View Full Version : It's Time for Me to Put Up or Shut Up!
I've been talking all of 2009 about doing a SOBO thru-hike in 2010. I've lost 30 LBS, and lowered my Big 4 by more than 7 lbs.
I've been working out regularly, and hiking when I can.
My gear is in pretty good shape.
The weather report for the week of 12/14-18/2009 in N GA is about as good as it gets this time of year. 40% chance of showers on Tuesday, Temps in the 20's to 40's (F) so I'm going to load up and go for a 30 miler if anyone would like to come along. I'm a pretty slow hiker so I'm planning on 3.5 to 4 days.
Good to see someone take a stand. I'm doing the same up there between Christmas and New Year's, so I'll bring up the rear.
I could swing something on the 15th and 16th possibly
Pack is loaded and weighed in at 31.6 down from my usual 42 - 45 LBS.
Planning for +/- 40 Miles. Rain and cold in forecast for next several days.
Guess I'll have a pretty good feel by the time I finish, for how ready I am for next May.
I've been talking all of 2009 about doing a SOBO thru-hike in 2010. I've lost 30 LBS, and lowered my Big 4 by more than 7 lbs.
I've been working out regularly, and hiking when I can.
My gear is in pretty good shape.
The weather report for the week of 12/14-18/2009 in N GA is about as good as it gets this time of year. 40% chance of showers on Tuesday, Temps in the 20's to 40's (F) so I'm going to load up and go for a 30 miler if anyone would like to come along. I'm a pretty slow hiker so I'm planning on 3.5 to 4 days.Personally, I would just keep posting, but suit yourself. :)
Chaco Taco
12-13-2009, 20:39
Pack is loaded and weighed in at 31.6 down from my usual 42 - 45 LBS.
Planning for +/- 40 Miles. Rain and cold in forecast for next several days.
Guess I'll have a pretty good feel by the time I finish, for how ready I am for next May.
Dude you are ready. Just go. You are much further along than most people that start in GA. Either way good luck. Just do it!
Personally, I would just keep posting, but suit yourself. :)
Seems to me there comes a time when one must stop chatting, and actually do something meaningful.:sun
Dude you are ready. Just go. You are much further along than most people that start in GA. Either way good luck. Just do it!
Thanks for the encouragement. That helps a lot to relieve some of the uncertainty that hangs over this kind of endeavor until you actually get the experience under your belt.
Ok! some folks might say I wimped out only doing 9.6 Miles in 2 days. I say when the gear is wet, the wind is blowing, and the temps are dropping below freezing, it's time to go home, and straighten out your stuff. Read my Journal for the last 3 days at http://trailjournals.com/tuney I know I need to learn more about managing moisture both sweat and precipitation. Suggestions, and constructive criticism are welcome.
At least the body is working and the feet are in good condition.
Graywolf
12-16-2009, 21:25
Thanks for the encouragement. That helps a lot to relieve some of the uncertainty that hangs over this kind of endeavor until you actually get the experience under your belt.
Experience, I hate that word..I mean all the people that have told me, "Well, you don't have any experience.." Well. only way to get it is, JUST DO IT!!!!!
Graywolf
Graywolf
12-16-2009, 21:32
Hey, but seriously though..That would be a nice winter trip..Wished I could join you, but I maybe going out to the Canyonlands for a few days...right now it is -12* and snow...Brrrrrrrrrrr....
Graywolf
sasquatch2014
12-16-2009, 21:59
Ok! some folks might say I wimped out only doing 9.6 Miles in 2 days. I say when the gear is wet, the wind is blowing, and the temps are dropping below freezing, it's time to go home, and straighten out your stuff. Read my Journal for the last 3 days at http://trailjournals.com/tuney I know I need to learn more about managing moisture both sweat and precipitation. Suggestions, and constructive criticism are welcome.
At least the body is working and the feet are in good condition.
The fact that you are home and able to look back and say these were the things that caused me problems is a good step. It's all about learning what doesn't work and fixing it. the fact that you said your feet are good is a key point as well.
