Date: 2008-05-13
From: Home

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Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

One last entry before i head back out to the trail!The boots are feeling good. I had started off with REI boots and superfeet insoles, but during my test hike this past weekend, my feet hurt! Grrrr!So i went BACK to REI and I got some SOLE inserts. These are the type that you heat up in the oven and then put them in your shoes, and they are supposed to mold to your feet. So I did all that (with the oven) and took them for a test hike, and I am happy to report no pain! Yay!My feet still feel a little weird, but the pain has subsided, so after a 2 week break, i am all set to head back out and start hiking tomorrow. My wife also convinced me to go get a foot massage, so I did that yesterday too, and that felt really good.It will be hard to leave all these comforts of home, and leave my wife again....So I was talking to my brother in law, and he was curious about how team phenomenon got their name. It was basically because this group of people would know that horrible weather was coming in, and still go hike to the next shelter, right through the worst of it.The first instance was when we were at NOC - big thunderstorms were heading in, and all of us who could, headed to NOC to take shelter, so that we would have a roof AND 4 walls surrounding us. But not team phenomenon! They not only went off into the storms, they waited until the storms were almost there before they left! The time delay was due to other factors (some astrologer dude who was mixing and matching chinese and european astrology philosophies or something. he had them pinned down for about 2 hours waxing on about it...blah blah blah... Hokewa, Gobbles and I escaped his clutches, mostly because we didn't have any girls in our group) So in this instance, team phenomenon wandered off into some really big thunderstorms.... The next instance was snow. They were ahead of us by half a day, so when Hokewa, Gobbles and I got down to Fontana dam (it had snowed on us the previous night) team phenomenon were still there, packing up to head into the Smokies. They sometimes get a late start.... anyway, while my group called for our ride, and we headed for the Hike Inn, team phenomenon was trudging up the mountains. It just turns out that it happened to be snowing like crazy up in the mountains. From the nice warm car, we could see the snow on the tops of the mountains, before they disapeared into the clouds. So once again, when they could have waited some of the worst weather out, they headed straight into it.... So Hokewa, Gobbles and I started talking about how this group kept heading out into the worst weather phenomena that the trail had to offer, and the two instances of the worst weather we could have experienced. So that kind of stuck, and we started calling them team phenomenon... and they liked it and kept it..... I think their motto should be "if it's not hailing, we're not going!!!", or "unless the weather might kill us, we'll just stay here.".But, like I said before, they are a good group of people, and fun to hang out with. I'll miss not leapfrogging with them for the rest of the hike.... But they picked up Hokewa (i heard rumors his trail name might be changing, but until i know what the new one is, i will keep with Hokewa) and he should be hanging with them for a while, so that is good. Oh yeah, they are journaling also, but over on gmail blogs. You might be able to find some of their entries. I had a request to talk about things I learned about hammocking - well, I'm still learning. After my Tray mountain experience, I've been more of a shelter rat, but I have been figuring some stuff out....First, if you have time, practice setting up your hammock in adverse conditions, if you can. Rainy and windy is best, or snowy and windy would be good too. Work to figure out the best way to tie down the fly and the best coverage you can with the stock hennessey tarp. If I had to do it all over again, i would go with a larger tarp. Also, a trick i was told about was to use heavy rocks, if possible to weigh down your tarp corners, to prevent the stakes from getting ripped out of the soft, muddy ground in windy, wet conditions. This is also good to help figure out the best way to break down your hammock in bad weather, and keep it dry for the next day. I have been lucky enough to either escape to a town, or have good weather in the mornings when i pack up. Easier to do it at home, and figure it out there, than to have to deal with it on the trail....Second, read everything you can on Sgt. Rock's page and Just Jeff's page. Lots of good info on those web pages. I'm still figuring out the optimal solution of what to bring into the hammock with me... i have lots of space in there, but it all tends to try to collect under my butt once I am sitting in it. It's not like a tent, where I can spread out. I have carabiner clips and stuff sacks to attach lots of it to the ridgeline, but it's still entertaining to find what i need when I am half asleep.... I can see the appeal of the pockets in the clark hammocks for this issue....The wings on the sleeping pad are a good thing. I've been using my jackets and other clothing to serve as the wings to keep my arms and shoulders warm on cold nights, but wings on my CCF pad would be handy. Look into that.I don't use an underquilt, because i was trying to cut weight. I have been okay in my 35 degreee bag with a ridgerest foam pad, and using my clothes as wings.   I have had to wear lots of clothes to bed for extra warmth, but only on 1 or 2 occasions. Snap and Snack have been using hammocks also, but they brought yoga pads for thier CCF pad, and have not been happy with those. Not enough bottom insulation. Now that it's starting to get a little warmer, I'll see what I need to learn for sleeping in warm conditions. I tend to sweat a lot, so I am going to try switching to a different pad, so i don't soak myself in sweat from sleeping on a CCF pad.Oh, and even if you leave your stuff under your hammock to stay dry, it won't stay dry. Wrap everyting in your pack cover or plastic bags, even if it's under your tarp.Time to upload some other pics and then finish packing up.See you back on the trail....