Smoky’s Hike on the BMT

Looking back at Fontana

One of the things about my hikes recently became obvious: I am a section hiker, not a thru-hiker. While this revelation from experience, friends, and family was disheartening, it is nonetheless true. I actually like being around my family and miss them! So while I was mourning my recent demise while thru-hiking the BMT (Benton Mackaye Trail), there was redemption in my future. Trying to keep my goals less than 100 miles, it occurred to me that the BMT also went through the Smoky Mountain National Park in North Carolina. It crosses the same place the A.T. (Appalachian Trail) does right at Fontana Dam, but otherwise takes a completely different route to reach the north end of the park. Less than 100 miles. Check. Plenty of water. Check. No immediate resupplies. Check. Designated camping spots. Check. Crummy cell service. Check. I could start and finish something! Check!

Entry point for the BMT & the AT

Of course I rode the bus again to Knoxville, and got a shuttle with my buddy Everett to Fontana Dam, NC. Stayed one night at the Inn and left the next morning on the 8am shuttle for the visitor center near the Dam. First camp was to be #88. Easy walk and a nice site for lots of campers. And I was the only one. No problems today but my pack weight is outrageous! I am carrying 2 food bags. My Ursack (bear bag) does for 5 days with no problem. The remaining 4 days of food are in another food bag in the bottom of my pack.  All together, I have 13# of food! With everything, I am at 33# for the pack weight. I know it doesn’t sound like much to a hiker, but I am older and have a bad back. And I like to whine about too much weight, yes?

First camp – very well maintained

Got to camp, setup, and crawled into the tent. This particular night I had the worse muscle cramps of my life. My toes and fingers cramped up/down and I had to physically straighten them back. And yes I know I didn’t have enough water this first day, blah, blah. Nasty night. And the last one like that for the rest of the trip!

Here is a neat historical place i walked by: The Calhoun House. It was situated by a nice creek (even had a bridge so no fording!) and seemed well maintained.

Next morning I watered up and was on trail by 10. Slow starter? Maybe. After lunch this day, I just plain ran out of energy. I set up a wild camp (i.e.-illegal) to recover my strength. After a ramen and taco soup meal, I lay on my pad and semi-slept for a while. Feeling better and not wanting to incur the wrath of the park officials for my illegal camp, I got up (about 8pm) and loaded my pack. Another hour walking in the dark got me to #77. Ate another meal, drank more water, and did night chores. No cramps!

Doing normal routines the next morning, I discovered I now have one black/red big toenail. Guess I’ll be losing that one in the near future! Also a good blister and a rubbed place on the other foot. Cream and duct tape to the rescue! I also changed my boot lacing to alleviate the toe problems. Had a good day and drank lots of water. Ate well too. No afternoon crash like yesterday.

I don’t remember which day it was, but one of my camp stops had a horse area. It was a sweet spot! The next morning, I looked out of my little tent and thought, “Cloudy and its gonna rain.” When I actually got up, I saw that my earlier impression was due to the valley I was in. No sun = no bright morning. Cool.

At day 6, I heard the roar of water somewhere close. Thankfully I got to walk over the swolen creek on a nice bridge, with the camp immediately after. There were two families already camped here and their kids were in hammocks. Feeling the afternoon crash coming on again, I stopped and chose my spot for the night. My back hurt as well as both feet. I decided to rest that afternoon. This particular camp had cell service and Jean (my awesome wife) advised me to slow down and take the next day off. Of course she was right and I planned for a zero. (A zero is a day with no miles walked.) While at this site, two fellows with young boys (about 9?) camped near me. It was their first ever camping in the backcountry. They had a great time!

Taking a zero meant I’d have to reschedule my bus ticket home. It also meant my planned camps would be out of sync with my park pass. I wondered if that was going to be a problem, but it never came up this trip. A good thing to happen on this zero day was that my first food bag was empty and I’d started on the second. That meant I’d lessened my pack weight by about 6 1/2 pounds! Tomorrow would be a lighter pack-day. It was also going to be Easter Sunday. My plan was to take Easter off. Just didn’t work out.

Did eight miles by lunch.  Stopped at the nicest camp yet for lunch! It seems that each successive camp is better than the one I just left. Rain coming steady now. Finished 12 miles this day and decided my optimum mileage is about 10 or less. After another of these days, I reviewed my food supply. I would not have enough to complete the Smoky trip unless I resupplied. So I planned to get off at Smokemont RV park and hitch a ride into Cherokee. Once there, I’d decide to either get a shuttle back to Knoxville and go home, or resupply and finish.

Something I almost forgot! I walked the Road to Nowhere.  Yes it really exists. Seems that someone planned to cut a direct route through the lower Smokys and it got shelved part of the way into the plan. So much for good plans, right?

While in Cherokee, I thought about all the hikes I have not finished (my own fault for over-extending myself). I decided there was no better time than the present to do present stuff. I’d resupply and go another 3-4 days to Standing Bear Hostel at the north exit from the Smoky’s. In addition, spending an extra $155 to get a shuttle to the closest Greyhound station was too much to bear. Jean thought this was all good.

They have this neat local service in Cherokee. It’s a shuttle service that goes all around where I was staying for $1 one way. I went to a large grocery for a total of $2. Got enough supplies for 4 days before I’d run out again. Used it to go to the post office to send some of my unused gear home as well. Very nice service. Spent some chill time here as well and watched the History channel. On the way out to wait for the shuttle to the trail head, I met a nice lady sitting in front of the hotel. She was waiting for a ride to the casino. She was a professed gambler and several other things. Guess you’d have to have been there? My shuttle came, and dropped me off at Smokemont. Five miles later, I was camped. Alone. Nice. Good coffee and solitude. And lots of cold rain.

Started my new food strategy the next morning. Pop tarts, coffee, and a double breakfast shake for later. An easy no-cook, no cleanup breakfast. Had snacks during the day, pita bread and tuna for lunch, and a good supper. No crashes. Unrelated but – I did see two snakes today. and no bears. On the way to camp, I walked .9 miles off-trail to the campsite. The event of the day was Hyatt Bald (5137′), where it rained, thundered and lightening’d simultaneously. At the bald, I had to stop during the lightning and hail just because I was too afraid to move. I considered getting under a blown down tree for shelter but the hail never got much bigger than my little fingernail.  When the lightening and thunder moved away, I continued my ridgewalk to the campsite. And finally I had chosen a camp that was NOT spectacular and did NOT have great clear water. But I survived OK in the rain and night-time storms. At this camp, I put up in the rain (again), and sat on a log to make supper and shelter my cookstove from the rain. Sounds miserable but is really just fine once you get used to it.

Next day I was to stay at Laurel Gap shelter. It is one of only two shelters on the BMT. It is regulated to have only 14 (some say 12) campers per night and on-site tents/whatever are not allowed. This means I am at most 2 nights from a shower. Important? Yes – I am beginning to smell myself.

While out this day, I met two cars of folks who were also going by Laurel Gap. Three were staying and the rest day-hiking somewhere else. They left me in the dust of course. When I got to the shelter they were all just leaving to do some day hiking and introduced me to Chuck. He just arrived before me and became a good friend for a couple of days.

Back at the shelter, a scout troupe soon arrived. This added 8 to the group. Then two college students came and decided to put up a new tent outside the shelter. Yeah, they know it’s not allowed, but if they got caught the price of a ticket would not come from me. So we all watched as they put up their tent for the first time – during a brief respite from the rain. But then the rain started back about supper time and they discovered that the tent had leaky seams and the rain was flowing right in. They left it and came to the shelter. Rained and stormed all night. I put in my earplugs and slept great!

Reminds me of someone I talked to after the hike. This person talked about all the things that would come and get you in the night and they could never sleep under a tarp and be so “unprotected”. They felt better knowing a tent would protect them from bugs and bears. Really? A mouse will chew through just about anything to get at that tube of toothpaste in your pack. And a bear does not respect the thin nylon covering on your tent. That’s why I love earplugs. They help you cut out all that nighttime rustling and twig snapping that otherwise keeps you awake and on edge. No anticipatory drama to keep away sleepitime.

Next day was to be only 6 miles to camp, and 6+ the day after that to Standing Bear Hostel and my shuttle back to Knoxville. Of course the rain and wind never stopped that night, and was still going well the next day. I was the first to leave and began my 6 mile uphill walk to the top of Mount Sterling (5842′) and camp. The higher I got, the stronger the wind blew and the colder it got. My recourse for shelter from the wind and rain was to stand next to a big tree. There were fewer of those as I got closer to the summit. Camp #38 was on the windward side of the peak(!!!), and pushed my decision time to less than .3 seconds against camping there for the night. I just walked on over the top and past three campers trying to peg their tents down in the sideways-blowing wind and rain. What they were doing exceeded my fun-level for camping. I was not envious. My only regret here was that I did not take any pictures, although I’m quite happy that my phone did not get soaked.

Once over the peak, I hunkered down behind a blow-down and made lunch and s snack. I’d walk the other 6+ miles downhill and the other 3+ miles to the hostel, likely in the dark. Off I went, taking it slowly because downhills are where injuries often occur. Just when I was climbing to the other side of a trail obstacle, I looked back and saw Chuck walking my way. He learned that his intended trail today was flooded out. His option was to take this trail. Cool. His car was also in the parking lot at the bottom of the mountain, which meant I’d get a ride to the hostel! After a steady couple of hours, we got to his car. He took my picture and I told him about never finishing a hike. This section was my first finish! It was good to finish with a new friend.

OK – I’ve been on the trail for 13 days, less 2 for resupply in Cherokee. Chuck had only been out for 3-4 I think. We both sat in his car and said nothing for a few minutes. I said I could learn to like this, and chuck said it was a little weird to be in a car again. Then we were driving away. Again, moving at 16 mph was amazing! Guess you need to walk that walk to relate?

This was my first time at Standing Bear. I’d heard a lot about this hostel but was not ready for the culture shock. It was more “rustic” than I’d imagined, but everything had a purpose. My first query was “is there space for me?” Answer: no room at the inn. I could pitch my tent if I liked. I did not and said so. They still had an excess of hikers from last weekend’s yearly hiker party. But – if I’d take floor space, I could have a spot in the unfinished upstairs of a building along with 25 other hikers (the bottom floor was already full). Of course I said yes, because I also got a shower and access to a sink (for washing clothes by hand) and a dryer. My option with clothes was to wrap everything wet and smelly in a trash bag and take it home that way.  My plan was to get to the bus station tomorrow anyway. I had my camp shorts, some semi-clean socks, and a tourist T-shirt from Cherokee to get me home. That’s all a hiker needs to go public!

