Mistakes made and lessons learned

Every trip has its share of small mishaps and this one was to be no exception. Fortunately, we managed to avoid disaster and returned home a little wiser.

Lesson 1 - Get one or two of those little aerosol lock deicers. For years I had dismissed them as being worthless rip-offs. I was WRONG! They really do work and now I make sure to carry one in my pack. It isn't much fun to get back to your car after a long, cold winter trip only to find your locks frozen solid.	All three of us had gotten little rest the previous week due to working long hours and preparation for this trip. This would be Mike and Ron's first winter backpack trip so we had decided on what we thought was a fairly conservative destination - the North Country Trail in northeastern Pennsylvania's Allegheny National Forest. We had about a three hour drive to the trailhead so Mike and I were supposed to meet Ron at his house by 6:00 a.m. and be on the road by 6:30 but at 6:15 a.m. I was struggling with the frozen locks on my car. I finally managed to unlock the doors and load the car but it was 6:45 a.m. by the time I got to Ron's.
Lesson 2 - Be sure to have all your gear packed and ready, eh hoser? Be sure to get to bed early and set your alarm clock! And most importantly, when planning a trip allow extra time to get to your destination, especially in winter. This became a major factor later on our trip!	Ron greeted me with the news that Mike had just woken up and we were to pick him up at his house. We threw my gear into Ron's Explorer, raced down the road to Mike's, piled his gear in on top of everything else and finally hit the road at 7:30 a.m. We had an uneventful ride for the next two hours and arrived in Erie, Pennsylvania where we decided to make a quick stop at Eastern Mountain Sports and get breakfast. We found the mall where EMS was located but they weren't open yet so we stopped at a Bob Evans for a high-cholesterol vein-clogging breakfast. Of course, by 10:45 a.m. on Saturday morning they were crowded and it was almost an hour later by the time we returned to EMS. I had only intended to look for a more detailed topo map of our trail but one thing led to another and before we knew it, we all had an armful of stuff we "needed". With our wallets a little thinner we finally managed to get back on the road at almost 12:30 p.m.
See Lesson 2 - Allow extra time to get to your destination, especially in winter, eh?	The interstate had been mostly clear of snow but, as the roads became less and less traveled, they also became more snow covered and slick. Of course that meant driving at a slower speed and getting even further behind schedule. At 1:45 p.m. we finally arrived at the trailhead, quickly got our gear together and started up the trail toward the New York/Pennsylvania state border. Lacking any really mountainous terrain within easy driving distance, we had decided on an alternative goal: hiking all 82 mile of the North Country Trail within the Allegheny National Forest. Of course it would take many weekend trips to accomplish this but, hey, at least we would get to use all our neat gear! We had planned to start at the northern most point and hike south but in order to get to the state border we had to hike north about 1.2 miles. It didn't take us very long to reach the New York/Pennsylvania state line and we turned around and started south back down the trail. It was a beautiful day to be hiking, the sun was shining, the temperature was almost too warm at about 20° F, and the woods was blanketed in almost 8 inches of snow.
Lesson 3 - Don't let your feet get wet and cold! Change your socks if they're wet and alert others in your party that you may have a problem, eh? Ron was wearing One Sport Moraines, a boot I use and highly recommend, but I have never been able to wear a leather boot in temperatures much below 25° F. On this trip I wore my new Asolo Guide, a plastic double boot that kept my feet quite warm. In fact, Ron ordered a pair as soon as we got home!	We got back to the trailhead at almost 3:00 p.m. having hiked 2.4 miles. Crossing the road, we turned northwest up the trail toward our intended campsite, 3.6 miles away at the junction of the NCT and the Tracy Ridge Trail. It was a long hike up the side of the hill and a great deal cooler since it was also in the shade. Reaching the saddle in the ridge and turning south we had great views of the sun setting across the Allegheny Reservoir. Of course the temperature was dropping as rapidly as the sun and we didn't spend much time sight-seeing. A short time later, Ron accidentally got his boots wet crossing one of the small streams and, since his socks were already damp from perspiration, his feet began to get very cold. Not quite aware of the potential danger he was in, Ron didn't mention his wet feet, assuming that he would change into dry socks when we got to camp.
	The sun had set over the hills and the woods had become surreal in the twilight, the temperature at about 10° F. We still had a ways to go before dinner so we pushed on until finally we lost the trail in the gathering darkness. The previous October I had hiked the Tracy Ridge/Johnnycake loop with Brian and we had camped very near our current destination. Brian and I spent a spectacular autumn weekend relaxing and exploring and now, after a quick glance at the map, I was able to recognize a few landmarks. Leading off down the hill I quickly rejoined the trail and within fifteen minutes we had found the campsite. Quickly breaking out the headlamps, we began searching for suitable tent sites. It was now close to seven p.m., the temperature was near 8° F, and we had just begun to set up camp.
