tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57403857843677711402024-03-15T21:10:05.927-04:00Night Hiking To MarsHiking and backpacking humor for thru-hikers, section hikers, day hikers, and car campers who turbo-charge campfires with gas-powered leaf blowers.Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-28134607642952769702022-01-27T18:09:00.004-05:002022-01-27T20:12:19.302-05:00Thru Stories: That Time I Didn’t Go Hypothermic Because I Had Already Gone Hypothermic<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiASPI1oiJI0-8R55vQnVZBpMrm48VSJJIembzd52XzsJNtafYLQ7BfHZiTuwzpgJol-cmAEHViULXgYk7XLgIaCaKwK_ghQz4EhQQnlHf_cy9xcKtPLGGwf8qRRuejWsbnmVFh4K9WRKje-MqtkToo3Ok9TtT9K1TQvQjRfGl5zrqa5luiDd2bOB_UKA=s4952" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4075" data-original-width="4952" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiASPI1oiJI0-8R55vQnVZBpMrm48VSJJIembzd52XzsJNtafYLQ7BfHZiTuwzpgJol-cmAEHViULXgYk7XLgIaCaKwK_ghQz4EhQQnlHf_cy9xcKtPLGGwf8qRRuejWsbnmVFh4K9WRKje-MqtkToo3Ok9TtT9K1TQvQjRfGl5zrqa5luiDd2bOB_UKA=w400-h329" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack and I entering Baxter. 2003 was so long ago<br />everything was in Black and White.<span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><i style="font-family: arial;">Note: while NHTM is for the most part a (hopefully) humorous blog, hypothermia is no joke. Please avail yourself of the helpful links in this story to learn more about it. I’ve also included some unhelpful links if you just want a laugh.</i></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>“Good judgement comes from experience. And experience? Well, that comes from bad judgement.”</b></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There may be people who are good at learning from experience, but generally speaking that’s not true of me. Hell, I’ve completed seven long hikes on six trails and I still haven’t figured out that I don’t particularly like walking. But every once in a while — usually when I almost die — I am <i>not</i> The Boy Who Doesn’t Learn.<br />
<br />
This story is one of those whiles.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In 2008 I was hiking the PCT and found myself in Washington State rather late in the Fall. I'd like to say that this was due to a late start date or severe injury or at least the vague catchall phrase “circumstances beyond my control.” But if I’m honest the real reasons would include the also-kind-of-vague but not as self-absolving “having way too much fun in California.”<br />
<br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgllCd8tmW7ejUAih9ZZBLdsiDy1rW3VP758iWhUSFUUts7pRZqRX9LOVDX_cvSFoPmTCwH7XkzsWDy3GxijYM66D2ClHxd1tT9KYxKtx1JvuVD7xR7vzuUNJ8E8wsSafpIEpmCiU79BZFTsi9Zdk6SeO3WHXHTzlA6Q5EzbCLDmHJdlT1QI0Mu5WIvrw=s1318" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1318" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgllCd8tmW7ejUAih9ZZBLdsiDy1rW3VP758iWhUSFUUts7pRZqRX9LOVDX_cvSFoPmTCwH7XkzsWDy3GxijYM66D2ClHxd1tT9KYxKtx1JvuVD7xR7vzuUNJ8E8wsSafpIEpmCiU79BZFTsi9Zdk6SeO3WHXHTzlA6Q5EzbCLDmHJdlT1QI0Mu5WIvrw=w400-h274" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough (but normal) conditions in Washington</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In any case, Washington State was doing what Washington State does late in the Fall — dropping the temps, dropping cold rain, dropping the snowline.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">And in the process, dropping my core temperature.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The last couple of weeks were a town-to-town slog, pushing big miles to get to the next resupply before EVERYTHING was soaking wet.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">And constantly considering the fine line between uncomfortable and dangerous.</span></div><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I was a couple of days North out of White Pass hiking solo on a cold and rainy day when I arrived at Chinook Pass. And the thing about Chinook Pass is: <a href="https://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2014/04/things-hikers-sometimes-do-chapter.html" target="_blank">there are very nice bathrooms there that would be excellent to sleep in</a>. And by this point in the hike, sleeping in a warm, dry bathroom was definitely an attractive option. However, even though by this time I was walking to the rhythm of my teeth chattering, it seemed too early in the day to stop. So on I pushed, into a wet, foggy day that was getting wetter and foggier as I hiked.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9zCTKGEgE-A95XwIIP3OF_tDHwzE7gY7SuVxkovAk5S02WbQ1HO_tAYGtzeGK_UwgaCwRgB2NPMcqk017eBU6__o9nPHdvllL9Yyx1tdKm5S86YytC8tepo6dlI_K7Pq3OpAZxxoDYC4PSWlByaYGrXEMwg7bbBeU2uPHIHGapTk_p3ZL4m-pNEswJg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9zCTKGEgE-A95XwIIP3OF_tDHwzE7gY7SuVxkovAk5S02WbQ1HO_tAYGtzeGK_UwgaCwRgB2NPMcqk017eBU6__o9nPHdvllL9Yyx1tdKm5S86YytC8tepo6dlI_K7Pq3OpAZxxoDYC4PSWlByaYGrXEMwg7bbBeU2uPHIHGapTk_p3ZL4m-pNEswJg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinook Pass, where I didn't sleep in a bathroom.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I was aiming for Government Meadow and Mike Ulrich Cabin. Much like a bathroom, the cabin would provide shelter from the elements. In addition it had a wood stove, and hopefully also had the hikers who had left Packwood the day before me.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But at a certain point it was getting dark, the temperature was dropping further, and the fog was so thick I could no longer guarantee that I could stay on trail and end up at Government Meadow. More importantly, I was feeling the beginnings of the onset of hypothermia. I was only a couple of miles away from a warm, dry cabin. It was tempting to push on. What to do?</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUZKqnxsWehoM0xJUEfuIeqqS77M9cyPabwkefqZI_HxFbR1ZfuAtct0ylKVsWBB4Z1_LGdeCLnjK0mzZfqvwMUG5LSHPtVhQUrWM0rDdbIdk5emMEDaRl1mMtFo7zN-fqLNfBVsALH9AGdKsyxDa1T_UZsqkB2jJbTMVp70jmvU-qRWWqXozrsqXQdQ=s1108" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1108" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUZKqnxsWehoM0xJUEfuIeqqS77M9cyPabwkefqZI_HxFbR1ZfuAtct0ylKVsWBB4Z1_LGdeCLnjK0mzZfqvwMUG5LSHPtVhQUrWM0rDdbIdk5emMEDaRl1mMtFo7zN-fqLNfBVsALH9AGdKsyxDa1T_UZsqkB2jJbTMVp70jmvU-qRWWqXozrsqXQdQ=w400-h309" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decision time. Fortunately <i>not</i> a last known photo.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Foremost in my mind at that point was my poor decision making a few years earlier in 2003. Some friends were finishing their AT Thru-hikes, and I joined them for the 100 Mile Wilderness and Katahdin. This was probably my first bad decision. Have you ever tried to get off the couch, brush the Cheez-Its off your chest, and keep up with Thru-hikers finishing a trail? It seemed effortless for them; for me it seemed like something I had been sentenced to by a particularly cruel Judge. Every part of me ached for every minute and by the end I had trench foot and a simmering distrust of my friends who said it would be AMAZING.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2003 was a particularly rainy year on the AT, and that Fall in Maine was no exception. It was late on a cold, rainy day when I left East Branch Lean-To — where some of the crew I was hiking with were now safely tucked into their sleeping bags — and pushed on to meet Baltimore Jack at Cooper Brook Falls Lean-To. Those hikers looked warm and dry at East Branch. I wanted desperately to stay. But I had told Jack I’d meet him, and I didn’t want him worrying about me (or worse — backtracking in the bad weather trying to find me). So on I hiked, after one last jealous glance back at those done for the day.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTtNcAtWscVJgR3Qdt1qdIFqbIjOPOlCubAB2XJYwtSQKKrt-nqrTrsa7c37zVEYvg1vvM1ErLe5JvecoCGV0bVUIxPderEddHKap8wrOi0JnNN3jUFG-34_a4n6g5G25dTb-Kb1m0wsTjBOWKHxVysKTcY0I0LUQyg6uKIJZd8Ib8Lrpn6gI92y9ptQ=s5184" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTtNcAtWscVJgR3Qdt1qdIFqbIjOPOlCubAB2XJYwtSQKKrt-nqrTrsa7c37zVEYvg1vvM1ErLe5JvecoCGV0bVUIxPderEddHKap8wrOi0JnNN3jUFG-34_a4n6g5G25dTb-Kb1m0wsTjBOWKHxVysKTcY0I0LUQyg6uKIJZd8Ib8Lrpn6gI92y9ptQ=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooper Brook Lean-To in 2015. Note the obligatory<br />mystery underwear hanging on the wall.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was only about 8 miles to the shelter. Doable, and I thought I was moving pretty fast in the cold & wet. At a certain point, though, I stopped to get water and eat a snack. I sat down, shivering. I took my gloves off. I continued to sit. In the cold. In the rain. I lost feeling in my hands. I stopped shivering. Something in me snapped me out of the fog I had fallen into and told me I had to move. I got up and started walking, but I didn’t put my gloves back on. It was dark now, but I decided that getting my headlamp out of my pack would take too long. This had the effect of slowing me down dramatically as it continued to rain, and eventually led to me blowing right past the blue blaze that marked the side trail to the shelter.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But only a hundred yards past it, as the trail went uphill to the left, that same thing that snapped me out of my previous stupor told me I had passed the shelter. I worked my way backwards, straining in the dark to see the blue blaze. I eventually found it, and made my way down to the shelter.<br />
<br />
There was a lot of scary stuff happening in the last two paragraphs, but by this time I didn’t have the wherewithal to realize it.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fortunately, Jack was at the shelter (which I realized afterwards wasn’t guaranteed). And from this point on I have no memory of what happened, and have to rely on Jack’s telling of the tale.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He said that I stumbled into the shelter, dropped my pack, sat on the deck, and proceeded to do nothing. Just sat there staring at nothing. Jack asked me what I was doing and I mumbled, “just resting for a minute.”</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jack said that at that point he realized from my behavior and my condition that I was showing signs of being deep enough into hypothermia that he needed to spring into action. He started ordering me around, starting with telling me to get out of my wet clothes. Which I couldn’t do. So he got me undressed and into my long underwear and then into my (fortunately) dry sleeping bag. He boiled water, put it in a Nalgene, and had me place it in my armpit. He fed me hot stew and then some warmed water. And he kept me awake through all of that.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Eventually the grogginess lifted and I remember being in my sleeping bag with no idea how I got there. Jack hovering over me, talking to me and looking at me with concern. Gradually I regained full mental function.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now that I think about it, my friends would probably dispute whether I <i>ever</i> have full mental function. “You can’t regain something you’ve never had!” But at least I was thinking relatively clearly again. I believe that at the point he started treating me I was somewhere in the middle of <a href="https://trustcarehealth.com/blog/hypothermia-explained" target="_blank">HT II (moderate hypothermia)</a> and spiraling downward. Did I die? That I’m writing this would suggest no. On the other hand, there’s a fair amount of evidence that I’m such a stubborn person that maybe I did die and have been choosing to ignore that fact for the past 19 years.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But I’m pretty sure I’m alive. And there’s little doubt in my mind that if Jack hadn’t been there — or if he didn’t <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothermia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352688" target="_blank">know what to do</a> — I wouldn’t be. Instead of dying I got a harsh lesson about the limits of my expertise, and the urge to make sure I never put myself in that position again.<br />
<br />
Then in 2008 in Washington State I went right ahead and put myself in that position again.<br />
<br />
But not exactly.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This time, I was aware of what was happening. I had been monitoring my hand dexterity all day. I knew the signs and symptoms to look for — I was on top of <a href="https://www.cprseattle.com/blog/watch-out-for-the-umbles-preventing-and-treating-hypothermia" target="_blank">“the umbles.”</a> And as I did mental checks on my condition my goal was to (if necessary) catch hypothermia in the mild stage when I could self-treat and arrest the progression. In other words, do all of the things Jack had done for me back in ’03 in Maine when I could no longer help myself.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So did I hike on towards Government Meadow?</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">No.<br />
<br /><br />
</span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEoBSHn5bA-t6oi5F_FfBebJeKnhzTDj7-1_vRMJEOg6-kvuitFgts1xb6_WF4WMRF4PQurSUfmKCG97tap4b2csCrjBy-QrXhtalRIHn1_DFw5IcWqr4JK7RC6yY2-kUuwuhcqpy7dbPCEGJUX25M8lgYs1TdLgsuFUh9ClbFVKMnkmm3oBkbdBZXGA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEoBSHn5bA-t6oi5F_FfBebJeKnhzTDj7-1_vRMJEOg6-kvuitFgts1xb6_WF4WMRF4PQurSUfmKCG97tap4b2csCrjBy-QrXhtalRIHn1_DFw5IcWqr4JK7RC6yY2-kUuwuhcqpy7dbPCEGJUX25M8lgYs1TdLgsuFUh9ClbFVKMnkmm3oBkbdBZXGA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Government Meadow from Ulrich Cabin.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My headlamp was bouncing off the thick fog and I couldn’t see a thing. In fact, the next day I found out I had passed a tent about five feet off the trail without seeing it. I was shivering, and my hand dexterity had degraded to the point that if I waited to set my tent up much longer I didn’t think I’d be able to. A warm, dry cabin was definitely a better place to end up, but I suspected that I might not end up there. So while I still had my wits about me I set up my tent, stripped out of my wets, got into my dry long underwear, and slid into my sleeping bag. I cooked a hot meal in my vestibule — not ideal, but I wasn’t going to do it in the cold rain — and then warmed up some water to drink. At no time did I fall into the deep mental fog that affected me in 2003, but I had felt a bit addled and it took me a while to warm up. I believe stopping when I did was the smart move.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeC6DougB6nDXGxX8qPstdcF9VQV1d13aclcmyPgrvuW1Si8FInqWmNbivapLVOgLqWW1TQ3xYcJnB9UnxlvL7kNdnd4q3cCVJ7xAP0URg_pyj-avFJiq2r1cUYwn2PQlKGzaMJJbemuvaNXDAG2mV9DyhiMpFR57seheJ6Viq5b6124wXnUK4rYHVaw=s3264" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeC6DougB6nDXGxX8qPstdcF9VQV1d13aclcmyPgrvuW1Si8FInqWmNbivapLVOgLqWW1TQ3xYcJnB9UnxlvL7kNdnd4q3cCVJ7xAP0URg_pyj-avFJiq2r1cUYwn2PQlKGzaMJJbemuvaNXDAG2mV9DyhiMpFR57seheJ6Viq5b6124wXnUK4rYHVaw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tex, Karen, and I drying out at Ulrich Cabin</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next day I did my shortest day on the trail — about three miles to Ulrich Cabin. I was joined by Tex and Karen, whose tent I had passed in the fog. We decided to bag further hiking for the day, chop some wood, and spend the day recovering by the wood stove and drying our gear and clothing. It was a good day, and it was a smart move.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And when I made it to Snoqualmie Pass 46 miles later, I got a room at The Summit Inn and sat in their hot tub for two hours. Which might have been the smartest move of all.</span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl9eUQfFb1k8uqOEhAiAdjq90uWqxDxQMv7SQTHo_9ELaAhOpWL01BkSu1JBVtQKI9GyR_c7wzGNMy8Ug1g3yvc_HDP_eJfpn4NwBNvnyyHPvQPtc9CcCzjZb6HTd09l_Oowd6Q3SnfVbX_07zsVTPvOU7y0R3we5E708ANeYBTod6W09-ekYIvTyR9g=s2448" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1909" data-original-width="2448" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl9eUQfFb1k8uqOEhAiAdjq90uWqxDxQMv7SQTHo_9ELaAhOpWL01BkSu1JBVtQKI9GyR_c7wzGNMy8Ug1g3yvc_HDP_eJfpn4NwBNvnyyHPvQPtc9CcCzjZb6HTd09l_Oowd6Q3SnfVbX_07zsVTPvOU7y0R3we5E708ANeYBTod6W09-ekYIvTyR9g=w400-h313" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading to Snoqualmie. Post-crisis but pre-hot tub.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />(for another story about what happened in my tent that night in 2008, click <a href="https://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2020/12/fecal-matters-four-short-hiking-stories.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>)<br />
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<i>Thanks to Andi Lowry for the inspiration to get off my metaphorical butt and write this story down (I was on my actual butt when I wrote it).</i></span></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.tbwproductions.com" target="_blank">TBW PRODUCTIONS</a></b></span></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>TBW YOUTUBE CHANNEL</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW INSTAGRAM</a></b></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><i><br /></i></span></div>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-35505258958105850062021-09-29T12:46:00.003-04:002021-09-29T12:52:00.163-04:00All Of The Mountain House Memes<p>My hiking partners and I have a running joke about what Mountain House meals do to my gastrointestinal system, and what my gastrointestinal system does to my pants and everyone around me as a result. It's the sort of thing that makes me happy I already had a trail name before this came up.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2wESIfMgcXg/YVOFUMtFwyI/AAAAAAAACU8/NBDQs48wbWsBqnIU1QtJbFrxP-KP6P84QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1592/Mountain%2BHouse%2BMy%2BBody%2Bwsig.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1592" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2wESIfMgcXg/YVOFUMtFwyI/AAAAAAAACU8/NBDQs48wbWsBqnIU1QtJbFrxP-KP6P84QCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Mountain%2BHouse%2BMy%2BBody%2Bwsig.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2kEDGoYlztA/YVOFrru4bgI/AAAAAAAACVE/nuHdyDDZSo0D_Rd855K94wQ59VNViwNoACNcBGAsYHQ/s1396/Mountain%2BHouse%2BCat.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1396" data-original-width="1070" height="527" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2kEDGoYlztA/YVOFrru4bgI/AAAAAAAACVE/nuHdyDDZSo0D_Rd855K94wQ59VNViwNoACNcBGAsYHQ/w404-h527/Mountain%2BHouse%2BCat.png" width="404" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="1828" height="310" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OSktl22gQKQ/YVOIPpdE3II/AAAAAAAACWA/7YIFRcL9cfEZmHZskg_cwXG8ilBzz9XKACNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h310/Mountain%2BHouse%2BEvacuation.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iyEDH4NwUUc/YVOIZTMXzgI/AAAAAAAACWE/OUCo1asfYGMmt3JFv-4NKBM7OgNyg_g2wCNcBGAsYHQ/s1634/Transverse%2Bplane%2BMountain%2BHouse.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="1634" height="275" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iyEDH4NwUUc/YVOIZTMXzgI/AAAAAAAACWE/OUCo1asfYGMmt3JFv-4NKBM7OgNyg_g2wCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h275/Transverse%2Bplane%2BMountain%2BHouse.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7rSV1liG2U/YVOIgqd_8jI/AAAAAAAACWM/hIHYGwfrMvgkdvw66esiAgG6O5p_DthTgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1426/Mountain%2BHouse%2BPants%2BShitting.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1426" height="278" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7rSV1liG2U/YVOIgqd_8jI/AAAAAAAACWM/hIHYGwfrMvgkdvw66esiAgG6O5p_DthTgCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h278/Mountain%2BHouse%2BPants%2BShitting.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>With thanks to David Vitti!<br /><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.tbwproductions.com" target="_blank">TBW PRODUCTIONS</a></b></span></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>TBW YOUTUBE CHANNEL</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW INSTAGRAM</a></b></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-47218677375350516472020-12-23T21:15:00.010-05:002020-12-24T10:28:44.287-05:00Fecal Matters: Four Short Hiking Stories<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jY9xbBWSw7M/X-Pr9_0vVzI/AAAAAAAACQE/iSmN8pakLMgMgOebT4dzihPXlFX_AmQbwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3045.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jY9xbBWSw7M/X-Pr9_0vVzI/AAAAAAAACQE/iSmN8pakLMgMgOebT4dzihPXlFX_AmQbwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3045.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As this year draws to a close I realize that I only spent about twelve days in the woods, and I was thinking about all of the things I missed most about it: the immersion in nature, the enjoyment of physical exertion in fresh air, the feeling of freedom, the views. But as I imagine is the case with pretty much everyone, the thing I missed most about backpacking was, of course, talking about poop.</span></p><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And seeing as I also imagine that you — if you didn’t get out on trail much — missed listening to people talk about poop, I decided it might be nice to metaphorically dig a 6-8” hole and drop some stories in it.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Enjoy!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Appalachian Trail 2000: “The Jewish People Figured This Out Thousands Of Years Ago”</span></b></span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Many of the Shelters in the Smokies now have privies, but there was a time in the not-too-distant past when none of them did, on the theory that dispersed pooping done during the course of the hiking day was a better management plan than concentrating use at a privy that would have to be maintained. Unfortunately that plan didn’t really work all that well, and each shelter ended up with a nearby “Poop Hill” that in some cases seemed uncomfortably close to the water source. And maybe that still would have been okay too, if not for all of the people who decided that carrying a trowel and digging an actual cathole was unnecessary. What you ended up with was a surface dookie minefield at every shelter, replete with white TP warning flags blowing in the wind.</span><br /><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2FeA7sxVVgo/X-PslN_Vi6I/AAAAAAAACQM/MzKhHmOQj1EqJLFKzRPVpPZbvQ0_iUOpQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1995/Smokies%2BFirst%2BShelter%2B%25281%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1995" data-original-width="1676" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2FeA7sxVVgo/X-PslN_Vi6I/AAAAAAAACQM/MzKhHmOQj1EqJLFKzRPVpPZbvQ0_iUOpQCNcBGAsYHQ/w336-h400/Smokies%2BFirst%2BShelter%2B%25281%2529.jpeg" width="336" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smokies shelters were generally pretty gross<br />even without the Poop Hill.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span><p></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But that’s all background. The important part of this story is that I always carry a book with me hiking. ALWAYS. And I don’t limit myself to short books like a person with common sense would do. I read Lonesome Dove on the CDT (900+ pages). I read Shogun on the PCT (1100+ pages). Reading is such a part of my in-camp routine that I find it difficult to get to sleep if I don’t read at night.<br /><br />So you can imagine my dismay when, shortly before entering the Smokies in 2000, I had finished a copy of The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper and had nothing to read. Fortunately some well-meaning religious person had left a copy of the Bible in a shelter, and I thought to myself, “well, I’ve never read THAT the whole way through before.”<br /><br />I suppose it was serendipity that on the same day I experienced my first “Poop Hill” I was up to Deuteronomy in the Bible and came across this passage in Chapter 23:<br /><br />“Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:<br />And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:<br />For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.”<br /> <br /> Right there in the Bible: directions for digging a cathole.<br /> <br /> And from that point on I did two things: I wrote the text of Deuteronomy 23:12-14 in all of the Shelter Registers until I left the Smokies — with a note that said “God wants you to bury your poop.” And for the rest of my hike whenever someone asked me where I was going with TP and trowel in hand, I responded, “going to ease myself abroad.”<br /><br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pacific Crest Trail 2008: “I Blame This Decision On The Hypothermia I Didn’t Have”</b></span><br /><br />I suffered from a bout of full-blown hypothermia while in Maine in the fall of 2003, and I was (I thought) justifiably paranoid about it in the fall of 2008 as I hiked through a cold and rainy fall season on the Pacific Crest Trail. And so it was that on Day 2 out of Packwood I was hiking alone in a cold rain monitoring myself for the Umbles and doing hand dexterity tests as I hiked. Dreading the idea of setting up my already wet tent in the rain, I briefly considered pulling up short and sleeping in a trailhead bathroom at Chinook Pass before deciding to push on towards my goal for the day: Camp Ulrich at Government Meadow.<br /><br /><br /></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XZksQvHdW9Y/X-PtRQk5pjI/AAAAAAAACQY/3itvSZ8L8mQxVOgyujbipZhakd7pUg53QCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/PCT1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XZksQvHdW9Y/X-PtRQk5pjI/AAAAAAAACQY/3itvSZ8L8mQxVOgyujbipZhakd7pUg53QCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/PCT1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost slept in a bathroom near here.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Camp Ulrich was the goal because there was a cabin with a wood stove there, and hopefully other hikers. It was 23 miles from Chinook Pass to Camp Ulrich, though, and as I slogged along it started getting dark. My progress slowed as my headlamp bounced ineffectually off a thick fog that set in. I was losing steam fast with about four miles to go and I realized I was getting slightly addled. Not wanting to risk missing Camp Ulrich in the pea-soupy darkness, I decided to bag the plan, set up camp, and do my best to ward off the early signs of hypothermia I felt setting in.<br /><br />The cold rain continued coming down as I got my tent set up. I got into dry clothes and into my sleeping bag. I cooked in my vestibule. I made a Nalgene hot water bottle that I put in my armpit. And after eating I settled in to sleep wishing I had made it to the cabin while thinking I had made a solid decision not to try.<br /><br />And then: I had to poop.<br /><br />My brain still wasn’t firing on all cylinders but I knew I wasn’t going out there in my dry sleeping clothes and I also didn’t want to put the wets back on. Conundrum. Naked? Should I go out there naked? Is that what you do in this situation? I took a look outside and it was <i>sleeting</i>. Suddenly I realized that those stories you hear about finding dead hypothermia victims in various states of undress might be due to them simply needing to poop, and I was not going down like that. So I did the only other thing I could think of:<br /><br />I pooped into a gallon Ziploc freezer bag.<br /></span><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aZovWqEHmDY/X-Pttjibp7I/AAAAAAAACQg/xIvnO7dSHgAjRYkKcBS0NlpnssE1zM_zgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/PCT2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aZovWqEHmDY/X-Pttjibp7I/AAAAAAAACQg/xIvnO7dSHgAjRYkKcBS0NlpnssE1zM_zgCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/PCT2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somewhere in this photo is a well-hidden bag of crap.<br />It's like a smelly version of Where's Waldo. </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>The next day I rolled into Camp Ulrich early in the morning and called it -- it was a short mileage day but I needed to recover and dry out my gear. Tex and Karen showed up (I had unknowingly passed their tent in the dark the night before) and they decided to stay as well. We got a good fire going in the stove, and I am happy to report that as I spread all of my gear out to dry they did not notice — and I did not have to explain — the freezer bag full of poop that I would carry for another 46 miles before getting rid of it at Snoqualmie Pass.</span></span></span><p></p><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>Continental Divide Trail 2012: “The Cow Dung Trail”</b></span><br /><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zkgkPsC9c3Y/X-PubELoWFI/AAAAAAAACQs/lzItP3ahWMAtpCndpy-Vum824oHTgRtnACNcBGAsYHQ/s847/CDT%2B1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="847" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zkgkPsC9c3Y/X-PubELoWFI/AAAAAAAACQs/lzItP3ahWMAtpCndpy-Vum824oHTgRtnACNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/CDT%2B1.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Can I . . . Can I get some of that water? No? Okay."</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you hike the Continental Divide Trail you’ll notice that a fair amount of your experience revolves around cows. You hike through BLM land leased to ranchers. You go over and under barbed wire cattle fences. You get water from windmill-driven wells that are there for the moo rather than you. You’ll probably accidentally spook a herd at least once, and you’ll definitely get comfortable with cow shit. Because all of the places you might like to rest are also the places cows like to rest, and the places that cows like to rest are also the places that cows like to poop. I have taken naps laying directly on crap more times than anyone really should.<br /><br />One of the other things about the CDT is that it’s not always as well marked as you’d like, so it’s not unusual for hikers to occasionally build piles of rocks for the friends behind them at particularly tricky navigational spots. They're not the “artistic” rock stacks made by people with the hubris to think they arrange rocks better than nature does. They're just helpful and boring directional cairns that are normally pretty unremarkable.