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TRIP08
06-22-2008, 19:47
I'll be starting the SOBO AT soon, and I'm trying to do everything I can to get ready. However, I'm concerned about my weight. I'm 18 years old and 40 pounds overweight. (Yes, I know: it's terrible that I've let my body get this way.)

I've seen some people post on here that the AT is 90% mental and 10% physical. Is this really true?

Though I am 40# overweight, I can run three miles easily; and I've been walking 6-10 mi, every now and then in the last few weeks, along local roads with a 40# pack on. (My final pack weight will be lighter; this is just something to help me get used to carrying a heavy pack.)

I'm really eager to do a thru-hike. And I can't wait to get started. I'm just concerned that something as daunting as this seems to be more in the group for the completely-in-shape elite.

Thanks!

rafe
06-22-2008, 19:51
40 lbs. over is no big deal, IMO.

KG4FAM
06-22-2008, 20:13
I'm about 60 pounds over and heading up to Katahdin next week probably going try to SOBO it all hopefully. I was actually just diagnosed as having a under active thyroid. With that problem I was able to do a 20 mile day in Georgia this April. It is all about your head, the trail will make everything else right. If you can run three miles your legs should be fine, just be concerned with your head.

double d
06-22-2008, 20:16
Don't worry about the weight, your age and desire will help you achieve your hiking goals. BTW: hiking is an activity that will get you into great cardo shape and you will lose the weight if you hike long enough on the trail. Good luck.

Big Sky
06-22-2008, 20:28
Whatever happens, don't let anyone discourage you! You sound like you're motivated and you've already started to prepare yourself physically. I frequently hike with a couple of guys who are a lot more than 40lbs. overweight. They can't hike as fast as I can, but their heart and desire to keep going always inspires me.

Hiking is not and should not be a sport reserved for only those who are in the best of shape. Just don't let anyone tell you how fast/far you should be hiking -- do what you feel comfortable doing. I am one of those who loves to "camp to hike," so to speak, and I like to get as many miles done per day as I can, but I would never dream of making someone feel bad for not wanting to do that. Don't let people pressure you into doing too much!

One thing you can do during your preparations is trying to shave ounces wherever possible. That is beneficial to anyone regardless of their weight and there is a ton of information here on how to save weight in places you might not have thought of. You're very smart to train with a heavier pack than you plan to take and I think that will help you a lot on your tru.

Good luck to you and enjoy your hike :)

modiyooch
06-22-2008, 20:53
When I started my first hike I was from the beach. Although a runner, I didn't encounter hills, much less mountains. I never had to change gears on my bicycle. I don't think that you train for it. Take it as it goes. Then, once you master the physical, this is when the mental can get you. You will lose that weight, but the problem is when you come back to a nonhiking schedule. Your appetite doesn't adjust as fast.

Blissful
06-22-2008, 21:28
You'll do fine. Get ready to enjoy watching the weight tumble off. And you will need new clothes later on. :) (I was 20 lb overweight when I started and lost a total of 30 lb)

Appalachian Tater
06-22-2008, 22:30
Make a plan NOW to keep the weight off once you finish your thru-hike.

jesse
06-22-2008, 22:37
Listen to your body. You may have problems with feet, knees, and back. If your body tells you to slow down, rest, or quit, do it. Live to hike another day.

4eyedbuzzard
06-22-2008, 22:53
Even though you're overweight some you are young and it sounds like you're in pretty good cardiovascular shape. You'll do fine. Just don't start too fast and get discouraged. Climbing hills is hard work on the legs and lungs. Take your time. Until you're in "hiking shape" it will be difficult at times. Just take short breaks and then keep on truckin'. Your leg muscles are going to ache in the beginning, no way around it. Thats a good thing - they're repairing and getting stronger. But "listen" to your knees and feet. That's the joints, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, etc talking. They get injured more easily, don't get stronger as fast, and need time to heal/strenghten. They'll tell you when you've overdone it and need to take a day off. There's an old hiker saying: Start slow, then slow down.

TRIP08
06-22-2008, 23:45
Make a plan NOW to keep the weight off once you finish your thru-hike.

My plan is Weight Watchers when I get back.

Lilred
06-23-2008, 00:41
You'll do fine. You'll be surprised when you get out there just how out of shape a lot of hikers are. Just start slow and listen to your body. Of course, that's the advice for everyone starting out. I don't remember where I first heard it, but it's been said that girls that do a thru hike end up looking like aerobic instructors, where guys look like concentration camp survivors.

