Date: 2014-10-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

First overnight hike: done! It was a short one, just one night, near Luray VA. Sadly, I don¢t think I¢ll be able to swing any longer trips between now and my start, but so be it. The Good: the leaves were at peak and the weather was beautiful. My pack weight was about 15 lbs, and I am very happy about that.The Bad: Gear-wise I had my shit together for the most part, except for the stove. And when I finally went to look at the camping gaz stove situation the morning of our departure, I found the little gas tank empty. With no place to find a new one (I tried). So cold meals it was. Which turned out fine, but I really do need to do a trip where I focus on my meal-planning. For my thru-hike, I was planning to make an alcohol stove but I haven¢t gotten around to it yet.The Ugly: When I got back to my car, some bored teenagers (I assume) had covered the whole thing in mud. I had to use my ice scraper before I could even see through the windshield. No idea what that was about, but I¢ll just be grateful there wasn¢t any more serious damage. Dirt I can deal with.The Details:The hike was listed as 8.5 miles but we missed a turn very early on and added about 2 miles total. We asked a very nice gentleman in a Gator for directions and a) it turns out he was (originally) from Fairfax county also and b) he offered to give us a ride back to the missed turn. Aawwww. We didn¢t take him up on it.After about 4.5 miles of the original hike, I stopped for lunch and Gary went on back to his motor cycle. I sat on the side of the trail and just relaxed in the sun and out of the wind, reading my kindle. Yes, I carried a kindle. I knew I¢d have a lot of time to kill and I didn¢t want to plan too ambitious a hike for the first full pack outing. A little further on I saw some appealing camping spots. It was nice and sheltered, but a little too close to the trail. Still, I figured that this late in the day I probably wouldn¢t see any more hikers, so I just went with it.My first spot didn¢t work out (stoopid dead tree sticking out of the soil), but I relocated the tent a few yards and all was well. I hung my bear bag (somewhat half-assedly, I have to admit, but I did hang it) and once it started to get dusk-y, I crawled in my sleeping bag. I have long underwear coming but it hasn¢t arrived yet, so I had substituted running tights. Surprisingly, those did not work. At all. So after 45 mins or so getting chillier and chillier in my bag, I put my hiking pants back on and I had no further temperature issues. It didn¢t get all that cold, and I think it actually warmed up during the night, but I was toasty in my bag, with liner and night clothes. I don¢t know the rating of my bag, as it is very old, but so far it has not disappointed. We shall see. I have a z-rest and am contemplating upgrading to the NeoAir inflatable. I am a side sleeper and my hip bone is getting all the pressure. Side note, 12 hours (or more) is a long time to spend in a sleeping bag. Even with a kindle. The odd thing was that every time I woke up (pretty much every time I needed to roll-over), I had no idea if it was 10 pm, 2 am or 6 am. But then one time I woke up and noticed it was getting lighter, so I got up, broke camp, ate a bagel on the fly (how do people eat while walking when carrying poles, for pete¢s sake?) and got back to my car in short order. I am very happy with all my gear so far. I am especially happy that all the gear I carried didn¢t add up to more than 15 or so pounds (and that¢s with some food though not water). And I still have some lighter options coming to swap out, like my rain jacket. I got used to the poles (first ever hike using them but my tent needs them, so what the heck) and I think I got used to the pack. But I do have a sort spot on one of my clavicles from my bra strap, I hope it was just twisted. Extreme hiking injury! :DOverall a successful trip. I also have decided to start a bit later than I originally planned, probably in the first part of April.