Pinhoti Continued

Today both son-in-laws joined me for a 7.5 mile hike on Cheaha Mountain.  We started at the Cheaha Trailhead and followed the Pinhoti trail for approximately 4 miles, then cutback on Cave Creek Trail for 3 miles back the where we started.  This was a nice loop with varied terrains.  Some large rock climbs and steep uphills and down.  Really nice views along the way.  It was a great day for hiking.   Some pictures are included below.

Training Stalled - Excitement Building

It looks like I have all but stopped hiking.  I have tried to set aside 3 days get back on the Pinhoti Trail, but something has come up each time.  With Christmas fast approaching and a house full of family, it would appear that this week is out too.  Maybe that is not a bad thing, as the woods are full of hunters around here.  Hunting season lasts until mid January.  That does not leave but about 6 weeks before I start on the Appalachian Trail.  I would like at least a 5 day trip before my start date, but I don't think I can get it done.

  It is hard to believe that it is nearly 70 degrees in Talladega, but after the storms move in tomorrow it is suppose to be colder.  I was hoping to hike in cold weather before I hit the AT, but at the rate I'm going that may not happen.  As of right now, the projected start date for the AT will be February 26, 2014.  This could change depending on the weather.  With 2 months to go, I am getting really anxious, excited, nervous, worried, etc.  I have so many unanswered questions about the trip.  At 64 years old my body aches everyday.  Legs hurt, feet hurt, back aches.  Each of these are daily occurrences.  I expect these to worsen once I start the trail. In my mind these pains will be tolerable. Of course Tylenol should help.  Will my body hold out? We'll see.

I will divide the AT into short goals.  My first goal is to take my time.  I am not in a race.  If I only cover 5 miles a day that will be fine for me.  Maybe my daily goal will be to reach the next shelter.  After a couple of weeks on the trail the daily distance should gradually increase.  Maybe by summer I can do 20 miles a day or more. I have begun to worry about the medicines I take each day.  How do I get the prescriptions refilled?  Can I stop taking them for 6 months?  I will get a checkup in mid-Feb.  My doctor should be able to answer all these questions.  More thoughts soon.

6.5 Miles - Pinhoti Trail

It has been a couple of weeks since I was able to get back to hiking.  I received my new sleeping bag, but discovered that even compressed it would not fit in my Atmos 65 pack.  The compressed size is 12"x12" and the Atmos throttles down in the center.  After another trip to REI, I now have a Gregory 75 pack.  I can fit the compressed sleeping bag into this pack, especially since it opens from the back of the pack also.  It is slightly heavier than the other pack but seems to fit better.  Total pack weight loaded was close to 40 lbs.  I will see what I can omit to lesson the weight, but for this hike I wanted to maximize the weight I was carrying.  Since this was a day hike my son, Jason, and his dog, Brooks, joined me.

We hiked from Clairmont Gap to Adams Gap a distance of about 6.5 miles.  Most of the trail was rocky terrain.  This was made more difficult by the leaves that covered the rocks which made footing unsure.  This meant that because I travel so slow it made me go ever slower.  The extra pack weight and being out of shape contributed to that also.  We only averaged about 1 mile an hour.  I could not walk and enjoy the views without tripping on the rocks, so I stopped alot to look around.  It was a beautiful day and the views from the trail were fantastic.  I have included a couple of pictures below.

5 + miles

View from the top of one mountain around Talladega. This picture was taken today on a 5 mile hike with full gear.  When I returned home my new sleeping bag and air pad had arrived.  Looks like I will continue on the Pinhoti trail a couple of days next week.  More to come later.

