Backpacking & Hiking

[ycartrob]

I want to do the Milford Track in New Zealand. My nephew did it this spring and said it was amazing. $$$$, however, if I start saving today...

http://www.firstlighttravel.com/walk_loc_milford.html#1

[pawpaw]

New Zealand is HIGH on my list of places I'd love to visit...that area looks amazing.

Here are some pics from a hike I did yesterday, into an area called the Meiss Meadows Basin. It's not far south of Lake Tahoe, the trailhead I hiked in from is right up at Carson Pass on Hwy 88.



This is hiking up the first ridge, up and over into the Meiss Basin. A big, open ridge.


In the Meiss Meadows Basin. This has been a really dry year, and it's pretty late in the season, so things were pretty dried out. Still very pretty though.


My lunchtime stop destination, Round Lake. The water was a pretty blue/green color, and I'm sure cold as hell...elevation somewhere around 8,500 ft.


This is a rocky peak I scrambled up to for a view...you can see Lake Tahoe in the distance.


One of a series of lakes (ponds really) imaginatively called Four Lakes.


Some cool, gnarly High Sierra trees on the way out...juniper I think.

[bearass]

just got back from a nice 5 day getaway in the old mark twain forest here in missouri had a few good day hikes me legs is burnin today though

[pawpaw]

...bump...

Anyone have any cool adventures planned for the summer? I might get a couple day hikes in, but baby keeps us pretty close to home...

[aMillionDreams]

My buddy and I are going to hit up Flloyd's Knob soon, which supposed to be a nice 5 mile hike over the knobs overlooking the Ohio River.  I'd like to do some backpacking but we'll see how that goes.

[searchinbig]

Damn bbill it makes me sad that you're leaving SF...I think I'll go cry now :'(

:) Yeah, there are a lot of things I will miss, but I'm actually happy to be leaving. I was never meant to end up in SF, and now's a great time to leave.

...ANYWAY, getting back on topic...I know we've got a lot of East Coasters on this Forum...tell me about the Appalachian Trail. What parts do you know and love?

Hey Bbill.........Damn, I missed this thread!

I live on the Appalachian Trail in NYS. It' my back yard. The kids and I go up the mountain a few times a year. There's a great view called Lookout Point behind the house in Greenwood Lake. Here's a pic of the kids . This is right behind my house! I'm blessed to live here.

This is facing due East. On a clear day you can see NYC.  :)

[pawpaw]

Damn bbill it makes me sad that you're leaving SF...I think I'll go cry now :'(

:) Yeah, there are a lot of things I will miss, but I'm actually happy to be leaving. I was never meant to end up in SF, and now's a great time to leave.

...ANYWAY, getting back on topic...I know we've got a lot of East Coasters on this Forum...tell me about the Appalachian Trail. What parts do you know and love?

Hey Bbill.........Damn, I missed this thread!

I live on the Appalachian Trail in NYS. It' my back yard. The kids and I go up the mountain a few times a year. There's a great view called Lookout Point behind the house in Greenwood Lake. Here's a pic of the kids . This is right behind my house! I'm blessed to live here.

This is facing due East. On a clear day you can see NYC.  :)

Cool man! That looks like a fun place to live! Looks like you have great family too.  :)

Have you done much hiking along the AT? What kind of trees are in the forests around there? See much wildlife? Sorry, I geek out with this kind of stuff... ::)

[searchinbig]

Damn bbill it makes me sad that you're leaving SF...I think I'll go cry now :'(

:) Yeah, there are a lot of things I will miss, but I'm actually happy to be leaving. I was never meant to end up in SF, and now's a great time to leave.

...ANYWAY, getting back on topic...I know we've got a lot of East Coasters on this Forum...tell me about the Appalachian Trail. What parts do you know and love?

Hey Bbill.........Damn, I missed this thread!

