First I wanna thank everyone here for the inspiration....I've been a lurker for years, joined the HF's and started planning/prepping for over a year and finally hit the trail.
Winstone posted in late April about his trip to the SNP and the Riprap Hollow Loop. That did it....I was gonna head there for my first solo...
I won't go into too much detail but I planned on doing two nights but it was so bloody hot and humid....and I work in that mess....I decided then and there I would rather backpack/camp in the cooler months. That said, I ended up with too much food and there were a few other items that I could have left behind. The pack with everything including my 2m HT weighed in at around 24lbs. I was going to park at the Riprap Trail parking lot and start there, but there were a few folks hanging around resting and I really didn't want to be hanging around anyone on my first trip... So I drove to the Wildcat Ridge parking lot and went in there, heading in a clockwise route. Started at 12:45. It was hot and humid but it was something I've wanted to do for a very long time. I didn't really know what to expect. Did the Wildcat and also hiked the trail to the left where the Riprap Tr. begins. Got back to the RR and crossed streams a few times and saw the swimming hole Winstone mentions.....and then continued on a little more until around 5:30 I found a spot to hang. By this time I was drenched and tired! Everything set up, didn't bother with TQ or BQ in the beginning, I just layed there trying to cool off. The Fronkey bug net covered in permethrin did just fine....(will mod it so I can move it out of the way). As the sun went down I could feel a little chill on my bare back so thought I better get the UQ out. I set it up but was concerned that hanging loose from the hammock would provide a bridge into the hammock for the large black ants that were hanging around with me, so I placed it in the hammock and that worked out fine. I brought the PLTQ out and along with the diy pillow I cobbled together last week slept until 5:30. Whats interesting is I've been test hanging with head right-feet left and when I did the Knotty mod to my diy hammock that's how I layed it out...but while struggling to remove the UQ and put it in the hammock, somehow the hammock flipped inside out.....I was laying there trying to get situated and something didn't feel right...my feet were now tight against the bugnet when before they weren't. I fiddling around and thought maybe I need to loosen the bungies for the KM....couldn't find 'em.....that's when I realized what had happened. So I switched positions and was amazed to feel the difference....I'll have to try it again, but it almost felt like it was more comfortable inside out and me laying head left-feet right....hmmmm....
Nice moring breeze, warmed up some water for a lousy cup of instant coffee and instant breakfast. Problem was I didn't set the wind screen up correctly so the water never came to a boil.
Got underway at 7:45 and enjoyed the vista's on this leg but it was hard on this old man newb..... got back to the AT and finished up by 10:45.
This evening I will unpack, and decide on what I could leave behind, what I could do to improve certain things etc etc. You guys have been great....I couldn't have done without you....
So for not going into detailI had a fantastic time, but will really look forward to doing it again and longer when it cools down!
002.jpg
008.jpg
020.jpg
P6260035.JPG
I'll upload more pics on my webpage later....
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks