Hiking Dude Blog

Building a National Scenic Trail takes much more than a handful of volunteers, but without a handful of dedicated, driven, selfless volunteers, none of our trails would have ever been established. There is often an individual with a dream who gets his/her name tied to a trail as the founder, such as Benton Mackaye, Clinton Clarke, Ron Strickland, or Ray Zillmer. Long after the first dream of a trail, definition of a route, and government designation, armies of volunteers actually build our National Scenic Trails. And, behind that army of workers, there are even more people supporting their labors. That is where this story takes place - armies of volunteers performing thousands of hours of physical labor require millions of calories.

This past weekend of hiking was highlighted by a short visit with a wonderful lady, in a tiny cafe, in a small town, in the state that is home to the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Her name is Thelma Johnson from Cumberland, WI and she is one of that dedicated handful of volunteers that make things happen.

The Ice Age Trail Alliance plans a few 3- to 5-day Mobile Skills Crew projects each year, specifically aimed at educating trail volunteers in trail construction and maintenance skills through hard, dirty hands-on training. The typical 20 to 80 participants can then help lead smaller trail projects locally. As you can imagine, that many people working for that many days can consume a tremendous amount of food.

Thelma's niche role for the past 12 years has been feeding all these MSC participants three meals a day. That's roughly 200 meals a day, 1000 meals per project, and she's served well over 30,000 meals now. These meals are prepared outdoors, wherever the trail needs work, so Thelma is right out there in whatever weather comes along, making sure the volunteers have energy for the day.

At each project, Thelma has kitchen helpers she is responsible for organizing. Since they are often new volunteers needing direction, just like the newbie trail builders swinging axes, shovels, and macleods, Thelma puts in long hours of OJT, cooking, and clean-up. Long after the last meal is served, she'll still be cleaning in preparation for the next day. And, her day on the trail normally starts around 4:30am to have breakfast ready for her trail family.

Oh, did I mention that Thelma is over 80 years in age. That's right. That means she started volunteering with the IATA at about 70 years old. I was curious how someone starts something like this at that age. As it turns out, Thelma saw a notice in the paper from the IATA that a trail work project was being held near her home. Having nothing more pressing to do, she showed up, they gave her a rake, and she raked the trail route all day. She soon turned in the rake for an apron, and has been cooking up a storm ever since.

As the IATA's Mobile Skills Crew program has grown, more projects are held, more volunteers are involved, and more cooking is needed. Thelma still fills her Prius to the roof with gear and food and drives to the projects, but the IATA now has a very cool kitchen trailer that makes meal prep a bit more efficient.

This year, in recognition of her many hours, and years, of volunteer service, Thelma received the National Park Service Hartzog Enduring Service Award. She traveled to Washington, DC to receive her recognition in June, but I expect the high fives and thank yous back home on the trail in Wisconsin this past summer were even more important to her. She told me that it thrills her to know the trail volunteers love her and appreciate what she does for them.

At the National Park Service site, you can view a video about the 2014 Hartzog winners. The first 30 seconds feature Thelma!

I mentioned that Thelma started volunteering with the Ice Age Trail folks at about 70 years. Well, she does much more than just cook. At about 80 years, she has taken on a new, farther reaching project. Thelma traveled to Quatro, Manila in the Philippines recently and experienced the plight of some mothers struggling to survive. She has supplied them with sewing machines, training, and fabric so they can create and sell products to support their children. Now, Thelma visits them a few times each year to teach new sewing skills and get their wares to market. All of the money raised goes to the families since Thelma covers her own travel costs.
Please take a look at the aprons and items the Quatro Ladies create at Quatro Ladies on etsy.com - maybe you know a kitchen magician that could use a new apron?

Thelma is a joy to spend time with, and has a contagious, positive outlook that spawns smiles and hope around her. I can hardly wait to see what mischief she gets into at about 90 years. Thanks for all you do, Thelma!

When I first told friends and family that I would be going on some long hikes, it was interesting what dangers they came up with that I should be worried about and protect myself from. Now, after hiking a few thousand miles, I can confidently compare what their fears were about with what real dangers exist. The two do not match up very well.