<br /></span><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7vaSUo3Ukx4/X-PvCJivDhI/AAAAAAAACQ0/Y7nzlGKQ1OkbJPh2F1Dl31uwmzSvUN_EgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CDT%2BPoop.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1664" data-original-width="2048" height="325" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7vaSUo3Ukx4/X-PvCJivDhI/AAAAAAAACQ0/Y7nzlGKQ1OkbJPh2F1Dl31uwmzSvUN_EgCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h325/CDT%2BPoop.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At a certain point you don't even really notice the poop.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br />Almost out of New Mexico, we were eagerly headed for Ghost Ranch and the cafeteria at Ghost Ranch (which had the food at Ghost Ranch) on a dirt road that we can call that only if we’re being charitable with our definition of “road.” We had taken a break a few minutes earlier and checked our maps while stopped, so we knew that the trail took a hard right off the road at some point. Eventually we found the turn at a fenceline, but would we have been looking for it if we hadn't just checked our maps? Possibly, but maybe not. It was unmarked and a classic spot to build a cairn, but the problem was there were no rocks. At all. What to do? We could wait for our friends behind so they didn’t miss the turn. That was certainly a short-term solution, but what about friends a day or two behind? And more importantly, what about the food at Ghost Ranch? Would the food at Ghost Ranch still be there if we waited? Probably, but maybe not. And even if the food <i>was</i> still there, it felt like cutting into Ghost Ranch food eating time was more of a sacrifice than anyone should reasonably expect from us.<br /><br />So looking around and considering our options, we did what anyone who had hiked through most of New Mexico would think was completely normal: we made a cow pie cairn.<br /><br />It was a perfect directional marker, because you definitely noticed it. You didn’t have to play the “cairn/not-a-cairn” game that would occasionally happen when you saw a small pile of rocks. No, this was a very tall, very obvious stack of crap. It was either a directional cairn or these were the weirdest cows in all of New Mexico. And thanks to the poop, everyone made it to Ghost Ranch with ease. Where the food was, in fact, still there.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Appalachian Trail 2015: “Proper Planning Prevents Poop Panic Performance”<br /></b></span><br />I have hiked enough trails by now that I am usually pretty good at planning. So it was with both surprise and disappointment that I found myself in Caratunk, Maine waiting for the Post Office to open as my hiking partners walked out of town. We had crossed the Kennebec on the first ferry trips of the morning and had breakfast at Northern Outdoors. And then had another breakfast at the Sterling Inn. Having already hiked 4 miles and with 14.7 still to go, they rightfully didn’t feel like loitering any longer due to me being an idiot. So off they went; I would get my mail and do my best to catch up.<br /><br />Why did I have a package waiting at the Post Office? I have no good explanation. I had a new pair of shoes mailed to Caratunk despite the fact that I would literally be in Monson the next day (a town where I had a planned zero day). And it wasn’t like I was being clever in avoiding a day the Monson PO would be closed when I got there. I was going to arrive in Monson on a Tuesday. And to add another layer of dumbassery to my decision, the Caratunk PO was only open from 2-4pm.<br /></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qntRxoVnAhE/X-PwDrHDi0I/AAAAAAAACRA/i7oKnHf_4ConV4SJdIsyES6piVmy74_GwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/AT1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qntRxoVnAhE/X-PwDrHDi0I/AAAAAAAACRA/i7oKnHf_4ConV4SJdIsyES6piVmy74_GwCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/AT1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Later, on the far shore, the phrase "dropping a Caratunk"<br />would be coined.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So there I was, sitting in front of the closed Caratunk PO at noon, when I started receiving warning signals from my gastrointestinal tract that a pint of ice cream as part of second breakfast had been a terrible, terrible choice. I looked around me and started to sweat. They were doing construction on the building attached to the PO; the workers told me the bathrooms had been torn out the day before. My last thought before getting truly frantic was “that’ll teach me to take a zero in Gorham.”<br /><br />I ran around behind the building. Realistically, there was no place to poop without being seen. And reviled. Back around to the front of the building, and now I was desperate. Desperate enough to do something embarrassing, but something not nearly as embarrassing as pooping my pants.<br /><br />I went up to a random house and knocked on the door.<br /><br />You want to talk about Trail Angels? I’ll tell you about a Trail Angel. Because the woman who answered the knock on that door graciously let a random stranger into her house to destroy her bathroom. Granted, it was the half bath next to the garage, but it had a toilet and that’s really the only thing that mattered. I apologized profusely on the way in, and I apologized even more profusely on the way out. She said it was okay, emergencies happen, pay it no mind. I’m sure after I left she Febreezed that room like she owned stock in it.<br /><br />My hero.<br /><br />Anyway, I got the new shoes, clocked the 14.7 miles in them before dark, and to this day I still don’t know why I had shoes sent there instead of Monson and ended up having to poop in downtown Caratunk.<br /></span><br /><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSMtUeizEgg/X-Pw0vlwjsI/AAAAAAAACRI/8F13ZIMoxtQsksTAjSMY54nm0RxjIgy1ACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/AT2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSMtUeizEgg/X-Pw0vlwjsI/AAAAAAAACRI/8F13ZIMoxtQsksTAjSMY54nm0RxjIgy1ACNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/AT2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new shoes: KEEN McGuffins.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I like to imagine that woman telling someone that same story right now, about the day she saved a dirty hiker’s dignity and also his pants. As for me, I like the story not only because it’s about how things can go wrong even when you think you know what you’re doing, but also because it’s about the kindness of strangers that is a hallmark of long distance hiking. It’s the sort of thing that reaffirms your faith in humanity, and I think we can all agree that’s exactly what a really good poop story is all about.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tbwproductions.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TBW PRODUCTIONS</b></span></a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>TBW YOUTUBE CHANNEL</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>TBW INSTAGRAM</b></span></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-7587521271467057002020-08-09T14:52:00.000-04:002020-08-09T14:52:04.185-04:00This Just In: Hiker Who Never Carries A Trowel Has Also Never Dug A Cathole<p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Despite years of recommending something other than a trowel for digging a cathole, NHTM has recently discovered that long time hiker and advice-giver Jim “Stank” Brandley has never actually dug a proper cathole.</span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJDWobjobGg/XzA9LG2r9tI/AAAAAAAACOM/YM9IFSYfSjMj9vXmVtZKZm7TE9_Si8sIgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1762/Hole%2BDiggers.png" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1762" height="254" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJDWobjobGg/XzA9LG2r9tI/AAAAAAAACOM/YM9IFSYfSjMj9vXmVtZKZm7TE9_Si8sIgCNcBGAsYHQ/w410-h254/Hole%2BDiggers.png" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A selection of items with which Stank has definitely not dug an actual cathole.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;">“Honestly, when I first started backpacking — and not carrying a trowel — I genuinely tried to dig catholes,” explains Brandley. “I’d try digging with my heel or a rock or a spoon or a stick or what have you. But I discovered that the amount of time between when my brain told me ‘you have to poop’ and poop actively coming out of me was way too short for me to dig a real hole with a stick. I started having to carry, like, five pairs of pants. Which more than offset the weight savings of not carrying a trowel.”</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Instead, Stank settled on the compromise of <i>telling</i> people he digs catholes. “I discovered it’s way easier to just tell people you dig catholes than to dig a 6-8 inch deep hole with the heel of your shoe. I mean, six to eight inches deep? With the heel of my shoe? C’mon man. <i>I’m wearing ALTRAS.</i> They don’t really even have a heel.”</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">John Gordon, a trail maintainer in an area of the AT where Stank regularly backpacks, confirms his behavior. “If you’ve ever heard the phrase ‘character is what you do when no one’s watching,’ then Stank’s character is ‘Drop Your Pants And Poop On The Ground.’ And then maybe cover it with some leaves.”</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fh6PoKcb31g/XzA_VcYrVpI/AAAAAAAACOY/vmFZne5Nm8ch6n9G_ORZuSTSb2M9Lgi6ACNcBGAsYHQ/s622/1_2%2BGal%2BTrowel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="622" height="350" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fh6PoKcb31g/XzA_VcYrVpI/AAAAAAAACOY/vmFZne5Nm8ch6n9G_ORZuSTSb2M9Lgi6ACNcBGAsYHQ/w498-h350/1_2%2BGal%2BTrowel.jpg" width="498" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hikers who are concerned about trowel weight might want to think of<br />a trowel as dual use item. Of note: Stank doesn't claim to eat food<br />with a tent stake or a stick. "That would be ludicrous." </td></tr></tbody></table></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Stank insists that despite never digging a cathole, what he does works just fine.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">
“I’ll, you know, scrape at the ground for a few seconds before I drop trou. Maybe make, like, a two inch deep divot. And then when I’m done I definitely cover it with a rock or something.”<br />
<br />
(Gordon: “Yeah, he definitely does that.”)<br />
<br />
“And I’m always considerate enough to be far enough away from the trail that no one will ever come across it.”<br />
<br />
(Gordon: “I wouldn’t describe any of the poop rocks I’ve picked up while maintaining as ‘far enough away,’ but that’s just me.”)<br />
<br />
Why not just carry a trowel? Stank explains.<br />
“Listen, a Deuce of Spades weighs 0.6 of an ounce. 0.6 of an ounce! Do you know how heavy that is? I know you’re going to say it’s not very heavy at all. And it’s not. But when you consider that I’m never going to use it? It’s excess weight. It makes a lot more sense to claim I’m digging catholes with a tent stake I’m already carrying if I’m not going to dig a cathole anyway.”</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Brandley went on to add that he also doesn’t carry soap or sanitizer and then stuck his hand in our bag of M&Ms.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TPNTFhPreNY/XzBABM-ou-I/AAAAAAAACOg/S3o5TS6M4vkNc2HC4v2cYdTodmdDOgZfQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Poop%2BKit.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1918" height="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TPNTFhPreNY/XzBABM-ou-I/AAAAAAAACOg/S3o5TS6M4vkNc2HC4v2cYdTodmdDOgZfQCNcBGAsYHQ/w479-h512/Poop%2BKit.jpeg" width="479" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Stank only uses one of these items and you definitely shouldn't<br />share food with him. </span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">So what’s next for Stank? Brandley recently bought hiking poles for use on his backpacking trips, and he’s excited. “I think they’ll really help take pressure off my knees, help me maintain a rhythm, and aid in balance on a lot of the uneven parts of the trail. Who knows? I may get one of those tents that uses hiking poles too. But mostly they’re another thing I can claim I dig catholes with, even though I think we both know that’s never gonna happen.”</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Note: As always, thank you to my friends for letting me steal their names for articles. Especially Jim, whose trail name is not "Stank" and who definitely doesn't just crap on the ground.</i></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.tbwproductions.com" target="_blank">TBW PRODUCTIONS</a></span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank">TBW YOUTUBE CHANNEL</a></span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW INSTAGRAM</a></span></b></span></p><div><span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-15972628746937833302020-07-29T15:49:00.004-04:002021-04-25T19:37:38.260-04:00Six Questions To Ask “Budget” Thru-Hikers And One Question To Ask Yourself<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">One of the questions frequently asked in hiking social media groups is how much it costs to complete a Thru-hike, or more to the point, “is it possible to hike the entire Appalachian Trail on $800?” And they will definitely get a</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">n an</span>swer to that question, but unfortunately they will also get 843 other answers to that question.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;">Invariably, a few of those answers will be hikers saying it’s definitely possible (and I suppose it is), but I suspect the better question is, “yeah, but is it <i>probable</i>?”<br /><br />
</span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;">I’m not going to answer either of those questions.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">What I’m going to do instead is run through six questions you might consider asking someone who says they hiked the trail on what sounds like an extremely low budget, with one question to ask yourself. Because if you’re like me, those claims always sound a little bit suspicious. And if the people making those claims are also like me, they’re at least a <i>little bit</i> full of crap. This isn’t to say that everyone who says they’ve hiked on a small budget is lying about it. It just might be that they’re leaving some information out.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BjyO9FaOgO4/XyHNKnBZ3yI/AAAAAAAACN0/fJEY8ueREDAr6CNbtqLnRWzbOw1biBQdQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Waynesboro%2Bsoak.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1806" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BjyO9FaOgO4/XyHNKnBZ3yI/AAAAAAAACN0/fJEY8ueREDAr6CNbtqLnRWzbOw1biBQdQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Waynesboro%2Bsoak.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Sitting in an air-conditioned room drinking beer<br />and soaking my feet instead of sweating my<br />nards off in the free camping area in Waynesboro.</font></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><font size="5">When did they hike? </font><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span></b></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">One of the problems with social media is that you tend not to really know anything about the person answering your questions. So while the guy who says, “oh, yeah, I hiked the entire AT on a dollar a mile” might not be lying, he might also not think it’s important to point out that he did that in 1983. It’s not malicious. Most people know in some part of their brain that things get more expensive, but they don’t really think about <i>how much more expensive</i>, particularly wh</span>en they remember their hike like it was yesterday. Which it wasn’t.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;">And when you point out to someone that “a dollar a mile” in 1983 is about $5,600 now, they’re genuinely shocked. That’s still a pretty normal amount to spend on a Thru-hike, by the way. And it’s an incredibly cheap 4-6 month vacation. A one bedroom rental at the Jersey Shore in the summer will run you about $1K <i>per week</i>. Just for a place to stay. Five months worth of weekly Disney passes will run you $11,550. <i>Just to get into the Park</i>.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><font size="5">Was it their first Thru-hike?</font><br />
</b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">It may not make a lot of sense if you’ve never attempted a long hike, but people who have done one before tend to be the sort of people who can do them for cheaper. Why? Dunno. Maybe they just know all of the budgeting tricks of the trade from the get go. Maybe they’re doing the same trail again and they know a lot of trail town folks. Maybe it’s because in between Thru-hikes they live a pretty spartan life anyway, so as to be able to afford another Thru-hike. If I’m living in the bed of my truck to save rent, staying exclusively in my tent on a hike isn’t as big a deal. Because neither of them have showers. Or actual beds. Or chairs with backs. But mostly I think it’s because previous Thru-hikers have a better idea of what they need and don’t need to stay happy on trail; they’re not learning about the trail version of themselves as they go.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;">Note: I can combine these first two questions to give you an example of both at the same time. ALL of my hikes have cost around $5K. And I did long, multi-month hikes in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2015, with the first and last being the Appalachian Trail. But in 2015 dollars, my first AT Thru cost about $6,800. And my second one, as mentioned, cost about $5,000.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><font size="5">Are they only telling you what <i>THEY</i> spent?</font></b></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">There’s a case to be made that “what was the total cost of the hike?” is a better question than “what did <i>YOU</i> spend on the hike?” Because sometimes when you dig into this sort of thing, you discover that, yeah, <i>THEY</i> spent eight hundred bucks. But their grandparents paid for them to get to and from the trail, their parents bought and shipped all of their food, and they started a GoFundMe in New Hampshire when they ran out of money that pretty much nobody contributed to. So they “borrowed” five hundred bucks from their Uncle Steve and he is definitely never going to see that money again. Don’t worry. Uncle Steve knew.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Everyone says Uncle Steve is too nice.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><font size="5">Did their hike rely on work-for-stay/hiker boxes/mooching?</font></b></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">The former two are strategies for making a hike cheaper; the latter is a strategy for having everyone around you think you’re a monumental pain in the ass. The problem with the first two is that you really can’t count on them, and therefore they shouldn’t be part of a plan. Work-for-stay is nice if you want it, but a lot of places you might end up won’t need any work done. And sometimes you’ll be so exhausted that you don’t want it even if it’s available.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;">As for hiker boxes, there will occasionally be some nice finds, particularly in places where a lot of people ship food. And you should always check the hiker box before you head off to do your resupply or get new gear. My hiking partner found a brand new pair of shoes in Pearisburg right when he needed new shoes. </span>But everyone who’s been on trail knows that hiker boxes are frequently full of stuff the original owner didn’t want, and neither did any other hiker who was there before you. The mystery bag of white powder is not a myth. And guess what? It’s also not powdered milk. Enjoy your foot-powder breakfast cereal.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">So work-for-stay and hiker boxes are solid ways to spend less money <i>while on trail, </i>but they’re not really something I would recommend <i>planning</i> on.<br />
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As for mooching, just don’t. Don’t be that hiker. Yes, people like you and want you to stick around. We all know this. You’re very likable. At first. Yes, <i>at first</i> that cool couple you met at that shelter that time and “hey! We’re all here in town together” will let you use their shower after they’ve used their shower. Even though that’s theft of services. And those people you’ve been hiking with for a month? They’ll definitely let you have a couple of slices of that pizza. At first.</span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">But pretty soon everyone starts to notice that you never chipped in for that shuttle and you drank half of that case of beer they paid for and I just noticed you’re wearing my rain pants to do laundry and now your balls have been all over the inside of my pants. Now you’re no longer likable, and at this point nobody wants you around anymore. Especially me, because that thing with the rain pants was not cool.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><font size="5">How many days was their hike?</font></b></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">One of the best pieces of advice for budget hiking is “a faster hike is a cheaper hike.” So you might discover that that guy who did a hike for what you think of as pretty cheap also did that hike in 90 days. And that’s fine. For some people that’s the kind of pace they want to do. But are you that kind of person? Maybe.</span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Or maybe you’re like me, and the only way you would hike the AT in 90 days is if a series of bears were chasing you the entire time. Weirdly, I’ve actually gotten faster as I’ve gotten older. But I’m never really gonna be interested in hiking much more than about a hundred miles a week repeatedly unless I have a really good reason, and I’d rather not have my pace dictated by my budget.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><font size="5">Did they hike the <i>entire</i> trail?</font></b></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Not really something you’d think you’d have to ask someone who says they’re a Thru-hiker, and yet here we are. It should go without saying, but someone who only hikes half of the trail on their “Thru-hike” will spend about half of what they would have spent if they hiked the entire trail. So it doesn’t really matter if they’re “going to go back and get those miles someday” (they’re not). If they skipped all of Virginia and Pennsylvania you should probably take their budgeting answers with the amount of salt in a Mountain House meal, or at the very least <i>with a grain of salt.</i> </span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Unless you’re also planning on skipping all of Virginia and Pennsylvania.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><font size="5"><br /></font></b></span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><font size="5">And finally, one question for you:</font></b></span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><font size="5">Do you have a plan for when the plan doesn’t work out?</font></b></span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”</span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: right;"><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>—Boxer/Philosopher Mike Tyson</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;">It’s really heartbreaking to see people quit the trail for no other reason than they’re out of money. I’ve seen it happen a ton of times over the past twenty years. So, yeah, sure, right now you’re “not out there to spend time in town,” and you’re “going to get into town and then get right out again” and you’re “fine with splitting laundry with five other people and discovering once back on trail -- later that same day -- that you’ve lost half of your socks.” And maybe all of that will be the case. Or maybe not.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;">Maybe after six straight days of cold rain/snow/sleet you’re going to split a hotel room and eat an entire Meat Lover’s Pizza. While sitting, not standing, in a hot shower. For 45 minutes. And then ordering another Meat Lover’s Pizza. Or maybe you’re going to be in Virginia, chafed to the point of considering field amputation and so encrusted with sweat salt that you’re starting to look like Sean Patrick Flanery in Powder. And the only thing you want to do for an entire day is ice your crotch and sit in front of an air conditioner going full blast. While eating a Meat Lover’s Pizza.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;">Or even more simply — and definitely likely —maybe you’ll discover you really like the people you’re hiking around and you want to stay with them, even though you started out thinking this was going to be your big amazing self-sufficient solo adventure.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Which is to say: it’s fine to plan a “cheap” hike — go for it. But maybe consider using the same discipline you think you’ll have <i>on trail</i> to save up enough <i>before the trail</i> to deal with the possibility of that plan not happening.</span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><font size="5"><b><a href="https://www.tbwproductions.com" target="_blank">TBW Productions</a></b></font></span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><font size="5"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank">TBW YouTube Channel</a></b></font></span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><font size="5"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW Instagram</a></b></font></span></p>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-6501109975945434482018-06-04T15:01:00.001-04:002018-06-04T15:05:11.766-04:00Hiker Asking For Advice On Facebook Doesn’t Actually Want Advice<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KAzBNcQ-qwY/WxWEWICy4aI/AAAAAAAACFE/6nZzu8wJyYgPhwMN49aHR72YRt_qt9D6ACLcBGAs/s1600/filter%2Bcello%2Bluggage.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="541" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KAzBNcQ-qwY/WxWEWICy4aI/AAAAAAAACFE/6nZzu8wJyYgPhwMN49aHR72YRt_qt9D6ACLcBGAs/s400/filter%2Bcello%2Bluggage.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike objected to "people on their couches" suggesting<br />
that his homemade bleach water treatment helmet<br />
was the "dumbest and possibly most dangerous"<br />
thing they'd ever seen.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When inexperienced hiker Mike Smith recently went online and asked for advice regarding his hiking plan, he thought it was pretty clear that he didn’t actually want advice.<br />
<br />
“Totally not what I expected or wanted. I went on this Facebook group and outlined the plan I came up with without knowing what I was doing and asked what everyone thought,” said Mike, who goes by the trailname Samsonite. “The last thing I wanted was experienced people being negative by politely suggesting that what I wanted to do might not be the best idea. I mean, it's not like I'm going to change my plan. Jerks.” <br />
<br />
“All I did,” said 2-Time Thru-hiker Rachel "DUCK" Hecht, “was point out that carrying all of his gear in a hard-sided Valor 2-Piece Luggage Set seemed like a bad idea. Even if they do have wheels. I think I said something like, ‘what’s wrong with a backpack?’ And then he and a bunch of other people in the group attacked me for being negative, so I didn’t even get into all of the other stuff he was planning on doing.”<br />
<br />
Samsonite, who got on the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain on January 1st, had no previous backpacking experience. But he did read a lot of crowd sourced information from people he didn’t know who were possibly marginally less clueless than him. Or not. “I decided to use a 40-degree bag, go no-cook, and not bring rain gear. I really needed to get my baseweight down so I could be the first person to carry a cello on a Thru-Hike,” said Samsonite, “and then some jerk told me I’d be the second person to <i>think</i> he was going to carry a cello on a Thru-hike, and also the second person to <i>quit</i> while carrying a cello on a Thru-hike.” <br />
<br />
“Yeah, that was me,” said Triple Crowner Katie "Wing-It" Howe. “I mean, I didn’t really go into the possibility of him freezing to death in his 40-degree bag in January. But I probably implied it when I said that once he regained feeling in his hands he could play Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No. 3 for the SAR guys after they pulled him off Blood Mountain. And then a whole bunch of people said I was being mean-spirited. And complimented me on my musical taste.”<br />
<br />
“I just don’t understand why experienced hikers can’t just say ‘you got this.’ THAT’S what I’m on Facebook for. Why can’t they be like all of the people who were super-supportive of my decision to keep hiking with severe tendonitis?” asked Samsonite, who ended up quitting the trail due to severe tendonitis. <br />
<br />
“It was all, you should rest it, you should take a couple of days off, blah, blah, blah, blah blah. Fortunately I found a Facebook group for hikers called, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/301534860384592/" target="_blank">‘You Got This! (For Hikers Asking For Advice Who Don't Really Want Advice)’</a>. No negativity. Zero criticism. And very little common sense. Just a bunch of people you don’t know typing ‘GO FOR IT!’ even if it’ll lead to you seriously injuring yourself and getting off trail. Because they understand that I’m there for the positivity, and they also understand that bad advice has no consequences for them.”<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0Yo7F_9U6w/WxWFdeebD1I/AAAAAAAACFQ/ShOJLznx2AQ6FbaBSjZKqZcEIy9_YNh4gCLcBGAs/s1600/Duck%2Bcheerleaders.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="841" height="298" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0Yo7F_9U6w/WxWFdeebD1I/AAAAAAAACFQ/ShOJLznx2AQ6FbaBSjZKqZcEIy9_YNh4gCLcBGAs/s400/Duck%2Bcheerleaders.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some people prefer to get backpacking advice exclusively from cheerleaders.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
