First time hiking in 10 years!!!!

[Chatter98]

Looking forward to this weekend as I am finally getting out to go backpacking for the first time in over 10 years. In 1998 I was set to do a thru hike when my father passed away a couple of weeks before I was to leave. I ended up back in school and finally graduated from University in 2002. I moved back home to my mother's couch and saved enough for a 2003 thru hike, but I met a girl and ended up getting married. Somehow married life and backpacking did not initially go together. I immediately had to face responsibilities I had ignored for so many years and with graduate school and trying to take care of my wife and I, I just lost sight of backpacking. It was such an integral part of my life before I got married, but became less important as I got things straightened out.

Every year for the past ten years I have told my wife that I was going to take up backpacking again, but somehow I was always too busy or found other things I had to do. This year though, my wife decided she wanted to try camping and we have found we greatly enjoy this together. The funny thing though is that I was sitting at the campsite and realized there was a deep yearning to hike and backpack. So, I made a plan to start again in September. A week ago my wife and I returned home from Vogel and I looked at her and simply stated "I think I am going back packing next weekend, I need to go and see if I still enjoy it". Immediately I went and located Springer (my Dana Designs Terraplane pack) and the rest of my gear.

So long story short, this weekend I am finally getting back to the woods and doing some backpacking again. I have not been this excited in years and can't wait for tomorrow night to get here, so I can shut down my work computer and take off for a weekend of backpacking. My wife is a little afraid I would just keep going, as she has seen a glint in the eye that scares her a little bit.
Just thought to put my excitement into words and share.
Chatter

[daddytwosticks]

Welcome back. It's nice to see the excitement in your words. Good luck and have fun. Let us know how your adventure goes. :)

[Rocket Jones]

Have fun! Maybe, just maybe, your wife will because intrigued by your excitement and consider joining you for an easy weekend in the future.

[Chatter98]

I was amazed she even wanted to go camping. She hates the outdoors! If I could interest her in hiking the problem would be the fact we have two totally different paces and strides. Makes it difficult even for regular walking.

[johnnybgood]

Yep ! that's how it all starts . Next thing you know you'll be in the checkout lane at the Atlanta REI and it will all be just a blur. :D

[Chatter98]

Hopefully she will spend less on gear than I did. Granted, my gear is still in great shape and back in 98-99 it was used heavily. The Dana pack still looks brand new(except a couple of dirt smudges that I missed cleaning)!

[Trailbender]

Cool, backpacking for me is such an important part of my life that I don't see myself setting it aside for anything, personally. It means enough to me that I wouldn't marry anyone who didn't like being outside. I personally prefer to stay single, much more freedom. Nothing wrong with being married, just isn't my thing.

Congratulations at getting back out on the trail.

[Blissful]

Nice story. Good set of priorities you made. Hope you enjoy the time out.

[Brewerbob]

I was amazed she even wanted to go camping. She hates the outdoors! If I could interest her in hiking the problem would be the fact we have two totally different paces and strides. Makes it difficult even for regular walking.6'2" and 5'3" don't work well either. I know how you feel.

[Trailbender]

I guess I tend to look at relationships differently. I am pretty efficient as a person, and if I am with a girl, and things aren't working out for whatever reason, I can analyze the situation and say, "I don't think things are going to work out here, I think we are done", and basically walk away. I can care deeply about a person, then if circumstances change, I can just turn those feelings off and leave them in the past. I walked away from a friend I had for 20 years because he basically did something unforgivable, and really didn't think about it until this subject came up.

[Brewerbob]

Wedding ring changes things. Ever heard the expression "Cheaper to keep 'er."?

[Trailbender]

Wedding ring changes things. Ever heard the expression "Cheaper to keep 'er."?

I personally would find not being married to be more efficient. People change, things change. I don't own a lot, will never buy a house or a new car. Possessions lock you in place, and you are stuck there. You get married, buy a house, and fill it with consumerist crap, no thanks. Easier just to have the option to decide things are done, and just walk away. I can move out with everything I own in 20 minutes, and that includes taking the computer apart.

