Welcome to the AppalachianTrailCafe.net!
Take a moment and register and then join the conversation

Took a walk today

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.

    • Walked 15 miles today on the Arkansas River Trail and had something new happen. It was 95* with a heat index of 103*. I should been well hydrated drinking 4 litres of water and Propel (electolytes). What was new was all of the salt crystals on my legs.

      Anyone else experience this before?
      Images
      • 20190915_163953.jpg

        61.84 kB, 450×600, viewed 382 times
      • 20190915_163949.jpg

        46.69 kB, 450×600, viewed 342 times
      • 20190915_180953.jpg

        54.01 kB, 800×600, viewed 356 times
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Astro ().

    • Had the chance to walk a little on the AT today around Wayah Bald Fire Tower.
      Images
      • 20191011_160902.jpg

        127.52 kB, 800×600, viewed 306 times
      • 20191011_160909.jpg

        127.51 kB, 800×600, viewed 345 times
      • 20191011_160939.jpg

        131.33 kB, 800×600, viewed 334 times
      • 20191011_161022.jpg

        68.81 kB, 450×600, viewed 302 times
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Kathy, me, and our dog did about 6 miles today walking around the lake in a local county park.
      I was raining lightly at the start and got heavier as the time went on.
      My Marmot Precip rain jacket and Seattle Sombrero rain hat by Outdoor Research did the trip and kept me warm and dry.
      I only got cold when we stopped in one of the shelters to eat lunch.
      It was kind of nice in the rain as we only encountered 2 other people in a park that usually has a lot more.
      We did see some swans, ducks, geese and deer. Our poor dog, Tora, wanted to chase the deer in the worst way.
      But that's why we keep her leashed, or we'd never see her again because she'd love to chase any thing she could.
    • Walked 5 miles around the neighborhood with a pack and had a first today. I have had all kinds of people stop and and roll down the window to talk to me including law enforcement officers (even a motorcycle officer answering a 911 call about a suspicious person), coworkers, neighbors, and older women wanting to know if I needed anything (assuming I was homeless). But today a truck stopped and it was one of my former baseball players from over 6 years ago. Of course he wasn't even driving back then. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Well, well, well, how quickly life changes! My house is under contract and I just spent several days hiking on the AT near SNP.

      Parking next to the popcorn place at Rockfish Gap, I hiked to Paul Wolfe shelter for the night. The next morning, I found out the plans with my daughter had fallen through so taking advantage of the situation but only having food for one night, I swallowed my pride and bummed food from hikers at the shelter. They were very gracious but it felt really weird.

      Day 2 I hiked south and explored some side trails before returning to the shelter. Rain was forecast so I stayed in the shelter last night, along with 7 other hikers... 2 section hikers, 3 nobos, and 2 sobos. It was a lot of fun...too much fun. :)

      I really enjoyed meeting a young, nobo hiker who had an amazing outlook on life. We had a great discussion and it reminded me that my attitude the past few months hasn’t been great and I need to work on that. After the rain stopped, we hiked out at the same time so I drove us into Waynesboro and treated us to lunch before parting ways.

      Fall colors were incredible.

      I really needed this. I hiked about 20 miles, met some great people, and got an attitude adjustment. It will get me through the next crazy month of packing and moving...if the deal goes through (don’t count your chickens...)
      Lost in the right direction.
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      Well, well, well, how quickly life changes! My house is under contract and I just spent several days hiking on the AT near SNP.

      Parking next to the popcorn place at Rockfish Gap, I hiked to Paul Wolfe shelter for the night. The next morning, I found out the plans with my daughter had fallen through so taking advantage of the situation but only having food for one night, I swallowed my pride and bummed food from hikers at the shelter. They were very gracious but it felt really weird.

      Day 2 I hiked south and explored some side trails before returning to the shelter. Rain was forecast so I stayed in the shelter last night, along with 7 other hikers... 2 section hikers, 3 nobos, and 2 sobos. It was a lot of fun...too much fun. :)

      I really enjoyed meeting a young, nobo hiker who had an amazing outlook on life. We had a great discussion and it reminded me that my attitude the past few months hasn’t been great and I need to work on that. After the rain stopped, we hiked out at the same time so I drove us into Waynesboro and treated us to lunch before parting ways.

      Fall colors were incredible.

      I really needed this. I hiked about 20 miles, met some great people, and got an attitude adjustment. It will get me through the next crazy month of packing and moving...if the deal goes through (don’t count your chickens...)
      Wish I had known you were there, I was just up there Wednesday. Would have been nice to meet.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • jimmyjam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      Well, well, well, how quickly life changes! My house is under contract and I just spent several days hiking on the AT near SNP.

      Parking next to the popcorn place at Rockfish Gap, I hiked to Paul Wolfe shelter for the night. The next morning, I found out the plans with my daughter had fallen through so taking advantage of the situation but only having food for one night, I swallowed my pride and bummed food from hikers at the shelter. They were very gracious but it felt really weird.

