About Me
- Steven
- I'm from the foothills of the North Georgia mountains. I was a woodworker for about 12 years. Well, up until I had the rug pulled out from under my feet, and I was laid off. I got back into photography in 2008 and decided to give that a try professionally, but haven't made any money so far because rednecks, white trash, and hicks are cheap. So, I'm working in a local grocery store where some days I hear and see the craziest stuff. I tend to complain a lot about things, but I'm too poor to afford a good therapist. So, I decided to make a blog and complain online to all of you instead. But I digress. I really just wanted to do the blog to share ideas and stories with the interwebz. =D
Showing posts with label Backpacking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Backpacking. Show all posts
Monday, March 28, 2011
Panther Creek
12:39 AM | 
Posted by
Steven
A couple of weekends ago, I did my first backpacking trip since last year’s broken leg. At first, Marcus and I were going to go to the Smokies, but the recent rise in gas prices had us looking for somewhere closer. We ended up going to the Panther Creek trail, which is in the Chattahoochee National Forest in Habersham County, GA. I’ve walked this trail a couple of times from each end, but it has been at least a decade since my last trip here. (When I realized this, I suddenly realized how old I’m getting to be.)
Labels:
Backpacking,
Broken Leg,
Camping,
Complaints,
Foolishness,
Gear,
Headache,
Hiking,
iPhone,
Locals,
Meets,
Meetup,
Outdoors,
Photography,
Rants,
State of Georgia,
Thoughts,
Wilderness
|
0
comments
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Therm-a-Rest Reviews
Whether you're on a wooden deck, in a tent, or on the open ground, one of the most important things between you and the earth is your sleeping pad. Without one, you'll be either cold, uncomfortable, or more likely - both at the same time.
I started out using a closed cell foam pad that I bought for about $8.00 at Wal-Mart. I did that because that was all I could afford for a long time. They were big and bulky, but not all that heavy. They were reasonably comfortable and damn near indestructible. In fact, I bought my first one in 1993 and still own part of it as a sitting pad/game table.
Inflatable mattresses were (and still are) expensive when compared to a foam pad. However, no foam pad can compare to the comfort or pack size of an air mattress. Cascade Designs makes an "egg crate" style pad that folds up like an accordion that's not too bad. It's light weight and isn't too terribly bulky, but you sacrifice pad width and length for it.
Labels:
Backpacking,
Beginners,
Boy Scouts,
Camping,
Compare,
Gear,
Hiking,
Ideas,
LeConte,
Outdoors,
Review,
Sleeping,
Smokies,
Tech,
Thoughts,
Wilderness
|
0
comments
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Armchair Wilderness Warriors...
I read a blog every day posted by the caretakers at the lodge on top of Mt LeConte in the Smokies. During the warmer months, the lodge is open to the public. They take reservations for people that wish to hike up and spend the night there. I think a shared bunkhouse that will sleep four will set you back about $100 or so, but good luck getting a spot. From what I understand, it's in such demand, that a lottery is how they decide who gets to stay.
Labels:
Advice,
Backpacking,
Camping,
Foolishness,
Freezing,
Hiking,
Ideas,
LeConte,
Lessons Learned,
Misleading,
Philosophy,
Smokies,
Thoughts,
Warning,
Weather,
Winds,
Winter,
Work
|
0
comments
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Boy Scouts...
I'm a backpacker. I have been since about 1992 or so. I love being on some high mountain ridge in the fall, looking down into a blaze colored valley. Or maybe spending a summer night up in a hollow under a rhododendron thicket by a rushing stream. Even walking on snow covered trails in sub freezing weather in the dead of winter, when you might go an entire weekend without seeing another soul is a great time for me. It's quiet then. Very peaceful. There's been times you could stop moving and your ears would start ringing from trying to hear anything in the silence.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)