Wilcox Lake Hike

Well then. Tuesday afternoon I hiked up to Wilcox Lake in the Adirondacks. I wanted to test myself and my equipment on an overnight hike. From the East Stoney Creek trailhead, it's about 5 miles to the lake. For a good distance, the trail follows E. Stoney Creek, very picturesque. Once there, there are 2 shelters to choose from and good lake access and views. The access and views are not common on Adirondack lakes so I was pleasantly surprised. I was also surprised that there wasn't as much insect or frog noise as I had anticipated. I did hear loons. Also, late in the evening, some animal snuffling around in the brush next to the lake and near my tent. I pretended I didn't hear it.

Some good points to the hike. 1. I know I can do it now. 2. I lost 2 pounds. 3. This particular hike was fairly level, only 2 spots that were really any climb at all.

Bad points. 1. The collapsible bottle I took to be my intake for unfiltered water had too small an opening for the water to open the collapsed bottle. I finally gave up and used the 2 quart juice bottle that was at the shelter. I can't rely on that kind of serendipity so I'll have to find something else. 2. I was surprisingly not hungry after 4 hours of steady hiking. I ate dinner anyway. Same with breakfast the next day. Also a snack at 10am on the hike back. Even so, I'll have to be aware of that kind of problem when doing longer distance hikes. 3. By the time I got back to the trailhead where my car was parked, my feet felt like they'd been beaten. (Which I guess they had!) Not good if I want to do longer hikes. I bought some "orthotic" insoles today. I'll try them tomorrow with a quick 5 mile hike (with full pack) to see how they work out. Since I could barely walk Wednesday night, this problem has to be solved. 4. My pack, at 40 pounds is too heavy with only 2 days worth of food with me. While I think a pack weight of 40 pounds is about right, I need to carry more food. Therefore, I need to cut weight and bulk.