I live on the Appalachian Trail in NYS. It' my back yard. The kids and I go up the mountain a few times a year. There's a great view called Lookout Point behind the house in Greenwood Lake. Here's a pic of the kids . This is right behind my house! I'm blessed to live here.

This is facing due East. On a clear day you can see NYC.  :)

Cool man! That looks like a fun place to live! Looks like you have great family too.  :)

Have you done much hiking along the AT? What kind of trees are in the forests around there? See much wildlife? Sorry, I geek out with this kind of stuff... ::)

Yupper. The family means everything to us. We hike in our area pretty much. It's mostly deciduous, with scattered patches of beautiful pines.  Last time up we found an Eagles nest with 2 babes. They hissed at us and we ran!! We consider ourselves the keepers of this stretch of the AT. I get pissed cause kids on their quads cruise my back yard so I gotta go chase the bastards. They plow over the shrooms and other parts of the trail, even though it's illegal to ride there. So i've become the old man I never thought I would!

All kinds of wildlife. The bears are coming round more often. They found and raided my compost bin so I moved it into my garage for the time being.

Bbill, you are not being a geek at all. I'd rather live here than the city. Surrounded by Mother Nature is awesome. The little guy and I are always back there finding new adventures.

[woodnymph]

Bumpty bump!!

View of the Graveyard Fields waterfalls off the Blue Ridge Parkwayyyyy, in its early Autumn cloak!!



View from the "Devil's Courthouse" overlook:



I sometimes wish I lived somewhere right along the Blue Ridge Parkway......  :)

[pawpaw]

Yo, nice pics woody! How cold has it been getting in NC overnight? Those trees are looking beautiful!

[he.who.forgets]

Bumpty bump!!

View of the Graveyard Fields waterfalls off the Blue Ridge Parkwayyyyy, in its early Autumn cloak!!



View from the "Devil's Courthouse" overlook:



I sometimes wish I lived somewhere right along the Blue Ridge Parkway......  :)

I love hiking the graveyards!  My family keeps a small house between Waynesville & Balsam so I've been hiking up in those parts many, many times. Really need to make a trip up that way this fall.

[el_chode]

Here's my collection from Acadia this past week:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elchode/collections/72157627835344506/

[woodnymph]

OOOOooo look at that MOSS!!!  Great pics, Chode!!  I can only imagine how gorgeous your trip was!!!

he who forgets~ that is AWESOME you've got a close-by connection in the area!!!  I hiked around a bit at the Graveyard lower falls area just last week and just HAD to go back this week.... the area is addicting!!  And whoa last time I went I don't remember even SEEING the falls from the road (I must've been glued to the road, which I guess is a good thing!)  But wow the colors are sure coming in up in those parts!  It's such a diverse climate, you can see the waves of green still happening in lower parts...... but every inch is gorgeous in my eyes!  :)

bbill it's been BRISK up in the mountains, I heard rumor that a few flakes fell somewhere in the mountains last weekend when temps in the valley even reached the upper 30s!  Mmmmm the new house I've moved into has a fire pit---can't wait to light it up!

LOve love love the early autumn down here so far!!!   :D :D

[pawpaw]

Choder, nice pictures! I've never been to Acadia, but I've got a hat from there that my wife brought me long ago, when we first started dating. Looks like a beautiful place.

[YouAre_GivenToFly]

Wow! Acadia is penciled in as part of a trip for me next summer.

[el_chode]

Choder, nice pictures! I've never been to Acadia, but I've got a hat from there that my wife brought me long ago, when we first started dating. Looks like a beautiful place.

It is. I hope to explore more areas like it. It was so relaxing. One of the few places I've ever felt like "this is where I belong" is along the various trails in the middle of the woods.

[el_chode]

Wow! Acadia is penciled in as part of a trip for me next summer.

If you want tips, let me know.

I was in the midst of starting a blog about my hiking adventures before I got hired at my job. Now, it is extremely stalled, but I hope to have it up and running. And by hiking adventures, I mean the hikes through Bar Harbor to get beer in the evening.