aw. i love mesa verde! my sister is headed that way and can't wait.
― Kelsey Glamour (Nijoli), Saturday, 10 July 2010 00:33 (fourteen years ago) link
and my name is heather, by the way!
ok, i will try to visit you if (who am i kidding, WHEN) we have a rainy day
― ghee hee hee (La Lechera), Saturday, 10 July 2010 03:08 (fourteen years ago) link
aw
― tehresa, Saturday, 10 July 2010 03:30 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah, you don't need Roaring Fork at all. It's only (? from memory) like 11 miles long, and it's a loop. I've walked it a few times to get to trails when it was closed to traffic. Newfound Gap Rd. will get you everywhere you want to be.
― roxymuzak, Sunday, 11 July 2010 00:13 (fourteen years ago) link
FYI Abrams Falls IS easy, but incredibly rocky and considered one of the 10 most dangerous hikes in America for this reason (and also the fact that people die swimming there). The NPS discourages getting in the water at Abrams. That aside, it is one of my favorite hikes. Skip: Clingman's Dome, unless you are fetishistic about reaching "highest point(s) in _______." It is ugly this time of year, and way too crowded, but it is the highest point in TN. Something I would really recommend is going up to the Mt. Sterling shelter and camping there. It is the only shelter camping experience you can get without hiking a lot, or really, at all. It's close via car to Newfound Gap which is worth a stop for the view (you'll be there anyway if you do Charlie's Bunion, IMO the 2nd best hike in the Smokies, and awesome this time of year). Of course, the jewel in the crown of the Smokies is Mt. Leconte and I can't advise anyone to skip it ever. If you only come here once, you really must do it. Only 5 miles up from the Alum Cave trailhead. A tough 5, but not too tough, and more worth it than anything you'll ever do.
― roxymuzak, Sunday, 11 July 2010 00:35 (fourteen years ago) link
I would recommend the Boulevard as the trail up Mt. Leconte. It's longer, but a lot less (I won't say strenuous, it probably evens out) constantly uphill. It's 8 miles of incredible beauty and surprises. For real. It is THE Smoky Mountain experience.
Also cool and really easy is Kephart Prong (named after ultimate bro Horace Kephart), only 2 miles, and there is a beautiful shelter to camp in. It's great this time of year. Lots of stream crossings (w/ footbridges) and covered in wildflowers. Perfect forest hiking, perfect backwoods camping.
― roxymuzak, Sunday, 11 July 2010 00:44 (fourteen years ago) link
(Should have said "though" after my sentence about the Boulevard. Basically just don't take the Bullhead)
oh phew, it's a relief that roaring fork isn't 100% necessary -- i was worried that it would be the only way that we can access the places we want to go.
i do want to visit the jewel in the crown of the smokies, though -- will not skip. whee forest hiking wildflowers ultimate smoky mtn experience! i am c/p-ing all of this into a doc that i will print and bring along. otherwise i am likely to forget all of your advice.
!!muchisimas gracias!!
― ghee hee hee (La Lechera), Sunday, 11 July 2010 00:47 (fourteen years ago) link
seriously, when the SMA was trying to get the feds to make the smokies a national park...they took them to Mt. Leconte.
<3 I hope you love the Smokies. It is my favorite place on earth and I have devoted my life to it.
― roxymuzak, Sunday, 11 July 2010 00:49 (fourteen years ago) link
well, i certainly feel fortunate to have your advice on my visit :)
have fun on tour! sorry i'm missing you in chicago. i will tell mt leconte you said wuzzup/luv.
― ghee hee hee (La Lechera), Sunday, 11 July 2010 00:55 (fourteen years ago) link
i loved the smokies! pics forthcoming as soon as i get my shit organized and pick up my (other) dog from the dude who was taking care of him. we took the puppy with us, which interfered with hiking a little bit but mostly interfered because she got her first period while we were there :-/
the short story is that * hiking in the early morning is MY JAM. so quiet, so spooky.* charlie's bunion hike was my favorite because it was SO foggy and SO quiet and there was no one there but us. lots of awesome gnarly trees. we saw some people on the way down, but no one on the way up. * boots were ok, but can anyone explain why my feet felt numb and then extremely painful in the toe area on the way down any steep incline? is it my feet or the boots, you think? * smokies rule
many thanks to nij/rox for their valuable expertise.
