Spirit Camping - Camping, Hiking, Travel and More

I’m going to tell you a story about a mountain hike that turned out to be a life changing experience for me. It sounds ridiculous, I know. But this story is one that serves as a perfect example for why training for a long hike on any of the biggest mountain peaks across the country is critical to a successful hike.

Train Your Body, But Don’t Forget Your Mind

Of course, it’s critical that you get your body prepared for what’s coming. Mountain climbing is an activity unlike any other. It’s a strenuous undertaking that puts demands on your body which you can never completely prepare it for. When you’re barely a sixteenth of the way up the mountain, you’ll be ready to give up. Around the next bend, you glance up over a giant boulder and realize how much further there is to go. These moments are those that separate day hikers from die-hard mountain climbers.

You simply haven’t trained for a long hike properly unless you’ve walked the Katahdin trail. Katahdin is the highest mountain in the State of Maine, at almost exactly a mile high vertically. With that said - let me explain exactly what happened on this particular hike.

Dudley Trail and the Busted Ankle

Let’s just say, I put off training for this hike because I thought it would be a piece of cake. Seriously, a mountain that’s over 5,000 feet high is some serious altitude - but there are bigger mountains out there. Just look at the Presidential range right next door, with Mount Washington at over 6,200 feet.  But that’s the allure and the trap that Katahdin presents it’s visitors with. You have no idea what you’re in for until you’re on your way.  It’s an innocent enough looking mountain.

On the way up Dudley Trail, we decided to take a detour to check out the Pamola caves, a very cool cave system that you can crawl into and take pictures. Well, on the way back to the main trail, I made the unfortunate mistake of misplacing my foot and landing wrong on the side of my foot. I knew, the moment it happened, that I was in for a long day. Immediately after, I rubbed it and it seemed okay. My brother-in-law had a very concerned look on his face, but I grimaced and said it was alright - no big deal. I could handle it. We forged ahead.

Halfway up Dudley, I really started to think I wouldn’t make it. I glanced up and saw the path ahead, impossibly steep and guarded by monstrous boulders. It looked impossible. In fact, I was convinced that it was impossible. But we forged ahead - head down, mind focused on the task at hand. It was like this for what felt like hours, until we reached Pamola Peak to a welcoming clear blue sky. The trip had only started.

Knife’s Edge and The Trail to Baxter Peak

If you’re going to hike Katahdin, you really have to do it this way. After climbing one of the hardest trails in the Park (Dudley), you look onward from Pamola Peak and across “knife’s edge,” the only way to Baxter Peak, and you realize what you’ve gotten yourself into, and there’s no turning back.

I mean seriously, how cool is that? Add to that a throbbing, rapidly swelling ankle, and you’ve got the recipe for a grand time. But you can’t give up. That’s the lesson that the mountain teaches you. As you stare out over the vastness and the sheer size of this monster, you realize that you can’t conquer  it.  You have to walk lightly and pray to the mountain and to the sky above to allow you safe passage. A single storm can turn a beautiful trip into a life-threatening endeavor. Carefully crossing Knife’s edge, and then down and up the terrifying “notch,” we began the final ascent toward Baxter Peak.  The final climb. My ankle was numb by this point.

Victory Never Smelled So Sweet

By the time we made it to the peak, I was ready to lay down and pass out. As we stumbled through the final minefield of smaller boulders and stones (the mountain is a nightmare for weak ankles), we made it to the summit around noon.

At Baxter Peak, you’ll find this small pile of stones that the folks who maintain the place built up in order to make the mountain exactly 5,280 feet. How’s that for being anal?

We rested at this pile of stones and ate our rations of canned meat and dried fruit. I was ready for a four hour nap. Unfortunately we still had the long, slow trek down Saddleback Trail and down to the campsite at Chimney Pond. What kept me going was the thought of laying in our shelter, drenching myself in fresh water, and sleeping.

Training For Long Hike

Once we made it back to camp, and I slowly peeled off the socks from my swollen ankle, I realized that my ankle had swelled to at least twice it’s normal size. I had no idea if it was broken, but it was clear there was a great deal of internal bleeding, with enough bruising to make the ankle look like raw meat. It was absolutely disgusting - so I was sure to take photos to share with all my friends. But what that moment taught me was that training for long hike excursions up the biggest mountain peaks involves far more than just rigorous exercise. It involves mental training in focus and balance, and shoes that support your ankles.

The Aftermath and the Lessons

When we got back home, my wife and my sister demanded that I get my ankle checked out at the local hospital. I joked about it. “It’s not that bad,” I grinned, as they all stared down at my grotesquely deformed ankle.  I had no choice but to cave in and go get some x-rays.

