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  1. #61

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    Just Jim has been hiking at a solid pace since Veterans Day from Harpers Ferry going south and is in Damascus now. His intention is to tag Springer and start hiking north to Katahdin, before hiking back to Harpers Ferry. (inverted YoYo?)

    He's not only hiking for wounded warriors but doing maintenance along the way.

    http://hike4veterans.com/the-hike-for-veterans.html

  2. #62

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    Quote Originally Posted by campingfever View Post
    http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=479106 Not sure if these folks are still out. No posts for a few days.
    They're the ones who started this thread. Last I heard they're still out there, and hoping to be in Franklin for Christmas. We should be seeing them on the trail in couple weeks if they're holding up alright.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sly View Post
    It's not as obvious as it should be but hold them over your lit stove for a few minutes and they'll thaw out nicely.
    I've done that before, but this time I'll have to remember not to burn my laces.
    AT15
    OT15

  3. #63

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    Quote Originally Posted by campingfever View Post
    http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=479106 Not sure if these folks are still out. No posts for a few days.
    I like their quote on 12/11: "It was as cold as it can get." I sort of laughed and thought, no, it can get colder.

    They are hiking fairly low miles which is a-okay in my opinion but haven't posted anything since 12/15 or 16.

    Physical illness, broken gear, hurt feet, bitter cold, maybe some deep snow---the trail tends to break a person down into his component parts. A winter trip is guaranteed to accelerate the process.

    Cold temps and a sleetstorm usually causes most backpackers to bail into the closest town. We shall see.

  4. #64

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    I like their quote on 12/11: "It was as cold as it can get." I sort of laughed and thought, no, it can get colder.

    They are hiking fairly low miles which is a-okay in my opinion but haven't posted anything since 12/15 or 16.

    Physical illness, broken gear, hurt feet, bitter cold, maybe some deep snow---the trail tends to break a person down into his component parts. A winter trip is guaranteed to accelerate the process.

    Cold temps and a sleetstorm usually causes most backpackers to bail into the closest town. We shall see.
    To think it isn't even cold out yet! We're looking forward to hiking in some 20-30* temps, and sleeping in some temps around 0*. We've got sleeping bags that zip together, and really keep us warm. Only 9 more days until we hit the trail!
    AT15
    OT15

  5. #65

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    So far it's been a mild start to the winter, even up here in the Whites. The storms so far have been on the warm side, making for some real icy conditions. For Christmas eve they say we'll get a big rain. That will make a mess since there's a couple of feet of snow so crusty it can be walked on with out postholing too much. There was already an avalanche on Washington which almost took out a climber. Today was the first day I've seen sun and blue sky in 3 weeks!

    But the trend seems to be for a short, but really intense winter peaking in February and lingering well into March. So, the real fun has yet to start.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  6. #66

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boots and Backpacks View Post
    To think it isn't even cold out yet! We're looking forward to hiking in some 20-30* temps, and sleeping in some temps around 0*. We've got sleeping bags that zip together, and really keep us warm. Only 9 more days until we hit the trail!
    Doubling up in the bag will really make a difference. How will you keep your sleeping pads connected and not pull apart when in the double bag? I always ended up the one on the ground in the middle as the pads slipped apart. I suppose you'll be using the Thermarest pad connectors?

    Like already mentioned, it's hard to know what conditions will be by January 1st. You'll see some tough storms, that's for sure.

  7. #67

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    Doubling up in the bag will really make a difference. How will you keep your sleeping pads connected and not pull apart when in the double bag? I always ended up the one on the ground in the middle as the pads slipped apart. I suppose you'll be using the Thermarest pad connectors?

    Like already mentioned, it's hard to know what conditions will be by January 1st. You'll see some tough storms, that's for sure.
    We thought about getting some pad connectors a few years ago, but never did. Surprisingly the pads don't come apart as much as you might think. We we get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom we push them back together. I bet they only come apart a couple inches at the most.

    Storms come and go, and nothing lasts forever. Before we know it it'll be 70*, and we'll be wishing it was 20*.
    AT15
    OT15

  8. #68
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-05-2012
    Location
    Oslo, Norway
    Age
    55
    Posts
    155

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    Quote Originally Posted by Connie View Post
    Everything I have seen of Norway, from famous Blog to pictures online, I would think Norway is ideal for cross-country ski. I would venture to say cross-country skiing has been a form of transportation, in Norwegian history, if not the present-day.

    The United States had high mountain ski-bowls where there is cross-country skiing. Most people do their cross-country skiing on snowed over roads, closed to traffic. These are not flat roads.

    I think the "best" are in National Parks, in wintertime. I also like old logging roads for cross-country skis.

    We do know climbing skins, ski wax, as well as, waxless skis, here.

