How do you guys do this???

--M. said:

Two big drives and a hike in one day is pretty risky behavior.

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Not if you use a condom...

For those of us who aren't fortunate enough to live close to big mountains, the best solution I've found is exploring locally. Within 45 minutes of my home, I have tons of hills to ramble around. Sometimes I like to just pick out random bumps on a topo map and bushwhack to it. Often enough, I'm pleasantly surprised with what I find. Many of the trailless hills on my NJ peakbagging list have awesome ledges with sweeping vistas.

Dedication. Devotion. Anything to get some boot time back home. Drive time is inconsequential. I hate driving 9 hours for anything unless its hiking or skiing.
Two years ago we had a surprise 40th wedding anniversary for our folks at the T&C in Gorham. We drove up on Saturday, laid low out of town so they wouldn't know we were there, got up early Sunday AM, hiked up Wildcat A, went straight to the party, stayed up late. Got up early Monday, did a day of trailwork, and drove back 9 hours. It was great. This year on one occasion we drove the 9 hours again in June, hopped out of the car, loaded up the tools, hiked in, and set up trailworkin' camp by 6pm.
Everytime we cross the MA/NH border on the way up, its a huge relief to be back on home turf. The aching back, hours on the wheels, entire nights spent before packing up , they slowly melt into relief. All the preperation and exhaustion have faded away.
There's nothing like the feeling of making it home again, and then to be able to hike and do trailwork as an end result, well.... you just can't beat that.

What wouldn't you do to be on the trails back home again?

Of all the suggestions I've read, I like the moving to NH part the best. It may happen ...one day. Until then, I guess I'll do my NH dayhikes via the internet. I am not good on the road when I'm tired. Caffeine just adds jitteriness to my exhaustion. Camping sounds like the best plan....You guys are machines!!! More power to you!!!
Sandy

Two additional thoughts from me. My parents sold their vacation home in Bethlehem just before I started hiking again. Sometimes after the long drive home I have to use as much of the inner strength I used that morning to get out of bed just to get out of the car at the end of the day. There was one night when I wondered if I could roll to the house.

These days I usually drive up the night before but I still drive back to CT afterwards. (The up at 4:00 Am & home at 1:00 days are over now)

Caffiene is a big help, not only to keep you awake but also keeps you getting out of the car

The night before is usually the best sleep I get all week.......

My commute is typically only 3 hours to the Whites, so it's not too bad. Getting there is no problem, but I usually don't get a lot of sleep beforehand, about 3 hours. I'll hike all day, sometimes getting out of the woods around 10PM, and then head home. Most of the time I have to sack out for a few minutes in Wayne (just outside of Disgusta), then I'm good for the last hour of the trip. It doesn't matter how much coffee I have, I'm just wiped by then. I've tried getting a good nights sleep before, but I can't, even with sleeping pills. Most nights I get between 4 and 5 hours of sleep, so 3 isn't that much of a problem.

I can only hike every other weekend as I have to work, as a result I try and make the most of it when I'm there.

It'd be nice to have a place to stay while there, and I've been thinking about a tag along trailer in a campground, but I'm not quite there yet, the house and barn need a new roof next year.

For me the crux is not the drive home. It is getting out of the car after the drive home.

My favorite driving story: I loaded the car, went to bed around 10:00, got up at 1:30, drove from MA to BSP (5+ hrs), located our campsite, found SherpaK’s name in the trail register, headed up the trail, caught SherpaK, climbed with him up to Baxter Pk, headed over to Hamlin Pk, met Chomp and the rest of the crew along the way, back to Baxter Pk, across the Knife Edge and down the Helon Taylor trail where we finished up around 6:00. Set up camp, ate dinner, had a few drinks and spent a few hours lying on our backs watching the Northern Lights from an open field. After an insufficient amount of alcohol induced sleep, got up the next day and climbed Coe, South & North Brother and Fort with Chomp and was on North Brother when five of our group finished their NE67. Drove home the next day in a state of euphoria.

Driving is part of the deal you make with yourself. It’s gotta get done so you just put your mind to it and do it. My regular get up time is 4:30 so early mornings are not a big deal. In fact they are preferable. It is not unusual for me to get up at 3:00AM to get a hike in. If getting up in the middle of the night with half a night’s sleep is the price I pay to get a hike in, so be it. That’s a real easy decision for me. Not getting home safely is NOT an option. It's easy to keep yourself awake when you keep your mind on that.