I haven't thru hiked I section due to life and family but I kept going out and beating the hell out of my feet because i was too stubborn to change out boots. 3 days and then my feet looked like hamburger. Great boots and had lots of miles so they were "broken in" but they were not right for my feet. You have to find what works for you. As much as folks say hike your own hike i also feel you need to choose your own gear.
Just keep on walking and look me up when you hit Pawling NY.
Tuney, Wow you sure are brave to do a shakedown in Dec. It worked out well though because you sure learned a lot. I enjoyed reading your journal entries. The Mountain House beef stew is what I usually take along as extra food when I think I might be delayed by weather or general sloth. I am always amazed that anything with that much salt in it can be so bland. I usually have a few leftovers to throw in and add some spices or herbs like chilli powder or curry. A good way to find out how well clothes dry out is to take them out of the washer and hang them up in the bathroom overnight. This is kind of a 'best case' simulation so don't pack any clothes you would not want to put on in the morning. These fancy new wicking fabrics work when dried by body heat but often do not dry at all if you are not wearing them. Looking foreward to reading your next journal entries.
sbennett
12-16-2009, 23:14
Unfortunately I think you found out how wicking fabrics perform in humid southeast conditions (regardless of whether it's cold or hot). I try to keep a set of dry stuff to change into at the end of the day to at least get a respite from perpetual dampness. In terms of moisture management the unfortunate catch-22 about raingear is that it'll make you sweat if you're exerting yourself. There's only one way to combat this that I know of; slow down and open the pit-zips on your jacket. In terms of saving your gear from getting wet, I use one of those sil-nylon pack covers that seems to work well (get orange for hunting season! :D) and try to hang the food in the shelter (under one of those tin cans) to keep the rain and mice away. Just some thoughts...
It sounds like it was a cruddy time hiking but if you've found yourself wanting to go back despite of it, that means you have the drive to do it, and that might be the best discovery during this trip.
Let some folks know when you're going again...I could be talked into a winter weekend trip in western NC...
I'll keep watching the weather and working on my gear. When there's another break that looks reasonable I'll try to finish. Probably get dropped off at Woody Gap, and continue hiking towards Amicalola. :sun
I won't start my thru-hike until it looks like the weather in Maine has cleared, and the Park has opened up for Katahdin. the Tentative Target is 5/29/2010. But that's movable. I see folks starting SOBO as late as July. When I was at Mountain Crossings Monday, they were still receiving mail drops for this year's south bounders.
Learning to judge when it's time to quit is quite a milestone. It keeps the adventurous among us alive.
Welcome back.
Wolf - 23000
12-17-2009, 00:35
Tuney,
Hiking in reasonable bad weather for a shake-down hike is the best thing you can do. Just a couple of notes. First because your using a down sleeping bag, you need to keep it dry of course. That doesn't mean just from the rain but also from your own body. If you have been hiking in the rain all day, you are soaked. If you get in your sleeping bag, you are going to get your sleeping wet inside and little chance of it drying out on the inside. Your sleeping bag will become less and less effective.
The solution is one carry a VB. If you are soaked, you get inside the VB first as a barricade while inside your sleeping bag. Your sleeping bag says dry and you stay warm. VB also add an extra 10 - 15 degrees to your bag. Also sleep with your sleeping bag inside out so the extra moister/body odder has a chance to get out.
Starting Maine in late May, you are walking through black fly season so be prepair.
Hopes this helps,
Wolf
Tuney,
The solution is one carry a VB....
Hopes this helps,
Wolf
It would help if I knew what you mean by a "VB" :D
I already have a head net, and I usually hike in long pants I'll have gloves, and the Big Agnes Seedhouse is screened all around. Anything else I should consider for dealing with the flies and mosquito's.
Since my home is in GA, I've always felt that hiking home provides the extra incentive I'll need to keep going when the going gets rough.
...VB is a vapor barrier....
It's good you made it home. Cold rain in the mountains is not to be taken lightly. In some ways snow and subfreezing temps are eaisier to deal with.
