With ever-increasing reliance on smart phones, we all need to eek out more battery life from time to time. Small tweaks usually suffice until charging is available, but on a recent extended backpacking trip, I needed to drastically minimize drain to ensure 8 full days on one charge. By invoking the so-called “nuclear option” (described…
Overview In August 2016, a friend and I backpacked the ~104-mile section of the Appalachian Trail that runs through the lovely Shenandoah National Park. To be more precise, Lynn and I began as mere acquaintances, but a friendship slowly emerged through months of online planning, and then blossomed over 7 1/2 days of 24-hour togetherness.…
I spent eight days backpacking through Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail. Click here for my Trip Summary to find articles, maps, and details around trip prep, packing, and lessons learned. This article picks up where “Preparing to Section-Hike the A.T. through Shenandoah National Park” left off. There, I covered long-range planning tasks including…
I spent eight days backpacking through Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail. Click here for my Trip Summary to find articles, maps, and details around trip prep, packing, and lessons learned. The Appalachian Trail, aka the AT. Every time I hear that name I have to pause. The AT is known as the granddaddy…
This post summarizes the eighth (last!) of eight days I spent backpacking through Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail. Click here for my Trip Summary to find articles, maps, and details around trip prep, packing, and lessons learned. Day 8: Calf Mountain Shelter to Rockfish Gap Start: Calf Mountain Shelter, 8am End: Rockfish Gap, 12:35pm…
This post summarizes the seventh of eight days I spent backpacking through Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail. Click here for my Trip Summary to find articles, maps, and details around trip prep, packing, and lessons learned. Day 7: Blackrock Hut to Calf Mountain Shelter Start: Blackrock Hut, 8:35am End: Calf Mountain Shelter, 5:40pm Total…
This post summarizes the sixth of eight days I spent backpacking through Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail. Click here for my Trip Summary to find articles, maps, and details around trip prep, packing, and lessons learned. Day 6: Pinefield Hut to Blackrock Hut Start: Pinefield Hut, 8:30am End: Blackrock Hut, 5:15pm Total hiking (including…
This post summarizes the fifth of eight days I spent backpacking through Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail. Click here for my Trip Summary to find articles, maps, and details around trip prep, packing, and lessons learned. Day 5: South River Maintenance Hut to Pinefield Hut Start: South River Maintenance Hut, 8:15am End: Pinefield Hut,…
This post summarizes the fourth of eight days I spent backpacking through Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail. Click here for my Trip Summary to find articles, maps, and details around trip prep, packing, and lessons learned. Day 4: Big Meadows to South River Maintenance Hut Start: Big Meadows Campground, 7:55am End: South River Maintenance…
This post summarizes the third of eight days I spent backpacking through Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail. Click here for my Trip Summary to find articles, maps, and details around trip prep, packing, and lessons learned. Day 3: Byrd’s Nest #3 to Big Meadows Start: Byrd’s Nest #3 Hut, 7:25am End: Big Meadows Campground,…