What’s next for Mike? He says he feels he’s “conquered the AT” after his ten days on trail, and now he’s ready to move on to the CDT. “I’m going to carry two live chickens for eggs and a folding bicycle so I don’t have to hitch,” says Samsonite, who has apparently not learned anything. “I’m gonna go SOBO this time, starting in April. And nobody suggesting the trail is gonna be under twelve feet of snow is gonna stop me. Haters.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>As usual with these things, the quotes are fake but the names are real. Thanks to the people who let me use their names, and thanks to all of the folks who inspired this post. Sort of.</i><br />
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Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-83359793497585957452018-04-02T12:23:00.001-04:002020-12-27T13:01:50.209-05:00"Any Complaints?" (Appalachian Trail Edition)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kKfGroLuA0A/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kKfGroLuA0A?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">
This probably won't be the most enjoyable short film for the "your worst
day on trail is better than your best day at work" crowd, but I think
it's important, particularly for folks new to long distance hiking, to
realize that you don't HAVE to be happy <i>all</i> the time. It's an unrealistic expectation that sets you up for failure.</span><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IjgXHOPvhPQ/WsJnziIrqII/AAAAAAAACAs/THRfKcYqCYc0o7fnfsqIEOBScyrU7Mi8gCLcBGAs/s1600/Worst%2Bday%2Bon%2Btrail%2Bfinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="750" height="246" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IjgXHOPvhPQ/WsJnziIrqII/AAAAAAAACAs/THRfKcYqCYc0o7fnfsqIEOBScyrU7Mi8gCLcBGAs/s320/Worst%2Bday%2Bon%2Btrail%2Bfinal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">
You'll
occasionally be miserable, and that's fine. And then a year (or two or
three) later you'll forget all of the crappy parts and tell yourself it
was all amazing, and that's when you'll<span class="text_exposed_show"> plan another hike.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gtm4Ngk2bbk/Vf1-xDRvxaI/AAAAAAAAAdw/qVJHAysUjcY5mI0pORMEk3uXWUyFBNE4gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Impossible%2BTo%2BWalk%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="877" height="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gtm4Ngk2bbk/Vf1-xDRvxaI/AAAAAAAAAdw/qVJHAysUjcY5mI0pORMEk3uXWUyFBNE4gCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Impossible%2BTo%2BWalk%2BFinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you enjoyed this short, you can watch the Pacific Crest Trail version, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dXAuVXhHY8" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>TBW YOUTUBE CHANNEL</b></span></a></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show"></span><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-51933065395687706162018-03-13T18:25:00.001-04:002020-12-27T13:02:30.465-05:00Hikers Note Dramatic Increase Of Crusty Old Dudes Who Want To Tell Everyone Trail Used To Be Better<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OVf50dj3BuM/WqhKvnsC_QI/AAAAAAAAB-M/8ID5Z-4xSBA5j1Otfeu32jkDsDneYWzXACEwYBhgL/s1600/Big%2BPack.tiff" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OVf50dj3BuM/WqhKvnsC_QI/AAAAAAAAB-M/8ID5Z-4xSBA5j1Otfeu32jkDsDneYWzXACEwYBhgL/s320/Big%2BPack.tiff" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"If you're not carrying enough weight<br />
to cause long-term damage, are <br />
you really even hiking?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Current-year Appalachian Trail hikers have reported a stunning increase
in the number of old dudes who want everyone within earshot to know that
the trail “used to be so much better than today.”</span> Whether it’s
reminiscing fondly about objectively awful aspects of hiking twenty
years ago, or waxing nostalgic for a time that didn’t really exist,
large numbers of old dudes are on trail complaining that the trail
experience now is easier/more crowded/less meaningful/full of people
younger than them.<br />
<br />
“Yeah,
I mean, I guess they’ve always been out here,” says Chris “AT Bozo”
Kounkel, “but I used to maybe bump into one once a week. Now every day
there’s someone in a shelter pointing out that if you wanted tuna back
then you had to carry cans of it, and how he once set a picnic table on
fire when his over-pressurized Whisperlite International exploded.”<br />
<br />
“Fishn’GaMe” from Connecticut, a current year hiker, agrees. “Yep. Old dudes are out there in droves, all complaining about how crowded the trail is. The weird thing to me is how none of them seem to make the connection between the 80-pound packs they brag about carrying in the ‘90s, and the stress fractures in both feet they complain about having in the ‘90s.”<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zuohZW_qJzQ/WqhMmGqMb9I/AAAAAAAAB-U/BueiGjBOISg1MUYstrvwmJLI3K1xwZQ2ACEwYBhgL/s1600/crowded%2Bprivy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="1009" height="347" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zuohZW_qJzQ/WqhMmGqMb9I/AAAAAAAAB-U/BueiGjBOISg1MUYstrvwmJLI3K1xwZQ2ACEwYBhgL/s400/crowded%2Bprivy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Even the damn privies are overcrowded."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One of the contentious issues for old dudes is cell phones and connectivity. “I can appreciate the idea of disconnecting and immersing yourself in nature,” says David “Sarcasm The Elf” Vitti, “but one old dude described having to wait in line back in the day at the pay phone in Damascus to make a two minute call home, with people behind him in line grumbling for him to hurry it up. To me that sounds like fantasy camp for people who like prison, but whatever. Later that night he made a 45 minute call to his grandkids with his flip phone on speaker.”<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5I6I_LyGiE/WqhM-ciG-wI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/AjBr-giQt9cb9q_I8FWtvM9AU_0aCVDtACLcBGAs/s1600/worse%2Bweather.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="1204" height="242" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5I6I_LyGiE/WqhM-ciG-wI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/AjBr-giQt9cb9q_I8FWtvM9AU_0aCVDtACLcBGAs/s320/worse%2Bweather.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Even the damn weather is worse than it used to be."</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“And feeds, man, don’t get them started on feeds,” says “Breeze” from Florida. “I rolled up on one with a hiker named ODB and had to listen to him harangue everyone for ten minutes about how much better it was when nobody did nice things for anyone. There was something about self-sufficiency in there at the end, but it was hard to understand with all of the hot dogs he had crammed in his face.”</div>
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m2ac17RYXto/WqhNXJ3NizI/AAAAAAAAB-s/E78otdK5r7sW358cGCo5HWkvQNMF5Cw6QCLcBGAs/s1600/lawn.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m2ac17RYXto/WqhNXJ3NizI/AAAAAAAAB-s/E78otdK5r7sW358cGCo5HWkvQNMF5Cw6QCLcBGAs/s400/lawn.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"And these damn kids won't get off of my lawn."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Regardless of what old dudes are comparing, one thing is clear: the trail used to be much, much better. “Yeah, I’ve been told the trail was awesome at some vaguely defined period in the past, and now it apparently kind of sucks,” says newcomer “Walkingstick” of Crossville, TN. “Which is sort of irrelevant to me, because I have no basis for comparison. But when every story about the abundance of shuttles ruining the necessity of hitching includes the phrase, ‘I didn’t realize how drunk he was until I was in the car,‘ well, it makes me kind of happy I’m hiking now.” <br />
<br />
<i>Note: this is, of course, satire, and I have taken liberty with the facts. In reality, all of the old dudes who want to tell everyone that the trail used to be much better are online rather than on trail. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-53347045169664289162018-02-25T16:35:00.001-05:002020-10-02T20:09:22.747-04:00My Favorite Trail Warning Signs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_U57Y-W4FY/WpMYDt72EOI/AAAAAAAAB6E/ef3H2m_FJ2sFwf8erzw1Z9aiugjbqQW3gCLcBGAs/s1600/P9230378.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_U57Y-W4FY/WpMYDt72EOI/AAAAAAAAB6E/ef3H2m_FJ2sFwf8erzw1Z9aiugjbqQW3gCLcBGAs/s320/P9230378.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
I love signs. I have no idea why. I know that there are many hikers who don’t like signs littering up the landscape, and there’s certainly such a thing as too many signs. On the other hand, when you’ve been lost for an entire day and you finally come across a sign that points you in the right direction, you literally hug that sign. And ask it what it’s doing for dinner later.<br />
<br />
Of all the signs I love, though, the signs I love most are warning signs. Sure, directional signs are nice. They tell you where you are and where you’re going. But warning signs tell you about the things that will kill you while you’re on your way there, which is pretty exciting. Some of them are helpful, some of them are terrifying, some of them are hilarious. And some of them are all three. <br />
<br />
Below are my favorite warning signs I’ve come across while hiking, with explanatory notes. At this point it feels like the way to end this intro thematically would be to do it by issuing a comical warning, but “WARNING: POSSIBLE HILARITY AHEAD” is dorkier than I’d like, and “WARNING: LIABILITY-RELATED HUMOR AHEAD” seems like it would make everyone except insurance adjusters stop reading. So I’m going to just launch right into it with:<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lassen Volcanic National Park</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-48R7-Soj-4g/WpMYhIPzaUI/AAAAAAAAB6I/5X4R6CpEoIoFliqc_6NO7lgHDoFxw8BsACLcBGAs/s1600/P7260673.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-48R7-Soj-4g/WpMYhIPzaUI/AAAAAAAAB6I/5X4R6CpEoIoFliqc_6NO7lgHDoFxw8BsACLcBGAs/s320/P7260673.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Some of these signs are favorites not just due to the signs themselves, but the circumstances under which I saw them. As you might be able to tell from the photo, I night hiked through Lassen. I saw this sign as I was leaving the Park, and here’s the thing: I didn’t recall being on any boardwalks <i>the entire time I was in the Park</i>. Which is terrifying. Was I supposed to be on boardwalks? Had I been off-trail, unknowingly wandering around a volcanic death trap? Maybe the PCT part of the park didn’t involve any boardwalks? Who knows? Ideally, warning signs happen <i>before</i> the danger, and I probably missed the one on the other end in the dark. But there’s something very odd about the unnecessary fear that hits you <i>after</i> you unwittingly survive something. Like when you find out the next day that just after you left the bar, karaoke started.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Homicidal Trees (All Over The Place)</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K77qag8Nb_4/WpMY4IkwaAI/AAAAAAAAB6M/bQrm7LU-ONU9QCU3L1KGbv1pBY7R7JsjwCLcBGAs/s1600/Trees.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K77qag8Nb_4/WpMY4IkwaAI/AAAAAAAAB6M/bQrm7LU-ONU9QCU3L1KGbv1pBY7R7JsjwCLcBGAs/s320/Trees.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
When I was hiking through Colorado, one of my partners had what seemed like an unreasonable fear of trees. And then we started seeing warning signs about trees, and he used them to justify his paranoia. But while I think it’s a good idea to be aware that pretty much everything in nature generally is trying to kill me, the warning signs I often see in this regard have to do with specific trees. I mean, how many times does it have to kill to be called a “Tree of Death”? When I see a specific tree marked as a Killer Tree, I move past it quickly as if it was going to grab me (I really do), but even when I do get past <i>that</i> tree, I AM STILL SURROUNDED BY TREES. Which, honestly, is the truly terrifying thing if you let it be terrifying -- people really <i>do</i> get killed by trees, but unlike the statistical unlikelihood of even <i>seeing</i> mountain lions or grizzlies or wolves, I am surrounded by trees ALL THE TIME. And I also feel like they have good reasons to hate us.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">PCT, Day 1</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you don’t speak Spanish, this sign roughly translates as “don’t expose your life to the elements -- it’s not worth it.” Admittedly this sign is really directed at people coming across the border, but it’s still pretty depressing to have a sign tell you, on day one, that the thing you’re planning on doing for the next five months isn’t worth it. <br />But this sign does get across the valuable message that EVERYTHING IN THE DESERT IS TRYING TO KILL YOU. EVERYTHING. And against all expectations, you might even drown. How weird would that be? But I think if we’re honest what we really need to worry about is the guy who shot the crap out of that sign.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Grand Canyon</span></b><br />
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Have I mentioned that EVERYTHING IN THE DESERT IS TRYING TO KILL YOU? I love everything about this sign. How sunburned the guy got despite having a shirt. The realistic splashy vomiting. The cargo pockets on his jean shorts. This guy looks absolutely miserable, and the joke here is that he hasn’t even started down yet. The only way I could like this better is if there were a couple of Clif Bars sticking out of his pack and the sign was sponsored by Lara Bars.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tuckerman Ravine</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sign so big it takes three photos to capture it all.</td></tr>
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While there’s definitely something to be said for realistic splashy vomiting, I love it when someone manages to make a stick figure look terrified. The bottom panel of the ice fall warning sign near Pinkham Notch Visitors Center is fantastic. Stick figures running for their little stick figure lives, about to be crushed by giant ice boulders. I walked past this sign in August and it gave me the heebie jeebies. Then it made me laugh. Then it gave me the heebie jeebies again.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Jefferson Rock</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b>A stick figure warning sign done wrong. I like this sign because I enjoy seeing signs with very specific weirdly-shaped objects on them, because it’s super obvious that it’s a custom job and that a photo eventually had to be sent. “Yeah. Jefferson Rock. Well, it's like a rock, but it’s not on the ground. It’s resting on these four pillar things. If you have clip art of a dog silhouette you could just use that and cut the head and tail off. You know what? That sounds awful. I better send a photo.” <br />
The problem with this sign is that it’s not scary. That stick figure honestly looks like he’s having fun. The only way you could make that look more fun to me is if you added sound effects.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Explosives (Way More Places Than I'm Confortable With)</span></b><br />
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Usually found either where they use howitzers for avalanche control or where the 10th Mountain Division used to train. The idea that there may be unexploded military shells lying around is frightening, but the reason I like this sign is that it begs the question: is anyone who is dumb enough to want to touch unexploded shells smart enough to pay attention to warning signs?<br />
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In any case, I feel like the directions on this sign should read, <br />
“If you find an unexploded shell or explosive:<br />
1. <i>Get the hell out of there</i>.”<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mount San Jacinto State Park</span></b><br />
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This isn’t really a warning sign, but it filled me with a vague sense of existential dread that increased to a mild panic, and I spent the next couple of miles with my brain spinning trying to figure out what I was responsible for knowing. “I don’t know what it is. Is it math? Is there math involved? I’m terrible at math. Maybe it’s not math. Do I have to know how to navigate? Start a fire without a lighter? Fight mountain lions? Treat hypothermia? Is it avalanche safety? Holy crap, it’s avalanche safety, isn’t it? MY GOD SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT I’M RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING.” <br />
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The point here is probably that it’s pretty easy to make me freak out.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Plague Warning, Idyllwild, California</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">As with the explosives sign: who the hell is touching dead animals? Why would you have to tell people not to do that? But let’s put that to the side for a minute while we mull over the fact that The Plague is still a thing. Not like when you’re feeling cruddy from being sick and tell everyone, “ugh, I have the plague.” The actual Plague. That killed 60% of Europe. I guess I always thought the Plague just died out somehow, but it turns out that the Plague is a lot like the band Sugar Ray -- you think it’s something horrible from the past that disappeared forever, but really it’s quietly humming “Someday” to itself and plotting a comeback.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Yellowstone Warning Signs</span></b><br />
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Let’s start by acknowledging that holy crap Yellowstone is dangerous. There are so many things that can kill you in Yellowstone that it’s pretty amazing they just let people walk around unchaperoned. In the backcountry, there really aren’t a lot of warning signs or boardwalks or roped off areas. You’re free to be as stupid as you want to be. The front country, on the other hand? Warning signs everywhere about all sorts of things, although to be honest the one they really need is about how that bag of M&Ms costs four bucks.<br />
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But the signs they <i>do</i> have are terrific. Look at that guy being tossed around by a buffalo! It hit him so hard you can’t even figure out where the selfie stick went. That dude is going to land three signs over on the one about not stringing a clothesline (Because of elk potentially rampaging through the campground)(Seriously). And this sign is in a <i>bathroom</i>, where you think you’d be safe from that sort of thing. But if you’re thinking that, WHAT PART OF “UNPREDICTABLE” DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?<br />
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And it’s not just the animals. If you don’t stay on the boardwalk in the Upper Geyser Basin, the ground will apparently swallow you up and burn you alive, traumatizing your sister as your blissfully unaware dad continues strolling down the boardwalk lost in admiration for his Ted Baker London Bengal Leather Satchel. And while most of the time it's fun to traumatize your sister, in this case IT IS DEFINITELY NOT WORTH IT, BARRY.<br />
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<i>With thanks to Heather Anderson and Daniel Wilkerson!</i><br />
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<i>As noted above, I love signs. You can look at sign slideshows I put together from the PCT <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8YfXmH-w5A" target="_blank">HERE</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbFU7FiEXHY" target="_blank">HERE</a>. I also have slideshows of signs from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j4j3tJUnG0" target="_blank">CDT</a> and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC8cZGFBarc" target="_blank">Appalachian Trail</a>. Or you can just check out everything on the YouTube Channel via the link below. Enjoy!</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>TBW PRODUCTIONS</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>TBW YOUTUBE CHANNEL</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>TBW INSTAGRAM</b></span></a></div>
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<br />Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-64866158902642961012017-12-21T18:26:00.001-05:002020-11-30T10:29:55.409-05:00Christmas Gifts For Night Hikers To Mars<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shopping does too.</td></tr>
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Sooner or later every backpacking blog has a post about the best Christmas gifts for hikers. But if you’re like me (and honestly I feel terrible for you if you are), you just realized that Christmas is in a few days. That seems impossible, doesn’t it? I mean, geez. Today is the first day of winter. How can Christmas be that close to the beginning of winter?!? And what are you going to get for the hiker in your life? <br />
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No worries! Just because you just discovered that it’s almost Christmas, it doesn’t mean your hiking loved one has to go without. Because there are perfectly good hiker Christmas presents just lying around your house waiting to be given to the sort of person who claims they’re “really way more into experiences than things.” In this article, I’m going to highlight some of the things that are perfect for people who don’t want more things. Bonus: <i>you</i> get to get rid of some things.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Classic Hiker Wallet</b></span><br />
You know, there’s some really sweet and expensive silnylon wallet action going on in the woods. But 9 out of 10 long distance hikers agree that nothing beats a Ziploc wallet, and frankly, they’re all making fun of the 10th guy’s sweet silnylon wallet behind his back. Because what’s not to like about a Ziploc wallet? It’s light. It’s waterproof. It doesn’t have a zipper that can break. AND it’s transparent, so you can see how much money you saved by not buying an actual wallet. For the hiker in your life, it’s the perfect gift for storing their license, debit card, cash, Do Not Resuscitate Order, and the credit card they’re going to max out when it turns out that random guy on the internet was wrong about being able to hike the entire trail on $1200.<br />
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Note: Does not come with any of the contents shown.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ultra Lightweight Multi-tool</b></span><br />
Maybe “multi” is the wrong word here, but this tool is definitely dual purpose. At least. One end of it makes fire, which can be used as a heat source AND a light source. If you’re one of the 0.0000007% of people who actually ends up using a paracord survival bracelet instead of just wearing it, it’s good both for sealing the ends of paracord and accidentally burning your fingertip while sealing the ends of paracord. That second one is probably just me.<br />
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You can also use it to light a stove if you’re not one of those No Cook savages.<br />
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But even if you ARE one of those No Cook savages, the other end of it can be used to open beer bottles. Unless you’re one of those No Beer savages. If that’s the case, I’ve got nothing. At least you can enjoy the fact that it says “The Hooters” on it. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ultra Lightweight Signaling Mirror</b></span><br />
There’s really no more thrilling way to quit a hike than via a Search And Rescue helicopter ride. Whether you’ve gone hypothermic, fallen down a ravine and broken a leg, or accidentally hit the panic button on a SPOT device while putting it in your pack, a helicopter ride can be either lifesaving or incredibly embarrassing or both.<br />
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But it can’t happen if they can’t find you. This signaling mirror is compact, lightweight, has a hole in the center for easily directing reflected sunlight at a helicopter pilot, and features 13 hot, hot, hot Shakira songs, on the off chance there’s a CD player in the helicopter.<br />
It’s the most danceable Ultra Lightweight Signaling Mirror on the market, assuming you haven’t fallen down a ravine and broken your leg.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ultra Lightweight Pot Scraper</b></span><br />
“How do you clean out your pot?” is a commonly asked question online. Some people say, “I use this sponge that I’ve used for months and is full of lord knows what. And to deal with the bacterial diseases in the sponge, I use my immune system. Hopefully.” Other people say, “I just throw some sand or leaves or a squirrel in there and swirl it around,” which works unless, like me, you burn the shit out of your food on a regular basis. Still others say, “people clean out their pots?” and then go on to explain that since they boil water in their pot every night, they don’t need to clean it.<br />
Which is probably true, but definitely disgusting.<br />
<br />
The Ultra Lightweight Pot Scraper is the perfect tool for cleaning your pot. Use the long edge for the sides of your pot and the short edge for scraping burned food off the bottom. The pot scraper won’t end up being a festering colony of bacteria like a sponge will, and unlike people who use a squirrel, you aren’t potentially exposing yourself to Rabies or the Plague. And if you’re on an AT Thru-hike and you go into DC from Harpers Ferry, there’s something like seven or eight bucks loaded on this pot scraper you can use to ride The Metro.<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sam Adams Winter Lager Cardboard Box Full Of A Completely Disorganized Collection Of Maps</b></span><br />
While everyone probably already has one of these, that’s no reason not to mail it to someone. Because who doesn’t love maps? They’re terrific for navigating. They bring back wonderful memories of previous hikes. They make great gift wrap -- in fact, you could make an origami box out of one and put all of the other gifts on this list into it.<br />
Hmmm. What else? Wallpaper? Why not? Because you don’t own any walls? Fair enough. But you could decoupage the entire interior of that van you’re living in. Really, though, the best place for the box of maps is the floor of your gear closet. And every time you’re getting ready for a trip you can pull it out, look at it, shove it back in the gear closet and think, “when I get back from this trip I’m going to get these maps in some sort of order.”<br />
And even though that won’t ever be true, isn't it nice to think that some future version of you will be an organized version of you?<br />
I bet that version of you won’t wait until December 21st to start thinking about Christmas gifts either.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Merry Christmas to all from the Night Hiking To Mars Blog!</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank">TBW Productions</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank">TBW YouTube Channel</a><br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW Instagram</a></b></span></div>
<br />Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-41506610690901034852017-10-27T15:49:00.003-04:002020-12-27T13:03:02.022-05:00The Camino For American Long Distance Hikers, Part 4: La Mezcolanza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rwuro2jpJs0/WfN5OcHUD0I/AAAAAAAABjI/SRefVIcKXUoRm_cziJDHe5wQgBxP2ZwMwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Photo%2B1%2Bblog%2B4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rwuro2jpJs0/WfN5OcHUD0I/AAAAAAAABjI/SRefVIcKXUoRm_cziJDHe5wQgBxP2ZwMwCEwYBhgL/s320/Photo%2B1%2Bblog%2B4.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
Previous articles in the Night Hiking To Mars Camino Series have covered <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-camino-for-american-long-distance.html" target="_blank">general information</a>, the<br />
<a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-camino-for-american-long-distance_11.html" target="_blank">things Peregrinos carry</a> (and don’t carry), and what one might experience in <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-camino-for-american-long-distance_31.html" target="_blank">Camino towns</a>. So they’ve been focused on specific subjects. In this final article, NHTM will cover a whole range of topics and bits of advice, so I anticipate it being a somewhat of a mess. But I think we should concentrate not on how much of a train wreck this article will probably be, but rather celebrate that it was written at all.<br />
<br />
Because it seems to me that previous “Series” on the Night Hiking To
Mars blog have either been inarguably mythical (<a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2013/11/ask-thru-hiker-lints-favorite-gear.html" target="_blank">“Ask A Thru-Hiker”</a>),
abandoned in mid-series when the author was distracted by <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/09/bear-selfie-issue-spreads-to.html" target="_blank">Bear Selfies</a>
and <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/03/trail-magic-recipes-for-home-jacks.html" target="_blank">Apple Cake</a> (<a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/01/wild-debates-about-pct-overcrowding.html" target="_blank">“Wild” Debates About PCT Overcrowding</a>), or the sort of
thing you think would happen annually, but doesn’t (<a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/12/night-hiking-to-mars-best-of-2015.html" target="_blank">Night Hiking To Mars Best Of 2015</a>).<br />
<br />
Even this intro is all over the place, isn’t it?
