Back to the 1980’s and 1990’s
- 3/00 Big Bend N.P. & Big Bend Ranch S.P. VII (Rancherias Loop), 3 days, family
- 10/00 Great Smoky Mountians N.P. (GSMNP) III (Clingmans/Forney Cr/Silers Bald/AT loop), 4 days
- 12/00 Mt. Rogers/Grayson Highlands, VA, 3 days
- 12/00 AT, VA. (James River face), 3 days
- 2/01 Mt. Rogers/Grayson Highlands II, VA, 3 days
- 3/01 Black Mtns. VI (Buncombe Horse Tr./Crest Tr./Horse Rock/Woody Ridge Tr.), NC, 3 days
The Lightweight Era Begins
While I had always followed Colin Fletcher‘s words of “the weightiest matter is weight” and “take care of the ounces and the pounds will take care of themselves”, it wasn’t until this time that I began to look hard at every piece of gear and began to slowly buy new ultralight equipment. The result is I have reduced my base pack weight by over 20 pounds since 2000!
- 11/01 GSMNP IV (Fontana/Hazel Cr/AT/Gregory Bald with forest fire), 6 days
- 12/01 AT, (Burkes Garden loop), VA, 3 days
- 1/02 AT, (Religious range loop- The Priest/Cole Mtn./The Cardinal), VA, 3 days
- 3/02 Grand Canyon N.P. III (Hermit/Bright Angel), 7 days, Scott
- 8/02 Black Mtns. VII (Buncombe Horse trail), NC, 3 days, solo
- 11/02 Mt. Rogers/Grayson Highlands III, VA, 2 days, Frank, rain shortened
- 11/02 GSMNP V (Big Creek rim run), 4 days, Lee
- 1/03 AT, (North Mtn./Dragons Tooth/McAfee Knob loop, VA’s Triple Crown), VA, 3 days
- 8/03 Black Mtns. VIII (Buncombe Horse trail), NC, 2 days, solo
- 10/03 Beartown Wilderness/Burkes Garden AT, VA, 3 days
- 1/04 Mt. Rogers/Grayson Highlands IV, AT/Iron Mtn. Loop, VA, 4 days
- 2/04 AT, Roan Mountain I (19E S to Iron Mtn. Gap), NC/TN, 3 days
- 2/04 Fires Creek, NC, 2 days
- 11/04 GSMNP VI (Smokemont/Hyatt Rdg/Palmer Creek/Cataloochee), 3 days
- 12/04 Big Bend N.P. VIII (across the park Eastern Half), 6 days, snow shortened
- 1/05 AT, Roan Mtn. II (19E S to Iron Mtn. Gap), NC/TN, 3 days
- 2/05 Wild Oak Trail, VA, 3 days
- 3/05 Chunky Gal/Fires Creek, NC, 3 days
- 11/05 Mountains to Sea Trail [MST] (Balsam Gap-US 279), NC, 4 days
- 12/05 AT, (Religious Range loop II), VA, 3 days
- 3/06 Bartram/AT loop, NC, 3 days, rain shortened
- 8/06 Black Mtns. IX (W. side loop), NC, 2 days, rain shortened
- 10/06 Zion N.P. II (West Rim Tr./Paria Abort), 4 days, family
- 11/06 GSMNP VII (Twenty mile/Jenkins Rdg/Gregory Bald), 4 days
- 3/07 AT Standing Indian IV, NC, 3 days
- 8/07 Black Mtns. X (Buncombe Horse trail), NC, 2 days
- 11/07 GSMNP VIII (Fontana/Eagle Cr./AT/Hughes Rdg/Lakeshore), 4 days
- 3/08 AT (Allens Gap-Nolichucky), NC/TN, 4 days
- 8/08 Black Mtns. XI (Buncombe Horse trail), NC, 2 days, solo
- 11/08 GSMNP IX (Smokemont/Pecks/Charlies Bunion), 3 days
- 11/08 MST (Craggy Gardens loop), NC, 2 days, weather shortened
- 12/08 Big Bend N.P. IX (across the park Western Half), 7 days
- 8/09 Black Mtns. XII (Buncombe Horse trail), NC, 3 days, solo
- 10/09 Foothills Trail, SC, 4 days
- 11/09 Wire Pass/Buckskin Gulch/Paria River/Lee’s Ferry, UT, 6 days
- 12/09 GSMNP X (Cataloochee Divide loop, snow camping), 3 days
Forward to the 2010’s