Backpacking and Hiking
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My Backpacking Dream use to be...
For as long as I can remember until about 10 years ago, my biggest dream was to walk the Appalachian Trail. My inspiration for this dream was a book I read over and over again called, As Far As the Eyes Can See. Not only did I find this book to be a great written book, but the author has a way to make you feel some of his experiences that he had while hiking.
I am going to share some of the most wonderful times I have had preparing for this dream, and the journeys I have had on some of my day-hikes and a backpacking trip where the whole group got lost!
To me Backpacking is a true way to get in touch with the Earths Energy. Many people I have spoken too always explains that backpacking is a source of meditation to them. I can understand that until my back begins to hurt from my backpack when I am carrying 35-45 lbs.
Walking in Nature and only hearing the sounds of Nature at her best is truly a blessed gift. For me listening to Nature is heaing the Earths Song I hope that this lens will encourage you to read "As Far As The Eyes Can See" if you love nature, you will love this book! This I can promise you.
I am going to share some of the most wonderful times I have had preparing for this dream, and the journeys I have had on some of my day-hikes and a backpacking trip where the whole group got lost!
To me Backpacking is a true way to get in touch with the Earths Energy. Many people I have spoken too always explains that backpacking is a source of meditation to them. I can understand that until my back begins to hurt from my backpack when I am carrying 35-45 lbs.
Walking in Nature and only hearing the sounds of Nature at her best is truly a blessed gift. For me listening to Nature is heaing the Earths Song I hope that this lens will encourage you to read "As Far As The Eyes Can See" if you love nature, you will love this book! This I can promise you.
As Far As The Eyes Can See
As Far as the Eye Can See
Amazon Price: $8.83 (as of 05/27/2012)
List Price: $12.95
This is the book I mention in my opening. After reading this book, my interest in walking the AT had heightened so much. David keeps a journal of his journey and while reading the entries, his way of writing made you feel like you were experiencing it him. There were times while I was reading it, I could actually smell the air as he was walking.
I highly, strongly recommend this book to read!!
My Inspiration
As Far As the Eyes Can See was written by: David Brill In 1979 David hiked from Georgia to Maine- which is known as the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail is a 2,000 mile very intense hike. And I wanted to hike it with every breath I had.That was back in the early 90's. I began a training routine to get better familiar with the backpacking tactics. I read survival books, trail books; first aide books anything and everything that could prepare me for this journey.
A friend of mine purchased us an Appalachian Trail patch for our backpacks. The Golden Rule was you were not allowed to display it on your pack unless you have already begun to hike the trail or had walked a part of the trail. So I kept my patch safe in my copy of As Far As the Eyes Can See as a gentle reminder what I was preparing for.
My dream for walking the Appalachian Trail will always be with me, but the desire to walk the trail today at the wonderful age of 50, is not as strong as it once was. That by no means is putting any negativity out there, in my case, I seriously doubt I would walk the trail today because life is different than it was 10, 15, 20, years ago.
During the time I was preparing though, I did some wonderful hikes and had a great collection of patches on my backpack. I will be sharing some of my journal entries of those hikes.
I want to try and fill this lens with as much useful information as I possibly can, because after you read the book I have mentioned several times, you will diffidently be inspired to do some kind of hiking and maybe even perhaps the big A-T!
For additional information you can write to: Appalachian Trail Conference, P.O. Box 807, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425, USA; or call them at (304) 535-6331
Great Stuff on Amazon
Appalachian Trail Map
What do you carry in a Day-BackPack?
Day Hikes are usually short trails that can be walked in a few hours. Backpacking trips are longer trails you will walk and most of the time it will be an over nighter. Regardless of which one you are doing The Rule Is PACK LIGHT!You still need to carry a Day-BackPack so you will have items easy at hand when you need them. This list is what I use to carry in my day backpack as did others who hiked with me.
1. A small Journal & Pen to write about your experince when resting.
2. Small First Aide Kit, you can either make your own or purchase a very inexpensive one.
3. Compass
4. EXTRA HIKING SOCKS
5. water, food
6. Extra T-Shirt
7. ALWAYS A MAP
8. A small flash light
9. Utility Knife (I personally have the Backpackers one by Swiss Army Knife)Swiss Knife Shop
Once you begin to read books on this, you will come up with your own list. I choose these items and slowly added to them from the experiences we had on our hikes. In the first aide kit, I ended up putting an ace bandage in there because on one of our hikes someone stepped on a rooted trail wrong and twisted their foot.