Pinhoti Trail - Lessons Learned

I have learned a some lessons from my trip so far.
     1.  The daily 5 mile walks I had done in preparation for this trip, did not seem to help.  I now think the only way to condition for backpacking is to just do it.  I wonder how many hikes I need to do to become an expert hiker?  My legs are still sore today so I plan to start again next week continuing from where I left off.  This may be delayed due to the next lesson learned.
     2.   My sleeping bag is the wrong size for me.  The mummy bag seemed to work just like it was supposed to.  Once it was zipped up, I could not move.  It was so tight that I could see it move when I breathed.  I guess this works for someone who can sleep on their back, but I sleep on my side and there was just no roll around room.  The 20 inch air core pad was a little bit too small for me.  I will be able to return both of these to REI in exchange for a larger bag and pad.  I should really do this before I begin again.
     3.  My tent was fantastic.  I had plenty of room so I did not feel closed in.  My choice to go with a 2-man tent was just right.  I had plenty of head room when I was sitting up and room to store other stuff besides me in the tent.  I am wanting to know how it will perform in the rain, but the dew was so  heavy that the rain fly was dripping wet on the outside.  The footprint was totally wet on the ground side, but there was no moisture in the tent.  I discovered that the rainfly has a vent that I had failed to open.
     4.  My choice of stove was great.  Two cups of water was boiling in under 2 minutes.  Water never boils that quick on the stove at home.  One cup boiled so quick that I was drinking coffee within a minute.  I am wondering how many days I can operate on one canister of fuel.  I do carry an extra one until I know the answer to that question.
     5.  I had carried enough food to feed an army for a couple of days.  I need to pack a lot less since there was really no time to stop and dig out food.  This will be a good way to drop a few pounds both in food weight and my weight.
     6.  Do not forget extra batteries.  I had been using my headlight for all kinds of things at home and it was due for new batteries anyway.  I had the batteries but failed to change them before the trip.  I will not make this mistake again.  I guess that old saying "Experience is the best teacher" is correct.
     7.  I need to find a way to keep up with the distance I traveled.  Around town I was using the app Map my Walk, but in areas where there was no cell service it was useless.  Also I had set my iPhone to airplane mode to preserve the battery life.  I could still use it for pictures if I needed to.  I will check on a gps watch that does not depend on a cell tower to work.
     8.  I had packed extra clothing that was totally unneeded.  I could shave off a couple of pack pounds by going without both the rain jacket and an extra cotton jacket I carried.  Even though I hiked in 40 degree weather I was not cold in my teeshirt and shorts.  I had also carried a long sleeve shirt and long pants, but decided that I did not need to change into them.
     9.  Finally, I realize that I am not as young as I use to be when I hiked 40 years ago.  It will be okay to go slow and not try to set records for speed.  I can push my body, but I need to be aware of my limitations.  Everything about backpacking has changed over the years.  I still have my old canvas  pack that I had when I was a boy scout.  Later I used it when I was a scoutmaster for a boy scout troop in the 70's.  The health issues that I have, arthritis in my back and the numbness in my thigh that I had experienced walking around town, gave me no problems over the two days.  I am ready to continue my journey as soon as I can swap my sleeping bag.

Pinhoti - day 2

This is how I started out.  Day one - I began on Oct.23, 2013.  My wife dropped me off at the trailhead on Highway 77.  I was not aware that she had taken this picture at the time, that is why it is posted now.  It did not take long for me to get rid of the cap as sweat was dropping on my glasses, I opted for a sweat band instead.  Total pack weight 37 lbs added to my 245 meant that my legs were questionable from the start.  I began around 12:30 PM.

The trail is very well marked, with crows feet and blue blazes.  The pictures below are just a few from the trails beginning to where it crosses Talladega Creek.  

By 4:00 pm I decided my legs needed a rest and began looking for a suitable place to camp.  I found a place on top of a ridge, but there was a cold wind blowing about 10 to 15 mph. so I walked on to get out of the wind.  I am glad I did because down in a valley I came up on an established campsite and decided that is where I would stay.  I pitched my tent and ate Beef Stew for supper.  There was a fire pit, but I did not need to build a fire.  If I had it might have provided some light.  Once the sun set, it was very dark.  I had my headlight, but had failed to put new batteries in it and left the extra batteries at home.  I could see that it was going dim so I decided to call it a night.  For a night owl like me sacking out at 6:30 is almost impossible.  Having my walkman radio I was able to listen to music, gospel music from a station in Ashland, Al. 

After a restless night where the temperature dropped to into the 30's, I awoke to daylight but decided to let it warm up before getting up.  So about 7:00 am I decided to emerge from my tent.  Breakfast consisted of a cup of instant coffee and 2 granola bars that were hard as bricks.  By 10:00 I was packed up and on the trail again.  The fall colors made for a really nice beginning.  Footing became an issue when walking up hill on pine straw and leaves.  Little did I know what was coming next.  The terrain changed to loose rocks that shifted when I stepped on them.  The footing was so tentative that I tripped several times and could have sprained an ankle easily.  I decided to give myself a trail name, Slo-go, since it was taking me a long time on this section.  Once you thought you were out of the rocks they started up again.  

