Last fall we led a three-day backpack trip into Linville Gorge Wilderness. Perhaps the most challenging trip we offer, it includes two significant river crossings and some rigorous, riotous rock scrambling in the unmarked gorge. We’d vetted all of the backpackers and knew they were up to the task.

Still, things happen. Early on, one of our backpackers developed severe blisters. Then, an issue with heat tolerance flared. As we descended to the Linville River at the mouth of the gorge on Day 2, it was clear she couldn’t continue. 

Fortunately, having written about the area for my book, “Backpacking North Carolina,” and on several other occasions, I knew we were close to the one easy bailout in the gorge: a dirt road that led about a mile to civilization. I discussed the situation with fellow trip leader Scott Hicks. Without hesitating, he said, “I’ll get her out.”

And he did. Not only did he get her a mile down that dirt road to a small collection of houses, but he found a guy mowing his grass who agreed to give them a ride 20 miles to Morganton. Still concerned about the backpacker’s health, Scott declined a ride back to rejoin the group and stayed with the backpacker until the next day, when her ride, who was also on the trip, picked her up. 

Scott never complained about spending the weekend in a Holiday Inn Express lobby rather than in a gorgeous wilderness; to him it was part of the adventure.

Because our program caters to first-timers and folks not comfortable with exploring on their own, compassion is a key trait we look for in our guides. When we started five years ago leading day hikes, we made clear that we would drop no one, that we would ensure this by leading our hikes from the rear.

This philosophy continues to drive us. Sure, we do challenging trips like Linville. But even those are targeted to folks for whom a Linville journey is a big step in their evolution as explorers. After we screen for compassion we look for other traits, though a leader doesn’t necessarily have to have all. Our other key desires for a hike leader:

Experience. Anne Triebert has been hiking and backpacking longer than she would prefer we print. Suffice it to say that she got her start at the state’s educational epicenter for the outdoors, Western Carolina University, as an undergrad in the 1970s and she hasn’t stopped moving since. In fact, she’s currently on her honeymoon, a three-month sojourn with hubby John where their lux accommodation has been a two-person tent and their “luggage” is transported to their “room” not by a bellhop but by llamas. Anne leads day hikes and most of our GetHiking! Classic Escape Weekends, basecamp-based hiking trips that explore some of the high country’s most awesome terrain. 

Fresh perspective. Experience is great, no mistake about it. But sometimes the experienced can forget what it’s like to be a novice. Alison Watta came to us a year and a half ago, an adventurous soul for whom backpacking was next on her wide-ranging bucket list. Fortunately for us, Alison became smitten with hiking and backpacking. She’s been on nearly every backpack trip we’ve done since, and is now leading our new GetBackpacking! Overnight Sampler class. She’s managed to cram about a decade of backpacking experience into 18 months (she’s also become a gear nut), yet she still knows what it’s like to come to backpacking fresh and naive. Experience and fresh perspective — a rare combination.

Going beyond. Going beyond, both in the sense of doing whatever it takes to care for a hiker and in thinking beyond just a day hike or a weekend trip. Scott Hicks qualifies on both counts. In addition to being the consummate caretaker, he’s our guide when it comes to the long hike. Three years ago he lead a thru-hike of the 77-mile Foothills Trail, he’s planning a thru-hike of the John Muir Trail (hopefully in the next two years), and he’s currently leading an informal series of section hikes of the Appalachian Trail. It’s the latter that we are especially excited about. Few of us can envision taking six months off to hike the AT, but a couple weeklong hikes a year knocking off 70 to 90 miles a pop? Doable. Scott hopes to offer these section hikes as a GetBackpacking! option next year.

So that’s what you’re looking at when you stand at the trailhead on one of our adventures, wondering about the person about to lead you into the wild. You may be looking at someone who’s been hiking for a half century, or someone who knows a thing but is new enough to appreciate the newcomer’s perspective, or who shares your dreams about doing the long hikes — and can help you achieve them.  

But above all, you’re looking at someone you can trust.

Happy Trails,

Joe

Learn more about …

• Alison Watta and one of her pre-backpacking and hiking adventures, here.
• Scott Hicks’ thru-hike of the Foothills Trail here.
• Our GetHiking! programs, go here
• Our GetBackpacking! programs here.
• The guy in the green jacket in the top photo, lead guide and founder Joe Miller, go here.