Weight Watchers works. Good plan.

ShelterLeopard
06-23-2008, 03:10
Anyway, the extra weight really doesn't matter- you'll turn it into muscle soon enough!

ShelterLeopard
06-23-2008, 03:14
And I'm pretty sure that you need'nt bother with weight watchers when you get back- you'll be buff and slim. (joke- hiker: I got arrested the other day, person: what for?, hiker: carrying two guns and a six pack!)

Lilred
06-23-2008, 10:38
And I'm pretty sure that you need'nt bother with weight watchers when you get back- you'll be buff and slim. (joke- hiker: I got arrested the other day, person: what for?, hiker: carrying two guns and a six pack!)

No you won't need weight watchers to lose weight when you get back. But it is a great plan for keeping the weight off. It's waaaay too easy to put the weight back on once you get off the trail and aren't burning those insane amounts of calories. Stick to your plan of joining WW. It really works.

TRIP08
06-23-2008, 11:00
No you won't need weight watchers to lose weight when you get back. But it is a great plan for keeping the weight off. It's waaaay too easy to put the weight back on once you get off the trail and aren't burning those insane amounts of calories. Stick to your plan of joining WW. It really works.

Yeah, sorry for not clarifying. I meant WW for maintenance; hopefully, I'll have lost the fat-pack.

earthbound
06-23-2008, 11:09
I wouldn't worry about it. I wasn't carrying an extra 40 lbs, but I sure couldn't run 3 miles or even one before I started my thru hike. I don't think its so much about the fat as about determination to plow through the beginning of your hike out of shape. Take it slow. Your body will gradually let you know that you can go further each day and before you know it you'll be plowing up mountains barely out of breath. And don't pay much attention to weight out here. Most of the women haven't lost much weight- the fat transfers into muscle and bone mass which is way more important than how much te scale says.

Time To Fly 97
06-23-2008, 11:14
Don't worry, but be smart about it. One of the "rules" of hiking is Listen To Your Body. With an extra 40#, you will certainly be challenged on the climbs and descents. Here are a few recommendations:

Take smaller, faster steps - less strain on tired muscles; plan on hiking longer days to give yourself time to take breaks - get out early; drink more water than you ever have before; keep you pack weight as low as possible; absolutely go with hiking poles (Leki is #1); sounds like you have been practicing with weight - great! - incorporate stair climbs with weight (this is where your practice will pay off the most).

The extra 40# will come off, but know you will feel those pounds when you start. Take it slow until your body adapts, and it will. You will have plenty of flat sections to make up time after you get out of the mountains. Just pace yourself and hike your own hike.

Remember: Those real life moments on the last climb of the day when you are SO tired, dirty and hungry...don't forget to look around and thank God you are one of the very few that is blessed with hiking the AT!!!

Happy hiking!

TTF

Appalachian Tater
06-23-2008, 11:46
My plan is Weight Watchers when I get back.
Sounds like a plan.

One thing to remember is how much easier it will get to hike as you lose weight. By the time I finished my thruhike, my pack and my body together weighed about the same as just my body did when I started so it was like not carrying a pack at all. Sortof. So keep that in mind if you get discouraged going uphill!

Red Hat
06-23-2008, 11:49
Sallie, I can't wait to see you at KSC on June 30th. We're going to have a great hike. Right now there are three ladies and a fourth is deciding... I am a WW leader and really agree that it is the way to maintain your loss. I'll be jumping back on the plan as soon as I get home to avoid those extra pounds I put on after my last hike. Oh and Tater is right, today me and my pack weigh less than I did before WW...

TRIP08
06-23-2008, 12:11
Sallie, I can't wait to see you at KSC on June 30th. We're going to have a great hike. Right now there are three ladies and a fourth is deciding... I am a WW leader and really agree that it is the way to maintain your loss. I'll be jumping back on the plan as soon as I get home to avoid those extra pounds I put on after my last hike. Oh and Tater is right, today me and my pack weigh less than I did before WW...

Thanks, Red Hat. I appreciate that. I'm definitely getting excited. Just about a week left.

Blissful
06-23-2008, 14:13
Make a plan NOW to keep the weight off once you finish your thru-hike.


