Anyone up for a backpacking trip?

[ifish4wildtrout]

I posted this also in the fishing buddy hookup, but I was thinking it may get more views as a separate thread. I hope that is okay to do that.

I'm looking to do a backpacking trip in GSMNP starting Saturday 6/25, staying 2-3 nights. I am not dead set on any particular location, but would really like to do Pretty Hollow #39.

I am looking for a partner, I do not want to go alone.

I'm not a bad guy and I'm a decent fly flinger.

You can email me possessedcorvette at gmail dot com

[flyman]

Don't be afraid to go by yourself. Just go somewhere that gets a fair amount of traffic in case you would need some help. Spending a couple nights alone in the woods is fun and a good life experience.

[Grannyknot]

Me and my pup spent last weekend in the woods alone. It got pretty lonely when I would talk to her and she didn't have much to say in return. It was so hot that it got really hard to sleep at night. On friday night about 11pm, I was so sticky, I took off all my clothes and laid in the creek for about 15 minutes.

Didn't see a single person. Saw about 15 hogs, 1 small bear, & what I could swear was a peregrine falcon.

I say go for it IFFWT.

[BlueRaiderFan]

Nothing wrong with that...nice stuff.

[ifish4wildtrout]

I did 2 solo trips last year, it was not that bad. I have a fear of bears and being up there all alone. You can laugh, it's okay...

[FishNHunt]

It doesn't bother me to be alone in the woods at night. I prefer it that way most of the time. Bordum gets the better of me at camp. That's just the A.D.D. kicking in I guess. I've never been afraid of getting lost or something attacking me in my sleep. I'm in the woods alot at night during the hot months while copper heads and rattle snakes are out and they don't bother me in the least. I HATE Yellow Jackets thou. I fear them more than anything walking, crawling or flying in the woods. I have a friend that was several miles back in South Cherokee deer hunting and got stung and had a reaction to it and almost died. He felt like he was on fire so he laid down in the cold creek and the doctors said that, that saved his life. Evidently it slowed the swelling down in this throat so he could breath. I don't know that just what he told me.

My only real fear is breaking a leg or something and laying there for 2-3 days before anyone even begins to look for me.

[Grannyknot]

Originally Posted by FishNHunt

....... I HATE Yellow Jackets thou. I fear them more than anything walking, crawling or flying in the woods. I have a friend that was several miles back in South Cherokee deer hunting and got stung and had a reaction to it and almost died. He felt like he was on fire so he laid down in the cold creek and the doctors said that, that saved his life. Evidently it slowed the swelling down in this throat so he could breath. I don't know that just what he told me.

.

FishNHunt, my reactions to bee stings gets worse and worse every time I am stung. I carry an epi-pen with me every time I'm in the woods now. About 4 years ago I was stung 11 times by bald faced hornets in the citico wilderness. The reaction wasn't that bad. The next weekend I was stung in the smokies and my ankle swelled up to the point where I could barely put a boot on. A few months after that I was stung again in the bald river wilderness. This time I broke out in a few hives, got a really weird feeling, had a little shortness of breath, and got a little scared. I laid in the river and that helped. I haven't been stung since then, but now I carry an epi-pen.

One interesting thing I was told by a wilderness hunter was that wherever you see signs of wild hogs, you won't get stung by yellow jackets, because they eat their nests and larve. I don't know how true this is.

I do take several precautions when hiking. I watch where i stick my hiking poles, I make my dog stay behind me so she won't stir up any nests, and I try to avoid areas where there are visible holes in the ground next to tree stumps.