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Post by phillydude on Sept 30, 2021 0:49:19 GMT
Rest day from training today. A few weeks ago, I turned my left ankle pretty well (twice in a ten minute period TBH), so whenever I start to feel a tweak, I try to take a minute and make sure I'm good. I'll get out and walk tomorrow, I'm sure.
I am gradually filling my pack with the gear I am taking, so I'll probably get an early morning outing with a full load-out early next week. In fact, I am thinking of starting out before dawn and using my headlamp for the early part of the walkabout.
I also made a reservation to camp overnight at a state park in Delaware in two weeks. All total, it looks like there are 9-10 miles of trails, so I plan to get there early in the day, hike for several hours, and then set up camp as if I had done a day on the AT. Wake up, pack up, drive home and go to work. Only an hour away.
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Post by phillydude on Oct 4, 2021 12:22:53 GMT
Got out a few times since my last post... it was a pretty busy weekend at work. As of this morning, my pack weighs 22.8 lbs, and that's with everything except food (but does include a liter of water, which weighs 2.2 lbs). All I need to do is finalize my food options and I will be at full load-out weight in my pack. Overall, the target is to be around 25 lbs.
I bought a new iPhone 13 (mini) for the trip... it's the first time in my life that I've had a state-of-the-art, just-released phone, and while I haven't powered it on yet, I was surprised to see that a price tag of $1100, it didn't come with headphones (or even the power block... just the cable to connect it). I am very curious to see how much better the photo/video quality is (compared to my current iPhone 8).
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Post by phillydude on Oct 5, 2021 13:49:11 GMT
6.5 miles this morning with the pack. At the six mile point, I said to myself "Yeah... I could do this all day." So having said that, I think I'm ready from a physical standpoint, barring any issues with my feet/ankles/knees/back/etc LOL. Pace was an average of 3.5 miles per hour.
I had dinner last night with a buddy down here who has backpacked more than I have (then again, my wife has more miles on the AT than I do at this point) and he gave me some tips. One of the things I had never considered was regarding pooping in the woods. I know the process (basically you dig a hole and poop in it and then cover it back up) but he suggested that you shouldn't pee in the same hole you poop in.... reason being that the extra fluid will make the ground muddy, and therefore instead of a nice solid pack-down when you bury it, you end up with a soupy poop/pee/dirt mixture that isn't the best option.
My planned route gives me access to an actual bathroom every day, so I'm hoping not to have to take his advices...
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Post by macdiver on Oct 5, 2021 17:55:01 GMT
I watched this last night and thought you might be interested. She is one of the YouTubers I watch. Normally she use modern gear. youtu.be/rpxVRCCxWco
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Post by phillydude on Oct 5, 2021 18:18:08 GMT
I watched this last night and thought you might be interested. She is one of the YouTubers I watch. Normally she use modern gear.
Dixie's was one of the first "backpacker/hiker" channels I subscribed to. She is always on point, although most of her gear is out of my budget LOL.
I distinctly remember one video where she compared three different "puffy coats" (parkas) that she owned. All three were priced over $500.
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Post by phillydude on Oct 6, 2021 22:08:51 GMT
I distinctly remember one video where she compared three different "puffy coats" (parkas) that she owned. All three were priced over $500.
And with that said, I went to the Columbia outlet last night and bought myself a new puffy coat for the trip. It was on clearance for $25.
In other news, I moved my "practice" camping trip back a week, and will be going out for a final shake-down on the Tuesday before I leave.
The forecast for next Tuesday is 80 during the day and 60 at night. On the day I am now going, they are calling for 65 day and 45 night... more what I had in mind.
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Post by phillydude on Oct 16, 2021 11:13:58 GMT
I went for a 13 mile walk with my pack (weighing 25lbs) on Tuesday... I went to Atlantic City to watch the Ravens game on Monday Night Football and to see my sister-in-law's new condo, which is in the old Ritz-Carlton on the boardwalk next to the Tropicana. I walked from there to where the boardwalk ends in Absecon, and then cut through the bay neighborhoods to connect with the "Sculpture Trail" that goes from the Golden Nugget to the Borgata. Despite the name, I saw no sculptures... looked like they had all been removed (maybe part of the recent movement to remove statues from public places?). Anyway, it was a good out-and-back hike, and took me four hours.
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Post by phillydude on Oct 21, 2021 12:27:50 GMT
I went backpacking on Tuesday... drove to a State Park in Delaware (Killens Pond) and hiked about six miles with a completely full pack. Then set up camp, made/ate dinner, and went to sleep. Temps at night were in the mid-50's... not quite as cold as it will be next week, but still it was a great test for everything. I did some things that I hadn't ever done before (hang a bear bag, dip/filter water from a creek, cooked a backpacking meal, etc)... most of it in the twilight/darkness. I also found eliminated a few things from my pack that I now realize I'm not going to use.