But there’s still a ton of hopefully interesting Camino-related stuff
to talk about, so I’ll skip trying to come up with a transition that
makes sense and just get right to it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flora & Fauna</b></span><br />
. . . are not two locals I met on the Camino. Unfortunately.<br />
<br />
The
plants and animals you’ll see on the Camino are not very much like what
you see on an American Long Distance Trail. Every once in a while,
when you’re in a more mountainous region surrounded by fog and heather
and cats, you might say, “this feels like the Grayson Highlands, except
for all of these cats.” But for much of the time you’re walking through
agricultural areas, and the lack of natural forests shouldn’t be all
that surprising when you think of how many trees it takes to build
entire Armadas of wooden ships for the English to sink.<br />
<br />
But this
isn’t to say that the flora and fauna aren’t interesting, or that it
doesn’t change throughout the trip. For example, below is my
description, written in Burgos, of the trip up to that point. <br />
<br />
“The Walk Thus Far:<br />
Cows.<br />
Cows and sheep.<br />
(Pigs) <br />
Cows and horses. <br />
Horses and donkeys. <br />
Olives and grapes. <br />
Grapes <br />
Grapes <br />
Grapes <br />
Grapes<br />
Sunflowers.<br />
Pine cones, Burgos.”<br />
<br />
It’s
like poetry, but without any of the qualities inherent in <i>good</i> poetry.
Honestly, though, I’ve never seen anything that’s quite like a sunrise
over fields of sunflowers as far as the eye can see. It’s beautiful. <br />
<br />
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<br />
As
for animals, larger native Spanish animals like Cantabrian brown bears,
Iberian wolves and Iberian lynxes exist. But you’re unlikely to see
any, not only because they’re all endangered, but also because they tend
not to be welcome in vineyards. Hell, <i>you’re</i> barely welcome in
vineyards. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t animals, and if you’ve
hiked the Continental Divide Trail the volume of cow poop you’ll
encounter should be comfortingly familiar.<br />
<br />
You will most likely encounter:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PijWw9tdOGo/WfN7RKr1e2I/AAAAAAAABjY/A_xK5ACnYf8MOMVgjusGVkc-MA61xWX3ACLcBGAs/s1600/Camino%2BAnimals%2B3%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="976" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PijWw9tdOGo/WfN7RKr1e2I/AAAAAAAABjY/A_xK5ACnYf8MOMVgjusGVkc-MA61xWX3ACLcBGAs/s400/Camino%2BAnimals%2B3%2BFinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Seriously.
There are a lot of cats. If you’re a cat person, you will love the
Camino. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Some Other Things (Besides Cats) That, If You Like Them, Will Probably Mean You’ll Like Walking In Spain</b></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B8Sm2RmiU7g/WfN8fo0gLWI/AAAAAAAABkA/1l5kr46dby4CXSwOpYeN8pmpWSC2jO_XwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Camino%2BCrosses%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="878" height="347" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B8Sm2RmiU7g/WfN8fo0gLWI/AAAAAAAABkA/1l5kr46dby4CXSwOpYeN8pmpWSC2jO_XwCEwYBhgL/s400/Camino%2BCrosses%2BFinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Speaking of statues, there’s also this:<br />
<br />
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</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
But
even if you love cats, crosses, bridges, statues, wine, bacon, and
depictions of horses stomping the shit out of people, there are things
that might make you not like the Camino.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r2AhMyMmvvg/WfN9kpNzZMI/AAAAAAAABkg/eHppQFicsfAs4oLUoIbpaXwnOl848WdxQCEwYBhgL/s1600/don%2527t%2Blike%2Bcamino%2Bfinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="1015" height="242" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r2AhMyMmvvg/WfN9kpNzZMI/AAAAAAAABkg/eHppQFicsfAs4oLUoIbpaXwnOl848WdxQCEwYBhgL/s400/don%2527t%2Blike%2Bcamino%2Bfinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
All
in all, though, you take the good with the bad. If I said hiking the
Appalachian Trail was horrible because of all of the chafing, I’d be
both correct and in a considerable amount of pain. But if I said that
meant the AT wasn’t worth doing, I’d be wrong. And in a considerable
amount of pain. Basically I’m saying I hate chafing. Also: my Mom
hates blisters.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zhjEWVjMaeI/WfN-n8OtXBI/AAAAAAAABko/5-JUHgKe89IDn1ZUuuedarNS0enLO3pQgCLcBGAs/s1600/Mom%2BBlister.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1331" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zhjEWVjMaeI/WfN-n8OtXBI/AAAAAAAABko/5-JUHgKe89IDn1ZUuuedarNS0enLO3pQgCLcBGAs/s320/Mom%2BBlister.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But blisters apparently love her.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I’m not sure exactly
how this happened, but if there was ever a situation where a cutesy
“Solvitur Ambulando: It Is Solved By Walking” Meme was inappropriate,
this was it. I suspect the blistering was mainly a function of heat and
roadwalks, and was eventually solved with wine, epsom salts, and some
timely shoe re-lacing advice from my friend Felicity. But mainly wine.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yxm7lnVvxQ8/WfN-5GiNiQI/AAAAAAAABk4/FDKgpqrpooABw1y753az-3RdeOIQo7LNgCLcBGAs/s1600/Wine%2BTherapy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yxm7lnVvxQ8/WfN-5GiNiQI/AAAAAAAABk4/FDKgpqrpooABw1y753az-3RdeOIQo7LNgCLcBGAs/s320/Wine%2BTherapy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Bottles Deep Into Foot Therapy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I
guess the point here is that yes, the Camino is “easy” in some ways
compared to American Long Distance Trails. But that doesn’t mean it’s
not hard. There’s a reason this used to be done as a form of Penance.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I Promise I'm Almost Finished. Just a Couple More Things.</b></span><br />
<b><br />The People In Front Of You</b><br />
The
people walking in front of you at 7am chatting away to one another are
most likely NOT paying attention to the Flechas, and if you follow them
you are just as likely to end up in Salamanca as Santiago. So don't trust people walking side by side. On the other
hand, even in big cities all of the locals know where the Camino is,
know what you’re doing, and will happily correct your missteps, unlike
in America where we would probably enjoy watching you wander around
aimlessly before intentionally pointing you in the wrong direction.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MtKRTA8qnmw/WfN_7AKTsfI/AAAAAAAABlE/a1pte41q0lYa72HSeb0wOv3r86XpQNpNACLcBGAs/s1600/People%2BChatting.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1217" data-original-width="1600" height="243" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MtKRTA8qnmw/WfN_7AKTsfI/AAAAAAAABlE/a1pte41q0lYa72HSeb0wOv3r86XpQNpNACLcBGAs/s320/People%2BChatting.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not paying attention.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>Eat Everything</b><br />
I’ve previously mentioned eating
octopus, but I highly recommend eating every regional dish you can wrap
your mouth around. Whether it’s Garlic Soup, La Morcilla de Burgos,
Caldo gallego, or Percebes (barnacles), go ahead and give everything a
try. I think enjoying all of the foods as you literally walk across a
country is an amazing way to experience the cultures of different
regions, and there’s nothing like paying what seems like way too much
money for something that someone recently scraped off a boat.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cXyqkXXxog4/WfOAXQ0TMfI/AAAAAAAABlI/PkR1pAlaOlE2kwIoSnfW1wwg3rYykg5_ACLcBGAs/s1600/Barnacle.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cXyqkXXxog4/WfOAXQ0TMfI/AAAAAAAABlI/PkR1pAlaOlE2kwIoSnfW1wwg3rYykg5_ACLcBGAs/s400/Barnacle.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pausing on the Caldo Gallego to eat what<br />
is either a barnacle or a baby <span class="st">Velociraptor toe.<i><br /></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br />The Botafumeiro</b></div>
No
article or series of articles about the Camino is complete without
mentioning the Botafumeiro, the gigantic censer in the Santiago de
Compostela cathedral. I think it's some sort of contractual obligation. So here we go.<br />
<br />
For non-Catholics: a censer (or thurible)
is a container in which incense is burned, suspended by a rope or chain,
and typically swung to blow smoke in your face during some masses by a
priest intent on punishing you for showing up to Mass with a hangover.<br />
<br />
When
you complete your walk at the Cathedral in Santiago, you may decide to
go to Mass -- there’s a Pilgrim’s Mass every day at Noon. But if you
time things right and arrive on a Friday, you can go to the 7:30pm mass
and see them swing the Botafumeiro, a massive 5-foot tall censer that
weighs over a hundred pounds. It takes eight guys (called tiraboleiros)
to swing it from a pulley system attached to the ceiling. It arcs
through the air in the Cathedral right above the heads of Pilgrims at 40
miles per hour, and as you watch it you are either filled with a deep
sense of spiritual purification, or alternately you are desperately
hoping the rope doesn’t break and send a 100+ pound flaming hunk of
precious metals into the congregation.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LubQ3FRQG5M/WfOC_EYus7I/AAAAAAAABls/8rj_LutikKkS-pI7RflTr_ip0EkkUemPgCLcBGAs/s1600/Botafumeiro.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LubQ3FRQG5M/WfOC_EYus7I/AAAAAAAABls/8rj_LutikKkS-pI7RflTr_ip0EkkUemPgCLcBGAs/s400/Botafumeiro.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Objects above and behind my Mom are much<br />
larger than they appear.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
The current Botafumeiro
dates to 1851, but this incense ritual was going on for hundreds of years
before that. So even if you’re not religious, in seeing the Botafumeiro
swing you feel a a rich connection to the past, a past where the people
arriving in Santiago smelled at least as bad as you do, and probably
worse. Looking back through time, I imagine the censer starting out
normal and getting larger and larger and larger: </div>
</div>
<br />
“Nope. We can still smell ‘em.
Make a <i>bigger</i> one.”<br />
<br />
<b>Summing Up</b><br />
The Camino de Santiago is
not a wilderness trail. In that sense it probably has more in common
with, say, the Appalachian Trail than the Continental Divide Trail.<br />
<br />
But
on all of my long hikes the people I’ve met along the way and the
sharing of experiences with them has always been one of the most
valuable rewards I’ve walked away with. And if <i>that’s</i> something you
value about Long Distance Hiking, you will LOVE the Camino de Santiago
almost all of the time, except when that French woman clocks a snoring
woman below her with a fanny pack from an upper bunk while you’re trying
to sleep, or when that guy who’s walked the Camino 14 times won’t get
the hell out of your photo at the Cruz de Ferro.<br />
<br />
Hopefully this series of
articles has given you an idea of what life on the Camino de Santiago is
like, and, expectations properly set, you’ll enjoy an incredibly
fulfilling once-in-a-lifetime journey -- right up until, like my Mom,
you decide you <i>really, really</i> want to walk the Camino again.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JMVENbG9ZS0/WfOGTWGbDCI/AAAAAAAABmE/Y5MIMYeuSzo683v1sWKpxOJRUUb4Y1pTQCLcBGAs/s1600/Camino%2BFine.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1206" data-original-width="1600" height="241" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JMVENbG9ZS0/WfOGTWGbDCI/AAAAAAAABmE/Y5MIMYeuSzo683v1sWKpxOJRUUb4Y1pTQCLcBGAs/s320/Camino%2BFine.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Until next time . . .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<i>For those who have not read previous entries in the NHTM Camino For American Long Distance Hikers Series, you can start </i><a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-camino-for-american-long-distance.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>! <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank">TBW Productions</a><i><a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank"> </a></i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>TBW YouTube Channel</b></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW Instagram</a><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<br />Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-44124844160611163162017-08-31T14:15:00.001-04:002020-12-27T13:03:29.614-05:00The Camino For American Long Distance Hikers, Part 3: ¡Cada día es un día en la ciudad!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gcZ1g_78xmU/Wag4MKS-QDI/AAAAAAAABXs/9xb9bMIs8kAnrFjLMb716ScsrS-sjIFEQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Approaching%2BCiraqui.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gcZ1g_78xmU/Wag4MKS-QDI/AAAAAAAABXs/9xb9bMIs8kAnrFjLMb716ScsrS-sjIFEQCEwYBhgL/s200/Approaching%2BCiraqui.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching town! Again!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">American Long Distance Hikers are probably familiar with the excitement of “Town Day.” You’ve<br />
probably been talking for at least the previous 24 hours about what you’re going to eat first, how long a shower you’re going to take, and how little walking you’re planning on doing once you get there (I once actually hitched to a place I could point at in Gorham, NH). Sure, there are always chores to attend to, but town is also a place to enjoy things you’ve been missing, like flush toilets, chairs with backs, and large pizzas you have absolutely no intention of sharing with anyone.<br />
<br />
On the Camino Frances, however, you won’t have very long to miss those things, because you’ll most likely start and end every day in town -- and many days you’ll hit a few along the way as well.<br />
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QvUllVa1hiw/WaooPPKxlfI/AAAAAAAABaw/9n8ScV8npf4_r0Lw1Bjf7XFy5GvFfycgACLcBGAs/s1600/Leaving%2BPamplona.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QvUllVa1hiw/WaooPPKxlfI/AAAAAAAABaw/9n8ScV8npf4_r0Lw1Bjf7XFy5GvFfycgACLcBGAs/s320/Leaving%2BPamplona.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Pamplona at 6am. Breakfast is at a cafe 11km away.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our day usually started with packing up and getting out of town early, as we tried to get in our miles for the day before it got so hot that the whole Siesta thing started to make sense. Some albergues offer breakfast, but we were rarely around for it. Instead we were on the Camino by 6am, looking for yellow arrows in the dark, anticipating yet another beautiful sunrise, and listening for the first rooster of the day, whose crowing is the signal to all other roosters that it’s time to start annoying everyone and, despite what you might think, keep doing so for the rest of the day. Also despite what you might think: somehow this is true whether you’re in the middle of nowhere or the middle of downtown Burgos. </span></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P9euY1Z-NPA/Wag8Z8PLYGI/AAAAAAAABX4/_oPAGktpelYU_ewvaCOqZOg9MWAQIZedQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Rooster.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P9euY1Z-NPA/Wag8Z8PLYGI/AAAAAAAABX4/_oPAGktpelYU_ewvaCOqZOg9MWAQIZedQCEwYBhgL/s320/Rooster.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just in case I haven't made it clear: I'm not a big fan of roosters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After a couple of hours of walking we’d stop in the first town of the day for breakfast. Towards the end of the Camino we discovered that orange juice in cafes in Spain is fresh squeezed to order and one of the best things in the world ever, but usually we’d just have some coffee and a pastry and move on. <br />
</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-89VUvOHqdA4/Wag9H81FfeI/AAAAAAAABYA/6CIQJFtDnBMNS871VWGnQiBrm7zuiyRogCEwYBhgL/s1600/Breakfast%2BLunch%2BDinner%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="589" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-89VUvOHqdA4/Wag9H81FfeI/AAAAAAAABYA/6CIQJFtDnBMNS871VWGnQiBrm7zuiyRogCEwYBhgL/s320/Breakfast%2BLunch%2BDinner%2BFinal.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast, lunch, and dinner in town.<br />
In this case breakfast involved the smallest muffin in the world.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V_NTTieYU78/Wag-PR-uKKI/AAAAAAAABYQ/OCe5_Zrhj18AywJpmxMgyVIJ_0dYwq2UQCLcBGAs/s1600/Overly%2Bcomplicated%2BFuente.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V_NTTieYU78/Wag-PR-uKKI/AAAAAAAABYQ/OCe5_Zrhj18AywJpmxMgyVIJ_0dYwq2UQCLcBGAs/s320/Overly%2Bcomplicated%2BFuente.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the fuente is<br />
disguised as an elaborate<br />
statue.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">More walking, and then another town (and sometimes two) before ending up at our end point for the day, which, by now it should go without saying, was also a town. And while each town definitely had its own character, there seemed to be a pattern to the towns we passed through during the day:<br />
<br />
“There's the edge of town! </span></span></span><span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
There's the fuente. <br />
There's the pelota court. <br />
There's the albergue that has a cafe and a store. <br />
There's the bar. <br />
There's the Church. <br />
There's the plaza next to the Church with another fuente and the cafe. <br />
There's another albergue. <br />
There's the tienda. <br />
There's the edge of town. <br />
(Ten minutes later) <br />
There's the cemetery.”</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Eventually you’ll reach your destination for the day and the first thing you’ll notice is that everything is in Spanish, because it turns out that you are in Spain. Unless you’re at the very beginning of the hike in France, or just a few days on trail (in which case there might be some Basque), or at the end (where you’ll also see Galician). The one guarantee I can offer you about the language is that by the time you figure out what word to use for “bathroom,” you will have walked to where the word for that is completely different. In any case, it’s good to know some Spanish before you get on the Camino. You don’t have to be able to tell your life story -- my Mom knew enough to order red wine and decaffeinated coffee. And I knew enough to make hotel reservations over the phone (but not quite enough to guarantee that the person on the other end of the phone agreed that’s what I was doing). At the very least, learn enough to avoid accidentally ordering cheese-flavored ice cream.</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C1ihHxOzBs4/Wag-6G0t-sI/AAAAAAAABYo/2fowvZRwUGIlgrrlZHHbWRGATTwIp3-HwCLcBGAs/s1600/Cheese%2BIce%2BCream.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1343" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C1ihHxOzBs4/Wag-6G0t-sI/AAAAAAAABYo/2fowvZRwUGIlgrrlZHHbWRGATTwIp3-HwCLcBGAs/s320/Cheese%2BIce%2BCream.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wasn't kidding about the cheese-flavored ice cream. I think.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
The second thing you’ll notice upon arriving is that it’s getting unbearably hot, which will either make you want to have an ice cold beer (me) or lapse into something like a coma (my Mom). But first you need to get some chores out of the way.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YOcrgk4msNA/Wag9sdDEzII/AAAAAAAABYI/z-YjOYdLJEgJvikCt95f9VOjJvU_yvNoACLcBGAs/s1600/Albergue%2BMunicipal.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YOcrgk4msNA/Wag9sdDEzII/AAAAAAAABYI/z-YjOYdLJEgJvikCt95f9VOjJvU_yvNoACLcBGAs/s320/Albergue%2BMunicipal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Municipal: big, cheap, and loud.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First you need a place to stay, and the obvious and sometimes only choice is an Albergue, which is essentially a hostel. But the larger the town the more options there are -- everything from an Albergue Municipal, which is cheap and large and jam packed with snorers, farters, and way more Canadians than you were expecting, to an actual hotel -- which is more expensive but does have one English-language TV channel that only ever seems to be running an Alaskan Bush People marathon. The main downside to hotels, aside from the fact that the only English-language TV channel is running an Alaskan Bush People marathon, is that you don’t get to hang out much with other peregrinos. We stayed in hotels about once a week, but mainly chose the middle path of smaller Private or Association Albergues. Eventually we figured out that many have non-bunkhouse private rooms (with their own bathroom!), which I highly recommend if you are a fan of sleeping.</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fm_lA34bdlM/Wag_O5oZ09I/AAAAAAAABYs/a4Zz_dO9zXACmjwb85BSSf7Q1rtS7V59ACLcBGAs/s1600/Albergue%2BCiraqui.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="1600" height="224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fm_lA34bdlM/Wag_O5oZ09I/AAAAAAAABYs/a4Zz_dO9zXACmjwb85BSSf7Q1rtS7V59ACLcBGAs/s320/Albergue%2BCiraqui.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite and least pronounceable Albergues.<br />
Maralotx? Really?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you’ve secured a <span style="font-family: inherit;">bunk or room</span>: unpacking whatever bedding you have, journal & guidebook, first aid kit, clothes bag. Next: shower & change clothes. Then: rinse out hiking clothes and hang to dry. And finally (for now): relax, because it’s Siesta and if you try to accomplish anything else you’re just going to end up all hot and bothered. And not in a good way.<br />
</span></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iRHHxvzBTUM/Wag_0fs49AI/AAAAAAAABY0/CxURCn6ulEQVbXvyEqBi_dWEsf3x4W6iQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Smart%2BSiesta.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1315" data-original-width="1600" height="263" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iRHHxvzBTUM/Wag_0fs49AI/AAAAAAAABY0/CxURCn6ulEQVbXvyEqBi_dWEsf3x4W6iQCEwYBhgL/s320/Smart%2BSiesta.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what you do during Siesta. If you're smart.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
I know some Americans get frustrated with Siesta. You want to get things done so you can relax. But Spaniards seem to have a different approach: relax all of the time. And relax even more during Siesta. All I’m saying is that no one is on your schedule. Stores will be open later than you’re used to. Dinner will be much later than you’re used to. And if you’re worried about not getting something done in town today you have missed the entire point of this article: you’re in town again tomorrow. So relax.<br />
</span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g2TaO_-HlCc/WahALwMkIRI/AAAAAAAABZI/03h_XaobtdUoi47AVIUwStethAM1W9e3QCLcBGAs/s1600/Tienda.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g2TaO_-HlCc/WahALwMkIRI/AAAAAAAABZI/03h_XaobtdUoi47AVIUwStethAM1W9e3QCLcBGAs/s200/Tienda.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry. It'll be open later.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />You will know Siesta is over because the guy who runs the outfitter will unlock his shop and go back to the bar next door, at which point you can complete the rest of your tasks. There will be a tienda where you can get tomorrow’s snacks. If you need to replenish your med kit there will be a pharmacy (marked by a green arrow). There will be a pharmacy on the next block over too. And a pharmacy on the block after that, assuming there is a block after that. Spanish towns have more pharmacies than Gatlinburg has ice cream shops. And if the town is too small for a pharmacy, fret not: there will be a pharmacy vending machine.<br />
<br />
</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xyae708rNuw/WahAZvj5VII/AAAAAAAABZM/_mDBnobPdmUMOuuQ6aaJss-sIJX5hOUVACLcBGAs/s1600/Pharmacy%2BMachine.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xyae708rNuw/WahAZvj5VII/AAAAAAAABZM/_mDBnobPdmUMOuuQ6aaJss-sIJX5hOUVACLcBGAs/s320/Pharmacy%2BMachine.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pharmacy Vending Machine, on the<br />
