I THANK "YOU"

Occasionally I receive cards from thru-hikers who passed in the Spring, trekking through the Smokies, Katahdin bound.  I was particularly pleased to receive a card from Chris Minnich and Jamie Ratchford because during training for our 2015 spring patrols, we are told, as Ridgerunners, we are Ambassadors, representing the ATC and the Park Service.
Hearing from thru-hikers is always a pleasure, but to know you have in any way made their hike better, is very rewarding.
"Studmuffin", "Glorious Laughter", I THANK YOU!

Rough 2015 Beginning

The 2015 hiker season has begun but not without a couple hiccups.  Brought a upper respiratory infection from Louisville and spent the first week not at 100%.  Ended up seeing a doctor in Robinsville, NC, leaving with 10 days of an antibiotic.  Nevertheless - we are on the mend and out on trail patrol again.
Beautiful snow with a lot of ice trees down across the trail.  Will post pictures soon.  Spring is right around the bend -
Keep hiking,
Carl, aka Greybeard

FOOTWARE

     I have tried many varieties of footwear over 55 years of hiking.  Growing up with “clod hoppers”, the shoe of choice, someone else’s, (when I had shoes); I still have the scar on my right instep from a hot coal cinder.  I had been emptying cinders from the stove that morning.  I could not remove from those boots due to the knots in the laces.  I think I learned from those boots to tie a bow after that.  That was a long time ago in the hills of Carrolton, Kentucky, when one room school houses were common as was the old pot bellied stove,  the end of the Mighty chestnut was near, and shoes in those hills were a luxury.

     I see a wide variety of footwear during the course of a season and talk with most of the thru-hikers, section and overnighters passing through the Park.  I was given a pair of Merrells by the ATC my first year as a Ridgerunner and have worn Merrell Ventilators for the past 7 seasons including my 2008 thru-hike on the Pacific Crest National Trail (PCT).  They withstood regular 25 mile days and more importantly provided comfort throughout the life of the shoe.  I have always worn low quarters, not needing the ankle support 3/4'ers provide, but preferring a solid, sturdy shoe. 

     I am guilty of wearing the tread off the bottom before replacing and when tossed, my Merrells are still solid and intact, if treadless.  Most other trail shoes I have worn did not hold up as long as the tread. I did however realize the folly of treadless footwear when on a snowfield in the California Sierra Mountains where that oversight left me determined to pay attention to the bottom of my footwear in the future.   Leave it to those conditions to bring reality to the importance of tread, traction and purchase.

     I have always found good footing in challenging trail conditions and appreciate the quality and durability of Merrells.  It is no wonder I follow or pass and recognize more Merrell than any tread on the trail.

     Choosing the right shoe for its intended purpose is important.  There must be the right balance of weight versus comfort and durability, waterproofing or breathability.  On the PCT, breathable and fast drying shoes are recommended and a good outfitter suggested Merrell Ventilators when I was preparing for the PCT.  They helped cool my feet under hot conditions like our Southwest and dried so quickly after snow melt streams in the high Sierras.  I often do light running as well as hiking to remain conditioned during the off season and the very light and breathable running shoes from Merrills I have are great.

     Begin with the right footwear and your feet will take you to trails end.

Keep hiking,

Carl, aka Greybeard

GA/ME 1999

PCT 2008

Flying Squirrels

Flying Squirrels

I met a young couple today as I was cutting logs for future water bars and steps to be installed later in the season. They had just photographed a flying squirrel in flight, which is gliding from one tree to another. A sighting I have not had in 12 seasons as Ridgerunner in the Smokies.  I had never seen these nocturnal animals, but one other time in my lifetime of 73 years and enjoyed the photo. At night I have seen their little red eyes glowing high up in trees back home in Kentucky.

   Only one time had I spotted several up in a dead tree while hiking our woods above our house in Fairdale, Kentucky 15 years ago.   My wife and I were enjoying a pleasant summer afternoon, taking in the wildlife on beautiful sunny day.

A friend used to say if you retain just one little golden nugget from his Sunday school class then all his studying and preparation was worth it. I feel that way as I hike along daily in the Smokies, or anywhere, as a Ridgerunner or just hiking on a quiet nature path.  A chance sighting of a big owl sleeping in a tree, a coyote trotting through the woods, a bear on its back sleeping, or a big
Pileated woodpecker making that hollow sound while searching for bugs in a dead tree or a huge raven gliding into a tree near you; these are some of those golden nuggets like that little flying squirrel so seldom seen.

   If you notice looking for the picture of a squirrel, there is none. I am sorry to say that I inadvertently erased the email sent to me for this blog and I do hope the young couple who graciously sent it to me will do so a second time and I will try again.
Keep Hiking,
Carl, aka Greybeard

4/14/14   ENCOUNTERS

   I often meet interesting people as I hike the Smokies. Part of my job as a Ridgerunner is talking with those I meet to learn of problems or concerns and help them with park policies and mostly for conservation of the resources, just a term for keeping the park as pristine and natural as possible for now and the future. I am blessed to have the opportunity to share with those I encounter a unique and beautiful place. I counted 44 northbound thru hikers as I hiked south to the Fontana trailhead, finishing another week of the 2014 season, my 12^th.  I spent a sunny and warm week, ending on a cool morning, spitting rain, the beginning of a wet and cold period predicted.