I got something to eat, socialized a bit to recover from the isolation of the trail, and blew up my sleeping pad. Got my quilt out and made a pillow of my wet-clothes trash bag. I was set for the night. Well, pretty much. The hikers around me were all in their 20-30’s and had varying levels of education. Most drank and smoked weed (no smoking inside). They had a variety of opinions, but didn’t like to bring up politics or religion. Several knew I was a pastor and this info seemed amusing. What I learned that night was impressive I guess. Regarding politics, none knew enough about history/current world events to talk politics. It was like witnessing an episode of “Waters World”. Look it up, OK? When it came to religion, there was one professed expert on the philosophical exposition of everything religious, right, and wrong. I wisely held my tongue and listened. Remember what grandma used to say? “If you don’t have something good to say, don’t say anything.” I had nothing uplifting to say about the depth and understanding (apparent or perceived) regarding their souls or views of God. Grandma also said, “Two ears, one mouth; listen twice as much as you talk”. Thanks again grandma!

I was glad to get away the next morning. Culture shock had turned into just plain shock and amazement. I was ready for Greyhound. Really? What is wrong with me!? During the shuttle ride to Knoxville, I dropped my cell phone down beside the passenger seat. By the time we got to the terminal, I’d forgotten all about it and entered without my phone. When I checked in, I realized my error. Argh! A 17 hour bus trip without a way to talk to anyone! But – I borrowed a cell from an employee, called home, and my wife called the shuttle lady. I got my phone back! It was like losing your favotite puppy and then seeing a friend come through the doors holding it out to you!

Now I am back home looking ahead to my next section and behind at my last one. I’ve already begun the planning stage for September’s hike, remembering not to be so aggressive in my goals. Aggressive planning has so far accounted for failures to finish what I started. Not good for the ego or psyche. Maybe I’m not such a slow learner after all? It’s good to finish what I start! Blessings…

Epilog: I often read about people’s ideas/thoughts of how hiking the complete A.T. will change this or that about themselves. Some think that getting in better physical shape will do blah, blah, blah. Of course better physical shape is only one part of hiking. Another thought is that finishing a 2189+- through hike will make a person more confident, change attitudes, habits, whatever. Since I’ll never be a 2189-miler, I cannot really relate to them.

So I’ll start with where I noticed the difference in my 90+- mile Smokey BMT finish. When Chuck and I got to the car at the BMT terminus near I-40 and Standing Bear, I half expected elation and joy and excitement after meeting my goal. None of that happened and I was a little disappointed that I didn’t feel (or act) like I imagined was proper. What? Pretty sure that is a dumb assumption.

Standing at Chuck’s car getting my picture taken, I was just glad I had a ride to the hostel. Wasn’t even looking forward to pizza or a cheeseburger. Wow. What did achieving this goal really mean to me? I was glad I’d finished the trek. No doubt. I wasn’t exhausted, fatigued, hungry, or in pain.

At the hostel, I was wary of the picture before me. Hikers easily as grubby as myself, albeit younger and taller (I just had to say that). I could see about 30 or so milling around in various states of eating frozen pizza, drink cold beverages (no judgement here), talking and walking around with dirty laundry or a clean towel on the way to the showers. Wait, I didn’t talk about that yet! There were two showers: one inside and one outside. The hostel had an instant hot water thing so hot water was always on. It was wonderful after days outside. It was during the shower that I noticed my legs were not really that tanned. Just saying.

I recognized that I didn’t fit here – or so I thought. There was an age difference even though I saw the occasional older hiker with a long beard and skinny as can be. Emaciated almost. Not sure if any were actually homeless or not, although the owner commented to me on the ride to Knoxville that I could certainly fit in with that crowd if I wanted. Really? I did not see that coming!

Then there was the night upstairs. Not only did I not fit, I did not want to fit. I could hike my own hike (H.Y.O.H) and retain my morals, ethics, and philosophies while not offending anyone (as if I cared?).

The shuttle to the bus station was via one of the owners. Through her I saw that this was just a business – and one she obviously enjoyed. The hikers were a group that were grateful for the break in the trail and yet would push the boundaries when they could. They had to be treated like a crowd of the neighbor’s kids when things got out of hand. She had the perfect temperament for it. I did not. I was ready to begin my long ride home and reunite with my family and friends. I was still glad I’d finished the hike, but that was not the most important thing for me right now.

I’d learned more about how my body needed to be fed, watered and rested. I’d overcome weather, food, low water, bugs, and snakes and was not upset at any of it. Not more tolerant (I still like dead snakes better that live ones), but just ready to let it be what it is. Speaking of bugs, I even started stepping around bugs in my path. I was in their home. I was a visitor. An Intruder. I mostly didn’t break stuff when I set up my tent. I left it as it was when I left, better than when I got there if possible. I took time to watch the streams – even when I had to ford them. Many were butt deep and I was wet a lot. It was OK.

On the trail, it is what it is: weather, terrain, sun, cloud, storm, or hail. It is what it is. The environment is completely out of my control, unlike at home where all I have to do is adjust the thermostat. I appreciate the running hot and cold water, the blessed thermostat, electric lights, and a familiar bed for nighttime. Refrigerated food and cell/internet service on my schedule, not just from a 5000′ mountain top (which you might want to try just to appreciate).

There is a sense of peace now. I’m not in a hurry for much of anything, but that doesn’t mean complacency. Just peace with whatever.  From some of my brainy readers, that likely isn’t the right way to explain it, but I’m already over it. Even while in the throws of planning my September hike, I’m at peace. I can do this. I am proven. It’s important as a milestone in my personal growth I think. That’s enough for me for now. Be carefull where you step. Out.

Recent Discoveries

View from Springer Mountain

 

I had a grand plan for this Spring: thru-hike the BMT (Benton Mackaye Trail). I heard from other BMT hikers in Atlanta that is a nice trail, but not heavily used like the Appalachian Trail (AT). This was particularly welcome for me, as I do not hike for the social aspect. If you don’t quite understand social hiking, check out Facebook and the AT hiking page (Appalachian Trail Section Hikers). It is predicted that several thousand wanna-be thru-hikers would try to complete the AT this year. Some may like this kind of a crowd, but I hike for the solitude and beauty of the outdoors. Yeah, lots of other reasons too. So the BMT seemed like a good hike to do and at only 287 miles, it was a lot more appealing than 2180+- for the AT. And – it was OK with my wife!

Plaque at Springer Mountain – AT/BMT Southern Terminus

For months I planned and collected materials about the trail and of course what made it different from the AT. One thing I liked was that it (trail) tends to follow the way around mountains, while the AT is known to take the high road/trail right up and over mountains. Want an example? The Great Smoky Mountain park is mostly a ridge trail down south, and goes right over the top at Clingman’s Dome – the highest point of the AT @ 6667′. The views on a clear day are great, but like any other view on any other trail, you get what is there and no more. I have listened to my friends talk about good days and bad days on the trail. Actually, they are all just days. It’s like when you go to someone’s house for the afternoon. If it is cold inside, that is what you get. If hot…ditto. It is what it is. Same with hiking: the day, temperature, weather, animals, whatever – is what it is. Can’t change it, but you can only change your reaction and participation in the circumstances you have chosen to be a party.

Not my best-ever photo

 

We planned the hiking trip to coincide with a friend’s wedding – it was great! That same afternoon we took our RV up to Blue Ridge, Ga. The plan was to hitch a ride down to Springer Mountain and hike the approximately 50 miles back to Blue Ridge where my wife would stay – and I would continue northward on the BMT. What happened was quite different.

We did the usual for starters: Springer Mountain and the required photos and lots of “oohs” and “aaahs” for Jean. This was a first time for her. I loved it and so did she!

Hiking should coincide with previous preparation of body and mind. While I have been doing this for a couple of years, Jean struggled with her first climbs. On day #2, we decided to call it quits and get her back to the RV. Of course I went with her and stayed a couple of days before continuing north from Blue Ridge. What? Did you think I would just call her a cab?!?

The next three days were eye-openers for me. I had no rain during the days, and rain every night. I was averaging over 10 miles per day and it felt good. However, on the third day, I ran out of water (for the second time) late in the afternoon. I dumped my gear and sat to regroup.  Time to consider what my next move would be. Really important because the trail markings had been removed by some prankster, and I did not know exactly where I was or how far to the next water. Near as I could determine, it was about 3 miles ahead at the Georgia-Tennessee border. I had been rationing my water and had exactly half a liter left.  I was thirsty. It was not enough. I was also experiencing my usual late afternoon “crash”.

Yes I am diabetic, but food/bars/sugar would not restart me this time. Third day in a row for this. Like it or not, I had to admit I was hitting a wall. Each successive day it came a little earlier in the afternoon. I was all done in and knew it. Bummer.

What could I do? I began to have a Jesus-conversation about the whole hiking thing.  That’s where one gets honest and open whether we like what we see/hear or not.  I really wanted to finish a thru hike on SOMETHING, but I recognized a pattern from this – and my past – hikes. After a few days, I run out of energy. I thought that perhaps (maybe, what-if) it had something to do with me being 68.  Maybe my plans were too ambitious to ever be completed without irrepairable damage to the body? That’s when I recalled Jean and my sister and my daughters telling me that shorter hikes would still be OK. In that moment, I was transformed from a thru-hiker-wannabe to a section hiker. No shame, no failure, doable goals, happy family, happy me!

I called my new friend (the shuttle-guy) and he said he’d meet me the next morning at a dirt parking lot (2 miles back) and get me out. An hour later I’d backtracked and setup camp (and had my supper cooking). That night it stormed on and on. Quit just before daybreak. I packed up my wet tent and took my shuttle back to civilization and a real breakfast. And coffee! A few days later we were back home.

To evaluate for a moment, I certainly didn’t work my plan.  Or any plan! Together, we didn’t complete our joint goal of 50 miles together. Later, I couldn’t complete what I’d re-started. But – I was no longer a thru-hiker and was OK with the hike, especially since Jean had such a great time! We are planning to do this every year – starting and finishing where we decide. What we are going for is the journey. Together. Pretty cool. I think this will work! Something wonderful came out of all this for us – we are walking during the week. Exercise! Good for the body and soul. On now to the serious discovery…

There was this past Sunday. Jean serves two churches each Sunday. On the drive from the first church, I decided that I wanted to hike the last segment of the BMT that goes through the Smoky Mountains. I’m now a section hiker, remember? But I was concerned that Jean would frown on my going again so soon. So I asked, and she gave the OK (see how wise I am?).  I began planning to pick up and section the last part of this trail. Today is Thursday, and I have everything ready to leave on the Greyhound Sunday afternoon (for North Carolina).

