I'm going to give it a try

“Well I got my tent, 300 fleece bag, 0 degree sleeping bag, fleece botties, down bottie, 3 fleece jackets, 20 hand and feet warmers, 2 inhalers, 1 bottle of whisky, fleece lined long johns, reg long johns, snow pants, fleece hat, mittens, fleece gloves, gortex lined Vasque boots.
Im renting a larger Backpack
Im ready to do my first winter overnight this Sat.
I'm only hiking in about 2 to 3 miles. I want my car close if I need it.
Not alot of milage but Im going to give it a try.
I am very stoked, but at the same time a little scared. Then again so was I on my first summer solo trip and I had a blast!!
Im sure I missed something, But I promise not to forget it when I need it the most.”

“Good Luck. I hope you have fun. :) Tell us about it when you get back.”

“in the voice of Rob Schneider's character in "The Waterboy"

Euw cahn dew iht!

Have fun at your Revenge at Harriman trip! [:-)”

“hey, the trip on 2/1 is still a go.
unless Im a ice cream stick.”

“You Go Girl!


Maple have fun and good luck.”

“cool, i hope you have fun! is it a solo?”

“hey do maple leaves freeze???

yes Lyra its a solo”

“Be careful out there Maple...don't want no "Maple-sicle" in the morning...”

“it's gonna be cold”

“You go girl!”

“Have fun Maple. Don't drink to much booze, it will thin your blood and you will freeze to death. hmmmmmm, did treebeard give you the booze?”

“I missed the whiskey reference. Don't drink any in that kind of cold. Drink hot non-alcoholic drinks: tea or hot chocolate.”

“Alcohol also lowers your body temp. It's dangerous in the cold.”

“Good luck, be sure to make a poopsicle!”

“Geo, shhhhh”

“Should she avoid it totally, Geo. I don't want anything to go wrong here, so I want to help her avoid any difficulties”

“Believe me, I'm rather nervous about her doing this. But, I don't want to stand in her way either.”

“ok treebeard tell everyone what you said to me the other night about taking the car....


somthing about not having to rescue my ass!”

“Too many clothes - you'll break your back!

Have fun and be careful (mutually exclusive?).”

“this is why I love this guy :)

thank you treebeard. I hope you fell better!!”

“opps, thats feel better!”

“yes baby, I fell better...
lol”

“Start hiking early...the winter sun sets around 4pm...by 5pm, it's gonna be real dark...maybe real cold too, depending where you are. Ever thought of dragging a sled? You can probably cover more miles that way. Have fun and be safe.”

“Good Luck Mapleleaf, it is really an awesome experience. You can do it gal. Take notes, take pictures and share the trip with us when you get back. I am headed to Anza Borrego to hike some of the Slot Canyons. Hmmmm, but of course I will be back in time for the Superbowl! Hike Safe - Hike Smart Mapleleaf”

“I have faith in ya girl!!! Enjoy!”

“Stanlee, Im going to get a sled and put firewood in it. There is a short cut directly from the shelter to the road (id say about 1/2 mile) so im going to leave the sled there in the woods a little. Ill drive back to the trailhead and then Ill hike to the shelter then set up camp then hike down the short cut and get the sled then ill have a nice fire going shortly there after.”

“good idea maplesyrup! hope you have fun. wanna borrow buckshot?”

“Stay dry!
If you use that mini-pepsi alcohol stove, don't put it directly on ice or snow. The cold ground will inhibit burning. A small piece of cardboard covered with aluminum foil works great to set the stove on ice. Also, you can not see it burning in daylight. The flame is very hard to see but can still burn you.
You'll do great! Go for it!”

“thanks stove!! Its all packed and ready to rock-n-roll!

hey, strat. does maplesyrup freeze in the winter?”

“i think yes maple...and so does bucky, lol”

“them Im screwed!!”

“Treebeard, I she's more than smart enough to bail out if she can't handle it. I'm concerned about her as well, but sometimes we just have to stand back and let people we love have the freedom to do what they want and need to do.

I made my choice many years ago when, having had the opportunity to camp out in 10-degree weather several times, I realized that I was not comfortable with it, was not enjoying myself, and didn't want to do it anymore. But I did take quite a few winter trips and gave it all I had.

But that does not mean that I should not have tried it. I am happy I tried it. I learned a lot, not the least of which was something about myself. Nor does my experience mean that other people should not do it. More power to them. I admire them all. Their triumph is not my defeat, and my experience is not their defeat. We all have differing interests, personalities, and abilities.

Whatever happens out there, Maple will learn a lot from this experience. She wants to do it; she has to do it. If she turns her back on it, she will spend the rest of her life wondering and resenting the fact she didn't do it. We all fall on our beaks from time to time, pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and go on with life. We need the opportunity to succeed, but we also need the opportunity to test ourselves and find out what and who we are.

You and Maple have a great relationship, and I'm sure that beyond your concerns for her safety you will be supportive of her. I think she has prepped herself well, and beyond my advice on alcoholic beverages and super cold weather, I wish her well.

And Maple, while I encourage you to take my advice on alcohol, that would be your choice. I'm not trying to impose standards, but to warn of a potential health issue.

Have a wonderful trip and prove the doubters wrong.

BTW, I still like taking day hikes in cold weather, but I tailor the hike to the coldness and my abilities at the time. There is something to be said for layering up and experiencing the cold and even snow on the ground. It's one dimension of nature, one that many people never experience at all.

That's my sermon for today. Please leave your free-will offerings and have a great week.”

“in the name of the fire, the solo tent, and the nalgene bottle....”

“LOL @ stratdewd”

“You said that rather eloquently. And you echoed many of my own sentiments. Hence, why I haven't hassled her about going. I, too, believe she will do well and make her own mind up about whether this is for her or not. Thank you for your kind words.

Stu”

“More than welcome. I'm in a soapbox kind of mood today. I think I'll quit while I'm ahead.”

“ok I just finished packing. Its too heavy but I got everything in :0
So Im outta here in the Am.
Stay warm, and Ill toast you all on Sat night around the campfire.

Peace”

“that post is from me mapleleaf


go%^67 *)(*&*9 computer!!”