Once I reached a clearing under power lines, I could see I was close to a road.  When I reached Clairmont Gap, I thought this was a good place to have my wife pick me up.  Time now is about 3:00 pm.  I was not sure where she would be able to meet me if I continued on or how far I would get.  A prior commitment meant that I would have to be off the trail by noon on day three, but I did not know if there would be a place for her to pick me up if I had continued on.  This was the best time to drop off the trail.  Not to mention that my shoulders were killing me and my upper thighs were about to quit on me anyway.  I will continue my hike from Clairmont Gap when I start again, maybe next week.  Approximate distance covered in 2 days, around 10 - 11 miles.

Pinhoti day 1

Decided to camp here for the night   My legs are just about to give out  I'll get started again in the morning. 

Equipment for Pinhoti hike

     Pictured below is the equipment for my initial Pinhoti Trail hike.  This will be a short 2 night trip.   I am not sure how many miles I will cover.  Since I travel slowly, I plan to take lots of pictures.  My goal is to hike from Porter's Gap to the top of Cheaha, ending at Cheaha State Park.  This should be approximately 20 miles.  The equipment below from left to right is:  blue compression sack for clothes, yellow stuff sack will be used for food, headlamp on dry sack, slightly hidden from view is 50' nylon cord, first aid kit, mesh bag with blue bottom is a 3.25 inflatable pad, sleeping bag, smaller blue bag above the sleeping bag is a liner (temp. expected to be in the 30's for the next two nights), the orange bag contains my tent, and completing this row is my trekking poles.  Front row from left to right is as follows:  light blue bag contains an inflatable sitting pad, next mesh bag contains a cloth for drying, the ziplock bag and camera case contains electronics (small radio is not shown), small pot and pan with extra fuel inside, jetboil sol stove kit, in front of it is a rain cover for my pack, the MSR bag contains my water filter, and finally my fake crocs.  For clothing, I will pack 2 pair of socks, one to hike in and one to sleep in, 2 shirts, one long sleeve and one short sleeve, and a light sweater/jacket.  Next question is how am I going to cram all this and food and water in my pack?  There are also some items not shown, toiletries, daily doses of pills, and a small portable foldout 3 legged stool.  I realize the stool is probably un-needed extra weight, but it may help save my knees when I stop for rest breaks.  That's all for now.  My next post will be from the trail.

Pinhoti Trail Hike

I am now ready to hike the Pinhoti Trail.  I have not decided how far I will hike yet or any details but it will definitely be this coming week.  I will try to post pictures daily and maybe even a video or two.  Hopefully I will be able to post updates each day of this adventure.  This will be a good test of all my equipment that I have accumulated for the Appalachian Trail trip.  I will load my backpack just like for the AT and once loaded I will post approximate weight.  I hope once everything is loaded that it is around 35 lbs.  I have not totaled up the weights of anything that will go into the pack, so I may be surprised if the total is more than that.

Preparations

     It is one thing to get major pieces of equipment together, but it is another thing to plan for and get all the little things that I need.  I have gathered everything except food and clothing, which I will still need to purchase.  Once I have all my stuff in my pack, I will furnish a complete list of the equipment I have and how much everything weighs.  I am expecting to keep the total pack weight down to about 35 pounds, but it may be closer to 40 lbs.
     I have decided to hike the Pinhoti trail or at least part of it so I can test out my equipment.  The Pinhoti trail runs over 200 miles, from below Sylacauga, AL to Springer Mountain, GA, which is the beginning of the Appalachian Trail.  I plan to only do a small section of the trail, maybe from Porter's Gap to Cheaha Mountain.  This will also give me a chance to use my camera, and other electronic devices.  I have multiple batteries for my camera, a Nikon AW110.  I selected this camera over the GoPro,  The Coolpix Nikon is waterproof, shockproof, and freezeproof.  I will post some pictures and videos at another time.
     I am continuing my 5 mile walking everyday unless something unexpected comes up and causes me to miss a day.  I am wearing my new boots every day, after putting new inserts in them they are becoming more comfortable.  I have been thinking about increasing from 5 miles to 6 or 7, but there is still plenty of time to increase the miles.
     One thing I need to practice is setting up my tent in the rain.  I really need to just practice setting it up period.  I have only put it up two times so far.  Once I have my rain gear, I will practice in the yard until I can do it in under 5 minutes.  I may post a video with instructions once I have it down pat. It could turn out to be quite a comedy.  I will post again after I have a starting date for the Pinhoti.