― ghee hee hee (La Lechera), Monday, 19 July 2010 21:51 (fourteen years ago) link
boots too big imo
― be told and get high on coconut (gbx), Monday, 19 July 2010 21:54 (fourteen years ago) link
if they felt numb, probably too tight
― just1n3, Tuesday, 20 July 2010 01:22 (fourteen years ago) link
i had a pair of amazing ecco gor-tex hiking boots that i couldn't wear bc they did the same thing after 30mins or so - i think it was bc altho the leather would have stretched after wearing them in, the gor-tex wouldn't.
― just1n3, Tuesday, 20 July 2010 01:23 (fourteen years ago) link
TREES
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4812014025_3b7f02c0fe.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4812648290_75d8dd4126.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4812649230_e499fa6cc2_b.jpg
― ghee hee hee (La Lechera), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 19:35 (fourteen years ago) link
VIEWhttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/4812031209_fcbdf59e61.jpg
daaaaaang
― be told and get high on coconut (gbx), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 20:04 (fourteen years ago) link
so are my boots too big (gbx, doctor) or too small (justin3, shoe expert)?
it is a mystery
― ghee hee hee (La Lechera), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 20:27 (fourteen years ago) link
i mean if the pain/numbness happens only when going downhill, it might be because your toes are sliding forward and banging the end of yr boots. this has been my experience, at least. you could try some insoles, they usually do a good job of holding yr feet in the same place while you move around
― be told and get high on coconut (gbx), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 20:42 (fourteen years ago) link
i had some insoles and i removed them because it seemed like they were crowding my toes. it got a little better, but still happened on the final day of hiking. as soon as i took my boots off and rubbed my feet a little, the pain was totally gone. this makes me think it's the boot and not a deformed/fucked up foot.
― ghee hee hee (La Lechera), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 20:48 (fourteen years ago) link
in my opinion, most numbness, toe-banging, and blister issues arise when boots are too stiff. i really don't think it's necessary to have a traditional leather hiking boot unless you're carrying a pack that's 25 - 30% of your weight. once i finally switched to trail runners as my hiking (and backpacking shoes), i stopped getting problems similar to what you've described.
if you want to stick with boots, i second gbx's recommendation for insoles - get a pair that is advertised as low profile. superfeet insoles are probably best at holding your feet in place, because they have a lot of arch support and a really deep heel cup, or you can get customizable ones from montrail or sole that are a little less extreme.
― dad, i wanna be a lothario speedwagon (ytth), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 01:39 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah i am 100% of trail runners---i haven't used a "real" hiking boot in like ten years
― be told and get high on coconut (gbx), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 02:22 (fourteen years ago) link
~in favor~
huh
mine aren't leather, but they are boots. will take into consideration. i like the sturdiness of boots, and the very solid sole, and the fact that i can wear them in the snow, but i always find myself wanting a pair of hiking shoes BUT i don't want to ruin my running shoes. so many shoes.
― ghee hee hee (La Lechera), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 12:01 (fourteen years ago) link
gahhh need car miss hikes ;_;
― tehresa, Friday, 23 July 2010 20:55 (fourteen years ago) link
I just got back from approx two weeks of hiking in NE Oregon, where I calculate I hiked about 110 miles and 20,000 ft. of elevation gain and loss in 12 days of hikes. I may post a few pics later. I feel great btw. It's my form of periodic rejuvenation.
However, I drove 350 miles today to get home, and boy are my arms tired (no, uh, wait a sec; dammit; wrong joke).
― Aimless, Wednesday, 11 August 2010 04:45 (fourteen years ago) link
welcome back! that sounds great. i love oregon.
