Okay, I admit it, I love backpacking, and I created this board just because it's something I have a personal interest in. But hey, what's wrong with that?! I'm sure I'm not the only backpacker out there! We can use this board to discuss backpacking techniques, light-weight gear, the best places to see, and, well, whatever else we want to discuss. =)

-- Ryan

Ryan was your visit to Nawlins just before you hiked the AT? I noticed a trail of boxes going up along that way on your profile. The longest trek I've ever made was75 miler in Philmont, New Mexico. How I would love to have the time to get back out there. Did you do it solo?

Boxdn

You know, it's funny, but I have no idea where Nawlins is. I'll just take your word for it that I've been there. =) I went through a lot of places on my AT trek, and I can't remember half of them unless there was something especially noteworthy about it.

I started by myself, but to say I did to 'solo' is rather a misnomer. Amanda and my mom were absolutely essential for sending off maildrops. A lot of others I met on the trail and frequently hiked with them, though not for more than a few days at a time at most. It's a different beast than had I decided to hike some other random trail by myself. There's a lot of people on the AT who are solo, and you naturally start to fall into groups along the way. Most places you backpack, that's not the case.

What in tarnation is in Philmont, New Mexico?! =)

-- Ryan

Ryan was your visit to Nawlins just before you hiked the AT?

Amanda calmly explained to me that Nawlins was southern talk for New Orleans.... (Hey, I'm not a southerner. I just thought you gusy talked funny--I didn't know you spelled funny too!)

Anyhow, yes, the New Orleans trip was on my way to the AT. Took Amtrak from California to Atlanta, and had to switch trains in the Big Easy. I got into town pretty late--around 9 or 10:00 or so, I think it was--and the train I had to catch left at some awful hour like 6:00. So I found myself with eight or so hours to kill at the train station and no other form of transportation than my feet.

And--I didn't even have a map, so I couldn't have even told you which way was north. =) I saw a building lit up with red, white, and blue--and knowing those were the colors of the French flag (who ever thought such trivia would actually be useful?), I figured that direction must be the way to the famed French Quarter, so off I went.

Planted the Cancer Corner letterbox along the way. Good times. Tried to even sleep in the park for an hour or so but the traffic was just way too loud, so I eventually went back to the train station and slept the night away. (Except for the security guy that woke me up asking if I had a ticket out of the place in the morning. *rolling eyes*)

That was my whole New Orleans experience, but I really do need to get back someday and explore the area (and state!) in more depth.

Happy trails!

-- Ryan

Well we have to spell things so northerns will know how to talk. :) I always like it when down in the quarter and someone says 'Nu Or Leans'. If you ever make it down here again let me know ahead of time and I'll escort you around this crazy town.

Philmont is a Boy Scout ranch in New Mexico that is the holy grail of scouting. I was a service project away from getting my Eagle scout when I turned 18. The hike I did in Philmont took us through 75 miles of the New Mexico back country. We shot black powder rifles, panned for gold and repelled a 200' cliff. The only expeirence that ties with that would have to be canoeing a river in Maine and having a mouse raise his head out the water right in front us, river weed hanging from his horns. This hobby has really got me back to doing the things I enjoy, being outdoors.

Steve

Hey guys-
I'm already SO behind on the boards here- I love all the new stuff! Just found this board- I LOVE backpacking, and though Billy and I haven't done a whole lot for a few years now, we try to keep a toe in and keep dreaming about doing long trips again. (as in, 4-6 days - even when we had time to go backpacking, that was about as long as we could be gone!) Maybe one day we'll through-hike the AT, but in the meantime we have done it in sections. We have completed everything from the approach trail to Springer all the way to Fontana Dam, but that's as far as we've done. (Doesn't look like a lot on my AT map, but felt like a lot! :)

Have either of you guys ever hiked much with kids? We've snagged a great frame backpack carrier for little Simon, and I bet he'll be a trooper in the woods, (I hope!) :), but we haven't been camping with him yet. Any tips?
Thanks,
KitCat

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Have either of you guys ever hiked much with kids?

Sorry, I haven't done that before, though I do remember backpacking up to Half Dome with my dad when I was just a youngin. =) I learned that twenty-year-old MREs are NOT good grub for the trail!

If you get him a backpack someday (not to put him in, but for him to carry!), I've heard you should be sure to get an adjustable backpack that can grow with him. Those fancy, expensive backpacks with adjustable everything are pretty silly for an adult whose size doesn't change much (and add extra, unnecessary weight to the pack), but if the tike is growing, it makes sense to have a backpack that can be adjusted as his size changes. (Then after he stops growing, sell it on eBay and buy a pack without all the adjustable stuff.)

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We have completed everything from the approach trail to Springer all the way to Fontana Dam, but that's as far as we've done. (Doesn't look like a lot on my AT map, but felt like a lot! :)

Boy howdy, do I remember how much my feet were hurting by the time I reached Fontana Dam! Imagine you ARE doing a thru-hike and look at one of those maps. It can be dispiriting to look at that three-foot tall map and see that after all that effort, you're only three inches off the bottom of the map. As they say.... slow and steady wins the race!