other hand, is never closed.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And that’s pretty much it for shopping, although I should add that from personal experience I can tell you a Ferretería is a hardware store and not a place to buy ferrets. Apparently.<br /><br />
</span></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GaXu2X2Gs6w/WahA4wkyxxI/AAAAAAAABZU/OMpghsh8a1MElDcvPrDWgyeJ-6Y_ZdkcACEwYBhgL/s1600/Ferreteria.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GaXu2X2Gs6w/WahA4wkyxxI/AAAAAAAABZU/OMpghsh8a1MElDcvPrDWgyeJ-6Y_ZdkcACEwYBhgL/s320/Ferreteria.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No ferrets. But feel free to ask. That should be hilarious.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back at the Albergue, your clothes are most likely dry and possibly scattered all over the place because someone took the clothespins you were using. Clothesline space is highly valued real estate, and becomes more so later in the walk -- unlike American trails that are more crowded at the beginning, the Camino is more crowded towards the end. People with less time to walk hop on at places like Sarria, because everyone wants to end their walk in Santiago (and from Sarria to Santiago is the shortest distance that qualifies a person to get the Compostela -- the certificate of completion).</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eDQrlIkbNOs/WahBgKuSCpI/AAAAAAAABZc/xpql-E6KcSgjYIVyaLmXmKMiNJrpx_fdACEwYBhgL/s1600/Albergue%2Bdrying%2Brack.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eDQrlIkbNOs/WahBgKuSCpI/AAAAAAAABZc/xpql-E6KcSgjYIVyaLmXmKMiNJrpx_fdACEwYBhgL/s320/Albergue%2Bdrying%2Brack.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This beautiful Albergue has room for thirty, a full restaurant<br />
and bar, and one tiny drying rack in the lower left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once
a week, when we hit a large city, I wouldn’t have to worry about
rinsing and drying clothes because I’d go to a laundromat. The best
thing about laundromats in Spain? The machine puts the detergent in
ALL. BY. ITSELF. The second best thing? They’re all across the street
from a bar AND open during Siesta. That’s really two things. But I
couldn’t choose and anyway they’re kind of related.</span></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sw17cIA76oI/WahCS6ODe9I/AAAAAAAABZk/DmXu67DrcqMNXAZAuCA_OKg-UpH3vU0ywCEwYBhgL/s1600/Laundry.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sw17cIA76oI/WahCS6ODe9I/AAAAAAAABZk/DmXu67DrcqMNXAZAuCA_OKg-UpH3vU0ywCEwYBhgL/s320/Laundry.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the laundry facilities in smaller towns are, um, subpar.<br />
But every Albergue has, at the least, a place to rinse your clothes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Housing secured and tasks completed, there’s not much to do until dinner, which at the earliest happens at 7:30pm and often much later. But it’s worth the wait. Some Albergues have communal dinners, but even in restaurants the meals are cheap, the portions are enormous, the food is often local, and dinner usually includes a bottle of wine. Town food every night is the reason why the Camino is the only walk I’ve done where I think I actually gained weight.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JnfXe5GWQLI/WahCndVDWBI/AAAAAAAABZo/c4Hbx1BGwpUmdQ62mxR45DibYcRoIWT5QCEwYBhgL/s1600/Breakfast%2Bfor%2Bdinner%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="940" height="258" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JnfXe5GWQLI/WahCndVDWBI/AAAAAAAABZo/c4Hbx1BGwpUmdQ62mxR45DibYcRoIWT5QCEwYBhgL/s400/Breakfast%2Bfor%2Bdinner%2BFinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />I know a lot of long distance hikers who don’t eat meat. I do, so I didn’t really pay much attention to how good the dining options are for vegetarians. All I’ll say is that it wouldn’t surprise me if the Spanish word for “vegetarian option” also translates as “slightly less ham.”</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0RLevIA_f4o/WahDn3Kjv0I/AAAAAAAABZ4/Mz_zYlu_I7UTKAZb2nMjWdHKRUNIj8_zgCLcBGAs/s1600/After%2Bdinner%2Bdrink.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0RLevIA_f4o/WahDn3Kjv0I/AAAAAAAABZ4/Mz_zYlu_I7UTKAZb2nMjWdHKRUNIj8_zgCLcBGAs/s320/After%2Bdinner%2Bdrink.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not going to tell you what this is. But if you're offered<br />
it after dinner, drink it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One thing I should add about restaurants and cafes is that you have to ask for your check. Nobody is going to bring it to you unasked, because that’s considered rude. The restaurant and cafe culture doesn’t revolve around tipping and turnover, so when you sit at a table you have basically rented it out all night or until you feel like leaving. Some Americans have somehow been convinced that it’s bad service if your server isn’t essentially asking you to get out. It’s not. Good service is letting you sit at your table in the Plaza Mayor after dinner, maybe with a bit more wine, chatting with your friends, enjoying the night air, and wondering what all of these toddlers are doing running around the Plaza at 10pm. Where are their parents? How the hell are they still awake? I mean, <span style="font-family: inherit;">geez. </span>I can barely keep my eyes open over here.</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYI5bDVp13Y/WahDIovITbI/AAAAAAAABZw/I8QejzvKW1wGAr8dD8utPfOCBAUJnvpKgCLcBGAs/s1600/Table%2BAll%2BNight.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYI5bDVp13Y/WahDIovITbI/AAAAAAAABZw/I8QejzvKW1wGAr8dD8utPfOCBAUJnvpKgCLcBGAs/s320/Table%2BAll%2BNight.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We finished dinner about an hour ago. If we never ask for the<br />
check they might let us sleep here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway. When you want your check you just raise your hand in your server’s general direction and say, “La Cuenta?” And then he or she brings you your check, you pay it, go back to the Albergue, possibly fall asleep, and do it all again tomorrow.<br /><br />Because every day is Town Day.<br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you missed <span style="font-family: inherit;">the rest of the series so far, what's wrong with you? Part 1</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">is</span> <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-camino-for-american-long-distance.html" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and </span>Part 2 is <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-camino-for-american-long-distance_11.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Don't let it happen again.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">On a practical note, I highly recommend </span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"A Pilgrim's Guide To The Camino De Santiago," which has all of the information you n<span style="font-family: inherit;">eed for planning <span style="font-family: inherit;">and walking the Camino, including info on different housing options, facilities and services in towns, and handy maps. You can find more info on it <a href="http://www.caminoguides.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the next (and final) part of the Camino <span style="font-family: inherit;">Series, entitled <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-camino-for-american-long-distance.html" target="_blank">"La Mezcolanza,"</a> NHTM will cover <span style="font-family: inherit;">all of the things</span> I forgot t<span style="font-family: inherit;">o include in the previous parts, including flora & fauna<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and other odds & ends.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank"><b>TBW Productions</b></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank">TBW YouTube Channel</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW Instagram</a><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-16230396623448000902017-08-18T11:53:00.000-04:002017-08-18T11:53:54.972-04:00The Knob: A "Thru Story" Appalachian Trail Short Film <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iEpmn7GxkzM/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iEpmn7GxkzM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank">TBW Productions</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank">TBW YouTube Channel</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW Instagram</a> </div>
<br />Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-52306909694251024322017-08-11T16:45:00.003-04:002020-12-27T13:03:50.488-05:00The Camino For American Long Distance Hikers, Part 2: En La Mochila<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you’re an American Long Distance hiker, you’re used to the idea of being at least somewhat self-sufficient while you’re on trail. You’re carrying everything you think you need to survive independently -- shelter, food, a stove, clothing, first aid, water purification, a light source, a lighter, a Twister Mat, a compass, a sleeping bag & pad, etc.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OXvxThTkwAc/WY4ap-O1eFI/AAAAAAAABUE/su47GlnOmdQzzee8wpNbJ23W7fycbDMSwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6521.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OXvxThTkwAc/WY4ap-O1eFI/AAAAAAAABUE/su47GlnOmdQzzee8wpNbJ23W7fycbDMSwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_6521.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo of sunflowers bowing to my Mom is proof you<br />
don't need a large pack on the Camino.<br />
And that sunflowers think my Mom is a God.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
What each individual chooses to carry will vary by person and change depending on the trail -- some people will say, “well, I’m going no-cook so I don’t carry a stove” and others will say, “I don’t think I need a compass on this trail,” and just about everybody but me will say “wait. Twister mat? Did I just read ‘Twister Mat’?”<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BKK5FCtuyaE/VgxP9lxO-SI/AAAAAAAAAgk/JSurdNOP3boQoKfa2X86UDvB8ZtCyk73ACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jester%2BArticle%2Bgear.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BKK5FCtuyaE/VgxP9lxO-SI/AAAAAAAAAgk/JSurdNOP3boQoKfa2X86UDvB8ZtCyk73ACPcBGAYYCw/s200/Jester%2BArticle%2Bgear.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, you just read "Twister Mat."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The point isn’t so much the things themselves as it is the mindset. And because you’re going to be in town on the Camino de Santiago more often than a habitual yellow blazer, being self-contained isn’t as much of a focus when you’re putting together your gear.<br />
<br />
I walked the Camino with my Mom, who was definitely <i>not</i> a Long Distance Hiker. She did a lot of her own research, and after putting together what she thought she wanted to bring we laid it all out and pared it down a bit further. I knew that people are more receptive to the idea of getting rid of stuff after they’ve carried it for a while, and that we’d do this exercise again in Spain. All I’ll say about that first stateside paring down is that we had vastly different opinions on what constituted “a week’s worth of underwear.”<br />
<br />
Unlike my Mom, you probably already have a good appreciation of what it means to carry weight.<br />
<br />
But unlike you, my Mom had engaged the services of a sherpa, which, to my surprise, was me. <br />
So we did do another paring down in Pamplona, abandoning some items and mailing some expensive or sentimental stuff home (caution: international shipping costs quite a bit and has the potential for going missing). <br />
But I also ended up shifting a number of items to my pack to lighten my Mom’s load. That’s right, I’m looking at you, makeup kit.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DcIR8PkxHOw/WY4DzN7GYNI/AAAAAAAABSI/yNApNNFZ464s8yKe4O9eViDGjDpLX7lKgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_6438.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DcIR8PkxHOw/WY4DzN7GYNI/AAAAAAAABSI/yNApNNFZ464s8yKe4O9eViDGjDpLX7lKgCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_6438.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By Burgos, my Mom had gotten rid of enough stuff<br />
to go from a 50L pack down to a small daypack.<br />
Somehow my pack got heavier. Hmmmm.</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Anyway. </div>
I’m not really into gear lists, and there are a number of Camino-related blogs out there that do a good job of providing guidelines for what you might want to carry.<br />
Instead, I’m going to focus on <br />
A) things you really don’t need to carry that you may be used to carrying<br />
B) things it might not occur to you to bring if you’re used to American trails, and<br />
C) Camino-specific items you might carry, including one that you kind of have to.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO BRING</b><br />
<br />
<b>Shelter:</b> <br />
Weird. It wouldn’t occur to me to not carry a shelter of some sort on a National Scenic Trail. But on the Camino you will almost certainly be in town every night. As I walked I noticed a couple of spots it might have been both possible and nice to set up camp, and there were one or two times where almost getting shut out of a full albergue made a tent seem like a good idea, but for the most part you can do without one.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_k_I2xolSCw/Waoi4JwmMgI/AAAAAAAABag/z7dhW39s4-s6_81SyF9D67bTss0i5ZfxACLcBGAs/s1600/Albergue%2BParada.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="1600" height="232" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_k_I2xolSCw/Waoi4JwmMgI/AAAAAAAABag/z7dhW39s4-s6_81SyF9D67bTss0i5ZfxACLcBGAs/s320/Albergue%2BParada.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is your shelter for the night, which is far too heavy to carry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /><b>Stove/Pot/Food Bag:</b><br />No need for any of that. Other than carrying snacks (picked up at stores each day), most eating happens in town. This alone is a tremendous weight savings -- on American trails I’m usually carrying 8-10 pounds of food when I leave town. On the Camino I was carrying bananas, chocolate, and nuts. Oh, and Jamón-flavored Ruffles. Man. I forgot about those. I would murder you right now for some Jamón-flavored Ruffles.<br />
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wc969_jHnUI/WY3-RwQ-h5I/AAAAAAAABRY/Wh4Bm_2ITKg9pkTYAeGRPqJlWXgqQjH3wCLcBGAs/s1600/Jamon%2BRuffles.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wc969_jHnUI/WY3-RwQ-h5I/AAAAAAAABRY/Wh4Bm_2ITKg9pkTYAeGRPqJlWXgqQjH3wCLcBGAs/s320/Jamon%2BRuffles.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food bag. Sort of.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>A “Sleep System”:</b><br />
You should bring something for sleeping, but it doesn’t have to be a 20-degree bag and a sleeping pad. We carried actual sheets and pillow cases treated with Permethrin, because there are occasional outbreaks of bedbugs along the Camino (I also treated our packs to avoid bedbug hitchhikers and cross-albergue contamination). Most albergues will have sheets, and many have blankets. I suspect our paranoia about bedbugs was mostly overblown, and that all you really need is a travel sleep sack, silk liner, or something like the 55-degree REI Helio Sack -- which my Mom also used -- that can be opened up completely to use as a quilt.<br />
<br />
<b>Water Treatment/Filter: </b><br />
Every town has a “fuente” (which means “source”) -- basically a water fountain for public use. And there are many in between towns as well, and almost all of them are potable. I was fine with just a couple of water bottles (I had Aqua Mira with me and never used it). <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xtl10OKQn9A/WY4BJzx3i1I/AAAAAAAABRw/8iqbBAiTQ-kAQu5puqHfnpzIKlDV7T8eACLcBGAs/s1600/Fuente%2Bat%2BChurch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1600" height="229" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xtl10OKQn9A/WY4BJzx3i1I/AAAAAAAABRw/8iqbBAiTQ-kAQu5puqHfnpzIKlDV7T8eACLcBGAs/s320/Fuente%2Bat%2BChurch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A walker and two cyclists filling up at a fuente.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Navigation Aids:</b></div>
Aside from the maps in the guidebook, you don’t really need maps or a compass. The only time you’re likely to get “lost” is on the way into or out of a large city. And you’re probably not going to die of exposure standing next to a McDonalds on a street corner in Burgos.<br />
In case you <i>do</i> lose the Camino in a city, learn the phrase, “¿Dónde está la Catedral?” Invariably, the Camino goes past the Cathedral; you can pick it up again there.<br />
<br />
Generally speaking, if a thing is something you use for camping in the wilderness, you don’t need it. Because you’re not camping in the wilderness.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>ITEMS I HIGHLY RECOMMEND</b><br />
<br />
<b>Buff:</b>Never used one on trail before. But we picked them up along the way and found them invaluable for sun protection in the Meseta, warmth in the early morning, eye shades for snoozing before lights out, and above all, to keep flies out of our mouths, ears and noses. I cannot emphasize enough just how many flies there were in certain places, or just how badly they wanted to be inside the various holes in my head. If my Mom hadn’t had a Buff, she would have been driven even crazier than she already is.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sCYQckry-7E/WY4FB6gQGaI/AAAAAAAABSc/Fct8nz7XcGAXH6TVcHFsfVOyLAk7G7m9ACLcBGAs/s1600/Covered%2Bup.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sCYQckry-7E/WY4FB6gQGaI/AAAAAAAABSc/Fct8nz7XcGAXH6TVcHFsfVOyLAk7G7m9ACLcBGAs/s320/Covered%2Bup.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Either my Mom covered up to avoid bugs, or a Basque terrorist.<br />
But probably my Mom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Ear Plugs:</b></div>
If you’re staying in albergues, you’ll be staying in bunkhouses right up until you A) can’t deal with another sleepless night and B) realize that albergues also have private rooms for rent. Or maybe you’ll stay in bunkhouses the whole time! Who knows?<br />
Either way, the chances are excellent that at some point you’re going to be enjoying an all-night command performance by the International Orchestra of Bodily Noises, unless you bring ear plugs. Good ones. The kind used by jackhammer operators.<br />
Bonus: also helps you sleep through the people who pack their bags at 4am, loud Italians banging around in the kitchen, and a comically drunk German repeatedly trying and failing to climb into a top bunk at midnight.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-53q1qpCl23E/WY4BzzT-U3I/AAAAAAAABR4/qybRy6XHeHE64tfW7nGr5YMT24WjbZ1pwCLcBGAs/s1600/Snoring.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-53q1qpCl23E/WY4BzzT-U3I/AAAAAAAABR4/qybRy6XHeHE64tfW7nGr5YMT24WjbZ1pwCLcBGAs/s320/Snoring.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy snored so loud I actually took a photo of him in case I saw him at future albergues. Even earplugs didn't work with him. So bring earplugs. And avoid this guy.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>Travel Towel:</b><br />
All albergues have showers. Not all albergues have towels. Or soap. Or shampoo.<br />
<br />
<b>Town Clothes:</b><br />
I recommend having a set of clothes you walk in and a set of clothes for town, because you’ll honestly spend an awful lot of time in town around normal, non-stinky people. <br />
Also bring the other typical outerwear for a hike -- rain jacket, a fleece or puffy jacket, a wide-brimmed hat for sun and maybe also a warmer beanie-type. We picked up gloves in Astorga (because it was getting cooler in the mornings in September), and they came in handy a few times. For some reason Europeans really seem to like big clunky hiking boots. We wore KEENs because they weren’t full boots but would definitely last the whole way.<br />
<b><br />Headlamp:</b><br />
Bright enough to see arrows in the dark in the early morning, preferably with a red light-mode for bunkhouse use.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7HA2kGF6Y-A/WY4OKaprZ_I/AAAAAAAABS4/D4wcrs-Kn1carysCEabZuvG3DVNHyWluQCLcBGAs/s1600/Headlamp.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="1600" height="230" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7HA2kGF6Y-A/WY4OKaprZ_I/AAAAAAAABS4/D4wcrs-Kn1carysCEabZuvG3DVNHyWluQCLcBGAs/s320/Headlamp.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You might not be night hiking, but you probably will be<br />
early morning hiking.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<b>Multi-USB charger:</b><br />
It should go without saying, but if you’re carrying electronics you need a charger that works in Spain. I’m not saying you’re dumb. I’m saying that a lot of other people are dumb, and if you have a Type-F voltage converting charger with 4 USB ports, sooner or later you’ll be the hero of a whole bunch of dumb people in a one-outlet albergue.<br />
<br />
<b>Toilet Paper/Trowel/Hand Sanitizer:</b><br />
Pretty much what I carry on American trails. You’re in town often, and if you get on some sort of regular schedule you’ll never need your trowel. On the other hand, the Camino is littered with evidence that a whole bunch of people made unfortunate assumptions about how their bodies would respond to eating octopus. And those same people have no idea about digging cat holes. It’s a problem. Don’t be part of it.<br />
<br />
(The one thing we didn’t bring with us that would have been incredibly useful is clothespins. We rinsed out our hiking clothes almost every day, and albergues usually have clotheslines. But they rarely have enough clothespins. I’m just not sure how you keep other people from hijacking them, because believe it or not they’re usually in very high demand. Maybe get wooden ones and write your name on them with a Sharpie? Not sure.)<br />
<br />
Again, this is obviously not a complete list of gear. If you Google “Camino Gear List” you’ll have an incredibly long list of lists from which to choose.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>TWO VERY CAMINO-SPECIFIC THINGS</b><br />
<i> (Note: You can pick up a Shell at the Pilgrim’s Office in St. Jean. The Credencial is available both there and in Roncevalles, but we ordered ours in advance from <a href="http://www.americanpilgrims.org/" target="_blank">American Pilgrims On The Camino</a>, a very useful site)</i><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kcYzOWc2pRk/WY4QphPvTFI/AAAAAAAABTI/ImEoJhfMRwMA5hODY3Kp1AfBb4HL4D2ngCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Shell%2Bon%2Bpack.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kcYzOWc2pRk/WY4QphPvTFI/AAAAAAAABTI/ImEoJhfMRwMA5hODY3Kp1AfBb4HL4D2ngCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Shell%2Bon%2Bpack.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>A Scallop Shell for your backpack.</b><br />
As mentioned in the first article in this series, the scallop shell, or concha de vieira, is one of the symbols of the Camino, and wearing one on your pack is one of the ways you identify yourself as a Pilgrim, or Peregrino.<br />
There are various reasons for the shell’s association with the trail. Some are based in myth, like St. James’ martyred body surviving (that’s probably not the right word) a shipwreck and washing ashore covered in shells. There’s also the symbolism of the lines of the shell all coming together to a point, just as the many different Camino paths all meet at Santiago. And there’s the practical history of Peregrinos through history using shells for drinking water before bottles came along and ruined the Shell Water Container Industry.<br />
<br />
Today, it’s mainly just a cool thing to hang on your pack, not as obviously religious as a St. James’ Cross or as goofy looking as a drinking gourd (or calabaza). Seriously, don’t attach a calabaza to your pack. It’s too much. Just go with the shell.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GDYsKNtHXtM/WY4Qx8yjKwI/AAAAAAAABTQ/bIxd6w-gJpA9zibD4djCPDcQf7b6kJG-ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/crap%2Bon%2Bpack.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GDYsKNtHXtM/WY4Qx8yjKwI/AAAAAAAABTQ/bIxd6w-gJpA9zibD4djCPDcQf7b6kJG-ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/crap%2Bon%2Bpack.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For some people, there is an inverse relationship<br />
