Westy
Trail Wise!
Diagnosed w/Post-Trail Transition Syndrome
Posts: 1,958
|
Post by Westy on Feb 28, 2016 4:25:50 GMT -8
If you are a Michigan resident and live in the Upper Peninsula you are a Yooper. Access to the UP is via the Mackinaw Bridge therefore if you live under the bridge you are a Troll.
|
|
|
Post by cweston on Feb 28, 2016 4:31:44 GMT -8
If you are a Michigan resident and live in the Upper Peninsula you are a Yooper. Access to the UP is via the Mackinaw Bridge therefore if you live under the bridge you are a Troll. FWIW, I lived in Michigan for 22 years and never heard that usage (the "troll" part).
|
|
|
Post by Coolkat on Feb 28, 2016 6:09:44 GMT -8
I wore blue jeans, because that's all I had, I'm a firm believer that you go with what you have, especially if you're a newbie. Unless of course it'll kill ya. Kind of like the best camera is the one you actually carry. However, there is a danger that without a little instruction from someone more experienced you might make your pack so heavy you'd never attempt it again. Even wet khakis or blue jeans won't kill ya unless it's in the fall/winter and you're not smart enough to get out of them.
|
|
|
Post by Coolkat on Feb 28, 2016 6:13:48 GMT -8
Going with RD meant you could be on or the other. This is true but when I met him he had made the conversion from Yooper to Troll. If I hadn't met him my backpack would probably be still sitting in the basement.
|
|
rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,667
|
Post by rebeccad on Feb 28, 2016 10:02:13 GMT -8
Even wet khakis or blue jeans won't kill ya unless it's in the fall/winter and you're not smart enough to get out of them. Since the hike was in late September and overnight the rain turned to snow, I heard a bit from the more experienced hiker I was with. That, of course, was while he was trying to melt our frozen beer in a pot of water on his stove...it was a very hot day when we left Seattle.
|
|
Woodsie
Trail Wise!
Colorado
Posts: 272
|
Post by Woodsie on Feb 28, 2016 17:42:56 GMT -8
Coolkat, I think a lot of us had not-so-god experiences on our first backpacking trip. My first trip was awful! But something on that first trip got me hooked. That first trip was 43 years ago. Oh my, things have changed a lot in 43 years! Every time I go backpacking, I still learn something new. It just gets better and better.
|
|
jj
Trail Wise!
Posts: 50
|
Post by jj on Feb 28, 2016 23:01:58 GMT -8
If you are a Michigan resident and live in the Upper Peninsula you are a Yooper. Access to the UP is via the Mackinaw Bridge therefore if you live under the bridge you are a Troll. Thank you for the description.
|
|
RedDoug
Trail Wise!
Trail active, stand back.....
Posts: 634
|
Post by RedDoug on Mar 2, 2016 20:19:51 GMT -8
Jim, now I know. But you are a natural backpacker, born with the gene.
Was that the same trip I was kidding you about your camp chair? LOL!
The stories we all could tell about our first backpack trip and the stuff we carried.
Testimonial time: I probably would rather backpack with Coolkat (Jim) over anyone else. We have now been out many times together.
Jim and I tried a hike together while I was trying to get over the effects of cancer and he was so patient with me. On that trip I did give up and we turned around and went back.
Only thing wrong with Jim and me is that there is about a 25 yr age difference. More my problem than his. Sigh.
|
|
RedDoug
Trail Wise!
Trail active, stand back.....
Posts: 634
|
Post by RedDoug on Mar 2, 2016 20:33:35 GMT -8
Going with RD meant you could be on or the other. Some people will always be Trolls no matter where they live. Coolkat lives in the land of the Trolls but has the heart of a Yooper.
|
|
RedDoug
Trail Wise!
Trail active, stand back.....
Posts: 634
|
Post by RedDoug on Mar 2, 2016 20:37:15 GMT -8
If you are a Michigan resident and live in the Upper Peninsula you are a Yooper. Access to the UP is via the Mackinaw Bridge therefore if you live under the bridge you are a Troll. FWIW, I lived in Michigan for 22 years and never heard that usage (the "troll" part). Yoopers also called those who lived below the Bridge "Sugar-beeters" after their method of baiting deer in hunting season.
|
|
|
Post by Coolkat on Mar 3, 2016 6:13:48 GMT -8
Was that the same trip I was kidding you about your camp chair? LOL! Yes it was! LOL Coolkat lives in the land of the Trolls but has the heart of a Yooper. This is also true. There is just something almost spiritual about crossing the bridge and joining the yoopers for a couple of weeks of backcountry hiking.
|
|
amaruq
Trail Wise!
Call me Little Spoon
Posts: 1,264
|
Post by amaruq on Mar 4, 2016 8:28:06 GMT -8
Great story, Coolkat!
My first backpacking overnighter wasn't so bad as I'd already broken myself (physically, near mentally) with long distance day hikes with all of my backpacking gear. I was however with another first-time backpacker who was a weaker hiker than I, thus the pace was comfortable and the breaks plentiful. He's still my go-to adventure buddy and still the weaker hiker, heh.
|
|
|
Post by Coolkat on Mar 4, 2016 9:45:23 GMT -8
He's still my go-to adventure buddy and still the weaker hiker, heh. Well so long as you don't mind. I probably still put myself on the weaker side when it comes to distance and time. But I just love being out there. Unless you're married to a backpacker it can be hard to find someone else who doesn't mind strapping a few pounds to their back and hike for miles and days.
|
|
amaruq
Trail Wise!
Call me Little Spoon
Posts: 1,264
|
Post by amaruq on Mar 4, 2016 10:14:03 GMT -8
Well so long as you don't mind. Not a bit. So long as we make our nightly camps before dark, it just means my pair/group trips are less taxing than my solo trips. In the planning stages of the former I aim a bit lean and if we get in early, well, the pair/group trips tend to have more camaraderie around the 'kitchen' anyways. Plus I can help out (and curry favour) by carrying a bit more. ;-)
|
|
davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
Posts: 1,710
|
Post by davesenesac on Mar 5, 2016 12:51:24 GMT -8
Sore shoulders from pack straps are the most likely body pain issue with new backpackers and a good reason first trips ought to be not very far and for just a night or two. There is a balance between snugging up on a hip belt and tightening shoulder straps that a new backpacker carrying a lot of weight will take some time to figure out. The first thing to do once shoulders start getting sore is to tighten up the waist belt. Two strategies are to use a pack with an excellent waist belt and second add extra foam around pack straps.
|
|