View Full Version : Another hiker leaving SOBO
My sis is picking me up in an hour to drive to Maine. I'm so excited! I'm surprised I slept.
I got everything packed and weighed this morning. My total weight is 32.5 lbs. I'm happy. :) I had roughly estimated that I'd be pushing 35-40 with food and water.
I'm picking up Hammock Engineer at the bus station in Bangor and then we're both heading up to Baxter.
I want to thank everyone in this forum and whiteblaze itself, for providing an excellent source of information. I spent so much time here reading and trying my best to figure things out. It's all been really helpful.
I can't wait to start hiking!:clap
Lone Wolf
07-12-2007, 09:53
where in R. I. you from?
I live in North Smithfield most of my life. I currently live with my dad in Cranston. I moved in while I was finishing up college.
oreotragus
07-12-2007, 10:23
Good luck!! One day I will be SOBO too. :) Do you have a Trail Journal?
Lone Wolf
07-12-2007, 10:23
i was born and raised in North Kingstown.
@ L.Wolf : Nice! Do you miss RI? [:
@ oreotragus : No trailjournal. I have a livejournal already, but I don't feel at this time like I'm going to record my hike via journal entries. If I do decide to make one later on down the trail, I'll stick the link in here.
alright, my sis is here early! no more lingering on whiteblaze. :)
I'm back home in RI. I had my mother come pick me up at abol bridge campground yesterday. the people there are wicked nice and helpful. if i ever want to just camp out in maine i would totally go there again. beautiful campsite too.
I've learnt that i got alot more will and determination than i thought. Friday i slowly worked my way up katahdin. i didn't have a watch but i was almost at the treeline when i hear this group just ahead of me mention that it was around ten-ish. i had been hiking since 6 that morning. sadly, i panicked at this vertical climb on the rock face, with the two metal bars. clinging to rocks high above the ground, knowing i didn't have the upper body strength to pull me up (even though there were two guys trying to help) and feeling that i would mostly likely slip and fall and die, is not a pleasant combination of feelings. so i made it back down heartbroken and lost and full of tears. i don't know which is worse, believing i was almost to the top and having to turn back or learning from the ranger later on that i was only halfway up.
Still, i reasoned there's no reason for me to not keep going, right? so i headed south the next morning. i really pushed myself to hike out of baxter and get to the campground. i also started the morning out with an unsettled stomach, no appetite, and somehow managed to hike the entire day on nothing but a cliff bar and a few handfulls of nuts and dried fruit. i took a good fall and bent my hiking pole. in the past two days of hiking i'd fallen quite a bit, with usually my right ankle rolling under me. it was almost always downhill as well, or thinking i'm safe to pick up speed and slipping on a tree root or something.
So, by the time i got to the campground i was hurt as well as sick. i wanted to readjust my stuff anyways at Monson, and with the way i was currently doing i didn't think it was safe to keep going. i'm almost sure i could've pushed myself and gone the rest of the way, but that would have just ended in an "oh sh--" moment stuck in the middle of the woods. and i didn't have enough food to spread out the miles either. either way, it wasn't smart or safe.
i won't be able to get a ride anywhere until this weekend, so i'll use this week to keep walking and resting and to tear apart my gear. most likely i'll have to pick up the trail again around north adams, ma. i've exhuasted my long distance ride options. i'll have to just do the section i missed at a later point. it's not the thru-hike status that matters, so long as i hike the whole trail.
On a final note, Nate is a really great person. He's nice and good to talk with. i'm not good at the compliments dept, but trust me he's swell. we ment to exchange e-mail addresses, but i lost track of him on the second day, and could barely set up my sleeping stuff, let alone walk over to the other campsite and see if he was there to let him know i was getting off the trail for a bit. he made it up to the summit of Katahdin and sounded like he was really happy with that.
sorry for such a long post. :eek:
Pedalsndirt
07-16-2007, 08:25
Onicoe,
It's okay to give up the battle, for you know that you will win the war. I too have a "trick" ankle and to compensate for it I use high top hiking boots with an orthotic inser to help with my over pronation of that bad ankle. So far that has helped and I haven't sprained my trick ankle in a couple of months. One day i'll really test it on the AT with a section hike or something, for now its the trails of NE Ohio.
I applaud your efforts, your an inspriation to myself and those of us who wish to attempt a thru hike and havent even been on an overnighter.
I wish you the best in your journey regardless if you decide to continue safely or take a break, heal, refit and regroup.
My hat is off to you for your courageous effort!
thanks for the kind words. since it seems you have ankles similar to mine, what has been your experience using those ankle wraps? (braces?) I've typically seen them in grocers next to the first aid section.
Just leaving a message to say i'm picking up the trail again in North Adams, Ma sometime this morning. I've created a trailjournals under the username nwhite. but i don't know how quickly the direct link will be processed. see ya!
Pedalsndirt
07-22-2007, 09:16
Sorry this post is late, whiteblaze just came back up a couple of days ago and I was on the trail on Saturday.
I havent tried an ankle brace for fear of it causing my feet to get numb. I am using one of those "as seen n tv" Walk Fit adjustable inserts and have had a ton of success with it. They seem to have spread the load to my whole foot instead of just on the outside of it causing the ankle to roll when I am tired.
The boots also have been good for me I adjust them as my foot swells during a hike, by the first hour or two I will have readjusted them to fit snugly and comfortably providing extra lateral support for my ankles and a sense of extra stability. I did 7 miles through the Cuyahoga National Park with a 25# pack. No mountains but lots of short-steep PUDS, and had NO foot problems (just tired feet which comes from getting used to hiking).
Good luck on the rest of your thru-hike. I look forward to reading your TJ.
alexboquist
07-23-2007, 21:15
good luck buddy!
hammock engineer
08-01-2007, 16:08
Chiming in a little late her, but I'm glad to see you are doing well. I didn't see or hear anything about you after passing you in Baxster. I hope everything works out for you.
Nate
aka coffee
I am very happy to hear that you are well. I am heading up to do the 100 mi Wilderness and of course Katahdin. Whats the word on the flies and skeeters? thanks and best of luck
hammock engineer
08-01-2007, 20:40
I am very happy to hear that you are well. I am heading up to do the 100 mi Wilderness and of course Katahdin. Whats the word on the flies and skeeters? thanks and best of luck
Thanks, no flys but lots of mosquitos. They are not too bad until north of whitecap mountain. After that it was head net and 100% deet until whitehouse landing. North of that they are bad but to as bad. Just bring a lot of Deet. If you have the money whitehouse landing is worth it.
Also lake Nata- something has great freash calms. Bring stuff for calm cowder. Look for the northern sandy beach about 30 miles south or so. Looking at the beach go all the way to the left. Great campsite right on the beach with plenty of firewood.
If it helps check out my TJ. www.trailjournals.com/nater (http://www.trailjournals.com/nater)
Good luck on your hike.
we will be coming up from new york starting sept 22 going to williamstown mat meet ya on the way--my trial name is trail rat