Equipment

     The people at REI were very helpful in helping me decide on what equipment to purchase.  Tent was on sale, Big Agnes Copper Spur 2.  Adds a little more weight than a 1 person tent, but with my size the single person tent was just too claustrophobic for me.  This will at least give me some room to roll over and spread some things out to dry if needed.   Pack:  Osprey Atmos 65.  Depending on how I pack things it should be plenty large enough for what I need to take.  I will plan to use it next week on a 2 night camp/hike.  Sleeping bag is Big Agnes Encampment +15 deg, with a +55 deg travel bag/liner, 3.5 inch pad.  Even if the temperature rating is not correct, I should be warm enough in cold weather.  Other equipment I purchased was a water filter, hydration pack, headlight, and one or two other items that I probably could have done without.  I need to decide on clothing and of course food.  I hope to pack only 3 to 5 days of food and expect to carry only a minimal amount of clothing.  Still haven't decided on a stove either.
     I have continued to walk about 5 miles a day.  I purchased a new pair of Merrell hiking shoes and had intended to start breaking them in.  The ones I  bought were a little heavier than the ones I wanted, but by the end of February I will need another pair.  My son-in-law, Scott and I did almost 10 miles this past Sunday as we hiked around the Manassas Battlefield trails.  Of course I had no idea that we would hike that far so I was wearing the new shoes and left my water in the car.  I survived, but I could feel every rock through those shoes.  I will need better socks and maybe a liner to keep my feet from hurting.  I have worn these shoes on other 5 mile walks this week around their neighborhood following walking/biking paths, and I seem to be doing better with these shoes.  Also, not lacing them tight has helped tremendously.  That's all for today, more will follow later.

Visiting in VA

I am visiting with my other daughter Katy, husband Scott, and grandkids Kinsley and Cooper in VA.  I have a name for my nerve ailment, Meralgia Paresthetica, probably caused from having a beer belly and a tight belt.  Solution - lose weight.  Duh, that is what I was trying to do by walking.  Ok, so I will just continue walking 5 miles a day and in a month or two I will increase the distance.  Will go to a new REI store that opens tomorrow.  Scott and I plan to be one of the first 200 customers in the store and get a free water bottle.  Also, they have a fall sale that begins tomorrow.  I can save money on the tent I intend to get, as well as other items I intend to buy.  That is it for now, more to come.

Little Problem

I am continuing to walk 5 miles per day.  I can no longer do it continuously without stopping to sit for a while.  It seems that I have a nerve condition that causes numbness in my upper left calf muscle.  After 2 to 3 miles it becomes painful.  Resting a few minutes gets the feeling back in my leg so I can continue walking.  I intend to see a doctor about it soon.  In the meantime I will go back to REI next week to purchase my pack and other equipment.

Walking More

Okay, I am walking 5 miles a day in the hottest part of the day.  But instead of losing any weight I am gaining it.  Oh well it has only been one week.  One of my friends, Julian Newman, brought a book for me to read.   The book is Blind Courage, by Bill Irwin.  The author is the first blind man to thru hike the AT with his Seeing Eye dog, Orient.  He was also Julian's college room mate.  The book is really interesting.  I would highly recommend it.  Tomorrow I will get a new pair of Merrell hiking shoes and go to Alabama Outdoors to check out more equipment.  More to come later.

Eventfull week

This week was one for accomplishments.  On Wed. mom and I went to Woodstock to see my brother Lewis and his wife Deon and son Taylor.  Had a great visit with them.  They live very close to an REI store.  After spending time in the store I have decided to get an Osprey Atmos 65 pack, and a Big Agnes Copper Spur tent.  I almost decided to get a Big Agnes Encampment sleeping bag, but after looking at the online reviews I am not sure that is the one I need.  On Friday I continued with my daily walk.  Time passes very fast while walking and the course for the day was nearly 4.5 miles.  Now if only I can see pounds dropping that would be fantastic.  More later.

Training Started

No more work or should I say no more work that I will be paid for.  I have started my exercise routine.  Yesterday walked 4.2 miles, then downloaded an app called Map My Walk.  Used it to measure my walk today on a different route and did another 4.2 miles.  Yesterday's walk was along a busy street with no sidewalk.  I decided that was not really safe enough with all the traffic.  Today I followed sidewalks, but I did not intend to walk as far as I did.  I thought it would be a shorter route, but I was wrong.  I have decided to walk Monday - Friday and rest up on the weekends.  Route includes up hills and down.  Average time is 18 minutes/mile.  Looking forward to visiting the REI store in Atlanta to check out equipment like pack, tent, and other gear.