Overall this has been a positive experience for us. Jean tried something new and loved the hiking experience. Yeah! I learned I’m a section-hiker – and I am comfortable with it. I’ll begin posting the next part of this hike in a few days. Think I’ll use Instagram again. I like the ease with which it allows me to post without so much stuff to wade thru. Out until a couple weeks from now. Blessings.

Chillin’ Before the New Year

I was thinking that it had been a month since I hiked or camped anywhere. Besides, I had promised some camping friends that I’d be back in December. With time running out, I got permission to leave for a few and loaded the car. This time I would camp in my new tent, a Lunar Solo (only 24 ounces!).  My destination was Open Pond in Conecuh National Forest.

An explanation is in order I think. My “camping friends” are a group that camps primitive in Conecuh. While not classified as homeless, they choose to live in tents and/or a truck-camper – depending on their means. I go to this spot intentionally to check in with them and see how life has been treating them (a common set of terms here in L.A. used as an informal greeting). Sometimes there might be a new dog, so that would be discussed at length. Might also be a new tent or accessory – also extensively discussed. The weather is always talked up because they are in it every day, what with living and camping as a normal environment. Of course that is fine with me, as I am usually at home wherever others are at home. This last part kind of bothers some as dirt and general uncleanliness have a way of unsettling folks. It’s not that I like bugs and grime, but not everyone has the same ideas of cleanliness that the folks at the Super-8 have. Enough. These guys (and some women) are doing life as they see fit and make no excuses to anyone. Kinda nice, isn’t it?

I got to the park in the late afternoon. Still plenty of daylight. As I made it around the lake, I saw my friend Charlie (might be a fake name) sitting on a stump watching some man fish. So I pulled off the road and we talked for a bit. He had been wondering if I’d forgotten to come back, but said there was a secluded site near him that should give me some privacy. I thanked him and made it over to claim the sight. I’ve camped in almost all the spots there and had fond memories of the area Charlie pointed out for me. Even before I set up camp, the park came by to talk a bit. He’d recognized my car and was checking up to see that everything was OK. I was surprised that he’d not gotten another deer while I was gone. Last trip (in November), he got an 8-point with his muzzleloader. I was a little jealous at the time because I’d given all my black powder stuff to my grandson. Oh well. Got out my cooler and food and proceeded to eat half of a roasted chicken, then setup my new tent and made a cup of coffee. Chill time.

Charlie came by and we talked a bit. A couple of the regulars were here, but the crazy woman (can I say that?) had not been around this fall. I was relieved! When I was here the beginning of November, I’d used “her” campsite. No, it’s not actually her site, but she camped there before. So this time I kind of slept lightly because I had a slight fear (slight but warily and diligently necessary) that she might sneak in early some morning and discover that someone had taken her spot. Remember an old Clint Eastwood movie called “Play Misty for Me”? Creeped me out! But I would be safe where I was. I told Charlie I saw the big green tent when I came in but no car. He had no idea about that guy. Maybe I wrote about him another time? He had a double mattress and box springs in his tent. Really proud of that too. I said I was hoping to enjoy some solitude this time. He said “Good luck” and went off somewhere. He’s a really interesting fellow (as they all are).

The rest of the afternoon and evening were pretty tame. Ate some chili and crackers and went to bed early to read (brought my Kindle). First night in my new tent! While I am a totally sold-out hammock and/or tarp camper, this is going to be nice. It has room inside for 1 1/2 people and a bug net all around. And – I can have some privacy to change clothes, which is new for me, but has never presented itself as a problem anyway. I think I was asleep by 7:30 or 8pm? Funny about that – I don’t hit the sack at home until at least 11 or so. First bonus of my chill time was when I got up to answer a nature call. There was no light from the city blotting out the stars. They were intense! Beautiful! I could have stood there and peed for a good hour – it was that magnificent. But of course I went back to bed.

Next morning I fried up (never down) some sausages and refried beans and ate it with a couple of warmed tortillas and some hot sauce. Great breakfast. Walked around a bit and then put up one of my junkie hammocks and read some more. Never saw Charlie again. He drove off one time and came back I think, but never saw or spoke to him again. But then he’d told me he had some new Howard Hughes books that he was studying so that likely explains his absence. He is normally quite sociable as are several others here.

In the afternoon, a family with a litter of kids packed up and left. I noticed that they did not use all of their firewood, so I grubbed it all and brought it to my camp. Yes, this is entirely proper – it it’s left behind someone will get it. Since it wasn’t much, I decided to save it for later that night. Normally I do not make a fire anymore when I camp or backpack as the smoke gets into your clothes and gear and hair (if you have any). I don’t care for that – but decided it was good for my chill time this day. So what, right?

One of the things I read time and again about backpackers (especially new ones) is that they hike with their fears. How does that work? As I look back the past couple of years I have recognized the times (plural) that I did it.  It works like this: when a hiker gets a shakedown (dumps all their gear out on the floor/ground and another hiker critiques the gear in view of the upcoming hike). What discoveries! When backpacking multiple days/weeks/months, you might not see a shower for a week or longer. One might begin to develop hiker-aroma (stink), OK? So in all this gear now on the floor, One might find 4-6 pairs of socks, as many pairs of underwear/shirts, whatever. Maybe there is a 9 pound tent or an extra pair of hiking boots. Maybe two different cook systems (in case one doesn’t work out), or three different systems to purify/save water while hiking. Maybe there are waterproof matches and a BIC lighter for every day of the week? Maybe a backup cell phone and a solar charger? Maybe a GPS device or two?

On the trail, it gets hot, cold, dry, wet, windy, bug-infested, dark, and so on. Storms and lightning happen as does snow and heat waves. Sweat is a way of life – embrace it or go home! A store with supplies may be days away. You might get hurt and need your mommy to put on a band-aid. Stuff happens. Fear happens, but what you do with it makes all the difference. Realizing that your socks will get stinky, wet, gross and then freeze at night is not the end of the world. Wash them out at night if you have the water available or just hang them up to air out over night. At camp, put on your camp socks to sleep in. Next morning, put yesterday’s socks back on and go. Same with yesterdays wet pants and shirt. Likely that you will forget about the stink and marvel in the beautiful views or the frog floating in a puddle – happy and alive. That’s what you can become to be – happy and alive, despite your dirty socks and underwear. Or if you really get hardcore, don’t bother with the underwear – they always tended to give me a rash anyway. Now I don’t have that extra weight!

So what fears did I take with me hiking? Yeah, I took 4 pairs of socks once, several changes of shirts and a couple pants and underwear. Lots of food – usually had enough left for another outing when I got back home. And BIC lighters? I’d take 4 or 5 just to be sure I could cook a hot meal and not suffer needlessly with cold food. What I learned is that I eat often with comfort in mind – and forget that the most important attribute of food is the fuel is provides to keep me warm and functional. i still like to like what I eat, but if it is cold, I still go for the fuel part of it.  So, back to the lighters. Only a couple times have I ever made a campfire. I just don’t like the added smell it adds to me. But, to ensure I could light something, I bought a fire-steel. Way cool! This thing makes sparks like you wouldn’t believe! But I must confess, I had never made an actual campfire with it. Never until this trip. Now with all my neighbor’s remaining firewood, I could practice this “essential hiking skill” in the privacy of my campsite. Cool.

Having only a small pocket knife (and wishing for a big, safer one), I scrubbed some shaving into a small spot in the camp fire ring. I tried dumping volumes of sparks into this little area, but I needed something more. So I got my axe (car-camping is nice because you can take all your tools) and walked into the woods to find a downed pine tree and some fatwood. If you don’t know what that is, google it. Finding what I needed, I returned to scrub fine particles of fatwood into my spot. It was full dark now. I was about to get desperate!  Two or three sparks later I had my first little flame. I kneeled there like an idiot and watched it almost burn out before I realized that I had fire. I had fire! I imagine Tom Hanks felt like this when I made fire on the island. Guess all I needed was my own Wilson? So I piles some tiny sticks on my tiny, delicate flame and a fire blazed. Man I am good! So, I fed my fire a piece at a time until I only had one left. Wanted to save the last chunk of wood as long as I could, because that would signal the end of my fire adventure for this trip. Piling all the leftover stubs and sticks together, I put on the last piece of my firewood.

I sat in my comfortable folding chair, wrapped warmly in my jacket and remembered doing this same thing when I was a kid. My friend Don H. would come over to my house and we’d camp in my backyard and often make a small fire out where my parents would not look out and see. Was it OK with them if we played with fire in the backyard? Not hardly! And when Don wasn’t over, I’d do the same scenario by myself. Something soothing and final about watching the living, vibrant fire grow smaller and smaller. At some point, there would be only glowing red coals, with an occasional yellow flame extracting the last remaining fuel from the pile of ashes and dying coals. It always got colder as the fire died. It did this night as well, leaving only the wind blowing through the tops of the pines and somebody’s dog barking at something in the dark. Just like when I was a kid, then I was back here and putting up for the night. Dark sky and wonderful stars. I think the body as well as the soul needs chill time. Not as a vehicle of avoidance, but to refresh and heal those parts of us that we were not sure needed any outside help.

It was a quiet, cold night. Early in the dark hours of the morning, it rained a bit. I noticed the sound on the roof of my new tent, and rolled over and went back to sleep. Nothing to report there. Guess you’d have to have been there? Thank you Lord for this time away!

Birthday 67 on the A.T.

Every day is a good day to be alive!

I began planning for my AT (Appalachian Trail) hike a year ago. It was not an obsession to hike, backpack, conquer 2000+ miles of trail, but born out of a desire to connect adventures from my childhood to the realities of the adult experience. OK, what does that mean?

Until I was 19, my parents were connected with the Armed Forces. My earliest memories of running wild were in the area on base deemed safe for kids (with supervision) in southern Alaska. Even at a young age, I’d heard stories of mountain men living out on their own, fighting Indians, bears, and wolves – while braving sub-freezing temperatures and blizzards of epic proportions. I knew immediately that this was the coolest, most exciting life on the planet – and I wanted some of it!

Of course, lots of other kids my age thought the same thing, and we found a relatively safe place to play this out on our own. On base were several schools – one with an ice rink and small ski slope for kiddies, and a patch of woods that was named the “Little Woods”. Behind this was the “Big Woods” where we weren’t allowed. It didn’t seem fair, but then it was scary…

In the Little Woods, the paths were so beaten down that it almost looked like a manicured garden area. That’s because kids of all ages ran loose playing hide and seek, or tag, or just plain running around trying to kiss girls or other yuckie stuff. Some of us made forts in the Little Woods and played out our dreams of being the triumphant woodsman who outsmarted bears and wolves (which were on the other side of the Big Woods) and managed to survive against all odds. Cool…  Then it was time to get home for supper (or to get put on restriction for being out in the Little Woods without permission).

