If so, file me under "J" for jealous. Quiet as a library around here.

cheers,

I'm jealous, too - no hiking until next month. (I did just spend two days driving and walking - a lot of walking - the Gettysburg battlefield - does that count?)

Go to Gettysburg the July 4 weekend, Glenn--my son#1 is one of the re-enactors. He looks quite impressive as a Union cavalryman! This year my 11-year-old grandson (son of son#3) will be part of the audience!

Nah, I'm at home too. I had a two night hike scheduled for this week but all of Coronado National Forest and Saguaro National Park have been closed because of extreme fire hazard. I won't be able to get out locally until the summer rains arrive in 2-4 weeks. Oh well, I have a lot of chores to do.

I got in 3 nights below the rim in the Grand Canyon the first week of May, but my Memorial Weekend trip was cancelled because of the high snow pack. I am getting out this weekend and carrying the snow shoes. Do not know how high I am willing to go with snow shoes, but it is better than the "honey do's". I have a blister on my palm from spading the garden and a gash in my finger from the pruning shears. I need to get out because it is too dangerous to work around the house.

Somebody needs to make this into a tshirt!

Cheers,

No. I am also in my office forlornly looking out the window alot. OldScout

Nope, I've been grounded for the past 2 months due to plantar fasciitis. I'm considering trying some big bucks custom orthotics...

Oh, wow - that sounds incredibly interesting! Will you get to go see it?

I went out over the weekend for a short bp trip from home. Been out every month this year for a bp trip, which is my goal again this year. Come rain or snow or that bright orb in the sky that used to show itself. A couple car camp trips soon, unusual for me to go twice in one year, but I want to use some of my vintage camping stoves, at least one is from the 1920's, an old Coleman 9C.

I'm taking the kids out on a short overnight this weekend. It will be my daughter's first camping trip ever and my son's second backpacking trip. It's going to be horribly hot so we're not doing much distance and we're taking lots of water.

No, I'm not going. Air travel is far too complicated these days, and I'm saving for my Wyoming trip. I do want to go back sometime, but not this year.

I can't remember the last time I actually had time to backpack. Even my usual after-class walks haven't been happening since it got so hot and humid. My legs are out of shape and I'm almost embarrassed to wear shorts in public. I'm on my feet all day in clinical, but my fitness is waning. I have about 6 weeks off coming up soon. No backpacking that I know of, but definitely some hiking and camping! My son is coming to visit and I have a ton of activities for him to pick from.

I am finding that the more I work indoors in windowless x-ray rooms the more I crave being outside. This time of year I can stand the heat and humidity, but I can't exercise in it. So, I find myself doing alot of lazing around right now. Not good!

MNS/DM

Hikes have been rarities for me so far in 2011, but starting June 21 I will begin to hike again. That's the first day of a six-day car camping and day hiking (solo) trip I'll be taking. I should manage five day hikes.

Later, in July I will do a similar (but with less daily mileage) trip with my wife. Then the last week of July and first week of August I will spend solo backpacking. I usually manage at least 120 miles on these trips.

Later in August there'll be another backpack, but with the wife, so less intense. Then more car camping and day hiking with my older siblings in September and maybe another trip with my wife.

Most of the destinations are in flux still, as we PNW-ers wait to see how our massive snowpack melts out. There's no escaping snow this year in the western mountians, it seems. Unless you go to NM or Arizona.

Geez, I'm feeling a little guilty after hearing about what most of you have had to put up with...

I got a six mile day hike in over Memorial Day Weekend when I guided a couple to "The Falls" at Hercules Glades. It was really nice here for that, just perfect in fact.

