Yup gonna enjoy my Altras while I'm youngish and have healthy ankles. Will switch to boots when I get older.
I'm not sure I can ever go back to boots. I try them on in my store so I have some sense of what I'm talking about but have just been conditioned to the feel of trail runners. Really looking forward to putting some miles on Lone Peak 4.0s, although my Cascadias are still doing just fine.
I want something like this next time I go. Short sleeves are nice when it's hot but I found myself with my socks pulled all the way up and trying to cover as much skin as possible in case of bugs, briars etc
These wick so well that they're actually pleasant even when it's hot as fuck. They protect your arms from sunburn and from poison ivy, etc. They really are tough to beat. I wear one of those and some Kuhl Konfidant Air pants in the summer in pretty hot places and am fine.
For most people, yeah but my ankle hasn't fully recovered from when I injured it in Yosemite in April. I can count 4-5 times since then that it would have turned again if I hadn't been wearing an ankle brace so I want the extra support. A lot of my hikes in other places are add-ons to work trips so trekking poles aren't conducive to a carry-on bag. Plus I'm a badass so I won't notice the extra weight
I've never been to arches. Will it be a mistake if I try to do the fiery furnace with a permit and no tour?
Not really. Lots of people do it. The advantage to the tour is that the Ranger provides a lot of interesting information. You probably won’t spot Hidden Arch without the Ranger or someone who has done the tour.
Going to summit Tomyhoi Peak Sept 14 for the last big hike of the summer. The ridgeline divides US and Canada in the North Cascades, first time in Mount Baker area. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/tomyhoi-peak--2
Weather was not cooperating, so we had to cancel any climbing. Instead went to Camp Muir, basically base camp for summiting Mount Rainier. Start at about 5,000 feet, camp is a little over 10,000. Gain all the altitude in about 5 miles in the snow. Got caught in some shit, but nothing too bad. Was kind of surreal hiking through nasty snow with little visibility, made me understand what the fuck a white out would be like. No thank you. Near the camp the temp dropped to like 10-15 degrees, probably colder with wind chill. The water in my camel pack froze almost instantly, hands were going numb in gloves, we left the actual camp after about 10 minutes. Couldn't see Rainier at all. Felt like I was north of the Wall in search of White Walkers Spoiler
Doing an Enchantment through hike in 3 weeks, weekend of October 5. Approx 20 miles in one day. Had a friend that did it a few weeks ago, finished in about 15 hours in no hurry/lots of breaks and side trips. Plan is to camp at the trailhead, leave about 4-5 AM, hopefully back to the car before sun down.
that's awesome. I check the Camp Muir webcam on a fairly regular basis during the summer. It's on my list.
anyone have any recommendations for good quality hiking pants? will be doing some hiking in Oregon in November so the more water resistant the better also.
Have 2 pair of these (I think they're these, had them for years) and they are durable as hell .Then have 2 pair of Kuhl. An ultralight for hot hikes and a heavy duty for Boulder climbs and cold. Super comfy but newer so not sure how they hold up with abuse and time.
I got lucky with The North Face pair, as they were one of my 1st purchases. In addition to being durable, they are really versatile & come with me on every hike. Wind/water resistance & the ability to be worn as shorts makes them great for avoiding early morning dew or the cold (when work with base-layer).
I went with the Columbia Silver Ridge pants based on UrsaGrande recommendation and they worked pretty dang well in Glacier. Plus, they are around half the price of the North Face pair. Also, if you are looking for a shirt, wes tegg gave a perfect recommendation with the REI Co-op Sahara shirts (https://www.rei.com/product/119131/...c1JAT2juZWP0k5jYIkTSBO8glfe0L2sxoCiQoQAvD_BwE) and I loved them. Wore them basically all week long (with washings in between) and always felt pretty comfy.
It’s a good one. Mount Rainier National Park is incredible, can’t believe it took me so long to get there. Want to go in July/Aug when it’s clear and you have a view of the mountain the whole time.
Thanks. No, I use a Nikon D3300. I don’t know anything about cameras, but it’s supposed to be good for beginners. It makes a huge difference, I love it. You can get a deal on Amazon with the camera + some lenses, something like this:
Enchantments this weekend. Been wanting to do it since moving to the PNW. Got a good group of 5 going. Leave Friday evening, sleep at trailhead. Hope to be on the trail by about 4 AM Saturday--> 21 miles--> hopefully back before dark. Gain about 5,5000 feet of elevation in the first 3-4 miles, then slightly downhill the rest of the way. My feet are going to be mush.