between how many things you need and how<br />
much extra crap you attach to your pack.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>The Credencial</b></div>
The Credencial is a Passport of sorts in which you collect stamps (or sellos) as you walk the Camino. This is a nice keepsake, but it’s also a necessary thing to carry for two reasons:<br />
The very first thing you will have to do upon checking in to any albergue is present your actual Passport as ID and your Credencial to verify that you are walking the Camino. There are many types of accommodations in towns -- hotels, hostals, casas rurales -- but in many small towns the only option is a Camino-specific albergue, and to stay in one you have to be a Peregrino. You can’t just be some random oddball who showed up in town from wherever; you have to be a random oddball who walked through every town on the Camino east of where you currently are. And the Credencial (and the sellos in it) are your proof.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SgkWByZN1PA/WY4R4j6OP5I/AAAAAAAABTk/npAHzMoZ7fAsPX1d3g4xQdMy4zle5TNwQCLcBGAs/s1600/Camino%2BStamps%2B1%2BMom%2BComplete.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1542" height="184" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SgkWByZN1PA/WY4R4j6OP5I/AAAAAAAABTk/npAHzMoZ7fAsPX1d3g4xQdMy4zle5TNwQCLcBGAs/s320/Camino%2BStamps%2B1%2BMom%2BComplete.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Likewise, a Credencial full of sellos is the proof you provide to the Pilgrims Office in Santiago if you want to receive your Compostela, the religious document that certifies your pilgrimage. To get the Compostela you need one stamp per day for most of the trip, two per day during the final 100 km, and two on the day you enter Santiago before you enter the town. The same requirements apply if you want the secular Certificado de Distancia, which indicates the first day and starting point of your walk, the kilometers covered, the day of arrival in Santiago and the route taken.<br />
<br />
You’ll most likely end up with a stamp from each place you stay (even regular hotels have stamps), but honestly, practically every place you’ll go has a stamp. Churches, bars, restaurants, tourist sites, cafes, outfitters, food markets. Some towns have a general town stamp. Hell, one day in the middle of nowhere there was a donkey tied up next to the trail. <i>The donkey</i> had his own stamp.<br />
<br />
And later, when your walk is over and you’re back from Spain living what is probably a relatively donkey-free life, the Credencial changes from a practical necessity to a colorful memento of your walk.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c-TQIOq5L7w/WY4STL0q32I/AAAAAAAABTo/Y_exB6cjTZgjfqlrq4QcDBdn6NanAxJWgCLcBGAs/s1600/Donkey%2BStamp%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="791" height="285" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c-TQIOq5L7w/WY4STL0q32I/AAAAAAAABTo/Y_exB6cjTZgjfqlrq4QcDBdn6NanAxJWgCLcBGAs/s320/Donkey%2BStamp%2BFinal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<i>In the next part of “The Camino For American Long Distance Hikers,” the Night Hiking To Mars blog delves further into the fact that <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-camino-for-american-long-distance_31.html" target="_blank">EVERY DAY IS TOWN DAY</a>.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i>To read Part 1 of this series, click <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-camino-for-american-long-distance.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank">TBW Productions</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank">TBW YouTube Channel</a><br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW Instagram</a></b></span></div>
<br />Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-90547947344657315302017-08-06T16:12:00.003-04:002023-08-09T15:14:00.756-04:00The Camino For American Long Distance Hikers, Part 1: La Introducción A few years ago Francis Tapon wrote a blog article outlining the ways in which the Camino de Santiago “sucks” and is “overrated.” If you’ve read the article it's clear that by “sucks” and “overrated” he means “is not exactly like the trails I like to hike” and “is enjoyed tremendously by a lot of people who are not me.”<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45dW0kBrwok/WYdbwE262MI/AAAAAAAABNQ/Pj8moSOYoPQQRnP-VoiE1hS-MP3UtW3eACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Trail%2BOn%2BThis%2BTrail.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45dW0kBrwok/WYdbwE262MI/AAAAAAAABNQ/Pj8moSOYoPQQRnP-VoiE1hS-MP3UtW3eACK4BGAYYCw/w400-h297/Trail%2BOn%2BThis%2BTrail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Um, I was led to believe there would be trail on this trail."</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Unfulfilled expectations can be a big mental hurdle when on a long distance hike. If you think the AT is going to be a solitary experience, you’re going to be disappointed. If you think there are going to be shelters all along the PCT, you’re going to be disappointed. And if you think the CDT is going to involve walking on actual trail the entire time, you’re going to be completely lost and slightly terrified and eating nothing but olive oil for an entire day.</div><div>
And disappointed. <br />
<br />
In my opinion, the best way to combat the disappointment that comes from
unfulfilled expectations on trail is not to have any expectations at
all,<br />
other than “I will be walking really far.” And possibly “my feet will hurt.”<br />
The
second best way to combat disappointment is to actually know what the
walk you’re going to do is like and what it’s not like.<br />
<br />
So just
in case it isn’t completely obvious: a pilgrimage route in Spain
established around the 9th Century is not really very much like a
National Scenic Trail in the United States. At all.<br />
<br />
This series
of articles will hopefully give you a sense of what the Camino de
Santiago Frances is like, how it differs from long hikes in the United
States, and why, by the end of your walk, you will want to murder every
rooster you see.<br />
<br />
But first, the basics.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Route</b></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LiqHnDYiTAg/WYdc1_6830I/AAAAAAAABNY/6jl9k9mIrQ06gCtMZwj5OwyGnoFzm77mQCLcBGAs/s1600/NHTM%2BCamino%2BMap.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="800" height="263" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LiqHnDYiTAg/WYdc1_6830I/AAAAAAAABNY/6jl9k9mIrQ06gCtMZwj5OwyGnoFzm77mQCLcBGAs/s320/NHTM%2BCamino%2BMap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The
Camino de Santiago Frances (hereafter referred to as “The Camino”
because I’m too lazy to type the whole thing every time) is a pilgrimage
route that probably starts in St. Jean Pied De Port on the French side
of the Pyrenees and ends in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in
northwestern Spain. I say “probably” because some Peregrinos (Pilgrims) start in
Roncesvalles on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. I don’t recommend
this, not only because St. Jean Pied De Port is a beautiful little town
and the views in the mountains are amazing, but also because people who
don’t climb over the Pyrenees rob themselves of the opportunity to say,
“what the hell was THAT?!? Everyone told me this walk was EASY.”<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QMlEtNsJi4M/WYdws4cMmCI/AAAAAAAABQU/bjobdWlF83ISapnzQBVAcS8GfPV6SJvHACLcBGAs/s1600/What%2Bthe%2Bcrap%2Bhorizontal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="1600" height="234" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QMlEtNsJi4M/WYdws4cMmCI/AAAAAAAABQU/bjobdWlF83ISapnzQBVAcS8GfPV6SJvHACLcBGAs/s320/What%2Bthe%2Bcrap%2Bhorizontal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A look that says, "Wait. OVER the Pyrenees?!? What the crap?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also say “probably” because many people continue on past Santiago, either to Finisterre or Muxia or both. I do recommend this. There is something spectacular about finishing your journey across Spain at the ocean, gazing out at the Atlantic with your fellow Peregrinos as the sun sets, and saying, “that looks like a tough ford.”<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--s3Qd0WI33E/WYdfN3WEi4I/AAAAAAAABNw/he6YUSbUrCQNtvmjIXMtuGwl-ZtHrFx-ACLcBGAs/s1600/Fine%2BSunset.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--s3Qd0WI33E/WYdfN3WEi4I/AAAAAAAABNw/he6YUSbUrCQNtvmjIXMtuGwl-ZtHrFx-ACLcBGAs/s320/Fine%2BSunset.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Peregrina realizes her journey is over, because she cannot swim.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xZR1_EaNIR0/WYdispLkEPI/AAAAAAAABOI/Vr8pv3CQiaILpRT0eLMFsNi56DZ29MGiQCLcBGAs/s1600/200km.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1192" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xZR1_EaNIR0/WYdispLkEPI/AAAAAAAABOI/Vr8pv3CQiaILpRT0eLMFsNi56DZ29MGiQCLcBGAs/s320/200km.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles are for suckers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The walk itself is about 500 miles long and cuts across northern Spain on a path that is occasionally what you might think of as trail but is more often dirt road or what are called “sendas” -- dirt or gravel walkways alongside roads. You should get the “about 500 miles” bit out of your head as quickly as possible, though, and start thinking of it as “about 800 kilometers.” Why? First, nobody else uses miles, weirdo. And second, it sounds a lot more impressive to say you walked “24 kilometers” yesterday instead of “15 miles.”<br />
<br />
Why all of the roads? Because the Camino was designed as a pilgrimage route. It wasn’t built to go over the most challenging ground possible and scale the highest peaks. It was built to take the simplest route to Santiago for people who were walking across Europe a) to expiate their sins and b) because they couldn’t afford a donkey.<br />
<br />
And it turns out that the simplest route to somewhere is also where they put the roads. In fact, if you’re on something that feels like an American trail, the chances are excellent that you’re really just on an old Roman road that hasn’t had any repair work done since 8 BC.<br />
<br />
So the route is neither particularly remote nor anything even resembling technical. You’re just walking. And if you’re the sort of long distance hiker who loves "town day," you are going to want to marry the Camino.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iA4NniFHTvc/WYdpNEe0gnI/AAAAAAAABOk/Pz4kDOo95-oU8MEh29yxr6uLM4Z4p2W9wCLcBGAs/s1600/Camino%2Bsurfaces%2Bfinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1220" height="161" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iA4NniFHTvc/WYdpNEe0gnI/AAAAAAAABOk/Pz4kDOo95-oU8MEh29yxr6uLM4Z4p2W9wCLcBGAs/s400/Camino%2Bsurfaces%2Bfinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Markers Along The Way</b></span></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Fd4ToK9aFs/WYdqRQD3kEI/AAAAAAAABOs/JoIX6CTKMf82xT_slguh1R4NPrUIwQlAwCLcBGAs/s1600/Typical%2BMarkers.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Fd4ToK9aFs/WYdqRQD3kEI/AAAAAAAABOs/JoIX6CTKMf82xT_slguh1R4NPrUIwQlAwCLcBGAs/s320/Typical%2BMarkers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The modern shell & arrow marker next to a cross, because<br />
those are everywhere too.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Compared to some American trails, the Camino is very well marked. I’d say it’s on a par with the Appalachian Trail, in that theoretically you could walk it without maps (but in reality you should totally carry maps).<br />
<br />
There are two main symbols or markers that will guide you as you walk the Camino. The first is the <b>scallop shell</b>, or <b>concha de vieira</b>. At first you will notice the modern blue and yellow version of the shell on markers and signs, and then the more you look around you will see it everywhere. On railings, on walls, in churches, on light posts, on sidewalks, details on buildings, graffitti, tee shirts, business signs, your dreams. EVERYWHERE. If being severely allergic to shellfish meant you couldn’t LOOK at shellfish, there would be piles of dead people all over the place along the Camino. But more on the shell later, because you’ll probably also be carrying one.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_gt1OLvODKg/WYdqySiQS3I/AAAAAAAABO4/U5aM_yutF5Mi7LnIGcwWYNX05p7J2ASFQCLcBGAs/s1600/Shells%2BFinal%2BSquare.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="733" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_gt1OLvODKg/WYdqySiQS3I/AAAAAAAABO4/U5aM_yutF5Mi7LnIGcwWYNX05p7J2ASFQCLcBGAs/s320/Shells%2BFinal%2BSquare.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eventually you will see shells pretty much everywhere.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The other main marker is the <b>yellow arrow</b>, <span style="background-color: white;"></span>or <b>flecha amarilla</b>.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vsN4Jfurxzk/WYdsM_ipfyI/AAAAAAAABPQ/sYBsoqb43d0rlE2FEY1qSLFhXJ740vYgACLcBGAs/s1600/Flechas%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="841" height="278" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vsN4Jfurxzk/WYdsM_ipfyI/AAAAAAAABPQ/sYBsoqb43d0rlE2FEY1qSLFhXJ740vYgACLcBGAs/s320/Flechas%2BFinal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmRP356P69g/WYdsYTcl3BI/AAAAAAAABPU/C0kw8-iPSFsqFGvCa3Lz3XpbZ3iD1xoXgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6297.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmRP356P69g/WYdsYTcl3BI/AAAAAAAABPU/C0kw8-iPSFsqFGvCa3Lz3XpbZ3iD1xoXgCLcBGAs/s200/IMG_6297.jpg" width="120" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is terrifying.</td></tr>
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These directional arrows point the way as you walk west, and are incredibly helpful unless you can’t find them in the dark when you’re starting your day at 6am because you really don’t want to hike in the afternoon. You’d think something bright yellow would be easy to find, wouldn’t you? And they usually are. But sometimes you miss one because it’s tiny and faded and nine feet up on a wall<br />
(or down on the curb)<br />
(or on a wall you won’t see until after you make the correct turn),<br />
and you wander around in the dark muttering to yourself about how some jackass like me told you the Camino was “very well marked.”<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uhDtBbJbGX0/WYdsndUJUfI/AAAAAAAABPY/CbrsjzbnTqQm7O_EmLH2HUttkqTZh7Z5wCLcBGAs/s1600/Flechas%2BAlmost%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="990" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uhDtBbJbGX0/WYdsndUJUfI/AAAAAAAABPY/CbrsjzbnTqQm7O_EmLH2HUttkqTZh7Z5wCLcBGAs/s400/Flechas%2BAlmost%2BFinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Really, though, the only time we had an issue was leaving town early in the morning, in the dark. The solution? After arriving in town, one of the tasks I assigned myself was doing some recon while it was light out and figuring out how to leave the next morning. And just because that recon also involved visiting every bar in town, it didn’t mean I wasn’t doing work. Because Estrella beer signs probably also qualify as one of the markers of the Camino Route.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What? I'm working over here.</td></tr>
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<br />
<i>In the next Night Hiking To Mars article, I’ll detail the things we needed to carry, the things we didn’t need to carry but carried anyway, and all of the things that people carry on a National Scenic Trail that you will be perfectly happy leaving at home. To read the next article, click <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-camino-for-american-long-distance_11.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank">TBW Productions</a><i><a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank"> </a></i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank">TBW YouTube Channel</a><i></i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>TBW Instagram</b></span></a><i><br /></i></div>
</div>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-59080328556650250622017-05-15T14:30:00.000-04:002017-05-15T14:30:17.675-04:00Wizardvice: Good And Bad Advice From Hikers On The Appalachian Trail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank">TBW YouTube Channel</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank">TBW Productions Website</a></div>
Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-25886894671745363682017-03-20T21:28:00.001-04:002020-10-02T20:11:00.588-04:00Gear Review: BSR Pack Possum™<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atyD_VZwNeo/WNB17aHIx3I/AAAAAAAAA4k/lkIk9rFdHukuYZS7MXwjzfu5aR1tcK-PgCLcB/s1600/Possum%2BHarry%2BFinal.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atyD_VZwNeo/WNB17aHIx3I/AAAAAAAAA4k/lkIk9rFdHukuYZS7MXwjzfu5aR1tcK-PgCLcB/s320/Possum%2BHarry%2BFinal.jpg" width="257" /></a>Both of the people who read this blog know that I don’t often do gear reviews, but in the case of the Billville Safety Research Pack Possum™, I felt I had to make an exception. <br />
Nobody was more skeptical than me the first time I saw a couple of German hikers with Pack Possums™, but the more concerned I grew over the danger of ticks, the more it made sense.<br />
<br />
Folks who have spent a lot of time on the AT are aware of the dangers of things that want to drink your blood. Savvy hikers know that “want to check each other for ticks?” is routinely voted the #1 pick-up line on the trail, that the mosquito is the official New Jersey State Bird, and that Stratton, Maine is almost completely populated by vampires.<br />
<br />
And while mosquitoes and vampires are of <i>some</i> concern, it’s really ticks that pose the greatest risk.<br />
Deer Ticks are abundant along the Appalachian Trail and, in addition to Lyme Disease (which is scary enough as it is), ticks can transmit a whole bunch of other things that I can’t even spell, like babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and tularemia. <br />
And they also give me the heebie jeebies, for which there is no known cure.<br />
<br />
So what to do in order to avoid ticks?<br />
Staying on the couch has
been an attractive option, because I’m pretty lazy. But eventually I
forget that I hate hiking and venture out, so that’s not really a
long-term solution.<br />
<br />
DEET is apparently composed of the blood of
the creatures from the Alien movies, and I once watched it eat a hole
through the entire bottom of a backpack. So that appears to be
something to avoid. But on the other hand, natural repellents like
citronella only seem to make your skin smell nice as things are actively
biting you.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NVQjZsZuDls/WNB49NvVo9I/AAAAAAAAA44/cU4N86-IG_INlszYyZMbfAqoouIWIyRQgCLcB/s1600/Possum%2BTNT%2BFinal.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NVQjZsZuDls/WNB49NvVo9I/AAAAAAAAA44/cU4N86-IG_INlszYyZMbfAqoouIWIyRQgCLcB/s320/Possum%2BTNT%2BFinal.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"TNT" with his Pack Possum™ at Lehigh Gap</td></tr>
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The most popular anti-tick repellent lately is Permethrin, a neurotoxin that people are inexplicably confident about having next to their skin. “It’s perfectly fine,” they say, “the military uses it!” Somehow, though, knowing that Permethrin is used by the organization that thought Agent Orange was safe doesn’t really make me feel any better. <br />
<br />
So I’ve been relying on DEET, because while it <i>will</i> melt non-natural fabrics, the part of me that keeps the rest of me inside of me is made entirely of natural fabrics. It has always seemed to me to be the least bad option, up until the release of the entirely all-natural, zero-chemical Pack Possum™.</div>
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<br />
My Pack Possum™ arrived in a cardboard box with air holes, and appeared to be dead. Don’t be fooled, though -- it’s most likely perfectly fine. I didn’t fall for this trick mainly because I've had a number of girlfriends who have tried to get rid of me by attempt the same thing.<br />
<br />
Weighing in at a hefty ten pounds, the Pack Possum™ is by no means a piece of UL gear, but BSR representative Timothy Scott notes that “it weighs significantly less than the doctor who will treat you for Lyme.”<br />
<br />
I took my Pack Possum™ out on a quick weekend trip on the AT, and I have to say it worked exactly as promised. Even while sleeping on my pack during the day, the Pack Possum™ attracted every single tick that would have otherwise attached itself to me, and then when it awoke it groomed itself and ate every single one. <br />
<br />
Scott claims that a single Pack Possum™ can consume up to 4,000 ticks per week, a number that I find to be both impressive and terrifying.<br />
<br />
So what’s the downside? <br />
Well, weight, as mentioned -- and with all those ticks being eaten, I don’t think this thing is going to get any lighter. Also: it hisses at EVERYTHING. Other hikers, dogs, backpacks, trees, other Pack Possums™. It’s like every moment you’re a person talking in a theater and someone behind you is trying to get you to shut up. The only other issue is that on night two of my first trip with a Pack Possum™ I woke up with its face inches from mine and I had a minor heart attack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ub-cdx-5pPk/WNB4VLAksYI/AAAAAAAAA40/d5_zDjA7dlIV4_7gw34li7PTps41TmlMQCLcB/s1600/Possums%2Bon%2BPacks%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ub-cdx-5pPk/WNB4VLAksYI/AAAAAAAAA40/d5_zDjA7dlIV4_7gw34li7PTps41TmlMQCLcB/s320/Possums%2Bon%2BPacks%2BFinal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pack Possums™ waiting for their owners to finish<br />
their probably tick-free breakfasts.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
But I think the positives far outweigh the negatives.<br />
A Pack Possum™ is the perfect remedy for the tick-infested forest of the Appalachian Trail, and once you get used to the weight the only problem you’ll have to deal with is every person you meet telling you that you have the ugliest cat they’ve ever seen. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ijkFMdmQhZI/WNB3t7Wek2I/AAAAAAAAA4w/N2VbVKoUYIU3GqvBoDSJqS_i3NLtZzrOgCLcB/s1600/Jester%2BPack%2BPossum%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ijkFMdmQhZI/WNB3t7Wek2I/AAAAAAAAA4w/N2VbVKoUYIU3GqvBoDSJqS_i3NLtZzrOgCLcB/s320/Jester%2BPack%2BPossum%2BFinal.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The author with his Pack Possum™ </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>Contrafactual notes: Pack Possums do not exist, although possums do indeed eat an awful lot of ticks. Billville Safety Research is not a real company. Timothy Scott is a real person, but did not say that. The mosquito isn't the the official New Jersey State Bird, but probably should be. And my belief that Stratton, ME is almost entirely populated by vampires has yet to be disproven.</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">TBW Productions Website</span></b></a></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">TBW Productions YouTube Channel </span></a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b><i> </i></div>
<br />Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-18850496373668970612016-12-19T20:13:00.000-05:002016-12-19T20:14:16.891-05:00Thru Story: A Season On The Appalachian Trail (Official Trailer)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1Zp4UTGdXw0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Zp4UTGdXw0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe> </div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGPgsiDbZMAMY5FLNv0rFA" target="_blank">TBW Productions YouTube Channel</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/" target="_blank">TBW Productions Website </a></div>
