If you go hiking or camping in Western New Jersey often enough, you’ll probably see a bear. New Jersey is home to approximately 3500 American Black Bears, mostly living in the Kittatinny region. This area provides bears with an abundance of convenient food, including unprotected dumpsters in camps and population centers. Continue reading CampingJay’s Bear Story
Tag Archives: Appalachian Trail
Winter Backpacking: Elk Pen to Tiorati Circle
In the summer of 2013, three of my sisters and I spent a week hiking the New Jersey section of the Appalachian Trail. We took it slow, averaging just under 10 miles per day. Though the weather was hot and the bugs were biting, we had a great time. We decided that one of our goals over the next few years would be to hike the New York section, even if we had to do it weekend-by-weekend. My sister CampingMeg and I finally put ourselves to the task of some winter backpacking over Thanksgiving weekend in 2014. We planned for several weeks, and then it snowed. A lot.
Continue reading Winter Backpacking: Elk Pen to Tiorati Circle
Gossamer Gear Gorilla Ultralight Pack
After a recent backpacking and camping adventure in the Pharaoh Lakes Wilderness Area of New York’s Adirondack Park, a friend of mine who had just been camping with us decided that he’d like to give backpacking a try. He asked me for advice on what equipment he would need, and my first thoughts were, “well, you’re going to need a pack!”
Initially, I wasn’t sure what to suggest. He didn’t have a super compressible down backpacking quilt, and his big dome tent wouldn’t fit in even the most gargantuan of expedition packs. The truth was, he had to start from scratch, and that was good news. Starting from scratch meant avoiding most of the mistakes people make when they get into backpacking. I made those mistakes, and they cost me a lot of money and a bit of discomfort on the trail.
Help Warrior Hike Support Our Vets!
Last summer I spent a week hiking along the Appalachian Trail through my home state of New Jersey with three of my sisters. As could be expected, we met many interesting people along our hike. Our encounters ranged from pot-heads to rugged adventures, and even included a couple convinced they were playing out a real life version of The Hunger Games. Perhaps the most intriguing of all were a group of veterans hiking the trail as part of a program called Warrior Hike.