I had a roommate who was that kind of crazy, though not as extreme. He trained for months so he could run 40 wilderness miles with a several thousand foot gain and drop on his 40th birthday. He had to shave a bit off of his total because of snow in the way, but not much.
We used to schlep up to Mt. LeConte every year for an overnighter. There are five trails in and out ranging from five to eight and a half miles with significant elevation gains. Most people overnight at the lodge but some brave souls day hike it.
One year we're meandering along enjoying the views and this French guy comes trotting up behind us, he was taking the five mile up and the eight and a half mile way out with no pack and just a bottle of water. Apparently the Alps were his playground and this was a walk around the block. He couldn't talk long as he running late to meet someone at the parking lot which would've been ten miles away. We watched in something of amazement as he trotted straight up the mountain on his merry way.
At that point I came to the realization that I wasn't going to be a world class hiker.
The Alum Cave Trail is the shortest and steepest of the five trails leading to the Le Conte massif, which contains four separate peaks in all, the highest of which has an elevation of 6,593 feet (2,010 m). Due to its short length and scenery (it is often considered Le Conte's most scenic route)[3] it is the most common footpath for hikers seeking to reach the summit of Le Conte. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum_Cave_Trail
The Boulevard Trail connects the summit of Mount Le Conte with the Appalachian Trail along the main crest of the Great Smokies. The trail is named after the rugged gap situated between Mount Le Conte and Mount Kephart. The trailhead is located along the Appalachian Trail 2.7 miles (4.3 km) east of Newfound Gap. Unlike the other trails leading to the top of Mount Le Conte, the Boulevard begins near 5,500 ft (1,680 m), thus the overall elevation gain along the trail is dramatically less than that of all other routes. However, this oft-quoted statistic is a bit misleading, as the trail contains many dips and subsequent rises over its eight mile (13 km) course. Still, the high elevation provides for a much cooler hike, making the trail more attractive in summer months. The Appalachian Trail between Newfound Gap and its Boulevard Trail junction is rather gentle, providing some peeks through the brush of the surrounding mountains. At the junction, the Appalachian Trail continues east to Charlies Bunion and the eastern Smokies, whereas the Boulevard Trail heads north across the flank of Mount Kephart en route to Le Conte. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boulevard_Trail
Eamus Catuli~AC 000000000101010202020303010304 020405....Ahhhh, forget it, it's gonna be a while.
Been learning a lot about forests lately. In principle I'm against logging. But I do understand that in the past (like before Europeans arrived) there were much more open grasslands. Young forests are needed as much as old growth due to different species than what's in climax forests. Forest fires are necessary for certain species of pines to propagate as well.
That being said I'm not smart enough to know if this is a bad thing but I'm leaning towards yes.
That being said I'm not smart enough to know if this is a bad thing but I'm leaning towards yes.
No doubt a bad thing.
There are undoubtedly examples of forest management and culling where some or all of the downed trees are taken out for lumber, but if the main reason is "logging", with some hopeful benefits in forest health, I'm pretty sure that can't be good.
It's sad when we see any of the big trees, sequoias and redwoods, or what's left of them and wonder how anybody could have gone through the forest, looked at one of those trees and say, "look at this one, guys. It's gotta be at least a thousand years old. Let's cut it down."
Been learning a lot about forests lately. In principle I'm against logging. But I do understand that in the past (like before Europeans arrived) there were much more open grasslands. Young forests are needed as much as old growth due to different species than what's in climax forests. Forest fires are necessary for certain species of pines to propagate as well.
That being said I'm not smart enough to know if this is a bad thing but I'm leaning towards yes.
I wish I could be amazed, but it's so normal.
"Last year, after many meetings with stakeholder groups, the Forest Service released a draft plan that would open more areas to logging than stakeholders had even asked for. It received more than 22,000 objections to the plan — more than any other in the agency’s history, mostly in support of more protections for the forests."
Trump: “We had the safest border in the history of our country - or at least recorded history. I guess maybe a thousand years ago it was even better.”