Now, I do realize that a person CAN die or be severely injured out in the wilds, and any of the things listed below COULD be the cause, but it's all about keeping a reasonable perspective.


Here are my lists of "Fears" that people are often concerned with, and Dangers that they really should be ready for...


"Fears"

• Bears - Bears are waiting around every corner, behind every tree, under every bush just waiting to jump out and maul you to death.
  Really, you'll be lucky to see a bear. I've seen 6 so far. They run away. See Bears.
• Cougars - puma, panther, mountain lion, catamount, whatever you call them, they will silently stalk you and then attack in the blink of an eye and it's all over.
  Really, you'll never see one. If you do, you'll be an instant celebrity in the hiking community. But, there have been a couple dozen cougar deaths in the past century, mostly small children - see Cougars
• Murderers - You're all alone out there, and there are murderers, rapists, thieves, and weirdos waiting to do you in.
  Really, no one will hike miles and miles into the wilderness just so they can kill someone, and no backpacker has anything worth stealing. Now, on trails that go through populated areas, like the Appalachian Trail and Ice Age Trail, it's possible to run into trouble from bored locals around trailheads and in towns, but I've met nothing but friendly, helpful folks.
  For perspective, there have been about a dozen murders on the A.T. over the past 40 years - in just Atlanta (at the south end of the A.T.) there were 84 murders in 2013 alone.
• Snakes - Every rock, hollow log, and empty hiking boot hides a vicious snake, coiled and ready to strike as soon as you get close.
  Really, venomous snakes want nothing to do with humans but they are common in some areas. A handful of people die from snakebite each year in the USA, but very few of them are hikers. See Snakes.
• Spiders - They're creepy, ugly, scary, and out to suck your blood, and they're everywhere!
  Really, similar to snakes, spider bites kill just a handful of Americans each year, and virtually none of those are out backpacking. There's a small chance you'll get a spider bite, but chances are good that what you thought was a spider bite was really a fly, gnat, chigger, flea, bedbug, or any other creepy crawly.

Dangers

• Gravity - More people die from falling, or things falling on them, in the backcountry than anything else. To minimize the danger, stay on the trail and be aware of your surroundings, especially potential rockfalls, dead trees, and avalanche areas.
• Rain - Rain, wind, and dropping temperature can make for miserable or deadly conditions. You will encounter rain. You will get wet. This can be the most dangerous situation for unprepared hikers. To minimize the danger, be prepared with layered clothing, protective outer shell, and skills to stay warm when wet.
• Foot Injuries - Blisters, bruising, twisted ankles, inflamed joints, and just plain wearing out from pounding on rough, uneven terrain all day is most likely the thing that will hurt your body. Whether it's because of poor shoes, inadequate training, wet socks, or just one mis-step, if your feet don't work, you can't hike. To minimize the danger, practice hiking short distances, in the shoes you'll wear on the longer hikes, to prepare your muscles, joints, and skin for the wear and tear they will receive. Also, go at a slower pace and for shorter distances when first starting a longer trail.
• Spider Webs - OMG! By far the most annoying thing EVER on the trail! Orb weaver spiders spin webs across the trail every evening. Hiking through forest, you're guaranteed to run facefirst into dozens and dozens of webs every day - unless you have a tall hiking partner walk ahead of you. Problem solved! I'd buy a device that attaches to your hat and hangs out in front of you to catch the webs - let me know if you hear of one.
• Mice - Far worse than bear and cougar, these varmints chew through $$$$$ worth of gear, spread disease through their waste, gnaw holes in food bags and ruin food. Plus, they scurry over your face, arms, and legs during the night.
  The best thing to do is camp away from people, in your own tent, with your food hung from a high tree limb.
• Insects - Whether it's getting bit by ticks or mosquitoes, stung by bees, yellow jackets, or wasps, or just bothered by gnats and flies buzzing your head all day, insects are everywhere outdoors. A rare few hikers may catch a bad disease, some may have allergic reactions, many will get infections, but all of us will experience pain, itch, and discomfort from the tiny wounds they leave behind. To minimize the danger, hike in the cold winter! Or, wear mesh outer layer, long pants and sleeves, or use bug repellant.
• Lightning - Well, the chances of dying from lightning are pretty low, but about 10x as likely as dying from snake bite. Lightning is sporadic and random - there is no place outdoors that is safe from lightning. To minimize the danger, pay attention to the developing weather and get indoors before a storm. Unable to do that, understand basic lightning safety suggestions.
• Filth - When everything in your gut is coming out in ways it shouldn't, most people assume they drank bad water. That's certainly possible, especially for those that don't even bother treating water, but it's more probable that bacteria from poop got on their hands, and then onto their food, and then into their mouths. That poop residue can be abundant on highly used trails, especially with established campsites or shelters that have designated latrines.
  To minimize the danger, wash your hands often, keep your fingernails short and clean, and use alcohol-based hand sanitizers after washing.

