Calling all hikers

[hawkeyetraveler]

Well I’m back from my Grand Canyon adventure and what a crazy adventure it was. Tl;dr we ended up leaving the canyon 1 day early because we heard the weather would be damn near impossible on our last night of camping (I imagine it would have been damn near impossible to setup my tent in 50mph winds). Total hike was ~45 miles and ~12K feet of elevation over 3 days,
_______

Day 1: hiked >15 miles down into canyon, side quest to ribbon falls then onto cottonwood campground

Day 2: 14+ miles up north rim and back to cottonwood

Day 3: was forecasted to be rain, snow and up to 50mph wind gusts for 24+ hours, so we decided to hike the 14 miles out from cottonwood to the south rim and skip our last night. Let’s just say that last day hike out was a shitshow with driving freezing rain, very strong wind and snow to spice things up. Somehow this old man made it back out of the canyon.

 

[General Roman Malaise]

Great thread OP. Wife and I love hiking and have gotten our kids into it from an early age also.

Two all-time favorite hikes so far are the 5 Lakes Trail in Zermatt, Switzerland, and the Mt. Mitchell base-to-summit trail in western NC (highest point east of the Mississippi).

5 Lakes was the most stunning day of nonstop alpine scenery we’ve experienced, with the Matterhorn looming over you the entire way. Anytime we stopped for a water break, all you had to do was turn your head and boom, there she was.

Mitchell is the single most intense hike I’ve done. It’s flat for about the first quarter mile from the parking lot, then you round a corner and go pretty much straight up for 5.5 miles. Did that one with a good friend who started having quad cramps halfway up which made things interesting and delayed us getting back down til nearly dark. First beer went down real easy after that one!

 

[billanole]

Great thread OP. Wife and I love hiking and have gotten our kids into it from an early age also.

Two all-time favorite hikes so far are the 5 Lakes Trail in Zermatt, Switzerland, and the Mt. Mitchell base-to-summit trail in western NC (highest point east of the Mississippi).

5 Lakes was the most stunning day of nonstop alpine scenery we’ve experienced, with the Matterhorn looming over you the entire way. Anytime we stopped for a water break, all you had to do was turn your head and boom, there she was.

Mitchell is the single most intense hike I’ve done. It’s flat for about the first quarter mile from the parking lot, then you round a corner and go pretty much straight up for 5.5 miles. Did that one with a good friend who started having quad cramps halfway up which made things interesting and delayed us getting back down til nearly dark. First beer went down real easy after that one!

Very cool to hear about your MM experience, Roman. As you post, that is a dang tuff walk. Congrats on doing a Southern Sixer.

I went up Mitchell a couple of years back with no pic daughter, her bestie, and our 60# elkhound mix Poppy. Poppy can be a big help pulling you up hill, but you gotta watch out if leashed to her her “southbound”.
The trail was not in great shape in areas, so watching foot placement was paramount, taking away a bit from sightseeing enjoyment.

At an elevation gain and then loss of approx. of 3,600’ along the approx. 5.5 miles in each direction, it is fairly steep consistently.
Wildest thing to us was the number of trail runners, many of whom were likely training to run this path as part of the Mt. Mitchell Challenge, a 40 mile up and downer run in the Winter. MF’ers are badasses… My buddy Trent Thomas is one of the early guys behind this race. His shop Black Dome Mountain Sports is my favorite toy store.

http://www.blackmountainmarathon.com/

Black Dome Mountain Sports ‐ Official Website

This Black Dome Website Built using HTML5, css3, and JavaScript

blackdome.com

Great scenery and views along the trail and the view from a “tower” at the top was 360. We traversed multiple forest types along the elevation gain, topped off by the remnant Spruce/Fir forest which mimics those in Canada. Stepping scant feet off of the trail, especially on the North face, you enter a quiet area of soft, mossy ground cover, fairly large diameter trees, and lots of ground squirrels scurrying about… It was kinda weird to summit and be met by a horde of folks at the top who had driven or bussed to the visitors center.

