To hike or not to hike

[jeanvabu]

I'm convinced

Well, I'm convinced to keep my plans - with a few changes. Instead of the thru hike, we'll carpool and make a loop.
Jen

 

[The Sikes]

Gas definately comes into play for us. We don't do alot of extra stuff so this is the fun for us. To try and cut back so we don't have to sell one of the kids, although I do have 2, we make sure we hike multiple days even though I would love to take more time and go slower checking out the peaks at a more leisurely pace. NY is too far for me to justify this right now. Maybe some day when gas comes down to a more reasonable amount or we go back to horse and buggy, we'll go back and hike more out there. For now, just do as many as we can while we still can get there and hope we can finish our goal...

 

[Chip]

I've slowed down and don't use the AC unless really needed, but some perspective is required here; The Whites or Dacks are both around a 550 mile round trip for me. If I get 25mpg it's costing me another $30 for gas at $3.25 vs. $1.75.

I'll skip a movie and popcorn and save at least that much.

 

[jbrown]

I figured out a way to get my kayak rack to work on my little car instead of my wife's SUV. It gets 40 mpg as opposed to the 27 mpg my wife's car gets. (I'm sure it was less with the drag of a 2 person kayak on top, but I still made it from Syracuse to Twitchell Lake and back on around 3/4 of a tank.)

 

[Jim lombard]

...the park and ride lot on 3A in Concord, NH is a great spot to meet and only about 70 miles from the Boston area.

Off Exit 4 in Derry is another Park and ride. I usually meet people here, a little closer to points south.

I might have to pick some peaks closer but will continue to hike regularly.

 

[Umsaskis]

It's a dilemma, indeed. We didn't forego our trip to Andover ME to do the Ellis River and Baldpate this past weekend, since we were meeting family there. However, we are cancelling plans for a canoe trip on the Saco and a camping/hiking trip to the Adirondacks in the near future. We have a car that gets 33 miles/gallon, but we only have a canoe rack on the truck (17 miles/gallon), and my husband is in grad school eating up any spare dollars on books and classes. Which means that instead of hiking in the Adirondacks, we'll probably do a backpacking trip in the Whites, and instead of the Saco, we may put the canoe in on Squam. It also means indefinitely postponing the the final 7 peaks of the northeast 111 or 115 - or whatever it is now - until some later date, and going back to climbing what I've already climbed many times before. Which is fine with me because they are beautiful. Only I haven't been to the Daks in a year and I really would like to see them again....

 

[TrekMan]

Slowing down and thinking

Like others have mentioned, I won't punish myself too much. I am trying an experiment though too, being very gentle on the gas when entering the highway etc. Or the mantra I suggested to myself: "Drive like you are on empty and looking for a gas station". I am still on the first tank where I have consciously been thinking this way, but at 1/4 tank left, it is looking like I may get 40 or so more miles out of the tank. Car is a 2000 Toyota Solara V6 but gets 25mpg or so usually - 370 on a tank.

Also - think about the other money you are spending on a trip and what is the incremental cost of the more expensive gasoline anyway? I say if it's $5 out of $100 or so, maybe it's inconsequential. Thank God that supply is okay!

-TrekMan (Suffield, CT)

 

[jade]

I have an appointment to meet with a prospective customer on Saturday in Whitefield, NH--a 12 hour round trip from my home and a 1/2 hour drive from Pinkham Notch. Sooooo, I made plans to head out a few days early to get in a couple of days on the trails!! Doesn't that mean I'm saving gas??

 

[funkyfreddy]

My strategy is to take fewer trips but try to make them longer. At this point I'm also concentrating on mountains that are closer to home, the Catskills.I currently don't own a car so it's buses or car pooling for me.

I'm a big advocate for car pooling, always have been. I've had a lot of good times riding/driving with people from VFTT going from NYC to the mountains and back. I would encourage all of our VFTT members to reach out, car pool, and get together more on trips when possible. It's a win/win situation and saves gas, energy, and needless expense.

 

[pedxing]

I'm definitely looking to carpool. I've also been driving with an eye to conserving (slower acceleration, decreased speed).
Anyone who is near me and interested in giving it a shot, please let me know (I'm near Rt. 93 and the Sommerville line.

 

[WhiteMTHike]

Yes and no, to answer the question. I still plan to hike in the WMNF this fall just not as often.