Nighttime Fears

Since we have started hiking our ultimate goal is to hike the Applachian Trial. In January we took our first overnight hike deep into the woods of Torreya State Park. We have discussed and researched at length (well David has researched) bear safety while hiking in the woods. We have bear pepper spray as a personal safety item. We have stuff sacks and line to hang our food high in a tree away from our tents to deter bears from mistaking us for a burrito while we lie in our bags at night. But during our first overnighter I began to have a bigger fear - Coyotes.

As you may have read in my January blog, I spent a very restless night on the first overnighter being a human ice cube. It was sometime in the early morning that I first heard the coyotes. I was sleeping and suddenly heard a very loud sound in the distance. Now it wasn't your typical coyote howl. It was like a large pack of animals all yipping at the same time and it sounded very eery and dangerous. I didn't know what it was but we determined that it was most likely coyotes. In my frozen state all I could ask David was if I should be afraid and he said no. I was too cold to argue.

The first weekend in February we went on an overnight trip to a park in Alabama called Open Pond. It was a campground but was very empty with only 4 other campers in the entire park. We were the only campers in the primitive area. Having wisened up and purchased a 20 degree sleeping bag since the last overnighter I was sleeping warmly when suddenly I was awakened by the same eery, dangerous, yipping sound I had heard at Torreya. Coyotes! Now that I was warmer and my neurons were firing better I spent the next hour or so thinking about how maybe we had spent too much time worrying about bears and not enough worrying about coyotes. Coyotes are pack animals and as such we could be confronted with several animals at one time rather than a lone bear. We only have one can of pepper spray and it only last for several short seconds - is that enough to defend ourselve from a pack of coyotes - I doubt it! Then as I was lying there contemplating all the ways the coyotes were going to dismember me I realized that the bear pepper spray was in the back of the truck. Oops!

I haven't quite resolved how I feel about this new coyote fear but I think another can of pepper spray may be needed and we will have to be sure that the spray is in the tent with us at night!

Happy Hiking!

Lessons Learned on an Overnighter

First Overnighter - January 15, 2011

In my life I have taken up numerous hobbies. Bowling, pottery, scrapbooking, photography, painting, gardening , etc. One thing common to all of my hobbies is the learning curve. I can read all the magazines and books on a hobby and think that I know what to do, but what it boils down to is practice and getting out there and doing it. So on our first overnight hike in January we had read all the books and had a lot of new gear to try and a big learning curve to climb

Our JetBoil stove worked wonderfully. It was able to boil water within 2 minutes which came in very handy for that morning cup of coffee. Speaking of coffee, we used the new Starbucks Vie packets of instant coffee which were delicious. Dirt Track and Nibbles tried the Tasters Choice brand and were less than thrilled. While the Starbucks is significantly more expensive, it is an expense I will pay for a good morning cup of joe! For our food on this trip we bought the freeze dried variety of backpacking food. Mountain House was the brand we used. We had macaroni and cheese which was very yummy and creamy. Dirt Track and Nibbles had Beef Stroganoff which was super yummy, and Chili Mac which was also good. In the morning Dirt Track and Nibbles had scrambled eggs and bacon which was just okay in my opinion - it was a bit too bacony (if there is such a thing). But the biggest suprise was the freeze dried ice cream. It was a bar of neopolatin and the consistency was like the marshmallows in Lucky Charms cereal. You would break a piece off and put it in your mouth were it would dissolve into a creamy bit of flavor that was really good. It really did taste like ice cream without the coldness which considering it was about 40 degrees outside was okay with us.

The biggest lesson learned on this hike though was about sleeping bags. When we were shopping for our sleeping bags we were very concerned about weight since we have to carry all of our gear and every ounce counts when it is on your back! David chose a 20 degree sleeping bag since he is cold natured and was willing to carry a little extra weight for more warmth. I on the otherhand am hot natured so I chose a 40 degree sleeping bag which weighed less. I thought that since I am hot natured and will be wearing warm clothing while in the sleeping bag that a 40 degree sleeping bag would surely be warm enough. WRONG!!

The temperature on this trip dipped into the low 20's that night. When I first got in my bag I was all nice and toasty having just left the warmth of the campfire. About two hours later I awoke freezing! I took my jacket and laid it over my feet. Put my gloves and hat on and tried to snuggle deeper into the bag. An hour later my teeth were chattering and I was certain frostbite was setting in on my toes. I put on another pair of socks, another shirt and pants. Still freezing! We took David's jacket and zipped it up and then I put my legs into the arms so it would cover my feet the put the whole thing into the sleeping bag. Eventually I warmed enough to fall into a fitful sleep. Now while all this is going on David is in his 20 degree bag NAKED because he is so hot! But in his defense he offered to let me have his sleeping bag numerous times that night and at one point about 4 in the morning he actually ORDERED me to take his bag. I refused all his offerings and orders (I am not a good military person). He chose wisely when he bought his bag and I chose poorly, I did not think it was fair to ask him to be cold because of my poor choice. Personal responsibility and accountability applies on the trail just like it should in real life! But I love that he was willing to make that sacrifice for me!

As soon as daylight broke David covered me with his bag and went out to make a fire. I was so happy for that night to be over and to have survived the experience. Once I warmed up enough I took my socks off to check my toes for frostbite. They weren't black so I dodged that bullet. I can honestly say that I have never been that cold in my entire life nor do I ever want to do that again. I will be buying a new sleeping bag before the next overnighter and it will be a 20 degree bag. The lesson learned is that warmth is worth a few extra ounces of weight!

All in all the first overnight trip was a huge success. David was disappointed that he didn't get to try out his technique for pooping in the woods. I was thrilled to discover a discreetly placed Port-a-potty in the woods so we didn't have to poop in the woods.

The hike was beautiful.

The companionship of good friends was comforting.

The coyotes didn't eat us which is always a plus!

Happy Hiking!