chili36
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Posts posted by chili36
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Fortunately, I got to live in Townsend for a few years. I have not hiked all 800 miles of trail in the park but have logged over half of it.
The two things I always ask when recommending a hike is "what time of year" and "how far do you want to hike in a day". I hear people say elevation gain is not a problem, but the haul from Gatlinburg to Mt. LaConte past Rainbow falls will tax even the stout at heart.
If you are going to be there in June/July, I would go high and remote. The Rhodo's in bloom on Gregory's Bald is something everyone ought to see once in their life. In April, I would say not to pass up White Oak Sinks. One of, if not the most, picturesque spot in the Park, IMHO. Chimney Tops, Bunion, and even LeConte will be the most crowded along with Andrew's Bald. However, there are several great hikes out of Cataloochee where the great odds are you won't see anyone.
If you want some good views of Cades Cove, you can find them from along Rich Mtn Loop and Indian Grave Gap trails.
History? I would take a boat across Fontana and hike the Hazel Creek area. The shuttle is a little pricey though.
I don't think there are any bad hikes in the Smokies, it's just that some are better than others. Good Luck and have fun.
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I have turned into a zip lock bag cook on the trail. The possibilities are limited only by what you can find in the store and on line. In the 25 years I have been backpacking, the grocery store has come a long way in stocking "backpacking food".
However, to answer the question, the thing that comes to mind immediately was the apple someone gave me when I was sitting on the side of the road on a 80 mile desert hike. It was like getting a piece of heaven handed to me after the 4th day I had been out there.
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As long as weight is not an issue, go for it.
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I will be there. I am looking forward to meeting new geocachers.
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Count me in. Weekend works best.
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Did I miss anything while I was gone?
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I guess the 26th is out. I will be out of town all of next week, but maybe this will be scheduled for the following week.
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I agree with Harrald. In the grand scheme of things, what difference does it make?
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July 26th will work for me. Not too sure I can take the entire day to geocache before the event, but I can be there for HotWings at 7!
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I will be out of town from August 1 to August 9, but anytime after that will work.
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Welcome Team Panda. Those of us down in the Delta (Marion) try to get to Little Rock or west as often as possible. If down toward Memphis, look us up.
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I don't think I will be able to take the time to do the whole route by bike (I have done this by vehicle ), but I would certainly be able to meet you enroute.
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It was an awesome event. Glad I could make this one.
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I spent three days in NO in March and found that there was plenty of caching to be done in the French Quarter.
Don't overlook the virtual caches as I discovered things I had never taken time to "notice" before.
Good luck and have fun.
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Eastern Arkansas has quite a few and you can spend a weekend in Memphis and not scratch the surface.
Hiking poles - any particular brands to get/avoid?
in Hiking/backpacking
Posted
I resisted hiking poles for a long time. When I finally broke down and acquired a pair of Leki Bones, life changed. They have performed flawlessly. I had one strapped to my pack on a bushwhack in the Smokies and pulled the last section out and didn't discover it until later. Once call to Leki and the new section was in the mail, gratis.
I have never had a problem with the twist locks, but I do clean the poles periodically and every time I am at trail days, Leki will do full maintenance at no cost.