Avid hiker, married at 4500 feet. Been into letterboxing lately...if you love treasure hunts, make or do them on your favorite trails!!http://www.letterboxing.org
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| Celtic Radio Community > The Trail Sign > Hiking |
| Posted by: jime307 10-Mar-2008, 05:58 PM |
| To the Trailhead! Hiking is a very great thing to do, it's really good for you and the views of wildlife and scenery you'll see along the way are indeed fabulous if you don't get a lot of hiking, or just plain have never been, you should defianatly try to do it some. Let's discuss hiking and share some of our great experiences and have a blast -Jimmie |
| Posted by: jesstuss 11-Mar-2008, 06:07 PM |
| Ooh, one of my fave topics Avid hiker, married at 4500 feet. Been into letterboxing lately...if you love treasure hunts, make or do them on your favorite trails!! http://www.letterboxing.org |
| Posted by: jime307 11-Mar-2008, 07:55 PM |
| Hmm... that's very interesting, sounds like it would be really fun just to leave clues for the other hikers (will they solve our mysteries???) =) I love hiking but it's still sorta snowy here and none of the trails are open yet. |
| Posted by: Rindy 11-Mar-2008, 08:54 PM |
| Great subjects jime307. I love to hike also. And one of these days the snow will be melted to where you can get out and about. Do you hike for the day or overnight? Probably both huh? I found it can be really windy on top of those peaks-in town for that matter..but I finally found a Mountain Hard Wear windstopper vest..I love it. Do you have any thing that you like to take along with you-other than bear spray...lol....??? Slainte |
| Posted by: jime307 11-Mar-2008, 09:28 PM |
| really I think that the best thing you can take along is a good hiking partner(s) but make sure its someone who will enjoy it with you and not just be a pest. I do sometimes do some overnight but ussually I stay more in the day, this summer however I've got quite a few good camping trips planned out |
| Posted by: ctbard 12-Mar-2008, 05:27 AM |
| I use to letterbox myself, havent done it lately, it's alot of fun,like jesstuss said, it's like treasure hunting, plus you get a good hike. |
| Posted by: FamhairCloiche 20-Mar-2008, 06:11 AM | ||
My family and I started letterboxing last summer. My three-year old really likes to get outside. Speaking of hiking, outside, and Celtic, I just found my dream vacation at this link:http://www.distantjourneys.com/travel-scotland/highland_way.html It's a 13 day hike up the West Highland Way from Glasgow to Fort William! Now if I could only remember where I left that extra five grand. |
| Posted by: Muircheartach 20-Mar-2008, 11:04 PM |
| Hi FamhairCloiche and all, I was surfing forums on the site and found this one - great topic and FamhairCloiche's post made me want to reply. I have walked several loch trails in Scotland and in my area as well. The best trail near home is Sawyer's Camp Trail, which goes around Crystal Springs Lake, then goes up to San Andreas Lake trail. Although the ones overseas took more than a day to hike, the ones close to me can be done in a day, since the longest one is just over 20 miles round way. |
| Posted by: jesstuss 27-Mar-2008, 06:41 PM |
For me, there is no place in Scotland like Kinlochleven. I wrote almost forty pages of a book in two days there... needless to say, I fell in love  Like Muircheartach, I had to post because that hike sounds AMAZING!!! Bah, maybe in next year's itinerary... |
| Posted by: Muircheartach 27-Mar-2008, 09:09 PM | ||
Hi Jessa! I went to your profile page and looked at your photos - I never passed through Kinlochleven, but I was just north of you at Fort William for a wee bit. I don't like to think about my time over there, 'cause if I did I'd drop everything I'm doing now and go! I fell in love with the people and the towns, not to mention the beautiful countryside! I nearly cried when it was time to come home.  Anyway, it's a long story, but I am making a shepherds crook walking stick at the moment from a small ash tree that got cut down 7 years ago in my back yard and a welsh ram's horn that I got in the Midlands when I was in the UK - it will be 65" tall when completed and have a (hopefully) beautiful carved ivy vine running up the wood staff. I had a friend that lent me one of his staffs during the time I was over in Scotland and I remember the days passing wonderfully as we walked through fields, forests and around the lochs and castles. Unfortunately, I will not have any time to go back this year or next... Ah, I feel worse now, better end this message.  |
| Posted by: jime307 27-Mar-2008, 09:37 PM |
| Ah, that sounds wonderful, alas, I've never been to scotland :'( although I hope to go as soon as is possible. I was hoping to get out on a hike or two during spring break, but the cursed snow keeps coming, it's not like I don't like it, I just think it's overstayed it's welcome |
| Posted by: Rindy 28-Mar-2008, 01:50 PM |
| jime307-it's going to be time soon. The bears are coming out of hybernation, tha's always a great sign that spring is in the air. Do you have many troubles with bears up where you hike? Slainte |
| Posted by: jime307 28-Mar-2008, 05:48 PM |
| I've never really had any problems myself but I hear they're about and so it's best to be cautious. |
| Posted by: jesstuss 31-Mar-2008, 12:15 AM |
I and my hiking partners ran across a momma bear and her babe one year... or should I say, we were the ones doing the running-- and all of us making noise with pans and bells and voices!!! No one harmed, but makes for a funny story because of that.  |
| Posted by: jime307 01-Apr-2008, 06:39 PM |
| indeed, My good friend had a bear come into his camp before. Good Idea to have some bear bells, they're nice. |
| Posted by: maggiemahone1 09-Apr-2008, 07:29 PM |
| Hubby and I went hiking this evening up a mountain and then walked on a ridge and down another mountain. Wow! I can really feel it in my legs! We didn't see any wildlife, but seen some wild flowers starting to peep out. I love walking in the woods, we have plenty near our home. I don't like to go in the summer months so much, I'm always afraid I'll see a snake and I'm not to fond of those reptiles! |
