Ray K. Anderson's Blog, page 6

The Continental Divide Trail

The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) begins at the Mexican border in New Mexico and runs 3100 miles through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, part of Idaho, and Montana. It is not well-marked and is still a work in progress. Many thru-hikers start at the Canadian border and hike south; others will begin in the south and head north. If you attempt to thru-hike this trail, carry a GPS, […]

Appalachian Trail–12 things you may not have known about it

Below is a website with  interesting facts and comments about the Appalachian Trail. A couple of these items are provocative. For example, I don’t recommend thru-hiking the A.T. without a tent, at least in the spring and fall. This article says the 250 shelters along the trail can obviate the need for a tent, but what if a shelter is […]

APPALACHIAN TRAIL-A Complete Summary

For those of you who are still preparing, about to step off, or who are already on the Appalachian Trail, here is the best summary of what you can expect that I’ve seen. Appalachian Trail Conservancy Because this summary speaks for itself, anything I add here will only tend to dilute the information in it. Scroll through […]

Winter Hiking 3

This post follows two earlier posts on winter hiking. Northern New England has snow, and some of southern New England got several inches of the white stuff already this month. There are places out west, in the Sierras for example, where the snow and ice never melt completely before seasonal snows arrive again. Prepare now to enjoy cold-weather hikes. If you live in the North and are training for […]

“THE TRAIL” novel

Permit me a post on my début novel, The Trail, a thriller which takes place along the Appalachian Trail. As some of you know, I conceived this novel while thru-hiking the A.T. using the trail name Hamlet. I used my journals and in this novel take the reader from GA to ME. My book is not just another […]

Winter Hiking 2

In this second post about winter hiking, I need to address one thing from last time. I’d said one of the rewards of winter hiking was losing weight. In this case, however, body weight should not be lost by eating normal nutritious meals. One must eat extra carbohydrates and fats. What’s more, don’t stop for lunch–keep moving and snack, snack, snack. Proteins […]

Winter Hiking

I’m mostly a three-season hiker; I seldom hike in winter. Yet, I’ve always enjoyed it, especially when the snow is light and easy to walk through. I’ve never gone on an extended winter hike, but I’ve attended workshops to educate me. You may ask, as I did, why hike in winter? It’s cold, raw, and icy; it can be […]

Backpacker Etiquette

We don’t hear much about backpacker etiquette. We should. Without private and public support there wouldn’t be many official trails. Agreements have to be reached with private landowners if trails run on their property. Arrangements must be made with local, state, and federal governments if trails cross those lands. Think of what happens if we are careless and […]

The Long Trail–Vermont

This is the time of year hikers begin planning and training for a major thru-hike in the spring. Some backpackers will experience a let-down if they are unable to find the time or the wherewithal to hike the Appalachian, or the Pacific Crest, or the Continental Divide trails. But what about a shorter trail that gives […]

Hiker Rescues: The Sat Phone; The PLB

You’re alone and isolated in the wilds. You are injured, cold, and thirsty. You are shivering; the outlook is not good. The surest way to be rescued and survive is with a Satellite (Sat) Phone. The next best alternative is the Personal Location Beacon (PLB). But how much do these things cost? And what do they weigh? Let’s start […]