Hiking Dude Blog
2024 - Nov Sep Aug Jul Jan
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
08/25/2015
Trail Journal
I walked 44015 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 18 miles today.
I saw a bear this morning! Lots of UPs today and we're at a shelter on a ridge so I'm hoping for cool, dry air. Very little sleep last night due to warmth and humidity.
Leave Comment
Posted: 08/25/2015
Posted: 08/25/2015
08/24/2015
Trail Journal
I walked 45604 steps on the trail today.I traveled about 18 miles today.
Great day through the park today. Chatted with a scout and dad on the trail. At the shelter tonight, I met this gang from MD. The boy is a scout! Had a great evening and they even shared their meal with me so I feel ready for tomorrow. Oh, They also made a campfire!
08/22/2015
Trail Journal
I walked 43862 steps on the trail today.I traveled about 19 miles today.
Made it to the shelter with lots of nice warm daylight left. Really felt nice to have some time to relax and chat with some new friends. These are the Fredericksburg Four that are out on a weekend jaunt - really friendly folks. There's also a mom and daughter staying here, heading south as long as they can keep going. And another young lady ending her hike tomorrow morning. I walked alone all day but it's great to have folks around in the evening. The GA guys are here too. Bonus - there's aCOLD shower here and it felt nice to rinse off. I found I have a few small blisters but nothing bad.
Leave Comment
Posted: 08/22/2015
Posted: 08/22/2015
Nice trail today
The trail is wonderful today. Such a change from yesterday's rollercoaster, but I'm sure the smooth, relatively flat miles will be short lived.
Here's my buddies from GA - vanilla thunder and a-town. I've been hiking alone today but have seen a bunch of day and weekend hikers. Leave Comment
Posted: 08/22/2015
Posted: 08/22/2015
08/21/2015
Rollercoaster
I walked 54589 steps on the trail today.I traveled about 21 miles today.
Hey, less than 1000 miles to go! My two Georgia friends let me hike with them today, but they drove me hard. We completed the section called the Rollercoaster because it's up and down and ... I hope that means the trail is a bit easier going forward but I believe it is only Hard and Harder. Water at the end of the day was bad so we kept going to the next, then the next until we finally got to the shelter, Completely dry. The spring here is great so it was worth the wait.
Leave Comment
Posted: 08/21/2015
Posted: 08/21/2015
Trail Journal
Oops - here's the pic. Leave Comment
Posted: 08/21/2015
Posted: 08/21/2015
Trail Journal
Check out my current location on the map. Here's a nice view for lunch! I'm at Bears Den rock and hope to go 10 more miles this afternoon.
Leave Comment
Posted: 08/21/2015
Posted: 08/21/2015
08/20/2015
Trail Journal
I walked 20769 steps on the trail today.I traveled about 9 miles today.
Check out my current location on the map. I crossed the shenandoah river right outside Harpers Ferry and then headed uphill for the only real climb of the day. After that, it was a fairly flat ridge walk top the shelter where I'm spending the night with a dad and son from GA walking home. They got here just before the downpour - I didn't. :-) The humidity makes drying stuff difficult. First day was great and I'm looking forward to sleep after only getting a little on the train. Hike On
Leave Comment
Posted: 08/20/2015
Posted: 08/20/2015
Here we go. ..
I've arrived in Harpers Ferry after 26 hours on Amtrak. Warm, humid, and very noisy with insects chirping everywhere in the trees. Time to start hiking.
08/17/2015
Hiking Pole Hack
After about 1500 miles, my inexpensive hiking poles are battered and bruised. The carbide tips have worn out, the plastic around the bottom is gone, and the aluminimum poles are now wearing away. It's time to get new poles, but I've really liked these and only the tips are done for, and I'm sure there's still more miles in them. I know, I should have tried to replace the tips when they first wore down, but I was in the middle of an 800-mile hike at the time so it was not an option.Rather than buying replacement tips, since the pole shafts are now worn and irregular, I came up with a free solution that's working great.
- I filed the soft aluminum tip of the pole so it is flat.
- Scrounging through my 'junk jar', I found two hex head screws that fit into the hollow shafts. (these have the most head material so I figure they'll last longer and be easier to remove later)
- I screwed the screws in and they bit into the soft aluminum, nice and tight.
- Ta-Dah! Now, I have steel tips that are easy and free to replace when they wear down.
Hike On
Older Posts Newer Posts
All Comments:
Feb 13, 2020 - Jason Berklund
Hey hiking dude I have several questions planning my first north to south trip
from 270 all the way down. I kind a know what to wear what to eat all that
important jive. I am in relatively good shape definitely Not concerned about
where in tear. 45 years old going with a 21-year-old nephew. My question is
I have friends in Duluth that I don’t want to burden with driving me what’s the
best way to get up to otter Lake Road that’s not gonna cost a crap ton. We
were thinking 15 miles a day. We were also thinking hammocks. Let me
know what you think please. I have read so much and look at so much and
heard so many opinions but You seem to be very realistic on your
comments. Thank you
Feb 13, 2020 - Hiking Dude
@Jason - Hammocks work fine - most campsites have lots of trees.
15MPD is realistic, and you'll probably do more than that many
days.
Getting to the northern terminus is expensive (in my mind). If you can schedule correctly, Arrowhead Transit is cheapest to Grand Marais, but then Harriet Quarles is the only shuttle I know of. You might find a good ol' boy in Grand Marais willing to drive you the 35 miles to the end for a few $$$.
It's a 3 hour drive from Duluth - that's 6 hours and 300 miles round-trip. Maybe your friend would like to drive up the north shore for a day.
Getting to the northern terminus is expensive (in my mind). If you can schedule correctly, Arrowhead Transit is cheapest to Grand Marais, but then Harriet Quarles is the only shuttle I know of. You might find a good ol' boy in Grand Marais willing to drive you the 35 miles to the end for a few $$$.
It's a 3 hour drive from Duluth - that's 6 hours and 300 miles round-trip. Maybe your friend would like to drive up the north shore for a day.
Feb 04, 2024 - John
Me and my fiance are going to Costa Rica for our honeymoon and we
are so excited!
May 02, 2024 - Zeke Mead
Has anyone cycled this Camiño? Sounds like the trail is a road
and if trucks are able to do it, maybe bikes too?
May 03, 2024 - Hiking Dude
@Zeke - Someone could certainly bike part of the Camino de Costa
Rica, but other parts are simple trail that would not be passable
by bike.
Ask a Question
Find more Hiking Resources at www.HikingDude.com
Follow Me
Recent Comments