-- Ryan

Slow and steady indeed, Mr Tortuga! ;) That's a rough patch those first three inches, too- not only are you just getting into the groove of one foot in front of the other, but it can be a really grueling induction to boot. (he he, sorry, bad pun intended) Still, I'd do it all over again! The payoffs might be minimalistic sometimes, but they are rich as hell. :)

KitCat

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That's a rough patch those first three inches, too- not only are you just getting into the groove of one foot in front of the other, but it can be a really grueling induction to boot.

You know, I kind of feel sorry for section hikers sometimes when I was on the trail. Physically, it's the first month on the trail that's the toughest. Breaking yourself in. Building up endurance. After that, you've reached your peak, can hike tall mountains while bearly breaking a sweat, and pound out 20+ miles of hiking day after day. But that first month, getting yourself broken in, that's the hard part. By the time I was on the trail two months, you'd see section hikers who planned to do the hike four or five hundred miles at a time. It seems a waste to build your body up to that level of endurance and strength, to let it waste away and have to start over again the next year. Section hikers definitely aren't doing the whole Appalachian Trail the easy way!

Plus the additional complications in getting yourself to and from remote locations along the trail every year. I just had to get myself to the trail and back once, not year after year.

If someone is planning to do the whole trail, I'd definitely recommend to do it all in one shot if they can make the time for it. In the end, it's a lot easier that way!

-- Ryan

Yup, no kidding! We're well aware we're at a disadvantage doing the trail in bits and pieces. It takes us the whole trip just to start getting back in the groove, and then we have to rejoin civilization (hardly having had the chance to forget it) and start all over again next trip.

We probably should have through-hiked when I was in college, but then again Billy already had so many bills (mortgage, utilities, insurance, etc) that it was hard for him to get away. Now though, we have Simon- and a toddler on a through-hike is more than I'd be willing to tackle! Maybe when we're old and grey. :) Until then, we take little bites. (But as the unhiked portions get farther North from us, we will have to plan longer hikes to make it worth the travel.

Of course, any old overnight trip would do right about now!! It's been far too long. . .

KitCat

It can be done. I read about it all the time. In fact, I just read an article in the Washington Trails Assoc. magazine about a family that did a 3 day trip with their toddler in the backpack carrier. One parent carried Junior and the other carried the majority of the gear. It was their first trip since having the baby and it went really well for them (good weather was key)

You might want to do a "shakedown cruise" of car camping to see how Simon does in the wild. Do some long day hikes with Simon on your back and stay in the tent overnight. If all is well, go for it!!

-Amanda from Seattle

Sorry, no experience with kids and camping but Amanda sounds like she's on the right track. I haven't been on an extended camping trip since I was a teen (34 now). The longest I've been on the trail is 13 days 75 miles. Every other day we barely hiked so that we could take part in activies like repelling, black powder muskets, panning for gold, flymaking and fishing. My future plan is to hike the Grand Cayon again but this time rim to rim.

Boxdn

I LOVE to backpack
but being a mom and I do not think hubby 'really' wants to backpack, I am chicken to take my kids out there. I don't mind runnin into a bear, but having children with you,'yikes,
or a cougar.
I have had bear experiences backpackin,
the black bear wasnt anything, but our near grizzly experience, well that left me a bit more cautious.
hmm,
hoping to this year pair up with another mom and her kids,
so we shall see

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the black bear wasnt anything, but our near grizzly experience, well that left me a bit more cautious.

I'm happy to report that most parts of the country don't have grizzlies, so they should be easy enough to avoid. ;o)

I've never managed to see a grizzly in the wild--not even on my Yellowstone backpacking trip many moons ago--but I can't even count the number of black bears I've seen and they've never been a big deal. Far more scared of me than I was of them. Black bears get a bad rap, if you ask me.

Happy trails!

-- Ryan

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I am chicken to take my kids out there.

If you want to do some armchair backpacking with your kids, check out "Scraping Heaven" by Cindy Ross. She and her husband hiked the Continental Divide Trail with their TODDLERS and a team of llamas over three years. They had some hairy experiences (not the least of which were the diapers) but I've met the kids and they are much more interesting than I was at that (or any other) age.

Rob

ha!
I never said my fears are founded,
really.
I have crossed paths with black bears many times too,
but with other adults or myself. no problem,
just something about being a mom I guess.
As for the grizzly,
well, we didn't see it, but it's track was fresh and it was very harrowing...
nevetheless, a wonderful experience (Stein Valley)!!
I know there ain't no grizzlies near here,
anyways,
thanks
I will take a look at that book mind you
sounds great
hoping this is the yearwe get out there.!!

hey Ryan,
did you ever do the Pacific Crest Trail?
a friend down the road,
also with the name Ryan (major hiker!!!) did it last year over 4 months
from Canada to Mexico.
He's been to Peru, and other places
currently taking mountaineering guiding course
from what I hear of you , you two remind me of each other
He lives for the outdoors, and that is his goal!!!