I'm almost 32, and have been on 3 dates in my life. I have never had a girlfriend, I was using that statement as something to think about. This is by choice, and I had plenty of offers in college. I am tall, attractive, and I worked out regularly. I had no shortage of prospects. I just wasn't interested. I am open to finding someone later, and I might change my mind, who knows? But for now, I live life, and enjoy it, hike, read, do what I feel like doing.

[Chatter98]

I felt the same way when I was in my late 20s early thirties. Before I met my wife the longest relationship I had was no more than 3 days. While I was in school I lived on the road for months at a time doing Archaeology and all my possessions fit into two large duffle bags. But when you meet the right someone all that can change. A house, car, solid job are all responsibilities that come with being married as it is no longer just yourself. You learn allot about yourself being fully involved with another person. Why I quite hiking I don't know, maybe it was just things got so crazy as I had to have stable employment and a paycheck to support my wife and I. I am sure I lost part of myself along the way. But as you say, people change and when you are married, it lasts because you change together. I now have the stability in my life to go backpacking again. I feel I need to reconnect with this passion as I am getting no younger.

I still yearn to hike to ME from GA in a season, but if it is a reality, I know I will have the support of a loving wife along the way. I am not trying to tell you how to live, but leave yourself open for all possibilities. If you find the right one, it will work out and make sense, even possibly add joy that you never knew was possible.


My 5cents worth.

[Six-Six]

Wonderful - welcome back to the game. That excited feeling of anticipation is neat, isn't it? Enjoy it - enjoy the hike - enjoy the soreness on Tuesday.

[Six-Six]

Trailbender: he was referring to the old saying that 'it's cheaper to keep her' - meaning it's cheaper to stay married because divorce would be more expensive.

[Trailbender]

Trailbender: he was referring to the old saying that 'it's cheaper to keep her' - meaning it's cheaper to stay married because divorce would be more expensive.

Yeah, that makes sense.

[SawnieRobertson]

Hi, Chatter. I remember you. Do you remember me? Wasn't a broken ankle a part of the story too? Are you coming to The Gathering this year? Go to ALDHA.com, and you will see how fabulous it will be. And, of course, bring your wife. She may become an enthusiastic convert.--Kinnickinnic

[Chatter98]

I remember the name kinnickinnic. Yes, after my father passed away I helped my mother run the family business and began planning a trip to Alaska. Two months before I left, I was working at a clients house and fell down the stairs and broke the ankle. It does give me issues when i backpack I found out this weekend, but nothing I can do but take Advil. I will have to look at when the Gathering is and if not this year next year.

[Brewerbob]

Trailbender: he was referring to the old saying that 'it's cheaper to keep her' - meaning it's cheaper to stay married because divorce would be more expensive.The other joke is...

Why are divorces so expensive?
Because they are worth it.


I personally would find not being married to be more efficient. People change, things change. I don't own a lot, will never buy a house or a new car. Possessions lock you in place, and you are stuck there. You get married, buy a house, and fill it with consumerist crap, no thanks. Easier just to have the option to decide things are done, and just walk away. I can move out with everything I own in 20 minutes, and that includes taking the computer apart.

I'm almost 32, and have been on 3 dates in my life. I have never had a girlfriend, I was using that statement as something to think about. This is by choice, and I had plenty of offers in college. I am tall, attractive, and I worked out regularly. I had no shortage of prospects. I just wasn't interested. I am open to finding someone later, and I might change my mind, who knows? But for now, I live life, and enjoy it, hike, read, do what I feel like doing. I could adapt to most of that fairly quickly I think. I'd still have to have a house and car tho. I don't like the idea of paying rent for years at a time. You're paying for the house only you don't get to keep it. And a car is a must. Cars offer too much freedom. I can't give that up.

A travel buddy would also be nice. Could be platonic but I don't like the idea of having to go everywhere by myself. I already do that too much.