Being a young boy can get pretty complicated. But – little boys grow up (in most things) and leave the childhood dreams and imaginations that used to keep us in a state of constant excitement. And then one day we make it to a time when we can retire, ride our motorcycles more, camp, and become infatuated with backpacking. That is what happened to me!

From my first hike, I began to re-vision my childhood adventures in the Little Woods – free, alone, self-sufficient, and tasting the outdoors and everything in it and of it. I was hooked – again.

After many day hikes, many overnighters, and multi-day hikes around my home state area, I settled on hiking the AT. I began walking the 1st of November, but would not celebrate my birthday until the 9th. Away from friends and family. By myself. In the woods and on the trail. Somewhere.

The night of the 8th was spent at Low Gap Shelter (Elev 3050′). I arrived early in the afternoon and had set up my gear for the night. It was windy, cold, and raining. This particular shelter must have been known for high winds because someone (bless them, bless them) had tied two heavy tarps across the open wall of the shelter to cut the wind and other weather. It was still cold, windy, and wet!

By dark, 5 more hikers arrived and we crowded into the available space. The wonderful thing about this close living was that our breath and combined body heat made it a bit warmer inside the 3-walled, tarped shelter. We could still see through the cracks in the flooring to the ground below, but at least our sleep setups covered some of that. All in all, it was pretty snug. We ate, talked, some played cards, and then by 8 pm or so, we were mostly asleep. Yeah, I know that’s early for most folks, but when it gets dark, hikers go to sleep. It’s not like we can watch TV…

In the morning it had stopped raining. Really cold and still windy. As we sat around on the morning of the 9th, we ate and had some coffee or something hot and talked about where we would go that day. The other 5 hikers were SOBO’s (South Bound hikers) and were headed for the southern terminus of the AT, Springer Mountain. I was going north and said it was also my birthday today. Yeah for me! And right then they all sang “happy birthday” to me in the shelter. I hadn’t planned it that way, but it was still a special treat! Then packed up and headed north, leaving a few of them to head southward. Never saw them again.

Why did I take this?

Somewhere in the morning

It was a perfect hiking day: cold, windy, foggy, and rainy. I walked until I got warm, shed a layer of clothing and walked on. Up and down, down and up – beautiful forests, waterfalls, springs of cold, clear, wonderful tasting water coming out of a mountainside. With this I added the usual protein bars, chocolate candies, and of course my super-food of choice – Skittles!

Front of Tray Mt. Shelter

Made it to Tray Mountain Shelter (Elev 4200′) that day with plenty of daylight left, but the weather was turning nasty again. After a partial setup in the shelter, I rigged my hammock tarp (sent my hammock home the week before because of the excessive weight and the constant wetting from blowing rain) over one side of the shelter where I decided to sleep for the night. Changed into camp clothes and stowed my gear for the night. What are “camp clothes”? I keep one dry set of dry, relatively clean clothes for camp and sleep. Next morning, I stow them away in a dry-bag and put all my wet clothes back on. It’s just how it works…

Inside on B’day afternoon

Made my supper – dehydrated spaghetti and meat sauce, yum! Cleaned up, made a hot cup of coffee, and settled in to read my Kindle before sleep. An hour later the rain and fog was blowing in past the tarp I had so carefully rigged. My down bag was getting wet, I was getting wet, my Kindle was getting wet. But nothing more could be done for now, so I rolled over and snuggled down as best I could out of the weather and went to sleep. What else could I do…

Sometime later, the wind slacked up, and the rain and fog stayed mostly outside. What woke me up was the scratching and clawing noises coming from my backpack.  What? My backpack is lined with a trash compactor bag. It’s touch, keeps everything in it dry, and seals well. Since the pack was sitting up, the critter(s) had come thru the open top of the bag and now were trapped in the bottom, trying to climb out..  Why didn’t I close it up to begin with? Because if you leave the backpack and all the pockets closed, the critters will chew their way inside, looking for something to eat. If everything is open, they can come in to explore, find nothing, and will not destroy the pack.

I leaned over and pushed the backpack down on its side so my shelter buddies could get in/out. Eventually they bored with the fruitless attack on my backpack, and turned instead to see if I would be of interest instead. When that failed, I think they left me alone the rest of the night. Although the mice are a nuisance, it is their home and I am a visitor. Therefore I leave them mostly alone. That’s how it’s done. I slept well until daylight came through the morning fog – day two of being 67.

I cannot imagine a better way to have spent this birthday – on the trail, carrying my house and sustenance on my back, walking and talking with the Lord, missing and loving my family, and blessed to have survived the rigors of living out my childhood dreams – and not being eaten by bears, wolves, or mice. I was out of the Little Woods, and into the Big Woods – and beyond. I knew immediately that this was the coolest, most exciting life on the planet – and I had some of it!

But by the grace of God – there go I. Blessings – REVT.

Smoky Mountains – but not all of them

Yes – Tommy likes this!

Just a few weeks ago, I started my first walk on the A.T. (Appalachain Trail). My plan was to start at the southern end of the Smoky’s and go north to thte I-40 intersection of the AT. Going northbound on the AT is referred to as a NOBO hike (NOrth BOund). A southbound is a SOBO…

Several things I learned about the Smokey Mountains National Park: backcountry hikers (me) have to acquire a permit in advance and have it on them at all times (cost is $20 for a week); one MUST stay at one of the designated shelters; it takes about a week to walk=7 full days worth of food in the pack was 10.5# more or less; it rains/snows almost anytime of the year; and last but not least, there is an average of 2 bears per square mile.  Yep. Two.

 

When I got my permit, I had to decide how many miles per day I’d hike and pick my shelter for the night. This guarantees a spot to sleep, or so the website said. One stays in the shelter to reduce impact on the environment (camping in untouched space can bring you a fine or a bear).  Yes – bears are around a lot I was told. So – imagine my astonishment when I walked into my first night’s shelter, sat down to unbuckle my pack, and looked up to see a full-grown black bear.

Let’s back up to the beginning of the day, OK? My wife dropped my off and watched as I faded into the forest. It got silent in the early fog of the day. The sun was up but I was on the western side of the mountain for now.

 

First break of the morning

Wish I had this when I was a kid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the bear. My first shelter. Glad for the rest. Except the bear wanted to stay and no one else was here. If this kept up, I’d leave for the next shelter in hop of finding more humans…

My first bear – ever

The bear was completely at home (yes…) and was not intimidated by my yelling. Only when I made loud, sharp raps on the shelter with a rock did it wander off. Think this was a really cool sighting? i hope not!  Bears frequent shelters because IDIOTS feed them – intentionally or unintentionally. This helps bears (who are fast learners) associate food with people (solo hikers like me). They lose fear of humans and do a come-here-doggie when they see a handout approach on the trail. This is a problem for hikers of all kinds and of course for the bears. If a bear EVER threatens/harms/kills a human, they go immediately to that great bear-burger joint in the sky. All because of IDIOTS who think of the cool story they will tell later with their selfie’s on a cell phone. OK – I’m done with that rant.

The scenery has to be experienced to truly get it all in. The trails are as diverse as any you might imagine. (In case you haven’t done any of this kind of thing,)

My first night at a shelter was interesting. An hour after dark, everyone was in the rack/bag except for a couple who were intent on keeping a fire going. It was damp – so that didn’t last long. The next morning was foggy and cool. Perfect weather!

Morning of the second day

Foggy morning start

It was cold, rainy, and spooky morning to walk. Couldn’t hear anything but the rain dripping in the woods. No cell reception at all, no radios, didn’t bring music to listen to, and I’m by myself. The solitude is incredible for the soul!

It’s cold, raining, and I’m one happy dude

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Higher still – day 2

More climbing today. Actually, it was all uphill for two days. And then it happened. Going down a short stretch of rocks in a wash-out, I slipped on a rock and tore something in my left leg. Zog!!! – I shouted! The injury slowed me down to about a half mile an hour – both uphill and down. Pain was constant. If it didn’t fix itself, I’d have to come up with a ‘plan-b’.

Last shelter this trip

Morning – the third day. Last night was a doozie.  It rained, we had a lightening storm, sideways winds…  And also we were under a hickory nut tree.  When the wind slowed, they fell straight down on the shelter’s tin roof. Wow.

More of the last climb

The third day I made my choice final – I had to get off the trail and get checked by a doctor. The pain was no better and I could not continue and chance ruining the opportunity to continue the A.T.  But I had no cell service so couldn’t call anyone. I decided to limp our to Clingman’s Dome and seek help. Sad but necessary and the right thing to do. Sniff…  Still – the views on Monday were great!

View from the highest point on the A.T.

Yes – I made it to Clingman’s Dome – the highest point on the entire A.T. And I did it with torn muscles in my left leg (test results from a MRI a week later). Found a ranger and they gave me a ride to Cherokee, NC. Called Jean and waited for her to arrange to come get me. Boy – do I have a great wife!

Regrets? Yes. I regret that I was not more careful in that rocky section. I regret not taking more snack breaks to keep my wits about me. Just for kicks, how many calories do you think it takes to hike for 8 hours mostly uphill? No idea, but 2000 wasn’t enough. Might have been more careful if I’d eaten more… I especially regret not finishing what I started. I really wanted to see I-40 from the trail as I hiked out of the Smoky’s.

Overall, it was the greatest hike I have ever done – or even not completed. I am hooked! I leave here Nov 1 for Amicalola Falls, GA. That is where the approach trail (8.8 miles) to the A.T. starts. That will make 175 (plus or minus) miles for November, plus the 30+ for the first half of the Smoky’s. If I get to the Smoky’s in time, I’ll shuttle back to Clingman’s and finish what I started last month. Blessings…

Appalachian Trail Hike in 2016

I know this may seem early to be writing about a venture MONTHS from now, but then you probably remember me saying “no time like the present”… If not, then there you are, right? I plan to begin setting one foot in front of the other on April 11, 2016 at Amicalola Falls, Ga – and point my little shiny nose toward Mt. Katadyn, Maine. Yes – the state.

Many hikers complete a thru-hike in about 6 months; some more, some less. However, I am not hiking someone else’s hike, but my own. I still have much research ahead of April 11. I am beginning this month to do preparatory hikes – overnights and multi-day hikes., and will continue through the fall to the spring.  Some of my gear will change. My diet will change from what I normally do for only a couple of days out. After all, I have type II diabetes, and need a certain level of nutrition – not just calories.

The weather can be expected to be cold, hot, stormy, and maybe nice. Since I am starting in spring, rain and stormy weather will likely be a constant companion for a while. It’s a good thing I like camping in the rain, right!?

