Hello, Is It Me You're Looking For?

Yeah, I've been away. No, I didn't get eaten by anything. I had a relapse of sorts for a while. Namely a bit of depression. It's kept me off the trail since June but I'm hoping for a little outdoors activity. As soon as I lay tile flooring down in the bathroom and the kitchen. I have a much longer post on my other blog, Day Care 4 Dads that may explain a lot, including this next sentence. I've got some wordsmithing to do.

Another Change

Right about now, if you're reading this, you're either thinking that I get great Wi-Fi coverage in the middle of nowhere or I didn't go anywhere. The latter is correct. I had another change (actually two) so I didn't go to NY. Don't feel bad, I once broke up with a girl who couldn't handle my sudden plan changes; she actually scheduled free time! No lie! In regards to the NY trip I got the sudden urge to not be bothered by blackflies or a nine hour drive. So I switched to Shawnee State Forest and its sixty mile loop. Then I decided, "Nah" again, so I'm headed to Raccoon Creek. The NY trip is not totally out, I'll probably just take the advice of everyone and avoid blackfly season. Also, I still like the idea of Shawnee but five days out (with rattlesnakes) might have to wait until I get some more experience. So for now, two nights and three days @ Raccoon Creek. Repeat: For now. I was actually looking at other places to go as late as this afternoon, so my plans might still change.

A Step Ahead

It's been quite awhile but that's due to life happening. In the last month I've had to remodel my bathroom, my roof has been leaking, my wife has needed to prepare exams (she teaches high school special ed English and math) so it's been tough to get out, my daughter's been going through a terrible two phase and I've been sick and (slightly) injured. The sick was just a head cold, a couple days and I was good. The injury was worse. Nothing too bad but my Raccoon Creek overnight left me achy. For that trip I wore a pair of Lowa Renegade IIs. They're a nice boot, really comfortable with good ankle support but they don't have the underfoot support I need for heavier loads. On the overnight I did ~11 miles the first day and ~9 the second. The first day my feet felt great, no problems. About halfway through the second day the arch of my right foot started to ache. By the time I finished I had basically repeatedly over-flexed my foot. It didn't hurt, but for about a week afterward it was uncomfortable to the point where I had to wear some type of shoe all day just to support my arch. Needless to say, the Lowa's are going back to REI. I ended up picking up a pair of Scarpa Kailash's to replace the Lowa's. The Scarpa's are much more rigid and supportive while at the same time not being too heavy. Wearing them around the house (while remodeling) to break them in has shown them to be a comfortable boot that I usually forget I'm wearing. I couldn't find a wide size but ordering a half-size up solved that problem. Now it's just a matter of sitting around and getting through the next week and half before the big trip.

Big Agnes Takes On My Daughter

I Feel Like I Should Get a Medal

It may or may not be obvious as you're reading this but I survived my overnight at Raccoon Creek. So, drumroll please!: I'm now officially a backpacker! Yea! It was a good time with lots of learning thrown in, but it was a weird time, too. For instance, after freezing for a couple hours because I couldn't get a fire going, I now know why fire starting material is talked about in BP Mag as much as it is. On the weirdness side (for me and anyone who hikes in NE Ohio anyway), I haven't seen so many plants other than ferns, mayapples and garlic mustard; seeing grass and no deer almost made the trip worthwhile in and of itself. Other stuff: It's nice to know that I can do a ten mile day; I wonder why there were no switchbacks; someone in the PA DCNR needs to learn how to signify that the trail goes left or right (offset stacked blazes anyone?); crossing a road in PA when the speed limit is 40 (but everyone is doing 60) and there are no signs to alert motorists of a trail ahead is NOT fun; were those downdrafts and microbursts and what would I have done if that tree branch had landed on me instead of landing ten feet in front of me; how could the only "wildlife" I saw be a house cat, three chipmunks and birds? But the best part of the trip hands down was when I was in camp. I was tenting in an area adjacent to an organized camping area where there were Boy Scouts. Eventually, like kids will, the Scouts made it over to where I was (freezing in a shelter trying to figure out how to get a fire going) and one of the kids came up, saw my pack and said "Did you backpack in?" Saying 'Yes' was the best part of the weekend. Oh, and by the way, my bug spray turned out to be "highly flammable." That, on some TP plus pine duff, equals crackling fire!

Cocona Xcelerator Second Test Hike

Took the Cocona Xcelelerator test jacket out for another hike. I still don't get what people are raving about. Maybe it will do better if it rains in PA this weekend since it's supposed to be kinda chilly.

Now That It's Next Week I've Got Butterflies

I've been sitting around waiting for June so that I can go camping. And I've been going stir crazy. So, like any other red-blooded American, I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and recently (within the last two days) decided to go camping somewhere else first. By somewhere else I mean Raccoon Creek State Park. "When?", you ask. May 8th and 9th. "Why?" Well, the stupidity of waiting until June to camp just kinda hit me. What with the fact that I've never camped, my gear is largely untested in the field and June is still almost two months away, I'm going to try to ease into it. Before I find myself ten miles in with a leaky tent, a cold sleeping bag (when I saw that it was snowing in the Adirondacks this week all I could say was 'Holy Crap!') and a broken stove. I made a reservation at one of the tent sites in the park, ordered more good stuff from Packit Gourmet, cleared my absence with the wife and next weekend I'll be packing up the Jeep and heading to PA. It'll just be one night and the campsite does have a gravel access road but there are bears in PA....and the access road is gated. So, I could be eaten and have my carcass dragged into the woods before a ranger could open the gate and drive down the road. Plus, I bought more stuff from REI and I still need to return some stuff (this, too) so I can stop into a store over in Pittsburgh. I'm planning a circumnavigation of the park and I'm hoping to hit the trail by 10 o'clock am (leaving from the park office lot on Rte 18). If you're in the area come hike with me. If you're not in the area "It's beautiful here, wish you were!"