Every Bit The Journey

The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, and this is mine.

Montana Mountains

Tag: hiking Page 5 of 7

Pikes Peak

Using “If-Then” Thinking to Achieve Your Goal.

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On July 3, 2018

In Life, Skills

When you first get one of those epic, crazy, fun, adventure ideas in your head, your thoughts may shift to all the problems you think you will face. This can be overwhelming and likely may cause you to look elsewhere for something easier to do.
 
I recently read a management tip-of-the-day which struck me as appropriate to adventure goal seeking (or any other goal seeking for that matter).
 
First start by considering your goal (say, “I want climb Pike Peak”). Then list the obstacles you expect to face along the way (“Lack of air at high altitude”). Listing the goal helps you focus on the objective. Listing out the problems in getting to the goal helps takes them from the enormity in your imagination and makes them simple word problem statements, each to be addressed. Yes, there are obstacles, but they are typically finite and each problem can be worked.
 
Next, frame what you will do about these obstacles as “if”-“then” statements. Look at the “If” statement first. If this is a problem – what are some solutions, workarounds, or fixes? The you can use these solution towards your “Then” statement(s). To address the lack of O2 at high elevations, for example, you could tell yourself: “If there is a lack of available oxygen at 14k feet, what are some solutions to overcoming this issue? I can train to compensate?, can I carry extra O2?, etc.”
 
Then you can build your “Then” solutions.  “If there is low O2, Then I will use hypoxic training, Then I will  develop an altitude acclimation plan, Then I will carry portable oxygen canisters, Then I will have a exit plan for altitude sickness.”
 
By using if-then statements, you can think through what will get in your way and make a plans to address or overcome them and reach your epic crazy fun adventure goals!

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Skills – Rain Gear

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On May 18, 2018

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, Outdoor Tips, Skills

I once hiked three days in the rain. Actually, as much as I hate to admit it, I’ve hiked a lot in the rain. It’s not something I strive to do, but if you hike long enough and far enough, you will get rained on.

My brother recently asked me “Ok, so what light weight rain gear do you use/recommend?” I thought this was an interesting question worth exploring because I think most people consider rain gear kind of like a first-aid kit. You really need to carry one, but hope never to need to use it. Unfortunately, I’ve used my rain gear way more than my first-aid kit (or is that fortunately?). Everyone has different way of hiking and reasons for picking the gear they do, here is my current rain-gear plan.

My basic inclement weather protective clothing philosophy says; if it rains, I’m gonna get wet.  Now, that’s not to say I don’t carry precipitation protection, because I do. I just acknowledges the fact when it rains, things (including me) get wet. The real trick is not to stay wet or get cold and wet. No matter the season or the weather, I feel it’s very important to have a good wicking layering system. Then you can add an appropriate rain shell for those moist days. This will help keep you both warm and dry(-ish).

I do have a heavier rain suit set (jacket and pants), but it weighs a pound or two so I reserve it for the colder weather now. If I know the rain will be light, I’ve hiked with an umbrella which was pretty nice but can be awkward to manage if you are using trekking poles. There are a lot of options to play with. If I’m of the trail for several days with rain, I always try to keep something dry to change into in the evening for sleeping. In the morning I’ll change back into my wet  hiking clothes and try my best to protect my dry night clothes. As long as I’m hiking and moving, I can generate enough body heat to keep warm. As with most things, rain gear is a compromise. You want to stay dry but the rain jacket needs to vent sweat and heat when hiking. Otherwise you end up dry from the rain but soaked in sweat.

I’ve settled on a light rain jacket for my outer layer and a good pack cover for my pack. Some people will advise you don’t need a pack cover if you put all your gear in a plastic bag in your pack. While true, however now your pack is getting soaked and the added water weight will very likely exceed the few ounces of weight of the pack cover. The more my gear stays dry the happier I am later.

My current go-to rain jacket for the trail is a lightweight polyester Eddie Bauer rain shell I picked up a few years ago. It comes in at about 5 ounces and packs down to under a baseball size so it really doesn’t take up a lot of room. For 3 season hiking, it fits as the final shell layer. It’s versatile enough to work well to cut the wind on dry days and keep most of the water off my upper body on wet days. In the summer I lean towards hiking shorts, so I just let the rain go and don’t worry about wet legs. I mostly use wool socks  and they help with managing the wet feet.

I guess I worry less about the rain and getting wet now than I did when I first started hiking. You need to play with different options and figure out what works for you hiking style, and enjoy the journey the best you can. Rain or shine.

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Hiking South Carolina – H. Cooper Black State Park

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On April 24, 2018

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, SC State Parks, Travel

This park has a heavy slant toward horses and dogs, but don’t be mislead. H. Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial and Recreation Area is an outstanding destination with unique facilities and terrain to explore.