Peaceful that day, but hurricane force winds occur near yearly up there. 29+ inches of rain from Hurricane Helene fell in scant hours up there last September. The resulting runoff blew thru communities in all directions, resulting in widespread devastation and loss of life. Swannoa, Black Mountain, and Asheville to the south were smacked hard from MM runoff. To the north Spruce Pine, Burnsville and Erwin, TN were some of the hardest hit areas.
I have no idea what kinda shape the MM trail is in these days.
CSB.

 

[General Roman Malaise]

Very cool to hear about your MM experience, Roman. As you post, that is a dang tuff walk. Congrats on doing a Southern Sixer.

I went up Mitchell a couple of years back with no pic daughter, her bestie, and our 60# elkhound mix Poppy. Poppy can be a big help pulling you up hill, but you gotta watch out if leashed to her her “southbound”.
The trail was not in great shape in areas, so watching foot placement was paramount, taking away a bit from sightseeing enjoyment.

At an elevation gain and then loss of approx. of 3,600’ along the approx. 5.5 miles in each direction, it is fairly steep consistently.
Wildest thing to us was the number of trail runners, many of whom were likely training to run this path as part of the Mt. Mitchell Challenge, a 40 mile up and downer run in the Winter. MF’ers are badasses… My buddy Trent Thomas is one of the early guys behind this race. His shop Black Dome Mountain Sports is my favorite toy store.

http://www.blackmountainmarathon.com/

Black Dome Mountain Sports ‐ Official Website

This Black Dome Website Built using HTML5, css3, and JavaScript

blackdome.com

Great scenery and views along the trail and the view from a “tower” at the top was 360. We traversed multiple forest types along the elevation gain, topped off by the remnant Spruce/Fir forest which mimics those in Canada. Stepping scant feet off of the trail, especially on the North face, you enter a quiet area of soft, mossy ground cover, fairly large diameter trees, and lots of ground squirrels scurrying about… It was kinda weird to summit and be met by a horde of folks at the top who had driven or bussed to the visitors center.

Peaceful that day, but hurricane force winds occur near yearly up there. 29+ inches of rain from Hurricane Helene fell in scant hours up there last September. The resulting runoff blew thru communities in all directions, resulting in widespread devastation and loss of life. Swannoa, Black Mountain, and Asheville to the south were smacked hard from MM runoff. To the north Spruce Pine, Burnsville and Erwin, TN were some of the hardest hit areas.
I have no idea what kinda shape the MM trail is in these days.
CSB.

Couldn’t describe that trail better myself. When we summitted a cold wind was blowing across at what had to have been 30+ mph. We’d brought sandwiches and a sniff of bourbon thinking we’d enjoy a break and the view before heading back down. Wound up staying just long enough to snap a few pics and shoot the bourbon - ate a walking lunch as we started back down, LOL.

 

[The-Dude-Abides]

Well I’m back from my Grand Canyon adventure and what a crazy adventure it was. Tl;dr we ended up leaving the canyon 1 day early because we heard the weather would be damn near impossible on our last night of camping (I imagine it would have been damn near impossible to setup my tent in 50mph winds). Total hike was ~45 miles and ~12K feet of elevation over 3 days,
_______

Day 1: hiked >15 miles down into canyon, side quest to ribbon falls then onto cottonwood campground

Day 2: 14+ miles up north rim and back to cottonwood

Day 3: was forecasted to be rain, snow and up to 50mph wind gusts for 24+ hours, so we decided to hike the 14 miles out from cottonwood to the south rim and skip our last night. Let’s just say that last day hike out was a shitshow with driving freezing rain, very strong wind and snow to spice things up. Somehow this old man made it back out of the canyon.

Glad you made it! You went SK-NK-BA, right? Did you stick to that? BA can be nasty with snow and ice as you get closer to the rim. Glad you got to get to Ribbon Falls as well. I'm still set on doing this in the fall so I will likely hit you up as that gets closer.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

Glad you made it! You went SK-NK-BA, right? BA can be nasty with snow and ice as you get closer to the rim. Glad you got to get to Ribbon Falls as well. I'm still set on doing this in the fall so I will likely hit you up as that gets closer.