The post Here’s who’s leading you into the woods (and why) appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Bill viewed the hike as a physical challenge, as a way to structure his hiking and give him a goal to train for. Scott saw the hike as a prelude to a longer hike, most likely the 211-mile John Muir Trail in California. It was a chance to tackle the logistical challenges of a long hike. And Bonner? Bonner is more of a “because it’s there” guy — no underlying motive needed.

Their approach to the hike differed as well. Scott and Bill trained doggedly. They took long training hikes, in full pack, in Umstead State Park, they signed up for whatever regional weekend trips they could find, they did their own overnights. All the while tweaking their loads, evaluating their gear, trimming weight. And Bonner? Bonner also hiked a lot the summer leading up to their October trip, and his loads got lighter, too: every time he hiked, it was with a smaller and smaller day pack. On one of the last training hikes, he donned a drawstring pack akin to the ones you see on teenage girls roaming the mall.

Different motivations, different approaches, different experiences on the trail. Yet all three completed the trip, and all three had a great time.

I mention their trip for two reasons. One, you can hear how this trip unfolded — and how you can plan such a hike as well — next Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. at the Great Outdoor Provision Co. in Raleigh. Scott will be the main presenter; he’ll show slides.

We mention their experience, too, because while the three had different goals and approached the hike in their own way, they all got out of the hike what they wanted. And that’s because they all had basic backpacking skills and some experience going in. Backpacking is not something you go into unprepared, certainly not for a weeklong trip, not even for an overnighter. Think of backpacking as going into space: in both cases, you travel with a life support system on your back. If that system fails, you’re in big trouble.

In most cases where we hear of a first backpacking trip gone awry, it’s almost always accompanied, at some point, by the admission, “I went with friends” — or worse, “ I went with my boyfriend/girlfriend.” Or rather, ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.

Friends don’t take friends who’ve never backpacked on their first trip. Friends often forget to offer key pieces of advice: Oh yeah, you should have filtered that water before you drank it. Or, Your pack may be heavy because you packed canned beans. Or, Did I forget to mention a sleeping pad? Sorry.

Little wonder so many people answer the question, “Ever backpacked?” with “Yes. Once.”

Backpacking, as you’ll learn if you attend Scott’s talk (or our Backpacking in the Southeast presentation in Greensboro this Thursday; see below) can be a surprisingly rewarding escape (and one you can do late into life).

You may not start with the 77-mile Foothills Trail. But you might be surprised at how soon you can get there.

* * *

Get Moving!

• Explorer Series: Foothills Trail. Come hear Scott Hicks discuss his 2016 Foothills Trail thru-hike on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. at the Great Outdoor Provision Co. in Raleigh as part of our monthly Explorer Series. The store is at 2017 Cameron St. More info and register (it’s free, we just like to know who’s coming) here. We’ll also discuss and answer questions about our GetBackpacking! Intro to Backpacking course and our Intermediate Skills backpacking classes (which you can read about here).
• GetBackpacking! Backpacking in the Southeast Community Night in the Triad. If you’re in the Triad area, join us Thursday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. at the new Great Outdoor Provision Co. store in Greensboro, for an evening of talking backpacking. We’ll talk a little about our programs, a lot about some of our favorite places to backpack in the region. For more information and to register, go here.
• GetBackpacking! Intro to Backpacking. Has backpacking been on your list, but you haven’t been certain how to get into it? Our GetBackpacking! Intro to Backpacking class includes three training hikes, each focused on a specific and important backpacking skill, followed by a weekend graduation trip to the mountains. We emphasize gear and proper packing, setting up and breaking down camp, food and the preparation thereof. We do a planning meeting before the trip, we have a gear-information session at Great Outdoor Provision Co. We have three courses scheduled this spring, two in the Triangle, one in the Triad. Learn more here.
• GetBackpacking! Intermediate Skills. For our newly minted and more experienced backpackers, we offer a series of intermediate skills trips focused on developing certain backcountry skills, including navigating a wilderness, river crossings, hiking and setting up camp at night, winter camping, going solo and more. Learn more about these trips here.
• GetBackpacking! in the Southeast. A virtual trip to some of our favorite places to backpack in the Southeast, and information on the courses we offer that can get you there. Click here to begin the show.

Happy trails,

Joe

The post Learn about a thru-hike, then take one yourself appeared first on GetGoing NC!.