Hiked the Appalachian Trail Section 10 from Bear Mountain Inn to West Mountain shelter.
The hike was definitely tiring as we had about 35-40lbs in our packs. Rained the first day but that didnt stop us from the hike.
First time on the AT and I was nervous that I would wander off trail but the trail blazes are clearly marked and easy to follow.
My buddy joined me on his first hike ever. He slid down a muddy section of the trail about 3 miles in. The only water proof boots he had were steel toed boots so he paid the price with a few blisters at the end of the trip.
Had a great time the views on the way back were better as the next day was clear and 65 degrees. However the terrain was very wet, muddy, and rocky so we slipped numerous times luckily we didnt hit the ground and were able to catch ourselves with our trekking poles or nearby trees.
Stayed at the West Mountain Shelter overnight. Met a hiker named "Free Bird" who's been on the trail for 3 months comming from Virginia and is heading to Maine. Really cool guy. He was running low on fuel and food so we refilled his fuel and gave him some food we knew we weren't going to get to on our way back the next morning. Hope he has a good travel and makes it to his destination safely.
A few campers came by and set up camp next to my tarp. One couple decided to get it on loudly around 1am which kept me up for a bit Ha! definitely made me miss my woman!
Aside from the whoopie noises first time sleeping in my black bird and got to tell you I'm in love with this hammock. Great design!
Great video, Raul. We love trip reports, pics and videos around here. Trust me, there's no shortage of them. :D
11-16-2009, 23:46
MedicineMan
Welcome to the AT family. I did that section NoBo last month and we were blessed with perfectly clear skies so we got to see the NYC skyline from the tower on Bear Mountain. Enjoyed the trip report!
11-17-2009, 02:56
gargoyle
nice job, you are not a noob anymore, excellent report. Welcome to the forum.
11-17-2009, 06:56
BEAS
video
Great video with the exception of the occasional cuss word. I know that it is my option to watch or not watch. But when making a video to post in a area such as this it may be better taken without all that unnecessary language.
Great report and way to hang (pun intended) through the rain.
BEAS
11-17-2009, 13:03
Raul Perez
sorry about the profanity. didn't mean to offend anyone thats just how we talk to one another. I'll edit my next trip for content.
Good time to go over some gear that I used and my experiences with them for a mid fall hike:
Neoprene hat by Champion (black) - neoprene lined with fleece. It was completely soaked and still kept my head warm very impressed.
Campmor Rain Jacket (Black) - not breathable sweating to death in it. But for the price ($20) and the fact it has a head band tie which keeps the hood locked on to your head I really cant complain that much. Just wish it had arm pit vents. That would have alleviated a lot of moisture.
Colombia Titanium Outer Shell (brown)- probably overkill for this type of hike. could have lived without it since I had my rain jacket. However unlike my rain jacket this puppy is breathable. Probably a great combo with the fleece jacket in the winter with no precip or snow. Not good for rain (even though its water proof) because of no hood.
Colombia Fleece (Brown) - kept me nice and toasty at night with that and a base layer just sitting in the shelter looking out at the lights in the mountains. Even damp it kept me warm.
Smart wool medium weight base layer - wow for the light weight and super packable I didnt think it would keep me very warm but I was totally wrong. Just used it on the trek home and I was completely comfortable. Maybe even a little too warm.
Mountain Hardwear Gortex Rain Pants - breathable and super durable. They say its really packable but thats debateable. I just stuffed it in my outside mesh pocket but I had to fold it a bunch of times.
Craghoppers fleece lined trousers - wow super impressed. Fleece lined and the outer shell is a cotton poly mix... super durable and semi water repellent. Also a quick dry feature that was put to the test and it worked out beautifully. Glad I bought 2 cause when this one is worn out I will definitely break out the other one.
Smart wool med weight bottom base layers - as the top super light weight and packable. Used it in conjunction with the Gortex Rain pants and I really couldnt complain it worked out like a charm.
wigwam wool socks - no blisters... bam nuff said. very toasty.
Keen Growlers hiking boots - probably too early to break them out. My feet were soaked with sweat as these are more like winter boots. I was expecting 30 degree nights and it didnt happen. Although even when they were soaked on the inside they warmed up FAST when I put my feet in them.
Warbonnet Superfly Tarp with doors - super light... I think I spread the tarp out too far as the doors didnt close as much as I wanted. I could have altered my set up but I was being stubborn. It did it's job and kept most of the cold wind off me and kept 95% of the rain out. But some rain got in due to the wind. Nothing too terrible will know better going forward.
Warbonnet Blackbird Hammock 1.7 ripstop nylon single layer - Wow... yeah wow I've NEVER slept better. Totally better than my Hennessey NO DOUBT. That foot box makes all the difference. If it cooked for me I totally would kick my girlfriend out of my apartment.
Jacks R better Mt Washington 3 underquilt - did its job. My set up was not perfect and when I extended into the footbox of the hammock the quilt shifted off my back and my back got a bit cold. pulled it back and it shifted off my feet and my feet got cold. Played with the cinches and got it to where I wanted it but had to exit the hammock a few times in the cold. Gonna take some more outings till I get it the way it needs to be without being a sped about it. for what its worth whatever it covered was totally toasty.
Mountain Hardwear Lyell -15 degree 600 down filled sleeping bag - not the lightest or the smallest packed winter bag. In fact it is quite huge in the stuff sack. But I have to say it is AWESOME! Most comfortable bag I've ever slept in. I warm up in like 5 minutes in it. I'm hoping to get this down to 0 degrees with the current set up I have and still be comfortable.
