Fall/Winter Hiking

We are planning another hike, that is the good news....the bad news is the fluctuation in the weather. If it is going to be warm you plan for it to be warm, if it is cold you plan for it to be cold. How do you plan for a hike when it is 35°-45° (or colder) one day and 45°-75° the next.

Which sleeping bag do I take?

What coats do I take?

You can prepare for any possible weather, but then your pack weighs 35 lbs and it is so much more enjoyable carrying around a pack that weighs 25 lbs. Of course if it is between being really, really cold and carrying a 35 lbs pack....give me the 35 lbs pack!

More important is the question, do I take Kallie? And how cold is too cold for her?

Croc

Hiking with Kallie - Part 2

Ok, here are the real pictures of Kallie and her pack. I am not sure she is fully used to the pack, I think she feels she is in trouble when I put it on her.


I am sure she will like it in time.

Croc

Hiking with Kallie

What is it about a dog that makes her man's best friend? Why is it that a dog is such a wonderful and often healing companion? I am not quite sure, but I do know that my Chocolate Lab (Kallie) is that companion for me. To date, Kallie has not been hiking with us, but I sense that she really, really wants to go. I am not sure if it is because she wants to be with me or she senses there are a whole lot of sticks out on the trail that need chewing (in case you do not know Kallie, she always has a stick). The other day I received a package in the mail that will help Kallie realize her dream.

Actually this is our Pekingese Wicket, who has delusions of grandeur, he thinks that he is a big dog. Meghann thought it would be funny to send me this picture instead of a good one featuring Kallie with the pack. Pictures of Kallie with the pack to follow, and I will definitely give you all a detailed report when we return from our first trip, good.....or bad.

Croc

Hiking in Running Shoes

So, Straight Leg and I have been hiking in running shoes instead of boots and I have to tell you it has been a terrific experiment. Absolutely the only issue I have run into is wet grass, because they are simply running shoes they do not keep water out.

We used to hike in boots and there is much to be said for the ankle support and the sole protection of the boot. However, with the lightness of the running shoes and the overall comfort, our feet feel so much better upon arriving at camp.

My plan is to transition to a water-resistant or water-proof trail runner or low top hiker very soon. Probably after the winter season.

Croc

Virginia AT 09-2009: Punchbowl Shelter to US 60 -- Mile 783.9 to 795.2

Day 2 was beautiful, we packed up and headed down the trail. We were feeling the previous days hike but it really was a terrific hike. There was lots of water (something absent from day 1), bridges, educational signs, and wildlife.


There is something about waterfalls and rushing water that really speaks to me, I just love it. This was a neat area with a few camping spots.



I love educational/informational signs, there were two on this leg of the trail.


Towards the end of the trail (roughly 2 miles from our pickup point), we met up with Bike. He usually hikes in a ways and waits for us, we often are in conversation and walk right up on him before we realize it. Bike is sneaky (and quiet) like that.

I know, I know....I said wildlife earlier, but I took this picture because my oldest daughter looooooooooooooves caterpillars. She goes around the yard making "homes" for them and even knows which ones she can touch and which ones she cannot touch. This picture is for her.

Croc

Virginia AT 09-2009: James River to Punchbowl Shelter -- Mile 773.2 to 783.9

The James river is quite impressive, as is the footbridge crossing the James. Bike returned for support on the trip and let me tell you, it is so much easier when you have support. We were able to drive straight to our drop off point and head straight home from our pickup point.


The trail was wonderful and the day was beautiful. We started out about 10 with no real worry about making it to shelter before dark so we just enjoyed the hike.


There were a few vistas, however early in the day they mostly were obscured by overcast conditions and fog.


However, by midday the fog had lifted and the views looked more like this.


We also found a place to sit and enjoy the view on top of Bluff Mountain. It always amazes me how they get the building materials up on top of some of these places.

Croc

Life

Wow, this season in my life has been incredible....I truly have more fun with each passing year than the year before. Not that there are no ups and downs, but the total sum of my life is always increasing -- day by day, hour by hour.

This year alone (just to state a few) we found out we were going to have baby #3, I went on an amazing journey to Nicaragua (shameless plug for reading more of my blog inserted here), we found out the baby we were having is a boy (our first boy), my daughters amaze and astound me in so many new ways each day, I fall in love with my wife so much deeper every day, I have been able to do two really good hikes with Straight Leg (and hopefully 1 - 2 more this year), went to an awesome U2 concert with wonderful friends, and daily become more and more thankful for our wonderful church. I also recently found out that my sister-in-law, who has battled cancer for the past few years, not only can see the light at the end of the tunnel....but is about to drive out into the daylight. Visit her blog to read more of her story (http://mjwaters.blogspot.com/).

