Get Out of the Box and Explore

Blissful Hiking Adventures Podcast Show Notes

Get Out of the Box and Explore – An Interview with Hiker Blissful

In Episode Two, Lauralee Bliss, trail name Blissful, shares with listeners her motivation for hiking and exploring the trails. This interview was conducted by WhiteFire Podcasts about long distance hiking adventures and other interests with valuable lessons learned along the way.

What are the differences between hiking the Appalachian Trail vs the Florida Trail?

The Appalachian Trail or AT is widely recognized, being next to many major

metropolitan areas of the east coast, with books and movies about it. It has plenty of mountain adventures and is good for short term hikes. And it was the hike Blissful did as a long hiking adventure with her teen son.

The Florida Trail is a low elevation trail with flora and fauna inherent in a southern state. It gives a different perspective of wilderness set in swamp, palm trees, palmettos, with fauna and flora all its own. It provides good long-distance adventure in the winter. Blissful gives examples of the challenges found in a solo hike.

What is your background?

Lauralee Bliss, trail name Blissful, grew up in the Catskills of New York with a mountain in her backyard. Blissful enjoyed traveling in the family RV to destinations where great hikes abounded, including the Appalachian Trail. She lives the adventure rather than just talking about it due to a goal driven mentality and seeing a dream fulfilled with no regrets.

How did you accomplish your hikes?

Read about it, set a plan into motion, hear from others who have done it in podcasts such as this, on hiker forums like in Facebook, in chats, in webinars and other video platforms. Learn what gear will work and what won’t. Read a lot, a dream a lot, then do it.

Final Thoughts

Blissful realizes life is crazy. But you can turn the craziness about into an adventure that may seem crazy to others but actually becomes a trail to healing and learning much about yourself and others. Make life count, and when you go through those adventures, tell others. Don’t keep it to yourself. It’s not just about you.

So get out of life’s box, explore, and share it far and wide!

  

Never miss an episode! Be sure to subscribe to the Blissful Hiking Adventures podcast.

Don’t miss Episode 3 - Hiking and Exploring in our National Parks

Coming Soon – Running those Ridges, the Life of a Ridgerunner on the Trail

Also available, the Hiking Adventure series of books on the Appalachian Trail (both north and south) and the Florida Trail from these sources:

WhiteFire

Amazon - Florida Trail and Appalachian Trail

Barnes and Noble - Florida Trail and Appalachian Trail

Hiking Vermont's Long Trail

I'm seeing some hikers planning a Long Trail adventure and decided to go ahead and share this blog back from 2012 when I did my southbound hike of it. I found the End to Ender's Guide and the map sufficed. I did not carry the Long Trail Guide as it only has descriptions for a northbound hike and I was hiking southbound. I also took a GPS device as well that really did come in handy on a few of the situations I found myself in. 

On September 23, 2012, I completed a southward trek of Vermont’s Long Trail. What began back in 2010 with the completion of the trail from Maine Junction (where the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail part) to Rt 2 in Massachusetts, I hiked from the Canadian border to the Maine Junction this fall. 

Looking into Quebec, Canada at the start of the Long Trail

So what is the Long Trail? As taken from the Green Mountain Club's web site – “Built by the Green Mountain Club between 1910 and 1930, the Long Trail is the oldest long-distance trail in the United States. The Long Trail follows the main ridge of the Green Mountains from the Massachusetts-Vermont line to the Canadian border as it crosses Vermont's highest peaks. It was the inspiration for the Appalachian Trail, which coincides with it for one hundred miles in the southern third of the state.

Although the Long Trail is known as Vermont's "footpath in the wilderness," its character may more accurately be described as backcountry. As it winds its way to Canada, the Trail climbs rugged peaks and passes pristine ponds, alpine bogs, hardwood forests and swift streams. The Long Trail is steep in some places, muddy in others, and rugged in most. Novice and expert alike will enjoy the varied terrain of the trail as it passes through the heart of Vermont's backwoods.
With its 273-mile footpath, 175 miles of side trails, and nearly 70 primitive shelters, the Long Trail offers endless hiking opportunities for the day hiker, weekend overnighter, and extended backpacker.”




Some noted observations made while on my hike –

Atop Mt Mansfield looking toward the Adirondoacks of NY and Lake Champlain

Best part of the trail – Except for a bit of a nerve wracking ascent up the chin and then the calamity with my backpack on the forehead, Mt Mansfield was one of the trip's highlights for stunning scenery.

The Presidential Range of NH from the Lincolns

I also liked very much a lone mountain called Laraway Perch. I had a beautiful view of Mansfield that day. The trail also meandered below huge rock formations.

Another favorite was Mt Abraham in the Lincoln region. My last views above tree line as I headed south.
  
Worse part of the trail – I attempted to climb Camel’s Hump in sixty mile an hour winds and heavy rain. It got so bad that I was obliged to take a side trail to avoid the exposed summit. On a clear day, this would have been a great mountain. But on adverse weather, it made for a treacherous and rather frightening experience.

