Day 4/April 4 -- hiking in 4-9" of snow is fun, but tiring

Miles hiked: 12.1

Starting location: Lake Buel Road, Great Barrington, MA

Ending location: Jug End Road, Egremont, MA

Elevation gain: 1,480'

Back home in Lee, I'm now able to continue hiking on the AT by doing a series of day hikes. I will still carry my pack, but obviously I won't need all my gear, so the pack will be considerably lighter.

Today I decided to hike near Great Barrington because that's where Colette works, and she agreed to pick me up when I was done.

The terrain today was fairly benign, no big killer hills to deal with, but with snow accumulation of anywhere from 4" up to 9" in some areas, the footing was very uneven, making it a bit more work. The best thing I did today was to bring along some hiking poles, which I usually try to avoid at all costs. Today, though, they were the ticket--especially useful on the downhills where I would probe first to see if my intended landing zone was good or not. By doing so I avoided what certainly would have been some crash landings.

A very welcome set of steps on the descent off of East Mountain.

A real test of your vision--can you spot why I took this photo? Maybe another one, taken a bit closer with a different angle will help?

Hopefully, you should have figured it out by now. If not, here's a hint: the white dot!

A losing battle, but they really had no choice but to fight the system, imo. This monument can be seen on the Sheffield-Egremont Road in South Egremont. 

Route from my Suunto. Unfortunately, I forgot to lock the buttons and the recording was paused for some time. Total time from Lake Buel Road to Jug End Road was six hours and ten minutes.

Day 3/April 3 -- well that didn't take long: my first Zero

Miles hiked: Zero

I spent the night after Day 2 in the RPH Shelter, which was fine, save for one mouse that tried to get into my bag. The wind was howling, but it was calm inside the shelter, the only problem was that the overnight temperature dropped to 30°F. While I have a 20°F sleeping bag and wore as much clothing as I had, including a light down jacket, it wasn't enough. I was cold all night and could not sleep. Around 4:50 a.m., I decided I had enough and would take Colette up on her offer to come and pick me up any time. I would call her in the morning.

She had had a fairly difficult ride, because there was snow on the ground as she left, and she did not have her winter tires anymore.  But by 9:30, I was in her car, heading back to Lee.

My decision was made after a lot of thought on why my lower body was warm, but my arms were freezing. My conclusion was that the Polartec Power Dry tights that I wore were considerably better at trapping a layer of warm air than the thin Merino wool top that I had.

I really didn't want to spend another night out with that clothing, especially since the forecast called for even colder overnight lows.

Once home, after my shower and my huge bowl of oatmeal, it was shopping time and we went out and found a nice, thick Mammut Thermal Top with Polartec Thermal Pro, and it was on sale, too! This is just the updated version of the Power Dry line, so I'm hoping it will suffice. I'll test it out in the upcoming nights, on my front porch, since I'm staying at home for the next week and will just do day hikes on the AT, using our home as the base and Colette as my chauffeur!

Day 2/April 2 -- it was all about the RPH Shelter

Miles hiked: 11.4

Starting location: Ridge about 1.6 miles north of S Highland Road

Ending location: RPH Shelter in Hopewell Junction, New York

Elevation gain: 2,087'

When I woke up this morning, I had no idea where I would stop for the day. But after a phone call with Colette, who told me that high winds and much colder temperatures were on the way, I decided to open up the Guthook app and take a look at the options.

The only reasonable choice was to get to the RPH shelter, which would yield a hike of just over 11 miles; any thoughts of going to the next shelter were dismissed when the app said it was another nine miles--way too many miles for Day 2.

One of the wet lowlands that I passed through was a riot of green, these thorn bushes rule!

After I passed Route 301 and entered Fahnestock State Park, I eventually came to this section of the AT. I was just blown away by all the work that had gone into creating that embankment, which was at least 20' in its highest section. That took a lot of man hours, for sure. I recognized it as some sort of quarry or mining road, but it was only later that I was told that it was a road used by oxen to carry the iron ore out to another unloading location. 

Much of Putnam County was rich in minerals, especially iron ore. Here's a good article if you'd like to read more. I'm certainly happy to walk on these historic trails.

When I got to the RPH Shelter, there was a large crew of volunteers working around, and in, the shelter. It was their official shelter opening day. The inside was being swept, the bunk beds wiped down with Lysol and the nearby grounds were being cleared of invasive vines. 

And there was a thru hiker there--Handmade. He was taking a Zero to help clear the vines and brush, after having spent the night before with one of the volunteers. He started about 30 miles north of Waynesboro, Virginia and it had taken him 41 days to get to Hopewell Junction. Handmade, the name, he told me came from the fact that he made his own pack. Ah, nice, I figured it was probably a lightweight pack, since he also said he had done 18 miles the day before. In a later conversation, I was curious how much his pack weighed and was floored to hear that it was about 40-50 pounds, depending on how much water and food he had. WTF? 

