A few questions about a Carranza Memorial to Apple Pie Hill hike

[AJ1957]

I'll be doing with my daughter sometime this wekend.

I have a real aversion to wearing long pants in the summer. I’ll be staying on trail at all times. Can I get away with wearing shorts or will the chiggers and ticks be too much? Will 40% deet suffice to keep them away?

Is the abandoned RR right away a viable option for the return trip?


Thanks
Alan

 

[MarkBNJ]

In my opinion you'll be fine with shorts and repellent if you stay on, and well on, the trail, and you can get your daughter to do the same. However, the abandoned railroad right of way that you mention is another story. Those are fairly overgrown in places, and I would wear long pants.

 

[Teegate]

Two good responses. I would wear long pants, especially if you are taking the tracks back. The chiggers love the grass that grows there.

Deet does not work on ticks. Go to Walmart and buy permadone and spray it on your clothes the night before. Don’t use it on your skin. Follow the directions.



Guy

 

[Ben Ruset]

Spray your feet before you put your socks on. Then put your socks on, and spray them. Then put your shoes on and spray your ankles and shoes.

That should discourage the chiggers. You may still get some bites, but not too bad. I've managed to not be eaten alive like I have been in previous summers this year.

 

[AJ1957]

Thanks for all the good advice guys. We went with DEET on our skin and permanone on our socks and shoes. We had no problems at all with either ticks or chiggers.

That was the first time I've been on the BOTANA since my Boy Scout days many years ago. We hiked from Carranza to Apple Pie Hill with out running into one single person along the way. That surprised me a little because I thought there would be more people out in the woods on a beautiful holiday weekend. It looked like only 2 or 3 camp sites where set up at the Carranza camp ground.

I did appear as if this part of the trail sees minimal us. Vegetation obscures the ground in many places. Impossible to pass through with out making contact. Not a big deal but for the ticks and chiggers.

We returned to Carranza IFR (I follow roads). The roads we returned on for the most part where strictly 4wd territory, deep sand with many whoop de doos. Walking the on trail was mush easier. Walking on the abandoned RR would have been very difficult.



AJ

 

[Teegate]

Hiking is a lost art in the pines. Few people use the trails in the summer. I guess the ticks and chiggers keep them away, or maybe it is the exercise.

Guy

 

[ChrisM]

It's the black flies that kept me away this summer... they were terrible this year!

Nice photos, I especially like the photo of the bog with the lilly pads. You can almost taste the tranquility.

 

[Old Crazy]

It's probably 1-2 miles longer each way, but you can hike from Carranza to Apple Pie Hill using only dirt roads, which will keep you from brushing against vegetation and greatly reduce your chances of getting chiggers and ticks.