Slackpacking South from PA

Decades ago, when I sailed the briny blue on a Coast Guard cutter, we had a salty mustang (i.e., a former enlisted member) serving as engineer officer.  When things were hectic, he would often opine “I’m so darn busy, I don’t know whether to scratch my watch or wind my *ss!”  I smile when I think of those statements; it reminds me that there is humor in the multifaceted challenges I face.

The Tension of Backpacking

I thought of this adage because I am buried in what I have dubbed “the tension of backpacking.”  It is not quite “analysis paralysis” (reviewing and re-reviewing so many options that you can’t decide on one), but it is not very different.  It relates to what goes into my thru-hiking backpack.

My default mode it to cover all options.  This comes from years in the Coast Guard (which has a motto of “Semper Paratus,” translated to “Always Ready”), and time as a leader in the Boy Scouts (which has a motto of “Be Prepared”).  These both suggest that if you are not certain, then you include the item in your kit to ensure your readiness for whatever might pop up.  Luckily, my good buddy Steve has a great adage he picked up concerning backpacking logistics – “Don’t pack your fears.”  This suggests you don’t focus on the unknowns, the worst situations, the things that worry you, or the “what ifs.”  Covering all those bases is going to add a lot of weight to a pack that is already too heavy.  The tension between these two approaches is causing some headaches.

I am fortunate, however, in that we use a practice in our family learned from the Boy Scouts, where it was applied at Troop meetings after every outdoor event.  Called “Start, Stop and Continue,” it is a simplified way of reviewing a recent event to see what you need to change for your next campout or hike.  More formal versions are called “lessons learned,” or a “hot wash.”  It asks: what should you start doing that was not part of the plan, what should you stop doing that was part of your campout, and what worked well that you should continue using on your next event?  I’ve applied this to the slackpacking we’ve done over the last week, and I’ve dropped some items from my kit.  We’ll see how it applies over the next week.

Slackpacking in Southern PA

Steve and I have enjoyed eight days of slackpacking, which started in Duncannon, PA on February 17.  Initially the weather and terrain were challenging.  On our first day we ascended and crossed two ridges, separated by dormant hay fields.  The ridges were covered in ice and snow, and high winds and freezing temperatures kept us focused on moving.  The snow and ice on the trail required microspikes to make it up the ice-covered steps of Hawk Hill – only one fall was needed to convince us!  The colors were basic and stark: brown tree trunks, grey boulders, and white in the snow and scuttling cumulus clouds.  We enjoyed good views, but we didn’t linger.

We subsequently followed the AT across the Cumberland Valley to Boiling Springs.  Having lived in and traveled through the Cumberland Valley, I was surprised at how the trail took advantage of small copses of trees and edges of corn and hay fields to maintain a rustic feel, despite the occasional traffic sounds from the PA Turnpike, Interstate 81, and regional roads.  The valley was not completely flat, and one farm field contained a sinkhole with several boulders in it – at least that’s my educated guess as to what I saw.  Dickinson College in nearby Carlisle, PA has numerous limestone buildings on campus, testament to the region’s geology.  Sinkholes are not uncommon in the area.  I thought of taking a photo, but my phone reacted slowly due to the subfreezing temperatures (it is much better behaved at home).

One of the challenges I hadn’t anticipated was hiking on the variety of snow and ice on the trail.  On especially narrow reaches of the AT the ice was thick and uneven due to the many feet that had previously traversed it.  In some areas the snow was crunchy; in others soft.  I tried to figure what caused the differences – vegetative cover, southern exposure, access to the predominant western winds?  I couldn’t figure it out, so I just lowered my head and hiked on.

We continued on to Caledonia State Park, using six days to complete the 65 miles.  I was surprised on the hike from Big Flat (Shippensburg Road) south to Caledonia State Park.  I have hiked that stretch at least three times in the last six months, and many more times over the years.   Despite this, there were parts of that section that were unfamiliar to me.  Mark Twain wrote in Life on the Mississippi of earning his river pilot status, and how daily changes in the river were serious challenges: new sandbars, changing water levels, stronger (and weaker) currents, and deadfalls from undermined trees.  I thought of that book when hiking above Caledonia State Park, as the noisy winds, snow on the trail and forest floor, and bare trees confused me as to my location.

We are now down into Maryland, with a few more hikes, a handful of zero days, and then our launch onto the AT headed south from Harpers Ferry.  I am going to miss my shower after every slackpack hike!

Guest Hikers

We have been fortunate to have guest hikers join us, mostly members of Steve’s local hiking club.  Trekkers came along for daily hikes of 9 to 12 miles despite the low temperatures and high winds.  It was great fun!  We typically had one per day, but the club had a group send-off hike, followed by chilly snacks at a local park.  I have yet to meet a hiker that isn’t friendly and supportive, and this bodes well for our thru-hike.

Critters of the Trail

I am not a great observer, but so far, I have heard woodpeckers, a wild turkey, and crows, and saw what I believe was a kingfisher (due to the tall head and stout beak).  Squirrels and a chipmunk have made appearances.  I saw canine tracks head off into the woods; perhaps it was a coyote? 

Future Posts

I plan to post my next blog via my cell phone.  My brother Dutch gifted me a foldable, portable keyboard (yes, my number of electronic doo-dads is growing).  I still need a few tips on using my phone in nontraditional ways (at least for me), and fine-tuning the use of my GPS receiver and communicator.  Our family expert is supposed to be available in a few nights.  I feel that teaching me to use some of these functions is akin to getting an armadillo to ride a unicycle (with the exception that the armadillo likely has a better memory). 

Despite these concerns, all is good from southern PA.  Hogmaw out.