain on the food. I have to use a dirty word, here, “Wingfoot” said two pounds per day for food, so that is what I brought. Way too much. (By the by, personally, I feel sorry for Wingfoot. He is so accomplished and adds so much, it is just downright sad that he is such a miserable unhappy person; he must have had a very unhappy life.) About the fuel choice, must have been a while since you were a fraternity boy, Highway. :D Grain Alcohol- as in Everclear. Ethyl Alcohol has 12,550 BTUs per pound and is made from grains. You can get it as Everclear (90% pure). http://hikinghq.net/sgt_stove/ion_stove.html (http://hikinghq.net/sgt_stove/ion_stove.html)

Ok on to my trip report:

Like I said, I planned it as a dress rehearsal. So Wednesday afternoon I checked in at AFWC and hiked up the first mile of the Approach to the Amicalola Lodge. My plan is that my wife and I will spend the night there before I leave, so for rehearsal purposes, I did the same. I meet Bluebelle and Tree at dinner that night. http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=5006 (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=5006)

Thursday morning I left Amicalola Lodge at 7:57 AM. I was running on high so I kept telling myself to slow down, but to no avail. I got to Springer at 10:57 AM—a record time for me. I got to Stover Creek shelter at noon. I had planned to spend the night there, but it was so early I just ate lunch. I met CIMARRON at Stover Creek—84 year old thru hiker. http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=5561 (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=5561)

I ended the day at 2:45 PM at Hawk Mtn Shelter. I was a bit worried because I have memorized the to far, to fast, to soon rule. It started raining as I set up my tent and rained lightly all night long. There was a big crowd at Hawk Mtn. that night. The shelter was full and there were quite a few tents. At least two hikers stopped for a bit and decided it was too big of a crowd and moved on. I didn’t take count, but my guess is about 20 people were there.

Friday morning I got away from Hawk Mtn. at 7:48 AM. Still raining. It rained all day. I stopped for lunch at Gooch Mtn Shelter a few minutes before noon. I thought about staying because I was wet, the wind was blowing, and it was in the low 40s. But I was cold sitting still. And it was too early to stop, and there was no doubt going to be an even bigger crowd at Gooch Mtn Friday night. Hurdy Gurdy man was doing a zero there; Seattle Sailor and his partner settled-in while I was eating (they had tented a mile and a half up the trail the night before); and I am sure most of the crowd from Hawk Mtn. would be arriving soon. So I moved on. By 2:00 PM it was 41 degrees, raining/sleeting, and the wind was blowing hard enough it made it difficult to keep a straight path on the trail.

I stopped at the Dockery Campground sign at 4:30 PM where according to Hikerbox.net (http://pathways.uwe.ac.uk/thedatabook/) there are two stealth campsites. Some time during the night I thought I saw some lights on my tent and heard some voices. I don’t know what time it was because I was half asleep, but I assumed some extra hardy soul had hiked in after dark. In the morning though, I counted 6 tents in addition to mine. For such a large crowd they were amazingly stealthy.

The wind howled all night Friday. My tent fly was flapping constantly. Occasionally the wind would even get under the tent body and it would lift-up and shove me enough to wake me up. Saturday morning when I woke up, it was 28 degrees in my tent. My tent poles had frozen together and I had to hold the joints in my bare hands to warm them so that they could be broken down.

Anyway, I packed up and left at 7:45 AM Saturday morning. Hiking up Blood Mountain it got down to 26 degrees and the wind was still blowing strong. The side of my face that was facing the wind was burning from the cold wind. My water tube froze solid. Anyway bringing closure to this story, I got to Neels Gap at 11:45 AM Saturday.

I know I originally promised that if I got to Neels Gap early I would hike past it and then backtrack on Sunday. Well I didn’t. I was cold. Most of my gear was wet. I nice dinner out and a warm dry bed just sounded too good. And, I rationalized, if this was the real thing, I plan to stopped and spend the night with my wife in Neels Gap. So since this was a dress rehearsal that is what I should do.

Ok, assessments:

Clothing system worked perfectly. There wasn’t one item I didn’t use and didn’t feel was essential.

Tent and sleeping bag were just fine.

Torso Length Pad was not adequate. I need a full-length pad. At least in winter.

Food choices were pretty good, but I brought too much. And I would skip hot food for breakfast, its too much trouble when I want to get going.

I like hiking. I very much enjoyed the people I met; I didn’t meet one unpleasant person (although the guy who showed up at Hawk Mtn. with the unruly dog didn’t seem very popular with anyone—he seemed to get the message though and moved on). I don’t like camping—at least not when it is wet and cold. If I have any hope of every doing a thru hike, I am going to have to figure out a schedule that maximizes motel/hotel stays—every third night if possible. Either that or I am going to have to have a dramatic attitude adjustment.

As I told my wife, I haven’t given up, but I have become much more realistic. And my admiration for those who have succeeded has increased immeasurably.

highway
03-18-2007, 19:22
That was a very humorous and entertaining trip report. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us. I learned one thing from it-I am not doing it in March!

jesse
03-18-2007, 21:42
congradulations. Sounds like you had a good hike.