One of the most important things to remember is this: Everything you pack in your backpack is additional weight you will be carrying on your back during the hike. So keep it light and trust me, EVERYTHING counts!
Here are a few of my own journal entries from hiking trips
April 25, 1993 (Sunday-Sunny, low 70's)Cook's Trail
Solitude: The quality or state of being alone or remote from society.
We took our first hiking trip today. The trail is 4.1 miles and there is a party of 5 of us. We did not start the hike until late morning and finished by mid afternoon. The trail was pretty smooth except for some extremely muddy areas. There was a lot of animal tracks mainly deer and raccoon, we did spot a snake.
The hike was very interesting and a good beginners trail. The trail meanders through towering hardwoods and bends its way around beaver swamps on its journey through the piedmont floodplain area. We ate our lunch by the creek just taking in all of the beauty that was surrounding us.
I asked everyone what the highlight of the hike was for them so far, the replies were all basically the same, each person loved being in Nature and feeling the solitude around them. To me, I loved the feeling of the solitude and the comfort I felt just being in Nature.
May 01, 1993 (Saturday-Partly Sunny-mid 70's)
Deep Creek Trail-Indian Creek Falls
Tranquility: The quality or state of being tranquil; free from agitation of mind and spirit
Today we took our 2nd hiking trip today. We previously went to Cherokee, North Carolina and got some maps of different trails and I found this trail in that information.
There was suppose to be a group of five of us but it ended up only being three. The trail was located at the Deep Creek Campground, above Bryson City, NC. It was suppose to be a two mile round trip. The description said it was a beautiful walk and the falls were breath-taking! It was suppose to also be classified as an easy trail.
The trail was lined with a creek and as you walked you could hear the sound of rustling waters. The trip had a few highlights: We never really knew where we were going because it was not marked very well. It was a steady uphill climb and every few minutes we would say, we are almost there. We met up with another couple who had been walking from the direction we were going, and they stopped us to ask if the entrance was close by. They explained that they had been walking for 5 hours, and we had been walking 2 ½ hours from our direction and all we could do was look at each other. We told them we had been walking about 2 ½ hours and they went on to tell us the view was beautiful once you get there! The sky was becoming cloudy and it was already 3 PM in the afternoon, so we decided to turn around. We walked for a little while then decided to stop and eat lunch.
The best part of that hike was listening to water in the quietness of the wilderness. Everyone agreed that this trail is not the best hike for beginners, but it was one of the most beautiful walks, it actually made you feel in a total tranquility state, being totally isolated from the outside world!
Hiking Trails in the Southern Region
True Story...
Standing Indian Mountain Hiking Trip
A large group of us had planned on doing an over night hike to a beautiful spot called Standing Indian Mountain. It was suppose to be a 5 mile hike and many people in our group had been there before. This is a description I found on line about this hike.Standing Indian Mountain from Deep Gap - (5 mi. the Deep Gap par the Clay County line (small sign) then turn left onto FS 71, which is(5 mi. moderate, mile gravel- road ending at Deep Gap. At the gap, the Appalrt) crosses through the parking area. Go East on the AT (you pass a wilderness registration booth - if you don't, you're not on the right trail!). The trail does a long, gentle climb of the mountain for 2.5 miles, passing a trail shelter side-trail on the way. When you reach the blue-blazed Lower Ridge Trail, turn right - you are near the summit. Follow this trail to the summit with it's nice Southwesterly views. Standing Indian is the highest mountain South of the Smoky Mtns. in this area (5500 ft.)
Everybody had a backpack on that weighed approx. 35 pounds a piece. I know my pack had a light weight frame, and everything I carried was VERY light weight. Anyway, here we all are with our backpacks excited and planning the nights events. I do not remember what moon cycle we were in but we had planned on doing somekind of ceremony that night.
We walked and we walked, for I do not know how many hours. Finally, someone had asked if we were lost. Jokingly the people who had be been there before, said "Nah, we are not lost its just ahead!" So we walked some more. By this time my 35 pounds backpack felt like it weighed 135 pounds.
It was beginning to get dark, everybodies energy was completely gone, moods were getting pretty edgy so we found an area that looked half way safe, and we set up camp! Everybody remained pretty silent the rest of the evening.
The next morning, half of the group decided to hike on to Standing Indian Mountain and the other half decided to turn around and hike back out. I was one of the people who turned around and hiked back out.