JohnL

Chip said:

I've slept in my truck a couple times (engine off, windows cracked). Not bad in a pinch or a storm, but I prefer my tent.

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Our windows were cracked, by the way. And I'd prefer a tent, too, but after breaking trail for 10 in winter, the idea of setting up a tent and sleeping in there and all the "work" involved wasn't appealing at all!

I much prefer to stay over night but sometimes family obligations require that I spend the night at home. For those day trips I generally try to keep the driving to less than 3 hours each way. I might strech the drive time if I can share the driving with someone else.
I have driven up to Pinkham Notch and climbed in Huntington Ravine and then driven home in the same day but it beat me up. While the climbing was fun the driving home was not. As CBCBD mentioned before if I take a nap in the rest area on the way home the ETA to home just gets further away!
I will also drive up late the night before and sleep in the back of my truck, even in the winter. With my -20 degree sleeping bag I sleep very toasty.

I live right next to Plymouth, NH which is great for the Pemi Wilderness, Waterville Valley and Franconia Notch mountains. But Maine, Vermont, and New York take longer for me than for someone leaving from Manchester, NH. I get very sleepy when driving after about 2 hours. Hence, I have spent the night in tents, cars, and cheap motels many times (On the other end of the scale, I give Chip's place 4 stars!)

Peakbagr said:

Tom,

Nice tag. Is it real or virtual license plate?
Sure to be a cop magnet even on the plushmobile you drive.

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It's the real thing!

So living in New Hampshire is an advantage if you are hiking in NH. With my luck, I'd move to NH and then start the ADK's...

bruised said:

So living in New Hampshire is an advantage if you are hiking in NH. With my luck, I'd move to NH and then start the ADK's...

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I had the same problem when I started hiking in Baxter. From my place in NH Baxter is 7 hours. Two hours longer than friends who live in MA.

Living in Central NH an advantage for hiking the Whites for sure

however

I know every cup a' coffee in every dive gas station in the North Country..and especially the ICED COFFEE ones..

you get pretty sleepy once you sit back in the car and head south..

of course..if you have grumpy gran drive...nobody sleeps!!

I t is impressive to me the folks who hike every weekend bookended by 3 hour or more drives....

Judy and I have driven to the ADK's (4hrs) 4 out of the last 6 weekends--Drive up Friday after work and head back either Saturday night(family situations) or Sunday(preferred)--When we drive back Saturdays, Judy takes the first shift and I'll finish up--I seem to able to stay alert longer(senility??) Either way it's always a beverage and snack fest on the way home!

Little Rickie said:

I take my time. Drive up Friday, set up camp and go to bed early. Hike Saturday, have a big dinner and some beverages by a fire with friends. Laugh, BS, drink somemore then drive home on Sunday.

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It looks like most everyone drives back and forth same day.

Do any of you ever campout or are you more peaked bagging focused?

I like to make a climb into a camping trip weekend. But then I only get out a few times a year as opposed to people that can get out every weekend or most weekends.

I doubt I'd drive up, hike and drive home the same day. I try to make it into a weekend. I don't have the stamina to stay up and alert for so long. I guess that is why I posted this originally. It is very impressive. Now if I was not driving....that could do it.
Sandy

Little Rickie said:

Do any of you ever campout or are you more peaked bagging focused?

I like to make a climb into a camping trip weekend. But then I only get out a few times a year as opposed to people that can get out every weekend or most weekends.

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Oh, absolutely! That's part of the experience. Get to a trailhead with multiple options, park it and leave it. Combine both, peakbagging and camping out. Even if you only go a few times a year, the body gets accustomed to staying out and being on the move every day.

Camping out works well to increase the hiking to driving ratio. It is cheaper than a motel too. I like to set up a basecamp and dayhike out of it, that way I cover more ground over the weekend.
I have carcamped on occasion too although it is not the most comfortable night's sleep. Once my friend had the bright idea to leave the windows and sunroof open 'to simulate sleeping in a bivy.' It was 10F that night. Brrrrrrr! I think being in a metal enclosure made it worse than sleeping on the ground would have been.
I find it is worth it to max out my weekends, leaving for the Daks or the Whites on a Friday night and coming home late (and unpacking and doing laundry!) on a Sunday night. If I am not exhausted on a Monday morning I didn't do enough at the weekend.
And then planning the next weekend's trip perks me up on Monday morning.