Bright Angel is still closed between Havasupai gardens and the river (hopefully it’s open by the time you go). Our original plan was to hike back up south Kaibob to the tip off point then traverse Tonto trail, spend night at Havasupai gardens and the make the ascent via bright Angel. But that adds about 5 miles extra to go that way. So when the storms blew in we just went straight up south Kaibob to get out of the weather as fast as we could.

I’m certainly no expert but I’m happy to provide advice/experiences whenever you want!

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

Anybody ever run into people on trails that just think the “all dogs must be on a leash” sign doesn’t apply to them? We ran into it multiple times yesterday in eastern Iowa. Pissed me off…but still had a great day…

 

[HikeNatParks]

I dig your style dude. I'm afraid I'm too green to deserve that moniker, but I trust the miles will keep coming by the grace of God. Keep on hiking, and share your experiences here if you remember. Glacier is at the top of my list. I'll probably bother you for tips when I finally get that trip in the works.

If I’m still here (arthritic hands becoming bothersome), by all means.
We’ve only visited after Labor Day, though, to avoid crazy crowds. Glacier may only have the one road cutting through it (Going-To-The-Sun), but it’s fabulous. Do NOT miss the Many Glacier area, where some of the best hikes start from. I’m actually doing a solo trip this May out to Montana to just drive (well, maybe a short hike or two) around Glacier, Yellowstone, and perhaps Grand Teton, scouting for grizzlies and wolves. I save the long hikes for fall, when my son can make sure I don’t croak on the trail. As a bonus, just driving up the front range of the Rockies from Bozeman is pretty sweet.
Oh, and tell your buddies to drop the teen-girl angst from B1Gs. Ayala and Buchanan are definitely NC contenders in Philly. Like our Beau and Shayne, both now get to learn from unexpected losses.

 

[InsaneHawkJJP]

Anybody ever run into people on trails that just think the “all dogs must be on a leash” sign doesn’t apply to them? We ran into it multiple times yesterday in eastern Iowa. Pissed me off…but still had a great day…

I rarely have my dogs on a leash when we’re hiking trails. It’s fun watching people get all huffy about it on the rare occasion I run into someone. Most people are cool about it but there are a few Karen’s out there that get pissy.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

I rarely have my dogs on a leash when we’re hiking trails. It’s fun watching people get all huffy about it on the rare occasion I run into someone. Most people are cool about it but there are a few Karen’s out there that get pissy.

I’m always good with it when the dogs are behaved, what annoys me is the dogs that aren’t behaved. Had an issue with my own dog on a leash on a local trail and a somewhat aggressive Shepard came charging up off leash growling with its tail down in an aggressive posture.

Most of the time it is fine, but I imagine people that get skittish had a bad incident in their past.

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

I rarely have my dogs on a leash when we’re hiking trails. It’s fun watching people get all huffy about it on the rare occasion I run into someone. Most people are cool about it but there are a few Karen’s out there that get pissy.

Only reason I brought it up is because my daughter, no pic, had her dog with us-on a leash of course. She has had to separate fighting dogs in the past, in which one of the dogs was killed. It wasn’t on a trail, but in her neighborhood. Ever since, she worries about other free roaming dogs scrapping with hers. I get it if you are literally out there alone. But there is a rule about leashes. Don’t be a dick and think you are above it..

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

I’m always good with it when the dogs are behaved, what annoys me is the dogs that aren’t behaved. Had an issue with my own dog on a leash on a local trail and a somewhat aggressive Shepard came charging up off leash growling with its tail down in an aggressive posture.

Most of the time it is fine, but I imagine people that get skittish had a bad incident in their past.

This

 

[InsaneHawkJJP]

Only reason I brought it up is because my daughter, no pic, had her dog with us-on a leash of course. She has had to separate fighting dogs in the past, in which one of the dogs was killed. It wasn’t on a trail, but in her neighborhood. Ever since, she worries about other free roaming dogs scrapping with hers. I get it if you are literally out there alone. But there is a rule about leashes. Don’t be a dick and think you are above it..

I was under the impression you were on hiking trails. In town my dogs are always on a leash.