<br />Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-4130872464801607602016-07-14T20:27:00.002-04:002021-08-05T17:10:21.014-04:00“Why on Earth would you speed hike?”<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0UBhwojylZ4/V4gor6lKI3I/AAAAAAAAArw/tpQ35LBb5VUMDST6DfIfQoYLW0uyiedaQCLcB/s1600/Anish.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0UBhwojylZ4/V4gor6lKI3I/AAAAAAAAArw/tpQ35LBb5VUMDST6DfIfQoYLW0uyiedaQCLcB/s320/Anish.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The author and Anish crossing paths on the AT.<br />
Anish is smiling, I am grimacing in pain.</td></tr>
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Honestly, I wouldn't.<br />
<br />
But every year, someone announces their intention to attempt a speed record on a long distance trail. And as inevitable as that is, so too is the chorus of people who feel the need to tell everyone that they can't possibly figure out why anyone would want to do such a thing.<br />
<br />
The chorus also seems to have definite ideas of how people who attempt speed records could better spend their time, in much the same way that people who don’t hike trails at all often think that long distance hikers would be much happier if they, say, bought a house, or drove a vehicle that wasn’t 22-years old, or, at the very least, showered more than once every 5 or 6 days.<br />
<br />
So it goes without saying that none of us really understands what makes other people happy or why. Or at least it went without saying right up until just a sentence ago, when I went ahead and said it anyway.<br />
<br />
But the Night Hiking To Mars blog is nothing if not informative, and so we present to you the results of a survey we’re pretending to have done, in which we asked “speed hikers” what benefits they derive from hiking an entire trail in the time it takes me to eat a half gallon of ice cream at Pine Grove Furnace State Park.<br />
<br />
<b>The Top Ten Benefits Of Speed Hiking</b><br />
<br />
#10: Getting to smell the roses at 4am, when their odor is less likely to be overpowered by hiker funk.<br />
<br />
#9: Dramatic reduction in the number of times you’ll hear Wagon Wheel.<br />
<br />
#8: On trail at both dusk AND dawn, thus increasing the number of Bigfoot encounters.<br />
<br />
#7: Pink Blazers give up after half a day.<br />
<br />
#6: Getting to hear the part where people say “Hike Your Own Hike, but . . .” and being out of earshot by the time they’re telling you what you’re doing wrong.<br />
<br />
#5: Fewer hotel stays means more money to spend on whiskey and Honey Buns.<br />
<br />
#4: Acquiring the knowledge of what it feels like to elevate your chafe game from a minor annoyance to a full blown medical condition that requires skin grafts and rehab.<br />
<br />
#3: Quickly outpacing people who want to tell you all of the advantages of hammocking.<br />
<br />
#2: Ability to annoy internet “hikers” without having to suffer the indignity of starting a gofundme campaign.<br />
<br />
And finally: <br />
#1: By the time the giardia symptoms appear, you’re already sitting on your toilet at home.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Dedicated with love to my very fast friends, some record setters and others just plain speedy, whom I support without understanding you at all -- Anish, Tatu Jo, Snorkel, Trauma, Swami, Lint, and any other lunatics whom I'm forgetting.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tbwproductions.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TBW PRODUCTIONS</b></span></a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>TBW YOUTUBE CHANNEL</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>TBW INSTAGRAM</b></span></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-61810647987454990212016-03-06T13:17:00.001-05:002021-08-05T17:12:11.765-04:00Guidebooks For Trail Widths: A Review<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LT8_bYSkoBg/VtxprCIOL4I/AAAAAAAAAqE/neqMw4uVL38/s1600/WidthTShirt.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LT8_bYSkoBg/VtxprCIOL4I/AAAAAAAAAqE/neqMw4uVL38/s320/WidthTShirt.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I'm delusional, why does this tee exist?</td></tr>
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As many of you know, late in 2015 I set the <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/12/hiker-claims-fastest-known-time-for.html" target="_blank">Fastest Known Time for hiking the Twiple Crown</a>, hiking the Widths of the PCT, CDT, and AT in a record 3 days, 6 hours, and 35 minutes. It was a pretty awesome accomplishment.<br />
<br />
Ever since setting the record, I have been bombarded with emails from hikers asking for all sorts of information and advice concerning hiking the Widths of the Trails, also known as Side To Side Hikes (or S2S). And while that previous sentence is absolutely untrue, I think we have to ask ourselves if it’s an outright intentional lie, or if I’m living in some weird fantasy world where hikers not only want to hike Trail Widths, but also one in which people actually read this blog.<br />
<br />
Hard to say. But either way, I’ve decided to offer help via a review of the guidebooks that may or may not be available for hiking the Trail Widths, because frankly I am far too busy customizing my Hiking Eating Helmet to keep answering all of these emails that may or may not be coming in. So let’s start with the PCT.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Pacific Crest Trail </span><br />
There’s really only one choice here. Yogi’s Pacific Crest Trail Width Handbook has all of the information you need to successfully hike the Width of the PCT. The first part of the book has advice from a number of previous Width Hikers, which is incredibly helpful when in the planning stages of your hike. The second part is an on-trail guide with all sorts of useful information, including trailhead locations, good places to nap, water sources close to roads, hotels to stay in before your hike and bars to celebrate in afterwards. Highly recommended!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Continental Divide Trail</span> </div>
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As with the PCT, the recommended guide book is put out by Yogi. Her Continental Divide Trail Handbook Width Edition has the same basic format as the PCT book, so if you’ve used that it will seem familiar. Admittedly, you can probably get by without a guide book for the PCT Width, but a guide for the CDT Width is a must. Sometimes there’s no footbed for the Width, sometimes you can be on it and not realize it, and sometimes you think you’re walking the Width of the CDT and you’re really on a game trail. It also includes such vital information as the best place to buy a velvet John Wayne painting while on trail, where you can ride an enormous stuffed Jackalope, and which restaurants have burgers so large that in order to eat them you have to unhinge your jaw like a snake. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-meAj8HnK0sI/VtxrxbQ7cfI/AAAAAAAAAqY/vJeCX_yaubw/s1600/CDT%2BWidth%2BCover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-meAj8HnK0sI/VtxrxbQ7cfI/AAAAAAAAAqY/vJeCX_yaubw/s320/CDT%2BWidth%2BCover.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
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I haven’t used them, but I’ve heard from other Width hikers that the recently completed Jerry Brown Width Map Books are excellent. Nobody thinks they’re going to get lost while hiking 2-4 feet of trail, but it happens all the time. Particularly if, like me, you’re <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU21JAyQAmM" target="_blank">easily confused</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kyIe75SSuNE/VtxsBebDWOI/AAAAAAAAAqc/2te0bvwxAVg/s1600/NM%2BMAP%2BBOOK%2BWIDTHS%2BFINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kyIe75SSuNE/VtxsBebDWOI/AAAAAAAAAqc/2te0bvwxAVg/s320/NM%2BMAP%2BBOOK%2BWIDTHS%2BFINAL.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Appalachian Trail</span> </div>
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Hiking the Width of the Appalachian Trail is the most popular of the Width hikes out of the three trails, due mainly to its close proximity to large population centers full of lazy people. Consequently, there are more options. All of them have their pluses and minuses. </div>
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<b>AT Guide </b></div>
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David Miller’s AT Width Guide has information on the distance from one side of the trail to the other for the entire AT, which would seem like overkill if this were an actual book. It includes the slope of the width as well, integrated into each page using an overlaid slope map. The nice thing about this guide is that it is available in both Eastbound and Westbound versions. It also comes inside a heavy duty zip-lock bag, which is perfect for people who live underwater and hikers in the Smokies in April (which is pretty much the same thing). </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPvAbmEW_pQ/VtxsePVcdMI/AAAAAAAAAqk/KQoDgYE25AA/s1600/AT%2BGuide%2BEastbound%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPvAbmEW_pQ/VtxsePVcdMI/AAAAAAAAAqk/KQoDgYE25AA/s320/AT%2BGuide%2BEastbound%2BFinal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SskL6cV7vl4/VtxseBcIx9I/AAAAAAAAAqg/rUbfTfONv0U/s1600/AT%2BGuide%2BWestbound%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SskL6cV7vl4/VtxseBcIx9I/AAAAAAAAAqg/rUbfTfONv0U/s320/AT%2BGuide%2BWestbound%2BFinal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>ASDHA Width-Hikers Companion </b></div>
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The Width-Hikers Companion is compiled every year by Appalachian Short Distance Hikers Association volunteer field editors and is available from that organization as well as the ATC. It has excellent information on trailhead locations, which is ideal for driving to the trail and walking three feet. There is a pdf version available as well as a companion phone app, but the 288-page book is the recommended version for starting fires and swatting at mosquitoes. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wMnbjpOxyyE/VtxtSRKoYiI/AAAAAAAAAqs/SMQVBhU48OA/s1600/Width%2BHikers%2BCompanion%2B2016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wMnbjpOxyyE/VtxtSRKoYiI/AAAAAAAAAqs/SMQVBhU48OA/s320/Width%2BHikers%2BCompanion%2B2016.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<b>Width Data Book</b> </div>
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All of the information in the ATC-published Data Book is available in both the AT Guide and the Companion, but it is the smallest, lightest option and is recommended for UL Width Hikers which, honestly, really should be just about everybody. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_SpfmA-D5aI/VtxtzPNx1mI/AAAAAAAAAq0/xFc5T9PNAMU/s1600/Width%2BData%2BBook%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_SpfmA-D5aI/VtxtzPNx1mI/AAAAAAAAAq0/xFc5T9PNAMU/s320/Width%2BData%2BBook%2BFinal.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<b>There are, of course, other options out there, including not bothering with a guidebook at all. But whether you’re a planner or a winging-it kind of hiker, keep in mind that with Width Hiking, “The Very Short Journey Is The Almost Immediately Reached Destination.”</b></div>
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<b>Note: For reasons that boggle the mind, some people want to hike the <i>lengths</i> of these things instead of the widths. Not sure what that's all about. But if you are one of those lunatics, the same guidebooks are available for lengths!</b></div>
<br />
<i>With thanks to Matt Bowler and Bill Garlinghouse for help with terminology!</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tbwproductions.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TBW PRODUCTIONS</b></span></a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>TBW YOUTUBE CHANNEL</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW INSTAGRAM</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></div>
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</div>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-89112142112234811602016-02-21T13:40:00.001-05:002021-08-05T17:12:39.700-04:00Hiking Memes Volume Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the second volume of hiking memes I've put together for your
enjoyment, as a tribute to your good taste. If this were Buzzfeed I'd
say that you won't believe #5, and that this post will CHANGE THE WAY YOU
THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING!!!<br /><br />But it probably won't. You might laugh a bit, though, and that will be good enough.</div>
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Feel free to steal 'em and share 'em, if you're into that kind of thing.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zDTWYqm6Y-0/Vsn-hLASVII/AAAAAAAAApI/lYlS5x5AXfQ/s1600/Lost%2BNecessary%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zDTWYqm6Y-0/Vsn-hLASVII/AAAAAAAAApI/lYlS5x5AXfQ/s400/Lost%2BNecessary%2BFinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l4SN70Cop1I/Vsn-h82x0kI/AAAAAAAAApU/l94hUDKKDGQ/s1600/Packweight%2B2%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l4SN70Cop1I/Vsn-h82x0kI/AAAAAAAAApU/l94hUDKKDGQ/s640/Packweight%2B2%2BFinal.jpg" width="368" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oV2QkrlMDj0/Vsn-iOBToTI/AAAAAAAAApY/_mXXpHqGVeg/s1600/Worst%2Bday%2Bon%2Btrail%2Bfinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oV2QkrlMDj0/Vsn-iOBToTI/AAAAAAAAApY/_mXXpHqGVeg/s400/Worst%2Bday%2Bon%2Btrail%2Bfinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C1f6ca8V6Ug/Vsn-oJzyWEI/AAAAAAAAApg/cZAsIFX5wUc/s1600/Never%2BStop%2BExploring%2BRedo%2BFinal.tif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C1f6ca8V6Ug/Vsn-oJzyWEI/AAAAAAAAApg/cZAsIFX5wUc/s400/Never%2BStop%2BExploring%2BRedo%2BFinal.tif" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m4C_fpE711Q/Vsn-hAMZAHI/AAAAAAAAApk/9DO8DKcJmXU/s1600/Hiking%2BAdvice%2BBest%2BWay%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m4C_fpE711Q/Vsn-hAMZAHI/AAAAAAAAApk/9DO8DKcJmXU/s400/Hiking%2BAdvice%2BBest%2BWay%2BFinal.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c9cTz1UlWGY/Vsn-hvO_ddI/AAAAAAAAApk/y9lhsJr1OSc/s1600/Clean%2BCrotch%2BFinal%2BHQ.tif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c9cTz1UlWGY/Vsn-hvO_ddI/AAAAAAAAApk/y9lhsJr1OSc/s400/Clean%2BCrotch%2BFinal%2BHQ.tif" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MqbYLJLoL3E/VsoB9F8kB1I/AAAAAAAAAps/t9sqXl-ds_I/s1600/Thru-Hike%2BThe%2BMoon%2BFinal.tif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MqbYLJLoL3E/VsoB9F8kB1I/AAAAAAAAAps/t9sqXl-ds_I/s400/Thru-Hike%2BThe%2BMoon%2BFinal.tif" width="400" /> </a></div>
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To see Volume One, click <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-few-images-from-2013.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tbwproductions.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TBW PRODUCTIONS</b></span></a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>TBW YOUTUBE CHANNEL</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW INSTAGRAM</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></div>
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Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-22083389752959576152016-02-02T16:41:00.004-05:002021-11-30T09:44:31.913-05:00The Northern Terminus Of The Appalachian Trail: A Modest Proposal<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AIPdwvNulCo/VrELNfg-NRI/AAAAAAAAAnc/vkhPOOH4bTI/s1600/Katahdin%2BG-Hippie1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AIPdwvNulCo/VrELNfg-NRI/AAAAAAAAAnc/vkhPOOH4bTI/s400/Katahdin%2BG-Hippie1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katahdin, topped with either clouds or an unacceptable<br />
amount of pot smoke, depending on whom you ask.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Background </span></b></div><div>
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Uy6zlI46rI/VrEMS1Rf2sI/AAAAAAAAAnk/NaJH9g1Dr0c/s1600/Baxter%2BState%2BParka.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Uy6zlI46rI/VrEMS1Rf2sI/AAAAAAAAAnk/NaJH9g1Dr0c/s1600/Baxter%2BState%2BParka.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a>On November 19th, 2014, Jensen Bissell, the Director of Baxter State Park, sent a letter to Ron Tipton and Wendy Janssen. Ron Tipton is the Executive Director of the ATC and is also a former AT thru-hiker (1978). Wendy Janssen is the Superintendent of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and to my surprise is NOT also the female protagonist in Peter Pan.<br />
<br />
In the <a href="http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/pdf/meetingAuthority/Dec162014/AT%20Ron%20Tipton%20Wendy%20Janssen%20letter%2011%2019%202014%20scanned.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a>, Director Bissell outlines his concerns about the increasing number of thru-hikers that has risen to a shocking and unsustainable 3% of the 63,000+ annual park gate visitors, and notes that ATC’s vision of more people enjoying outdoor recreation runs counter to the Park Authority’s vision of a “fixed capacity” of non-car driving
visitors who will enter the park and not act like complete idiots, or at
the very least will not share their acts of idiocy on social media.<br />
<br />
In
addition to concerns about sheer numbers, the letter includes a list of
observed bad behavior and neediness by thru-hikers in the park that is
“not meant . . . to serve as a litany of complaints,” but manages to
serve quite well in that capacity anyway, in the same way that anything
said before the phrase “no offense intended” was probably incredibly
offensive.<br />
<br />
Summing up, the letter calls on ATC and the NPS to
come up with a plan to do something about hiker numbers and behavior in a
section of the trail that the letter also points out “has no federal
designation and is under the control of the Baxter State Park
Authority.” Director Bissell’s letter was of great concern to the AT
hiking community, not only because the previous sentence makes no sense,
but also because of the not-so-subtle threat that if someone other than
BSPA didn’t come up with a solution, THEIR solution might involve
“relocating . . . the trail terminus.” <br />
<br />
<b><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The 2015 Season</span></b><br />
<br />
Fast
forward to July of 2015, when, as a result of his summit shenanigans,
record-setter Scott Jurek was cited for drinking alcohol, spilling
alcohol, and for having too large a group with him when he did the
previously mentioned things with the alcohol. In a plea deal Jurek pleaded guilty to drinking and was assessed a fine that Penobscot County
District Attorney R. Christopher Almy admitted was $300 greater than a
public drinking summons would typically carry under state law. That may
seem unfair, but at least he wasn’t cited for speeding. <br />
<br />
It was,
however, Jurek’s Clif Bar headband that really seemed to bother
Director Bissell. In a Facebook post, Bissell noted that “Scott Jurek’s
physical abilities were recognized by corporations engaged in (selling)
running and outdoor related products . . . The race vehicle used to
support Scott in his run, as well as Scott’s headband, clearly displays
these corporate sponsors.” <br />
And as it turns out Baxter does NOT like
corporate commercialism, which might come as a bit of a surprise to L.L.
Bean, not only because they received four commercial filming permits in
Baxter from 2012 to 2013, but also because they sell a line of jackets
called “Baxter State Parkas.<b>"</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Uy6zlI46rI/VrEMS1Rf2sI/AAAAAAAAAno/4NMywIkx58Q/s1600/Baxter%2BState%2BParka.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Uy6zlI46rI/VrEMS1Rf2sI/AAAAAAAAAno/4NMywIkx58Q/s320/Baxter%2BState%2BParka.png" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just in case you thought "Baxter<br />
State Parkas" was a joke.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
One would think that the simple solution to people breaking the rules in
Baxter State Park, regardless of who they are or how they got there,
would be for Baxter State Park employees to enforce the rules they are
tasked with enforcing. It turns out that many people stop breaking
rules once it becomes clear that there are consequences, which is why,
for example, “Mooning The Cog” on Mount Washington isn’t as much of a
thing anymore, and why most hikers get Smokies Permits when they hear
there’s a Ranger checking for them at Newfound Gap. <br />
<br />
But in the past
few months there have been a series of meetings involving BSPA, ATC,
NPS, MATC, ALDHA, FBSP, and, oh, I don’t know, HYOH, NIMBY, and YMMV,
and “enforce the Park rules for everyone” doesn’t seem to have been an
option anyone is particularly interested in attempting.<br />
<br />
<b><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The Proposal</span></b><br />
<br />
My
initial thought was that the solution lay in getting Clif Bar to
sponsor every thru-hiker, since it seems that Baxter is only interested
in citing high profile, sponsored hikers for the sake of making a
point. This, however, seems like an unlikely solution. Clif Bar
couldn’t possibly be interested in sponsoring hundreds of willfully
homeless dirtbags with entitlement issues and delusions of grandeur.
And from the other direction, thru-hikers wouldn’t be interested in Clif
Bar sponsorships because after two months of eating them Clif Bars
taste like cardboard and despair.<br />
<br />
And even if that plan was
possible, it wouldn’t account for Baxter’s concerns about the sheer
numbers of hikers, because, as previously mentioned, Baxter has a “fixed
capacity model” in place.<br />
<br />
Unless maybe you’re a visitor who isn’t on the AT.<br />
In
2014 Baxter State Park had 63,049 folks come in through their gates.
Back in 2002 the number was 8,605 people higher (71,654!), or more
than four times the number who came into (or out of) the park via the
Appalachian Trail in 2014. I suppose that if you can fit inside a
vehicle you can also fit into Governor Percival Baxter’s vision. <br />
<br />
In any case, Baxter apparently can’t handle more AT hikers. We’ll just have to take their word for it.<br />
<br />
So
the only rational option left is to bypass Baxter State Park entirely
and move the Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Appalachian-Trail-Cafe-115110368577407/?fref=ts" target="_blank">A.T. Cafe in Millinocket</a>. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qC9AHAKl4EY/VrEOPqeLbCI/AAAAAAAAAn0/E3nMXVFYARw/s1600/New%2BAT%2BRoute%2B2.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qC9AHAKl4EY/VrEOPqeLbCI/AAAAAAAAAn0/E3nMXVFYARw/w400-h348/New%2BAT%2BRoute%2B2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new proposed route for the AT</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br /><div>After
crossing Abol Bridge, with its magnificent views of Katahdin,
Northbounders would continue along the Golden Road for an additional
19.4 miles and finish their hikes at a terminus sign on the sidewalk in
front of the Cafe on Penobscot Avenue. Along the way they’ll walk along
the confusingly named River Pond, enjoy striking views of Millinocket
Lake, and try desperately to see and breathe as loggers and hunters throw
up clouds of dust at high speeds. As an added bonus, siting the A.T.
on a road means that “thru-hikers” who have been yellow blazing up the
trail can get in one last celebratory hitch before heading home and
submitting to the ATC for their 2000-Miler certificates and patches. </div><div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6muFzHkN3LU/VrER9bf-zfI/AAAAAAAAAoE/KplFYUnvCPI/s1600/Dave%2BAT%2BCafe%2BFinal.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6muFzHkN3LU/VrER9bf-zfI/AAAAAAAAAoE/KplFYUnvCPI/s320/Dave%2BAT%2BCafe%2BFinal.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A triumphant end to a thru-hike!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Moving
a terminus may seem extreme, but the A.T. has a history of doing so.
In 1958, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail was moved from
Mount Oglethorpe (arguably a more dramatic mountain than Springer) after
hikers complained about being covered in a thick layer of chicken
poop. Today, southbounders claim that finishing their hikes on Springer
is not at all depressing or anti-climactic. <br />
And although they are absolutely lying about that, for the purposes of this editorial we’ll pretend to believe them.<br />
<br />
And
so it will be with the relatively chicken-poop-free A.T. Cafe.