And I will be walking with everything I need (I think) in my backpack – which must be as light as I can manage to make it. Food for 3-5 days, water to last between refills (filtering on the trail), towns and stores to resupply, post offices for general delivery stuff (like dehydrated meals, meds, clothes, gear swaps…). There is a lot to consider. A. Lot.

Fortunately I have already enlisted a great person to be my trail boss – my bride of 37 years! She will know most everything that I know – except for the aches and blisters and wet clothes…

There is much more to this for me than just walking and camping. I go with expectations and knowledge that consequences (both good and not) are real and ever present. In my next post, I’ll share some of what I hope to gain by this venture – and what I will discover as well. I am still getting my focus on this and will probably not be entirely finished until the hike is over.

In the meantime, I’ll blog about my days and nights as I have opportunity. I haven’t decided where I’ll post (yet). Probably on TrailJournals.com but I’ll let you know, OK? I hope you will stick with me as I walk and grow and share my insights. In all things, may God have the glory!

RevTommy a.k.a “TooTall” (thank you Emily – you know who you are)

First Trip to Talladega NF

First Backpack to Talladega NF

Falls near the shelter

I’ve been ready for weeks! Packed and re-packed until I can’t see anything else to change. I took the time to research the trails I would be cruising and had it all figured out. I would hike the Pinhoti-Chinnabee-Skyway Loop in a counterclockwise direction. Although many seem to hike this in two days (or less!), I was giving myself three days/nights. I read journals and comments about what to expect and where to get water, etc. All the important stuff!

Much-used shelter at the top

And now it’s Day 1, Thursday the 7^th of May. Arrived at Cheaha Mountain and found the trailhead I wanted. Got out my pack, checked my water, changed my shoes, and was walking by 4:30pm or so. I’d planned to be on the trail by 3. I was very late. One thing that bothered me was that there were no trail markers. Yeah – the trail was pretty distinct, but then they ALL were. Yes – lots of trails here. You know I lost the trail for a short time but got back on track, right?

By 6:30 I was ready to stop, although I was not where I’d originally planned for my first night. First discovery: the woods and trails here are beautiful! Actual hills! You see, I’m a lower-south boy (Lower Alabama) where we have small hills, washouts, pine trees, snakes, and a zillion blood-sucking mosquitoes (per square meter). In Talladega NF, there are real hills and flowing, clear (no visible mud or bovine flotsam) water. Beautiful!

My first night’s camp. Simple and adequate

I met a couple of day hikers coming back from the big falls (still somewhere ahead). They said it only got better! And they were right. Decided to stop for my first night and began hunting for a spot with good trees (suitable for the hammock). Went to the top of a hill overlooking the falls and called it home for the night. After setup, I went down to the falls and Cheaha Creek. Huge boulders formed the falls/ford area. Not L.A. rocks, but huge! Got some water and filtered it and soaked my feet in the icy water. Really felt fine.

Lots of these. And a few that are treacherous

Back up the hill, did supper, blah, blah. Got some more water and called it a night. Since I was reasonably certain it would not rain, I didn’t set up my rain tarp over the hammock. But it wasn’t just because of the forecast. I wanted to see some stars with no city lights to obscure the view. Was waiting of full dark and already in the hammock. How was the view? Awesome! Just like I remember from my childhood when Don and I would camp in our backyard in the summer time. We had no tent – just left-over bags we got from our folks. I remember the stars were non-stop on the entire horizon. If I could have seen that far in all the pines tonight, that’s what I’d see again I think.

Day 2. Got a late start today. Got breakfast, coffee…packed and headed down the Chinnabee Trail looking for the Skyway trailhead about 4 miles ahead. Took lots of pictures and a couple rest stops to enjoy the views. Beautiful!

“This way” sign

Mold – but looked like a flower

The beauty began to change when I could not find a sign to the Skyway trail. I went down what I thought was Skyway but halfway down Chinnabee Lake I knew it wasn’t going uphill – ever. Came back to where I thought the trailhead should be and looked some more. No good. Tried again but no luck! Somehow I’d missed it.

However, I was able to get a GPS signal and checked my location against the topo with known roads. Looked like I could bushwhack uphill and hit a forest road that would lead me to Skyway. So – I tried. For about an hour. Finally had a sit-down discussion with myself on the side of the 50 degree incline hill.

Hosed! My only course of action was to go back down to the trail (whatever one it was) and backtrack. I was spent physically. Done in. Wiped out. My pack was too heavy, adjusted incorrectly, I was hurting, and knew it was insanity to keep trying to do the planned route. Bummer. And I wasn’t even angry…

I went back to the start of Chinnabee Lake and forded the creek (again) and found a picnic table in the public area. Claimed a couple of good trees and put up my hammock for a rest and then made some lunch. Ate in the hammock and consumed at least a liter of water. Chilled greatly!

With my decision to return, I began to form a plan-b. I decided to hike back up the Chinnabee Silent trail and stay the night at the “big falls” area – down the hillside from the shelter perched on top. The following morning I’d hike the mile (or whatever) back to the car and head home. Was I giving up? Quitting?

No – this was plan-b. It was right. My level of fatigue and of course the radical leg cramps I had the last half mile or so were decisive. Very convincing those cramps…

Filtered some more water from the creek and then made a salmon burrito for supper. Added some banana peppers and red bell pepper. Ate by the creek. Life is good! Back to the camp for some more chilling out. Again this night, I did not put up the rain tarp. It was not supposed to rain, right? And I had a great patch of sky above the hammock.

Lay back and watched the sky slowly turn dark. Lots and lots of frogs and noisy bugs this evening! And then there was the sound of the falls that was a constant – kind of a loud, invasive white noise? Yeah – but I imagined it would really make for a good night’s rest! So until it got dark, I reflected on the trip so far.

Things changed. Didn’t ruin the trip though. Just like anything else in life, one can adapt and try to make lemonade or accept that all you have are lemons. I could not deny that I was disappointed. The combined effects of weight, body, and directions (or navigation) caused such a mess. Truthfully – if I had not turned back, I would have encountered a worse condition when I started the Pinhoti segment at the termination of Skyway. Research showed one end of the Pinhoti section was rocky. The first part of that trail was called the “stairway to heaven”. Guess why? If you guessed rocks and steep stairs almost without end, you are on track. I would have put myself further from the car and been left with an insane exit strategy when (not if) I played out. Might have done serious damage to the bod!

As much as I dislike admitting it, I know the physical demands of place and equipment on my body were cause for alarm. I had to plan-b. Had to. I know the bod has 66 years of questionable decisions and miles, but what did I really discover? I’m not in good enough shape! Yes – the ego just took a direct hit! And of course there were the issues with equipment…

First – too much weight on my back! Was anything good??? Yes – the hammock and bug net were just fine. My windshield sunvisor converted-to-hammock-mat was just fine. The modified mummy bag – hacked into a closed-toe open quilt was comfortable and warm. However, it took up all of the bottom compartment of my pack – and then some. I need something less bulky. And it still contributed to nearly 3# of my pack weight. Almost OK for winter, but never with the bulk. Misery times 2.

My tarp is a camo 8′ x 10′ from Wallie-world. I have camped with it a lot and it has always kept me dry and never let me down. Except when I have to carry it in/on my pack. Car camping and motorcycle camping don’t present issues with this tarp and I highly recommend it as an economical choice for camping and shelter. However – it weighs in at 1.86# and as such adds to my misery. I’ll keep it, but I need something lighter for backpacking.

For my hammock support system (end of hammock connection to a tree) I previously made whoopie slings (look it up) and connected this to a strap around a tree. The whoopie slings were always too long and it seemed like I wrestled to get the right distance/fit between a tree and the end of my hammock. I’m going back to the one long strap from tree to hammock. Simple and foolproof. A few ounces more but worth it – IMHO.

Over time, I tried four different ways to cook or prepare food/drink. First the regulation campfire. Of course it worked and it always required access to a quantity/quality of firewood (and of course permission to have a fire). A fire has smoke, and smoke gets on you, your clothes, and all your camping stuff. It all smells like smoke. If it then rains, it all gets locked in. Smelly… These days I camp a lot without campfires.

Second was a gas stove. I have a two-burner that I take when car camping. Can’t beat it for car camping. Can’t use it at all when backpacking or on the bike.

Third was a cannister stove. It will do only one pot/pan at a time and not something very heavy. Great for motorcycle camping and backpacking. It does weight a bit much for backpacking, but I’ll probably use it more in the future. The thing I do not like about the cannister stove system is that the cannister must be trashed when it is empty. What a waste! And it is not cheap! I feel like I am putting cash in the trash!

Fourth was the homemade alcohol stove that I brought this time. I made it out of a couple of aluminum cans. They weigh almost nothing but the alcohol fuel does add to pack weight. In addition, the danger of the fuel leaking in the pack is bothersome (but didn’t happen). If you run out, you just run out of a cooking system. I modified my alcohol system to include a small can with lots of holes in it. I use this as a wind shield and as a small wood stove (if needed). Homemade alcohol stoves have two modes: on and off. No in between. Simple, but with few options.

Next time I backpack, I’m definitely taking my cannister stove. I acquired a small kitchen scale to weigh my partially used cannister to help me know how much I can expect out of it. I can boil water in a hurry, or take a little more time to heat something more solid. It works best for me – and I don’t have to buy anything else. For backpacking, this may be my one luxury-carry item (because of weight).

I carried 3 liters of water (2.2# per liter) in the internal bladder in my backpack. That equates to 6.6# total. When I got home, I still had a liter of water left in the bag = 2.2#. Just the facts! On this trip, I had very good access to water – and I have a good filter (Sawyer Mini). Between the internal bladder and the half liter I kept in a side pocket, I had from 7.8# to about 3# of water at any given time. Next time I will take a little extra, but not to this degree. The extra water was misery in the pack and on my back!

As for food, I did a poor job of planning my meals and snacks. This was my biggest boo-boo. I didn’t need a meal at lunch. I just needed some calorie-rich snacks to go with the water. I actually had two food bags at over 8# for two nights, two half days, and one full day. I unloaded two full days of meals when I got home. What a mess! The misery is in the pack weight! Again!

My pack was 4.42# empty. Not an ultralight but a solid, sturdy pack. My base weight less food and water was 14.75#. That included the pack, bag, windscreen pad, tarp, ropes/stakes (4), first aid kit, water purification, cook kit, sewing & repair kit, toiletries/sanitizer, headlamp, and steno pad (& ballpoint) for a journal. With some gear changes, I can be at 12# without having to get a new pack (which I like).

For my feet, I have a pair of Keen’s. They fit and seem sturdy enough. However, I see switching to trail runners this summer. Lighter and easier to dry. Weight and functionality.