      Day 2 I hiked south and explored some side trails before returning to the shelter. Rain was forecast so I stayed in the shelter last night, along with 7 other hikers... 2 section hikers, 3 nobos, and 2 sobos. It was a lot of fun...too much fun. :)

      I really enjoyed meeting a young, nobo hiker who had an amazing outlook on life. We had a great discussion and it reminded me that my attitude the past few months hasn’t been great and I need to work on that. After the rain stopped, we hiked out at the same time so I drove us into Waynesboro and treated us to lunch before parting ways.

      Fall colors were incredible.

      I really needed this. I hiked about 20 miles, met some great people, and got an attitude adjustment. It will get me through the next crazy month of packing and moving...if the deal goes through (don’t count your chickens...)
      Wish I had known you were there, I was just up there Wednesday. Would have been nice to meet.
      I should have contacted you and considered it when trying to plan my second day and figure out the food situation. Initially, I planned to continue south as far as I could go then hitch back to the car but worried about trying to hitch in a downpour. I thought about asking you for help but then decided to weather the rain in the shelter. I’ll definitely let you know next time! I think you would have enjoyed the group of hikers staying at the shelter and campsites.
      Lost in the right direction.
    • jimmyjam wrote:

      Wish I had known you were there, I was just up there Wednesday. Would have been nice to meet.
      I really enjoyed getting to meet JJ back at SNP in 2015. The only downside is he wanted to give me trail magic with food and I had just got a resupply that was supposed to last me a week to Harpers Ferry. And my left arm was in a sling (from tearing my rotator cuff) and I really didn't want to add much more weight. Fortunately I took some propel packs (never had it before then), and still consistently use the stuff. :)
      That was also the day I first met Blissful while JJ was letting me slack pack. Ran into her again we were at Gravel Springs at the end of SNP.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • max.patch wrote:

      i was planning on hiking up to long creek falls and the cemetary and bringing home some barbeque to eat while watching game 7, but i'ts raining all day today and tomorrow so that got canned. still gonna watch game 7 -- but with no barbeque. :(
      No other decent BBQ nearby?
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      i was planning on hiking up to long creek falls and the cemetary and bringing home some barbeque to eat while watching game 7, but i'ts raining all day today and tomorrow so that got canned. still gonna watch game 7 -- but with no barbeque. :(
      No other decent BBQ nearby?
      yeah...but it's not the same. besides, bbq isn't exactly a health food -- and if i limit it to hiking trips i eat it less often.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      i was planning on hiking up to long creek falls and the cemetary and bringing home some barbeque to eat while watching game 7, but i'ts raining all day today and tomorrow so that got canned. still gonna watch game 7 -- but with no barbeque. :(
      No other decent BBQ nearby?
      yeah...but it's not the same. besides, bbq isn't exactly a health food -- and if i limit it to hiking trips i eat it less often.
      I’ve gotten in the habit of stopping at Due South BBQ when traveling to and from Lititz Pa. it’s amazing! And if their parking lot is full, I go to the fantastic drive-up burger place next door. Can’t recommend those two places enough...near Christiansburg I think...right off the I-81 so very convenient.
      Lost in the right direction.
    • Astro wrote:

      Had the chance to walk a little on the AT today around Wayah Bald Fire Tower.
      I'm so glad that even though I only have half hour to get ready to meet up with some friends, that I came to this thread. Supposed to go hiking and I just was not motivated at all, but this page has me chomping at the bit. Thanks fellow hikers!

      My sister wants me to hike with her in late March in KY but I'm totally rethinking that as MARCH MADNESS!!! And your pics have me thinking that if my team goes to the Final 4 (and hopefully the NC game . . . and cuts down the nets; it's been 20 yrs after all), that on the way back (Atlanta), I'll stop in Franklin and hike up to Wayah Bald and maybe a little further.
    • Well, I ended up having a terrific time!!! So, Muchas Gracias to all you great Cafe walker/posters!!!

      Hiked 4.3 miles at Proud Lake State Recreation Area

      Not sure if there were any hunters out and about but wore the very colorful balaclava that my husband gave me last Christmas. When I opened the gift, I thought WTF because it was so garish but I wasn't thinking ahead to hiking during hunting season.
      Saw a little owl in a tree

      Took this pic from a bridge over a marshy area; there were interesting patterns in the ice


      So great to get out in the fresh air!
    • Black Friday walk up Camel's Hump in Vermont...


      Yup, took the Burrows Trail. I don't usually Winter Hike, and it is winter in the mountains of Vermont, so this was a bit of an experiment for me.


      There was once a hut at this site, just a few hundred more feet to go to the summit. I considered turning back here because I was so ill-equipped for a winter hike. Just put together layers from the clothes I had packed for a Thanksgiving visit at my daughter's and my emergency hat and gloves in the trunk of my car. Fortunately I had my Irish wool sweater with me and once I put a light wind-jacket over that it was amazingly warm.


      Only the last hundred feet or so are truly exposed, but the second I stepped into the wind things turned cold fast. It was about 10 degrees with wind gusts around 25 mph. I took my gloves off to work my metal camera and my fingers turned to ice instantly.

      So I basically just tagged the summit and turned around fast. No views, everything was clouded in. I would have liked to have gotten some artistic photos at the summit, the rime ice on the trees looked really beautiful, but I was freezing and the day was late.