Been learning a lot about forests lately. In principle I'm against logging. But I do understand that in the past (like before Europeans arrived) there were much more open grasslands. Young forests are needed as much as old growth due to different species than what's in climax forests. Forest fires are necessary for certain species of pines to propagate as well.
That being said I'm not smart enough to know if this is a bad thing but I'm leaning towards yes.
I am in favor of tolerance for fire as much as possible and aggressive use of prescribed burning. If this results in loss of total forested land I'm okay with that. Nothing wrong with natural grasslands.
I'm also okay with some public lands logging, if its ecological benefit can be proved. I always lean towards 'wilder is better'.
When I am ignorant of particulars I trust these folks in descending order:
Environmental groups
"Neutral" scientists
USFS
State forestry departments
Local officials
Industry
IMO this management plan for the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests is a loser . Now, it's up to the "criminal" forest activists and the courts.
A clown with a flamethrower still has a flamethrower.
-- Charlie Sykes on MSNBC
1312. ETTD.
Been learning a lot about forests lately. In principle I'm against logging. But I do understand that in the past (like before Europeans arrived) there were much more open grasslands. Young forests are needed as much as old growth due to different species than what's in climax forests. Forest fires are necessary for certain species of pines to propagate as well.
That being said I'm not smart enough to know if this is a bad thing but I'm leaning towards yes.
I am in favor of tolerance for fire as much as possible and aggressive use of prescribed burning. If this results in loss of total forested land I'm okay with that. Nothing wrong with natural grasslands.
I'm also okay with some public lands logging, if its ecological benefit can be proved. I always lean towards 'wilder is better'.
When I am ignorant of particulars I trust these folks in descending order:
Environmental groups
"Neutral" scientists
USFS
State forestry departments
Local officials
Industry
IMO this management plan for the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests is a loser . Now, it's up to the "criminal" forest activists and the courts.
Maybe people will cause a ruckus and they'll cancel it and decide to stop logging forever. Maybe I'm gonna go sober and start going to church every Sunday.
... IMO this management plan for the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests is a loser . Now, it's up to the "criminal" forest activists and the courts.
Maybe people will cause a ruckus and they'll cancel it and decide to stop logging forever. Maybe I'm gonna go sober and start going to church every Sunday.
I'd advise against sobriety and religion.
The people's ruckus was caused by 20K comments (including mine) with the vast majority speaking for the wild. Now, it's up to the most committed to put their bodies in the way until the lawyers win , or the trees are cut .
A clown with a flamethrower still has a flamethrower.
-- Charlie Sykes on MSNBC
1312. ETTD.
Barnardsville resident Reid Woolsey set a new world record for the most elevation gained by trail running over the course of a month. From Oct. 1-31, Woolsey ascended over 500,000 feet while running more than 990 miles on the Woody Ridge Trail and other trails in Pisgah National Forest. The previous record, set by Colorado resident Chris Fisher last year, was just over 400,000 feet.
Averaged 32 miles and 16,000+ feet per day!!!
I had a roommate who was that kind of crazy, though not as extreme. He trained for months so he could run 40 wilderness miles with a several thousand foot gain and drop on his 40th birthday. He had to shave a bit off of his total because of snow in the way, but not much.
We used to schlep up to Mt. LeConte every year for an overnighter. There are five trails in and out ranging from five to eight and a half miles with significant elevation gains. Most people overnight at the lodge but some brave souls day hike it.
One year we're meandering along enjoying the views and this French guy comes trotting up behind us, he was taking the five mile up and the eight and a half mile way out with no pack and just a bottle of water. Apparently the Alps were his playground and this was a walk around the block. He couldn't talk long as he running late to meet someone at the parking lot which would've been ten miles away. We watched in something of amazement as he trotted straight up the mountain on his merry way.
At that point I came to the realization that I wasn't going to be a world class hiker.
Arden resident Nathan Frantz, along with Lexington resident Sean Clayton, set a new speed record for hiking the Palmetto Trail in South Carolina. The two completed the 500-mile route in 10 days, 11 hours, besting the previous record by 17 hours.
