February 28, 2012

I was back out at Umstead SP again today, but early enough to make lunch.  Brother Don was kind enough to send me some single servings of SPAM, now that he and Mary are in Austin, MN -- home of the SPAM museum.  So today I decided to actually use one of the packets and make lunch with it.

At the moment, I'm packing my food in a bear-proof plastic container.  It's a bit heavier than using a bag and hanging it every night, but out west they're become a required item and the latest postings I've seen indicate that the Nation Forest Service has begun requiring them in some spots along the AT.  Along side my food is my cooking kit that includes my 1.1 liter pot, a cup, my alcohol stove, and a windscreen.

Here's basically everything unpacked.  Someone at REI taught me to repackage my couscous (or other food to be rehydrated into 1 qt freezer bags to eliminate the packaging and so that I don't have to clean my cookpot after eating.  It's just used to boil water.  Don and Mary - please note the package of SPAM so prominently displayed.

My alcohol stove runs on denatured alcohol which is readily available at stores and suppliers along the trail.  For this meal, I need to boil about 1 1/4 c of water, so I put about 1 oz of alcohol in the stove and lit it with my handy butane lighter.  You can just see the flame in the center of the stove.

After about a minute, the alcohol heats up and vapors are forced out ports drilled into the side of the stove.  It's very clean burning -- no soot at all, and was hot enough to melt the orginal aluminum foil wind screen that was supplied, so I've fashioned a more durable one from a half a coffee can.

When the ports have lit, the cooking pot with water simply sits on top of the stove, forcing all of the combustible fumes out the ports.

While my water was heating, I broke up that delicious SPAM into my bag with the couscous and spices (I don't care what it looks like  --  TP in this case means toasted pinenuts)

Two minutes later, my water was boiling.

Then the water wad added to the quart bag and in a few more minutes, lunch was ready.

Delicious!

Then everything was packed up 30 minutes after I'd arrived, I was back on the trail.

I don't know if it was the SPAM at lunch or just the glorius February weather (sunny and 63F), but it was a great afternoon for sights on the trail.  Shortly after leaving the shelter where I fixed lunch I happened on pileated woodpecker.

And about an hour later came across trout lilies in bloom along the trail.

Just 3 1/2 weeks before I leave for Georgia. 

February 24, 2012

So what's with this 'ayatori' thing?  I've decided to try to nip less-than-complimentary trail names in the bud by choosing my own.  Who knows if it will stick, but it's better than simply accepting something based on my known propensity for snoring and odiferous shoes.

Folks who have been around me for any length of time have seen me pull a string out of my pocket to do string figures, play cat's cradle, or do little tricks to amuse myself.  I'm rarely without a string and will undoubtedly carry (at least) one with me on the trail.

Ayatori is the Japanese name for cat's cradle, and something that I enjoyed sharing with Japanese friends, colleagues, and many Japanese kids on the commuting trains and buses.  Ayatori is what I've chosen to be known as on the trail.  We'll see if it sticks.  Attached are a few photos of my many string amusements.

'Ten Men'

'Lei Flower'

'The Pig'

So, ayatori it is.

February 23, 2012

It's been almost 3 weeks since I've last updated the blog.  I've been spending my time with a 40 lb pack, hiking the trails in Umstead State Park, with an occasional foray to the Uwharries.

This past week I put in 3 consecutive days  of 9, 9, and 11.5 miles at Umstead.  That's putting me pretty close to the distance (if  not the difficulty) of the AT from its southern terminus at Springer Mtn to the NC border.  I plan on doing the 'Approach Trail' from the Amicalola Falls State Park to Springer, which adds another 8 miles before I set foot in NC after I start.

It's been relatively warm here the past few weeks with highs on many days reaching 60+ F.  So there are lots of changes becoming apparent in the woods.

Sycamore Creek Umstead SP, Feb-2012

Moss in the creek has taken on a distinctive emerald green hue  and little bluet flowers are showing up on the trail.



Bluet flower at Umstead SP Feb-2012



Moss in Crabtree Creek, Umstead SP Feb-2012

On Thursday, I spotted a little bird flitting in the holly along Crabtree Creek.  I couldn't see what it was, but I took somephotos using my new camera with its 18x telephoto lens and got the attached photo.  I confirmed with the folks at the NC Museum of Natural Science that it's a golden-crowned kinglet.

Golden-crowned kinglet, Umstead SP  2-23-2012

I now have just over 4 weeks before I take the Greyhound to Atlanta, spend the night with the folks at Hiker Hostel, and actually begin walking the AT on March 27.   I'm psyched.

