driving out and back

[Adk_dib]

When I drive "to" the trailhead in the mourning, I am very anxious. I want to get there as fast as I can. I dont stop for any reason, even on a 4 hour drive. I hate it when I get behind a slow driver and cant pass. On the way "home" though, I am in no hurry. I could care less if I get behind the omish. I always stop even if I dont need gas. I don't know why this is. Maybe I'm trying to beat the bad wheather, and going home I dont care if it rains. Maybe becouse the hike itself actually did its job and relaxed me?

 

[Rick]

S'funny. When I drive to my mother-in-law's, I drive as slow as possible and stop as many times as possible. However, when I am on my way to REI - It's pedal to the metal babee!!!!

 

[bintrepidhiker]

i'm more or less the same too. i'm always anxious before a hike so has a hard time coming and it continues ubtil i am stepping out of the car at the trailhead. from where i am at its about 2.5 to 3 hours to get to the whites (well to the presidentials anyway) and i don't like stopping either. just get up and drive; eat on the way if possible. problem i have it driving back. i'm usually wiped out after hiking and its a struggle to be awake. lately i've stayed at a friends house overnight and drive back the next morning, but i'd rather just get it all done with saturday then have sunday to recover so to speak.

 

[dms]

I think the drive up to the mountains, about two hours for me, is great only when my hiking friend who lives in the same town as me shares the driving with me, then the time flies, constant hiking and sports talk, and before we know it we are there. Driving solo is horrible, the time just drags, and I feel like my car is going 20 mph the entire way. On the way home we have an agreement that whoever is the passenger is not allowed to sleep, got to keep talking to the driver the entire way.

 

[rocksnrolls]

On the way to the trailhead, I like to either fill up my CD changer or else bring along some mix tapes to listen to. When I'm solo, the music is non-stop and I maintain a fairly high speed (slowing down when I cross the border into NH). Some high-energy rocknroll gets my synapses firing and gives me a variety of riffs to replay in my head while I'm hiking. Generally I like to listen to stuff I'm less familiar with on the way to the hike. On the way home I like to listen to tunes I'm more familiar with, it's easier on the brain. And I definately go alot slower going home. I like to get behind someone maintaining a steady pace and just follow them as long as I can, again because it's easier on the brain. Since I drive for a living (wheelchair van for an elderly day care) the 2-3hr trips to the Whites don't seem to bother me much.

 

[Jay H]

Hey, sounds like me, except for the part of having somebody on the ride back. Friends from too many different places, we tend to just meet at the trailhead.

But I like taking the scenic way back alot, that is certainly fun, plus traffic on a sunday afternoon/evening towards NYC is murder, it's a lot more peaceful to be on the backroads.

Jay

 

[masshysteria]

Ditto here. The ride up to the ADKs seems to take forever, 4hrs+. Filled with anticipation, going over in your mind the technical aspects of the coming days events ( where to camp and park, trail conditions, weather, etc..).

Yet the ride back always takes less time, 3 1/2 hrs. Can't explain it, we stop for gas, restroom breaks. I try to maintain the speed limit, though I once hit 75 on the Northway. I think it's that old adage: it's nice to go out and see the world, but it's more fun to come back home.

 

[slamdog]

I do the same exact thing. I drive up to my camp the night before i hike. Then leave at 4:30 AM for my 2 hour drive to the trailhead. It's a straight run and my anxiety level is high. Now, when i return to the trailhead post hike, I stroll and gloat and stroll and re-hydrate and gloat, and rehydrate. The ride back to camp usually turns from 2 to 2.5 or 3 hours. For me, it's the unofficial sign that my hike did it's job and i can peel myself off the ceiling.

 

[sapblatt]

WMNF drives

My rides are not as long (2-3) hours, but I always get an early start, usually I leave the Boston area by 4-4:30AM, depending upon how far away the trailhead is. I usually enjoy the early morning ride up, especially when the weather is nice. As I appraoch the mountains the scenery is best in the early morning light. The drive home is often a long slog for me...I am usually very relaxed, mentally awake and physically tired. I try to most of my northbound drives on Saturday mornings and I avoid driving south after about noontime on Sunday. Backed up traffic is what really ruins it for me, and I do as much as I can to avoid it.

 

[jjo]

The magic of the hike relaxes me and yes, I'm in a great , slow mood on the way back. On the way to trailhead, I'm always in a big hurry. Maybe that's one of the reasons we go to the woods.....Sounds like Thoreau..

 

[MrAmeche]

Where I lived in Virginia years ago, I loved the fact that I could be in the mountains in just under 30 minutes. Moving to Boston took some time to get used to, and at first I loathed the 2 1/2 hour drive to the White Mountains. I was spoiled, and I felt like it just wasn't fair. Now I'm used to it, but I have to say that there are few things worse (at least for me) than being stuck dead on Storrow Drive, I-93, or the Mass Pike at 5:30 in the afternoon... after getting up super early, after a long morning drive and a full day's hike, and after spending another 2 1/2 hours driving home.

Then again, getting out of the city and the traffic makes the hiking trips worth more...

 

[Butch79]

I will brook no complaining about the drive from anyone who can get to the 'Dacks or the Whites in less than eight hours...

