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When I was in Colorado last year, the loving wind coming over the continental divide was what kept me awake coupled with the high altitude. Just as I would fall asleep, a 50 mph wind gust would come in and topple over dead trees in the distance that were killed off by pine beetles. Nothing like waking up in pitch black darkness to hearing what sounds like a tsunami coming down the mountain and taking trees down like dominoes. Luckily our campsite was in an area with live standing trees.
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Feb 6, 2013 04:49
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I'd expect most of the trouble is the high frequencies contained in most form of man-made materials, particularly if they are rubbing together. Sleeping bags, sleeping pads, tent floors, and zippers tend to spew out a rather screechy sound, so they're annoying even if they aren't really that "loud". Low frequency noise, on the other hand, seems to be more easily ignored or actually helps sleeping: Rain, flowing water, wind breezing through the trees are all pretty easy. Of course, any seriously loud sound could be a sleeping impediment. I sleep with window fans on most of the summer, highway noise is generally constant and easy to ignore, some sirens wake me up, but there's nothing like a set of high heels clacking down the concrete to shock one into wakefulness. As much as I love ravens, I must admit that their random cackling could be a severe damper to good sleep.
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Feb 6, 2013 06:04
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If you're having trouble sleeping, you haven't hiked enough. Tire yourself out to the point where you sleep like a rock.
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Feb 6, 2013 06:09
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MMD3 posted:Speaking of winter camping... I'm planning a trip to go snow camping on mt. hood with a friend in March. We probably won't hike in far, maybe a few miles into some closed for the winter campgrounds with snowshoes. Neither of us has camped in a snow-shelter before though. I've done quinzhees probably a dozen times, including in my back yard in Chicago. Expect to spend all day working on it, because you really need to let the snow settle for several hours. And make it really, really big, because the last thing you want to have is very little clearance for getting in/out, because you'll get absolutely soaked doing so, especially in warmish temperatures like you're planning on being. I think as long as you have an insulated pad and thick clothes you'll be fine in a 20 degree bag, especially in a shelter, but you might want to try out a night in a backyard if you can beforehand to make sure.
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Feb 6, 2013 06:19
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mastershakeman posted:I've done quinzhees probably a dozen times, including in my back yard in Chicago. Expect to spend all day working on it, because you really need to let the snow settle for several hours. And make it really, really big, because the last thing you want to have is very little clearance for getting in/out, because you'll get absolutely soaked doing so, especially in warmish temperatures like you're planning on being. I think as long as you have an insulated pad and thick clothes you'll be fine in a 20 degree bag, especially in a shelter, but you might want to try out a night in a backyard if you can beforehand to make sure. wish I could, but we'd be making a rain quinzhee in my backyard. Portland's at about 50' above sea level, where we'd be camping is 3600+ ft. or closer to 5,000 ft if we wanted to go up even higher on the mountain. But yeah, winter around here is typically 40 degrees and rainy while it'll be between 20-30 degrees up on the mountain. So it's really several hours to wait eh? I mean I guess what we could do is get up there around noon or so, pile up the snow, go hike around and eat lunch, come back and hollow it out right before sunset and then just go to sleep early or something. I was hoping to take some nice late night landscape photos. This is where I'd like to head, inspiring photo of the lake/mountain that makes me want to get out: http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=14214 MMD3 fucked around with this message at 06:35 on Feb 6, 2013 |
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Feb 6, 2013 06:32
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Yeah, it takes a few hours to settle. I'd build it to at least 5 feet tall for most of it just to make sure you have room, since it'll probably settle down at least a foot, and you need to leave a decent amount of snow for thickness. I also forgot that you folks with elevation changes actually have temperature changes to go with them. Must be nice :I
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Feb 6, 2013 06:40
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mastershakeman posted:Yeah, it takes a few hours to settle. I'd build it to at least 5 feet tall for most of it just to make sure you have room, since it'll probably settle down at least a foot, and you need to leave a decent amount of snow for thickness. I served my time in the midwest... went to school in Grand Rapids, I've had enough of lake-effect winters to last me a good long while :/
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Feb 6, 2013 06:43
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BeefofAges posted:If you're having trouble sleeping, you haven't hiked enough. Tire yourself out to the point where you sleep like a rock. True. The only time I've had trouble sleeping was when I was on my first solo trip and I only hiked 4km instead of the normal 10-20. That was a fitful night.