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did you ever do the Pacific Crest Trail?

Nope, though that's the next thing I'd like to try. =) I've even had dreams of me starting out on the PCT. Though in my dream, I somehow forgot to bring food and ended up having to hike into a trail town the first day to resupply. I hope when it comes to doing the real thing I don't make such a silly mistake. *smirk* =)

-- Ryan

I just noticed this book on Amazon.com called Backpacking With Babies and Small Children.

I haven't looked at it myself, and the reviews on Amazon.com range from 1 star to 5 stars, so some people seem to think it's the best book since that one about sliced bread while others think, well, that it's not. =)

But if you get a chance to check it out, it might be something you're interested in.

Happy trails!

-- Ryan

My dh TRKEE is an Eagle Scout and spent mucho time at Philmont, too. He has lots of great memories of it. Of course, us 'non-BSAers' will just never know what it's like. I'll always have my (as of today) 17 years' of military experiences to help fill in some of the gaps. ;) Sounds like a great adventure!!! What a gorgeous spot on the globe, nonetheless! dvn2r ckr

For the past 6 years I've ONLY backpacked/camped with kids--so I'm starting to forget what life was like pre-kids in tow. I haven't attempted long overnight/multi-night treks with the kids as it's usually just the kids and me alone--as dh has an intense work schedule that precludes him from joining us very often (not that the 7,000 mile separation has anything to do with this). So, as of now, I've done a lot of tent/car camping alone with the kids as we navigate the roads around the country. We get our hiking 'distance' in by seeking out multiple letterboxes in a day in a specific region--the car jaunts to the various starting points for other letterboxes usually give the kids enough time for a quick nap and an opportunity to recharge their batteries--so they can 'hang' with Mom on the longer hikes. When Dad returns from his 'big adventure' then we'll attempt some of the longer multi-day camping/backpacking adventures.

My dream is the Pacific Coastal Trail--someday...

dvn2r ckr

aha!
okay
I guess the real 'dilemna' is how to I convince my DH this is the way to go!?!
Hmm
dvn2rkr
if u r ever in the Pacific Southwest teehee, meaning BCCanada, we'd love to meet you
you can camp in our back yard even, we live on the ocean
thanks all for the ideas
Pilgrimsinthisland

The June issue had an interesting but disturbing article regarding air pollution in some of our National Parks. Besides ruining the views, air pollution makes visiting difficult for the very young, the very old and people with breathing problems such as asthma. Here are the national parks with the most Unhealthy Air Days from 1999-2003:

Days Parks

305 Sequoia and Kings Canyon California
138 Joshua Tree California
102 Great Smoky Mountains N. Carolina and Tenn.
48 Yosemite California
36 Shenandoah Virginia
30 Mammoth Caves Kentucky
27 Acadia Maine
13 Rocky Mountain Colorado
? Death Valley California and Nevada
? Congaree S. Carolina

The worst thing is....a lot of the pollution is NOT from the surrounding area but as a result of atmospheric conditions bringing in pollution from other areas...sometimes very far away. Some Texas parks are suffering from pollution thought to be from the Ohio River Valley! Of course sprawl, coal burning power plants and our dependency on oil has a lot to do with it as well.

A recommended read.

Lock Wench

Just read all your upbeat posts AFTER posting my "downer" one about the National Parks.. Eeek! Seriously, was just trying to make fellow backpackers aware of this....as I had no idea. Noticed visability was down in some parks, but that was about it.

I am a long time backpacker who set it aside because of illness and am now trying to get myself back into shape enough to enjoy it again. Started doing short hikes and am now doing a little longer ones with more grade variances. Still dealing with annoying "disco legs" but I guess that's to be expected. I would be interested in hearing from anyone else who has recovered from illness and started a hiking regimen.

Lock Wench

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2005/07/10/news/news04.txt

Hit by a train at 3:10 in the morning. Hmm.... Me thinks he may have had a bit too much to drink. Thru-hikers don't generally hang out on the tracks at that time of night. Tis a shame, though.... To make it so far then get himself killed. *shaking head*

-- Ryan

How cool is this?


http://www.syracuse.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/national-49/112382887381500.xml&storylist=national

How soon before there is a Whiskeytown Box!?
;-)

That's what I am wondering...will there even be a TRAIL before a box is planted? *grin*

A couple years ago I had a letterbox on that very creek (Whiskey Box #3 from Feb 03 on a different 'little known' falls)--unfortunately, it went missing and I retired it. That's cool, I didn't know about these falls. The only reason I knew about the falls where I'd hidden the box is because I overheard the rangers talking among themselves about these cool falls that were off the beaten path. I begged them for info on it and they gave me the directions.

Let's be careful out there...

http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050823/NEWS01/508230332/1002

That's a shame because that's a very cool area in which to camp and hike if you stay on the trail.