New Hamsphire is tough! You have to hike downhill to go up and you really have to hike uphill to go up. It's all good though. This trip they only managed to stay at a shelter area one night, the rest was stealth camping off the trail. Apparently it was a huge mistake waiting out the rain and starting at noon after the first night. There was just no way these two could do 9-10 mile days in NH between noon and dark and that first day put them off the schedule to make the rest of the shelters by dark in this section. Didn't they make the same mistake when they were finishing Massachusetts?
Stealth camping did turn out to be a fun challenge. Our travellers had to find a secluded spot to set up each night out of sight of the trail. One major benefit is the ground is a lot softer in the woods than on a wood tent platform or a hardened dirt tent-site. Another benefit is you don't have to share your space with anyone but your hiking partner. Well, it ain't perfect, I grant you. Mornings at the stealth site usually entailed interesting dialogue. Bartender: "wow, I slept well on the soft ground. Let's get going. Um, which way to the trail?" Tin Man: "what trail?"
October 2006, 40.5 miles
Stealth camping did turn out to be a fun challenge. Our travellers had to find a secluded spot to set up each night out of sight of the trail. One major benefit is the ground is a lot softer in the woods than on a wood tent platform or a hardened dirt tent-site. Another benefit is you don't have to share your space with anyone but your hiking partner. Well, it ain't perfect, I grant you. Mornings at the stealth site usually entailed interesting dialogue. Bartender: "wow, I slept well on the soft ground. Let's get going. Um, which way to the trail?" Tin Man: "what trail?"
October 2006, 40.5 miles
No comments:
Post a Comment