Backcountry Cannabis comsumption?

[Flamingo]

There is term in the thru-hiking community called "hover hiking", referring to the act of smoking pot while doing miles.

Pro tip: For best results, hover hike only on good trail that requires minimal navigation. Nobody wants to hear "oops, we missed the turn 2 miles ago."

[creekfeet]

I love smoking weed while backpacking, as I feel it only enhances the incredible beauty of my surroundings. And while it might sound odd, I kind of enjoy the fact that it can make me a little scared, paranoid, and on edge out there. Preferably I'll smoke a joint, but I'll bring a pipe, and while someone joked about a potato, in times of desperation I've brought an apple pipe into the backcountry. All that being said, I do have some stipulations:

1. For the most part, I will not get stoned until I know that there will be no more uphill for the day. Being high makes climbing that much more difficult for me, and weed serves as a nice reward for reaching the top of a pass.

2. Unless I'm just following a creek, or going over some route I know well, I don't like to be high for cross-country hiking. I tend to make incredibly poor navigational decisions when I'm stoned.

3. I solely smoke for recreational reasons. While I realize pot has medicinal value, for me personally, if I have a nagging injury I feel being high only intensifies the pain and makes me paranoid about it.

Finally, as for the whole indica vs. sativa debate, or what strain I'm smoking, I think all that's a bit overrated. I never have any idea what I'm smoking, and I feel that the type of high is determined much more by my mindset and surroundings than anything else. I can smoke the exact same weed two days in a row, and have completely different reactions to it depending on these things.

[freestone]

Same as Dave54 and WD. I have grown and smoked a lot of weed in the past and probably would partake in a backcountry social setting, but when I'm solo and deep into the backcountry, I need all my wits about me. I find it beneficial and refreshing to escape all my daily Cocktail Hour habits when I'm out on a trek.

Off topic and as a side note, I am amazed at how the Cannabis life has evolved into a marketing hype of names and how they can correlate strain with the "high" the user will experience. I Googled cannabis seeds and learned that 5 seeds will cost you $100.00 and grow only females! (I'm sure many of you will recall cleaning a "lid" by using a shoebox lid and a pack of Zig Zags then watching the seeds roll down the cardboard by the hundreds) As a hobbyist gardener that means no seeds for next years crop! Maybe someone will eventually introduce "Heirloom" varietals? The plant is easy to grow outdoors in California and from a gardener's perspective, easy to apply all sorts of tricks and stressing techniques to produce visually interesting and beautiful specimens.

[SSSdave]

As a working hi tech person living in the SF Bay Area since the hard core counterculture days of the early 70s and classic rock music fan, never thought I'd live to see this day haha. Pacific Coast is free and Nevada too hehe now! Nice not to have that very black legal cloud hanging over our lives. But never a fan of those into the daily habitual mellow stoner thing. Here in the SF Bay Area know all the types well and many have been close acquaintances. Each to their own, let it be. But just for sleeping? What a boring waste? Much prefer being totally unmedicated in all ways including caffeine and alcohol, naturalized...for most of the time.

[oldranger]

As a working hi tech person living in the SF Bay Area since the hard core counterculture days of the early 70s and classic rock music fan, never thought I'd live to see this day haha. Pacific Coast is free and Nevada too hehe now! Nice not to have that very black legal cloud hanging over our lives. But never a fan of those into the daily habitual mellow stoner thing. Here in the SF Bay Area know all the types well and many have been close acquaintances. Each to their own, let it be. But just for sleeping? What a boring waste? Much prefer being totally unmedicated in all ways including caffeine and alcohol, naturalized...for most of the time.

My coffee is in the form of mocha--just comfort food when backpacking. Despite regular exercise my hips and shoulders hurt enough to keep me awake, even at home when trying to sleep. Something to dull the pain and assist sleep is now a necessity--wish it were otherwise. But a good night sleep really helps performance the next day. I absolutely prefer to experience my day time hours with no filters or alterations but I need sleep and find the only way to get sleep is with a little help from my friends. Cocktail hour is more of a ritual than a necessity can't carry enough to really do much but at the end of the day, before dinner it is kind of fun with some hors d'oeuvres. Tried to convince my son not carry 151 on our last bp together and he said, "but dad, it's tradition!" So we added almost 4 lbs to our combined loads (2 fifths of 151) just to maintain tradition.

[balzaccom]

I should point out that the fact that marijuana is legal in California DOES NOT MEAN that a federal LEO on federal lands cannot or will not cite you and require you to appear in federal court on the charge.

[TahoeJeff]

I should point out that the fact that marijuana is legal in California DOES NOT MEAN that a federal LEO on federal lands cannot or will not cite you and require you to appear in federal court on the charge.

Major BUZZ KILL reporting for duty.....

[Hobbes]

In 2014, I tried a hit or two

Ha ha, weren't you in your tent for something like 12 hrs? Count me in among the minority who experience paranoia. According to this study, it affects around 20%:

http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2014-07-16-how ... s-paranoia

As teenagers, we'd get high after surfing (Santa Cruz). It was partly just to warm up with the windows rolled up and heater blasting. Haven't really partook since.

My primary issue is the (long) time it takes to move out of your system; some reports indicate as short as 4 days and as long as 2 months:

https://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2287.aspx? ... goryID=871

I've always been high energy, so I don't like getting bogged down. Now, a beer (or three) after hard exercise is just my cup of tea.

[CAMERONM]

There is term in the thru-hiking community called "hover hiking", referring to the act of smoking pot while doing miles.

A few years ago I camped in the Tuolumne backpackers camp next to a large group of PCT hikers and I nearly got smoked out by all the weed smoke wafting in my direction. I was told that there is a lot of shrooming going on as well.

[dave54]

There is term in the thru-hiking community called "hover hiking", referring to the act of smoking pot while doing miles.

Pro tip: For best results, hover hike only on good trail that requires minimal navigation. Nobody wants to hear "oops, we missed the turn 2 miles ago."

Smoking on the trail is prohibited when fire restrictions are initiated.

And as mentioned in a previous post, it is still prohibited on federal land. A fed LEO could cite you, although I doubt any would for just smoking in camp. On the trail while in fire restrictions he might, or just tell you to put it out while hiking.

In either case, if you wouldn't do it while drinking alcohol, you probably shouldn't do it while smoking pot.