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

I was under the impression you were on hiking trails. In town my dogs are always on a leash.

I am probably misleading in my post but we were on hiking trails. You should leash up your dog the instant you see someone else. It is the rule. The incident that makes my daughter extremely nervous happened in town. She actually tried giving the dog that didn’t survive mouth to mouth.

 

[McLovin32]

Great thread, OP. I've actually enjoyed reading this.

 

[Gus is dead]

Backbone has enough trails to keep you walking for a good chunk of the day.

That is a good state park to trail to run as well. I have done it a few times and usually run from the north side around the like to the south and then back up the western side and around. Not too many hard climbs but enough to burn the legs a bit. It is also scenic enough to get you through the miles.

 

[Gus is dead]

Start with Ledges.

I did an adventure race there a couple of times. Enjoyed it a lot. Sadly the guys doing it stopped putting it on a few years into it.

 

[InsaneHawkJJP]

I am probably misleading in my post but we were on hiking trails. You should leash up your dog the instant you see someone else. It is the rule. The incident that makes my daughter extremely nervous happened in town. She actually tried giving the dog that didn’t survive mouth to mouth.

I agree and I do always leash my dogs as soon as I see someone. CSB time. We were walking our dogs a couple months ago and a lady with her two off leash dogs came around a bend. We immediately put our dogs on leashes. She wasn’t able to control one of the dogs and it stated attacking on of our dogs. I was like WTF? She then had the nerve to blame us for putting our dogs on a leash and said her dog wouldn’t have attacked if our dogs were off leash. People suck!

 

[McLovin32]

I agree and I do always leash my dogs as soon as I see someone. CSB time. We were walking our dogs a couple months ago and a lady with her two off leash dogs came around a bend. We immediately put our dogs on leashes. She wasn’t able to control one of the dogs and it stated attacking on of our dogs. I was like WTF? She then had the nerve to blame us for putting our dogs on a leash and said her dog wouldn’t have attacked if our dogs were off leash. People suck!

That lady deserves to be bitch slapped. What an unbelievably stupid thing to say.

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

I agree and I do always leash my dogs as soon as I see someone. CSB time. We were walking our dogs a couple months ago and a lady with her two off leash dogs came around a bend. We immediately put our dogs on leashes. She wasn’t able to control one of the dogs and it stated attacking on of our dogs. I was like WTF? She then had the nerve to blame us for putting our dogs on a leash and said her dog wouldn’t have attacked if our dogs were off leash. People suck!

How do you not come unglued with that idiot?

 

[InsaneHawkJJP]

How do you not come unglued with that idiot?

I was two seconds away from punting her fvcking dog. It had a shock collar on and she kept beeping it but never shocked him. I’m surprised my wife didn’t flip out on her.

 

[lucas80]

The wife and I are thinking about a trip to Idaho. Many years ago some bros and I went to the Sawtooth Mtns and loved it. We are thinking about flying to Boise and then concentrating on state parks along the 84 corridor. Our big debate is May or October. I assume we’d have a lot more smoke in October, that’s been our small issue during our last two trips to Oregon. Wild fire smoke and some closures.

 

[Colonoscopy]

I need to get back in serious hiking shape, but I've done about 15 or so of Colorado's 14k peaks. Definitely want to bag a few more this summer. Probably in the central mountains, Sawatch Range.

Otherwise am going to be doing a spring desert trip soon. So will get some hiking in there. Alamosa to Taos to Santa Fe to Las Cruces to Tucson. So probably Great Sand Dunes, White Sands, Saguaro National Park hikes.

 

[Colonoscopy]

Does anyone have any trail recommendations for a hike around the San Diego area? I’m looking for one with a great ocean view while I’m out there in mid March. Also plan on going to Joshua Tree National Park if anyone has advice for there.

Did this trip a few years back. La Jolla and Torreys Pines area have some nice trails.

Torrey Pines State Preserve gives you the ocean views from up high + you get to see the actual namesake torrey pines trees scattered about. I'd recommend that one.

Also sampled a lot of the beaches in the area. At sunset specifically, different beach for sunset everynight.