So – it sounds like most of this trip was bad news. But – it’s really not. Gear is a variable – this trip and all that will follow. As time and conditions change, the adaptability of gear to meet current needs means success or failure of an item, with effects on other aspects of related gear functions. Large and small stuff matters. However, the degree to which I endure the variables of time and conditions is part of the journey I sought in the first place. Did something change from when I started? Yep.

I learned much about personal limitations – as an integral part of a total gear plan (if you will). When car or motorcycle camping, I already know what to expect. I’ve had my tent blow down on top of me and all our gear soaked when a raging thunderstorm hit us. We got into the truck – and laughed. I had another night in the hammock when the wind and rain was so fierce that I had to get into the car just for peace and quiet. What did that look like? Picture (and hear) a big plastic tarp being shaken over and over and over again while you try to sleep. Got it? I know I can make do. And I still laughed…

Hiking and backpacking miles from my vehicle is much different and has a new set of consequences. As I do more of this (and I will), I’ll discover more ways I can push my limits out and away from what is tolerable now. My journey will expand and I will have a richer experience for it.

Day 2 – specifically that last afternoon, I had some great time to be still and reflect on what I had discovered from this trip. My preconceived ideas of hiking 10+ miles each day proved untenable. With a properly loaded and adjusted pack? I really don’t know – that’s just what it is. Taking frequent rests – some without the pack and sitting near/on the trail allowed (or forced?) me to look around and seriously enjoy where I was. After a few minutes of sitting still, the birds and bugs started doing their bird/bug stuff around me. It was like a role change where the animals/bugs/flora had watched for hours as I walked past – never really seeing or appreciating. And then I stopped and began to be the observer – changing roles. There was a lot going on around me. I wondered why I had been in such a hurry before? How much have I missed?

Day 2 – back in the hammock – the sun recently passed the edge of the horizon and the frogs and insects began to make themselves heard above the roar of the falls 25 yards away. I chose a good site to camp. It afforded a great view of the stars – yet to come. Since I would have no campfire tonight, I got up and did food. Went back to filter some more water for the night and discovered a couple of guys skinny dipping downstream. OK. Went back and hit the hammock again.

It was darker now. I could not see it happening, but I could see that it had happened. Then the frogs and insects/bugs really got crazy loud! A few minutes later it was not dark, but the stars were not out. The frogs and bugs stopped. It was just the rush of the falls now. Then the stars began to come out – a few at a time. I was so glad I’d skipped the tarp!

Now it was dark, and I noticed the frogs again. They were no longer frantic, but just there. It was like they had settled in for the long term and called to each other as if they had a plan. I could hear one in particular – I called him “big dude” – doing a low, slow croak. Soon – one somewhere near the falls would answer. Then I heard more doing the same thing. I recognized the pattern here. It happened this afternoon when I stopped along the trail and began to be the observer – seeing and hearing the birds, bugs, and flora. I had stopped – switched roles – and just listened. Pretty cool, thought I.

So I just lay there and listened to life in the Talladega National Forest going on around me. I did not interfere or insist that what I was about was more important or necessary. And the stars were fantastic! Then it was kinda getting light a bit. Directly overhead was a partial moon. The stars were all gone. The frogs and whatever had gone silent. Only the sound of the falls remained. What just happened?

I was looking at the beautiful night sky and I must have closed my eyes – and slept there for hours. In the early morning, I awoke to the beginnings of a new day – day 3. As per my plan-b, it was my last day for this trip. Not unexpected now – but still a bit sad. What to do? I made a morning plan: pack, walk the mile or so to the car, and look for some hot coffee. Fifteen minutes later, I stepped carefully over the rocks to ford the creek, and walked out.

A good place for a rest and lunch – IMHO

I wondered how it might have been if all had worked according to my pre-hike plan – but that just wasn’t to be this time. It would be great to see my family again (after 4 hours in a hot car) and get a shower with clean clothes. Later that afternoon – as I looked through my pictures and videos, I watched the video pan along this or that trail, and over a spot on the creek. I was again looking around from a place in the image – at what I was seeing from within the image. It made a difference. It made an impact. I will do this again. Slow way down. Way down. And pay attention to what God placed there all along for us to see and enjoy. Blessings…

First Solo Backpack – March 2015

First Solo Backpack – March 2015

I had planned to leave after church the following Sunday, but the weather wasn’t going to be right. Today – Thursday – was decision day for me. I absolutely couldn’t wait until Sunday! If i waited, it was going to be rain every day and night. So I would leave tomorrow – Friday, March 6, 2015.

 Next morning I packed food and water – and began the 2-hour drive. I’d arranged to park my car at a private camp in the Conecuh Forest. Good move – and only 4 miles from my first camp.  oh yeah – I forgot to mention that I had not worn this backpack (33# with food and water) more than 15 minutes at a time. Gutsy? Yes and foolish as well.  After an hour of walking, the pack was killing me! It wasn’t adjusted correctly and I was paying dearly now. Shoulders hurt, waist hurt, pride hurt… I just hurt.

Surprise! On the way to my first camp, I crossed a prescribed burn line. I knew the Forest Service would be doing this in the spring, but didn’t see a specific area schedule before I left. Of course I entered the trail not at a trailhead so I never saw the signs for a temporary trail closing. Hmmm. Kept going until I got to my intended camp but the terrain was lousy. Another 15 minutes took care of that and I cut off the trail 90 degrees to the left, uphill, and into a small stand of pines. Here it opened a bit and there was room for me and my hammock.

It was cool, quiet, and off game trails. I setup and made my dinner over a homemade solid fuel stove. First meal I’d cooked with this, although I’d boiled water with it before. My eval? The fuel stinks (literally), it took quite a while (8 minutes) to heat the water in the cold dusk of the day, and it was either on or off. Yeah – i knew it would be that way, but using it for a required meal is lots different than just doing a test out back of the shed. To finish up with a cup of tea, I broke handfulls of twigs into/over my can stove and made a small fire. Worked for me!

I went straight to bed. Butt hit the ground and the tarp caved over my head. What?! In my haste to set up camp, I’d chosen one pine that was too small, and it bent like a rubber hose. So I found a “plan B” tree for one end and moved it in the dark. Did it work? Yes! Got snugged in by the time the coyotes started their nightly call to the community. Man they were everywhere! Some owls also, but it was mainly the coyotes. Interesting but not scary. I am sooooo content right now! Read a while and then it was lights out.

Saturday morning: I did get a little cold last night, but it wasn’t unbearable. Did breakfast, packed, adjusted pack in hope of relieving the pain. At this point, I think the pack is still too heavy although I’m still within the 25% of body weight that is supposed to be the max pack weight. And then there is the problem of this being my first overnight with a pack… I probably deserve to have issues, right? Leaving, I respected the LNT (Leave No Trace) philosophy.

My first whole day out and I have some new lessons learned: seek help on pack loads and adjustments, food, and water.. I didn’t eat lunch Saturday, although I snacked all day long. That meant 4 days out and carrying 4 extra meals. Extra weight and space. Hmmm.

By noon, I’m not sure how long I can continue. My water is really getting low (less than a liter)! How can this be? I started yesterday noon with 4 liters of water. I’m still thirsty and have 4 hours until I camp again. Gotta rethink my water requirements. In addition, there is only one running spring that is likely OK to filter and drink. I’m relatively certain that is 8-10 miles away…

My pack is digging into my shoulders and hips. Stopped on the trail and lay down for a bit. Adjusted the pack again. Got up and going again. Lots of rests now. The most I can walk is 30 minutes and then it’s a mandatory stop. I am also feeling a hot area on the bottom of my left foot. Great! I’m in the process of getting a blister too!

Stopped and checked out the foot and it was not what I thought. It was tender but no blister yet. I suspect the lacing this time as my foot seemed to move way too much. I can fix this one! I am now positive that I will run out of water before nightfall. Decision time! I really want to wait until tomorrow morning to resupply, but the need for water trumps what I planned. I’ll walk to the car tonight, even if in the dark. Repacked again and separated the stuff I should have left in the car. Put this all in a stuff sack and carried it in front at my waist, lessoning the pack load. It kinda worked!

Interesting. With each good rest, I get another burst of endurance. Rest, drink, and walk. Rest, drink, snack, and walk. Over and again. For the first time today, I have an abundance of time to look around and enjoy the surroundings. I also decide that if I totally poop out and cannot carry the load back to the car tonight, I’ll stash the pack in the woods and walk it solo with just my keys and light. Gotta have water.

As it turned out, my rest-walk strategy worked well over (and against) the pain. I made it to the main highway and did a lay-down rest again – and it was still daylight!  Yeah! I decide I can make it to the car – even if I have to ditch the pack while so close. BTW, it is here that I notice the warning sign at the highway trailhead: “Trail Temporarily Closed for Scheduled Burn”. Glad I didn’t see it sooner.

Loaded up and went south to the next forest road that goes back to the main trail – which is a park recreational access road. I rested a couple of times and made it to the trail. Another 30 minutes and I am at the car. I am soooo glad to see that dirty red Honda! Refilled my water and adjusted my food – as well as offloading the unnecessary stuff into the trunk.  Yes – the pack feels better – even with the added water. Making progress – cool!

Now it is approaching dark, so I crossed the trail and go another 50-75 yards back into the woods. Know what? This area had been burned over about a week ago. Every bush I walked by was loaded with soot!  Every tree – soot! The place I camped was as good as any other I saw and it was just plain nasty! And smelly! Did supper and hit the hammock. During the night, I heard an animal sound that I couldn’t identify. Sounded like “Wooop” or “Oooop” going low to high. That probably doesn’t help you figure it out but that’s what I heard.

Sunday morning: slept better last night. I was worn out – and only got up once. I didn’t mention this before but I brought a bag liner in lieu of a wool blanket for the cold nights out. It’s lighter and packs much smaller. However, in the dark, I couldn’t always get it aligned inside the bag. Also it is not opened up enough down the side. Having a hard time picturing this? Think of it as a sock that you put into another sock… Have to let my wife see this…

After a snack for breakfast, I made another decision: it is too nasty here to be able to continue another 2 days without a shower. Clothes, pack, everything is covered in soot. Nasty and smelly! Packed up and went back to the car. Headed to the highway and Open Pond to camp – and get a shower.

It’s a beautiful morning! Clear and barely cool. Nice. Got a decent campsite in the primitive area and setup my stuff.  Then out to see how many of my previous camping friends were still here.  Charlie and Jeff were here, but M was gone. In what would be one of many explanations, Charlie said he didn’t think M liked people much. I asked why he thought that and he wasn’t sure, but it just seemed like it by the way she kept to herself. You think? Said M went south of here to camp in the forest. Said she was going to stay there until September when she could come back in the park.