There is so much more, these are just a few, but I am just thankful for the awesome and wonderful life I have been given. I have had years where the darkness did not seem to end, and I know full well that there are trials and troubles ahead of me, but I know that like Molly Jeremiah 29:11 is always true even if we cannot visually see where it is all leading.

Croc

Drill Bit

Introducing "Drill Bit"....many of you know we have "Lil Bit" and "Bitty Bit"(see Our2Bits), now we have "Drill Bit"!

Drill Bit is very, very active and I hope will use his feet hiking with Croc someday!

Drill Bit does not like the camera!

Virginia AT 09-2009: Guessing Game

At the Punchbowl Shelter - in the picture Darth Vader, Top Dog, Thunderbird, Listener

One of the games Straight Leg and I like to play while on the trail is guessing how many people we will meet along the total hike. There are many factors that contribute to our guesses (or that is what I would like to think), where we are, what time of year it is, what direction we are heading, what is the weather forecast, how far are we hiking, and how many days are we hiking? Is this a popular weekend hike? We only count hikers with packs (not daypacks), we do not try and separate the thru-hikers from the section hikers or the weekend hikers.

I think what it probably all boils down to is; what does my gut tell me? I have found out that my gut is almost always wrong! This hike Straight Leg guessed (and I do mean guessed not estimated) that we would meet 7 hikers, I expertly guessed (and once again I do mean guessed) that we would meet 10 hikers.

When we arrived at camp on Friday I was feeling pretty good about my guess, we had met 5 hikers throughout the day and I was certain that we would meet at least 5 on Saturday. When 2 more showed up at camp bringing our total up to 7 I was not feeling so good about my guess any longer. Sure, I was certain that I would beat Straight Leg but it also meant that I had probably guessed too low like the person that guesses $1 on the price is right....just feels like cheating.

The next day we did not pass anyone for quite some time, then out of the blue groups of 2 and 3 started coming. We ended up passing 18 hikers when all was said and done, almost twice what I had expected. Most appeared to be thru-hikers heading South to Georgia, some were section hikers checking off yet another few miles of the trail. We got to chat with a few, exchanging trail names and hearing little bits of their stories....it was a good time.

Croc

Virginia AT 09/2009 - US501 (James River) to US60

Just the Three of us at the James River -- Bike, Croc, and Straight Leg


Bluff Mountain - Just two quick observations about this picture...
#1 Straight Leg looks really upset about something
#2 my hair is really out of control

I love educational opportunities -- a 300 year old Chestnut Oak!


More educational opportunities

Just thought it was cool

We love fires

Some of Straight Leg's Ink

Decompressing

I am so glad that I am hiking this weekend because I am going to need the time to sweep the cobwebs out of my head from two days of mind numbing engineering learning. Engineering is such a fun field to work in but I have to admit the knowledge part of engineering fell off the excitement wagon years ago. Although we had and engineer from NASA speak at lunch today and I have to say it was fascinating. Check out the Astronomy Picture of the Day website for more of what we talked about. I am telling you, it was pretty cool stuff.

Hiking into the Engineering Future

Off to an engineering conference....I know what you are thinking, "ooh, ooh, me please, can I come!" I just have to say there is more exciting things than hiking through the wilderness, enjoying the breeze, watching the wildlife. I mean who would not want to sit in on 8 hours of "Engineering Law" and "New technologies in concrete", I mean really riveting stuff....right?!? And as a bonus it is my birthday!

Oh well, I will do my best to not die from boredom and if I do not return send out the search party.

On a brighter note, Straight Leg and I purchased a new hiking tent today. Feast your eyes upon this awesomeness, it is a Golite Utopia 2+:

Straight Leg found it on Ebay for less than 50% of new and it weighs in at a mere 3 lbs 10 oz total!

Back to Hiking

So back to hiking, I have had an absolutely wonderful time writing about my experiences in Nicaragua and I have a few more posts to do, so I will work them into my usual hiking posts.