Link to hike

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[mthawkeyes]

The wife and I are thinking about a trip to Idaho. Many years ago some bros and I went to the Sawtooth Mtns and loved it. We are thinking about flying to Boise and then concentrating on state parks along the 84 corridor. Our big debate is May or October. I assume we’d have a lot more smoke in October, that’s been our small issue during our last two trips to Oregon. Wild fire smoke and some closures.

Looks like average snowpack in the Sawtooth area.
Columbia Basin Snowpack Map

If you're mostly staying at low elevation on the Snake River Plain, May is probably the best time. If you're wanting to hike in the mountains, most trails will be snow-covered in May. Usually fire season is pretty much over by October. The problem with October is that it could be clear and 70 or 30 and snowing, possibly on the same day.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

I have done a number of AT, Virginia Highlands, and Smoky Mountain trails. We love the Highlands in summertime where we gather berries and apples to supplement grub.
Doing the AT was once kind of a goal, but unlikely. I have had multiple people ask me to do that walk with them, but truthfully my back would likely not cooperate.
I retired my old exterior frame pack prolly 12 years ago and now use a Hyperlite SW and went with titanium stuff from Vargo to trim ounces. Mostly hike in shorts with old school gaiters to keep the mud and briars at bay.
I am thankful that our parents taught us woods craft as soon as we could walk. It is such a sanctuary to be out on trail, if only for the afternoon.

How do you like the Hyperlite? I was debating between that and the ULA circuit. I went with the circuit, which I love. Except the big pockets on the side make it hard to reach a water bottle so I ended up adding a water bottle accessory that connects to the chest strap. Thing is light as a feather, but manages to hold a ton comfortably,

 

[billanole]

Great thread, OP. I've actually enjoyed reading this.

Yep.

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

This thread is better than Backpacker (no longer available) magazine. Needs photos….😁

 

[billanole]

How do you like the Hyperlite? I was debating between that and the ULA circuit. I went with the circuit, which I love. Except the big pockets on the side make it hard to reach a water bottle so I ended up adding a water bottle accessory that connects to the chest strap. Thing is light as a feather, but manages to hold a ton comfortably,

Interesting to read about the ULA. That is a good looking bag and stitched in Utah. I didn’t know about them when buying the Hyperlite SW years ago, which replaced an ancient old school external frame.
I immediately shaved 3+ pounds off of my base weight and although it is not sold as “waterproof” I have never gotten wet gear despite enduring massive rain events, so a rain cover is not needed. The caveat to that is if gear goes inside the pack wet, it stays wet.
It took a bit of playing around with the “less pockets and zippers” pack, which is basically a dry bag with some external additions, but it is pretty intuitive once you follow the theme.
I paired the bag with their pod system to take full advantage of the entire pack interior and use those pods near weekly on work trips with a Black Diamond pack. I use a 3.5 L water bladder which works well in the rear pocket. The roll top shrinks and swells capacity as needed and the front and side pockets swallow all of my daily quick access needs, although without a partner to help, I have to drop the pack to access them.
A Bear Vault 450 fits in vertically or horizontally, although I often use an easily packed flexible Ursack. We are very much in black bear country here in the Smoky Mountains. We mostly sleep under a lightweight tarp paired with a ground cover.
I use an inflatable Thermarest pad and seldom have anything hanging on the exterior. The slim profile of this pack fits well with my size and it makes wiggling thru tight spots doable.
This thing has endured plenty of abuse… snags, abrasion, overstuffing, etc.. and shows no sign of failure, unless the gradual “darkening” of the white fiber counts. It is a tuff bit of gear. My only regret is going with the 40 liter which mimicked the capacity of my old frame workhorse. Capacity is an issue on longer trips.
Sorry for the long diatribe, but this is making me “jones” for the next adventure.

