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  1. #1
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Default Happy new year :)

    Happy new year whiteblazers!
    Do you have any hikes or adventures that you're looking forward to in 2023?
    As for me I'm trying to get down to Dolly Sods more and I want to hike the white mountains before I get to old but don't want to hike them solo. Hey don't judge me
    But I'll probably be starting a thread sometime soon about a hiking partner for this hike. I've hiked about half the trail in sections solo.

  2. #2

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    If you go in the summer you won’t be solo in the Whites. Lots of day hikers and peakbaggers.

    I really enjoyed using the huts there, lightened my food load a ton. Pretty good chow and commradarie. If you join the AMC, you get enough of a discount to pay for it after 2-3 stays. On my SOBO I took 11 days from Gorham to over Moosilauke. In retrospect could have done it in 7-8. There is some very hard work in and out of the notches, as they call them, but some long ridge walking in between.

  3. #3
    Registered User somers515's Avatar
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    I'm planning a trip in February in my camper van to hit a bunch of the national forests along the east coast and then very likely to attempt an AT flip flop thru hike starting from Harpers Ferry in June.

    Jealous of your trip to the Dolly Sods as I want to backpack in there and haven't had the chance yet. I've backpacked a decent amount the Whites though and I recommend them highly to you! I agree with HankIV that if you stay at the established campgrounds you won't be alone. Also better to hike alone than not to go at all is my moto. If you are looking for a 3-4 day backpacking trip in the Whites I think you should check out the Pemi loop. It's popular but for good reason. It would give you great views, shares some tread with the AT and give you a really good taste of what the Whites are like, in my humble opinion.

    Happy New Year to all of whiteblaze and look forward to hearing about people's backpacking trip reports in 2023!
    AT Flip Flop (HF to ME, HF to GA) Thru Hike 2023; LT End-to-Ender 2017; NH 48/48 2015-2021; 21 of 159usForests.com

  4. #4
    Registered User Slugg's Avatar
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    Happy new year!

    Heading to a Chile with my wife and a good friend in a couple weeks, we’ll be spending some time in Patagonia of course as well as the desert in the north so I’m super excited to do some hiking in a new part of the world for me.

    Don’t have any hiking plans firmed up beyond that but I’m hoping to stay healthy, keep working my way up the AT (almost to VA), explore new trails in southeastern wilderness, get in a section hike or two on the Palmetto Trail, hopefully take one trip to backpack out West, and keep getting out for hikes every weekend I can.

  5. #5
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    West Coast Trail-Vancouver Island British Columbia, first heard about it in the 1973 Sierra Designs catalog when the staff did their annnual business escape there. I think 77 ladders, mud beyong reason, rain, more rain, tidal challenges, NO rescue less your totally incapacitated. Sounds like an adventure, so why not? Yeah baby, celebrating retirement from the NPS and post-Covid finish!

  6. #6

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    Going to finish the Smokies, finally. Mt. Buckley to Fontana Dam. Then back to SW Va. to keep pushing northward.

  7. #7
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    I'm jealous of everybody else's plans. I'm recovering from a bad ankle fracture 6 weeks ago. I'm tired of sitting. I'm tired of crawling. I'm tired of crutches and a scooter and especially The Boot. I'm afraid of wet grass, pebbles, soft ground, ice, slopes, slick boards, etc. It'll be a while before I see a white blaze again - but I will get there.
    In the meantime, I've been told I can begin limited weight bearing.
    To give myself something to look forward to, I've compiled a list of "ambitious" hikes for this coming spring.
    Here are a few:
    Level 1
    Walk around the house - 300 ft
    Walk through the garden - 400 ft
    Walk to the duck pond - 800 ft
    My own nature trail - 0.25 m

    Level 2
    Buffalo Creek Fisherman's Walk, Rutledge, TN - 0.5 m
    New Harvest Park, Knoxville, TN - 1.1 m
    Hickory Flat Branch Quiet Walkway, GSMNP - 0.7 m
    Elkmont Nature Trail, GSMNP - 0.8 m
    Foxfire Mountain Trail, Sevierville, TN - 1.0 m

    Level 3
    Thomas Walker Trail, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park - 2.5 m
    University of TN Arboretum Loop, Knoxville, TN 4.3 m
    Waldens Ridge Firetower Trail, Clinton, TN 2.2 m

  8. #8
    Registered User LittleRock's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by illabelle View Post
    I'm jealous of everybody else's plans. I'm recovering from a bad ankle fracture 6 weeks ago. I'm tired of sitting. I'm tired of crawling. I'm tired of crutches and a scooter and especially The Boot. I'm afraid of wet grass, pebbles, soft ground, ice, slopes, slick boards, etc. It'll be a while before I see a white blaze again - but I will get there.
    So sorry to hear that, illabelle. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

    This year I'm hoping to continue my NOBO AT section hike from Rutland, VT to Franconia Notch, NH. That should give me enough of a taste of the Whites so I can plan out how to tackle the rest next year.
    Other than that, I'll mostly be putzing around on day hikes on the NC MST segments within an hour of home.
    It's all good in the woods.