I found H. Cooper’s openness a pleasant change from some of the smaller parks within the state. While there aren’t really “hiking” trails here, there are acres of wilderness to explore. I found the freedom of walking across the expansive rolling hills with their combination of open tall grass fields, pine forests, and waterfowl ponds nestled between, amazingly enjoyable and refreshing.

One of fun things I enjoyed about this park, was letting Radar off leash when we were out in the fields and at the ponds (dogs must be on lease near the camp sites). We even tried a little retriever training at the ponds (‘turns out the pup can’t swim – but that’s a story for another time). Most state parks have some pretty strict lease rules which makes it a little difficult to train with him for hiking, so it was nice to be able to roam in the fields and woods with him.

This park is one of newest and largest in the SC park system. Located in Chesterfield County, just about 5.6 miles South of Cheraw, H. Cooper Black was added to the park system in 1994. With it’s 7000 acres, it is the fourth largest in the South Carolina State Park system. The two big things in the park are the 20 miles of equestrian trails and the retriever training & events. But don’t let not having a horse keep you away. This park it is open, pleasant, and definitely worth the trip away from civilization. I look forward to returning to H. Cooper Black again.

Favorite Time of year: Anytime for camping.

Things to Know: If you like animals such as horses and dogs, you will like H. Cooper Black.

Camping: Camping is available at H Cooper Black. Please contact the park from 11 a.m. to noon, daily, at 843-378-1555 for camping reservations and information (Reservations Required).

Pet friendly: Pets must be voice command controlled or kept on a leash or in a kennel while in the camping area or within 1/4 mile of the camping area.

Getting There: H Cooper Black is in the Eastern midlands of South Carolina, just North of Florence and just South of Cheraw, right off highway 15. It’s about a 3 hour drive from the Charleston area.

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Radar

By

On April 15, 2018

In Life

So, this is Radar. He’s a Blue Heeler and is just over a year old now. We came across each other a couple months ago. Sometimes in the course of normal events, your life changes. For both Radar and I, this is one of those times.

I had been considering a dog for a while now for a number of reasons. Maybe part trail buddy, part body guard, part wing-man, who knows. A few years ago, I had once hiked a 20 mile piece of mountain trail with a group. One of the hikers had a great trail dog with him. This trail buddy would constantly run up and down the group starting in the front and working toward the back, checking on every hiker in the group. For twenty miles. He was never more than 20 feet off trail and never more than a few hundred yards from his master. Quite honestly, I felt like I needed that kind of a buddy  now from somewhere deep down inside me. But I didn’t really have any particular breed or clear concept in mind. It’s funny how these things work out sometimes.

I had shared some of my idea for a four legged companion with a friend of mine, Brenda, and the hunt began. She had done some checking and offered to go with me to go to a friend of hers “just to look” at one. Her friend boards dogs in the area and happened to have a young heeler someone had dropped off. Radar had been with her for a month or so while she was trying to find him a home. For Radar, he seemed to have had a rocky start. He had been given up or returned several times in his just short first year of life. I think he would fall pretty cleanly in to the “rescue dog” category. Rejected, abandoned, and unwanted, he waited.  Even in a pack of dogs he stood out to me. I really couldn’t tell you why, maybe it was his story, maybe it was mine. But that day, I left with him on a borrowed lead and a commitment in my heart to try my best to be a good companion for him.

It’s been about four months now since our paths crossed. We’re still working out a couple small differences (he likes to get up early, I like to sleep in a bit), and learning about each other (he loves to chase a ball or toy, but really doesn’t float well). I work with him and he teaches me what he knows.  My life has changed again, and so has his. Both for the better.

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It’s Saturday Eve!

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On March 16, 2018

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, Life

The week is about over and I’m heading camping this weekend with a bunch of new campers. This weekend should be fun as I really enjoy introducing new campers to the outdoors. With spring just around the corner, I am looking forward to the weather starting to break and the green to start popping. I so wanting to get out on a trail soon. So much of “normal” life gets in the way of that however (heavy sigh). I really need fix that, but for now, it’s the new campers campout which will help take the edge off “civilized” life.

