BirdShooter

[BirdShooter]

It’s still for sale and you can have it all … a place to live, mini-outfitter, hostel, shuttle-service for $205,000 or less. Here’s a link to an article at AppalachianTrail.com:

http://appalachiantrail.com/20140912/for-sale-shaws-lodging-in-monson-an-appalachian-trail-icon/

“You love the outdoors. You live to fish and hunt and hike. You love all four seasons. You love people and enjoy meeting strangers. You’re tired of working for The Man and want to pursue your dreams. You must buy Shaw’s Lodging in Monson, Maine.”

[BirdShooter]

We were tweaking the forums this week – but they are live again.

[BirdShooter]

No more squiggly lines – we now have a new CAPTCHA to stop the spammers. Hope this helps.

[BirdShooter]

There’s talk about this again ….

Bill Bryson’s A Walk In The Woods, set to start filming?

There have been rumors of a movie being made about Bill Bryson’s book
A Walk In The Woods for the last few years. But is it finally going to happen? If you believe the LA Times, then maybe….

“ But now, in what portends to be great news for fans of the book, not to mention fans of Robert Redford and Nick Nolte, veteran filmmaker Richard Linklater is set to take the helm. The Los Angeles Times reports that shooting of the independently financed movie could begin as early as this fall, according to Robert Redford, who will produce and star in the film. Nick Nolte will star as Katz opposite Redford’s Bryson.”

I’m still having troule seeing Nick Nolte as Katz, but then again … I haven’t seen him on screen in a while. The more I think about it .. he could be perfect in that role. Regardless, I’m glad to not be thru-hiking the A.T. in 2014-15. If the movie really films this fall and releases by next year – it will be a madhouse on Springer Mountain in the Spring.

[BirdShooter]

Member Blog is now fixed!

[BirdShooter]

We are still working on the member blog, but hope to have it fixed soon.

[BirdShooter]

Warren, I have deleted your account per your request and you were right – for some reason the CAPCHA code wasn’t working properly on the “Contact Us” page so I turned this feature off.

YourHikes members – if you ever want to opt out of YourHikes membership or communications, just send an email via the “contact us” link:

Contact Us

Thanks,

BirdShooter
Site Administrator

[BirdShooter]

I’ve heard a lot of thru-hikers are using Osprey’s these days but I have no experience with these backpacks. In my day (1994), the Dana Design Terraplane was all the rage. I upgraded to a medium Terraplane in Hanover, NH (5800 cubic inches) but it was too small for me in size (not in capacity) and I eventually bought a large Terraplane (~6200 cubic inches) in 1996. I use the large Terraplane on short backpacking trips to this day. The only issue is that the Terraplane is really heavy – 7+ lbs.

With all the advances in technology since ’94, I’d shoot for a pack that weighs no more than 4 lbs. My “go to”

[BirdShooter]

I have never hiked the trail along the East Fork but have hiked the entire Chattooga River and Foothills Trail in this area.

Do you have this book? Guide to the Foothills Trail On page 48, it details this area from Sloan Bridge SC 107 to Fish Hatchery Road to Burrell’s Ford. on page 109 it mentions the spur that you reference here as “trail to connect with the Foothills Trail turns left (east) and climbs toward Medlin Mountain”

[BirdShooter]

aI have never hiked the trail along the East Fork but have hiked the entire Chattooga River and Foothills Trail in this area.

Do you have this book? Guide to the Foothills Trail On page 48, it details this area from Sloan Bridge SC 107 to Fish Hatchery Road to Burrell’s Ford. on page 109 it mentions the spur that you reference here as “trail to connect with the Foothills Trail turns left (east) and climbs toward Medlin Mountain”

[BirdShooter]

At 30 degrees, I don’t expect that your rectangular bag will cut it – especially at Mt. Lemmon in the winter (which is in Arizona, right?) If you plan to do some backpacking at those temperatures (or lower), you definitely need a mummy bag so that you can trap heat against your body – which is actually what keeps you warm. Heat escapes out of the top of a rectangular bag – so they are much less effective at keeping you cozy.

If money is tight – get a synthetic mummy sleeping bag. They are heavier than down bags, but less expensive. You can check out http://backpackingsleepingbagsblog.com for some ideas. A low-end mummy bag sells for $100 or less, but shoot for 2-3 lbs if you can afford it – especially if you plan to backpack a lot.

Liners are available for less than $50 – and you could put one in your rectangular bed and get 10+ more degrees. Sleeping on a mat/pad will also help keep you a bit warmer (and add some comfort), but sooner or later you are going to have to bite the bullet and upgrade if you plan to do four-season backpacking. Maybe Santa can help in a few weeks. Regardless, enjoy the trip.

[BirdShooter]

There is a size limit, so keep the photo to under 1 meg and you should be find. Just go to “My Profile” and “Add A New Image”. Welcome.

[BirdShooter]

In Episode 5 of the N2Backpacking podcast series, Ken Knight (aka The Weasel) discusses his experiences on the Chattooga River Trail which is a nearly forty mile route that borders the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia and follows the bank of the Chattooga National Wild And Scenic River from Burrell’s Ford to US 76.

In the podcast, we discuss four separate sections of the trail, some historical points (including Ellicott Rock and Commissioner Rock), some scenic waterfalls (including Spoonauger Falls and Kings Creek Falls), historical artifacts found along the river, night hiking and running in to hunting dogs on the trail, and why the Chattooga River is one of the most scenic areas in the Southeastern U.S.

[BirdShooter]

I bet most would sneak through it, but the Forest Service only closed the A.T. in this area for overnight camping. Day hikers were still permitted to continue to hike the A.T. in this section – which would of course include all thru hikers.

[BirdShooter]

Here’s an 8+ mi loop at Mt. Mitchell that has some campsites on it. If you have some snow (which I expect you will this time of year), this might be about the right distance for you:

https://n2backpacking.com/my_hikes/north_carolina/mt%20mitchell/mitchell%2010_00D.htm

If you make it there – let us know how it goes with a post here.

BirdShooter

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