    If you look at the YouTube AT trail videos available, at YouTube, you will see a trail unsuited, for the most part, for even the most skilled cross-country skier.
    Well, hey, it is just a thought. Although i got to admit I feel like being stubborn and see how well I will do. I have watched a lot of videos, but from the videos I have not been deterred (when it regards to the southern part of the trail). But I guess they turn of the camera when it is really challenging.

    Yes, we are a cross-country crazed people, actually winter sports crazed people. We both do it a lot our selves and watch it on tv, usually 8 hours straight every Saturday and Sunday in the winter season. Just today we won the Super G in alpine events for men, the nordic combined relay, both mens and womens cross-country ski event, and the biathlon event for men. Hopefully there will be more success tomorrow. This is big stuff over here. Actually, American winter sports athletes are probably more famous in Norway than anywhere in America. Tell me if you have heard of Kikkan Randall, Jessie Diggans, Sadie and Erik Bjornson, Andy Newell, Liz Stewens, Simi Hamilton and Ida Sargant. Well, we do over here. Actually Kikkan Randall is big star here.

    But no, we never use skies for transportation, just for recreation....

  9. #69
    Registered User
    Join Date
    09-06-2014
    Location
    Miami, Florida
    Age
    51
    Posts
    166

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    I guess Lindsey Zonn is hitting the front page! Just won another event. Just not sure what she's doing with Tiger. Hope she doesn't get hurt by him. Hopefully he's changed.

    Sadly i don't really follow the winter sports. Mostly I just follow the ASP (surfing). Kelly Slater lost again and the first Brazilian surfer is now the world champs. Congrats to Gabrial Medina.
    I'm going to talk to mother and see if I can get some pictures of my grandfather jumping the massive ski jumps with my grandmother and/or mother sitting on the front of his ski's as he jumps down the mountain!

  10. #70
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-05-2012
    Location
    Oslo, Norway
    Age
    55
    Posts
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    I stand correced, alpine skiing get some media attention in the US. Linsey Vonn is just fantastic, and I do agree with your assessment of her choice of boyfriend. America also have a couple of outstanding male alpine skiers as well. But I think it is somewhat sad that an outstanding athlete as Kikkan Randall do not get much media coverage, although this years season has been a disaster for her, so far. Come to think about it, figure skating and ice-hockey get attention in the media, so my conclusion on winter sports coverage in the us was a little hasted, indeed.

    But back to the main subject here. The narrative as far as I see:
    -If you are going to do January hiking, you should have winter hiking experience, and go heavy with the pack. Packing enough food, fuel and clothing. You should also pack a shovel, a free standing tent and microspikes.
    -Be prepared to spend several days in one spot because of snow conditions.
    -You should not mind shorter days, cold weather, less people, and snow storms.
    -Postholing is the way to go, because snow shoes are too heavy, and skies are just not recommended.
    -You can more easily slip to your death, or die from hypothermia.
    -The long green tunnel could become the low long green tunnel. Be prepared to crawl, and it becomes more difficult to find your way.
    It think I got most of it....

  11. #71

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    Quote Originally Posted by Oslohiker View Post
    But back to the main subject here. The narrative as far as I see:
    -If you are going to do January hiking, you should have winter hiking experience, and go heavy with the pack. Packing enough food, fuel and clothing. You should also pack a shovel, a free standing tent and microspikes.
    -Be prepared to spend several days in one spot because of snow conditions.
    -You should not mind shorter days, cold weather, less people, and snow storms.
    -Postholing is the way to go, because snow shoes are too heavy, and skies are just not recommended.
    -You can more easily slip to your death, or die from hypothermia.
    -The long green tunnel could become the low long green tunnel. Be prepared to crawl, and it becomes more difficult to find your way.
    It think I got most of it....
    That's pretty much it and echos a post I just made on a different thread about snowshoes. See---

    http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...=1#post1930736

    The shovel option won't be used by winter backpackers in the Southeast (like snowshoes) UNLESS they are willing to sit put in terrible storms and want to stay in deep snow and move camp every day. I never used a snow shovel but how many hundreds of times did I bend over with my nice new North Face power stretch gloves and ruin them scrapping out a tent site thru the snow? So on my next trip I'm taking a light Voile shovel just for this purpose.

    This way I can stay in deep snow and move everyday, even if it's only a couple miles. Better than sitting in Zero Tent mode for 5 days to wait for the snow to melt. The shovel doesn't help in postholing but it does help immensely in preparing the next tent site in deep snow.

    When confronted with such conditions (deep snow) most Southeast backpackers bail off the mountain and either hit the low ground and go to town.

  12. #72
    Registered User
    Join Date
    09-19-2013
    Location
    Nuremberg, Germany
    Posts
    44

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    Terrible Idea,

    I started February 2, 2014 and it was terrible all the way to Damascus. Freezing water bottles, snow, ice, closed hostels and whatnot.
    Had to use map + compass several times because the snow covered up trail & blazes.

