Trapp Hills, Michigan UP, 2007

“october is my favorite time of the year, i think.”

“MMMMMMMMMMM, Guiness infused cheese!”

“YES!!”

“ChinMusic called to say he is in! Mugsy too I think!”

“One thing you won't have to worry about is trees for hanging food...not that I do that...I hide mine...I'm still not sure how I'm going to run into you guys but I'll figure something out, I'm sure...I do love the Traps...

I have some Spanish cheese called the Drunken Goat...it was immersed in red wine at sometime during its curing...very pungent, yummy stuff...”

“haha, i would NEVER hide my food because after a rough night drinkin' around the campfire i doubt i could find it again. haha!”

“This is good to hear! Sounds like you've probably already seen some of best parts of the hike?”

Mike, I saw the beginning, and then end... are there that many steep climbs in the middle????”

“I am with Jim. If I hide it, chances are I will not find it.”

“Mike, I saw the beginning, and then end... are there that many steep climbs in the middle????”
Graska
11:33:44 PM
8/01/07

Grace,

I have not hiked this section, so you've already seen more of it, than me.

Check-out the elevation profile, that Jimmy San has posted here for his trip. Looks like we'll have a little bit of climbing. (elev. gain/loss)

Being we're only doing a one nighter on the trail, try to pack as light as possible.

I should have my MLD tarp by the time of our trip, so, I could loan you some light-weight gear to try?

Basically a 10oz pack, T.T. Contrail shelter, and a down quilt. You'd be at approx. 56oz with these 3 pieces of gear.

No need to burden yourself with too much weight for an overnight trip.”

“i am concerned about your comment on the miles. i updated the trip page to post the daily mileage figures:

19-Oct: Arrivals, Stage Shuttle, Hike, Camp (2.4 miles)
20-Oct: Hike, Camp (8.2 miles)
21-Oct: Hike, Camp (13.4 miles)
22-Oct: Hike, Return Drive. (7.3 miles)

you can decide if these are too many miles for you but I don't think it's that bad. We could extend the first day and shorten the second but I prefer the camp sites prosecutor pointed out.”

“as far as elevation goes, be sure to look at the scale both height and distance!) before you freak out. the stuff at the end are 100' hills... perhaps three per two miles... the steepest climb (bush creek I think) is 400 feet and that's spread over a mile! still, you read the map and decide, as ncthiker suggested.”

“besides, on my first trip to the grand canyon i saw prosecutor drag my a** to the top of a vertical mile of canyon and watch me limp into the bar so i could slurp down a cheeseburger. now if he can do it c'mon ppl!”

“I don't know that I'll make this trip... likely not, due to the way my fall is shaping up... but 13 miles does seem like a big day for a lot of people. I think my longest day ever was 14 miles on the basically flat ground of Cumberland Island -- and I was whipped (and I was in much better shape then).

OK, so I'm a slug. ;-)

Now with all that said, it's your trip and I encourage you to set it up as it works best for you, Jimmy San. I know a lot of people like bigger mileage days. And I know that being the trip organizer is an interesting job. (And then someone rips his shorts sawing woods... or tips the canoe... or gets all perverted with a Thermarest. LOL! ;-P)”

“Hi Liz!!!!”

“There are two + months to get ready for a 13 mile day, start training.
Jimmy san if we can manage to make it, the mileage looks wonderful. I got nothing better to do at camp anyways. That long day falls just perfectly, two days in so we're all warmed up and loose, and just one short day after so we can recover easily.”

“Hi JimmySan! I'm not concerned about your trip; I know it would kick my butt, I'm doing a shorter version with NCThiker Oct. 13. I would love to hike with you someday Jimmy, I will just have to train to do it! ; )”

“For people like myself that don't always exersise and hike on a regular basis, that 13 mile day, will kick most peoples butts.

Seems like anything over 10 miles, starts to become a long day for me, anymore, well sometimes anyhoo?

Remember too, that you'll have less daylight to hike in, as well. The 13 mile day could take approx. 6-7hrs, so you'll possibly be hiking 1-2 hrs before darkness sets in? depending on how early you start? Usually, it takes longer for a big group to hit the trail early?

I think, we seemed to always be starting around 8:30am. But, I'm a morning person, so I always need to go off and in woods and do my business, especially, after my morning coffee. LOL

Its harder to get out of the sack, and up and going when its cold out too, which it will be. At least, it is for me anyway?

The one thing in your favor, is this section of trail is maintained fairly well.