February 3, 2012

I walked 13 miles in Umstead today with a 39 lb pack, the most mileage with that heavy a pack that I've ever done.

I encountered a Mourning Cloak butterfly this morning.  Not that I knew it this morning, but after I checked the web tonight.  Quoting from the NC Butterfly web site "This is a common, widespread, and familiar butterfly in the northeastern states, but in NC it is not common, though it may be locally numerous in the mountains and Piedmont. It is not one of the butterflies that the average person will encounter, except for those spending considerable time walking through upland woods in spring and fall."   The underlined emphasis is mine.  :)

January 31, 2012

I hiked the Moore's Wall Loop trail at Hanging Rock State Park today.  The trail is only about 4 miles, but includes about 600 ft of elevation gain over about a mile of the trail.  It was a beautiful sunny day with a high of about 65F, though the winds at the top of Moore's Knob were pretty brisk and cooling after the sweat shed on the way up.  The path down is partially 'paved' with stone steps.  I counted (Am I my mother's son?) 607 actual stone steps on the way down.  Coincidentially, I'm told that the approach trail to Springer mountain has 604 wooden steps on the way up.  No blisters or aching knees to report.

The photo is a panoramic shot from Moore's Knob.  The small peaks to the left are a strange double of Pilot Mountain that are an artifact of my 'stitching' program.  In the far distance, you see the Blue Ridge on the horizon.  That's where I hope to be this spring.  Less than 2 months to go before my March 26 departure for Atlanta.  I made reservations for the shuttle from Atlanta to Springer today.



Panorama from Moore's Knob  Jan 31, 2012



January 28, 2012

OK it's been a month since I last posted.  I'm afraid I've gotten busy with the UNC men's glee club tour in early January.  Coincidentally, we performed in Murphy, NC and then traveled to Atlanta to performance at a church near Emory University.  On the way, the bus passed through the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) one of the areas the AT passes through as it enters North Carolina.  Then on the way to Atlanta there were some signs that we passed for Amicalola Falls State Park, where Springer Mountain (the southern terminus of the AT) is located.  I tried to imagine hiking up and down the hills we were passing and felt encouraged that I could probably handle the hills that I saw.  Of course, from inside the bus most anything might appear possible.

Regardless of my lack of entries here, I have been training.  I've started to incorporate hikes in the Uwharrie National Forest that's a two hour drive southwest of Cary.  Several hikers have recommended it as a place to train that incorporates some longer, steeper hills.  I struggled a bit on the last few miles the first time I was there a few weeks ago, but this past week finished an 8 mile hike without any problems.

The AT Thruhiking class at REI was very interesting and helpful.  I've picked up a few additional ideas and have purchased a few pieces of equipment to supplement what I have, including an aluminum snow stake that will serve as my cat hole trowel, and a 10 liter collapsible bucket.  I ran into Tim, aka Grasshopper, last night at REI and told him about the indiviodual servings of SPAM that my brother in Austin MN recently sent me.  Tim was totally enthusiatic saying he often broke open a package and ate it cold, to the chagrin of some of his AT companions.  He ensures me that even SPAM tastes great when you're on the trail.  I'm afraid I'll need to personally verify his assertion.  I'm dubious.

I've finally purchased a camera that will begin taking on the trail, and so you should expect to see some photos finally showing up here that should add some interest to my ramblings.

I went out this afternoon and hiked the Sycamore Trail in Umstead State Park.  Here are a few photos taken on my new camera.

63 F  on Jan 28.  Short sleeves and shorts.  :)

Stone bridge over Sycamore Creek

The woods are pretty gray/brown, but the moss is emerald green.

December 28, 2011

Went out this morning and hiked 13 miles at Umstead state park with a 14 lb. pack and my new Oboz shoes.  Finished in about 5 1/2 hrs and had enough at the end to push the last uphill mile.  My feet were tired, but no blisters and no real pain, so I think they'll be keepers.  There were a couple of fast walkers in front of me who had no idea they were pacing me.  I closed the 100 yards between us by the end, then chatted for a few moments with a family of 4 kids who were out with their parents for a hike. 

Cheryl and I stopped in at REI on Tuesday when it was wet after a heavy rain and I've picked up a trail guide for the Uwharrie Moutains area an hour west of Cary.  People says it's really good training for the AT and the guide is full of hikes listed a Difficult or Difficult+ (whatever that means).  I guess that will be my destination in the near future.