    Still summited on July, 4. But it was tough as nails to stay on the trail and keep going...

  13. #73

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    Quote Originally Posted by GoodGerman View Post
    Terrible Idea,

    I started February 2, 2014 and it was terrible all the way to Damascus. Freezing water bottles, snow, ice, closed hostels and whatnot.
    Had to use map + compass several times because the snow covered up trail & blazes.

    Still summited on July, 4. But it was tough as nails to stay on the trail and keep going...
    This is why very few backpackers stay on the trail from January to March. It's one thing to sit down at a computer after a weekend trip in the cold and write up a grand trip report and set up a grand schedule to tackle the whole trail on January 1st, and it's another thing to pull the day-in and day-out "hell" of winter living while pulling 3 mile days while on foot.

    Then there's frozen boots and blown NeoAirs and snapped tent poles and frozen fingers and numb feet. It's glorious. Did I say it's all about the HANDS AND FEET? But heck GoodGerman, you did it and should be esp proud. All AT thruhikers should be required to start on January 1st and then we'd have some excellent search and rescue stories to read, enough to copy and take out to study on our next winter trips.

    Just think, 3,000 backpackers starting the AT on January 1st. Man what an interesting cluster that would be.

  14. #74

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    Quote Originally Posted by GoodGerman View Post
    closed hostels
    That's what planning ahead is for. While it was a terrible idea for you to start then. That's not the case for everyone. To us, it's a terrible idea to start on March 1st with the cattle train.
    AT15
    OT15

  15. #75
    Registered User
    Join Date
    09-19-2013
    Location
    Nuremberg, Germany
    Posts
    44

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    There is only so much planning ahead you can do.

    Anyways: I hope you guys make it to Big K. It is a huge achievement, even more so for the early starters.
    Stay focused on the trail, embrace the suck and soon you will be in Maine.

    All the best.

  16. #76

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    Quote Originally Posted by GoodGerman View Post
    There is only so much planning ahead you can do.

    Anyways: I hope you guys make it to Big K. It is a huge achievement, even more so for the early starters.
    Stay focused on the trail, embrace the suck and soon you will be in Maine.

    All the best.
    You're right about the planning. I've got things figured out until around the the 1st of March. I know what hostels are open, and which ones are not. Come March 1st just about everything along the trail should be open for the season.

    Winter thru-hiking is for a different kind of person, and not just for any backpacker. Winter backpacking is what we do, and about 90% of our yearly backpacking trips are from December to March. We'll be more prepared for this trip than a lot of people who start on March 1st. We have everything we need to succeed, and I wish more people on here could see that.

    I've received countless messages from members calling us anything from crazy to just short of retarded. One person even said "When you guys fail" you can call me, and I'll get you to a bus station so you can go home. So many people on here are quick to judge people, derail there plans, and put them up for failure before they even step foot on the trail. For those couple people; I still have your PM's, and I'll be sure to send you pictures from a long the way.

    At the end of the day we'll still be there. The cold goes away, the snow melts, and Katahdin is in our future.
    AT15
    OT15

  17. #77

  18. #78

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    You won't fail, even in a polar vortex, but you may be delayed.
    We know that.

    If it were easy everybody would doing it!
    AT15
    OT15

  19. #79
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-05-2012
    Location
    Oslo, Norway
    Age
    55
    Posts
    155

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boots and Backpacks View Post
    That's what planning ahead is for. While it was a terrible idea for you to start then. That's not the case for everyone. To us, it's a terrible idea to start on March 1st with the cattle train.
    That is my point too. I don't understand why some people treat cold weather as an "unnatural" thing. I always look forward to winter, as I look forward to every season. Every season has it's advantages and disadvantages. In the winter there are no bugs and you can adjust the clothing for optimal heat.

    I am sorry Tipi, but if you constantly have freezing feet and hands you should go over your equipment again. And you choose not to dry your boots inside your tent with your stove or in your sleeping-bag, that is all on you.

    Yes, it would take longer time, but i would put in a hotel stay about every 14 days to dry out everything in the room.

    As long as you don't run out of food and don't hurt yourself by slipping on the ground I don't see any problems with winter hiking. Snow is beautiful, and you don't feel cold when you dress right. If it is not impossible i would certainly start in January.

    I wish you the best of luck, and look forward to read your blog.

  20. #80
    Registered User
    Join Date
    11-13-2009
    Location
    St. Louis, MO
    Age
    70
    Posts
    2,552

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    A lot of people do not understand how to do winter hiking safely, my self inc. So they project that it just can't be done safely. It would be suicide for me to go out there in winter, because yea I really don't understand how to do it safely. But if you have 1/2 the winter experience you claim, you've been there done that, and will certainly succeed. Happy trails to you!
    I'm looking forward to reading your journals

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