Happy trails --
Uncle Butch

 

[spaddock]

The drive there is full of anticipation for the planned peaks that await. I stop a couple of times, once at the border, and once to grab cheap US gas.

After the hike and you're driving back with the peaks you wanted to bag in your back pocket I couldn't care less when I get home, I stop everywhere for coffee, snacks, pizza, more cheap US gas. Especially if I go back on a Saturday and know I can sleep way in the next day.

Always drive back with a big smile on my face.


-Shayne

 

[Rivet]

I would say it's the same for me in either direction.
On the way to the mountains, I am eager to start hiking.
On the way home, I am eager to take a hot shower, eat some grub and jump into a soft bed.

 

[djavaman]

The ride is always relaxed for me--after a difficult day I am lucky if don't slip into a coma on the ride home

 

[king tut]

all that shizzle is scientific. Your energy peak is in the morning. The hiking gets your endorphins going. You go until you bonk. Your body recovers, and then you have enough energy stored up to last until about midnight. I call this theory the I95 napper- This is based on hiking the big K. You wake up early, hike for 6 or 7 hours, enjoy a pond, eat a pizza, and have a heavy comatose session for 10-20 minutes before being revived for another 10 hours. The 95 part is the highway, if you don't get in the nap before the hgihway, you are in for a long ride. I remember pulling onto the highway somewhere around T3R9(beautiful town), and there is no place to pull over for 40 miles. If you happen to be listening to a redsox game, you could be in for trouble. I have 2 memories of barely making it to to the rest stop somewhere before bangor, before i got to take my 10-20 minute sleep. Something about the special K makes ya drowzy, but after the knap you are golden.

 

[bobmak]

I don't really get anxious or excited on the ride up, I just drink coffee and listen to CD's. Most of my hikes are overnighters, my pack is in my car the night before, I wake up around 6 and am out by 6:30 with a 2-3 hour drive up. The hard part is coming back, esoecially in the winter. Driving 3 hours in the dark can be tough, and it always seems to take forever to get home where I can shower and sleep.

 

[werdigo49]

Driving to the trailhead is just a normal drive for me; speed limit +, whatever most of the traffic is doing.

But returning to the vehicle after a couple of weeks on the trail or canoe route, I find that 30 mph seems incredibly fast. The luxury of being able to simply SIT and move along is plenty; there's no need to move along FAST as well. I'm just not tuned in to the rapid pace.

It takes a while for me to realize there's a line of cars behind me (I'm usually doing say 45 by the time I hit larger roads (not Interstates!)) and either to pull over and let them pass, or force myself to accelerate to a normal pace. That's tough; it just seems incredibly too fast.

It's just hard to believe how fast 30 mph feels after two weeks in a canoe or on a trail!

--W49

 

[BrentD22]

Hiking & Weed

I used to smoke when I was younger. I no longer do. Hiking & weed was always one in the same for me. Hiking up smoking a fatty and chillin out. Now that I don't go hiking I still have the same feeling. I hike up feel really chilled out (almost like I smoked) sleep great that night up at some cabin or lean-to (which you'd think would be uncomfortable being a wood bed). Here is it pretty much for me.

- Drive Up - I have a smile a mile wide in anticipation for whats to come. Did I pick the best route, enough food, will the cabin/lean-to be filled, weather, ect. Talk radio and constant consumption of food and drink.

- The mission at hand hiking/camping - I have a smile about a mile wide at first, then the smile becomes and open mouthed suck for enough air, then I get the feeling I'm getting close to the camp site, then I relize there is still another 1.5 miles to go, then I get kinda sad wondering what's wrong with the map and why I haven't got the lean-to yet, then I relize I'm hiking and having a lot more fun than normally, I feel good again, then the great views of __________ come and I just start hiking like a slow breeze, I reach the campsite and I'm oddly sad cause I want to hike more.

- The night at the campsite is always nice with other people all with something common (hiking). In the past I used to smoke a jibba, but now I jus enjoy where Iam. I usually feel so relax that I have a natural high.

- The next morning I usually am the last to wake up where ever I am! Eat some breakfast, do some last chance exploring, then hike down.

- The hike down - OMFG it always seems like the first part of the hike down is sad, but fun seeing a forward view of the views coming down, taking in every last view, smell ect. Then the lowlands come. Thinking I'm still going down hill, not having to rest to catch breathe I feel as if I'm going 5-6mph. I should be back to the jeep in no time. Not the case. I have this odd depressed feeling everytime telling me DO NOT GO! It makes the rest of the hike depressingly slow and boring. I try to make the best of it, but to no avail.

- The drive home - I feel sad, but I'm glad that I can drop by some local pub and fill the void! The drive home feels as if I'm driving to S. America. During winter the snow level goes down, the trees look different, the towns look different, and generally the depression from the last part of the hike becomes overwhelming. I get home and start to plan my next hike and return to a happy mood thinking about the sites I saw, the views, the trails, the animals, the campsite (cabin, lean-to, & BC) and I feel greatly relaxed (tired, sore, but relaxed kinda like being stoned minus the sore part).



Sorry about the rant, my wife was gone all weekend and I had no one to talk to!