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Who speaks for the trees? – (Part 3)

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On February 24, 2018

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, Life, Skills, Travel

Following our lunch under the pines, we continue towards Poinsett State Park and the end of our hike. I know we’re near the the end now, there is a public parking lot ahead for staging mountain bikes and horses, our hiking trail passes through it on the way to the state park. However as we emerge from under the tall pines, about a half mile from this parking lot, we are presented a view which is hard to describe. The hills rising up in front of us are raw, striped bare of all living things. I am a little surprised at the completeness of the destruction. We hike up from the creek bed to the top of the hill and look around. Hundreds of acres of nature, wiped away. There are no bushes. There is no grass. There is no wildlife. There are no more trails. The only things remaining, are charred broken sticks where a forest once was. Even the tree stumps are cut so close to the ground as to be nonexistent. The caretakers of the land have sold off their charge to the highest bidder. This saddens me greatly. I look around for a sign of our trail, out of habit I guess, only to realize following a trail here doesn’t really matter any more. We strike out across the wasteland to get to the road crossing as quickly as we can. We pick up the trail and crossing over in to the state park side of the hike, I am relieved to find one of my favorite parts of this hike still intact, the little forest of scrub oaks draped with Spanish moss. But as I look back sadly, with a heavy heart, at the desolate, charred, waste behind me, I wonder … who speaks for the trees?

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Lunching in the pines – (Part 2)

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On February 21, 2018

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, Life, Travel

Most of the trail in this section is wide enough to walk side-by-side, making conversation easier between hikers in a group. I enjoy listening to the path these conversation take. On some hikes the same theme may run for days.  Today the trail talk is mostly down memory lane. Some of our group will be graduating soon or moving on to do other things. Today, as we hike through the Manchester State Forest, they are reminiscing fondly about past exploits and adventures of past camping trips. I know we are nearing a cut section of forest soon, so we take our mid-day break on a small hill, under a stand of tall pines. It’s cool but not cold, the forecast rain threatened, but ultimately was a no-show for this trip. Everyone is relaxing a bit sitting on the blanket of pine needles, eating, chatting, and airing their feet. Someone is debating the pro’s and con’s of grits verses oatmeal as a breakfast choice. Someone is sharing their favorite trail lunch. It’s a great day to be out on the trail with friends. It’s days like this which make me want to keep going.

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The morning is cool, the coffee is hot – (Part 1)

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On February 20, 2018

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, Life, Travel

It’s been a while, but it feels good to get out again. I’m sitting at picnic table in the dark cool pre-dawn hours at Mill Creek county park, enjoying a warm drink of coffee and hot chocolate. There are eight others in our group. We’re hiking the High Hills of Santee. For some of them, this is their first backpacking experience, for others, they have hiked this section of the palmetto trail before, maybe even several time. For me, I think I must have been down this trail over a dozen times. It will be nice to be back on the trail again, it’s like visiting an old friend, almost like coming home. The sky is starting to lighten a little. They are all still sleeping now, but soon will be up, making bathroom runs, chatting, cooking breakfast, breaking camp, and packing their gear for the hike. But right now it’s quite.

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Outdoor Tips – Sleeping Warm

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On February 12, 2018

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, Outdoor Tips, Skills, Uncategorized

Avoid hypothermia – Never sleep in wet clothes, I tried this once, horrible idea. You should change out of your day activity clothes and into night or sleep clothes. You perspire during the day, and even with layers of clothes it will be likely the inner layers are damp although you may not realize it at the time until it’s too late. The dampness will cause you to chill at night. Leave your day clothes out to dry or air out overnight. Absolutely change your socks to a dry pair for sleeping.

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Hiking South Carolina – Colleton State Park

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On January 22, 2018

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, SC State Parks, Travel

This one is a little different. With “just” a .3 mile interpretive trail, hiking is not really the main draw, but yet Colleton State Park is a hidden little gem in the South Carolina State Park system.

Nestled on the banks of the amazing Edisto River, this 34 acre park serves as the headquarters of the Edisto River Canoe and Kayak Trail. The Edisto River is the longest free-flowing black-water river in North America and offers some 63 miles of incredible canoeing & kayaking. Having a watercraft is not a requisite for visiting this park. While this park is the smallest in the SC park system, located in Colleton County, just off I-95, this 34 acre park is a popular dropping in point for paddlers, fishermen, and anyone seeking a break from the hustle and bustle of life.

I have camped at Colleton State Park dozens of times over the years (with and without a canoe) and am impressed with the parks steady improvements. Every year there seems to be more and more done to improve the park and services offered. While I’m usually found in the group or primitive campsite, there are about 25 standard camping sites, including a cabin overlooking the Edisto River. The short Cypress Swamp interpretive trail runs from the park entrance down through to the river side Canoe Dock.

Favorite Time of year: Summer for paddling, Anytime for camping.

Distance: About .3 miles.

Things to Know: This is an Easy hike.

Camping: Camping is available at Colleton State Park (reservations required).

Pet friendly: Must be leashed at all times, including the forest, okay everywhere outdoors except cabin and lodging areas of the park.

Getting There: Colleton State Park is just East of I-95, between Walterboro and St. George, right off highway 15. It’s about less than 1 hour drive from the Charleston. .area.

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