What did I miss? Anything else out there that scares you about being in the outdoors, or that we really should be concerned about?

Hike On

Hey, wanna hike the Florida Trail with me?
I'm planning to thru-hike the Florida Trail starting around Jan. 8 heading northbound. That's because it looks like the Florida Trail Association is setting that as their 2016 Kick-Off date and a few other people are starting then. But, I'd be happy to go southbound, or start a different day around that time, whatever works.

I know many people do thru-hikes alone, but I don't care for being alone on the trail for weeks at a time. A 1-week solo trek is fun, but longer than that and I don't enjoy it. Some folks hike long trails to find themselves, to get in touch with nature, or to overcome some challenge. Well, I know me, I'm very comfortable in nature, and I see a trail as an adventure rather than a challenge. So, I'm sincerely looking for someone to hike this trail with me and share the adventure.

If you're interested, and to improve our chances of being a good fit, here is some info about how I hope to hike the trail. Hopefully, this gives you a feel for what to expect and you will consider joining me:

• Hike 25 miles per day on average. In early January, there are about 11 hours of hikable daylight in FL, extending to 12 hours by mid-February.
  On this extremely flat trail, with many road, levy, dike miles, I expect to walk around 3MPH much of the time. Hiking about 3MPH for about 8 hours, with a morning, lunch, and afternoon break gets 25 miles done handily in 11 hours.
  Some trail challenges will certainly be much slower, even 1MPH for some of the swamp slogs, so some days will be shorter distances.
• Take a Nero Day each week. Hiking 150 miles in 6 days, followed by a day of rest, breaks the trek into a bunch of shorter week-long backpacking trips.
  Smaller bites like that are easier for me to handle.
  A Zero Day is taking a day off trail to rest legs and feet, and to resupply, wash clothes, and shower. This often results in hiking into a town, getting a hotel room, resting a day, and staying in the hotel a 2nd night. A Nero Day is similar, but cheaper. Camp a few miles from town so it is a short walk in the morning. Get a hotel, do chores in afternoon and evening. Sleep in and relax until late the next afternoon, then hike a short distance to camp that night. You get pretty much the same rest and fresh food, but pay for only 1 night.
• Complete the trail in 50 days. 25MPD * 6 days = 150 days/week. 1,100 miles / 150 = 7 weeks = 50 days. That includes 7 rest days, too.
• Hike early. I like to get up at first light, pack up, and start hiking. I'm usually not really hungry first thing, and I don't do coffee.
  Hiking early lets me see lots more wildlife, it's a cooler temperature, and daylight is precious in January.
• Hike Together or Apart. I enjoy hiking within eyesight of my partner and talking while on the trail, but in 7 weeks we'll surely want time hiking alone. I would like to at least have a check-in at mid-day and at the end of the day, so we'll know if one of us does not make it.
• Planning. I create a plan for my entire trek before leaving home. This gets me introduced to the terrain, water sources, resupply options, and probable camping spots for each day. As soon as I set foot on the trail, that plan is no longer used - it was just an exercise to prepare.
  I am comfortable having a general, flexible plan for the week ahead and a specific plan for the next day. That daily plan includes an idea of how many miles we'll do, any weirdness ahead on the trail, potential water sources, and probable camping spot.
  I'll have a Florida Trail guidebook along which is so important for planning the days ahead.
• Use of Technology. I use a cellphone for my camera, gps, navigation app, and blog. It is usually in airplane mode and silent. I blog from the trail which usually means making a text message on my phone at the end of the day. I have a SPOT Messenger that tracks my location and sends for help in an emergency - it makes no noise and only sends out data blips. If you have family at home wanting to follow your progress, this works well.
• I do my very best to follow Leave No Trace principles, and I'm an educator in that topic. That means I'll have a hard time with litter, destroying plants, and harassing animals.
• I'm involved with the Boy Scouts, Red Cross, and Lutheran church. So, if those areas bother you, we're probably not a good fit.
• I don't smoke or do drugs, and I don't want to be around either. I don't do coffee, but don't mind it. Alcohol in moderation is fine with me.

