Phillygirl
12-28-2008, 06:25 PM
Goes to:
http://www.walking365.com/files/DNEDShoeKO2.jpg
So I got up early Friday morning and trekked up to the Appalachian Trail to continue with my attempt to complete the PA portion, day hike by day hike. It was a beautiful crisp day, about 32 degrees, no wind and no precipitation. We got to the parking lot at about 10:00 a.m. and were eagerly anticipating the day's hike. It was to be about 11 miles, but virtually no elevation gain, just plenty of rocks...it is Pennsylvania after all.
So after 3/10 of a mile on the highway we get to the trailhead. So far so good...except for two things: snow and ice. It was at least 3 inches deep. So deep that the rocks weren't an issue at all. But the trail was practically a skating rink. About 20 minutes into it my friend commented "you know it's inevitable that we're going to fall, sooner or later, right?" "Right." About 60 seconds later, I proved him right. It was a fun fall, though, as I managed to land on all fours. So we keep plugging, errr, skating along. It was slow going and lots of slipping and sliding. There was virtually no way to get a toe or a foothold anywhere. Lots of blowdowns, which helped a bit, as at least walking on the branches in the way helped alleviate some of the slippage. After about a mile, and crossing a power line path, which had no snow, just solid ice, my friend decided that it was simply impassable and we were going to have to turn back. Disappointing, as only once in about 9 years have we ever aborted a hike...again that had to do with ice on what is known as "The River of Rocks". So, we turn back and as I try to recross the power line breezeway, down I go again. Another good landing, although the Russian judge only gave me a 7. 1/2 a mile later, my friend went down. He's not nearly as graceful as I am, and instead of landing knee, knee, palm, palm; he lands splayed out on his belly, with his head dangerously close to one of the hundreds of portruding rocks on the ground. That is sobering, but we had already aborted and were almost back to the trailhead anyway.
So, what to do? It's still early in the day, and hotel check in isn't until about 2:00 or 3:00. So we stop at Cabela's...the mecca for all things outdoors. But without something specific in mind, we leave with nothing but the knowledge that we have killed enough time to make our post-hike stop at a pub at a respectable hour.
The weather reports are for highs in the 40's and up to 50 the next day, so we decide that we will make a bit of a late start the next day, so that the snow and ice have a chance to melt. We leave the hotel around 9:00, only to see that it is completely overcast and chances are the snow and ice aren't much different than they were the day before. It is then that we realize how stupid we had been the day before at Cabella's. They probably have some yak tracks or other such crampons to hook onto our boots. So we trek back out their to outdoor mega world. Our choices are limited. There is one pair of chain thingies to hook onto the boots (for almost $50) and one pair of Due North do-hickies. Except that an older gentleman is holding them in his hands. I check another wall, and there are two additional pairs. Even though we view them skeptically, and one doesn't even appear to be my size, I grab them both, just as the older gentleman wanders over to see if he can pick the store clean of them. But I have them. He brightens considerably at seeing them in my hands, and proceeds to tell me how great they are. Yeah, yeah, we'll see old-timer. They look like cheap Chinese imports, and while they may work just dandy for your neighbors who trekked around the reservoir...we're off to the Appalachian Trail!
Having no alternative, we buy them. I try them on my boots in the car, and while they are slightly oversized, since they appear to be made for everyday shoes, instead of hiking boots, they actually fit surprisingly well. My friend's fit his boots, although much more snugly.
We head up to the trailhead, still uncertain as to whether these $14 pieces of rubber and carbide will actually do any good. Surprisingly, they work perfectly. No more sliding, no more slipping, and no more graceful Phillygirl doing what appears to be a drunken interpretation of the Sugar Plum Fairy on the trail.
It was still slow going because each step required additional "harumph" both on the way down into the ice and back out again. So we only did about 6 miles. But they worked!! And after not being out on the trail in 6 months, it felt good to be back there. The temperature was perfect (about 34 degrees) and I was able to see a lot of deer tracks and rubbings. It was a bit nerve wracking as the trail crossing on State Game Lands and some idiot was hunting awfully close to the trail. My hiking outfit apparently makes me look awfully close to a white tailed deer (remind me not to buy the white fleece and khaki pants again), but at least my friend had on orange blaze and I stuck close by him, in case the hunter got any ideas.