So I asked what he made the pack from and he said it was real Old Skool--wood! He had a lot of clothing, two knives, one a Bowie, etc.--it all added up. Really, and you can do 18 miles a day? He fessed up that he was averaging about 12-13 mile. So, that's what a strapping 24-year-old can do, and survive on the AT. LOL

Handmade, on the right, talking with another volunteer at the RPH Shelter, which, btw, has one of the cleanest, at least for now, privies on the AT and sports this nice tribute plague inside it:

And the obligatory mileage marker sign:

Route from my Suunto.

Day 1/April 1 -- lots of little surprises

Miles hiked: 12.71

Starting location: Route 9W, Garrison, New York

Ending location: Ridgeline north of S Highland Road, Putnam Valley, New York

Climb: 3,327'

Fortunately, my friend Bruce Shenker, from Canaan, New York, was able to join me for my first day on the AT; he stayed with me for just over 11 miles where we reached S Highland Road. Then he nicely drove me to the nearest gas station where he bought me some Gatorade and an ice cream bar. And then drove me back to the trail. 

There were a few surprises on Day 1: First, the predicted rain and thunderstorms never happened. Second, we were plagued with black flies from mile 6 to 11. Third, carrying 25 pounds on your back makes for a very slow pace. Fourth, we had the fortune to meet Mark, from Garrison, who was doing a shakedown hike and will start his SOBO leg from Garrison next week; I should be seeing him in May, when I'll be heading NOBO from Waynesboro, Virginia. And, finally, finding a campsite on top of the rocky, mountain laurel infested ridge lines is not an easy job.

There weren't any views on Day 1, due to the low cloud cover, but these stone walls were some consolation.

The best spot that I could find along the ridge line. Not quite as flat as I would have liked, but OK. Terrible job of pitching the tent, the fact that I was missing a stake didn't help. 

My self-made shower: Plastic cap into which I drilled a bunch of 1mm diameter holes. When screwed on the smartwater bottle, you can control the rate of flow by varying the squeezing pressure. 

Overall, the day went just fine, but, truth be told, I was exhausted by the time I had the tent set up around 3:30 p.m. It isn't just the distance that was involved, I'm sure part of it was just the stress before starting and the emotional stress of leaving Colette behind.

Route from my Suunto watch.

What? Me worry?

Days to Start of Hike: 1

With one day left before I start my thru hike, I have to admit that I feel like a 13-year-old about to run his first high school track meet. But that youngster had it easy--he didn't need to think of a gazillion things to bring with him to the race--just some shorts and laced-up spikes. 

That's not to mention the emotional distress of leaving someone behind, who now has to support me in numerous ways and who will be a constant ball of worry. After all, there are bears, rocks, below freezing temps, snakes, falling trees, lightning, ticks and untold what-nots along the way that could harm me. 

With luck we will both overcome our worries and continue to be happy.

Gearing Up -- what I will be using

Days Remaining to start of Hike: 3

Admittedly, I am a newb when it comes to backpacking and long-distance hiking, but I can read so I spent a fair amount of time researching lightweight gear, plus talking with a couple of thru hikers.

First, some personal considerations that entered into my choices for gear. One, I'm very prone to getting hypothermic; I suffer with Raynaud's Syndrome, which can show up even when the ambient air temperature is 50°F. While it isn't that painful to deal with, it does impact my dexterity, making it quite difficult to do such common tasks as untying shoes, unzipping a jacket, or opening food packages. As a result, I lean toward keeping my hands and head warm regardless of the temperature. And staying dry enters into that objective as well.

Shelter

If you read about the SUL/UL hikers, the consensus seems to be that lightweight tarps offer a lot; however, I much prefer to have some bug protection and room within the tent to store my pack and shoes, too. Why have the shoes in the tent--porcupines have been known to chew trail shoes and boots--evidently to extract the salt in them. While that probably wouldn't ruin a hike, it would make it another unneeded hassle to deal with.

I chose to go with a Cuben fiber tent, now rebranded as Dyneema Composite Fabrics. Here are some facts that make the material suitable for a lightweight tent:

• lightweight, highly durable, and is 50-70% lighter than Kevlar, four times stronger than Kevlar
• flexes without losing strength
• weighs less than silnylon
• floats on water
• 100% waterproof before stitched
• has high chemical and UV resistance

The fact that Cuben fiber does not absorb water means that when it comes time to pack up the tent, a quick shake will leave one's tent practically dry and weighing close to what it would normally.