   I met a family of four thru hikers entering the park for that section of the AT often anticipated by those who would challenge its 70 miles Often with concern for its challenges of difficult terrain and weather, while looking forward to the wildlife in the park, so diverse and beautiful.  Of note for this family was their two children, ages 7 and 9 with their smiling faces and the little fitted packs on their backs coming up to their father, who was graciously listening to my normal spiel. They gave all appearances of simply taking a walk in the woods, not on a 2180 thru hike of America’s most notable National scenic trail.

   Some might look hard on parents dragging such young ones on such an arduous journey but I saw two young people blessed with parents who were joining them on a journey that for most of us is a dream seldom realized but cherished by the few who do it. My own dream began at age 25 on my first trip in the Smokies and first sight of that white blaze my hiking buddy told me, “this goes all the way to Maine”.  My dream stayed with me until I retired and hiked the trail in 1999. I have heard countless stories and I can only imaging the memories these children will have and the education they will get. I went to a summer camp as a boy once and that week experience remains one of the most memorable and genuine learning experiences for me.

   I have since learned that the parents' home school their children and I believe this year will be a very good school year  A chance encounter is an educational experience, but thru hike is an encounter with life that is hard to beat.

   

SAWYER CERTIFICATION

For me the Course was a certification refresher.  I took the course in 2005 and have used many of the principal safety considerations for the past 6 years.  Most of our work is done with one main, large and/or small, pruning saws which we carry regularly into the back country.  Not having injured myself or left a saw stuck in a tree trunk is, in no small part, due to applying course information and practice.
Keep hiking,
Carl, aka Greybeard (GA/ME '99; PCT '08)

RIDGERUNNER SEASON 2014 HAS BEGUN

Ridgerunner Season has begun.  Last week we re-certified in WFA (Wilderness First Aid) with lectures on a variety of injuries and the ABCs of assessing situation and courses of action.  We later took part in a variety of scenarios applying principles for response in the back country.
The information and knowledge from the Course put on by NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute instructor, Phil, was made more real through his real life experiences.
Keep hiking,
Carl, aka Greybeard (GAME 1999; PCT 2008)

PACK IT IN PACK IT OUT

Pack It in Pack it Out

We all need an attitude adjustment occasionally.  Leave No Trace (LNT) is not just an organization dedicated to keeping all outdoors pristine; it is more than anything an “attitude”.  It is a concern for the individual coming after finding no evidence of our having been there.

As an AT Ridgerunner in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park for the past eleven seasons, I have encouraged all to practice LNT and cleaned up after those who have been less inclined to do so.

I have packed out hundreds of lbs of trash per season, from sleeping bags and tents, to food wrappers and everything in between.  I have found no better way to contain quantities of accumulated wrappers and food containers than ordinary plastic bottles.  Please note the collection of some of the beverage bottles I filled to bring out, clean, odorless and sealed.

The preferred bottle is an empty Gatorade which has a large enough lid and spout to put smashed cans in along with foil, plastic and paper wrappers, etc.  A 33oz Gatorade bottle can hold a week’s worth of trash from several people.

The photos I have uploaded represent weekly trash accumulations and representative trash packed in a bottle, in this case a 16oz water bottle cut open to show its’ contents on the ground, in a plastic grocery bag and in the bottle, right hand upper corner prone on a rock of the final picture.
Do you have an attitude?
Keep hiking and pack it in pack it out!

 

 

Wisconsin Group / Model LNT’ers

I met this group .5 miles north of Doe Knob, well organized, well led and had a plan. These high schoolers were from Madison East High School in Madison, Wisconsin, a group that has brought students to the Smokies for an outdoor Experience for the past 40 years.  Anyone can see the enthusiasm and the "I am glad to be here” look.  Their leader Ms. Erin Parker provided much of that enthusiasm but quickly let me know she has not been the leader for all those years.

A great experience and a fun trip is often the result of a well thought-out plan.  They were perfect LEAVE-NO-TRACE representatives.

Keep hiking,
Carl

“WHAT NOT TO DO”

I have seen many folks in the mountains less than prepared for the conditions the Smokies can throw at you but these three young people deserve not so honorable a mention. The "leader' of the three, a personable young man when I mentioned putting them on my blog, you mean for “what not to do“and I replied ‘basically’.  Sure he said. He seemed strong for his size as well he needed to be, for he must have emptied his mother’s food stores or someone's, selecting only canned goods and whatever he could find, in glass jars; deviating to carry many naval oranges. Actually he had stopped at a supermarket. Paul Newman would have been proud of him for selecting good sauces, in "glass" jars!
   
His youth and strength was tested still the next morning when he required considerable maneuvering and dexterity to get into and vertical with that pack even after providing the thru hikers the night before with plenty of pork & beans and such, relieving his load by half a dozen can goods.  All three managed to get to the shelter with plenty of wet gear, lacking only "dry" gear. Our leader even produced a nice hiker friendly down jacket. Well it would have been if it had been kept dry but instead it was reduced to a wet windbreaker.
  
I have written all this to hopefully emphasize the importance of planning, particularly when venturing into the back country not prepared for the weather and or terrain you could encounter.  Our friends and pleasant folks they were I think realized their error and hopefully left the back country by the nearest exit as I suggested.   In all fairness the weather was hard on all of us. 
Keep hiking,
Carl