Northbound hikers will finish their hikes and be able to celebrate by
doing things that would be objectionable in the Park -- they can have a
beer AND a milkshake without worrying about spilling either on the
ground. They can write their name on things (in this case, ceiling
tiles).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-McMURCRlTnU/VrEanUOyEaI/AAAAAAAAAoY/YaKB9ZgRW6A/s1600/Ceiling%2BTiles.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-McMURCRlTnU/VrEanUOyEaI/AAAAAAAAAoY/YaKB9ZgRW6A/s320/Ceiling%2BTiles.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tagging in the AT Cafe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
They can get a place to sleep in town without “strain[ing] the
current system beyond its capacity.” Southbound hikers can start their
trip with a cheeseburger AND not have to deal with the logistics of
getting to Baxter. And should a hiker do anything in the A.T. Cafe that
the staff finds objectionable, I am confident they will kick the
offender out on their ass without feeling the need to enlist the aid of
the ATC or complain to the Portland Press Herald.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qPZK9aqcH9o/VrEbNj4rMjI/AAAAAAAAAoc/25acN04IZNQ/s1600/Summit%2BSundae.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qPZK9aqcH9o/VrEbNj4rMjI/AAAAAAAAAoc/25acN04IZNQ/s320/Summit%2BSundae.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonus: Summit Sundae NOT available on summit of Katahdin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As you can
imagine, though, I would highly recommend getting a shuttle into Baxter
State Park to walk up Katahdin once a thru-hiker’s trip on the A.T. is
completed (or before it begins, for southbounders). It would be a shame
to be so close to such a magnificent mountain and not climb it, and who
knows when they’d be that close again? <br />
<br />
Of course, at that
point Baxter’s distinction between “AT Hikers” (“a user group <i>not</i>
defined in [their] trust mission”) and “members of the public” (a group
that apparently is part of the trust mission but <i>doesn’t include
thru-hikers</i>) disappears.<br />
They’ll just be visitors in the park, no
different than any other hiker on the mountain, and their behavior won’t
be the responsibility of (or reflect poorly on) anyone but themselves.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aOoeCJtol8w/VrEb6tE7vDI/AAAAAAAAAok/jSB9K6S03Ys/s1600/Jester%2BAT%2BCafe%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aOoeCJtol8w/VrEb6tE7vDI/AAAAAAAAAok/jSB9K6S03Ys/s320/Jester%2BAT%2BCafe%2BFinal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beginning Of A New Ending?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tbwproductions.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TBW PRODUCTIONS</b></span></a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>TBW YOUTUBE CHANNEL</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW INSTAGRAM</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>Photo Credit: Katahdin Photo by Michael Muzzillo </i></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div></div>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-87934676956713550592016-01-13T00:34:00.001-05:002021-08-05T17:13:38.098-04:00"Wild" Debates On The PCT (Part 3): Sharing The Trail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-COmKqQ3H9p8/VpVoe41UnGI/AAAAAAAAAmI/10opxTmZViU/s1600/Nascar%2BEagle%2BRock%2BFinal.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-COmKqQ3H9p8/VpVoe41UnGI/AAAAAAAAAmI/10opxTmZViU/s320/Nascar%2BEagle%2BRock%2BFinal.jpg" width="320" /></a>The Pacific Crest Trail is a National Scenic Trail that stretches
approximately 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada through California, the
State of Jefferson, Oregon, and Washington. Previous entries in this series have focused on overcrowding issues related only to hikers; <a href="https://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/01/wild-debates-about-pct-overcrowding.html" target="_blank">Part One</a>
of this series focused on hikers carrying large pieces of furniture on
the PCT, and in <a href="https://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/02/wild-debates-about-pct-overcrowding.html" target="_blank">Part Two</a> we looked at the contoversy surrounding caches of office
supplies. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
But as the 2016 hiking season approaches, a vocal group of “Share The Trail” advocates is once again pushing for access to the Pacific Crest Trail, hoping to open the trail to uses beyond hiking and horse-packing. Which brings us to the subject of part three of this series: sharing the trail with NASCAR drivers. </div>
<br />
Proponents of the status quo believe that In order to continue to protect the trail as a resource and to provide a safe and unique recreation experience for the primary users – hikers and equestrians -- other forms of outdoor activities must be banned.<br />
<br />
But if NASCAR enthusiasts have their way, that will soon change. “Our mission is simple,” says Kyle Busch fan Kevin Gallagher, “we hope to join the PCT community . . . as with other dedicated members of the PCT community, our primary goal is to protect, preserve and promote the PCT in homage to its world-class significance, for the enjoyment, education and adventure of hikers, equestrians and stockcar racers alike.”*<br />
<br />
People who drive stockcars and their fans feel that they have been unjustifiably excluded not just from the trail, but also from the process of deciding who gets to use it, and have expressed their frustration via social media:<b> </b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>"The damage to the ground is done by the trail builders . . . everything after that is negligible."* -- Wendi Merritt </b> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fKOBDXXTPMc/VpVmHOD5SxI/AAAAAAAAAl4/VVGmh0GJlEQ/s1600/Twitter%2B1%2BNASCAR.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fKOBDXXTPMc/VpVmHOD5SxI/AAAAAAAAAl4/VVGmh0GJlEQ/s320/Twitter%2B1%2BNASCAR.png" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mWmKvGg6NZg/VpVmHUB-H7I/AAAAAAAAAmA/-0BHQ5fTHEg/s1600/Twitter%2B2%2BNASCAR.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mWmKvGg6NZg/VpVmHUB-H7I/AAAAAAAAAmA/-0BHQ5fTHEg/s320/Twitter%2B2%2BNASCAR.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MuDsX14taIc/VpVmHAFncHI/AAAAAAAAAl0/92jehOw1uOg/s1600/Facebook%2B1%2BNASCAR.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MuDsX14taIc/VpVmHAFncHI/AAAAAAAAAl0/92jehOw1uOg/s320/Facebook%2B1%2BNASCAR.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UDdjgfkG1fA/VpVmHOkAOfI/AAAAAAAAAl8/HmRIGaDB9nY/s1600/Facebook%2B2%2BNASCAR.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UDdjgfkG1fA/VpVmHOkAOfI/AAAAAAAAAl8/HmRIGaDB9nY/s320/Facebook%2B2%2BNASCAR.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The NASCAR Perspective</b></span><br />
<br />
A number of arguments have been put forth by racing fans to justify a change in the rules. Some claim that historically, NASCAR was a part of the trail. “Prior to 1988, there were stockcars all over the place legally, and there was never a problem,” says Denny Hamlin fan David Vitti. “Admittedly, there’s no real evidence to back up those claims, but I do have a nice black and white photo of a group of NASCAR enthusiasts on the PCT in Oregon, so there’s that.”<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gD9yF7jxF04/VpVpMPDoH9I/AAAAAAAAAmQ/mCeiIAo_LtM/s1600/Nascar%2BMountains%2BB%2526W.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gD9yF7jxF04/VpVpMPDoH9I/AAAAAAAAAmQ/mCeiIAo_LtM/s320/Nascar%2BMountains%2BB%2526W.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice black and white photo of a group of NASCAR enthusiasts<br />
on the PCT in Oregon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Others point out that stockcars create less impact than backpackers or equestrians.<br />
As Kevin Harvick fan Steve Cain points out, “regarding impacts, a NASCAR driver passing through on an all-day type of drive isn't usually setting up camp, collecting wood for a campfire, rinsing off in a stream or lake, etc . . . I think it is safe to say an overnight backpacker absolutely has more environmental impact than a racecar driver. And don’t even get me started on horse poop.”*<br />
<br />
Even if there is some impact, NASCAR fans insist that the number of added trail volunteers would more than make up for any impact. "There are 75 Million Nascar fans in this country," says Matt Kenseth fan Kelly Dewire, "Imagine the thousands of man hours that would pour into trail maintenance on the PCT if stockcar drivers could use it."*<br />
<br />
But ultimately, most of the arguments revolve around sharing a tax-payer funded trail. “Hikers will say just about anything (true or not, mostly not) to justify their exclusionary views,” says Kasey Kahne fan J. Chad Kinsey, “this is all about rationalizing the fact that they won't share a taxpayer funded trail (apparently to the tune of $1.8m/year for the PCTA . . . ) with newcomers.”*<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Hiker Perspective</b></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y62pg1hO4Gg/VpVpc7oxEII/AAAAAAAAAmY/wpLocjbHFwE/s1600/Nascar%2Bwindmills%2BFinal.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y62pg1hO4Gg/VpVpc7oxEII/AAAAAAAAAmY/wpLocjbHFwE/s320/Nascar%2Bwindmills%2BFinal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing the trail. What could go wrong?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For many, safety is the number one concern. According to Michael Gaither, “um, I really don’t want to be run over by a car again. I don’t even want to be almost run over. In fact, I kind of go hiking on trails specifically so I won’t be nearly run over by cars."<br />
<br />
But is that a good enough reason to limit access? Not for Jimmie Johnson fan Harold Frederick, as long as the drivers’ intentions are good. “Drivers NEED to be conscientious, but 'nearly's' and 'almosts' are no reason to prohibit stockcars anywhere. We'll wager that not one driver has tried to startle, scare or injure other trail users.* In any case, 2015 NASCAR rules required a horsepower reduction from 850 to 725 AND a smaller spoiler. Which means that if you do get hit by a car, it’ll be going 3-4mph slower than it would have under the old rules. So stop being whiners.” <br />
<br />
For others, even with those changes, the trail is simply not the place for racing. “No one is being excluded from enjoying the trail,” says Kolby “Condor” Kirk. “NASCAR enthusiasts are free to enjoy the trail, as long as they leave their cars at home. Or at the trailhead. Whatever. But the fact that it’s public land simply does not mean that everyone gets to do whatever they want on it.”<br />
<br />
Gregory “Dartman” Schley agrees. “I used to think that tax-payer funding meant that I was allowed to do whatever I wanted to on public land. But from personal experience I can tell you that’s not the case. Or at least the Secret Service violently disagreed with my viewpoint when I went nude sunbathing in the White House Rose Garden. Honestly, the only good thing about that was that the strip search went pretty fast.”<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-buFWPl81FY4/VpVqI9Pge6I/AAAAAAAAAmg/MABKUUiPG4o/s1600/Nascar%2BEmigrant%2BPass%2BFinal.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-buFWPl81FY4/VpVqI9Pge6I/AAAAAAAAAmg/MABKUUiPG4o/s320/Nascar%2BEmigrant%2BPass%2BFinal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This slope may or may not be slippery.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Brian “Too Obtuse” Kelly is worried about the potential slippery slope. “One concern is that once you accept the proposition that every public space is open to any use, the same argument can be used to justify any activity -- hang gliding, snowmobiling, motocross, accordion playing. Stockcar racers don’t seem to recognize that. Another concern is that, despite what they say, NASCAR fans won’t be satisfied with limited access to certain parts of the trail. Which means that eventually even Wilderness areas will be overrun with racecars. <br />
<br />
Not true, says Greg Biffle fan Shelly Skye. “Listen, nobody wants accordion players on the PCT. Some people may think that our argument would open the floodgates to other uses, but in the fantasy world we live in nobody but us wants to do whatever they want wherever they want. And should we be wrong about that, we’ll dramatically rethink our 'Share The Trail' philosophy.” <br />
<br />
“As for complete access, we don't seek access to every mile of every trail at all times. What we'll seek is reasonable access. That means in crowded areas we'd work with local land managers and other trail users to allow stockcars only on certain days of the week or even separate trails in some places. And we have no plans to expand our access into Wilderness areas.”* <br />
<br />
When asked if that entire last paragraph was a bald-faced lie, Skye said "absolutely."<br />
<br />
"Does anyone really think that we’ll be satisfied once we get SOME access? Have those people ever read <i>If You Give A Mouse A Cookie</i>? Six year olds know that’s not how human nature works. Good lord. Grow up.”<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K88fcHAKD9o/VpVqzQfHJ7I/AAAAAAAAAms/lxObZaefwR8/s1600/Nascar%2BTinker%2BKnob%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K88fcHAKD9o/VpVqzQfHJ7I/AAAAAAAAAms/lxObZaefwR8/s320/Nascar%2BTinker%2BKnob%2BFinal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NASCAR fans are fired up about PCT access.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It’s hard to say how or if this debate will end, or even whether or not I just made it all up. But for now, trail managers seem to be taking a respectful yet firm stance: <br />
<br />
“In tandem with our primary partner in the management of the PCT – the US Forest Service – we are committed to working within the Partnership for the National Trails System on developing a meaningful dialogue around the NASCAR issue. We feel it’s imperative that this conversation be civil, thoughtful and deliberate. But ultimately, who are we kidding? It’ll happen over our dead bodies.”<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tbwproductions.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TBW PRODUCTIONS</b></span></a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>TBW YOUTUBE CHANNEL</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW INSTAGRAM</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></div>
<br />
<i><b>*Note: all quotes with asterisks are real, as are the quotes in the social media images -- they just come from a non-NASCAR version of "Share The Trail" proponents. The quotes are real but the names are fake, and I have substituted in the appropriate NASCAR-related words.<br />
<br />
Thank you to all of the folks who allowed me to attach their names to quotes for this article!</b></i>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-88946181556821312742015-12-30T12:47:00.003-05:002021-08-05T17:13:55.464-04:00Night Hiking To Mars Best Of 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UnvBgj4zR_U/VgxP9vYGzEI/AAAAAAAAAgs/OxUwCvmHTGA/s1600/Jester%2Barticle%2BBunny%2BEars.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UnvBgj4zR_U/VgxP9vYGzEI/AAAAAAAAAgs/OxUwCvmHTGA/s320/Jester%2Barticle%2BBunny%2BEars.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
It has recently become apparent to us here at Night Hiking To Mars that just about every other hiking and outdoor online “news source” puts out a year-end “Best Of” article. <br />
<br />
We now think that we’ve done a disservice to the eight people who read this blog by not having our own annual swaggering, self-high-fiving post, considering that we’ve been putting out what is arguably the best online source for outdoor news that probably hasn’t actually happened.<br />
<br />
In addition, it occurs to us that an article about our best articles not only requires almost no work on our part, but also allows us to celebrate ourselves in a way that might otherwise come across as unseemly braggadocio. <br />
<br />
Some might say that maybe we should leave it to others to judge the quality and impact of what we’ve written. But can we really trust other people to have good taste? To be discerning? To use the royal “we” when referring to the one person who writes these articles? In this day and age, we say no.<br />
<br />
And even if others were capable of all of that, would they highlight the fact that the article appeared in <b>Night Hiking To Mars</b>? Would they make it clear that the <b>Night Hiking To Mars</b> Blog is always the most important part of the story? Considering how infrequently anyone gives us credit on Instagram, Facebook, or the internet generally for the naked photos of us running amuck in a Jiffy Lube, we again say no.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hFCmpIfxfkc/VL_OAVfFJtI/AAAAAAAAAZg/n8DMRtuCL_I/s1600/Couch%2BAt%2BScissors%253ASugarpine%2526Lingo%253AChelseaWhite.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hFCmpIfxfkc/VL_OAVfFJtI/AAAAAAAAAZg/n8DMRtuCL_I/s1600/Couch%2BAt%2BScissors%253ASugarpine%2526Lingo%253AChelseaWhite.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><br />
So treat yourself.<br />
Sit back, grab a drink, and bask in the awesomeness that was Night Hiking To Mars in 2015 (oh, and make sure to click on all of the links, thus increasing our page views without us really doing anything new at all). Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hFCmpIfxfkc/VL_OAVfFJtI/AAAAAAAAAZg/n8DMRtuCL_I/s1600/Couch%2BAt%2BScissors%253ASugarpine%2526Lingo%253AChelseaWhite.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hFCmpIfxfkc/VL_OAVfFJtI/AAAAAAAAAZg/n8DMRtuCL_I/s200/Couch%2BAt%2BScissors%253ASugarpine%2526Lingo%253AChelseaWhite.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/01/wild-debates-about-pct-overcrowding.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">#5 “Wild” Debates About PCT Overcrowding (Parts One And Two)</span></a><br />
Unique for being a three-part series with only two parts, “Wild” Debates About PCT Overcrowding looked at concerns created by a combination of the release of the movie Wild and people sitting around all winter with nothing better to worry about. <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/01/wild-debates-about-pct-overcrowding.html" target="_blank">Part One </a>focused on people carrying furniture with them while thru-hiking. <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/02/wild-debates-about-pct-overcrowding.html" target="_blank">Part Two</a> involved caches of office supplies littering the trail. Neither one of these concerns seems to have had an actual impact on the trail last season, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t time to panic.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fuUipAK5j6Q/VPyznGEjVXI/AAAAAAAAAbY/9RmzXhkVUw0/s1600/AT97%2BSnowy%2BShelter.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fuUipAK5j6Q/VPyznGEjVXI/AAAAAAAAAbY/9RmzXhkVUw0/s200/AT97%2BSnowy%2BShelter.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/03/appalachian-trail-sheltered-life.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">#4 Appalachian Trail: The Sheltered Life</span></a><br />
A Guide to sharing space, time, and mice at Appalachian Trail shelters that can best be summed up <br />
by the following: practice LNT, try not to be annoying, bring
earplugs. But there’s more in there, so you should definitely read it
-- otherwise, you’ll be unaware of the circumstances under which other
hikers might try to eat your dog.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eHA6MrcCh18/VgCE60zjkqI/AAAAAAAAAfI/zmPGu9aVeTM/s1600/Wet%2BBear%2BFinal.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eHA6MrcCh18/VgCE60zjkqI/AAAAAAAAAfI/zmPGu9aVeTM/s200/Wet%2BBear%2BFinal.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/09/bear-selfie-issue-spreads-to.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">#3 "Bear Selfie" Issue Spreads To The Continental Divide Trail</span></a><br />
Bear Selfies are viewed as an increasing problem by land managers worried about the potential for attacks. This article examines the phenomenon, looks at why Forest Service warnings aren’t working, and asks the question, “where are these bears getting selfie sticks?”<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w1MDT0UN9rY/VnjlzXMBchI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/mEpSFsidd3g/s1600/Twiple%2BCrown%2BHat.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w1MDT0UN9rY/VnjlzXMBchI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/mEpSFsidd3g/s200/Twiple%2BCrown%2BHat.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/12/hiker-claims-fastest-known-time-for.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">#2 Hiker Claims Fastest Known Time For "Twiple Crown"</span></a><br />
Night Hiking To Mars interviews the new Fastest Known Time holder of what is arguably the most prestigious speed record for hiking trail widths in the country.<br />
Which is definitely a thing and not something we just made up.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UxF-M8z0DAY/VoQVQugkbSI/AAAAAAAAAlY/7epm-Od6aic/s1600/Small%2BProfile%2BPic%2BSquare.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UxF-M8z0DAY/VoQVQugkbSI/AAAAAAAAAlY/7epm-Od6aic/s200/Small%2BProfile%2BPic%2BSquare.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/12/night-hiking-to-mars-best-of-2015.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">#1 Night Hiking To Mars Best of 2015</span></a><br />
The top spot, as you can imagine, is held by the article about the top articles of 2015. How could it not be? It’s literally an article about the best articles. Sure, the Apple Cake one was useful, and the calendar one was kind of clever, and the A.T. Training one recommended eating Gold Bond, which is probably legally actionable. <br />
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But this is the “Best Of” Article. By its very nature it <i>has</i> to be the best. You should click on the link and read it again, and then again, and then again. And we’d say that you should really go on and do this endlessly, like you’re trapped in an M.C. Escher painting or an online argument about tents vs. hammocks, except that you should at least pause and share this article with your friends. Because, as we think we’ve already mentioned, it’s the best. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Note: Thanks to everyone who helped with the articles this year! More to come in 2016!</span></span></i><br />
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<br />Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5740385784367771140.post-16452616016327915672015-12-22T10:18:00.003-05:002020-10-18T18:34:24.851-04:00Hiker Claims Fastest Known Time For "Twiple Crown"<br />
Shane “Jester” O’Donnell has hiked the AT (twice), LT, PCT, JMT, and CDT. He’s a co-holder of the record for highest altitude Twister game, and was recently voted the AT Class of 2015’s “Most Likely To Be Wearing A Completely Different Outfit The Next Time You See Him” AND “Most Likely To Tell You How Seriously, Seriously Awesome He Is. No, Seriously.” Recently, he claimed a Fastest Known Time (FKT) for what he calls “The Twiple Crown.” <b>Night Hiking To Mars</b> recently sat down with Jester for an interview about his latest record setting feat.<div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ax77VYOaS_M/VnjllYGARBI/AAAAAAAAAjA/zp0m94ZKKls/s1600/Twiple%2BCrown%2BCompletion.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ax77VYOaS_M/VnjllYGARBI/AAAAAAAAAjA/zp0m94ZKKls/s320/Twiple%2BCrown%2BCompletion.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jester completing the Twiple Crown<b><br /></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>NHTM: Welcome!</b><br />
Jester: Thanks! Great to be here! <br />
<b>NHTM: First of all, tell us . . .</b><br />
Jester: No snacks?<br />
<b>NHTM: What? </b><br />
Jester: There aren’t any snacks? At all? <br />
<b>NHTM: No.</b><br />
Jester: Bummer. I sort of assumed there’d be snacks.<br />
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<b>NHTM: Right. Well, first of all, tell us about “The Twiple Crown.”</b><br />
Jester: Sure. “The Twiple Crown” involves hiking the entire widths of the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. There are a couple of hundred people who have hiked the entire lengths of these trails, but not nearly as many who have hiked the widths. And in my case, I did it in record time.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eym5Fo9bE-E/VnjmJVNaBKI/AAAAAAAAAjY/szW-miDZehY/s1600/Twiple%2BCrown%2BPCT%2Bbreak.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eym5Fo9bE-E/VnjmJVNaBKI/AAAAAAAAAjY/szW-miDZehY/s320/Twiple%2BCrown%2BPCT%2Bbreak.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a brief nap after crossing the PCT</td></tr>
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<b>NHTM: Tell us more about that record attempt. </b><br />
Jester: Right, well, my speed record attempt for the Twiple Crown started at the Anderson’s house in Green Valley on December 7th. I left late in the morning and got to the trail crossing at San Francisquito Canyon Road at 11am, where I walked the width of the PCT. By the next morning I was in Lordsburg, New Mexico and walked across the CDT near the fireworks place. From there it was a little more than 1800 miles to the AT crossing at I-40, where I got off the highway, walked the width of the AT, and then went to Standing Bear Farm and had a beer with Baltimore Jack. Total time: 3 days, 6 hours, 35 minutes. Not including the beer part.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7l4Y4lSA7Uc/Vnjsvkl3G-I/AAAAAAAAAks/OgbFiCAqnPI/s1600/Twiple%2BCrown%2BCDT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7l4Y4lSA7Uc/Vnjsvkl3G-I/AAAAAAAAAks/OgbFiCAqnPI/s320/Twiple%2BCrown%2BCDT.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the CDT in Lordsburg, NM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>NHTM: We contacted Jackie “Yogi” McDonnell, a Triple Crowner and the author of <a href="http://www.yogisbooks.com/" target="_blank">guidebooks for the PCT, CDT, and Colorado Trail</a>, and asked her about the Twiple Crown. Her response was, and I quote, “That is absolutely not a thing. At all.” What do you have to say to that?</b><br />
Jester: Well I’ve got this hat that says it’s a thing. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w1MDT0UN9rY/VnjlzXMBchI/AAAAAAAAAjM/Uy9GlGfv1B4/s1600/Twiple%2BCrown%2BHat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w1MDT0UN9rY/VnjlzXMBchI/AAAAAAAAAjM/Uy9GlGfv1B4/s320/Twiple%2BCrown%2BHat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>NHTM: That’s a Triple Crown hat with a “W” written on a piece of duct tape covering the “R” in "Triple."</b><br />
Jester: Look, let’s not get into what the hat is or isn’t. The point isn't the hat. The point is, there are people who stick to walking the lengths of established trails, and hey -- that’s great. But for some of us, we’re pushing boundaries. Creating new experiences. I mean, was High-Altitude Twister “a thing” before I set the record for that? Of course not. But now it is.<br />
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<b>NHTM: We asked Yogi about High-Altitude Twister, too. She said, “also not a thing.”</b><br />
Jester: Well, I think that just proves my point. Some people stick to the adventures people have already done. I attempt the adventures that nobody’s even thought of because they don’t make any sense. I’m like Andrew Skurka, but without the National Geographic article, attention span, or fitness level.</div><div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgF3IAdCn3o/VnjsbpUTVGI/AAAAAAAAAkg/EfSvSNd8N5k/s1600/High%2BAltitude%2BTwister.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgF3IAdCn3o/VnjsbpUTVGI/AAAAAAAAAkg/EfSvSNd8N5k/s320/High%2BAltitude%2BTwister.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High Altitude Twister may or may not be a thing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>NHTM: Speaking of fitness, how did you train for the attempt? </b><br />
Jester: I’m pretty well known for <a href="http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com/2015/01/appalachian-trail-thru-hike-situational.html" target="_blank">not doing any physical training at all</a>, but since this was for a record I had to hit the ground running. So I decided to prepare for this attempt by thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, which kind of turned out to be overkill since the Twiple Crown involves about six feet of walking.<br />
<br /><b>NHTM: And you met <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TrainWithAnish/" target="_blank">Heather “Anish” Anderson</a> while you were on your thru-hike. </b><br />
Jester: I did! It was just south of Pinkham Notch. When I told her about my plan to set a record for the Twiple Crown she said, “that’s so dumb it’s amazing.” And I have to tell you, to have a hiker of Anish’s caliber tell you that something you’re planning is amazing is just incredible. It’s really inspiring and motivating.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZqXrE4J5Ns/VnjocSk3NKI/AAAAAAAAAkU/jQnGLqZ-ff4/s1600/Jester%2B%2526%2BAnish.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZqXrE4J5Ns/VnjocSk3NKI/AAAAAAAAAkU/jQnGLqZ-ff4/s320/Jester%2B%2526%2BAnish.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Training <strike>with</strike> near Anish.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>NHTM: What were the keys to your success on this attempt?</b><br />
Jester: Planning. Gas money. My focus. Definitely my focus . . . hey, are those snacks? <br />
<b>NHTM: No, that’s a bowl of fake fruit. </b><br />
Jester: Wow. They look totally real.</div><div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e2ufxMs4e1Y/VnjtXUBPchI/AAAAAAAAAlE/A1-Tc8iptnA/s1600/Ranger.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e2ufxMs4e1Y/VnjtXUBPchI/AAAAAAAAAlE/A1-Tc8iptnA/s320/Ranger.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very old thing. In front of a dinosaur.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>NHTM: You were saying, about your focus . . .</b><br />
Jester: Right! The Focus. Only it’s not a Focus. It’s a Ranger, a 1992 Ford Ranger, and with over 256,000 on the odometer it has almost as many miles as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thehikinglife/" target="_blank">Cam “Swami” Honan</a>. I definitely couldn’t have done this without my truck. I’d also like to thank my sponsors, all of whom asked not to be named.<br />
<b>NHTM: Because? </b><br />
Jester: Something about “not wanting to be associated with this record.”<br />
<br />
<b>NHTM: Understandable. Do you think anyone can break it? </b><br />
Jester: Sure. It's probably easier East to West because of the time changes. And staying on I-40 the entire time and hiking the width of the CDT in Grants would probably cut off some time. But I think you're asking, "can anyone break it?" when the better question is, “why would anyone want to?” <br />
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<b>NHTM: True, true. People who attempt speed records say it can be an emotional rollercoaster. Did you feel like that? </b><br />
Jester: Only a couple of times. In Texas I had a brief moment of terror when I thought a semi was coming right for me, but it turned out to be a truck towing another truck backwards. I hate that. And the night before I finished I was sleeping in my truck fifty miles west of Memphis and thought, “I’m in a country song right now,” which as you can imagine is depressing. But in the morning I got up, took my pants off, and got back on the road. 504 miles of driving and two feet of walking later and I had the record. It was exhilarating.</div><div> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kALrU88gauI/Vnjm66jLsZI/AAAAAAAAAjw/btv4dz0WA1E/s1600/Twiple%2BCrown%2Bmoment%2Bof%2Bterror.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kALrU88gauI/Vnjm66jLsZI/AAAAAAAAAjw/btv4dz0WA1E/s320/Twiple%2BCrown%2Bmoment%2Bof%2Bterror.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A brief moment of terror</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>NHTM: It must have been. What are you going to do next? </b><br />
Jester: Well, considering the snack situation around here I’m definitely going to have lunch.<br />
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<b>NHTM: But after that? Any plans? </b><br />
Jester: Not sure. I heard a rumor that the Appalachian Trail is going to be 0.1 miles shorter in 2016, which might give me just the edge I need to beat Anish’s Self-Supported Record. So maybe that. Hard to say. But whatever it is, it’ll be seriously, seriously awesome.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PQpJxsTmFrY/Vnjnj6ese0I/AAAAAAAAAkI/N0cFGhsE0-c/s1600/Twiple%2BCrown%2BTime.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PQpJxsTmFrY/Vnjnj6ese0I/AAAAAAAAAkI/N0cFGhsE0-c/w400-h160/Twiple%2BCrown%2BTime.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FKT For The Twiple Crown!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i><div><i>Note: After this interview we contacted Heather “Anish” Anderson about the possibility of Jester beating her record. Her response was, “He said that? Really? HahahAhaHaHahAhaHAhaha! Oh God! HAhaHahAhaHAhahaHAHA! Oh, man. Heeheehee. That made my day. Wow.” </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.tbwproductions.com" target="_blank">TBW Productions</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TBWProductions" target="_blank">TBW Productions YouTube</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbwproductions/" target="_blank">TBW Instagram</a></b></span></div></div>Jesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14234176344914523057noreply@blogger.com18