Hike to Franklin Falls near Snoqualmie, 11/24

The book I've chosen to read is, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Backpacking and Hiking by Jason Stevenson. I have hiked various trails before, but I've never had to hike in the rain or in weather below about 50 degrees before. I've never had to layer, and haven't worn the correct shoes on any hike I had been on in the past. Earlier this year, I hiked up Mount Si in tennis shoes and cotton socks. By the time I reached the top, I had a ton of blisters on my feet. This book heavily emphasizes the importance of having the right clothes and footwear before you go anywhere.

Part of my problem on Mount Si was that I was wearing cotton socks, so when my feet got wet, the socks wore holes in my feet. "The best sock fabrics are quick-drying and comfortable synthetics like polyester and spandex or natural fibers like wool and silk ... remember, 'cotton kills'" (Stevenson, 139). For my Franklin Falls hike, I chose wool socks, because not only do they prevent blisters, they also keep insulating even when they're wet. So even if My socks get wet from puddles or being close to the waterfall, my feet would still be warm. I also wore my hiking boots I got from Costco, to provide ankle support, which the book also says in important. In hikes in the past when I've worn just tennis shoes, I've twisted and sprained my ankles.

Layering with several jackets and layers that'll keep you dry instead of bringing one big jacket is something the book also said was a good a idea. "As every hiker knows or quickly learns, the secret to on-trail comfort is to wear multiple layers of clothing ... you shed layers when you begin to sweat but add more when you stop for a rest break" (Stevenson, 146). If you bring one big warm jacket with you, you can't shed or add layers if you get too hot or too cold. I've never had to worry about layering on past hikes, because I've always gone when it was warm enough outside to go without a coat. For my Franklin Falls hike, I wore my long sleeve polyester XC shirt, then a sweatshirt, then a zip up sweater made out of alpaca fir, then my windbreaker on top to keep the wind out. I also wore my alpaca fir headband to keep my ears warm. On my legs I wore long leggings underneath my track warm up pants, so I could shed that layer if my legs got too hot.

The hike itself was one of the better hikes I've done. I went with my brothers and their boy scout troop. They had this hike planned for a while, and families of the scouts were invited, so I went. The trail was about 2 miles round trip with a 400 ft elevation gain. The temperature stayed at about 35 degrees, and there were patches of snow on the trail. The layering idea was wonderful. I started with all of them on, then shed to my base layer by the time we got to the falls. We stayed at the base of the falls for a good 20 minutes, where we stopped and ate lunch. I had to put all of my layers back on because I got cold sitting still, and the spray from the falls made me cold as well. My socks did get wet, but I didn't notice until I took them off once I got home. Wool insulates very well. I also had no blisters, or swollen ankles from lack of ankle support. Overall, it was a really good hike.

What problems have you run into on hikes of your own (blisters, too hot, too cold, etc.), and how did you solve them?