OK, what do you think? Can you meet me in Florida for 50 days of adventure? Or, maybe you'd like to hike halfway and stop at DisneyWorld in Orlando? Or, maybe you prefer doing a section and join us for a few days somewhere on the trail?
Please Send me Email if you want to pursue this adventure.

Hike On

On my 300-mile section hike of the Appalachian Trail, I met many interesting folks and had some wonderful (and some challenging) times. Every day offered up at least one memorable moment, but my evening spent in the Gravel Springs hut in the Shenandoah National Park was certainly one of the favorite times on my trek.

Just before reaching the shelter, I met a National Park Service ranger (with a gun) that was investigating pilfering of Gensing in the park. He was an Eagle Scout, too. If you are interested in that story, check out my A.T. Journal for details.

When I walked up to Gravel Springs, there were already 4 people there. This usually means a crowded, often sleepless, night. But, these 4 were wonderful.

A Boy Scout and his dad, and a Girl Scout and her dad, from Maryland were out for a few days of backpacking. Right off the bat, they welcomed me, made room at the picnic table, and made me feel right at home.

They made some freeze-dried dinners for their meal and had too much to eat (or so they insisted), so they shared with me. They also made a campfire which was nice for drying out soggy clothing. And, I got to tell two of my favorite stories - #1 and #2. The Girl Scout wanted to know if the second one was true, so that was a bonus. :-) But hey, this Girl Scout is awesome - she loves being outdoors, is self-sufficient, and will do great things in her life, I'm sure.

It was just a great evening, and one of those that I'll think about often.

I said I would send a Scout Shop gift card to some Scout or Scouter that I got to hike with on my A.T. trek, or at least met on the way. In my 300 miles, I met this Maryland scout, two other scouts, and 3 Scouters. Oh, and 3 Eagle Scouts that were backpacking as part of some Washington & Lee University outdoors program trips.

Anyway, this MD scout was chosen as the winner and I've sent him a $25 Scout Shop gift card. He's a young Star scout and has big plans for some high adventure trips over the next couple years, so I expect he'll have no problem spending it.

Hike On

Pictures and narrative are on my A.T. Journal page if you'd like to read the story.

I also have a few other thoughts about the trail that might be helpful for others...

• Spider webs and gnats are bothersome, but do no harm.
• The A.T. is a lot like climbing up and down stairs all day long. It is steep and rough, and there are few flat areas.
• Water, even sources marked as 'reliable', can be scarce in the late summer. Be ready to carry more than you expected.
• Any off-trail shelter means a steep side trail and usually a steeper path to water.
• Side trail distances are always rounded down. 0.2 miles might actually be 0.28 miles.
• Views are few and precious.
• People are the best part. Make time to stop and chat whenever you can.

Some of the wonderful people I met for just a short time:

• Stanimal and Dana - running Stanimal's hostel in Waynesboro, VA. Super folks with a great little home they share.
• Randy at Lewis campground - he manages the camp store and is very welcoming to hikers. Very positive about life and the trail, and makes you feel comfortable.
• Homer - the epitome of a trail volunteer, maintaining the Daleville area. A wealth of information, flexible, and willing to work something out to help a hiker.
• Washington & Lee University - I'm just simply impressed by how well their 14 backpacking groups handled themselves during their 5-day treks on the A.T. Their program seems to be doing a great job.
• A Ridgerunner in Shenandoah - she was spending her day on the trail, checking on hikers and providing information and advice.