  9. #9
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Thank you,

    Hank IV - thanks for sharing your knowledge and encouragement

    Somers515- there's so much more to explore down in the Dolly Sods area I haven't been to Seneca rocks or the cranberry wilderness yet. Good luck on your journey be safe out there.

    Slugg- HAPPY NEW YEAR! nice please come back with a Patagonia trip report .


    No Match - you're absolutely right go for it baby!

    WMR- thanks Good luck and safe journeys.

    Illabelle- you're funny and still have your sense of humor which is most important you made me laugh thanks. And keep up the hard work through rehab and keep us updated.

    Little Rock- thanks and have some great hiking out there!

  10. #10
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    It looks like "NO Hikes" for me this year. I took a new job teaching preschool. I only get one week of vacation this summer. I will probably go on hike with my niece. I still haven't decided whether this job is worth keeping. I like teaching, but not necessarily a set curriculum. I would rather be teaching something fun like Camping 101 for children. LOL.

  11. #11
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Birthright View Post
    It looks like "NO Hikes" for me this year. I took a new job teaching preschool. I only get one week of vacation this summer. I will probably go on hike with my niece. I still haven't decided whether this job is worth keeping. I like teaching, but not necessarily a set curriculum. I would rather be teaching something fun like Camping 101 for children. LOL.
    Well there's always a need for good teachers. Why only 1 week vacation in the summer are you teaching summer school?
    And teachers get lots of time off like summer vacation, all holidays, 2 week Christmas break,1 week spring break etc.
    There might be time in there for some hiking

  12. #12
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Birthright my bad I just noticed "preschool ".
    Same thing my daughter does for a living I used to try and talk her into working for the school system and she refuses to.

  13. #13
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Default

    Is that all y'all have planned? Come on now you're either holding out or nothing planned? I don't know which is worse?
    But hey I need to live vicariously through somebody else .....

  14. #14
    Registered User Mikerfixit's Avatar
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    I'm planning on continuing my hiking through PA. I started in MD and have gotten as far as rt34 in PA. We'll be heading north spending the night near the Alec Kennedy shelter before finishing in Boiling Springs the next day. Then later in the year we'll continue on from Boiling Springs and tackling the Cumberland River valley heading North.

    I try to do two trips a year spending one night on the trail. Its slow work but I'm making progress.

  15. #15
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    I snagged the last riverside campsite at Elkmont for the opening night of the 2023 season, March 10. Almost two months away, so I'm hoping to be comfortable with a 0.8 loop hike (after ankle fracture, for those who didn't see earlier post). Hike includes a little footbridge over a creek, same kind that's all over the Smokies, same kind that I've crossed dozens of times. But it makes me nervous. A lot of work between now and then to rebuild ligaments and stuff - and confidence. Gives me something real to look forward to.

  16. #16
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    Default

    I plan to hike the Knobstone again here in Indiana and possibly the VA triple crown this fall.

  17. #17

    Default

    After finishing my AT section hike at Katahdin in 2021 (16 years, 25 sections), I was completely off every trail last year. Enough of that! A buddy and I will be heading north from Springer in April. The plan is to go 250-300 miles. Trying to get back in shape. My son and I will hike the AT in NY or Mass later in the year.

  18. #18
    Some days, it's not worth chewing through the restraints.
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    2023 will be my first full year of retirement life (which is awesome, by the way!). I was looking at the BMT, but instead I'm going to take a third E2E hike on the Long Trail in June. Bad timing for bugs, but bad bugs means good fishing, and I'm going to spend some time during those long (15+ hours) June days.

    And at least 9 more of the NH 4,000-footers, to get me to #30, with some fishing and gold panning while I'm at it. The Whites are just 2 hours from my house, close enough for day trips or overnighters, and I don't have to hike on weekends!

    I don't know how I found time for work the past 50 years.

  19. #19
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    In May I'll start at the James River Footbridge and head north, to either Rockfish Gap or possibly through the Shenandoas.

    I began section hiking at Springer in 2007. I've done two trips in two years, missed one year, and all the other years did one trip. My shortest section was 12 miles; the longest 100. I'm 62. Don't know how far I'll go. Don't know how much longer I have. Don't think I'll finish, but we'll see. If I can make it to the halfway point by around age 65, it'll be time to make a call.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Roper View Post
    In May I'll start at the James River Footbridge and head north, to either Rockfish Gap or possibly through the Shenandoas.

    I began section hiking at Springer in 2007. I've done two trips in two years, missed one year, and all the other years did one trip. My shortest section was 12 miles; the longest 100. I'm 62. Don't know how far I'll go. Don't know how much longer I have. Don't think I'll finish, but we'll see. If I can make it to the halfway point by around age 65, it'll be time to make a call.
    Dan, there's a lot of significant terrain in New England. It would be a shame for you to miss it. Even if you don't complete every mile, at least go do Katahdin. It's hard, but it's awesome! The younger you are when you tackle it, the better.

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