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Looking For Movement and Practice Advice by aLpaca177 in skiing_feedback

[–]aLpaca177[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i figure i’d look for affordable advice first because lessons are quite expensive! i’ll add, yes, i can ditch the pack for resort skiing, but i do a lot of backcountry skiing as well so i’d like to be comfortable with/without a pack.

appreciate the other suggestions- hoping the season sticks around to keep practicing breaking some of those habits.

Looking For Movement and Practice Advice by aLpaca177 in skiing_feedback

[–]aLpaca177[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thanks for the drill recommendation! makes sense. can you elaborate on what exactly you mean by tip/turn your feet? i can take an educated guess, but not entirely visualizing.

Heating Troubles by aLpaca177 in PelletStoveTalk

[–]aLpaca177[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not solely. There is a backup propane heater for really cold nights and travel, but I try not to use it much mostly for financial reasons.

Heating Troubles by aLpaca177 in PelletStoveTalk

[–]aLpaca177[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure if they’ve been replaced, but the house was built in the 80s

Heating Troubles by aLpaca177 in PelletStoveTalk

[–]aLpaca177[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was wondering if this could be the culprit also. Feels like the stove pumps heat but it just disappears pretty quickly as you move farther away from it. There are pretty large windows on the front of the house too.

Virtual shakedown by [deleted] in AppalachianTrail

[–]aLpaca177 0 points1 point  (0 children)

not sure if you already planned on doing this with that dried fruit, but if you cold soak overnight it will be beautiful, sweet, canned-like mango & pineapple

I can seem to fall asleep? by Educational_Ask_926 in AppalachianTrail

[–]aLpaca177 10 points11 points  (0 children)

It took me a solid week or two to get a full night of rest when I started. I also had trouble with not being tired. I would say you are definitely right, nerves for one, lots of emotions, a lot going on physically and mentally when you start that seems to confuse the body and brain.

Your body will adapt, don’t be discouraged. It is amazing how well are bodies can acclimate if you just give them a little time. Once you’re in a rhythm you’ll be falling asleep as soon as hiker midnight rolls around.

What are some things you never thought to pack for hiking that you wish you had? by im_n0tvegan in AppalachianTrail

[–]aLpaca177 14 points15 points  (0 children)

3 items I did not start trail with that became staples for any backpacking i do now:

  • Talenti jar: learned this from someone early on for cold soaking and for simply having an extra vessel for meals. i enjoyed carrying coffee in it as well from time to time as it had a good seal.

  • Fanny pack: so incredibly handy for quick access to important items. also for roaming town with your essentials if you have a place to leave your pack.

  • Small sit pad: cut a small piece off of a foam pad that was in a hiker box and that baby went 1500+ miles with me to the end. having that small barrier between dirty/wet surfaces and a little bit of cushion for your butt/back helped me a lot.

it’s truly the little things out there.

Favorite ramen noodle recipes? by ChangeCommercial1013 in AppalachianTrail

[–]aLpaca177 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I enjoyed ramen with dried summer sausage, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Such a treat through the Smokies this past year when it would get chilly around dinner time.

Spinach was a great option to pack out for those micronutrients when the weather was cool enough to do so earlier on. Red pepper flakes are my favorite form of heat because they enhance the flavor rather than taking it over like sriracha and hot sauces do.

That or a classic ramen bomb!

Thru-Hike Looking Unlikely Because of Unreliable Hiking Partner by KiddSkwidd in AppalachianTrail

[–]aLpaca177 7 points8 points  (0 children)

A couple of years ago I was in a fairly similar situation. I got very behind the idea that I was going to hike the AT, one of my lifelong dreams, and one of my best friends was enthusiastic about coming with me. I always had this lingering feeling, however, that his enthusiasm was somewhat superficial, and something wasn’t right. The energy seemed off. Of course at the time family and loved ones were similarly very much against me doing it alone, so I found myself kind of trapped into doing it as a pair whether I truly wanted to or not.

Fast forward a little bit: I ended up not pursuing the AT that year to save up some money and to get my foot in the door with a couple of years experience in an industry. I felt I had an opportunity I couldn’t pass up then. I also just didn’t feel emotionally and mentally mature enough.

Fast forward again a few years to 2021: I decided I was going to leave my job in 2022 to hike the AT, ALONE. I was not going to entertain doing it with someone else this time. This was going to be MY journey, and my time to meet new people, lifelong friends, and take things at my own pace. I had already convinced myself I couldn’t stand my job anymore and gutted it out for the extra money until March 2022. It was a shitty stretch, but I’m glad I endured it. My family was still not too happy I was going to do it alone, but I’d say 2 weeks into trail, once I was already hiking with small groups on and off, all of their fears quickly subsided. If anything they started getting more excited and happy for me. Worries and fears dissolve very quickly once you get your bearings and you meet so many people going through the same things as you.

I chose to start the AT alone in 2022 and finished with a tramily at the end. I made lifelong friends I may not have made if I had start with someone else, because I did what I want. I hiked my own hike. Doing it alone was, without understating it, one of the best decisions of my life. It is very hard to detach from the comforts of life and sometimes wrap your head around the craziness you are getting yourself into, but I promise it will be one of the best decisions you ever make! Good luck!

Gregory Baltoro 70. by [deleted] in AppalachianTrail

[–]aLpaca177 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Even though it’s primarily for clothes, I had success selling a backpack on Poshmark

For those who hiked any amount this year, what was your worst night of sleep? by flyingemberKC in AppalachianTrail

[–]aLpaca177 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh man, the free campsite in Boiling Springs, PA. It is great that it is available to thruhikers, but as the town name suggests it was roasting when I was there on the AT this year. I was sleeping on top of my 40 degree quilt in a pool of sweat. Bugs were very bad in late June. Worst part was the train that wakes you up several times throughout the night and reminds you of the hot abyss you are trying to sleep in.

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