Carol, thank you so much for sharing this. I love the line "people pack their fears." I am afraid of being cold and not having enough socks! I always pack too many layer options and too many socks. I'll think of that next time.
Beautiful website and beautiful daughter; makes me want to cry, she's so present and connected. One thing I loved in Utah this summer were the cairns that other hikers and rangers had put up marking the trail in places where it disappeared into the canyons and landscape; my friend and I built some too. This is the opposite of a great escape; feels like home. I will remember this. I would love to meet up with you on a trail someday. I don't have a trail name yet - yours? >________________________________ > From: Carol <jchwe...@gmail.com> >To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com >Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2013 12:09 PM >Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Backpacking --- Emily > > > >Wow Emily....I know you must have lots of trail tales. :) > >My first trip out I was way too heavy. Lightened up when I took a zero day in >Danville, VA. By the time I do my thru hike, I want to get really light. > >One thru-hiker I met on my 71-mile debut was trekking his 7th(I think it was) >thru hike. I think it was his third thru hike on the AT. We talked for a good >45 minutes as my son and I and he took a break on the trail. He lit his pipe >(tobacco) and stated, "People pack their fears." I thought it was a great >line. When I reached Danville a day later, I lightened my load...mainly >medical supplies; that was my fear. > >On a section hike in NY with my daughter, we met a couple who are doing a >project (or at least were doing it) entitled "Journey of Dreams." They were >hikiing and biking 10,000 miles and in the process video taping dreams from >10,000 hikers and bikers. > >I just now checked there website... >http://journeyofdreams.com/ > >My daughter appears in their Webisode #6. You can see and hear my daugher at >minute 5:26. >http://journeyofdreams.com/appalachian-trail-video/webisode-6-njny/ > >At some point I'll have to see if I can catch up with Ron & Diane and find out >where they are. (My time is stretched pretty thin these days.) > >I wrote a poem about meeting Ron & Diane...and the day they videoed my >daughter and I as we shared our dream for their camera... >Here's a link to the poem: >http://parchmentanthology.blogspot.com/2010/09/progeny.html > >Some of my most favorite folks are hikers and backpackers. Just in my few >short trips I've gained rich memories of the good in people. Plus, I've had >some trail angels leave food and water here and there. ;) > >Maybe I'll see you on a trail one day Emily. Do you have a trail name? :) > >****************** >--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Emily Reyn wrote: >> >> Hi Carol:  >> >> I grew up in the Northwest and backpacked most of my childhood - 15 years >> old.  These were family trips with cousins ranging from mostly "long >> weekend" jaunts to a 2-week long trip in the high sierras at about 15.  >> Then I took a long hiatus and left home for college and a wild ride through >> my 20's.  Picked it up again with my kids and friends and did 3-5 day trips >> in the Cascade mountains.  Have been on many of the hikes in the "100 >> hikes" book.  I upgraded finally and bought all new lighter-weight gear, as >> "toughing it out" old-school became too much for me in my mid-40's.  I >> don't like to feel like a mule any longer. Smile. >> >> Last summer I did 2 long camping trips (14 days and 10 days) on the WA coast >> and Utah, respectively, with long day hikes, but no backpacking.  I love >> being out there though - I had to step back a few years ago as I had back >> and knee injuries from skiing to recover from.  I hope to go again this >> summer. >> >> I've never hiked on the AT, but read the book "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill >> Bryson, which was humorous.  >> >> Seventy-one miles is a great accomplishment; must have been a fabulous trip. >>  Emily.  >> >> >> >> >________________________________ >> > From: Carol >> >To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com >> >Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2013 2:18 PM >> >Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Backpacking --- Emily >> > >> > >> > >> >Hey Emily... >> > >> >Thought I'd bump this in case you missed it before. >> > >> >Cheers! >> >~Carol :) >> > >> >*********** >> > >> >Emily, you mentioned in another post that you backpack. >> > >> >Have you done much backpacking and where are some of the places you have >> >backpacked? >> > >> >[...] >> > >> >**************** >> > >> >--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Carol" wrote: >> >> >> >> Emily, you mentioned in another post that you backpack. >> >> >> >> Have you done much backpacking and where are some of the places you have >> >> back packed? >> >> >> >> I just started backpacking in 2009. I've always loved the woods and have >> >> been a day hiker all my life, but my health (in the past) kept from being >> >> able to back pack. Finally (at age 49) I was well enough to give it a go. >> >> >> >> I've only done a little bit and my longest trip was only 71 miles. I've >> >> done other short trips for a night or two. >> >> >> >> I live on the east coast in North Carolina, so the Appalachian Trail is >> >> in my back yard and I feel at home there. I have backpacked a small >> >> portion of the AT in New York. >> >> >> >> My high school dream was to thru-hike the AT some day. I got chronically >> >> sick at age 22 and was stuck in that chronic ill health for a few decades. >> >> >> >> But now my high school dream is alive again. I want to thru-hike the AT >> >> the year I turn 60 or before if life circumstances fall into place prior >> >> to the big six zero. But, I'm thinking I'll hike the upper half (Harper's >> >> Ferry to Katahdin) and then take a bus back to Harper's Ferry and hike >> >> the lower half (Harper's Ferry to Springer). So technically it may be >> >> just two giant section hikes with a week or so off in between. >> >> >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > >
