Hiking Trip!

[Root beer]

This was a hiking trip I did two weekends ago when I backpacked 32 miles in 2 days on the AT in the Smoky Mountain. This bear was 15 yards from me and it was biggest I've seen and the closest I have ever been. I was with some friends, but if I was alone I would have freaked out, maybe passed out. hahaha. I have more I'll post later today if you guys want to see more views.

[NorcalBassin]

Sounds like an awesome trip. Those on the AT have been known to inflict some harm on hikers, so probably a good thing you weren't alone. I had a similar surprise while hiking in Alaska... about 30 ft from a large brown bear that stood up, looked at us, and then decided to trot off in the other direction. Thought I was about to soil myself!

[Sam]

You all were fortunate that there were no cubs around or the story may have had a different ending.

Wild animals will avoid humans but a bear will defend its cubs at all cost.

And so will alligators.

Not too worried about ducks.

[Hookemdown.]

I wanna hit up the AT in the near future. I've really been wanting to get a new tent...and posts like this feeds the hunger..lol

[nick76]

I am going to assume that you started in a park or something. Care to share where you started and where you finished. I have hiked parts of the trail a few times and have really enjoyed it. Taking my 13 y.o. out for his first overnight hike in October. I am not sure he is excited, but he will have a great time after he gets there.

[Root beer]

Nick, we started at Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and ended at the Big Creek ranger station. We parked our cars at Big Creek and got a lift to Newfound Gap and just walked 32 miles on the AT back to Big Creek. We past about 7-8 peaks along the way. Lot of them didn't have the view I expected because trees and bushes were blocking it. Oh well. 70 miles is approximately how long the AT stretch in the Smokies, we did 32 miles of it. One day, I might thru-hike the entire Smokies. Maybe. Hope you and your son have a good trip.

Hookem, I love my tent. I didn't need it on this trip since we stayed in a shelter along the AT. I'm looking at a hammock shelter at the moment. They pack down to a size of a softball. My tent only weights about 2-15lbs, so it just a hair under 3lbs. Weight isn't an issue with my tent, but I figured a hammock will save a lot of space in my backpack. I just want to rent or borrow a hammock first and see how I sleep in them. I won't sell my tent because I have feeling I'll need it when I go out west and camp above the tree lines or in a canyon where there are no trees. lol. The coolest thing about my tent, I can take the footprint for the tent and just put rainfly over the footprint with no tent body between footprint and rain fly. Then take a bivy sack design to keep bugs off and just sleep in that while the rainfly keep the weather off of me.. The footprint and rainfly will pack smaller than the tent body and bivy sack can weigh less than a pound. I might do that instead of a hammock if I cannot sleep well in one. I have a new backpack coming soon and trying get a new sleeping bag, but I go back to doctor next week about another knee surgery so I might just invest that money and hope it grows to where I can buy both backpack, sleeping bag, and take a little extra for clothes and a trip out west when I heal.

[nick76]

Nick, we started at Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and ended at the Big Creek ranger station. We parked our cars at Big Creek and got a lift to Newfound Gap and just walked 32 miles on the AT back to Big Creek. We past about 7-8 peaks along the way. Lot of them didn't have the view I expected because trees and bushes were blocking it. Oh well. 70 miles is approximately how long the AT stretch in the Smokies, we did 32 miles of it. One day, I might thru-hike the entire Smokies. Maybe. Hope you and your son have a good trip.

but I go back to doctor next week about another knee surgery so I might just invest that money and hope it grows to where I can buy both backpack, sleeping bag, and take a little extra for clothes and a trip out west when I heal.

We have hiked the entire Shenandoah National Park in Virginia at one time or another. We love the trail and the scenery is beautiful. Would love to do it again. I also have bad knees and it can be awful sometimes going up and down the steep grades. I find that going down is much worse than going up, but by doctors say I am crazy. Got caught one time at Hawksbill Peak (the highest peak in the park) during a sudden thunderstorm. It was crazy. There was no cover at that elevation and we were running down the peak at darn near a sprinters pace to make the shelter. At one point I was laughing so hard cause I passed a 4 foot snake trying to get the heck out of dodge as well. My buddy stopped cause he thought I was gonna blow chow and then he realized the snake was coming at us. It was probably the best time I have ever had. The wild game are so unsuspecting that you can walk up on deer and such. Most of the time they are curious more than afraid.

[Root beer]

I agreed, the downhill tears me up worse than going up. I had similar experience near the summit if Mt. Rogers (highest peak in Virgina) and ran/power walked 4 miles downhill to get out of the storm. My knees were not hurting when we was at the base of summit, but after that run down my knees were shot..I had to drag my leg back to the car. lol.

I had friend of mine that was trout fishing in the Smokies and he looked behind him and a bear was sleeping on a tree above the creek. He has also seen a mama bear and a cub wandering along the creek, but neither one of them bothered him and he just walked in opposite direction along the river. lol.