That was incredible. 22.8 miles in 13.5 hours. Left the car at 6:30 AM, got back right about 8 PM. Highest elevation was about 8,000 feet, you gain about 5,000. One of the most beautiful places I've ever been. All your gain is in the first 4-5 miles, then it's 15 miles slowly downhill. 3-4 miles to Colchuck Lake with about 3,000 feet of gain, then Aasgard Pass, which is about 2,000 feet in 3/4 of a mile. The pass took about 2 hours, half the time scrambling on your hands and feet, was hard as shit. Spoiler View from top of Aasgard: Spoiler Dragtontail peak, going to try and summit next year Spoiler Once you get to the top of the pass, it's 15 miles, mostly flat, through the mountains with alpine lake after alpine lake. The trees are 'larches' and turn golden brown for about 3-4 weeks every year. Fucking incredible. Spoiler
I've been kicking around the idea of getting this, a cheaper sony mirrorless, or an weatherproof point and shoot. Any issues or concerns about this not being environmentally sealed? Not sure if that doesn't matter if you don't try to use it in a storm.
Beautiful pictures. Thank you. What level of shape would you need to be in to do this safely? What kind of pack did you take to cover preparedness - would seem like there are a few contingencies you have to be prepared for?
No issues, just need to be careful with it. I’m in the snow a lot so I usually wrap it in a towel or old t-shirt and put it in my backpack. Definitely a concern, though. Just be smart about it. My only complaint is that it’s pretty bulky and difficult to carry in a small daypack. But the quality is well worth it.
Need to be in pretty decent shape, but not ready to run a marathon or anything. We saw a couple folks cramping on the way out. I think you could do it if you’ve done some 12-14 mile hikes before with no issue. Some experience scrambling would be good, too. After the initial climb it wasn’t bad at all, just super long. I’m still kind of a beginner, but go with some friends that grew up in the mountains. We always have a water pump, bivvy and space blanket, but there wasn’t a real concern about getting caught on this one. Would pack a lot more if we were overnighting and/or climbing. I only had some layers, a rain jacket, first aid kit, camera, 2L camel pack and food in my pack.
Hiking old rag In the Shenandoahs next week, hoping to hit peak leaf change for the summit view. Will post pics.
I'll be backpacking Shenendoah for 2 nights this weekend. Sounds like the leaves are peaking. Good timing for you and I. Also a thin moon so should be able to see the Milky Way.
2 nights in Shenendoah. Day hiked the 1st day and stayed at a near by Air BnB. Day 2 & 3 we did a 10 mi. loop with about 2800ft elevation change. We got rained on for 11 hours starting a 9 Sunday night. Despite me Seam Gripping and Scotch Guarding the tent it still leaked(it's old). We got our ass's kicked all night. My kid loved it and never complained once, he was a beast. Leaves were beautiful, the pics don't do it justice. Saw a bear cub. Spoiler
Anybody with any 2p tent recs? I have a 1p Hubba that I love but not sure a wanna spend that much on a 2p. Was thinking the Half Dome 2 Plus.
This post is relevant to my interests. EDIT: For my own information, if I am camping with my wife and 2 dogs is this tent large enough or do I need to get the 3?
Half Dome is always a good choice. I have a TarpTent Double Rainbow and love it. It’s 2p, and ideal for backpacking - solo or with a significant other.
Own a Half Dome 2 Plus, I actually really enjoy it. Easy to put together, breathes decently, not an ultralight tent as it comes in at about 4+ lbs but for the multiday backpacking trips I do it works just fine *haven’t put it through a real good soaking yet but everything else about it I’ve enjoyed. Been used in Arizona California and Montana.
Sam's carries a brand called Omniwool that are actually really good. Field and Stream's brand is pretty good too and they go on sale for cheap and they always have flash sales.
Originally were going to do an overnighter, but the temp dropped too much, so we found a close trail. Climbed to the top of Silver Peak, only like 8,500 feet total--15 miles in and out, 3,500 feet of gain, pretty fun. Nothing crazy. But---it was one of the clearest days I've ever seen in the mountains. Fucking magical. On the way up: Spoiler Mount Rainier in the distance: Spoiler From the top: Spoiler