Earlier Work

Biography

In 1994, I became a contributing editor for Outdoor Traveler: Mid-Atlantic and wrote two articles for their premier issue and that magazine's first four cover stories. One of the stories my husband, Frank, and I wrote for them, Planning the Perfect Spring Backpacking Trip, is reproduced below the scans of my work for the premier issue (at left).

Planning the Perfect Spring Hike
without a Herculean Effort

by Victoria and Frank Logue
for Outdoor Traveler: Mid-Atlantic

The perfect Spring hike doesn't require Herculean effort. But like the hero of Greek mythology who was assigned twelve labors, we have laid out twelve tasks to achieve your goal of the perfect hike. Hercules' twelve labors required him to kill the Hydra, man-eating birds and more. You'll just have to set some realistic goals, pull together the right gear and partners and hit the trail for a fun weekend hike.

I. How Far to Hike
Unless you have the strength of Hercules, select a hike that is neither too long nor terrain that is too strenuous for your abilities. A short, fairly easy hike will leave you with plenty of energy for exploring once you reach camp, and leave you well rested for the next day's leg of the trip. As a rule of thumb, you won't want to hike more than ten miles for each full day of hiking.

II. How Long Will it Take
A frequent misconception is that a four-mile-per-hour pace is reasonable in the backcountry. But unless you're the offspring of a Greek god, you won't be able to hike that fast while carrying 30 pounds or more on your back. Plan on a two-mile-per-hour pace or about five hours of hiking time for ten miles. Add another hour of hiking time for each 1,000 foot gain or loss of elevation. Information on elevation changes is included in any good hiking guide. For example, a ten mile hike that climbs 3,000 feet in elevation will take about eight hours of hiking, including breaks. This will afford time for stopping at overlooks or by waterfalls as well as actually hiking.

III. Which Trail
Hercules was sent on his adventures. After all, capturing the man-eating mares of Diomedes isn't the way most folks would choose to spend the weekend. But you can custom fit the hike to your expectations. Your local outfitter will have a selection of hiking guides to choose from as well as staff that has experience hiking on trails in your area. Tell them what you are looking for--from a waterfall or wildflower hike that might be quite popular to a little-used local trail that will afford some solitude--and they should be able to point you in the right direction.

Types of hikes to look at include loop hikes, roundtrips and a hike with a shuttle. A good hiking plan must include how to get to the trailhead and back, so you'll need to pick a loop or roundtrip (out and back) hike if you don't want to arrange a shuttle.

If you don't have a backpacking shop in your area, you may want to try the local interest area of the bookstore for hiking guides or your library.

IV. Picking a Hiking Partner
Hercules was a solo hiker if ever there was one, but mere mortals usually enjoy hiking with a partner. If you are a complete novice, you might want to find a hiking partner with backcountry experience. Either way, partners should share the same goals and expectations for a hike. If one partner is picturing a wilderness experience and the other wants to keep in sight of the parking lot, the trip is headed for disaster before they ever reach the trailhead.

Taking children on a hike will change your goals for the hike. Kids travel at a slower pace, often stopping to look at bugs, rocks, and plants along the trail. Hiking with your children can bring you a new sense of awareness about the areas you hike in. It will also require that you pick a shorter, easier hike to keep everyone happy. Kids will have a better trip if you plan frequent breaks, as well as activities in camp.

V. Arming Yourself Against Insects
Spring means the return of not just trillium and bluets, but also black flies and no-see-ums. If you want to have the perfect spring hike, arm yourself with bug spray. A DEET-based repellent is most effective. A spray with approximately 35-percent DEET should keep the bugs at bay.

VI. Fending off Problem Animals
Backpacking in the Mid-Atlantic region affords hikers the chance to see numerous white-tailed deer, a wide variety of birds, raccoons, snakes, field mice and even the occasional black bear. The main problem you will face is with animals raiding your food supply for a midnight snack. Raccoons, mice and even bear are all tempted by the food you carry. To keep camp pests from stealing your breakfast (and eating or ripping a hole through the tent or pack in the process), put all smellables into a bag to hang at night. These will include not just food, but other items that will trigger an animal's olfactory radar such as deodorant. Hang the bag from a tree limb, making sure that it is at least ten feet off the ground, five feet from the limb it's hanging from and ten feet from the tree itself. This will keep your food and other gear safe from these midnight marauders.

While Hercules was constantly battling fierce beasts from birth when he destroyed two large serpents, you might consider yourself lucky to spot a deer or even a bear. Seeing bear and snakes is uncommon when hiking and it is even less likely (in fact, nearly unheard of in the Mid-Atlantic) that you will be attacked by these creatures. Remember, the animals you encounter are wild. Give them a wide berth and you should avoid any trouble.

VII. First Aid
A backcountry adventure requires self-reliance. Cuts, burns and other injuries, while uncommon, do occur. A properly packed first-aid kit is important, but you will also need to know how to use it. Backpacking books, as well as first-aid guides, will give you an overview of how to handle the injuries you are likely to encounter.