I hope M has plenty of water and mosquito repellent… Charlie doesn’t think M will be back. I don’t either. Finally got away and went back for a nap. Felt a lot better and stronger. I’m sore but I can tell my muscles are doing a lot better job. What was that? It was Charlie – I can hear him plain as day 2 sites away. He is a really good guy!

Made some hot tea on my two-burner camp stove. Ah – the luxuries of camp: cooler, ice, meals, showers, and flush toilets. Life is good!  I am now looking at my trail map and considering another day-hike while I am here. May do 5 miles tomorrow – or not. Made a great supper! A package of precut, seasoned, cooked steak fajitas meat, cut up cherry tomatoes, half a banana pepper, and half a jalapeño chopped. Stir fried the meat and put meat and chopped veggies on a flour tortilla. Also a half avocado. Yum! Ate 4! No shame!

Cleaned up, took out the garbage, and went over to talk with Charlie again. I learn Jeff’s dog died. I wrote about that in the last entry… Sad but no surprise. Got back to camp by about 8pm, changed into my insulated undies, and read until sleep time. Tired and comfy.

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Monday: didn’t really sleep that well last night. I’m attributing this to the nap I had. May also have been the jalapeños…? Did some oatmeal and coffee and went in search of Jeff. We talked and talked and talked. I heard all the old dog stories as well as the new ones. Most all of them died. Sad. But I noticed Jeff had a new dog in the cab of his truck. Cannot remember what her name was but she was really shy. Jeff rescued the dog from somewhere around the park. I could tell she had pups not long ago.

Both Jeff and Charlie have to be out of the park this coming Sunday. It seems that folks are allowed to stay in the primitive area from November to March 15 on a continuing basis. After that it is 14 days max. So they are both going back north for the summer. Charlie will be back this November, but I’m not sure about Jeff. We shall see!

Meanwhile my coffee is cold. Went to make more and find that “sweet spot” where I can get enough of a cell signal to text my sweetie. And all is well on the home place.

Back to Jeff’s camper to finish whatever we were talking about. This time Jeff tells me all about M. Seems she borrowed money from both of them. Repaid some. OK. Gave Jeff a new bicycle for $20 she owed. What? Jeff and Charlie both talked about stuff she gave away just before taking off to the forest for 6 months. Is this drama really working here at the park?  Really? Pretty sure she is running. She won’t win because it is herself and her troubles she is running away from. Running from self. Never works, does it?

A lady I met in the park told me of a new “sweet spot” for cell service. So this afternoon I tried it out, but it’s not where it is supposed to be. So I walked around the entire lake and found a really solid 2-bar spot. 2 bars! Texted a couple of pics back to my sweetie, but could never get a voice call to work. Oh well. Decided to go back and just chill. Waiting on rain but it never came. Too bad. The rain hitting the tarp over the hammock is just wonderful to hear!

Finally had to put the phone on backup power. I picked up a cheap phone battery thingie the other day that will charge my cell twice before playing out. Glad I had it because my camp doesn’t have electricity. Had a small steak and a bag of mashed potatoes for lunch. Yum! Started a light rain that didn’t last. Had a beanie-weenie snack and chicken chili supper. Mostly watched squirrels and birds. I’m marking this down as productive time well spent.

Charlie came by and we talked some more about M. He said that the camp host went to look for M today down south of the park. Drove around for a couple of hours without any luck. It seems that the host and another guy here both talked to M about that area. The host’s friend used to be in law enforcement. Both said it was a bad area. Poverty, drugs, trash. Host said he would contact a ranger tomorrow and see if he could find her.

Went again to text my sweetie and remembered that she had visits today – missed her this time. So I walked back toward camp and saw the camp host building a fire next to his camper. Why is that strange? Because it’s almost 80 degrees today and i wanted to see what he was doing. It seems that his family and a bunch of friends were having a get-together. We sat and talked until it was lunch and they asked me to stay. We had hot dogs and chips and it was fine!

An interesting this occurred at this gathering. Someone (not me) brought us the absence of M these days. The camp host said he drove all over trying to find her. His wife said, “What do you mean looking all over for her?! Are you mourning the loss of M like the other two guys? Ain’t you got nothing better to do with your time? I thought you were working?” I guess you had to be there but it was soooo funny!

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Wednesday: woke up a few times when it began to sprinkle rain, but it didn’t last. Really humid and drippy trees today. Ready for clean jeans but don’t have any so just got up and made coffee. Read all the books I brought except for my bible. Started that again too.

Got a bunch of new neighbors yesterday. A young couple just spend the night and were gone. Another couple were from Alaska. He is really tall – about 6-6 or so I think. They have a tiny 2-man tent big enough for one person and a pack. Still hard to imagine. Wow.

A lone dude setup across from me. Small SUV loaded inside and out. Says he is from Oregon, hunts, fishes, and hikes. He was on the way to Okefenokee Swamp when he had car trouble. Now he is waiting it out to recover from the expenses. Smokes a lot. Has a huge propane tank that leaked out all the propane and wanted to know where he could get it checked out. Of course I don’t know, but gave him my extra green bottle of propane so he could at lease cook and make coffee. Told him to return it when I left Thursday. Supposedly Abraham Lincoln said, “Do a good deed for someone today. If anyone finds out, it doesn’t count.” If it was really someone else who said this, then they get the credit instead, OK?

Got my pack ready for a day hike. Texted my sweetie on the way out and then headed for Natural Springs. It looks like about a mile and a half one way. Beautiful day and too-warm weather. Had a snack at the trail to the springs and then came back by another route. At camp, my lone neighbor from Oregon had returned from a shopping trip with a replacement gas bottle for the one I had loaned him. Unexpected but nice. Later on, had chicken fajitas for supper. They tasted better than this picture!

Host stopped by after super and we talked a bit. He (and family) are really nice but he is way too busy (and I told him so). It makes me reconsider hosting after Jean and I are retired. We both think we’d enjoy it, but it seems to vary so much from park to park. But I do like camping here… I particularly like that there are usually decent trails for hiking. Yeah – I guess I have the hiking bug…

As for the backpacking part of this trip, I have learned a lot. I definitely need more cordage and a better cooking system. I am not as pleased with the solid fuel stove as I thought I would be. Also my tarp has to go. Right now I have an 8′ x 10′ from Wallie-world. It’s a bit on the heavy side. I’m thinking maybe a small tarp for just the backpacking and another for campsite camping.  Also the coffee bags must go. The coffee is OK, but the garbage that I have left means I have something to carry around that is not useful. Then there is the sheer amount of food that I brought. Snacks were right-on, but the meals were almost twice what I needed.

 Ate a light supper and began packing for my departure next morning. Had a warm, muggy night and again no rain. Next day I was up at daylight and driving away 30 minutes later. I’m gonna do this again. Blessings…

Open Pond camp – Part 2

Open Pond Camp – part 2 [01/18/2015] So after supper and a couple of hours reading in the hammock, I called it a night. And slept warm and snug in my new bag! Woke up about 1-2am to coyotes howling on opposite sides of camp. There were lots of them! Several times so far I’d seen their sign (scat) on the trails. Sometimes a pile of feathers or hair was all I’d find, but I realize that might be from an owl as well. Still interesting to me.

Next morning (Wednesday) I was away from camp by 8:30 and headed for the “Y” I’d found yesterday. It was a clear, cold, quiet morning – great for the trail I decided. A little after 9 (according to my phone which had no signal) I made the turn north on the Conechuh Trail. Supposed to be 3 miles away, right? I wondered: how reliable was the mileage and the scale/detail of the map in my Hiking Alabama book? For sure the map was bogus. I hoped at least the three miles was good. Today I’d allowed for an early start in case I needed more time to get up and back.

Took me 2 ½ hours to go the three miles up. On the way I passed a sign for Natural Springs.  Long time since I’d seen clear, cold water bubbling up out to the ground! Yes it was tempting, but I remembered the warnings about the bad water in the forest – so I didn’t drink. This was about a half mile past the “Y” I think. The rest of the walk was fairly easy goings. Stopped for one break and got out of my pinchie-toe socks for a few minutes. It was great! When Blue Lake came into view, I knew I had made it!

Took a nice snack break for my lunch and inventoried my pack. I had eaten most of my snacks and had only a quarter of a liter of water left. Hmmm. I didn’t have enough water. Hmmm. Looking around at the closed recreational area I was in, I spied the water spigots and tried them. Nope – water shut off. I’d have to go it and see how I did. If I had to have water before I got back to camp, I’d branch off at Natural Springs and fill up. The worst that could happen is diarrhea and bad stomach stuff, right?

Back on the return leg of the trail, I humped it. Was in the camp in two hours and didn’t need to try the spring water (sniff). Yeah – it was probably OK, but I am new at this and don’t know better. It would have been fun to write about it later but possibly not without consequences. Maybe it was wise not to try it?

 Got some more firewood and stoked a good fire for the night. Supper was not a well-planned thing this night. After hearing my neighbor’s talk about getting away from food with chemicals I was a little ashamed of what looked like my menu for the evening. I’d picked up one of those side-dish packets of rice with mushroom flavor stuff. Read the package first. Unbelievable! Decided to just keep this to myself for now and not share around the fire later.

When it got to later, Jeff (another camper, another name) came over to the neighbor’s fire and brought us up to date on his dog. Wait – I forgot to tell about this third camper! OK – Jeff (probably his real name) had a pickup truck with a slide-in camper on it. I recognized it when I came in Sunday night from when we RV’d here a year ago. Same dude, different dog. He was also a full-time camper and came here every year. Nice guy but really poor hearing. I could hear him plainly a hundred yards away.

So Jeff had this other dog that he was really crazy about. Something happened to the dog and she died about a year ago. After a couple of months, he rescued the dog he has now. But – a couple days before I came on Sunday, his new dog of about 8 months got into something and came home really sick and messed up. He took him to the vet but the vet didn’t know what was us. Wanted to keep him overnight for $200 and look him over. Since Jeff knew more at that point than the vet, he brought him back home (after some shots and prescriptions). In our fireside meeting that night we agreed with Jeff’s decision.

The poor dog was not doing well. We stood around the fire and talked about what might have happened. At a park with maintenance and all kinds of equipment, oils, and chemicals, we imagined the dog had ingested something bad. We thought about antifreeze, but it didn’t seem right. After all, the dog was still alive… Probably not a rattlesnake because their neurotoxin is nasty in non-digestive ways. Jeff said the vet suggested fire ants but Jeff didn’t think so. I had no clue either. Man – I really wanted my internet right then!