11-17-2009, 14:44
HappyCamper
I'm one of those people who has trouble cinching. Others have trouble too. I posted a thread about my idea to fix this slipping problem. My spark ideas or ways for you to mod your BB and UQ to keep it from slipping. You could mod it at both shoulder and foot end. Gotta be warm.
11-17-2009, 19:05
Raul Perez
Interesting thanks HC. I'm gonna toy around with it thanksgiving weekend assuming the weather is nice.
11-17-2009, 20:35
Trout
Why so much weight?
11-17-2009, 20:57
Raul Perez
something I'm still working on is the weight.
Pack - 85 liters 6lbs
JRB MW 3 - 1.5 lbs
Food - 3.5lbs (I take a little extra just in case)
Water - 4-5lbs (3liter bladder + 1 liter aluminum Sigg) (I take a little extra just in case)
Crazy cooking kit, bongo, fuel line, fuel - 3lbs
sleeping bag - 3.5lbs
WB black bird + superfly - 4lbs
medkit, notebook, headlamp, led small flashlight, tooth brush kit, glasses, contact solution - 4-5lbs
rain gear - 2lbs
extra clothes - 2-3lbs
water filter - 1.5 lbs
Right there is about 37lbs
I was going to use my 65 liter pack (REI Flash) but my winter sleeping bag is mega bulky and it was getting tough to put in extra clothes and food in the pack so I had to go with the heavier pack that I have. Its only 3lbs more.
I'm getting my summer back down to about 20lbs since I dont need that much clothing and my summer sleeping bag is half the weight
11-18-2009, 07:16
jaygnar
Thanks for the great tip report and the gear list! Looks like fun!
11-18-2009, 22:34
Dancer
Ditch that pack! You can get a 60 liter pack (as big as you should need for a week) under 4 lbs. ULA Catalyst comes to mind. Ditch the heavy water filter, my Katadyn Hiker Pro pump filter is 11 oz and Hooch's gravity filter is like 6 oz. Get an alki stove and ditch the big kitchen outfit, my alki setup with pot and fuel less than 2 lbs. Check out some of the gear lists on Whiteblaze.net for ideas. No need for head lamp and flashlight, just make sure the one you carry has fresh batteries.
I used to carry alot of water too but have figured out that 2 liters is plenty if you have your filter and have familiarized yourself with the water sources.
Great report, don't you just love the AT?
11-21-2009, 20:03
exdiver
Great video. Reading at present a couple books on the AT, and your report video is more fuel on the desire fire.
11-21-2009, 20:11
Hooch
Raul, this is the gear list I used on the Maryland AT section hike that Dancer, VegaMike and I did earlier this month. Maybe it will give you a few ideas as to things to leave behind, things to chage over to, etc. I'll preface the gear list by saying that I'm a firm believer in never weighing your pack. I don't know how much anything in my pack weighs, but I do know that it feels very comfortable on my back. Hope this helps:
Shelter
Warbonnet Blackbird 1.7 DL
Speer Winter Tarp
5' Tree Huggers
Whoopie Slings
Tarp Stakes
Sleeping Insulation/Comfort
Speer Top Blanket III with 1oz Overfill
Speer SnugFit Underquilt
Therm-a-Rest Pillow
Cooking/Water
Trail Designs Caldera Keg-F
Long Handle Sea To Summit Titanium Spoon
12oz Denatured Alcohol in Mt. Dew Bottle
Bic Lighter
1L Gatorade Bottle
Platypus 2+ Container
ULA Amigo Pro Gravity Filter
Carried Clothing
REI Sahara Zip-Off Pants
REI Sahara LS Tee
2 Extra Pairs Darn Tough Socks
Extra Pair Undies
North Face 100 Wt. Fleece Zip-Up Sweater
North Face Fleece Watchcap
REI Down Jacket
Dri-Ducks Rain Jacket and Pants
2 Bandanas
Crocs
Worn Clothing
REI Sahara Zip-Off Pants
REI SS Tee
Darn Tough Socks
Dunham Hiking Boots
Old Olive Cravat (It's a Marine thing, you wouldn't understand. Thanks, Bearpaw.)
Hammock Forums Hat
Bandana
Miscellaneous
Rat Izula Knife
Toilet Paper
Toothbrush/Toothpaste
Travel Size Gold Bond Powder
Toilet Paper
Wet Ones (Dried. Does that make them Dry Ones?)
Head Lamp
Camera
Mini-Tripod
Duct Tape
Trekking Poles
1 oz Bottle Campsuds
Camp Towel
Appalachian Pages for Maryland Section
ID/Money
First Aid Kit
2 6x7cm Tegaderm
2 3x4" Telfa
Moleskin
Assorted Band-aids
4 Packs Triple Antibiotic Ointment
5 Alcohol Prep Pads
5 Betadine Prep Pads
1 Pr Nitrile Gloves
1 Vial Mastisol
Ibuprofen
2 Safety Pins
Finger Nail Clippers
Purell Hand Sanitizer
Ditch that heavy pack, Raul! If you need a pack with a little more room, look at the ULA Catalyst. Accept no substitute. :thumbup:
11-21-2009, 21:57
Stone
Great video!
11-23-2009, 01:02
E.A.Y.
Hey -great trip report - beautiful country.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raul Perez
Campmor Rain Jacket (Black) - not breathable sweating to death in it.
Sweating in the rain is my least fav thing.
I was going to add comments about hiking in rain and fog but then realized it was all about clothes so I've started a thread over in Non Hammock Gear Discussion with my thoughts about clothing choices for hiking in the rain and fog.