| Posted by: jime307 11-Apr-2008, 10:04 AM |
| Haha, they won't hurt you if you don't hurt them. Anyways, it's good you can get out and hike, both places where I've been recently are too snowy, the snow followed me from Jackson to Estes Park! |
| Posted by: roll1959 04-May-2008, 09:00 PM |
| I don't "hike" as a lot of people would do, but I have started into a new Hobby called Geocaching. You need a GPS, which can you set you back $100 or less, and you go to the website http://www.geocaching.com/, and find the "caches." When you find the cache, inside there will be a Log book to write in your caching name and write it in the "log" book. It is a way that I go out into the wild, and get exercising with my dog. A good of source for information would be the Podcacher Pod-cast. you can find it at http://www.podcacher.com. They have a history of Geo-caching and stories from people that search caches. A Cache could be a large box such as a "ammo box," to as small as a key-holder, or even smaller items than that. roll1959 |
| Posted by: Muircheartach 04-May-2008, 09:14 PM |
| Hi roll1959, I went to the Geocaching site and it's an interesting place! I see from the upcoming calendar of events that this is worldwide - although there seems to be several places in California who are going to host events. Thanks for giving us the info - I have a couple of GPSs that I use on my boat - perhaps I should put one to work on this!  Thanks and have a great week! |
| Posted by: jime307 11-May-2008, 02:29 PM |
| quite interesting indeed, I'll have to test that out as soon as our snow leaves, along with letterboxing. |
| Posted by: ogdenmusic 22-Sep-2008, 07:08 AM |
| Anyone here who hikes in areas where wild animals abide? I just moved to Tucson, Arizona and love to hike. However on some of the local trails bobcats, Mountain lions and coyotes have been spotted. Never had to deal with these critters back in Ohio. Any suggestions? Are they just as scared of me as I am of them? |
| Posted by: Ross 22-Sep-2008, 08:45 AM |
| Most critters of the types mentioned don’t care for human sent and will avoid you if they can. They also tend to be nocturnal in areas where there is much human presence. Unless sick or cornered, coyotes and bobcats won’t attack. State Wildlife Agencies tend to know where current activity and sightings of larger predators have been reported. If you check with them, they’ll usually pass that information along. It is a good idea, though, to get familiar with the signs, scat, feeding and domestic habits of predators in your area. Situational awareness (keeping your eyes and ears open moment to moment for indications) of the activities birds and other animals around you will go along way toward staying clear of surprise encounters. Keep in mind that desert predators tend to drift from one region to another based on preferred food supply, so old neighbors move out and new ones move in. It can be a little unnerving until you tune in a bit. There may be some hiking clubs in your area where you can tap the experience and wisdom of seasoned back-country people, but be wary of recent transplants and wanabees. Some people hold a Disney Perspective of wilderness environments. I’m pretty sure Tucson has regular guided State Parks excursions. The casual information from qualified State Guides can be invaluable. High altitude desert is one of the most beautiful terrains on the planet (I envy you your location), but also one the most formidable. Make sure any advice you take is accurate and balanced with the realities of the land. I know a number of rock and gem hunters in Arizona, Nevada and Southern Cali. Most have had enough close encounters to convince them that carrying a sidearm is warranted. It’s very seldom that any of them need to use them, but the one time it’s called for, they’re real glad they had them. Some areas restrict firearm carry, but most public land is open to it. It doesn’t make you a hunter or desecrator of wildlife, it just makes you the one that walks away. |
| Posted by: ogdenmusic 22-Sep-2008, 09:00 PM |
| Ross, WOW thanks for all of the info. I have checked out some local groups and think that's the way I will go. Looks like there in enough hiking an camping here in Arizona to keep me occupied for quite some time. Thanks again. |
| Posted by: flora 08-Oct-2010, 01:59 PM |
| This happened October 4, 2010. I wonder what this winter is going to be like? Allyson Virden, resident manager at the LeConte Lodge atop Mt. LeConte is reporting the first snow of the year in the Smokies. On her "High on LeConte" blog, Ms. Virden is reporting that the mountain received 3 inches of snow on Monday morning, and another half-inch overnight. She also stated that this is the biggest first snow since 1979. Flora |
| Posted by: jb156 08-May-2012, 10:07 PM |
| It's that time of year again - time to pump up the tires and clean the chain. I do road biking on the week ends and can't get enough - mile after mile I'm in another world - kind of how I imagine sailors feel. Only do solitary riding - I like the peace and quiet. |
| Posted by: Boadiccea 16-Jun-2012, 04:22 PM |
| I'm new to the topic, so I'm gonna jump right in. My dad, my dog Gordon and I went hiking a couple of weeks ago at Dupont State Forest (Brevard, NC). It was a beautiful day for hiking and we had a blast. If anyone saw The Hungry Games, part of it was filmed here.  |
| Posted by: McRoach 28-Jul-2012, 04:41 PM |
| I just finished hiking through a cool (40 degree F) cave, I can call it hiking because there is 888 stairs going steeply up and down it. The tites and mites inside made it worth the effort! |
| Posted by: laclawiesegamay 02-Feb-2013, 06:05 PM |
| I live on Vancouver Island BC Canada and l think its one of the best hiking places in the world. We have so many trails, some easy, some hard to the extreme all enjoyable. I particulrly like mountain hiking, best views, most wildlife and less people. Laclawiesegamay |