But, as to the OP, the Due Norths definitely deserve the Great Gear Award so far. At under $15, one of the best must have pieces of equipment I've purchased in awhile.
http://www.walking365.com/files/DNEDShoeKO2.jpg
So I got up early Friday morning and trekked up to the Appalachian Trail to continue with my attempt to complete the PA portion, day hike by day hike. It was a beautiful crisp day, about 32 degrees, no wind and no precipitation. We got to the parking lot at about 10:00 a.m. and were eagerly anticipating the day's hike. It was to be about 11 miles, but virtually no elevation gain, just plenty of rocks...it is Pennsylvania after all.
So after 3/10 of a mile on the highway we get to the trailhead. So far so good...except for two things: snow and ice. It was at least 3 inches deep. So deep that the rocks weren't an issue at all. But the trail was practically a skating rink. About 20 minutes into it my friend commented "you know it's inevitable that we're going to fall, sooner or later, right?" "Right." About 60 seconds later, I proved him right. It was a fun fall, though, as I managed to land on all fours. So we keep plugging, errr, skating along. It was slow going and lots of slipping and sliding. There was virtually no way to get a toe or a foothold anywhere. Lots of blowdowns, which helped a bit, as at least walking on the branches in the way helped alleviate some of the slippage. After about a mile, and crossing a power line path, which had no snow, just solid ice, my friend decided that it was simply impassable and we were going to have to turn back. Disappointing, as only once in about 9 years have we ever aborted a hike...again that had to do with ice on what is known as "The River of Rocks". So, we turn back and as I try to recross the power line breezeway, down I go again. Another good landing, although the Russian judge only gave me a 7. 1/2 a mile later, my friend went down. He's not nearly as graceful as I am, and instead of landing knee, knee, palm, palm; he lands splayed out on his belly, with his head dangerously close to one of the hundreds of portruding rocks on the ground. That is sobering, but we had already aborted and were almost back to the trailhead anyway.
So, what to do? It's still early in the day, and hotel check in isn't until about 2:00 or 3:00. So we stop at Cabela's...the mecca for all things outdoors. But without something specific in mind, we leave with nothing but the knowledge that we have killed enough time to make our post-hike stop at a pub at a respectable hour.
The weather reports are for highs in the 40's and up to 50 the next day, so we decide that we will make a bit of a late start the next day, so that the snow and ice have a chance to melt. We leave the hotel around 9:00, only to see that it is completely overcast and chances are the snow and ice aren't much different than they were the day before. It is then that we realize how stupid we had been the day before at Cabella's. They probably have some yak tracks or other such crampons to hook onto our boots. So we trek back out their to outdoor mega world. Our choices are limited. There is one pair of chain thingies to hook onto the boots (for almost $50) and one pair of Due North do-hickies. Except that an older gentleman is holding them in his hands. I check another wall, and there are two additional pairs. Even though we view them skeptically, and one doesn't even appear to be my size, I grab them both, just as the older gentleman wanders over to see if he can pick the store clean of them. But I have them. He brightens considerably at seeing them in my hands, and proceeds to tell me how great they are. Yeah, yeah, we'll see old-timer. They look like cheap Chinese imports, and while they may work just dandy for your neighbors who trekked around the reservoir...we're off to the Appalachian Trail!
Having no alternative, we buy them. I try them on my boots in the car, and while they are slightly oversized, since they appear to be made for everyday shoes, instead of hiking boots, they actually fit surprisingly well. My friend's fit his boots, although much more snugly.
We head up to the trailhead, still uncertain as to whether these $14 pieces of rubber and carbide will actually do any good. Surprisingly, they work perfectly. No more sliding, no more slipping, and no more graceful Phillygirl doing what appears to be a drunken interpretation of the Sugar Plum Fairy on the trail.
It was still slow going because each step required additional "harumph" both on the way down into the ice and back out again. So we only did about 6 miles. But they worked!! And after not being out on the trail in 6 months, it felt good to be back there. The temperature was perfect (about 34 degrees) and I was able to see a lot of deer tracks and rubbings. It was a bit nerve wracking as the trail crossing on State Game Lands and some idiot was hunting awfully close to the trail. My hiking outfit apparently makes me look awfully close to a white tailed deer (remind me not to buy the white fleece and khaki pants again), but at least my friend had on orange blaze and I stuck close by him, in case the hunter got any ideas.
But, as to the OP, the Due Norths definitely deserve the Great Gear Award so far. At under $15, one of the best must have pieces of equipment I've purchased in awhile.