The best VB of all is a nice warm living room and a HD TV.
mweinstone
12-17-2009, 08:45
i disagree with everything done here.bad judement,lack of understanding of equiptment,inexsperience and bad weather. you just actually risked your life. i like this guy for his toughness. high marks for that.
T,
First of all, ignore previous post. Nice job on testing yourself and gear. That is exactly what you need to do. You may not see conditions like that in your planned hike, but you learned a thing or two. Good on that. Having a bomb proof dry set of insulation is key to staying warm. Staying dry on the trail is not easy. Practice again, you will do better. Keep wet/moist stuff out of your sleeping bag. Not so important when it is warmer, but critical when cold.
i disagree with everything done here.bad judement,lack of understanding of equiptment,inexsperience and bad weather. you just actually risked your life. i like this guy for his toughness. high marks for that.
You might be right. But, I did go into this thing with my eyes open. I had been watching the weather reports for more than 2 weeks and I knew what to expect. I also knew ahead of time that Woody Gap would be my escape route if things were not going well. The sleeping bag was still dry, and I still had 2 pair of dry socks back. I did still have two more layers of dry clothing in the pack all snug in their ziploc bags. The Bear Bag, and Pack cover have served me well for many years. Much of my hiking has been done at higher altitudes and dryer climates of the Sangre DeChristo Mountains Of New Mexico at the Philmont Scout Ranch.
In preparing for a SOBO thru-hike, I'm trying to do away with 25 years of tradition, and go lighter by some 15lbs in my pack. This trip was a test to see what I could get away with. I chose the ULA Circuit because, I don't want to overload for the thru-hike. When I do another bad weather hike, I'll probably carry my old Dana Designs Bridger, and take some additional stuff.
This trip answered a lot of questions, and showed me where I still need to tighten up my gear list. It also let me find out that the physical conditioning I've been doing has made a difference, but I can still do more. So it wasn't a complete waste.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/lightweight_guide_to_backpacking_in_sustained_rain .html
I found this article that seems to be an excellent guide to dealing with the conditions we've been discussing in this thread and thought I'd share.
It seems the bottom line is in these conditions, it is certain that you're going to get wet. the trick is to figure out how to stay warm. From reading and re-reading the article it seems the techniques are every bit as important as the gear.
It seems the bottom line is in these conditions, it is certain that you're going to get wet. the trick is to figure out how to stay warm. From reading and re-reading the article it seems the techniques are every bit as important as the gear.
Really, the trick is how to stay dry. Yes, you will invariably get wet while hiking, but I always always always have a dry set of long underwear to change into when I get in camp and especially before I climb in my bag. I never hike in them, ever. Keeping your stuff dry is very important. I line my stuff sacs for my sleeping bag and clothes with a roasting bag, the kind you use for turkeys and such. Some people line their entire pack with a garbage bag. Still others pay extra for dry sacks. You can't get warm if you can't get dry.
I've bookmarked your trail journal and look forward to reading your entries. Maybe you talked about this in your journal, but why did you decide SOBO? Is it the pull of walking toward home? Want less of a crowded trail?
Really admire your weight loss and training dedication.
Best of luck to you.
i disagree with everything done here.bad judement,lack of understanding of equiptment,inexsperience and bad weather. you just actually risked your life. i like this guy for his toughness. high marks for that.
See kids, this is why you don't do drugs..... :banana
I've bookmarked your trail journal and look forward to reading your entries. Maybe you talked about this in your journal, but why did you decide SOBO? Is it the pull of walking toward home? Want less of a crowded trail?
Really admire your weight loss and training dedication.
Best of luck to you.
I've been thinking about the hike for a very long time. Even spent half a day at the 1994 ATC conference in N GA talking with a ranger from Baxter explaining to me in excruciating detail why I didn't want to hike SOBO. When I made the decision to Hike the Trail this coming May, I started out planning NOBO. I explored doing a 3 way flip flop CT->VA, ME->CT, and VA->GA. Finally decided that since psychology may be the biggest part of a successful hike that I'd go back to my original thinking, and walk home.
Sorry this is such along post, but I wanted you to understand that this is not a decision lightly made.