My Hiking Story

For me hiking is about unique experiences. I believe there are certain things that can’t be captured, and the only way to experience them is to place yourself right in the middle of it. And there are certain experiences that only happen for a brief moment and then it’s gone. Yes, there are times that I’m cold, tired, sore and lonely for the comforts of home, but the high points always outshine the lows.

One of the best examples happened to me while in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It was my second day into the Whites and it was a day that I had been looking forward to for some time, the hike across Franconia Ridge. This includes a 2.5 miles stretch of ridge walking above tree line, providing some of the best views in the Whites. The only problem was that it had been raining since the moment I woke up and the closer I got to the ridge, the deeper the realization became that this iconic section of the Appalachian Trail (Also referred to as the "AT") was going to be covered in cloud. As I trekked across the ridge line I simply stared down at my feet, carefully placing each step between rocks.

A foggy hike across Franconia Ridge.

It was during this section that I noticed my shadow, I had not seen it all day, and now I was staring down at it. When I looked towards the west the clouds broke apart for a moment revealing such a beautiful sight. When I saw this happening I was instantly overwhelmed with joy forgetting all of the cold rain and challenges of the day. I yelled out to the the mountains with a triumphant shout, rejoicing in the surrounding beauty! During this moment I realized it would be short lived so I scrambled for my camera to capture the last few moments of that experience.

The clouds break on Franconia revealing a great view!

The Decision
The decision for me to start hiking long distanced began in May of 2006 when I went for a 3 day hike on the Appalachian Trail. At the time I had no idea what I was doing, I had a heavy external frame pack that I had outgrown from my Boy Scout days and it was filled with a lot of unnecessary gear, including what I thought would be enough water for 3 days of hiking. I started early that first day, and by that afternoon I found myself lying on my back, worn out and almost out of water... but I was happy! I was experiencing a sense of freedom and adventure that I had never felt before! I was alone in the woods, but I had everything I needed to support myself(besides the dwindling water supply) and I loved it! When I got off the trail at Neal’s Gap I looked North up the trail and knew that I wanted to continue all the way to Maine. I wanted to continue right then and there, but it wasn’t time yet, and ever since then it has been an ongoing learning experience and adventure.
One of the things I find interesting is that everybody on the trail has a different story about how they got there, but almost everybody has the same goal. To get to Finish!

Continue reading after the break for info on planning, challenges, rewards and lessons learned!

Eating Utensils On The Trail

When I’m on the trail there is one thing that I never fail to think about. It can be a beautiful, sunny day with sweeping vistas or a cold, rainy day with thick fog and clouds obscuring everything, but there is one thought that unites them both. How much longer until a good meal? I can only eat so many granola bars before I need to sit down and eat something warm, something filling, something that benefits from the use of a utensil. And while this may seem like a easy decision, I have a few things for you to consider before heading out into the back country.

I am going to assume that you are interested in hiking lite (I’m not going to cover all of the reasons why in this post) and the best way to do that is not not carry something at all. Now I know that I started this post by saying how much I think about eating a good meal with the use of a utensil, but if you are on a short two day, one night hike and can tough it out by drinking your noodles out of the pot, then go for it!

Now for those of you who plan to take something with you, there are a few options. Full size, half size, collapsible, steel, titanium, plastic and more! Let’s start with the size, as that (in my opinion) is one of the most important features.

It’s Not The Size, It’s How You Use It
To help determine the size of the utensil, you need think about what you will be eating out of the most. I use a titanium pot that is around three inches deep and a short handled spork works great, but if I was eating out of a freeze-dried meal bag, the short handle would force me to put my hand down into the bag with all of the food residue sticking to the sides making one of my hands very messy. And lets be honest, if you are getting your hands covered in food, then it partially defeats the reason to use a utensil altogether.

Titanium Or Plastic?
Once you figure out the size, the next feature is the material. One of the nice things about plastic is that you can cut the utensil down to the exact size you want, but on the flip side, it can break, leaving you with a much shorter utensil than you ever wanted (I have found plasticware much more prone to breaking in cold weather, especially when going between the cold air and hot water). It is for this reason that I have chosen to use titanium.  It’s not quite as lite as plastic but I know that I can depend on it for a long time to come.

Learning To Love The Spork
Growing up, I hated the spork. I always got it with some cheep to-go meal that had a spork, napkin and a single serving of salt and pepper wrapped up together. It couldn’t function as a fork, and it was a pathetic spoon. So when I got into hiking I was anti-spork for a long time, but then I broke down and got a nice one... and WOW! It worked great as both fork and spoon.  Not just that, but I think it makes a far superior eating utensil for ramen noodles than anything else.

So, if you have given up on the spork because of those awfull cheep plastic ones, consider giving them a second chance. But if you have and still think sporks are evil, try to limit yourself to just one utensil. I would take a fork over a spoon, because it is usually much easier to drink any extra liquid than it is to wrap a spoon around a wet noodle.

Alternatives
Modern eating utensils have evolved over the years, but depending on what you are comfortable with and where you are trekking, you could try some alternatives. Early man would use his hands to eat, or use a shell to scoop liquids. You can even carve a twig into a crude fork with the smallest of knives. Before heading out, do some research about what type of materials you may have to use, but remember, at the end of a long day, you are not going to want to spend 30 minutes carving something.

Remember, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to go lite. While I decided to get a titanium spork, you could very easily throw a free plastic fork in every re-supply box for your trip (or pick one up in town). While the plastic utensils may break, they are pretty easy to replace and going a few days with a broken utensil is not going to kill you.

What Would You Do In A Situation Like That?
I want to know what you think! Let me know what you use, or any tips you have to make eating a pleasure on the trail!