How do you guys do this???

I never really thought about it. It's just the price to pay to get out hiking. I've left after work at midnight, drove to the trailhead and slept in the car. I've also gotten about 2 hours of sleep, driven to a TH, hiked, then driven home. Just set the cruise control and nod off

A late addition to this post - but I've learned to stop for naps. It took a few incidents to get me to do that. Once I was stopped by a state trooper for drunk driving (whom I knew from high school! how embarrassing) because I was so tired I was driving erratically. Once I saw two cars on the interstate, one passing the other, in the distance, only to realize it was the two taillights of a semi immediately in front of me. Rumble strips a few times, and of course, the startled realization that I have just woken up! That was mostly back when I was working in Bangor and driving to the Whites to finish my 100 highest. Now I live an hour and a half max from most of the trailheads, but I can still get really sleepy, so the catnaps help. But, when I do an Adirondack hike from my in-law's home in central NY, it is still a long drive, so I resort to pizza, Doritos and best of all, those little peanut butter balls that Reeses makes. Awful stuff, I know. But it works. A healthier alternative that I use when driving 6 hours to my folks in Maine (at night, the only time my 2-year-old can sleep the whole way) is honey-roasted almonds. I've also tried long, out-loud monologues about tiresome but detailed topics like amphibian competition. Whatever works!

I must have been napping when this thread ran!

That is what I do, though . . . nap on the way home. Unlike Umsaskis, I prefer to do it at a rest area and stopped. Since just about every drive home from the Whites is between 2.5 and 3 hours, I start out with every good intention of getting home early-ish, but if I find myself getting sleepy I will pull over very soon and get rid of the sleepiness. Doesn't happen often, since usually I have no problem driving all the way home even after a long hike when I'm quite tired, but when I need it I do it.

The downside of that is illustrated by my last nap on the Kanc. Woke up 2 hours after I pulled over for a 15 minute rest. Oh well, better than waking up somewhere with tubes in my arms and casts on my legs, and it sure beats the view from the bottom of a ravine--or from a coffin!

cushetunk said:

Not everyone does.

The internet is deceptive; you might only see one facet of people here. While I am sure almost everyone here is a wonderful person, you have no idea what every other aspect of that wonderful person's life is like. Sure, some people may devote crazy energy to undertaking trips and achieve remarkable hiking milestones, but maybe they never cook dinner for themselves. Or go out to listen to live music. Or see their friends outside of the woods. Or visit museums. Or go bowling. Maybe their house is left messy in a way you could never tolerate.

It is important to keep things in perspective. I keep in mind that hiking is not a moral imperative -- it's just one of the many things I enjoy doing and find value in.

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I'm Busted

I do not mind doing the long rides for day hikes by myself or with a friend. I do avoid it if my kids are with me. I would hate it if the associated a long drive with hiking.

However when we go visit familiy up north its an 18hr drive straight thru, well we stop 3 times. Can be a bit interestin with 4 kids in the van.