I was thinking today about why I love to hike and especially why I love to hike in the mountains...what I came up with surprised even me. When I really started thinking about it I decided that there are multiple reasons, each one unique and each one felt profoundly:

1. The thrill of the challenge - hiking is not easy. There are many times you are tired, hungry, and thirsty....but when you complete what you set out to do there is such a great sense of accomplishment.

2. The workout - I am an endurance junkie. I love just about every type of endurance sport....I love watching the Tour de France, the Hawaii Ironman Triathalon, I love running and biking--and hiking.

3. The solitude - when was the last time you sat down and took 30 mins or more with nothing going on? No TV, no computer, no books....nothing but your thoughts. We just do not do it in our society, we are always busy, always on the go. When you are hiking there is no reliance on time, you rise with the sun and go to sleep when you are tired. When we become still and just listen we can better hear God speaking to us, working in us. I love being still and knowing He is God.

4. The beauty of God's majesty - it is the same reason my wife loves the beach so much. I look at all that is around me, the complicated intricate beauty, with awe and wonder. I can't imagine how someone can look at this world and all that is in it and deny the existence of an intelligent designer. There are so many things showing the touch of His hand, His immense love, His sense of humor (just look at a platypus if you don't agree).

So we are planning our next hike, Straight-Leg and I are planning to hike about 22 miles. We were thinking about trying to do it in one day with limited gear but felt a more leisurely hike would be more appetizing. So we are breaking it into two days, barely 11 miles per day, although we have a long drive down and back but all in all should be a very relaxing time.

Croc

September 11

My wife's blog:

Thank You

Thank you to the men who ran up the stairs, rather than down.

Thank you to the many many workers and volunteers that searched for days.

Thank you to the city who united together in a time of great tragedy.


Thank you to all those who remember.


May we all remember the importance of each day and how fragile and unpredictable life can be.

May we all choose to live this day--each day--in order to have no regrets.

May we all go to sleep tonight knowing we have loved those in our lives completely, utterly. May we forgive those who need forgiving, ask forgiveness of those we have wronged, and accept the Forgiveness that will completely erase and remove--as far as the East is from the West--all our mistakes.

May we come to know God's love that gives us life, and life abundantly!

May we wake up tomorrow and choose to live life fully, completely. And may we wake up each day afterward with the same determination.

Want to hike with Croc and Straight Leg?

What is a typical day hiking with Croc and Straight Leg like?

Well first of all it is really boring, I mean so boring that it is more fun watching moss grow then hiking with Croc and Straight Leg . . . if they made a TV series about hiking with Croc and Straight Leg the cameramen and women would revolt, run, or fall asleep from boredom!

Here is a sampling of a typical conversation while hiking along the AT . . .

"hey Straight Leg"
"yeah Croc"
"look at that cool tree"
"sweet"

"hey Croc"
"yeah Straight Leg"
"look at that sweet rock"
"cool"

See, not very exciting...plus after several days on the trail we begin to smell really badly. You know, the whole no place to take a bath thing.

And the views, solitude, camp fires, wildlife (especially the acorn toting squirrels), sunrises, and sunsets are quite boorish also.

So as you see hiking with Croc and Straight Leg is really boring, so what about camping with Croc and Straight Leg...

Thoughts from Off the Trail

The most pervasive thought in my mind was that the trip was amazing, the time on the trail (and away from work) was so healing. The views were outstanding and the weather...despite the cold weather and high winds...was amazing, there was not a drop of rain the entire trip.

The trip enabled me to clear my mind and focus on something other than work.

What I learned:

• 17 - 18 miles a day is too much for my 33 year old flatlander knees. 10 - 12 miles a day is perfect for having time to sleep in at the beginning of the day and wind down at the end of the day.
• 1/2 pound of gorp will last 3 days.
• Shoes make great storage for acorns.
  
• 2 energy bars (I like Cliff and Odwalla) a day is good, 3 or 4 is better.
• I can get my pack weight down to 25 lbs if I need to.
• You can hike in Crocs, it is not preferable but it is possible.
  

Hogpen Gap to Blue Mountain Shelter: Mile 37 - 48

So after a hot shower, some sight seeing, a warm meal, and great conversation with Bike we headed off to dreamland in our nice warm beds...man it was nice compared to the night before. In the morning Bike cooked up some bacon and eggs with grits for breakfast, it tasted so good that it was almost the end of the hike right there -- well, not really.


