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  1. #1
    Senior Member Rhody Seth's Avatar
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    VIDEO: Overnight at a Mountain Pond - Did not feel great

    I spent Friday/Saturday of Memorial Day weekend up in the White Mountains. The weather could not have been better. However I was battling a head cold and didn't do myself any favors by driving up Thursday night and hiking on only a few hours of sleep. I pushed myself through a big day on Friday morning and subsequently planned to hike into a different place on Friday afternoon. However I was feeling worn out by the time I reached that trail head and wasn't sure how the night would go.

    It was 2.5 miles and 1500' of gain to reach the Ethan Pond campsite - a trip more arduous than it would normally be. The caretaker asked that I not use a tent platform for my hammock so that they could be saved for tenters. Fair enough but I was still a bit salty since it was already late in the day and only one platform had been claimed at this point (one other tent would show up but the other three platforms would remain empty). Despite his claims there didn't seem to be a ton of great spots to hang - I had to do a bit of clearing to make one work. It ended up being a fine spot and I wound up using the nearby platform to boil my water and relax. I felt pretty bad by the time my hammock was set up and around 5:30 PM I crawled in and promptly fell asleep, waking every 30 mins or so and then finally rousing myself at 7 PM. I had hoped the rest would do me some good but I actually felt worse - now I had a full fledged headache and even woke to chills (it was about 50°F at this point). The chills abated after a few minutes and a mixture of aspirin and time finally relieved my head. Around 9 PM my appetite returned with a vengeance and I devoured my rehydrated meal of beef stew.

    I woke up at 4:30 AM feeling 300% better. It may have been the best night of sleep I had in the hammock with minimal bathroom calls. My original plan, which I had already sort of given up on, was back on the table. With a light pack, I went over the Willey Range Trail, grabbing three 4000 footers and even jogging much of the descents. I felt so good that I decided to scrap my original plan of an out 'n back and instead continue on to a big loop. It added about five miles to the day but eliminated much of the elevation by going back over the ridge. And it allowed me to experience Zealand Notch which features some truly impressive vistas and boulders along some really scenic and flat trails. As a bonus I got to visit Thoreau Falls which were very remote and very splendid.

    So a rough start to this trip but it turned around and I had a fantastic second day. Glad I forced myself to hike up to Ethan Pond!

    Last edited by Rhody Seth; 06-05-2023 at 07:52.

  2. #2
    psyculman's Avatar
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    Thank you for the video of your trip. It was warm for a few days, but has returned to the usual showers and cold. I am surprised there were not more people out there.
    Since I retired, some times I stay awake all day, some times all night.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Rhody Seth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by psyculman View Post
    Thank you for the video of your trip. It was warm for a few days, but has returned to the usual showers and cold. I am surprised there were not more people out there.
    Yeah definitely appreciative of the weather that weekend as it's been gloomy down here in Rhode Island for the past few days (though without almost any rain which we could certainly use). But I'm glad I decided to squeeze this trip into the beginning of Memorial Day weekend. As I was heading home early Saturday afternoon the parking lots were absolutely mobbed. I sort of skirted the worst of the crowds. Hiking out I encountered many people heading up to Ethan Pond for the night so I suspect a very different vibe up there the next night.

  4. #4

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    Glad you got to feeling better. I'm sure you're correct- the vibe the next night with the crowds would have been very different.
    Thanks for sharing!

    Charlotte

  5. #5
    Senior Member Rhody Seth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by xMagnolia View Post
    Glad you got to feeling better. I'm sure you're correct- the vibe the next night with the crowds would have been very different.
    As I neared the trailhead on Day 2 I encountered four guys heading into the woods for the night. One of them was drinking from a gallon jug of water which I thought was a hilariously brazen thing to bring...until I noticed his buddy had TWO of the gallon jugs. And not securely fashioned either, but rather dangling from his pack by some over-sized carabineers. The things people bring. Some say they are still hiking to Ethan Pond to this day.

  6. #6
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    Nice video. That's a great tip on focusing on foot placement. I tend to rely on my trekking poles a lot and should judge the terrain more. I tried using barefoot style shoes on my last trip and it felt pretty good. It was pretty fun to have more interaction with the ground.

  7. #7
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Glad that hammock snooze-ola healed you up to 300% and you got to getting.
    Whoooooo Buddy))))
    Shug
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  8. #8
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Excellent video, Seth — that was quite a recovery!

    I've done trips where I felt like crap and didn't recover, but many times I'll do a brisk walk in the local woods when I feel something coming on and more often than not it does seem to forestall illness. Not that I'd be ready for a tough 11-mile trail run like yours.

    It is always amazing to see people carrying huge amounts of water when there is water all around them. And with the BeFree... wow, just scoop it and go.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
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  9. #9
    alt.thomas's Avatar
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    Thanks for sharing. Excellent editing and pace. I might have missed it but how long did you leave your stuff alone whilst trail running?

  10. #10
    Senior Member Rhody Seth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rodfather View Post
    Nice video. That's a great tip on focusing on foot placement. I tend to rely on my trekking poles a lot and should judge the terrain more. I tried using barefoot style shoes on my last trip and it felt pretty good. It was pretty fun to have more interaction with the ground.
    I gave those super minimalist shoes a try a few years back. I liked them, but one dark morning I smashed my big toe against a rock and that was the end of my minimalist experimentation.

    Quote Originally Posted by Shug View Post
    Glad that hammock snooze-ola healed you up to 300% and you got to getting.
    Whoooooo Buddy))))
    Shug
    Rejuvenated by my cathartic sleeping pod!

    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    It is always amazing to see people carrying huge amounts of water when there is water all around them. And with the BeFree... wow, just scoop it and go.
    Yeah the amount of water they were hauling (on a trail with plenty of flowing water no less) was crazy. I suppose they might not have had a filter but jeez, talk about a rough workaround!

    Quote Originally Posted by alt.thomas View Post
    Excellent editing and pace. I might have missed it but how long did you leave your stuff alone whilst trail running?
    Thank you much. I left camp around 5:20 AM and returned at 11:30 AM. I generally feel very safe leaving my setup for much of the day. There were only a couple people staying there and there was the caretaker on the premises as well. In the Whites I think you're unlikely to find many people who would go into the backcountry to steal or destroy people's stuff. If I was close to the road I may have been more cautious.

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