[jnanagardener]

It's great to hear about your return to hiking. We just spent two weeks driving from Florida to visit family in GA and NC. We were able to camp twice and do six hikes, including a beautiful trail called Flat Creek in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. With school starting in a couple of weeks, I will continue to cherish those experiences and draw on them when I need inspiration in my teaching.

[Chatter98]

Overall a great trip. Interesting to see how my body has changed in the years. I used to have less physical strength, but greater endurance. On this trip I found that I was strong and able to push forward early in the morning, but my body started to ache half way through the day. Not sure why this might be except that I have grown stronger but I have not increased my endurance. Probably need to spend more time doing cardio, you only need 20 minutes to get a good cardio work out. But I need to push endurance, so I should go longer.

Couple of blisters, forgot the habit of putting powder on my feet and switching out socks midway through the day, also need to get some better inserts for my boots. Took a nasty face dive on Saturday coming down from Springer. Foot hit a loose rock and my poles could not grab a hold, went down face first with my knee hitting a jutted rock (you know the ones set up in a row i guess to control runoff). Took some Advil and walked around the parking lot and then continued on. Only did 8 miles on Saturday, but as I said late in the day endurance was pretty poor.

Cool thing as I mentioned in another post was coming down from Hawk on Sunday to Three Forks and running into an white bearded older man sitting by the creek reading a paper and wearing a faded green shirt with a big white blaze. After talking for a very short bit, we determined he was waiting for Parr and he was her support staff. This was allot earlier than I was thinking. I realized he seemed to not want to be bothered so I sat there and ate my tuna salad and crackers, cheese crackers, miniature sausages, snickers bar and some gorp in silence enjoying the sound of the running creek. Well, some guys were bringing water for her and he looked over at the creek and said the water looked pretty clear but he would still filter it. The guy with the blaze shirt looked at him and said in his 36000 miles of hiking he never filtered water. I asked him if it was the AT and he said 19 times. I quickly asked if he had a trail name and he smirked and said he did not, he was Doyle!

Later I got back to the Springer parking lot an hour before Parr would arrive so I hung out, mostly to hydrate and cool down so I was not too sweaty. Well, all the family except for her mother and husband pushed off to meet her on top of Springer. I was too tired and blistered to make the trek, plus it seemed mostly family and friends and unsuspected others were going. So I sat at my car and eventually she came bounding out of the woods, her husband kicked up the stereo, guess it was their song and she began a very loud emotion filled cry as she hugged him. I really felt like I did not belong at that point as it was a very emotional private moment, but I was there all the same. Then she walked across the parking lot and I watched them head to the finish of her long hike.

Very interesting weekend, now I have to lick my wounds and get ready for my next trip. Try to fix the little things that I found did not work or went awry.

[Brewerbob]

Well, some guys were bringing water for her and he looked over at the creek and said the water looked pretty clear but he would still filter it. The guy with the blaze shirt looked at him and said in his 36000 miles of hiking he never filtered water. I asked him if it was the AT and he said 19 times. I bought the tablets and tried them last hike. One tablet per 1 liter of water unless I misread it. Left the water tasting like pool water. I'm not a bottled water snob but this stuff was hardly drinkable. I think I'll go the way of the old guy unless I'm getting water from a still body. I've had swamp water before without ill affect. My buddy got the ****s from it but I drank more than him and nothing.

[Chatter98]

The old guy was Doyle!

[Trailbender]

The old guy was Doyle!

Interesting, but I would still treat my water, no matter what anyone says. I use bleach. I don't care if the pope told me I didn't need to treat. I'd rather rely on my own skill and experience than anyone else's, even Doyle's. I don't treat if it is coming directly from a rock, as a spring.

[Chatter98]

I agree with you 100 percent. I was more amazed that I was sitting there gorging myself on food next to one of the AT legends. I dont care what anyone says about not filtering, the consequences are too bad if it goes wrong.

[Brewerbob]

I agree with you 100 percent. I was more amazed that I was sitting there gorging myself on food next to one of the AT legends. I dont care what anyone says about not filtering, the consequences are too bad if it goes wrong.I don't know any legends.

And what's teh worst you can get; the squirts for a fwe days?