It has been a little while since my last post.  Work officially is winding down only 4 days left.  I should begin working with my replacement today.  Spent last week at the beach with most of my family.  A lot of fun.  Traffic was so bad going down to the beach that Scott and I decided to take a shortcut, using his gps on his phone.  Ended up slipping and sliding once the pavement ended, and basically went mud-riding though not intentional.  Only spun out one time when the car went sideways.  When we finally got to pavement again we past what seemed to be a deserted air force base.  When we got back to the highway we had saved about 30 minutes of stop and go traffic.  Even though I thought we would get stuck in the mud, the shortcut was well worth it.  Craig brought me a pot so, I now have a cooking utensil for the trail.  I will begin purchasing other equipment in August.  I plan to begin training for the AT as soon as my last work day.  I have a 4 to 5 mile hike planned for a daily routine.  I hope to drop about 30 pounds before the journey begins.  I am considering running a half marathon in January with Jason, Craig, and Emily. But for now I will just have to wait to see how the training goes.  More to follow later.

Fantastic weekend visiting Emily, Craig, and Kale.  Kale's first birthday was a good one.  Jason and Shelley joined us for the party.  So impressed with Craig's knowledge of hiking and camping.  I knew he had spent summers working at a Boy Scout camp, and use to work at Dan's in Chicago, but he also had every piece of equipment that I could mention and was able to show me how it worked.  Even found out that he had hiked part of the AT before.  It just goes to show that my daughter picked a winner for a husband.  Before I get into trouble, I should say that all three of my kids found fantastic people to marry.  I am so proud of each one.  I hope they can all hike some part of the AT with me.

Early Father's Day gifts - The A.T. Guide, Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Planner, and Appalachian Trail Data Book.  Thank you Katy.  These books are essential to planning the thru-hike.  I've already read them twice.  I am going to start gathering the essential equipment I will need to take on the trip. Looking forward to this weekend to consult with my son-in-law about equipment, clothing, food, etc., in addition to celebrating one of my grandson's first birthday party.

     Today I decided to give a little background.  I grew up in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Explorer Scouts.  I remember as a Boy Scout doing cross-country hikes using a map and compass to chart the course.  Sighting an object to walk to, then get new bearings and hoping to wind up where we were suppose to.  Actually I remember one trip where we off by 1 degree and missed our target by 5 miles.  Our family use to go on vacations which always involved camping.  Seeing the country from park to park.  While in college some of my friends and I had weekend camping trips to Wind Creek on Lake Martin, and other places, including Gatlinburg.  In 1976 I was a Scoutmaster of Troop 140 in Talladega.  We had many weekend camping trips and long hikes.  In 1980 I retired from scouting, due to the need for a second job to make ends meet with our growing family.  Due to always working, I got away from weekend camping.  Now that I am retiring I will have time to start camping and hiking again.
     So, why the AT?  I could say "because it's there", but there is a real reason.  In the back of my mind it is something that I have dreamed about.  Kind of like the "bass boat" I always dreamed of having but never got.  I have known people that started the AT but did not make the whole trip and some that have completed it as a thru hike.  Maybe I am looking to prove to myself that I am not really as old as I feel.  Maybe it is a way to walk off a few pounds.  Really, it is more about setting a goal and striving to reach that goal.  I am not getting any younger and I would like to do this while I still can, even though there have been hikers over 80 completing the AT.  Over the last 40 years I have tried to teach my students to set a goal and go for it.  So, it is time for me to do the same.  Goal:  hike the AT.  Projected timeline from start to finish:  6 months. Planing and preparation:  7 months.  Projected start date:  February 2014.

Today I looked up SPOT GPS trackers.  This could be used to communicate position to up to 10 family members.  It will send a text message or an email to let them know that you are ok.  Also, provides real time tracking on google maps.  The device has an emergency 911 feature included.  The only problem is you must have clear sky above for it to work.  Cost about $100. Yearly subscription tracking service another $100.  Battery life could also be a problem if it is always on.  My thinking is I may need this so my wife can keep up with me while hiking the AT.

Looking at backpacks, deciding which one to buy.  I have decided that I need to carry no more than 30 lbs. total, so, that narrows down the search a little bit.

Just finished the book A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson.  Like in the book, I hope to meet some real interesting people along the trail.

Almost retired, at the age of 64, I intend to pursue my dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail.  This blog will be my record book listing preparation, thoughts, concerns and whatever else comes to mind.  On July 31, 2013 I will officially retire and join the ranks of the unemployed.  I will begin to exercise with the intention of getting in shape to run a 1/2 marathon with my son and son-in-law, in January.  This conditioning will also help me get into shape for the AT.  Of the 2000 people who begin hiking the AT annually, only 1 in 10 completes it as a Thru-Hike.  I intend to be a thru-hiker.