So “M” made us some baked potatoes in the fire (actually under the fire) and we ate and had hot tea and talked about the dog. In retrospect, I remembered decades ago watching “Dark Shadows” on my lunch break with a couple of buddies (one which became my wife) and talking in earnest about what was gonna happen. Really? But this drama was real, making an impact on a man who really loved his dog. I felt for him! We all did. Back at home I wouldn’t have given it a second thought to just go to the ER and get things checked out. Out here – in this context – resources and opportunity swisted things around. This was a different world.

And it was morning – the fourth day. Got up right at daybreak and make a fire and some coffee. I wasn’t planning for any hikes today. Just sat around and watched it get light. Slow and easy. More coffee and some breakfast.  Today there was fog. Lots of it. Kinda creepy in the forest. I mean – the zombies could be just past that patch of fog! So – I thought it a good morning to walk the loops in the park and see how the other folks lived.  Cool! Sometime yesterday ¾ of the campers in the park left. Someone told me they were back to work after some kind of vacation a bunch of them had. No idea. But the park was almost empty. Back for some bannock and hot tea where the “group” decided to raid the vacant campsites for firewood. We were successful!

Around lunch time we all got together in the primitive area to talk about Jeff’s dog again. Still about the same. We all thought it amazing that the dog was still alive. At the same time, it was really sad because Jeff really loved him. My neighbor “M” had been over to check on him earlier and came back with tears. She said the pooch was in bad shape but that wasn’t what made her cry. When the sun hit the dog’s eyes, she said it was like looking at one big cataract or something. No pupil. She was pretty sure the dog had gone blind. No one said anything to Jeff about it. Bummer.

That afternoon I gave all my firewood away to the other campers in my group and decided not to have a fire tonight. Did a little pre-packing and straightening up so it would go faster Friday morning when I left. We all did a hang out around the fire that night until it started to rain. Yes rain. When we could stand it no more, we split for our respective shelters. I went to bed (hammock) to read. The sound of rain on the tarp just over my head was beautiful music! Slept like a stone.

Woke to more rain. Surprise! So I reset my tarp to a shed roof, put some water on my single-burner and waited for coffee to be ready. Meantime I packed the hammock and the remaining stuff back into the rear of my Honda. With coffee in hand, I sat in my camp chair and watched the rain and waited. Not gonna quit! So I put another cup of coffee into my travel mug and took down the tarp and finished my packing.

Driving away from my new friends was sad and also neat. I came expecting to chill, camp, cook, eat, sleep great, have fire-time, and hike. It never occurred to me that I would enjoy the company of a new group of friends – that lived camping out every day. They called it “life” and “living” and who knows what else. What initially appeared to be a lonely endeavor for them instead revealed a social construct – each with their allowed interaction. For me it was a week away for adventure and solitude. For them it was full-time peace and solitude in the forest. Although I am not ready to go that route, I am still envious. God has blessed me richly this week. I am thankful, rested, and looking forward to next time.

Open Pond Camp – Part 1

Open Pond Camp – Part 1 [01/18/2015]  Back in December, I started planning for some primitive camping and some hiking – hopefully together. This week-long trip was to be in the car as I was pretty certain it would be too cold to ride the bike. This meant that I could take food that needed storage (cooler) and dine in style. Hey, roughing it is not just when you do without cable and internet – it is having the optional cooler and cold foods that make eating a pleasure. As a type-2 diabetic, I am more conscious of what/when/if I eat. A couple years ago I’d just take some peanut butter, bread, and Ra…noodles and call it done. Those days are done!

 I’d packed the car the day before, and so left right after church on Sunday. On the way I stopped at W-land and got a few supplies of course. Since I was hammock camping again, setup would be minimal. Good for me because I got to the park an hour before dark! I rigged for rain but didn’t expect any until the 5^th day.

So just what was this trip to be about? I’d camped when it was cold and did OK. Been rained on. Been wet. It was all of it. Supposed to be even colder this time but I was determined it would work itself out – and it did. The trip was mainly about how I would respond to hiking AND camping. Not technically backpacking because I’d do the hiking separately. Still – how would my flat feet hold out? Would anything break? How would I handle that?

 Monday morning I checked the day bag I’d be taking on the first of several hikes. I had a decent (IMHO) first aid kit, an emergency bag (poncho, rope, stuff, etc.), a liter of water and some snacks. According to the book I’d brought, Hiking Alabama, the trail near the park was 5.8 miles and was in a loop. There was an additional loop less than 3 miles long as well but I wouldn’t be doing that today. Supposed to take about 3 hours. Supposed to be easy walking. So I left about 11am – thinking the margin for error was in my favor.

No idea what to expect in the way of conditions on these trails. OK – I admit to watching lots of tube videos. Guilty… Still – I would be pleasantly surprised by the end of the week to find there was not much variation in trail condition from one section to the next. Some ups and downs, a little water, some mud, but mostly doable by lots of folks. And it was beautiful! Standing large and then small pines, hardwoods, tunnel areas – very nice overall.

So – after nearly 3 hours, I got to the creek at the halfway point. No idea how fast I was walking so I just did some head work on it. About 2.5′ a step, 5280 feet in a mile for 2112 steps @ 1 mile an hour. In 60 seconds I did 50-60 steps and it was continuous until I hit the creek. I should be almost home by now and it was right at 2pm. Hmmm. Still, it was a neat area back at the creek!  Quiet and no bugs. Right – even in LA (Lower Alabama)! Looking at the creek, I couldn’t help but wonder if the water was anywhere near safe to drink. I’d heard from some of the folks back in camp that all the water in the forest was bad: farming, animals, people. Don’t think I’ll ever pee in a stream again.

The walk back was in a rush. If it was another 3 hours back, it would be after dark when I got to camp. And I was unfamiliar with the area – and with hiking. So I took a break and checked the map in my Hiking book. Assuming that the map was close to proportion, I decided where my exit point would be from the trail, and took a compass reading to verify what that would look like. And then I walked. At what must have been the right spot, I left the trail and headed due west toward the park. An hour later I was on a dirt road that T’d into a paved road. That wasn’t supposed to be there! Looked at the map again and again. I had done it right according to the map – yet here I was. Decided to take the road north until I found a live human that knew where the park was. Funny thing is, the entrance was only another 100 yards around the next curve. Cannot be! So I walked the last part back to camp, recognizing that my book of trail maps could not be trusted. Hissss.

 Missed lunch today to I popped a can of beans into a pan and put a steak over the coals. It was a great way to finish out the day IMHO. It was already getting cold so I stoked the fire and waited until the hammock called and called it a night. Usually that signal’d a good night’s sleep, but not this night. I woke up cold and shivering about 2-3am. Apparently the weather front flipped or flopped and I missed it. BTW, there is no cell service where I was… It was the sleeping bag – a summer weight 40 degree bag about 8 years old.

Next morning I found a 10 degree bag at a good price and swapped out the 8-year bag. Never got cold again during the week! So back at camp, I decided to do the other couple of miles near the park – also on the Conechuh trail. I’d go past three ponds on this trip: Buck Pond, Ditch Pond (no idea about that naming), and Alligator Pond.  All the while looking for rattle snakes. So it is said, they are abundant here – so be aware! Glad I didn’t see any since I HATE snakes. Dead ones are OK, but the rest? Once to Alligator Pond I was wary for the bigger critters but saw none. In all likelihood, they observed me. Makes for a good, cheap horror flick, right?

 When I got to the end of my planned loop out, there was a sign for a couple of destinations – one I had done yesterday and a new one that I hadn’t considered. %12% It was a neat “Y” in the trail and I decided to do the additional 6 miles out and back tomorrow. That would make a total of about 8 miles to and from camp. Took my break here and headed back. Along the way, I found a huge pine cone! See? I’m noticing things! Walking continues… My day pack would need some rework as well as my new boots. My feet were complaining today of toes tight down in the socks. Wouldn’t be until I got home and researched it that I could have prevented this with a different lacing technique – heel lock was what I needed. Another day…

Watered myself well when I got back and got out of those pinchie-socks! Good supper and then hung out with some of the other campers. Speaking of which – were all nice, interesting folks. The man with the best primitive site (IMHO) was an older fellow, 78 I think he said, from somewhere in Tennessee. (His not-real-name is Chuck.) He comes here to camp in the winter because its warmer, uncrowded, and a really nice park. In the spring and summer, he goes to the Tennessee mountains and camps. That’s what he does. I think he was a really neat guy. Oh yes, he likes to cut stuff with his double-bladed axe. No problem. Just saying.

Next was a woman (40’s I think) camping by herself. At night we’d all sit by the fire and talk about stuff. She used to use tents, but they tore up in no time. Seems they weren’t of enough quality for full-time use. I think she said she got them from W-something. Your milage may vary… What she has now is a ground duck blind. Sorry I didn’t get a pic, but it seemed a bit awkward so I didn’t ask or try it… She has it all figured out I think. Uses those foil-looking windshield screen protectors (for your car) around the insides and bottom of her “tent”. Has a tarp over the top of it all so she stays pretty warm.

She shared that if she gets cold, she has a bottle of gas in her “tent” for the portable propane heater in her tent! I said, “Yeah – we use one on my grill at home” – I commented that I was glad she was not dead from fumes. She said it only takes a minute and then she turns it off. Wow. People learn to get by, don’t they? Not certain if I would ever have tried that one, but then living in a tent changes lots of things.

I asked (we’ll call her “M”) how she got to be living in the park – camping full-time. It was quite a story. She has a family here in Alabama somewhere, a car, income… She just chooses to live like this – not unlike some people we call “homeless” – which she is not. Now before anyone feels sorry for her – don’t. This was a thoughtful choice. Seems she has rheumatoid arthritis and had been on intense meds for pain for many years. Don’t know what happened, but she is certain that God had His hand on her life and that this was not the life she was supposed to be living.

So she “lit out”. Use a metaphor if you like – got some camping gear and left home, family, friends, and all her prescription drugs behind. That was a year and a half ago. I was really surprised to hear this because it isn’t obvious that she is crippled or in pain. In fact, she is mostly pain-free today. All I can say is “Praise the Lord!” – which I did. Still tires easily, but is careful, lives in a tent, is outside always, is drug free, and has everything she needs to live a simple life. Oh yes, no computer, laptop, or cell phone. She eats as chemical-free as is reasonably possible and is technology free as well.

Her family doesn’t see this as viable, although I cannot see why after a year and a half. I guess we sometimes tag-and-bag folks because of a momentary situation, while the facts may move somewhere else? Really got me to thinking about how we live these days. If I stay away from tech and the stuff I surround myself with, I come back like an addict to drugs I think. Anything wrong with that picture? Yep. Think so. Maybe she is on to something? Don’t think I am ready (or willing) to cut ties with the family tree or stop taking my meds, but living out under the stars like this and walking through the forest alone really has me wondering if there are healing properties to a life of simplicity.

[Continued in part 2]