And, a couple people I just can't figure out:

• The 3 or 4 people taking tiny dogs up McAfee Knob. Dogs so small they could not climb over the small rocks, so their owners carried them up.
• The young lady that burst onto the rock cliffs at sunrise while a dozen people were silently enjoying the view, and started loudly sharing her thoughts, including letting us know that she has 4 bars up here.

Just like the spider webs and gnats, those few people can be ignored and more energy put toward all the other daily adventures that inevitably happen out on the trail.

Hike On

I walked 14731 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 5 miles today.
Up on the dark wee hours got us to the top of McAfee knob before the sun, but clouds muted the sunrise anyway. I did get my pic taken here hanging off the famous edge. It was a nice last memory of the hike. Got picked up at a road crossing and taken to the Roanoke airport for an evening flight home. I'm on Charlotte, NC now laying for the last leg. A-town is continuing on and I'll a link to his blog soon, and a recap of the trip. Thanks for following along as long as it lasted.

I walked 40458 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 15 miles today.
The shoes felt nice today, but the rest of me was still pretty worn down. I climbed out of Daleville onto a ridge that made a huge horseshoe around a reservoir. Unfortunately, Vanilla Thunder still has too much pain to continue. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm not cut out for long solo trips, so I'm leaving the trail too. Tomorrow, we hope to see the sunrise on Mcafee Knob and then hike 5 miles to get picked up.

I walked 16041 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 5 miles today.
A very short day off the mountain and into Daleville this morNing - to 90 degree heat. I've tried to keep the posts positive, but my wife said I should let you know the tough parts too, so ... This was a very tough day for me. I was out of food and the heat sapped all my energy. I have chills and I believe I got extremely dehydrated - at least that's what I'm hoping. My shoes are worn out, as is my body. Pain in my feet, terrible headache (from yellow jacket sting or dehydration), and I started looking at plane fares home from roanoke, va. This has been a grueling trek and I've only done about 300 miles, not 1400 like V.T. and A-town! So, I hitched a ride to the post office and got a package then found the GA guys at the hotel. I told them I was looking to go home. But they encouraged me to rest today, eat, and try top replace my shoes. Also, a long call to my wife was uplifting. So, I'll post the new plan in a few minutes ...

We got some pizza for lunch then resupplied food for 4 days at the grocery. I got waaay more than I probably need, but I now have my stove and need to stay stronger. After that, I went to a local outfitter (not terribly helpful) and bought this nice, light pair of merrill shoes and some thicker socks - the hope being better support will help my foot pain. I've been eating fruit and sandwiches all afternoon and evening as well as drinking lots of water and chocolate milk. The chills have subsided finally but I've still not had to use the restroom (tmi) so I continue to drink water. The shoes were quite expensive but feel nice so I have high hopes that tomorrow goes well. I'm hoping we do a short day, but VT Is stir crazy having been here waiting 4 days. It's just super that they have let me hike with them. I've discovered that I am really not a solo hiker - I need other people around or it's not even a little enjoyable. So, there we are. New shoes, food, and we'll see what the next couple days bring. If I'm not better in the morning, I'll stay another day, otherwise it's back on the trail. By the way, these were three most tame shoes - some wild colors out there!

I walked 59384 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 27 miles today.
Met a bunch of day hikers on the trail. Many (most) of the water sources are just mud since the area has had little rain. A bird watcher from hawkcount.org (I think) and a motorcyclist gave me water which was very helpful since it was over 80 in the shade. I managed to get stung in the back of the head by a ninja yellow jacket - just walking down the trail and BAM. Ouch. After the heat of the day, a lightning storm came up and dumped tons of rain - so water might be better at some point. But, just 1 second from setting the flash to hearing the thunder is a bit closer for me. Unfortunately, not much for pictures today. Here's a herron fishing.