What happened was, we just simply took a wrong turn. When you are hiking like that in the middle of nowhere, it is easy to make a wrong turn. That is why I said above that you always need to carry a map with you. Regardless, if every person knows the trail or not still carry a map.
The hike back out was really interesting. We kept seeing these piles of jelly looking berries on the ground, especially around our camp site. Well, guess what Bear droppings look like?
It was a very hard hike (for me), and my shoulders hurt for a while after that, but it was so beautiful, it took your breath away. Would I do it again, oh yeah, I love the solitude and the beauty along the way.
Standing Indian Mountain-Flickr Photo
One of my Favorite Quotes
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
BY: Thoreau
Walk in the Forest (c) 2009 WhiteOak
Backpacking
- Pine Grove to hold women's backpacking class
- Pine Grove Furnace State Park will hold a Women's Backpacking 101 class on June 23-24, where participants will learn the basics of backpacking and enjoy an overnight trip to Michaux State Forest, according to a release from Pine Grove.
- Competition winners fly to the Gold Coast
- The six competition winners of 'I'm A Backpacker... Get Me In Here!' have flown to the Gold Coast to compete for the title 'King or Queen of the Jungle.' The six UK backpackers, Dave Brett, Andy Gosling, Chantelle Keady, Marie McDonnell, Sadie Rose and ...
- Before backpacking be prepared
- Experts from Backpacker Magazine have some great tips. They recently did a presentation at Mast General Store in Knoxville. Sheri and Randy Propster travel across the country giving backpacking seminars. But she isn't a life long camper.
- Mountain Men: A Father-Son Backpacking Journey
- In the Appalachians of Virginia, a first father-son backpacking trip reveals panoramic vistas and glimpses of discoveries yet to come. By T. Edward Nickens/ Illustration by Brian Cronin Jack is ahead on the trail, two winter-white legs protruding from ...
Squidoo has...
some fantastic lensmasters! I think one of the best things I have found here at squidoo is when certain people leave me comments and I go to their squidoo pages and spend lots of time looking at their work!! Well, the link I am about to post happens to be one of those situations. Once I started looking at their lens, I was hooked!! I know you will be also.
Ramkitten
Hikingwriter
Walking the Appalachian Trail
- Ben Mitchell of Waynesboro is working to conquer the Appalachian Trail
- This photo of Ben Mitchell, 19, of Waynesboro was taken at a rock outcropping at McAfee's Knob just north of Roanoke, Va., while he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. By Stephanie Harbaugh Imagine still being a teenager and conquering the once in a ...
- Brothers, who put college on hold, get lesson on survival hiking Appalachian Trail
- In late February, they put their college classes on hold to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Thru-hiking ? hiking a long-distance trail beginning to end ? is popular among thousands of trekkers each year. But only one in four hikers are able to ...
- Paul Stuzman on 'Hiking Through': Finding Solace On The Appalachian Trail
- The latest addition to the recent canon of modern travel pilgrimage tales comes from Paul Stuzman, author of the recently released Hiking Through: One Man's Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail. When his wife of 36 years died of breast ...
- Vermont Briefs: Fatal crash, hiking season starts, bat fashion show
- The club also maintains the Appalachian Trail in Vermont. From Massachusetts to Killington the two trails are the same. While the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail are both open, there are numerous detours around Irene damage.
Lenses about Hiking and Walking in the Woods
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The 24-Hour Pack: Hike Smart, Be Safe
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My Own Hike
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My Own Hike
At the age of 41, after years of harboring the dre more...1 point
Book Review: A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson
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Letchworth State Park New York
This park is so beautiful. It is known as the &quo more...0 points
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The Genesee Riverway Trail runs over 16 miles of R more...0 points
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created by Evelyn_Saenz
My Soul Home is the Mountains
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away"
~Thoreau~
WhiteOak's Photography-Nature
Backpacking & Hiking
Thank you for visiting
Comments and Ratings are welcomed and appreciated
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puppyprints
Feb 29, 2012 @ 7:09 pm | delete
- I love hiking on the AT.....still holding on to the dream to do a thru-hike
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squidooGUROO
Jan 22, 2012 @ 6:08 pm | delete
- What a great lens. Please allow me to share my site with you since you are into hiking and the outdoors. Ultralight backpacking
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SaintFrantic
Oct 7, 2011 @ 8:13 am | delete
- Great Lens.I love walking in the woods.
