My very first solo trip: Manistee River Trail

“I did it! I made it! Holy cow,.... I really DID do it! Well, at least now I can say I did a solo trip.

I made it to the Red Bridge parking, asked a fellow hiker (heading for the NCT) to take a picture of me, (I returned the favor of him and his dog), and headed down the road to the trail head. Since acquiring a tent, and a few other new essentials, I wasn't sure how my pack was going to feel this time. All the other times I had gone, I never carried the tent. I brought my own water in, and ate simple "kit" foods.

My whole objective was NOT to clock in miles, but to make sure I knew how to find a good campsite, set up my tent, and litereally SURVIVE the whole thing!

I did. I went a ways down the trail, made it about 5 miles in, when I decided to go back a little. I had passed over a nice river, and really wanted to set my camp up near water for the constant sound. So, I turned around, and hiked back to where it was. I scouted around, and found the most perfect campsite. I couldn't have asked for better! It already had a nice ring of rocks for the firepit, and wood aplenty all around. I pitched my tent (WOW! I didn't mess it up either! LOL), admired my work, took a few pictures, then got my firewood together. K. Someone forgot to let Ma Nature know I was coming. Most of the wood I found was WET. Oh well, I did o.k. anyway.

Ate my viddles, read my Stephan King book, waved to all the hikers passing by, and as darkness approached, I put my food and pack up, and headed to bed. At about 10:30 I was OUT. I heard a bunch of animals all night long, but NOTHING got to my food or pack!

Got up this morning, quickly packed my tent and stuff up, making sure I packed a little differently (my shoulders hurt and I knew I had to do something different), because it was begining to rain. Made it back to my car in great time.

End result: no major aches or pains, I can set up camp nicely, and I have this great sense of accomplishment now!

Thanks everyone for your encouraging words and advice. I took a disposible camera, and I'm not finished with the pictures yet. As soon as I am, I'll be sure to post them too.

-End report! :-)”

“Congrats, Coyote13! Cool! Now both you and I have to work to longer trips. *grin* lol”

“Thanks Lizs.....

Will you be going on the Jordan River Trip? This was kind of my premise to that trip: trying all my gear out....making sure I KNOW what I'm doing and not wasting my time....or money for that matter! LOL!”

“Good for you!
There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment.

So, when's the next trip?”

“Great report. Now you have opened up an entirely new world. You will be a better hiker next year.

You did one thing very right: plan a trip you felt you could handle, and by doing that had a great time. Extend yourself gradually and keep the enjoyment. Don't let it become a marathon. It's the quality of the experience that counts, not the miles or pounds carried.”

“Thanks Geo and HMP.....this trip really meant a lot to me. I felt free.... like I never have before. I didn't rely on anyone else: just me. I know now that I'm hooked, and that next trip? Could be as soon as next weekend. All depends on my schedule.

I never knew how wonderful waking up in the morning could feel, until I did it inside my very own tent, all alone, breathing in amazingly fresh air.

I'll never forget this trip.”

“Good deal Coyote13. The Manistee river trail is a superb spot for a trip like that. Its gotta feel good to have cleared that hurdle. Look forward to seeing you next month.”

“The first one is the sweetest but you won't forget any of them.

Funny thing though, the trips that seem like the worst while you are on them make the best stories and memories later on.”

“Well, I'm glad somebody got to do a solo trip this weekend... I cancelled mine because nasty weather was forecasted, however the reports turned out to be erroneous..

Coyote13, a HUGE congrats! Doesn't it feel great? The goals you set for yourself were perfect and you didn't try to tackle too much. Sounds like it was a great time, and you got a great sense of accomplishment out of it, which is awesome!! :-)”

“Feeling free is what it's all about. I enjoy solo trips and trips with others, but sometimes I feel that I take in more going solo. On the other hand, there are times that it is good to share with somebody else who appreciates it as much as you do.”

“Glad to see you out in one piece. After that trip, you're ready for most trails in Michiagn. That camp spot, was that the first one on the left hand side as you were hiking north on the Manistee trail side? If so, that's a great spot (really, there is no bad spot on that side!).
Glad you had fun and the bears didn't get ya!”

“I remember one of my early solo trips. I didn't take a Steven King novel but because of the bear warnings, not to mention the bear trap at the trail head, I was sure there was a bear around every bend in the trail or under the brush up ahead!

COMGRATS! Hope you write your memories!”

“mucho congraciouslakiiuous...it is great to do it alone, and know that you can...and now that you have you have so many options available to you. WAY TO GO!!!”

“Thanks stikmon! ....... LOL @ stumprider..... I was a little afraid of the bears, but decided I needed to find out if I could do this.

Laqtis: I went in from the Red Bridge, and it was the very first little river that you come to. If you have a map to look at for reference: it's the one just before the #9 marker. It was a beautiful area! So I think the site you're thinking of, IS the one I found. It was quite aways off the trail, but close enough that I could be seen by the other hikers. If I ever start at the other end, and attempt to hike from the south, I'll be setting my camp up there again!”

“I tip my hat to ya.BTW the club will be backpacking there next weekend I hope you could join us.

8)”

“Congrats! Solos are lots of fun. It's nice to not have to depend on others to be able to make it on every trip. I know people that have canceled trips cause nobody showed up. Crazy.”

“Im glad you finally did it!!

It only gets better!”

“At least now, I can say too, that I know how to pack my backpack better. I thought I did an o.k. job on it before I left, but it wasn't until I was going up and down the hills that I realized how WRONG I did it. Needless to say, when I got up this morning, I did a better job. Being alone, I HAD to figure it out. It forced me to literally think out every thing I was doing, or was going to do. It made me appreciate what I had been already told and/or taught by others.