See Lesson 2 - Again! - I made a huge mistake in not allowing enough time to reach our destination before dark. The darkness, the very cold temperature and the fact that we were tired and hungry created a very dangerous situation!	I had found a spot for my tent about eighty feet away from Ron and Mike, but due to the very cold temperature the tent had become extremely difficult to assemble, and I struggled with it for at least thirty minutes before getting it set up. While I fought with my tent, Ron and Mike set up their tent, unpacked their new MSR Whisperlite stoves and started to light a fire. At least that's what they were doing the last time I checked. My tent was almost set-up when I looked over and was surprised to see Mike valiantly struggling to get something other than the fire-starter to burn. I became alarmed when I saw that the two stoves were not lit and Ron was nowhere to be seen. Leaving my tent rainfly undone I ran over to help Mike and discovered that neither stove would light and what little wood Mike had been able to scrounge up was too wet to catch fire. Ron's feet had become painfully cold despite having changed into dry socks, and he had finally retreated into his sleeping bag. I quickly dug out my old MSR Whisperlite Internationale, performed the preheating ritual, and much to my relief it fired right up. While Mike began melting snow for water, I gave the fire one last try before giving it up all together. I stuck my head in Ron's tent to check on him and was dismayed to learned that his feet where still numb and he was cold despite having been in his bag for at least thirty minutes. In addition, his responses to my questions were slightly irrational and I immediately came to the frightening conclusion that he was becoming hypothermic.
	Mike had boiled enough water to fill two water bottles which I stuffed in the foot of Ron's sleeping bag. Mike and I then discussed our options, which at this point consisted of warming Ron as much as possible and: A) Pack and hike out as fast as possible. or B) Melt as much water as we can carry, eat and drink as much hot food as we can hold, and re-evaluate the situation at that time.
	As tired and cold as we were, we didn't find the thought of a forced night hike in the middle of winter very enticing. While we made more water I took a look at Ron's stove, but despite my best efforts it was not about to light. I had a little better luck with Mike's and although it never did run perfectly, at least we now had two stoves melting snow. When the next pan of water had come to a boil I made some hot chocolate and made Ron drink it. Mike cooked up a pot of some sort of noodles-and-seasoning and we made Ron eat as much of that as he could. I made another hot water bottle and stuffed it in Ron's bag with the first one.
Lesson 4 - Fill your water bottles with boiling water just before bed, stuff them in your bag and have a cozy sleep. They won't be very warm in the morning, but at least you won't have to stand around waiting for snow to melt.	Finally at about 9:45 p.m. Ron's feet had warmed up and he was even complaining of being too hot in his bag which he had closed up to little more than a breathing hole. As it became clear that the danger had passed, I at last melted some snow for my own dinner. Mike had already cleaned up his cooking gear and, promising to keep a close watch on Ron, he headed for bed. At 10:25 p.m., with the temperature at 4° F, I finally climbed into my own sleeping bag, too tired to finish putting the fly on my tent.
Lesson 5 - Always use the fly! Although a tent isn't insulated, it can often be as much as ten degrees F warmer inside. I was not too terribly cold, but I would have been a whole lot more comfortable had I used the fly.	I was the first one up the following morning, so I melted some snow and made my breakfast. The sun had come up and the temperature was already near 20° F. I grabbed Mike's Crazy Creek chair, found a nice sunny spot, and opened the Oreo's I had brought for an after-dinner treat. It wasn't long before Ron and Mike popped out of their tent. After breakfast we took down the tents and packed everything away. Leaving the packs where they lay, we hiked out the shore line to the end of the little bay we had camped near. We spent about an hour looking at the thousands of fossils that can be found along the shore before the wind picked up and drove us back to the shelter of the trees. With the temperature now at about 25° F we shouldered our packs and began the journey back to the trailhead. The return hike was enjoyable and before we knew it we were at the car. Eager for a hot shower and soft bed we tossed our gear into the car and took off for home. We made a quick stop near Erie for gas and food, and finally arrived at Ron's house around 8:30 p.m. I was afraid our little adventure would be the last time Ron and Mike went winter camping, but they were already talking about another trip and what gear they were going to buy. Unfortunately, we didn't get in another trip together before spring (I made a solo trip to the White Mts.), but later that year we made a memorable Thanksgiving weekend trip to the Adirondacks/Mt. Marcy and then in late January we spent a week in the White Mts./Mt. Washington. In the meantime we're upgrading our gear, honing our rock climbing skills, and dreaming of Alaska!

North Country Trail Association - In many ways, the North Country National Scenic Trail is similar in concept to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. In other ways, it is uniquely different as it takes the visitor through a great variety of landscapes rather than following a major geologic feature. When completed, the North Country NST will extend approximately 4,500 miles from the vicinity of Crown Point, New York, to Lake Sakakawea State Park on the Missouri River in North Dakota, where it joins the route of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Already, more than 1,600 miles have been completed.

Joan Young's Hiking Page - Only four people have hiked the entire North Country Trail but Joan Young is well on her way to joining this elite group. With a current mileage total of 1803 miles, she most recently hiked several short pieces of trail in New York State.