PAW GAITERS!

Date: 06/21/2017

Location: Laurel Highlands, north trailhead parking lot to decker shelter

Trail Distance: 11.5 (50.1 miles ytd)

My thermometer said it was 65 degrees, but my shirt said WHY ARE WE IN AFRICA?!? I'm used to hiking in the cooler weather -- this was pretty brutal. I drank more water than usual, but not nearly enough to avoid the dehydration headache. Or lack of coffee headache. Who's to say?

I got better...

The takeaway from this trip -- besides MOAR WATERZ -- is that those rehydratable paper towel thingins are super handy. Many thumbs up, will soak again.

Oh and hey guys I got my base weight under 10lbs so I am extra-special elite now, right?

I think his name is Sherlock

Didn't drop the poopsack!

I can hike a dozen miles with a 20lb pack through rain, roots and rocks but one uneven stretch of sidewalk and ASS OVER TEAKETTLE

I compose tweets while hiking alone in the forest. Just like #Thoreau.

The wife says I've been going on and on about wanting to get a drone.

The sixth taste for dogs is whatever slippers are made of

That really is the worst phone to do this with so slippery

If you're like me, going out into the woods is pretty much all about not being bored. Since I don't make forts DO BUSHCRAFT, I kinda need...something. So I load up the phone with books and shows and hope for the best. But the weight of all this media really makes the phone a pain to hold for longer than a few seconds (THIS IS JUST SCIENCE, PEOPLE).

Shock cord to the rescue.

Just tie two knots -- doesn't really matter what kind, just make them smaller loops than the size of your device (I wouldn't recommend doing this with a tablet, but you do you) so it will fit properly. Then I just hook the cord to my ridgelight like so:

So.

It tends to want to twist horizontally, so I put my electronics pouch behind it and it keeps it in a good viewing position. You can adjust the verical orientation by positioning the knots -- just experiment (like in college)

That phone was so light!

Of course, you could just not take any electronics SHUT YOUR MOUTH SHUG NEEDS A CONTROL LINE PLANE SQUADRON WE CAN DO THIS PEOPLE

That wasn't there a minute ago.

Date: 05/06/2017

Location: Laurel Highlands, rt 271 parking lot to rt 30 shelter

Trail Distance: NO MILES FOR YOU COUNTING IS FOR CAMPERS (39.6 miles ytd)

Rain? -- no problem. Wet shoes? -- big deal. Cold? -- BRING IT.

Breezy tree blowing and train sounds? -- OH IT'S BEEN BROUGHTEN.

Man, I gotta get over being freaked out by the wind. Other than that, had a good pace and pretty easy terrain (despite the mud and wet).

Guess I'll go back to trying to grow a pair.

Cream of Wheat is a very Lovecraftian breakfast #eldritchhorror