Southwest

Shop the Southwest 40 - A Lightweight 40L Hiking Backpack for Thrilling Adventures. Crafted with Dyneema, it's perfect for thru-hiking and durability.

hyperlitemountaingear.com

Ursack/OpSak Bundles

Perfect for overnight camping, Ursack is the only IGBC-certified, lightweight bear bag on the market and an innovative alternative to the hard-sided bear cans.

ursack.com

Oh, dang. The Ursack has gotten pricey, but the flexibility is great. You pretty much need to be able to hang this.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

Interesting to read about the ULA. That is a good looking bag and stitched in Utah. I didn’t know about them when buying the Hyperlite SW years ago, which replaced an ancient old school external frame.
I immediately shaved 3+ pounds off of my base weight and although it is not sold as “waterproof” I have never gotten wet gear despite enduring massive rain events, so a rain cover is not needed. The caveat to that is if gear goes inside the pack wet, it stays wet.
It took a bit of playing around with the “less pockets and zippers” pack, which is basically a dry bag with some external additions, but it is pretty intuitive once you follow the theme.
I paired the bag with their pod system to take full advantage of the entire pack interior and use those pods near weekly on work trips with a Black Diamond pack. I use a 3.5 L water bladder which works well in the rear pocket. The roll top shrinks and swells capacity as needed and the front and side pockets swallow all of my daily quick access needs.
A Bear Vault 450 fits in vertically or horizontally, although I often use an easily packed flexible Ursack. We are very much in black bear country here in the Smoky Mountains. We mostly sleep under a lightweight tarp paired with a ground cover.
I use an inflatable Thermarest pad and seldom have anything hanging on the exterior. The slim profile of this pack fits well with my size and it makes wiggling thru tight spots doable.
This thing has endured plenty of abuse… snags, abrasion, overstuffing, etc.. and shows no sign of failure, unless the gradual “darkening” of the white fiber counts. It is a tuff bit of gear. My only regret is going with the 40 liter which mimicked the capacity of my old frame workhorse. Capacity is an issue on longer trips.
Sorry for the long diatribe, but this is making me “jones” for the next adventure.

Southwest

Shop the Southwest 40 - A Lightweight 40L Hiking Backpack for Thrilling Adventures. Crafted with Dyneema, it's perfect for thru-hiking and durability.

hyperlitemountaingear.com

Great stuff. My loadout is fairly light, but probably a bit more comfort oriented than yours.

• ULA Circuit (same style as yours, just different mfg). Very light very durable.
• ZPacks duplex tent - I’m not brave enough for a tarp/groundsheet yet.
• Thermarest inflatable pad. In super cold weather I will bring along a closed foam cell hard pad too that I attach outside the pack for extra R value
• Katabatic flex quilt. For me quilts are superior to sleeping bag
• The usual assortment of other gear one needs. I haven’t done an overnight trip with this setup in bear country, but I know a bear canister will fit in my pack.

Even though the capacity of the circuit is great, I still I end up having a bunch of stuff in the outside pockets for 4 day trips or longer.

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

Not a lot of backpacking trails in Iowa but any state park has decent trails to get your fix or start in this case. Backbone has enough trails to keep you walking for a good chunk of the day.

I thought I would start adding photos to this thread. East lake trail in Backbone…

 

[billanole]

Great stuff. My loadout is fairly light, but probably a bit more comfort oriented than yours.

• ULA Circuit (same style as yours, just different mfg). Very light very durable.
• ZPacks duplex tent - I’m not brave enough for a tarp/groundsheet yet.
• Thermarest inflatable pad. In super cold weather I will bring along a closed foam cell hard pad too that I attach outside the pack for extra R value
• Katabatic flex quilt. For me quilts are superior to sleeping bag
• The usual assortment of other gear one needs. I haven’t done an overnight trip with this setup in bear country, but I know a bear canister will fit in my pack.

Even though the capacity of the circuit is great, I still I end up having a bunch of stuff in the outside pockets for 4 day trips or longer.

I am very interested in a quilt and have heard just a bit about Katabatic. Your approval tweaks my curiosity. What model/version do you have?
We use the tarp in Southern climes, seldom below freezing temps. It is so refreshing to be basically sleeping in the open air, but dry. We adjust the height of the front edge depending on expected weather and always set the back edge at ground level. If possible, we set up for which direction the prevailing winds approach from. We will find a pair of trees close enough to set the front edge, or use hiking poles. During the biggest storms, I sometimes use a single central pole and stake out
My 10’ x 12’ tarp allows plenty of room to cook, spread out gear, and play a card game even in rainy, windy weather.
Thanks for starting this thread. It is refreshing to talk about doing fun things.