Yes, yes. Cut the sugar, the carbs, and start running. Physical exercise is essential. I have put on 10 lbs and am still slightly below my normal weight. But then again, my whole digestive tract changed after the hike. Cannot eat like I did pre-hike (which is better)

modiyooch
06-23-2008, 23:47
The guys have some good comments, but guys and girls do not gain/lose/maintain weight in the same manner.

ShelterLeopard
06-24-2008, 01:08
And weight watchers still isn't neccesary (unless you want to do it- I just think of plasticky food when I hear weight watchers). The important thing is to restrict yourself to a normal (ie- non hiker) person's calorie intake and to keep some excersise up. That means no no-bake-cookies or three serving meals anymore.http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/smilies/frown.gif

TRIP08
06-24-2008, 01:12
And weight watchers still isn't neccesary (unless you want to do it- I just think of plasticky food when I hear weight watchers). The important thing is to restrict yourself to a normal (ie- non hiker) person's calorie intake and to keep some excersise up. That means no no-bake-cookies or three serving meals anymore.http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/smilies/frown.gif

Well, Weight Watchers was because my diet plans obviously haven't been working very well. I've been on just about every major diet out there, excluding Weight Watchers. I'll need some kind of food plan to go along with my running back at home.

ShelterLeopard
06-24-2008, 01:20
I see. You never know though- thru hiking really changes people. Drastically. I know a lot of people who's eating habits changed (with no will power involved) after being on trail naturally. You might just want to give it a week or so after you finish to see what happens.

(Oh, and here's a tip that isn't weight related: do NOT go eat pizza right away after being on trail. The symptoms you get after ingesting the oil can be really similar to ghardia- or gardhia, whatever. I know from personal experience.)

Red Hat
06-24-2008, 10:52
I just think of plasticky food when I hear weight watchers Weight watchers works because you don't eat "plasticky food"!!! You eat normal, healthy food and learn to have a positive relationship with it (eat less, but more healthy) instead of an unhealthy one (eat more, whatever). Diets that have "plasticky food" don't work because you are not learning anything by eating foods they send you. Weight watchers teaches you to think about why you are eating (what triggers overeating?), to eat wisely, and to move more (exercise). The whole idea is to learn how to eat for the rest of your life, not how to diet.

TRIP08
06-24-2008, 17:17
Weight watchers works because you don't eat "plasticky food"!!! You eat normal, healthy food and learn to have a positive relationship with it (eat less, but more healthy) instead of an unhealthy one (eat more, whatever). Diets that have "plasticky food" don't work because you are not learning anything by eating foods they send you. Weight watchers teaches you to think about why you are eating (what triggers overeating?), to eat wisely, and to move more (exercise). The whole idea is to learn how to eat for the rest of your life, not how to diet.

That's exactly why I was looking into WW, Red Hat. I want to have something that "teaches" me more than requires me to buy more of a brand of plasticky food.

Bearpaw88
06-25-2008, 15:43
I'll be starting the SOBO AT soon, and I'm trying to do everything I can to get ready. However, I'm concerned about my weight. I'm 18 years old and 40 pounds overweight. (Yes, I know: it's terrible that I've let my body get this way.)

I've seen some people post on here that the AT is 90% mental and 10% physical. Is this really true?

Though I am 40# overweight, I can run three miles easily; and I've been walking 6-10 mi, every now and then in the last few weeks, along local roads with a 40# pack on. (My final pack weight will be lighter; this is just something to help me get used to carrying a heavy pack.)

I'm really eager to do a thru-hike. And I can't wait to get started. I'm just concerned that something as daunting as this seems to be more in the group for the completely-in-shape elite.

Thanks!

Hey Salli, I was probably 25 lbs overweight when I started on Springer this year. By Hot Springs I had lost all of that. I also saw several other hikers who were overweight on trail. It may be a bit harder in the beginning, but stick with it. Within 2-3 weeks it will get easier. Just keep your pack weight down to compensate.

The Solemates
06-25-2008, 18:24
we sectioned GA SOBO in april 02 and there was a woman there that every bit of 300 lbs, if not more. she would hike about 2-3 miles each day before camping. her goal was to do the entire trail. i doubt she made it, but at least she was out there trying. if she can do it, i wouldnt worry about 40 extra pounds. its better than eatin some more potato chips...