On that hike I was about 10-15 feet in front of the couple with me and I spooked a big male coyote that was snoozing in the shade under a tree just 10 feet from the trail. He heard me and jumped up all startled, looked at me, and then ran off down into the hollow that I'd hiked earlier this year. That's the closest I've ever gotten to coyote while hiking. The people with me heard, but didn't see him, so that was kind of a bummer

My wife and I got 2 days and a night (Monday & yesterday) on our little houseboat on Bull Shoals Lake. We putted about 6 miles downstream to a spot we call "Rock Cove" and anchored the boat to a point on a bluff that's usually about 40-70 feet above the water, but is now only about 5 feet above it. The lake is huge at this level, and we saw no one else at all the entire time. Over Memorial Day the surface temp of the lake water was 67º, it was between 85º and 89º yesterday, but still cool a few feet below the surface. The marina is still all busted up though, and the road that goes to it is under about 30 feet of water, so it's a pain to get out to the boat with gas, food, and supplies and all. Right now, we have to take a little boat over a mile to get to our boat

Today we went down to the Buffalo River NP and did about a 7 mile float. Man was it ever sweet! On the way there we stopped at "Coursey's Smoked Meats" and got some smoked ham sandwiches to bring with us. We put in at Baker's Ford and took out at Grinder's Ferry and only saw one other group of canoeers (six people) till we got to the take out. The water was running just enough to not have to paddle much and it was crystal clear and cool, perfect for skinny dipping. We might head back there next week and spend a few nights on the River.

The lakes and streams are really the great bonus you get here when backpacking season is off. Both my wife and I love to swim so we spend more time together this time of year, and that's nice. She won't go backpacking with me, but she will camp out on float trips, and I still get to play with all my backpacking gear when we do that

We took a few pics of the float we did today. I'll post a few in a day or two.

Well me, I am de-spamming the board a bit here, reading a few posts and going to bed. my backpack food and fuel are in the car. I'm doing the long drive at 4 PM tomorrow heading to vancouver island for a west coast trail jaunt.

Heading out next Wednesday for hikes in Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Return to Ohio in late August, wife who is a teacher will not retire, otherwise we would stay longer. Everything is planned, dates and places are locked in but with alternate trails if needed. Gear is packed. Food is packed. Permit for Glacier is ready and they have cleared out most of our trail. Fishing licenses ready. So to pass the time these last few days we have our grandsons age two and three who will probably have us exhaused before we go, but its a good exhausted.

Not much going here. Finally got most of my gear needs met and pegged some in-state trips I want to do, but the weather has just been miserable. Did a short day trip in the swamp yesterday, but that will probably be it for awhile.

Hiking "season" is basically over here. We had a few nice trips in the spring, but it's no fun now with highs in the 90s. My husband and I did some trail maintenance last weekend, started at 5:45 AM both days and it was already warm at that time. The heat isn't as bad as the bugs constantly buzzing around my head and in my eyes and ears. I used a head net for the first time ever, and it made a big difference, although it got in the way when I was sawing and dragging branches a few times. Since my husband was weed-eating ahead of me, he cleared out all of the spider webs, so that's one summer-time hiking annoyance I didnt't have to deal with.

We did see three backpackers come through just as we were finishing up late Saturday morning. I am not jealous of them at all. We went to a campground along the Black River and spent the afternoon wading, swimming, and sitting in the shade, which is much better than backpacking right now.

I got about five spring trips in this year 3 more than in the previous two years. <<raising my two and three year olds.

.Two of which where trout fishing trips on the chatooga. with a good freind.
.one was my wifes first trip.
. One was my kids first backpacking trip,
.and one i took a freind from work that hadnt been out sence his scouting days

I cancelled a thru-hike i was planning just did not feal ready for it both financially or as a backpacker. but i got to go fishingbackpacking for three days on the same trail. So all in all we had a great spring.

its to hot now but im planning my first national park trip this fall prob something close to home depending if the wife and kids want to come.

We do however have reservations for a cabin on a lake in august prob rent a canoe and do some fishing with my boys for a few days.

looking forward to cooler weather already though. SAMOSET

The hiking situation for me has been a sorry state of affairs for several years. Fortunately I can see things lightening up in a couple of years and I ought to be able to get out more then.

Meanwhile, let me say that when folks post pics, maps & such from their recent hikes I certainly enjoy vicarious hiking.