Turned out it wasn’t broken. Only sprained and abused…a busted ankle, walked on for 15 hours after the injury, without ice or heat applied. I’m sure I could have caused far more damage to my body, but I was lucky. Lesson learned - properly train your body, and adapt your mind so that you can focus on placing your feet well when you walk these odd trails with those landmine rocks just waiting to take you out.

In the end, all it takes is a single small pebble to destroy your entire trip. That is, unless you’re the sort of silly die-hard that doesn’t let something like a sprained ankle put a stop to one of the best mountain hiking opportunities in the entire Northeast.

Have you ever experienced your own injury while hiking in the wilderness? Share your own experiences in the comments section below!

Tags: biggest mountain peaks, katahdin, maine, Mountain Climbing, training for long hike

The following guide will provide a brief overview of the top ten Internet resources where you’ll find everything you need in a very small space. These not are all shopping sites - in fact, most of them are valuable informational portals with camping, hiking and other information related to life outdoors. Bookmark this page and use it as your starting point each time you are ready to start planning for your next camping trip. I keep this list updated every month.

#1: National Park Service

An obvious top contender for camping information is the National Park Service . In my opinion, the most valuable camping resource on the Internet is the National Park’s "Find a Park" service. This graphical interface allows visitors to click on any state in the U.S. and pull up detailed listings of all of the National Parks within any state.

Each individual state page lists every National Park - quite possibly a few that you never even realized existed. You can drill down to an individual park (and in many cases a trail), and read a brief description, directions, hours, fees and even useful maps.

You could easily use this one resource to plan your entire camping or hiking trip and you’d be set.

#2: Altrec is a Camper’s Paradise

I didn’t want to focus too much on the outfitters, but I have to mention Altrec Outdoors if only because I’m obsessed with their electronic camping gear. I’m a GPS fanatic, and Altrec carries the top brands and models at the lowest prices I’ve found anywhere.

It also helps that they carry every piece of camping and hiking gear imaginable. Every year, before our family camping trips start, I spend at least three hours every day in the 80% off outlet section - it’s a camper’s paradise. That’s where my tax refund check goes every year!

#3: TheBackPacker For Camping Gear Rankings

If you’re a camping gear fanatic like me, then you’ll love TheBackPacker.com . Whether you’re hunting for the smallest and lightest cook stove, or the most convenient and flavorful freeze dried meals, this is the place to check whether or not the product is any good. Of course, these camping rankings are only the start. At this site you’ll find backpacking info, trail reviews (I can never get enough of trail reviews), and a section where visitors can upload their own pictures. There are some pretty cool pics in there.

You’ll also find articles, and a pretty cool forum called "Trail Talk," where you can hook up with other camping enthusiasts and talk about gear, trails, or anything else.

#4: DayHiker For The Extreme Day Hiker

One of the best websites for hiking enthusiast information and tips is easily DayHiker.com . DayHiker started in 1999, and since then has become the "go-to" point for all day hikers. This site puts the "extreme" in extreme day hiking - visitors can post their own day hiking experiences in the forum.

You can read examples of extreme day hikes, hiking tips, and the spectacular photos of day hikes come from around the world. A few of these forced me to make a pact with myself that I’d go hiking in the Tetons some day.

#5: GORP is A Way Of Life

GORP is just one of those websites that I can’t get enough of. The volume of information that you’ll find here is unsurpassed online, and includes destination guides, activity guides, and national park information. There’s also campground info, camping rankings, gear info - heck, there are even city guides! The "Gear Guy" answers daily questions and offers gear suggestions, and you can read about the "park of the week."

By far, my favorite area is the "activity" section where you can read through hiking and camping guides that cover just about any camping or hiking issue you could imagine. This is where I spend my lunch break every day.

Need More Camping Rankings?

All of the resources above are those that I suggest because I use them, and I’ve also based these reviews on search rankings and popularity. These are the best of the best for outdoor enthusiasts. I also have a few more gems from my favorites list, and those include the following.

• American Hiking Society (http://www.americanhiking.org/aboutUs.aspx) - Support the protection of natural trails and the promotion of hiking.
• GreatOutdoors (http://www.greatoutdoors.com) - By far one of the best camping and hiking blogs I’ve found (other than this one, of course!)
• Trails.com (http://www.trails.com/) - This is an unsurpassed resource for tracking down and learning about trails.
• Go Camping America (http://www.gocampingamerica.com/) - This is a great resource for park reviews, and focuses a fair amount on "RV style" camping.
• Camping.com (http://www.camping.com/) - It lives up to its name, with categories like camping furniture, water sports and even dog supplies.

One of the most important things you can do before any hiking or camping trip, whether it’s individual or as a family, is to properly plan out where you’re going to hike, activities to do in the area, and the best trails to check out for a scenic hike. Having good resources is critical, and the list of websites above should serve you well for years to come.

Don’t forget to share your own opinions and input in the comments section below!

Tags: campgrounds, camping rankings, camping reviews, camping websites, national parks