JAK
06-25-2008, 20:21
I'll be starting the SOBO AT soon, and I'm trying to do everything I can to get ready. However, I'm concerned about my weight. I'm 18 years old and 40 pounds overweight. (Yes, I know: it's terrible that I've let my body get this way.)

I've seen some people post on here that the AT is 90% mental and 10% physical. Is this really true?

Though I am 40# overweight, I can run three miles easily; and I've been walking 6-10 mi, every now and then in the last few weeks, along local roads with a 40# pack on. (My final pack weight will be lighter; this is just something to help me get used to carrying a heavy pack.)

I'm really eager to do a thru-hike. And I can't wait to get started. I'm just concerned that something as daunting as this seems to be more in the group for the completely-in-shape elite.

Thanks!Like you said, it's 90% mental,
and the other half is all in your head.

Lilred
06-26-2008, 15:00
And weight watchers still isn't neccesary (unless you want to do it- I just think of plasticky food when I hear weight watchers). The important thing is to restrict yourself to a normal (ie- non hiker) person's calorie intake and to keep some excersise up. That means no no-bake-cookies or three serving meals anymore.http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/smilies/frown.gif

Plasticky food??? I've been on weight watchers for several months now, and I eat normal food, cook normal meals for my family, the only thing I eat differently is yogurt, which I never ate before but now love. I've lost almost 30 pounds. I don't buy any low fat foods at all, except the yogurt.

quasarr
06-27-2008, 11:21
Sallie, I will be at Katahdin Steam on June 30th as well, starting a SOBO hike! Looking forward to meeting you. Just got my reservation in the mail!!! :)

Lucinda
06-27-2008, 15:47
Weight isn't everything. You have youth on your side. At your age, it will be much easier for your body to handle the stress of hiking days on end. Also, you should be strong given that you've been carrying excess weight. You will probably gain some muscle mass, since you're approaching the maximum-muscle-mass age for women (early 20s).

I'm 45, weigh <120 and have never had weight problems. I started cycling, running, etc. after I turned 40 and wonder why I'm so "slow". Being small or light doesn't matter much in my case -- my body is just not able to recover as quickly as younger people and I'm more prone to injury. I see people much bigger than I who are also much faster. I think it's because they're younger. I have to face the fact that youth may have a benefit over size! Some of the best hikers I've seen have been young, bigger women!

But, yes, like just about everything athletic activity, it's more mental than physical. (That's why I like the 50K trail running races -- my maturity at understanding the mental aspects of running hours on end allows me to play a good mental game!)

Blissful
06-27-2008, 19:40
I'm 45, weigh <120 and have never had weight problems. I started cycling, running, etc. after I turned 40 and wonder why I'm so "slow". Being small or light doesn't matter much in my case -- my body is just not able to recover as quickly as younger people and I'm more prone to injury. I see people much bigger than I who are also much faster. I think it's because they're younger. I have to face the fact that youth may have a benefit over size! Some of the best hikers I've seen have been young, bigger women!

But, yes, like just about everything athletic activity, it's more mental than physical. (That's why I like the 50K trail running races -- my maturity at understanding the mental aspects of running hours on end allows me to play a good mental game!)

All too true. Getting old can get tough. I do at times envy youth. :) On the trail, the 20 plus year olds were zooming along. I felt like a fossil, esp when I could not do the distances they did. But mind does help at an older age as well, knowing what your body can and cannot do. And it helps you achieve your goal in the end.

take-a-knee
06-27-2008, 21:51
Well, Weight Watchers was because my diet plans obviously haven't been working very well. I've been on just about every major diet out there, excluding Weight Watchers. I'll need some kind of food plan to go along with my running back at home.

Distance running is not a good way to lose weight, a runner shaped like a pear will just become a thinner pear. You must do resistance training at high intensity to get lean...like this chick:

http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_RopeClimbDemo.mov

take-a-knee
06-27-2008, 21:52
The guys have some good comments, but guys and girls do not gain/lose/maintain weight in the same manner.

Don't buy that crap, it just ain't so.

Kara
06-27-2008, 22:12
Sallie, I'm glad that you started this thread and I just wanted to say Thanks!

