M13 Finish and M12 start

​Had a rough go at some points, but got it done. Just one overnight, and tested the hammock, underquilt, hydration system, and how do the boots do going downhill and on road walks? All answers were as expected. Bug net for my head was a lifesaver a couple times. Bugs weren't bad, but they were persistent - I think I only got stung / bitten twice. Also glad to have brought the bright orange buff as there was some high caliber / shotgun fire near the trail register at the Birdseye Hollow area. Not that the orange prevented anything necessarily, but at least I had it. My gloves were more of a pain than usual and my hands were sweaty as heck / clammy while trying to sleep. I want the gloves to protect my hands, but also wanted to take pictures and verify location so I kept pulling out my phone. Maybe cut a hole in the index finger to make the whole setup a tad easier? Once it started raining I didn't even use the gloves. Rain setup was confirmed - poncho and gaiters were sufficient. Granted, the rain was light. But I was so sweaty underneath that it really didn't matter. Had I been going longer it would have been more important to keep the body temp up, but since it was only the last hour or two, I could have just left it in my pocket.

• Body is still capable, but sore today. Lost 4 pounds - can I keep up the activity to get into better shape???
• Almost tricked myself mentally into night hiking on the road because I was worried about water, but I stayed sane and stuck to the original plan. That was best. 
• READ NOTES on the back of the map - I walked right past a pristine source in someones yard because I wasn't paying attention and didn't read the details. 
• Hydration pump of the MSR Miniworks is still the king - wouldn't change it for any of my other options. Should have brought more purification pills, though. And more than 1L of extra water since the tablets take 4 hours to work. Also worried about purifying water instead of just filtering - why?
• Hammock & underquilt were fine - I was mostly too hot at night tbh.
• Boots were fine on the roads. Toes rubbed on the downhill so might look at using liners or thinner socks next time.

Things I learned this trip:

1. Actually SIT in the hammock and test setup before night time. I chose a small tree and although it didn't break, it bent enough that I was on the ground as soon as I got it. Fortunately there was an alternate not too far away, but it was night time and I didn't want to do too much adjusting so I ended up with a ridgeline so tight you would walk on it. But everything held for a good nights sleep. I did lose one tent stake, though.
2. Plastic / wooden spoons won't burn your mouth.
3. A chair / stool is a good idea, even if there's a lean-to because you can sit off the floor in the rain.
4. Poop before it rains!
5. Always bring some form of soap! My hands were sticky, even after I used a shower wipe and it made sleep annoying for a while. Also good to have so you can clean up before getting into the car.
6. Speaking of the car, just put dry clothes and a large garbage bag aside for whoever picks you up. Then you don't have to carry them and you won't get their car all gross.
7. Bring deo or something to prevent underarm chafing. Not a problem this time, but good reminder.
8. Lastly, check water sources before hiking! Was going to refill at Birdseye Hollow park, but there was enough of an algae bloom that I chose against it. Fortunately there was another water source on the route, but I definitely got lucky.

Changes to original plan:

1. Brought a 1L bottle of water as backup to my 2L bladder. It was a LITTLE close, but overall I was fine. If I'm going to have a 2L bladder, I should have a 2L backup. The purification tablets take 4 hours which is about how long it takes me to go through 2L.
2. Didn't bring many extra clothes, but STUPIDLY work cotton t-shirt and shorts. Sweat just would not stop running.
3. Don't forget to wring out your sweat cloth.
4. Water is often not easy to get to and very likely you will get wet / muddy trying to gather some for you to filter. The long hose on the miniworks was awesome - maybe get a longer one!
5. REALLY too close on food. The one Green Belly I brought was eaten around 2pm on Sunday. Then I was down to 2 dehydrated meals. Turned out fine, but having ZERO food for snacking on the trail was moronic.

FLT Multi-day hike: 31.46 Miles

Hiked Thursday night to Moss Hill Lean-to. That was a bit more tense than I was expecting - got dark and there were 2 problems: I lost the white blazes twice and the battery on the headlight was draining - I'd forgotten how to lower the lumens output. But in the end I made it to the lean-to. And when I got there I saw a couple eyes staring at me. Not big enough to be a bear, but not a tiny rodent either. Maybe it was a fox? I found in the morning that whoever had been there prior threw their food garbage into the fire pit. The last couple miles of hiking I was certain I'd forgotten the tent stakes but was SOOOO glad that they were in the tent bag when I arrived. 

Gear List Here

Also glad I used the skinny titanium set as they fit in the grooves between the floor boards. I set up the tent in the lean-to, I know I'm not supposed to, but I wanted another lay of protection from rodents & scavengers. I hears something run on the shelf in the lean-to and it knocked some acorns and screws onto the floor.

Full day 1 started well, though I could have started sooner. Love this picture below - how often have I seen those large green areas in the hills while driving and wondered what it's like up there? Now I know! Awesome view and a cool memory. There's a lake in the distance - Lamoka, I think.

