Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 6
FROM THE EDITOR
There are hints in this sequence of Kurt Rheinheimer's brilliant (!)
deploying of his rain tarp of what it takes to stop for a great lunch in
any season: See silly cap, jillion-dollar rain jacket, waterproof boots
and red pack cover still protecting Gail Rheinheimer's pack contents.
By KURT RHEINHEIMER
Every Day's a Great Day
for a Picnic
If you have the gear and the goodies, the context and the companion,
there's no reason that every lunch in the woods shouldn't be a full delight.
T
his was up on the Tinker Mountain ridgeline,
along the Appalachian Trail, looking down on
Roanoke, Virginia's pretty Carvins Cove reservoir far below.
The little tarp I carry in my daypack had not
been used-or even looked at-for several years.
But here came the raindrops just after we'd
stopped for lunch. The Greatest Day Hiker Of Them
All appreciated the free comedy enough to get a few
photographs.
But hey, clunky, off-kilter tarp pitch notwithstanding,
we had our usual great lunch. With a great view, a perfect
salad, cold wine, something crunchy and the pièce de résitance of my lunch, dark-chocolate covered blueberries!
Not to mention the wonderful companionship of The
Day Hiker and the fact that we were outside, on a mountaintop, on a nice, if showery fall day.
And it's not just the fall days that work. We've learned
the proverbial hard way over 15 years of day hikes every
weekend, that if you're prepared for the elements-at least
to the extent those elements present themselves here in
the Southern Appalachians-you're good to go.
6
BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
But winter? Snow and ice?
Well, as in every other season, it's all about the equipment. And most importantly, the layers. And the colder it
gets, the more layers. And the harder you hike, the more
the necessity to pack a whole 'nother set of layers, because
when you stop for lunch-pretty much no matter the
temperature-at least your back is gonna be sweaty from
sitting there under that pack.
And if you don't brave the cold long enough to remove
those damp layers and put on new ones, you're gonna freeze.
Waterproof hiking boots are another must.
Point is, it's all about what's in the pack and what's in
your head. We've sat down to windchills around zero (did
I mention layers, plus a really good outer layer?), to drilling rain (simple: make your lunch destination a shelter),
to snow (a shelter or, you know, cheat a little and build
your walk around a stop at Peaks of Otter Lodge or some
such), to full-summer heat (scout along the ridgeline for
the spot that provides max shade and max breeze).
Conditions vary. If you're as lucky as I am, the keys for
a great lunch, built around your favorite companion and
the comforts of a pack well-stocked, do not.
http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - Intro
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 3
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 4
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 5
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 6
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 7
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 8
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 9
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 10
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 11
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 12
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 13
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 14
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 15
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 16
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 17
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 18
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 19
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 20
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 21
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 22
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 23
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 24
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 25
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 26
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 27
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 28
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 29
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 30
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 31
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 32
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 33
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 34
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 35
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 36
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 37
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 38
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 39
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 40
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 41
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 42
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 43
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 44
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 45
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 46
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 47
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 48
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 49
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 50
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 51
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 52
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 53
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 54
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 55
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 56
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 57
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 58
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 59
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 60
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 61
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 62
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 63
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 64
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 65
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 66
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - Cover4
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