VIII. Clothing
The advent of spring brings to mind warm weather. But, in the mountains of the Mid-Atlantic region you will need to be prepared for cold weather through May and wet weather year-round. Layering helps you to react to fluctuations in temperature without changing clothes. As the sun sets and the temperature drops, you can add a second shirt or a jacket to keep warm. Similarly, as the day warms up, you can shed layers to keep from overheating. Pack several layers of clothing for a spring overnight hike. These may include shorts, t-shirts, long underwear, pile pants, a lined jacket, and rain pants and coat. Concentrate on having clothes that perform well on the trail. Materials that keep you warm when wet are wool, polypropylene and other synthetics. Cotton dries slowly and looses its ability to hold in warmth when wet.

IX. Food
Because mornings and evenings are still cool, a hot breakfast and supper will make your trip more enjoyable. A lightweight backpacking stove is capable of turning out culinary masterpieces, but you just need a good hot meal. The easiest meals to make are those that start with boiling water and need little time to cook. Pasta dishes, such as macaroni and cheese or noodle dinners, rice or potato meals are backcountry favorites because they are quick to make and very filling. A can of tuna is an easy-to-pack protein to add to your meal.

For breakfast, oatmeal or instant grits are easy hot meals. Toaster pastries or breakfast bars are fine with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. At lunch, you will want something easy so you don't have to spend the middle of the day preparing and cleaning up a meal. Lunch foods that pack well are hard cheeses and sausage as well as pita bread and dried fruits. Don't forget to make up a bag of trail mix with your own blend of raisins, nuts, sunflower seeds, cereal (such as Cheerios) and candy (such as M&Ms) for a mid-day energy boost that even a mythological hero would envy.

X. Gear
Hercules was outfitted by the gods for his mythic conquests, but you won't need a club of bronze, just the right pack, tent, sleeping bag, stove and a few other assorted pieces of gear.

Either an internal or external frame pack will work well if it is sized right for the equipment carried without having too much extra room. A padded hipbelt with quick release buckle and padded shoulder straps are also essential. With an internal frame pack, fit is even more important. Before using a new pack, have someone familiar with the pack assist you in adjusting the straps to fit your build.

A good backpacking tent is lightweight and weatherproof, with a rainfly extending to within a few inches of the ground. It should not weigh more than four pounds per person. The hiker not carrying the tent carries other communal gear, such as a stove and food, to offset the weight.

A sleeping bag should be rated for about 20 degrees or less for spring hiking, when temperatures still plummet in the mountains. The bag needs to have a well-insulated draft tube covering the zipper. To maximize your bag's insulating potential, change out of the clothes you hiked in. The moisture locked in these clothes will wick away heat as they dry themselves. A sleeping pad is required, not just to soften the effects of sleeping on the ground, but to add a layer of insulation between you and the ground.

A backpacking stove should weigh about two pounds. Popular stoves burn a butane-propane blend, white gas, or unleaded fuel. Make sure that you use a stove once at home to familiarize yourself with its workings before relying on it for backcountry use.

The outfitter may also be able to rent you gear if you don't have everything required for a backpacking trip.

XI. Packing
Overloading your pack will cause the story of your hike to read more like a Greek tragedy than an epic adventure. Carry no more than a third of your body weight. Keeping your pack weight down to a quarter of your body weight will make for an even more pleasant hike. And, it is the maximum amount for children who are old enough to carry a pack. Distribute the gear evenly from side to side in the pack. Women are usually more comfortable with the heavier gear toward the bottom of the pack. Men, who have a naturally higher center of gravity, feel more comfortable when the heavier items are toward the top of the pack. Rain gear, a water bottle, and perhaps a camera should be packed in a side pocket, or at the top of the pack, for easy access during your hike.

XII. The Hike
One important tip is to drink plenty of fluids as you hike. Getting dehydrated is guaranteed to stress your body and take the fun out of a hike. Listen to your body on this one. If you are urinating infrequently and it is dark yellow in color, you need to drink more.

The hiker with the naturally slowest pace should lead. It is much easier for a fast hiker to cut back their pace than for a slower, or younger hiker, to speed up without tiring out.

To hike safely, remember this rule: Don't step on anything you can step over; don't step over anything you can step around. Rocks and sticks in the trail are best stepped around or, if too large, over, to avoid falls.

Take breaks when you need them, alternating pack-on and pack-off breaks. Taking your pack off breaks your momentum, so you won't want to remove your pack every time you stop to rest. Just lean over with your pack on and hold your knees in your hands to take the weight of the pack off your hips and shoulders.

It's true, the tale of your spring hike won't be carved in stone or memorialized on a Grecian urn in a dusty museum. But, with the right planning and preparation, you can have an adventure worth retelling without Herculean effort.