This weekend I waas working on the high peaks of the Adirondacks...nothing too crazy for some of the veterans here, but a very strenous set of steep swithbacks and scrambles...with limited water availability, and alot of energy to burn. Most people do it in a day hike...mind you a long day hike but still.

my coworkwer talked me into breaking it up to make it easier...but what i didn't realize is the difference in my pack. Instead of just a daypack with the minimal basics like tons of water and some bandaids ha, i had my whole setup....including my camera.

What i soon realized is...I may not have the size or strentght to pack into certain places do to the amount of supplies i'd need to bring.

I'm 5'8 about 125 lbs. So even a very trimmed down UL pack of lets say 30 lbs, is a significant load to bear...relatively speaking.

So i was pretty down on myself after nearly killing myself on some of the summits and then having to call it quits for safety reasons. I felt weak and drained and wasn't having FUN. At one point on a ladder with no floor in sight a decent gust of wind grabbed hold of my bag, and if it wasn't for my upper body being in great shape...would have carried me to the bottom of a 1200 foot col. Do others venture out with 30-40% of their bodyweight on their back? If so do you do as strenuous activities?

Despite all my dreams of doing the big bad stuff...i may have to tailor my adventures to more suitable stuff based on my strengths...

Has anyone else had to swallow the difficult pill that some stuff in nature may just be out of reach for them? What did you do to keep in the outdoor life?

I'm now drastically re-planning my trip in september to be a highlight tour of the AT(as much of it as i can) via basecamps and selected day hikes or afternoon jaunts to the scenic highlists the parks have to offer.

I was hoping some of you would call me stupid for eveing getting down on my inability to do some on nature's more intesne items.

I still know i could do the whole thing if packed approaitely.