Along those lines, I decided not to video the trip for YouTube... it just takes too much time to set-up the shots, and would add a lot of extra walking as well. I'll probably snap pictures and shoot footage for my own memories and to share with friends etc, but full-blown production-type videos won't happen on this trip. I had been really torn between living in the moment and capturing the moment, and decided that the former will be the way to go. I also decided that I am going to bring my headphones and listen to satellite radio when I want some background music, but I'm not taking any other media on my phone.
I did receive my new iPhone 13 mini and have it set up on my main number, but I will be hiking with it in airplane mode and only using it as a camera during the trip (although I will check it once a day). My old iPhone 8 is now connected to my secondary number, and I will use that for streaming (Sirius XM) and tracking (All Trails) as well as emergency/check-in calls from those people who know that number (my family).
So that's pretty much it before I go... I have a few last minute things to acquire/projects to finish, but that list is short and I'm going to knock them out today. We leave for Harper's Ferry on Saturday by way of Gettysburg (to visit Son #2 for Parents Weekend), I start my hike on Sunday, and will leave behind civilization for good on Monday morning. I'm probably going to finish up the 100 miles on Friday morning... I could probably push it on Thursday and finish, but then we would have to drive back home in the dark (and tired). But I'm leaving it up to the trail.. as the saying goes, plan your hike carefully and then be prepared to abandon that plan at any minute based on what the trail gives you.
Finally, I hope you all know that I will be walking a mile for each of you on the way... as friends who have shared many endurance adventures with me over the years, the things I have gained from your support and things I have learned from training for and finishing many runs and races with you all have been a strong source of comfort and inspiration along the way, and I'm sure this journey will be yet another epic adventure.
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Post by shamie on Oct 21, 2021 14:06:32 GMT
Good luck. What kind of terrain is it?
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Post by macdiver on Oct 22, 2021 19:44:01 GMT
Have a great hike.
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Post by seltzer on Oct 23, 2021 18:21:21 GMT
Enjoy your hike and I wish you much success. Phil, you were the one who encouraged me to start running marathons and for that I'll be eternally grateful. Also, although I'll be rooting for you the whole way, please designate mile 24 as the one we virtually do together.
Looking forward to the recap upon your return.
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Post by phillydude on Oct 25, 2021 21:33:46 GMT
Well... that ended badly. I'll try to link the All-Trails recording here, which has an amazing amount of data, including splits, elevation, etc: Appalachian Trail - Snickers Gap to (almost) Harper's FerryAnyway, long story short, I completed about 19 miles of the Appalachian Trail on Sunday. I was not prepared for the terrain (mostly uneven, rocky surfaces) or the amount of climbing/descending the hike would entail. Neither of those things I could have trained for, given the local topography and land surfaces where I live. Right from the start (which was a long, five mile climb) my legs didn't feel right. My thighs weren't burning (like they would during a long run) but more felt like they could cramp up at any moment. I didn't pay it any mind... I knew I was well-hydrated, and had two liters of water in my pack. My goal was to complete 20 miles, but about 15 miles in, I started feeling "not right"... just a little dizzy at first, then slightly sick to my stomach. I thought it was from the gatorade packets I had been drinking all day, worried about cramping. I also started sweating a lot, even though the temps were relatively cool (mid-60's). By mile 18, I knew I was in trouble. I started getting really cold, the dizziness increased, and the daylight was almost gone... yet the next mile was a steep downhill on loose rocks. But I pushed it, and made sight of the Shenandoah River... and puked. Not good. It was now fully dark, and to continue I would have to descend two steep flights of stairs with no handrail, cross under a four lane highway bridge, then ascend another two flights to get back to bridge level and the pedestrian walkway, then hike another mile into town. With as bad as I felt, that wasn't an option. So I stumbled off the trail for about fifty yards (I could see where the bridge ended and rejoined the land off to my right) hiking through some thick brush, got to the side of the highway/bridge, and called my wife to come get me. By the time she arrived (maybe 20 minutes later) I was shivering uncontrollably, despite putting on another shirt. Somewhere in that last mile, I had lost my watch, accidentally ripping it off my arm at some point. I was sitting on a concrete barrier as cars and trucks zoomed by. It took an hour at the hotel to stop shaking. But... I survived. There's a name for it... I looked it up: PEES Post Extreme Endurance Syndrome
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Post by seltzer on Oct 26, 2021 12:02:25 GMT
Oh man, I'm sorry you had that experience. I hope you're feeling well enough to continue your journey.