What I’m glad I took – I accepted a fellow hiker's generous offer to carry his GPS with me. This served me many times when the trail became a bit confusing in ski areas such as Jay Peak (and the trail crosses many ski areas). It also helped me navigate back to the trail when my backpack fell out of the “Needle” portion of the forehead on Mt Mansfield and careened down 100 feet into a ravine. After retrieving my pack, I was able to bushwhack back using the GPS. I'm also glad I did take a 15 degree bag and outerwear for my September travels. Many hikers out there were pretty cold in their 30 plus degree bags in September.

Regrets – I didn’t need the mail drop at all in Jonesville, even though the post office is directly trailside. Between Jeffersonville (which has a nice general store) and Waitsfield, there is good resupply for the northern hiker. I ended up ditching some food at the inn at Waitsfield.

Speaking of which, the B&B's I stayed at (Nyes Green Valley and the Waitsfield Inn) were first class, friendly to hikers, did up laundry for free, and provided shuttles. Great breakfasts too. Worth the hefty price.  

Favorite place to stay on the trail – I had a great time at the ski lift hut on Spruce Peak. And I had wet gear that dried quickly that night inside the hut. The view overlooking Stowe was lovely. Stark’s Nest is another great place to stay, with views from the porch extending toward the Presidential Range of New Hampshire.

The Finish at Maine Junction. I did the southern part on my 2010 hike of the AT southbound

What I Learned – When the going gets rough, listening to the still small voice telling me where to go and what to do (like trying to negotiate the rocky traverse of the Camel's Hump ascent) really saved my hike.   

My Long Trail Journal on Trail Journals.
 

Other Trails

BMT
Foothills Trail
Allegheny Trail

Doing the Impossible

Whenever I heard of hikers doing some kind of long distance hiking in one day, I thought they were crazy. I'm not talking about the standard 20 miles one sometimes puts in (in fact I did it a few weeks back on my short section hike I will report on later this week). I'm talking long mega distances like over 30 miles a day benchmark. I thought it was crazy. I knew it would never happen to me. I'm middle aged. I've had health issues. Hip pain, Leg pain. Tendinitis that loves to creep up on me. It's for the younger crowd, I reasoned.

But then I saw these two hikers doing what is called the Crooked 100 to raise money for Shenandoah National Park Trust. Their plan - to walk all of Shenandoah National Park in three days. 100 miles. That averages 33 miles a day. I applaud their idea. Anything to help raise money (and avoid the broke federal government funding) should get multiple kudos these days.

But then this got me thinking - could I possibly do a 30 plus mile hike in one day? To do something beyond one's ability, or so they think? I began considering this long hike even more. And decided I would give it a try and hike all of the central section of Shenandoah in one day. 34.8 miles, from Swift Run Gap to Thornton Gap.

On Friday, September 9, 2011, I got my hubby to give me a ride to the trailhead at Swift Run Gap. It was still dark out at 6 AM. But I wasted no time. I got out my headlamp and knew I had to make a 3 mile an hour pace for a good chunk of the day if I was to have any chance of getting off the trail before late night. I headed out by headlamp. Immediately my hips started hurting. I ignored it. The daylight came, and I was able to switch off my headlamp. Then had some spurts of rain to dampen the morning until sunshine broke through. I also had to break through the multitude of spider webs trying to bar my way. But I trudged on. I stopped only a few times that day for ten minute breaks. I tried eating, but it was hard. My appetite was fairly quenched. But I made pretty good time, arriving at the Big Meadows campground area by noon. If everything held out, I had a chance to accomplish this feat.

But after the 20 mile mark, my feet started breaking down. I had brought several pairs of socks and changed regularly, but still the blisters came. I started getting general aches and pain and took my Vitamin I to keep things going. By the time I got to Sklyand though I was having major abdominal pain from eating an energy bar. I had to sit down for a time. My feet were killing me. It was going to take everything I had to finish this quest. Make no mistake. Mind over matter to the highest degree.

At Pinnacles Picnic Grounds my hubby was waiting for me with needed nutrition. When I frst sat down a the picnic table and he gave me orange juice and some snacks, I could barely eat, I was so sick. It's hard to describe. But once the juice infused into my system along with the bread and other food, I felt stronger. After 20 minutes I was able to shoulder my daypack and go on. The time was 5:35PM. Even though my feet felt liked chopped meat, I pressed on.

Blissful completes 34.8 miles in one day

I didn't stop now until I headed down off Mary's Rock and ran into hubby who came up to meet me. We hiked down the last mile together and arrived at Thornton Gap pakring lot at 7:45 PM, having met my goal of 34.8 miles, the most I've ever hiked.

Yes, there are hikers who have done this much and even more. But for a near 50- year-old woman to sneak out this kind of day was a big deal for me mentally and emotionally. And it showed me that it isn't impossible to set your sights on some impossible goal. Just go for it.