I chose the ZPacks Altaplex tent for a couple of reasons--it is a 1.5-person tent, so there is plenty of room for my sleeping mat, my pack, and my shoes. Plus, it will accommodate two thin people in an emergency. The tent retails for $585.00 and the 58" carbon fiber pole costs $68. 

Backpack

Again I opted for a Cuben fiber pack, but I relied on some other thru hikers for the size suggestion. I chose the Zpacks Arc Blast 52L and had the mesh-top side pockets, roll straps, and key pouch added. Zpacks suggests this size so that I can carry 5-6 days of food along with all my other gear. Price: $367.00.

While not guaranteeing to be waterproof, they say that it is highly water-resistant, suggesting that one should use a dry bag as well, especially for one's sleeping bag. I intend to also use a pack liner from Gossamer Gear inside the bag. Better safe than sorry, imo.

Sleeping Bag

Once again I turned to Zpacks--opting for their 20°F 900 fill power down bag in the regular width and the 6' 1" length. The weight came to 19.3 ounces. Price: $400.00.

I was a little worried that the sleeping bag might not be warm enough in the Whites or Maine, but I'm trying to avoid those areas when the weather might be extremely cold. Still, I intend to bring along a down jacket and some fleece pants for extra warmth, if needed.

As you can gather, this isn't a cheap undertaking. The only consolation is that there is a good resale market for this type of gear, should I desire to unload it after the AT. Or not. :-)

Other Gear

Let's cut this short by providing a link to LighterPack where you can see everything that I will be using. 

Let's Talk Food -- or rather what I'll be consuming on the trail

Days Remaining to Start of Hike: 6

Breakfast 

As a coffee drinker I'd love to have someone hand me a couple of cups of Joe every morning, but that's a lot of work on the trail. And disposing of the grounds isn't a simple operation; they would have to be packed out and disposed of properly once in town.

The alternative is to just use instant coffee, but most of that tastes terrible. The only instant coffee that I could stomach was the Starbucks Mocha, but, alas, they've changed that formulation.

In my search for a decent instant coffee, I saw a video on YouTube by Kurt Papke that discussed his Mocha Protein Shake that he has for breakfast on the trail. I had to modify his ingredient list to suit my tastes and needs, but it was a great inspiration.

Now I will be able to make 20oz of my Mocha Protein Shake and hit the trail while eating a Square Organics protein bar, too. Note: Do not pour boiling water into your 20oz bottle--the whey protein will coagulate. :-(  Use water that is cool enough that you can drink it.

Lunch

My staple lunch will be simply a home-made trail mix of cashews, raisins, coconut, pineapple, cherry craisins and freeze-dried blueberries. Other occasional goodies might include chocolate, tuna on some sort of bread or cracker, and some cheese. And lots of water.

Dinner

I plan to eat a variety of Mountain House dehydrated meals. If bought on sale, these are still pricey, but given the convenience factor, I won't complain. I'm bringing a canister stove, a Titanium cook pot and a cozy to prepare the meals. Instead of carrying the MH meals in their original packaging, I will just repackage them in a Ziploc bag--packs smaller for mailing and for carrying.

Snacks between meals

I just love Peanut Ginger Chews from Reeds. If you buy them in any store, they are outrageously expensive, but Reeds does sell them in 11# boxes for $36--a very tolerable price. I usually order 22#, so the shipping charge is OK, then. 

My other snack is a favorite from my running days, Chia bars from Health Warrior. These come in eleven flavors and all of them are good, but some are better than others. :-)  I like these the best:

I find that the Chia bars give me almost an immediate pick-up in my energy level, but not too much. After all, these are fairly small bars weighing 0.88ounces, so there's nothing too heavy in your stomach and they get digested quickly. Also, they aren't annoying sweet, just enough to keep me happy. 

"Recipes"

Breakfast Mocha Protein Shake

Qty        Ingredient

5 scoops                Whey Powder

15 Tablespoons     Peak Milk Powder, full fat

5 Tablespoons       Douwe Egbert Instant Coffee

1 ¼ teaspoons       Cinnamon

2 ½ Tablespoons  Cocoa powder

5 Tablespoons      Sugar

This makes five servings of the drink. I package them in small Ziploc bags.

Trail Mix

Qty       Ingredient 

10 ounces           Salted Cashew Pieces

5 ounces             Raisins

5 ounces             Coconut pieces—chopped

6 ounces             Dried Pineapple pieces—chopped

5 ounces             Cherry Craisins, or real cherries

1 cup                  Freeze-dried Blueberries
6 ounces            Dark Chocolate Medium Peanut M&Ms

This makes 9 bags of approximately 5 ounces each.