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Tipi
May 14, 2011 @ 1:10 pm | delete
- I love back-packing and hiking in the woods. I grew up in the wilderness of northern Minnesota, and there are some things that just stick with us.
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deep cycle battery
Jan 4, 2011 @ 7:07 pm | delete
- your much welcome, thank you also for sharing the wonderful photos, at least I can imagine myself being there savoring the freshness on the air and the serenity of the ambiance
deep cycle battery
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Hiking-Hong-Kong
Jan 2, 2011 @ 9:37 am | delete
- Nice lens! A good read.
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WhiteOak50 Jan 3, 2011 @ 6:41 am | delete
- Thank you for stopping by
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lovelylashes
Nov 24, 2010 @ 9:47 am | delete
- Great lens! I've been hiking for as long as I could walk, and have been enjoying it ever since! Hoping to get a lot stronger though, as I'm usually one of the slower people on serious trails.
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- The objective of hiking (for me) is to walk with my own serenity. I walked the way it was best for me not the crowd.
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JJGJJG
Nov 22, 2010 @ 7:22 am | delete
- nice post, I am a thru hiker from way back 1985, and I saw a number of older thru hikers. They did well, physically they had to play catch up, but their success rate was pretty high. Most thru hikers get in shape while on the trail. You get good at hiking all day if you hike all day. The best attitude is just go north, and don't worry about distances. Some days I would walk like two hours, stop and catch some rays and read a book while enjoying a nice view. If you ever get the time, don't think age would be an issue.
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Ladydove62
Oct 6, 2010 @ 1:19 pm | delete
- These were delicious entries you shared with your readers. The wonderful sound of water flowing and the beauty of the trail. Just being out in nature is a grand time.
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Intuitive
Oct 2, 2010 @ 9:30 am | delete
- I have wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail too, but after hearing the stories of a friend who did it when she turned 60 I'm not sure sure anymore. The thing that got me was what it did to her feet. Maybe just a section for a day would be enough.
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- That is fantastic though that your friend was 60 and hiked the AP. I can imagine how hard it was on her feet. I have read a lot from other hikers who have hiked the AP and they basically say the same thing. Thanks for visiting..
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Meloramus
Oct 1, 2010 @ 2:46 pm | delete
- Now that's a hike! I've done nearly 50 x 5mile+ hikes in the last 3 years, but still haven't managed a long distance trail. The Appalachian needs to go on my life list now.
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- Aw, that would be a dream..
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glockr
Sep 28, 2010 @ 5:26 pm | delete
- Great lens. I don't do as much hiking as I'd like, but I enjoy it when I can.
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- Thank you so much for visiting
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capriliz
Sep 17, 2010 @ 11:00 am | delete
- Love your lens and your stories! Thanks for sharing them. We hike around this area, but I have never gone on an overnight hiking trip. Sounds like an amazing thing to do.
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- It is very amazing and different. Do you still hike?
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Twmarsh
Sep 16, 2010 @ 4:05 pm | delete
- I try to go hiking at least once or twice a year. Your tip on having extra hiking socks is a good one, i learned that lesson the hard way!
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- Me too Twmarsh! Thanks for visiting!!
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JaguarJulie Sep 11, 2010 @ 6:07 am | delete
- Oh my goodness, but this is the ticket! Kipsy, that little monster, got me started on this hiking trip -- been to Colorado, Lake Tahoe and CT and here I am now! Hope to see you too!
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- (smiles) Julie, Kipsy visited the Goth Culture this morning, right now that little monster is taking a nap, but I am sure it will love to hike with you!!
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ShamanicShift
Sep 10, 2010 @ 12:00 pm | delete
- I used to backpack around the coastal mountains of northern California. My favorite territory is Point Reyes National Seashore and thereabouts.
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- That sounds so exciting ShamanicShift. Thanks for visiting!
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ALWAYS carry extra good hiking sock with you
Thorlo Unisex Wool/Thorlon Thick Cushion Hiking Sock, Grey, Large
Amazon Price: $11.24 (as of 05/28/2012)
Wool hats will keep your head warm, therefor keeping you warmer
Isotoner Men's Solid Knit Cuff Hat,Black,One Size
Amazon Price: (as of 05/28/2012)
These look like interesting gloves
Heat Factory Women's Fold-Back Ragg Wool Gloves for use with Heat Factory Hand Warmers
Amazon Price: $12.88 (as of 05/28/2012)
