A walk in the woods

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:25 pm

emmline wrote:
The Weekenders wrote: Frankly, my dream would be to walk England. Because they have a different concept of private property there. It's OKAY to walk across a known path on someone's farm, go over the turnstile or whatever and keep going. Not likely to get the pitbull, rifle or general alarm as we do here. As I would prefer to walk lightly, I would stay in BandBs and such. There is always a next town there.

I would do that in a flash.

Um, yes, that's the LAW. As I'm sure you know, some people don't take much stock by it. England has its fair share of landowners who cheerfully set barbed-wire across rights-of-way and bridle-paths, and will set dogs on you (or threaten to shoot you) and a few who, it is rumoured, still set out man-traps. By and large you can walk unmolested, as long as you take care to shut gates and keep to the marked paths and the edges of fields. But you have to beware of exceptions. If you were really intending to do such a thing, getting in touch with the local ramblers associations will point you in the right direction, so to speak. In my experience, walkers are better received in Scotland.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:37 pm

Happy Mid-life crisis!... er... I mean... Birthday!

Hey... you need to do what makes your spirit happy, and I'm not talking about eating any particular packaged cereal. Those who are happy in their lives don't tend to die as early, and if they do, don't tend to have as many regrets. Go for what you really want to do!

sbfluter · Post by **sbfluter** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:50 pm

Yes, I read the Bryson book. It was quite funny. And probably not too far from the kind of adventure I might actually have. Who knows.

I don't think I have been at my job long enough to request a leave of absence. Frankly after 2 weeks there I knew it was the wrong place for me. I've been trying to feel grateful. The company is decent and even does something that somewhat helps the environment, my boss is nice, many of my coworkers are nice, some are not nice at all though.

I cannot learn and I cannot think there. I have to do all this multi-tasking so I cannot be creative. It's not the type of person I am. I thought about finding the same work somewhere else, but I think maybe I'm losing interest. I'm not sure if that is true, but without any time to think I cannot figure it out.

A quote from a book I'm reading:

"A wild person with a calm mind can create anything."

monkey587 · Post by **monkey587** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:06 pm

sbfluter wrote:Yes, I read the Bryson book. It was quite funny. And probably not too far from the kind of adventure I might actually have. Who knows.

There's a big difference. Your path won't take you through Gatlinburg

sbfluter · Post by **sbfluter** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:19 pm

I stopped in a shop next to the Appalachian trail on a trip to Georgia a couple years ago. I really wish I would have bought the T-Shirt they had:

Hike faster - I hear Banjo music.

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:57 pm

sbfluter wrote:I stopped in a shop next to the Appalachian trail on a trip to Georgia a couple years ago. I really wish I would have bought the T-Shirt they had:

Hike faster - I hear Banjo music.

I say that the shirt's message is ambiguous. Are we to hike faster toward or away from the banjo music? I think that the authors of the line meant to slam banjos and banjo players, but there are some of us who might quicken our step toward a bluegrass jam.

sbfluter · Post by **sbfluter** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:24 pm

I'm sure it was a banjo joke (I suppose wandering into some old still is kinda like wandering into a California pot farm), but I'm with ya on wanting to go toward it.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:48 pm

(shudder)... Deliverance .... (shiver)

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:06 pm

Thorlos Socks.

Also, repellent. All kinds.

Ronbo · Post by **Ronbo** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:29 pm

sbfluter wrote:I'm sure it was a banjo joke (I suppose wandering into some old still is kinda like wandering into a California pot farm), but I'm with ya on wanting to go toward it.

How long do you think it will take you to hike from the southern border to the northern border? Hiking the whole Appalachian trail usually runs 4-5 months of steady pounding. Start in Ga in March and end up in Maine in July or August. Cold at both ends. Hot in the middle. Sort of like a microwave-cooked hot dog.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:48 pm

much of the PCT is above the tree line!

ya only get one midlife crisis, go for it!

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:50 pm

monkey587 wrote:
sbfluter wrote:Yes, I read the Bryson book. It was quite funny. And probably not too far from the kind of adventure I might actually have. Who knows.
There's a big difference. Your path won't take you through Gatlinburg

And perhaps you won't pick up Mary Ellen as a tag-along.

sbfluter · Post by **sbfluter** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:55 pm

Actually I'm not so sure I want to do Oregon and Washington. I would be quite happy to do all of California.

That said, the entire trip can be done in as little as 4 months if you hike about 21 miles each day. I don't think you'd want to take longer than 5.5 months. They used to take 6 months but that's really much too slow. The PCT is gentler compared to the AT, as I hear.

I did a section of the PCT a few years ago. I allotted myself 5 days to do it. I finished in 4 days. I was bored most days because I got to camp way too early and had to wait a long time until bedtime.

20 miles is a big challenge to me. 16 has always been my personal limit before it gets painful. I can do 20 or more (and I had planned to do 17.5 tomorrow but the weather turned nasty), but it does get painful.

I think this is a big snow year, so it might take longer. I really don't like snow, and I like swollen stream crossings even less. I'm probably insane but I really want to hike in the desert.

So, if I left in May I might be ok by the time I reach the Sierras. With any luck, since we've had so much rain, there will be wildflowers in the desert. Another dream of mine is to see wildflowers in the desert. Nothing makes my heart sing more than flowers. I would probably not even make it out of the desert I'd be in too much rapture.

Cork · Post by **Cork** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:09 pm

sbfluter wrote:Actually I'm not so sure I want to do Oregon and Washington...

Oh, please, I was looking forward to your Big Foot sightings, hopefully with some pictures!

;-)

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:46 pm

What Lamby said. Though I tend to prefer Smartwool socks. A good, light, strong pair of waterproof hiking boots (they say one pound on the feet is equal to five on the back).

And a stick. There's nothing quite like a good walking stick.

But it sounds like you know all that. The whole backpacking lifestyle tends to get romanticized a bit--mosquitoes and leaky rain gear and sore feet and sleeping on roots don't tend to make it into those nifty books.

But it is so worth it!

I am happy for you. (and, like Weeks, slightly envious) Any idea when you plan on leaving?