I'm right now still contemplating a thru (actually just waiting for the right moment to open a spot up in my life for it), however I'm overweight as well. My goal right now is to drop about 35-40 lbs, though ediets says that I need to lose 59 pounds to be at 20% BMI. I've been able to accomplish much in my life at my current weight (military along with deployment overseas, half marathon and am beginning training now for a second half to name a couple) and I believe its already been said, but heart and determination will get you through. There is lots of good advice that I've read in this thread that I will definitely remember for myself. Especially the part about coming back in the civilization after the long walk. I've done weight watchers myself and saw some success with it, but didn't stick with it. It does teach you what foods are better to eat (depends how many points it is) and got to the point where I was maintaining instead of losing and lost momentum. For your return, silly as it might sound, check out myfooddiary.com (there are others like ediets, colorie king and mydailyplate). It's exactly as it sounds, but it doesn't encourage any specific diet but rather encourages healthy eating habits and gives tips and stuff. I think what I'm going to do next (unless I get fired or quit my job in which case I'll do a thru) is to get a road bike and start training for a triathalon.

Anyway, Happy Hiking! Best of Luck!

modiyooch
06-27-2008, 23:05
Don't buy that crap, it just ain't so.
Last I looked, your name is Darrell. Sounds like a man to me. I am a woman, and I don't think that it is a load of crap. I have a husband that can gain and drop 20 pounds at will. I have four brothers. I have a daughter and a two sons. There is definately a different make up between men and women. possibly estrogen?

TRIP08
06-27-2008, 23:26
Last I looked, your name is Darrell. Sounds like a man to me. I am a woman, and I don't think that it is a load of crap. I have a husband that can gain and drop 20 pounds at will. I have four brothers. I have a daughter and a two sons. There is definately a different make up between men and women. possibly estrogen?

Well, women naturally have a higher percentage of body fat than men. I guess it has something to do with child-bearing, etc. So, I guess a woman's body prevents her from losing weight easily for this reason. (And it sure does seem like it's harder to lose weight than my brothers at many times.)

take-a-knee
06-27-2008, 23:35
Last I looked, your name is Darrell. Sounds like a man to me. I am a woman, and I don't think that it is a load of crap. I have a husband that can gain and drop 20 pounds at will. I have four brothers. I have a daughter and a two sons. There is definately a different make up between men and women. possibly estrogen?

You go on the Zone diet and start doing crossfit workouts and you'll lose weight, just like a man will. See www.crossfit.com (http://www.crossfit.com), check out some of the women there doing twenty pullups, and no, they aren't on the juice. If you stop throwing up your own roadblocks you might meet with success.

modiyooch
06-27-2008, 23:44
You go on the Zone diet and start doing crossfit workouts and you'll lose weight, just like a man will. See www.crossfit.com (http://www.crossfit.com), check out some of the women there doing twenty pullups, and no, they aren't on the juice. If you stop throwing up your own roadblocks you might meet with success. I think that you need to get out of the woman's thread. You are making some assumptions here about me and others that are way out of line. Personally, I have never had roadblocks, I am athletic, and I eat well. My weight training will always be different from you, my husband, and my boys. Men tend to want to bulk up, and that's the last thing that a woman wants. It's all about metabolism for me. Trust me; it's different.

take-a-knee
06-27-2008, 23:50
I think that you need to get out of the woman's thread. You are making some assumptions here about me and others that are way out of line. Personally, I have never had roadblocks, I am athletic, and I eat well. My weight training will always be different from you, my husband, and my boys. Men tend to want to bulk up, and that's the last thing that a woman wants. It's all about metabolism for me. Trust me; it's different.

Go to the crossfit site, you won't see any "bulked up" women, you will see many who are WAY stronger than the average man. Your weight training shouldn't be any different than a man's, there is no such thing as a women's weight training program, unless you mean going to a gym and playing around with light weights (machines) at low intensity and then complaining about not being able to loose weight. I see it all the time.

TRIP08
06-27-2008, 23:59
Go to the crossfit site, you won't see any "bulked up" women, you will see many who are WAY stronger than the average man. Your weight training shouldn't be any different than a man's, there is no such thing as a women's weight training program, unless you mean going to a gym and playing around with light weights (machines) at low intensity and then complaining about not being able to loose weight. I see it all the time.