I did my best to control my pace as I knew I was in for a really long day, and I was very cognizant of water availability. Unfortunately, for the last 5 miles or so, I totally didn't take a break or much of a drink and I certainly overdid it and I really felt it when I arrived at Sugar Hill - the red cheeks, the overheated head. On the bright side, since I hiked too quickly, I got there earlier than expected and had extra time to relax and recover. I napped for an hour after set-up. Eventually I made dinner, popped my 2 small blisters, and just relaxed some more. It was a very windy night and there was some rain, but the MEIR tent held up well, though I definitely wouldn't consider it a full 2-person tent at only 43 inches wide. It will be okay for the boys for a couple years, though. I was so comfortable on just the Z Lite I considered sleeping on just that, but inflated the NEMO Astrolite anyway. It wasn't a good night sleep or very restful. Again, I think that's because I overdid it. I did discover just how comfortable the Adaptor Liner is, though - I should grab another couple of those. It was pretty important,too, as I had developed some chafing and needed to remove the clothes to let everything dry out. It was basically perfect. The 30 deg quilt was a bit much, but at least I wasn't cold.

Saturday ended up being the final day. The blisters had been addressed, but somewhere during the hike my socks got wet inside my shoes. The Leuko tape stayed on to cover the blisters, but the bottom of my right foot was really getting sore. And there was a TON of downhill which created the blisters in the first place. I definitely COULD have continued, but I completed 2 of my 3 goals: 

1. go on a solo hike and not die
2. complete the previously abandoned attempt from Sugar Hill to Watkins Glen
3. complete M14 map of the FLT

If I had made it another 4 miles to Burdett I would have completed the M14 map, but there was no place to camp so I'd have to return to Wakins or continue for another 2 or 3 miles. It just didn't seem like the smart thing to do. Given how much I ate, drank, and slept and how slowly I moved Sunday, it was the right call. I made it through Julie's Crossing with no problem as the trail was well beaten. There was a lot more to the WG park then I knew and it was really cool to see. I didn't see anyone else on the trail until I got to the state park. It was cool to be solo, especially as I consciously lowered my pace and stayed as slow as I could and take breaks (or not) as I wanted. But next time a partner might also be fun.

    

In total I was out from 5:30pm Thursday - 5pm Saturday. It was a solid test of my ability - mental & physical - as well as my gear. The Gregory Zulu pack was comfortable 99% of the time, the tent was  solid during the extreme wind and roomy, the food was good and the cookset worked well, and the sleep system continues to improve. I can't think of much I'd do differently given the setup I had - aside from not carry extra water on Friday, take a set of flip-flops next time, and get some lighter items (already ordered a new 1.5lb tent). Still on the fence about the nalgene bottle. It was good when I wanted to roll out my calves, but it is definitely heavy.

***** NEED AQUA MIRA NEXT TIME AS BACKUP *****

I do need to stretch a lot more next time. It's 2 days later and my hamstrings are still tight despite my Yoga in the morning & stretching during the day.

NCT / FLT Weekend

Lots of hiking this weekend. Used a daypack on Saturday and drank all 3L of water. My Pesto Chicken & Pesto MRE was actually good. The cherry cobbler was okay. I started at the Sugar Hill Fire Tower and made it just past Julie's Crossing down near the Watkins Glen State Park.

First I went from Sugar Hill towards Watkins Glen...


Then I stopped for a break and had a Chicken Pesto Pasta MRE. Also had the cherry cobbler. The oatmeal cookie & breadsticks were gross, though.

In the morning I finished the rest of the trail from Sugar Hill to FLT map M14 access point #1. The scrambled eggs tasted okay, but man, they sure didn't come out well.


Finally I walked around some of the gorge and found the point where the FLT intersects with route 329.


My R knee was swollen before I started and this didn't help it much. On the brighter side, I made it. I wore a knee brace and it wasn't that hard but there were a few times when I had to take it really easy. The trail was well marked - didn't really need the map but it was great for swatting bugs away from my ears.  The hardest part was Julie's Crossing as the trail was obscured. On the way back I actually went in circles once before finding it. There were also some parts east of Vanzandt Hollow Road that needed to be adjusted where it fell off the cliff due to erosion.

At night I had a nice set up with a hammock and a rain fly. It was good at first, but then it got wicked windy and rainy - I had to get up a few times to resecure the stakes and tighten the string. I tossed and turned a bit, but was still more comfortable than in a tent. I wasn't sleeping that well, but I was resting okay starting at 9pm.

Then a group of people came in around 10 and decided to start setting up camp. They didn't shut up until 4am. Eventually I even got some water in my hammock somehow and ended up going into the car at 5am. I then slept until 9:30.

So as of the weekend (20.61 miles) I now have 23.29 miles towards the challenge - almost halfway towards the 50, so now I think I can seriously look towards the 100 challenge.