Hilly in the Upstate to about 3000 feet or so, otherwise flat. About 47.8 miles per day. Kudos, but is that even fun?
Motels and fast food?
Crew setting up camps and cooking?
How many pairs of boots/shoes? All pre-broken in?
A clown with a flamethrower still has a flamethrower.
-- Charlie Sykes on MSNBC
1312. ETTD.
Arden resident Nathan Frantz, along with Lexington resident Sean Clayton, set a new speed record for hiking the Palmetto Trail in South Carolina. The two completed the 500-mile route in 10 days, 11 hours, besting the previous record by 17 hours.
Hilly in the Upstate to about 3000 feet or so, otherwise flat. About 47.8 miles per day. Kudos, but is that even fun?
Motels and fast food?
Crew setting up camps and cooking?
How many pairs of boots/shoes? All pre-broken in?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Pharr_Davis Jennifer Pharr Davis is a long distance hiker from the United States of America who serves on the President's Council for Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. She has been called "the Serena Williams of long distance hiking" by Baratunde Thurston (PBS America Outdoors) and is also an author, speaker, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and Ambassador for the American Hiking Society.[1] She has hiked over 14,000 miles on six different continents, including thru-hikes on the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail (three times), the Colorado Trail, the Long Trail in Vermont, the Bibbulmun Track in Australia, and numerous trails in Europe and South America (e.g., the Tour du Mont Blanc, West Highland Way, Laugavegur, GR 11 (Spain), GR 20, and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Cotahuasi Canyon and the Inca Trail.
Pharr Davis lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband Brew, their daughter Charley, and son Gus.[2] She attended Hendersonville High School (North Carolina) and the Asheville School.[3] She first hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2005 after graduating from Samford University.[4] To prepare for her initial hike, she attended a class taught by Warren Doyle at the Appalachian Trail Institute. In 2008, she set the record for the fastest Appalachian Trail hike by a woman in 57 days and 8 hours at an average of 38 miles (61 km) per day. She had previously set the Long Trail trail record in 7 days and 15 hours in 2007. She also established the fastest known time on the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia in 2008.[4]
In 2011, Pharr Davis set the fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail completing it in 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes. In 2015, Scott Jurek finished 3 hours and 12 minutes faster.[4][2][5] New records have subsequently been set by Karl Meltzer, Joe McConaughy, and most recently Karel Sabbe.
This stuff grows everywhere. I've seen it all along creeks in our area. Imo it's worse than kudzu.
Japanese knotweed.
Removing the weed completely is extremely difficult, and essentially involves extracting the land itself – digging at least 3m (10ft) deep and disposing of the whole lot almost as if it were radioactive. If anything is left behind, it can return again and again – regenerating from the tiniest of fragments, and ambushing gardeners up to 20 years after it has seemingly vanished. One study found that Japanese knotweed could regrow from a root fragment that's just 0.3g (0.01oz) – around the weight of a pinch of salt.
This stuff grows everywhere. I've seen it all along creeks in our area. Imo it's worse than kudzu.
Japanese knotweed.
Removing the weed completely is extremely difficult, and essentially involves extracting the land itself – digging at least 3m (10ft) deep and disposing of the whole lot almost as if it were radioactive. If anything is left behind, it can return again and again – regenerating from the tiniest of fragments, and ambushing gardeners up to 20 years after it has seemingly vanished. One study found that Japanese knotweed could regrow from a root fragment that's just 0.3g (0.01oz) – around the weight of a pinch of salt.
Another ubiquitous foe is the "Tree of Heaven"
"it can return again and again ... up to 20 years after it has seemingly vanished."
Damn, the Godzilla of weeds.
A clown with a flamethrower still has a flamethrower.
-- Charlie Sykes on MSNBC
1312. ETTD.
Averaged 32 miles and 16,000+ feet per day!!!
. Now, it's up to the "criminal" forest activists and the courts.
O Really beat me to it.