― estela, Wednesday, 11 August 2010 04:53 (fourteen years ago) link
Wallowas? Steens? or somewhere else?
my wife is camping on the headwaters of the Metolius near Bend OR right now, she goes camping with some of her girlfriends every summer.
― bug holocaust (sleeve), Wednesday, 11 August 2010 05:26 (fourteen years ago) link
I want to go hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains! I need to see when my Knoxville friend will be in Knoxville again, maybe she will come with me if I don't mention the bears.
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Wednesday, 11 August 2010 08:58 (fourteen years ago) link
I was in the Wallowas. That place is starting to become my second home. I would have branched out this year and done a long section of the PCT for a change, but the late melt-out for this year's snow buggered those plans but good.
― Aimless, Wednesday, 11 August 2010 18:27 (fourteen years ago) link
BTW, the Metolius area is OUTSTANDING! My wife and I will go backpacking together near there next week, in the Mt. Jefferson wilderness. This is a big trip for us, because my wife hasn't done such an ambitious hike for almost a decade.
― Aimless, Wednesday, 11 August 2010 18:29 (fourteen years ago) link
Not sure what size this will come out. Sorry if it is huge. Flickr has been monkeying with how this is done and I am in strange territory.
This pic is the headwaters of the South Fork of the Imnaha River at dusk.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29988498@N05/4885396201
― Aimless, Thursday, 12 August 2010 18:13 (fourteen years ago) link
eh. Let me work on this later.
― Aimless, Thursday, 12 August 2010 18:14 (fourteen years ago) link
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Wednesday, August 11, 2010 4:58 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark
Surely any Knoxvillian knows there are bears! Haw
― proprietor of gib (roxymuzak), Thursday, 12 August 2010 20:39 (fourteen years ago) link
We apologize for unavoidable delays caused by YACT (Yet Another Camping Trip).
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4885396201_11a9b153d1_z.jpgS. Imnaha R. at dusk
― Aimless, Saturday, 21 August 2010 19:40 (fourteen years ago) link
Technology Gets Hikers Into Trouble
― nickn, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 05:16 (fourteen years ago) link
mmm love that photo, aimless!i miss pnw!
― tehresa, Friday, 3 September 2010 01:44 (fourteen years ago) link
getting car this weekend - need to start planning virginia/w virginia hikes now :)
mt rogers. ill meet you there. wild miniature horses that won't leave you alone. beautiful views.
― proprietor of gib (roxymuzak), Sunday, 5 September 2010 17:35 (fourteen years ago) link
wild miniature horses that won't leave you alone. omg seriously?
― The Great Jumanji, (La Lechera), Sunday, 5 September 2010 17:58 (fourteen years ago) link
yes, yes 1000x yes
― proprietor of gib (roxymuzak), Sunday, 5 September 2010 21:20 (fourteen years ago) link
ohmygosh!it is too long a drive for a regular weekend hike... but maybe we should meet there some dayand then go to the trail of tears mini golf after!
― tehresa, Monday, 6 September 2010 15:45 (fourteen years ago) link
miniature wild ponies that is so dreamy
― The Great Jumanji, (La Lechera), Monday, 6 September 2010 16:35 (fourteen years ago) link
headed here in fifteen minutes:
http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/88/68388-004-16B9EFFB.jpg
http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/tennessee/images/s/lookout-mountain.jpg
― i am giving you the caesar salad of compliments (Nijoli), Wednesday, 15 September 2010 16:02 (fourteen years ago) link
BF and i might do mt rogers tomorrow
http://www.virginia.org/images/Wildlife/MtRogersPonies.jpg
― hoos wears orange camo pants ffs (roxymuzak), Saturday, 2 October 2010 18:44 (thirteen years ago) link
flocka wild ponies
cowgirl it, roxy!
― Aimless, Saturday, 2 October 2010 19:28 (thirteen years ago) link
i am going to cuddle them
― hoos wears orange camo pants ffs (roxymuzak), Saturday, 2 October 2010 19:30 (thirteen years ago) link
aimless: ew
― horton whores a ho (crüt), Saturday, 2 October 2010 19:31 (thirteen years ago) link