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

We did Sunday Gulch. It was nice. Wanted to do Black Elk Peak but never made it because it snowed. Labor Day Weekend a few years ago…

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

We went to Devils Lake in Baraboo, Wisconsin last year and did 13 miles. The rock formations and views were just different than here in Iowa…

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

I am very interested in a quilt and have heard just a bit about Katabatic. Your approval tweaks my curiosity. What model/version do you have?
We use the tarp in Southern climes, seldom below freezing temps. It is so refreshing to be basically sleeping in the open air, but dry. We adjust the height of the front edge depending on expected weather and always set the back edge at ground level. If possible, we set up for which direction the prevailing winds approach from. We will find a pair of trees close enough to set the front edge, or use hiking poles. During the biggest storms, I sometimes use a single central pole and stake out
My 10’ x 12’ tarp allows plenty of room to cook, spread out gear, and play a card game even in rainy, windy weather.
Thanks for starting this thread. It is refreshing to talk about doing fun things.

I have the Katabatic Flex 22 degree. I figured I am not going to be hiking when it is like zero degrees.

I am 100% certain that the experts are right on sleeping bags. If you compress the loft in the bag it loses its r value so the part you are lying on against your pad is doing nothing for you. It’s just taking up space and adding weight in your pack.

The key with the quilt is a good R value sleeping pad and making sure you know how to attach the quilt to the pad. Katabatics system works well for me. In the Grand Canyon 2 weeks ago it got into the thirties one night and I was downright hot. I have tested it as low as the high twenties and it works great. People say at 22 degrees it is a bit uncomfortable though. If I was going out in truly cold weather I would get a warmer version.

 

[billanole]

Dang, that is cool country.

 

[billanole]

I have the Katabatic Flex 22 degree. I figured I am not going to be hiking when it is like zero degrees.

I am 100% certain that the experts are right on sleeping bags. If you compress the loft in the bag it loses its r value so the part you are lying on against your pad is doing nothing for you. It’s just taking up space and adding weight in your pack.

The key with the quilt is a good R value sleeping pad and making sure you know how to attach the quilt to the pad. Katabatics system works well for me. In the Grand Canyon 2 weeks ago it got into the thirties one night and I was downright hot. I have tested it as low as the high twenties and it works great. People say at 22 degrees it is a bit uncomfortable though. If I was going out in truly cold weather I would get a warmer version.

You have stirred my interest. Thanks. Truthfully, I buy gear for the long run, rather than replacing it “yearly”, so research and word of mouth are good ways to make the right choice.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

Anyone done the Wonderland trail around Mt Rainier? Or portions of it? I am considering trying to get a walk up permit in early fall. 93 miles around with a boatload of elevation, but looks pretty amazing. Just curious if it is worth the 7+ days it would take to pull it off?

 

[mthawkeyes]

Anyone done the Wonderland trail around Mt Rainier? Or portions of it? I am considering trying to get a walk up permit in early fall. 93 miles around with a boatload of elevation, but looks pretty amazing. Just curious if it is worth the 7+ days it would take to pull it off?

I never did, but it would be totally worth it. If you're at a place in life where you're able to, you shouldn't even hesitate.

 

[billanole]

Anyone done the Wonderland trail around Mt Rainier? Or portions of it? I am considering trying to get a walk up permit in early fall. 93 miles around with a boatload of elevation, but looks pretty amazing. Just curious if it is worth the 7+ days it would take to pull it off?

We flew into SeaTac after dark years ago. I had the left side window seat and began to see some crazy white “things” in the distance. Finally realized it was the volcanic peaks. The pilot swung left and tight to Rainer before banking hard and down to land. Frigging awesome arrival.
We had a terrific dry and clear week out there, which the locals said was unusual. We mostly toured in the car, but hiked a bit here and there. That has been a “want to go back” ever since.
Wonderland sounds wonderful. Go for it!!