When we did the May NCT hike, we encountered more blow-downs than I've ever seen on a trail, which really slowed us down, and is more tiresome than you would think.

I would have traded hills and a cleared trail over what we had to hike through. This was the 35 mile section, before Old victoria.
last edited: 8/03/07 8:47:44 AM”

“My longest day ever was 17 miles....its NOT that bad....it would take me forever though LOL!”

“SC - Depending on the terrain/hiker/load 13 miles might require an early start (for some) with only 12 hours of daylight. I know I would want a fairly early start just in case things didn't go as planned.”

“true...that 17 mile day was in the high sierra, with a light pack in the middle of july LOL”

“I'm a yes now!”

“oh you people drive me batty...

lighten those packs, leave the slinglight chairs, marshmallow roasters, and huge thermarests at home... attack that trail! the hike is in mid october... 2.5 months away... plan a few long dayhikes between now and then and work on that gear list. this is backpacking! live large and accomplish something you never knew you could.

a boundary can be an inspiration if you are constantly inspired to push it and a cage if you never try.”

“The Sling and the Big Agnes are coming.....

The Marshmallow Roaster can be constucted on site....”

“13 miles is nutin. Sometimes knowing the milage ahead of time is the deciding factor not to try.”

“how you gonna stuff that into you whisperlight, chin?”

“April is the only one that has tried out the Whisper to date. I still have yet to wear it outside the house. I will await an over-nighter at Deam or something akin to that. I guess I could load it up and take it for a walk on our bike trail too. I'm wondering how it would pull on my shoulders.

I plan on taking the Vapor Trail on longer trips for now. The Slinglight attaches to the Vapor Trail perfectly.”

“I was gonna bring my turkey roaster”

“we can strap the turkey onto odie's back...”

“You know, the Traps are one place where I don't think I'd bring my Slinglight...there are just so few flat places or even remotely flat except near the edges of the escarpment before you can see anything...I'm thinking just a pad to sit on for this trip will do...and my turkey baster...”

“mmmmm...tuurrkkkeeyyy.”

“I like the Slinglight for camp time. I don't use it a whole lot during the hike.

Early on in my backpacking, I would almost dread the time around the campfire. My back would kill me. My Thermarest chair was a great find and the Slinglight was an improvement over that.

Now I look forward to campfire time, as it should be.....”

“That's what I meant, Chin...there were not a lot of flat place to camp...in fact, I was really glad I had a hammock...I would have not been able to use the Slinglight comfortably in camp...for that matter, I don't think I've ever been anywhere in the Traps which had a firepit...of course, I've only been between Gleason Falls and Norwich Road...not much water in the Traps...
last edited: 8/06/07 2:06:46 PM”

“i thought there might be a good chance for water at whiskey hollow creek and bush creek, just before camp on nights 2 and 3. prosecutor, you have hiked here before. do these creeks run dry in october? if so i may want to set up a water cache so we don't all turn into camels.”

“whiskey? You better believe it!”

“yes, but it's hollow whiskey”

“i thought there might be a good chance for water at whiskey hollow creek and bush creek, just before camp on nights 2 and 3. prosecutor, you have hiked here before. do these creeks run dry in october? if so i may want to set up a water cache so we don't all turn into camels.”
Jimmy san
3:13:03 PM
8/06/07

I'm 99.9% certain that water will be available at Bush Creek.

Btwn. Bush Creek, and before you top-out on the ridge overlook, there were also at least 3 small creeks, flowing down the hill sides. These could be dry be though?
last edited: 8/06/07 2:57:53 PM”

“i asked odie and he said it might be "ruff" to carry the turkey roaster.”

“Hi autumnmike!!!! It's not often you post but you did come up with a good one!!! Tell Odie- Chocolate says hello!”

“odie!! good times to remember, odie! porcupine quills to remember!
sounds like a song”

“Ha Ha! How is Mike and Odie?”

“odie and i are doing good. missing out on camping and general summer activities. i fell in love earlier this summer with a girl and then later break my heart. so yeah, thats what i've been up too. kinda stupid, but oh well, its apart of life. i'm getting pumped up to do more stuff. there will be a good old car trunk/lots of beer camping trip coming up in 2 weeks near antigo. i look forward to seeing you all and the pretty trees.”

“Well, you know what they say about women...”

“What DO they say about women, WK?”

“um..ask Jim”

“they're trouble... nothing but trouble!!! ; )”

“Who me?”

“I'm not trouble.......unless requested ;)”

“I'm trouble, as often as possible!”

“got awful quiet in here gang”

“It will get louder in a month”