Well, it's probably best to avoid assumptions. I know I need to work harder at losing weight; that's why I'm trying to get more active in my break from college. I don't know if it has been determined for sure that one gender has more difficulty losing weight. However, each person is different, gender aside, and some people can shed pounds doing hardly anything, while for others it's much more difficult.

modiyooch
06-28-2008, 00:05
Go to the crossfit site, you won't see any "bulked up" women, you will see many who are WAY stronger than the average man. Your weight training shouldn't be any different than a man's, there is no such thing as a women's weight training program, unless you mean going to a gym and playing around with light weights (machines) at low intensity and then complaining about not being able to loose weight. I see it all the time.
Again, you have me pegged totally wrong. And since you have me pegged wrong, how can I consider the validity of what appears to be narrow mindedness. I've been weight training since I was 16 and doing just fine. What makes you such an authority on woman's health and body building? I'm speaking from experience.

modiyooch
06-28-2008, 00:15
Sallie, You will be fine. I'm not going to argue with this man any more. You seem to know your body well enough. You will adjust as you are hiking. The weight will cease to be a problem. Good Luck to you.

TRIP08
06-28-2008, 01:27
Sallie, You will be fine. I'm not going to argue with this man any more. You seem to know your body well enough. You will adjust as you are hiking. The weight will cease to be a problem. Good Luck to you.

Thanks modiyooch.

Lucinda
06-29-2008, 19:01
Last I looked, your name is Darrell. Sounds like a man to me. I am a woman, and I don't think that it is a load of crap. I have a husband that can gain and drop 20 pounds at will. I have four brothers. I have a daughter and a two sons. There is definately a different make up between men and women. possibly estrogen?

Well, Take a Knee seems to be a troller. (Any idea where I think he should take a knee?? ;))

JAK
06-29-2008, 20:37
Take-a-knee isn't a troll,
though he is a man and therefore fair game on this forum, and everywhere else. :)

"I am a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess."

JAK
06-29-2008, 20:41
Best way to lose weight is by hiking.
Ideal weight for hiking - whatever you weigh now.
Best regards.

Lucinda
06-29-2008, 21:26
Take-a-knee isn't a troll,
though he is a man and therefore fair game on this forum, and everywhere else. :)

"I am a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess."

Yes, fair game. I'm tired of men AND women judging women by the way they look. We should be more interested in what we can do with our bodies and not how they look.

I'm not interested in hearing about some guy's "crossfit chick" fetish. There is nothing wrong with "pearshaped" women or any other shape. As long as you are healthy and doing what you want to do, who cares.

The reason we have women-only forums and groups is because of attitudes like Take-A-Knee's. I'll give the guy the benefit of the doubt that he's trying to be helpful, but he just doesn't seem to get it.

Two Speed
06-29-2008, 22:01
FWIW t-a-k isn't a troll, he just seems to forget that the folks on this website haven't signed an enlistment contract. :cool:

JAK
06-29-2008, 23:17
t-a-k

where ever you are out there brother better you than me you poor bastard ;)

Red Hat
09-09-2008, 13:04
Brought this thread forward, cause Trip (formerly refered to as Sally) is still out there after the rest of us went home... She came out with heart and keeps on keeping on. July and August were brutal in Maine and New Hampshire (rain that did not quit on the most difficult part of the trail!) Not sure how much weight she has lost, but I know she's down.

cowboy nichols
09-09-2008, 18:14
does she keep a journal?

Lillianp
09-09-2008, 23:27
I second that-I'm someone in similar circumstances, though I'm taking Personal Conditioning this semester. (Yay for stronger legs?)
I'd love to hear how she's doing.

modiyooch
09-10-2008, 07:36
check out her picture gallery. Look at Mt. K. compared to Mt Washington.

Lillianp
09-10-2008, 08:08
Right-Thanks! She has some great photos up!

OldStormcrow
09-10-2008, 10:17
My apologies for trespassing into what has always been intended as a gender-specific forum, but I was 'way too bored here at work and will read just about anything. Heed the wise words of Time To Fly 97 regarding hiking sticks/poles. I work at an outdoor outfitter and always tell folks that the Leki sticks will reduce at least 30% of the impact on your knees, ankles and hips during downhills. I still use an "old-school" wooden hiking stick, but even that helps. Years ago I thought I would section hike the entire AT downhill with the help of friends and shuttles. It sounded easy, sure, but ended up eating away most of the cartilage in my knees and hips until I learned to slow down, lighten my pack and use poles. The only other advice I can give you is the same old adage.....hike your own hike and have a great time!

Red Hat
09-10-2008, 10:31
She does have a trail journal under the name "Trip". She doesn't update often and it started in August, so it skips much of the difficulty she encountered in July. But her descriptions of Maine bogs is hilarious!