Bike drove us back to Hogpen Gap where the temperature had warmed up to 27 and it was still slightly windy. Our warm breakfast was quickly becoming only a memory except for the fullness in our bellies. Straight Leg had iced down his knee really well the night before and the day started off ok with little discomfort in his knee...that would change for both of us.


For lunch we stopped along an old logging road (a section of the trail travels along an old logging road for several miles), Straight leg had been walking with one leg straight for miles. Protected from the wind the warm sunlight felt good, but it was here that I realized my heel was starting to bother me.

The remainder of the day was fairly uneventful and it was strange we had seen such little wildlife along the way so far. That is except for the acorns the squirrel so thoughtfully deposited into my shoe at Slaughter Creek.

We made it to the Blue Mountain Shelter (the shelter was very nice and well done) around 3:30 pm which gave us plenty of time to gather firewood and set up for the night. The temperatures improved greatly and the wind died down quite a bit. We built a very nice fire (our first of the hike) and ate a filling dinner. Later that evening another hiker showed up at the shelter, it was nice to have the company and conversation.


After we got in our bags for the night we heard a loud meow and a cat showed up. He evidently frequents the shelter and kept us entertained for a while.

Sassafrass Mt to Slaughter Creek: Mile 11 - 27

Ok, so I am back...yes I know that I took off almost a month and it has been almost two months since I blogged about the hike so to refresh the first day check out Mile 0 - 11.


During the night on top of Sassafrass Mt. the winds began to pick up...now I don't mean the "this is a refreshing breeze", I mean the "holy cow are we going to be blown off this mountain" type of wind.

Does Straight Leg look Cold? Did I mention that it turned really cold?

When we broke camp it was cold and blowing so hard it felt like the tent was about to take flight, so we decided to pack up and head down the trail to find a more sheltered place to eat breakfast. Once we wrestled our kite tent into the pack we hot footed it to Justus Creek for breakfast.

Into the Blood Mountain Wilderness, after a quick rest at Woody Gap.

The day's hike was fairly uneventful although there were plenty of nice views, we met Bike at Woody Gap (he brought us Dr. Peppers), and hiked pretty hard and fast...too hard and fast.


When we made it to Slaughter Creek it was about 36 degrees and the wind still felt like a tornado in a trailer park. We cooked dinner, watched the sunset, and went to bed.

I am currently taking a break from blogging because of Christmas, but I will get back to the Georgia hike in January. Hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

What's in a Name?

Ok, so queen grasshopper has been bugging me to reveal the origin of my trail name, Croc. So here it is...

Croc

I will save the explanation of the best name for last, but for now...about 50 miles into our hike I felt like I was developing a blister on my left heal, so I tried various ways to limit the discomfort. As it turned out it was not a blister but my achilles tendon becoming irritated. Over the next few miles the discomfort got progressively worse until I felt that I could not wear my hiking boot any longer...so I took it off.


My Croc was the only thing that did not rub the back of my heal, I even tried my sneakers but with little luck so I wore my Croc for about 24 miles. We were sitting around near the end of the hike trying to figure out our trail names, Joe and Pop instantly said "your name is Croc".

Straight Leg

After Day 2 Joe's knee began to bother him and the weather was turning very cold, so we called Pop and had him pick us up early that day. Joe hiked the following two days keeping his left leg completely straight to minimize the movement in his knee. There were times on the trail that this was easy and other times it was very difficult; like when the left side of the trail was higher than the right side, or when we were climbing up (or down) a mountain. This continued for almost 28 miles until his knee finally started to feel better.


Moses

Dan did not hike this portion of the AT with us but has hiked with us on another section of the AT in Virginia called Three Ridges. Dan was new to hiking but fell in love with the solitude and beauty and prior to the trip picked up a great walking staff.


And thus the biblical name of Moses, for the record we did not have problems crossing any bodies of water nor issues with pestilence.

Bike / Strap


I struggled with how to explain this name, I decided to forego the picture and simply give the following background information. My father (Pop) was kind enough to commit to supporting us in our quest of hiking the AT. He drove down with us, met us at road crossings for re-supply, brought us Dr. Pepper (yes I am addicted), and drove all around North Georgia. Pop probably knows more about North Georgia roads than he cares to. He put us up for a warm night in a cabin, met us for short hikes on the trail, transported hikers into town, and made friends with hotel owners. Bike was our invaluable "support" during our hike. His name was his own suggestion, and it was brilliant!

For those who need just a little more explanation, Bike is a brand of athletic supporter (commonly known as a jockstrap).