This was one heck of an experience for me in sooooooo many different ways: spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally. It gave me a chance to learn more about myself, and to clear my head too. I almost didn't want to leave. :-/”

“I've been BPing for over 14 years and I'll tell you that you learn something EVERY time you go out.”

“I have to say WD, that you couldn't be more right in that statement alone. BTW, I'm really excited that I'm going to be meeting you and all the others in October. You know, it's that trip that inspired me to go yesterday! I'm trying to get myself conditioned for those hills out there, carrying more weight than I did last time I was there!

Thank you guys! Thanks for making me feel even happier for making this trip. Reading all your wonderful posts, has really made the rest of this day even better!”

“........looks like someone caught the hiking bug.........”

“YES I DID!

AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER!

(BIG CHEESY GRIN) :-)”

“I am glad that you are so happy!

Backpacking rocks!!!!!

8)”

“I'm going to make one of these tomorrow.I guess you can use Grain in them.98% alcohol should work fine.Any thoughts?”

“Great job!!

You never forget your first.




Now you get to learn the secret handshake.......”

“Sorry.I never started a thread before.Congrats on your solo.No more last minute cancellations from friends.”

“I kind of remember my first!

I think?????

Hehehehehe!!!!!

8p”

“If you can camp overnight with a Stephen King novel there is nothing out there that is going to scare you.
Excellent !”

“Ya a good scare makes me feel good I just loves the sounds of the forest at night!

8)”

“I look foward to meeting you too Coyote!!”

“Did you try the Ridgerest? If you don't use it, pass it on. ;-)”

“Awesome! Thanks for sharing!!!”

“Good for you! And I'm with mcgrunt on the choice of reading material!”

“"I'm trying to get myself conditioned for those hills out there, carrying more weight than I did last time I was there!"


coyote13
06:04:57 PM
09/22/02


Don't try to kill yourself carrying a lot of weight. On this trip I plan to only be carrying 25 pounds at the MOST.
Go light and enjoy it more!!!”

“Good on you C13! =D”

“Sounds like you had a blast. Looking forward to meeting you in a couple weeks!”

“Hey 13!

The weather looks great for next weekend I hope you got my second email.

And I hope you can make it!

8)”

“Coyote you shoulda ate some of those animals instead of sleeping in your tent all night like a bum.”

“You all ain't right! 'Specially you Steve! (Eat the animals....oh for god sakes! LOL!)

I noticed something about my pack as I compared it to others: mine was not just more contained to having everything in it (except my Teva's), but it also was LIGHTER! Now, granted, I didn't have a water filter or a stove in mine, but I also didn't have HALF the stuff the other people were carrying! Know what else I realized? ...............


........I didn't need the extras they were carrying. So, even if I get a stove and filter before the Oct. trip, I doubt it'll be a LOT more heavier.

Hmm. I just found that interesting.

Pathman, I debated on whether to take the Ridge Rest or the Therma Rest I was given. I took the Therma Rest, but on my next trip, I'm going to try out the Ridge Rest. I'll let you know how that goes.

CMB, Yes I received your last email. I was hoping for something a little closer. I may have a friend going with me, and we may just go in her vehicle. Note the constant use of the word: "may". Mmm hmm! Well, as soon as I have that figured out, I'll let you know. One way or another, I'm going to TRY like crazy (no pun intended) to get up there this coming weekend.

Oh, before I forget: I never did get to any scary parts of that book. Good thing too, considering all the noises I heard all night long! LOL!

(I think I was SNIFFED by a passing deer! LMHO!)”

“Congrats coyote!!! I shore remember my first time! (grin)”

“Good deal 13!

8)”

“c13 -

you're right about the weight re: stove and filter. Depending on what you get, both should be no more than 1.5 pounds more. You'll find that part of the backpacking thing is the constant stuggle/fun to get pack weight down. I have went from 65 lbs (first trip), down to 43 (most recent trip). Aftet I get this "new" pack in, I should be down to around 37-38. Goal for me is 35.”

“LMFAO at Steve!!!!!!

Eat the animals????

Hhehehehehe!!!!!

8P”

“I remember that pack of yours Q. I wish you the best of luck getting that weight down.

A friend of mine that doesn't hike like this, but does have property up that way, was saying that I shouldn't have gone. That because of the bear population, I put myself in danger. Oh sure, I know that there's bear up that way. And yes, I have a respectable fear of them. But I'm not going to let that fear control me and my hiking. I'm just going to play it as safe as I can, and be extra careful when I'm out there.

Has anyone seen any bear out there (in Manistee) before??”

“Congratulations on your first solo trip. Glad to see everything went OK. Don't let anyone's plans stop you from doing what you want to do.”

“Good job!”

“At this point, the only thing stopping me from going more often, is my car. Hopefully that situation will be changed soon. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Last night, as I came home from a friends house, I couldn't help but notice the full moon, the clear sky with a scattering of stars. (Sigh.....) That alone made me wish I was back up there. Soon, though,........

...... soon.”

“.........coming home. I hate the "post hike hangover" of the following day after a good hike.”

“God if this is what I'm feeling.....and it sounds to me like it is.......that's not good.

Is there a known cure? Is there hope for me? Will I ever feel better? Taking 2 asprin isn't going to cut it, this time! It's tough looking out at that beautiful sky, and wishing I was somewhere, where I didn't have the constant sound of cars going by.

Mannnn....this really sucks! What do you do when you get this way?”

“Start planning another trip.”