      Because I was late in the day I had the summit to myself. There was a good crowd heading down when I was heading up. They might have been a little concerned seeing a guy in an irish sweater and cotton dockers heading up, but they did not say anything. Truthfully the layers I put together worked fine except I really could have used cold-weather gloves and a full-face balaclava.



      Conclusion: A much better way to spend 'Black Friday' than going to the mall.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • It takes some skill to photograph snow and record the details of form, texture and shade that you see in person. All I know is I don't have it, but I would like to figure it out.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • IMScotty wrote:

      It takes some skill to photograph snow and record the details of form, texture and shade that you see in person. All I know is I don't have it, but I would like to figure it out.
      Perhaps you don't have it, but you sure have a lot more of it than I do! Thanks for sharing with us. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • My daughter, wife, dog and I did a 3-mile loop at Gifford Pinchot State Park on Friday afternoon. We finished up at dusk, then went out for sushi. A nice way to spend Black Friday.

      The dog did at least 6 miles - out & back, side to side, and the occasional sprint after a squirrel. She slept well.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • i did a short hike sunday from 3 forks to long creek falls and then on to the cemetary where i had lunch and then returned. probably 4 miles round trip. the falls had more volume than usual for this time of year. wore shorts in december! really nice day.

      anyway, i helped a woman and her daughter on their first ever AT backpacking trip (and 4th hike ever) get off the trail. they waaaay overestimated how far they could get -- it would have been impossible for them to get to their car before dark -- assuming they could have even walked that far which was doubtful. that's the 3rd group i've helped in probably the last 15 years get off the trail; all in the first 15 miles. the others were both injury related.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      i did a short hike sunday from 3 forks to long creek falls and then on to the cemetary where i had lunch and then returned. probably 4 miles round trip. the falls had more volume than usual for this time of year. wore shorts in december! really nice day.

      anyway, i helped a woman and her daughter on their first ever AT backpacking trip (and 4th hike ever) get off the trail. they waaaay overestimated how far they could get -- it would have been impossible for them to get to their car before dark -- assuming they could have even walked that far which was doubtful. that's the 3rd group i've helped in probably the last 15 years get off the trail; all in the first 15 miles. the others were both injury related.
      You are a true trail angel. :thumbup:
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Kathy and I went out for a short hike on the Long Island Greenbelt trail this afternoon.
      We hadn't been on this section of the trail in a few years and were pleasantly surprised to find that part of it had been relocated from a road to property of a local preserve. Our dog, Tora, was very interested in todays walk as we saw lots of deer. and relaxing
      The weather was about perfect with temperature in the high 30s/low 40s with no wind and the sky was a few clouds in a very blue sky.
      We had no particular goal or distance in mind and just took an easy and relaxed walk.
      We both came home feeling much more relaxed than when we started so I'm calling the hike a success.



    • i went hiking Christmas at Kennesaw Mountain. Chose the toughest loop (7.5 miles) as a test of my back and knee. Back is great -- doing PT instead of surgery was the right decision -- and knee was better than expected. Biggest complaint was actually my conditioning. Anyway, about 3 miles from the road someone decorated a tree. I've had my fitbit a couple weeks now; this was my first 20,000 step day and I supposedly climbed more than 100 floors. (I have doubts about the accuracy of the stair counting based on "normal days" but the steps when hiking is in line with other things I've used.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 3 times, last by max.patch ().

    • I use one pole. I heard on the sat radio exercise and nutrition show that Fitbit doesn't register steps when you are pushing a shopping cart. The mileage Fitbit showed on this walk was what I expected it to be. Made sure I had the GPS option on. It still doesn't work right inside the Y (no poles used inside).

      edit to add: the Fitbit is on my non-pole hand so it should get a normal arm motion.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().

    • It was a beautiful day here on Long Island so Kathy, me and our dog went for a little walk.
      We decided on the Plainview Loop, a 5ish miles on a suburban trail that is rarely out of sight or sound of the roads, highways, houses and industrial buildings of the area. At least we got out for a walk. And the day was so nice that we decided to make the drive to the parking lot in Kathy's old 1978 Volkswagen bus. Fun on 2 fronts :)
    • We, Kathy, me, and our dog, spent New Year day taking a walk north on New York's Long Path.
      We didn't get to bed as early as planned last night so we didn't get up today as early as planned so we started walking later than planned.
      We drove up to the town of Nyack and parked in a McDonalds parking lot despite numerous signs warning that the lot was for customers and others would be towed. We took the chance this time and won. The day was totaly overcast with gray skies, the temperature went to the high 30s but a stiff wind made it feel significantly colder. Also, we did get some snow flurries. At the farthest we were in Rockland County Park where there we some pretty good hills. The high points gave us some good views of the Hudson River and the new Tapen Zee bridge. Basically our route paralleled the river but it wasn't always visible. We took a break in the park and found a place out of the wind to take a lunch break. We then headed south and retraced our steps back to where we had started.
      The walk turned out to be 7.82 miles round trip with 2106 feet of elevation gain.
      Maybe the best part was that traffic was very, very reasonable with not so much as a slow down.
      HAPPY NEW YEAR !