Wharton 10/17- 10/19 Hike

[kayak karl]

My son and I are hiking the Wharton State Forest these 3 days. we are starting at http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...746510977574609048.000459b6e59c89631c1b6&z=11 Chews Rd and the tracks. Hiking through old Atsion and over to Atsion Lake and then onto Batona Camp Site for the nite. The next morn (10/18) we will follow the Batona Trail to Apple Pie Hill then head towards Chatsworth for the Cranberry Fest. then south again to Hawkins Bridge Campsite for the nite. on Sun morn (10/19) off to Batsto for the The Country Living Fair.
This is a test for my gear for a NOBO hike of the AT starting 1/1/09.

Any one that wants to join us for a hike, camp or any part, feel free to join us.

TY
Karl and David

Track this hike on http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=6625
it will start on journals 10/16

 

[woodjin]

Thanks for the invite! That is nice of you. I will be unable to meet up as I am already committed but I am sure you and your son are going to have a great hike. Looking forward to a report afterward.

Jeff

 

[kayak karl]

Hike

We hiked on the 17th -19th and had a great time.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...=39.727785,-74.698792&spn=0.235,0.436707&z=11 These are some GPS locations that we were at. we skipped the Cranberry Fest (my feet suggested it ) total hike was 39 miles. i posted pic's on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/90675553@N00/sets/72157608221737347/ (i posted all, did not edit or delete blurry yet. Temps ranged from 60-40 degrees. my son and I had a great hike.
Thank You for letting us share it.
Karl and David

 

[Teegate]

Karl,

I looked at them all and there are some really nice pics in that group. I commend you for taking on that adventure. Nice to see a father and son doing this together. A great experience and thank you for letting us see them all.

Do you always stick to trails? Have you ever bushwhacked?

Guy

 

[kayak karl]

Bushwhack

Karl,

I looked at them all and there are some really nice pics in that group. I commend you for taking on that adventure. Nice to see a father and son doing this together. A great experience and thank you for letting us see them all.

Do you always stick to trails? Have you ever bushwhacked?

Guy

Yes, but this was compass and map, no blazed trails. (followed pink batona blazes 5 mi because i was lazy )my son has had lymes and rock mountain fever. too early to bushwhack (the word "bushwhack" bothers me, i know you mean low impact hiking thru the woods). need first frost. we are planning another after Thanksgiving. I leave on 1/1/09 from Georgia on a northbound thru hike of the AT.

Thank You,
Kayak

P.S. waiting on the grandchild to come with us next.

 

[manumuskin]

Karl,

I am often asked when people see my torn up legs and arms why don't i take a machete when i bushwack.For one a briar thicket isn't a bamboo patch in vietnam.If i reached back to take a swing all i would get is more briars yanked down on my head.a machete will not wack through tough briars like it will bamboo.it would be much more effort then it was worth.at the most on a few occasions i have carried small clippers to cut myself out of a mess where I have actually become trapped in a thicket.I generally when presented with an impenatable thcket wll look for a deer trail to crawl down or will resort to twisting and gently pulling briars apart and trying to fit between them.also squirreling along logs or bouncing across briar mats is exceptable behvaior also.With me briars are a love and hate affair.I hate them when they hurt me but they protect a lot of nice areas that people are kept away from because they don't want to deal with them.A lot of nice islands in swamps are surrounded by nearly impenetrable thickets.I just came back from upper peninsula michigan and for two weeks i saw not one briar.my first trip back to the barrens last week brought me back to reality.The barrens can compete with any place on earth for beauty but they have some of the most god awful thickets in the world.
Al

 

[SweetJane]

Karl

Thanks for sharing pix and experience. Sounds like a great time.