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Post by phillydude on Oct 26, 2021 12:12:52 GMT
Some more stats for the record. When I left, I weighed 170lbs dressed to hike, including my boots. With the addition of my fully-loaded pack (not including any food or water), I weighed 195lbs, resulting in a pack weight of 25lbs. After I filled my water bottles and included my food (which was carried in two standard size Nalgene-type bottles, a roll-top storage sack, and a waist pack), the total scale weight (at the start of the trip) was 203lbs, meaning I was carrying a 33lb pack (load-out weight).
I'm sure I'll be posting more this week, as I returned to MD with my wife yesterday instead of continuing on my journey. There were many reasons that went into that decision beyond the medical issues from Sunday's hike. My plan had been to cover slightly shorter distances (between 17-18 miles) for the rest of the trip, and to push it out to Friday (with that being a 5-6 mile day to meet up with my son, who was going to drive me home). Given the difficulty I was having with the terrain (my left ankle is still weak, and there were several times I almost rolled it) and the amount of climbing/descending I would have had to do every day, it didn't seem like it was going to get any better.
In addition, the weather on Monday was forecast to be hotter (in the mid-70's) during the day, followed by steady rain all night. That proved to be true, which would have meant for a long, sweaty day and an even more uncomfortable evening. Add in the fact that I never tested my tent in the rain to make sure it didn't leak, and that my primary sleeping system included a down quilt (instead of a traditional sleeping bag) which would become useless for warmth if it got wet, and there was potential for disaster on the very first night, which would have had a ripple effect for the rest of the week.
While I met my goal of two miles an hour (despite the terrain), I also realized that I hadn't budgeted enough time in my day for the various stops I would have to make, and hadn't accounted for the difference in sunrise/sunset times and the actual amount of light I would have on the trail. Being in thick forest for most of the trip, it really didn't get "light" until around 8am, and started getting "dark" around 6pm. That left little time for things like rest stops, pee breaks, photos/videos along the way, or consulting my cue sheet/compass/phone for guidance. The end result is that I would have had to set up and break down camp (and cook/eat all my meals in the dark). And really, what fun is that?
Finally, it came down to one major factor. At no point during the first day did I say to myself, "I'm having a good time." When I ran a marathon (or any race), it was always fun because of the people around me, the sights I saw, and the support along the way. On the trail, I had none of that... just the worry of a million things on my mind. Once you have seen a tree, a rock, and an occasional mountain/valley view, there's not much else. And as for people... aside from the first two hours at the beginning of the day, when I was sharing the trail with mostly "day hikers," I barely saw anyone at all. The exceptions were when I passed two thru-hikers (people who were trying to complete the whole 2200 mile hike) at around the mid-point of the day (they were having their lunch break, and were doing the same distance that I was, only in the opposite direction)... and two times where trail-runners passed me (OMG...I don't know how they were doing that).
Granted, two of the big reasons I undertook this trip was to get away from society (people) for a while and to be self-sufficient (unsupported) during the activity. So I should have expected that result. But when you are in distress, those are the two things you need. And as for the third big reason I went (the challenge of the physical activity)... well, I did that. I hiked almost 20 miles with a 30lb+ pack in mountainous terrain in a single day, which is probably as hard (or harder) than running a marathon... at age 57. I'd say that less than 1% of the population could do that. I also hiked the length of one entire state on the Appalachian Trail. So I have nothing to prove to myself beyond those facts. It simply came down to, "Am I having fun?" (or more accurately, "Will this be fun if I continue?") And from every checkpoint, the answer was "no."
I do have the rest of the week off (I have to be back at work on Saturday morning), so I'm going to do one or two day-trips that have been on my bucket list for years. I want to try kayak-packing... and since my backpack is still loaded, all I have to do is throw it in the drysack, walk to the end of my street, and go. I know several places where I can beach the boat and camp for a night, so that might be fun (if the weather and the tides are favorable, since I will be out in the Chesapeake Bay on that trip). There was also talk about doing some car camping/day hiking with my wife, maybe at the place I went to last week, depending if she can get another day off from work this week (she did take off yesterday, however, so that's a lesser chance). But in reality, I can really use the time to work on the house. That's not a "vacation" (and much different than how I had planned to spend my week off from work)... but in the long run, doing it now will free up time later for other pursuits. Right now, however, I'm drinking a cup of coffee, watching the sun rise, and listening to the geese as they head south over the bay.
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Post by macdiver on Oct 26, 2021 22:22:04 GMT
Sorry your backpacking trip didn't work out as planned. From experience, 20 mile days backpacking is much harder than running a marathon. I used to plan on 12 to 15 depending on elevation change. The Army used to keep it around 10 mile per day for training. I think I only did a few 20 milers in the Army and a handful when backpacking once I was out of the Army.
If you aren't feeling well, nothing is fun. You can't enjoy the scenery or anything that might have helped make it fun.
Better luck next time.
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