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Feb 6, 2013 07:54
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i rarely sleep on the first night on a trip, just because of excitement overflow that keeps my thoughts running. After that it's sleeping like always, meaning, i awake at the slightest unusual sound. I gud protector of cave!
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Feb 6, 2013 10:06
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bou posted:i rarely sleep on the first night on a trip, just because of excitement overflow that keeps my thoughts running. After that it's sleeping like always, meaning, i awake at the slightest unusual sound. Me too. After the first night I'm tired enough and also used to the silence again. My friends and I got permitted to do JMT this summer in mid July! Mad excited, and excited for the snows in the socal mountains to melt so I can get back in shape. Can anybody comment on the shoe brand Hanwag for backpacking boots? Found a pair clearanced so I'm going to check them out. They retailed $280 and were $90 on sale in my size which should be UK 8.5 as I wear 9.5US in hiking shoes. I hike in Merrell low to mids currently pizzadog fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Feb 6, 2013 |
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Feb 6, 2013 19:05
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Marshmallow Mayhem posted:
Hanwag is a german firm that's been in business and innovating in mountain-/trekking-/skiing-/... shoes for a long time. They generally produce high quality (their HP tells me they still do some of the manufacturing steps by hand) and are very popular here, together with Meindl and Lowa. If you can try them on and they fit, 90$ should be a steal. Oh, and most of their shoes can be resoled if your favorite pair got too many miles down.
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Feb 6, 2013 20:34
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My friends and I always have a tough time trying to throw a line of our bear bags. So, I ordered one of these which might help: https://bushsmarts.com/product-Bear_Star-71-22
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Feb 7, 2013 23:02
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Canna Happy posted:I personally wouldn't spend 500+ dollars on a REI bag, especially one that still used 700 fill power down. If I were in your position, I would put a little money with it and buy a nice 5 or 0 degree bag from Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends and wear my puff coat to sleep in. I don't think that REI bag is going to be very true to its rating. Sadly, WM just raised their prices again. Ironically, I didn't update those prices on our website until yesterday. Missed your chance.
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Feb 8, 2013 00:03
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Saddamnit posted:My friends and I always have a tough time trying to throw a line of our bear bags. So, I ordered one of these which might help: https://bushsmarts.com/product-Bear_Star-71-22 Seems like a cool thinger. I learned to throw lines from the world of arborist tree climbing. Basically, in the absence of a good throw-line, you can do this with your full-diameter rope:
I highly recommend looking through the Tree Climber's Companion, if your library has a copy. It's a short handbook and I learned a lot about knots and trees from it (it helps to have a climbing background going in). Probably not worth buying if you just want to learn about getting ropes into trees, but worth a read if you can borrow a copy.
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Feb 8, 2013 00:42
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I like to use an Ursack. Mine's never actually been chewed on by a bear though.
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Feb 8, 2013 03:38
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Has anyone hiked the Skyline Circuit in Akaroa, New Zealand? It looks pretty nice. I'll be there in June, totally going to do it. 800 meter elevation is a good height too. I didn't want to do anything too small. That's the same height as the easy mountains around here.
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Feb 8, 2013 23:31
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alnilam posted:I highly recommend looking through the Tree Climber's Companion, if your library has a copy. It's a short handbook and I learned a lot about knots and trees from it (it helps to have a climbing background going in). The Ashley Book of Knots is a also great place to start learning knots and can sometimes be found cheap used. My dad has a copy that will someday be mine.
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Feb 8, 2013 23:50
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Atticus_1354 posted:The Ashley Book of Knots is a also great place to start learning knots and can sometimes be found cheap used. My dad has a copy that will someday be mine. Oh, when I think of the sheer number of ABOKs that I've forgotten... 
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Feb 9, 2013 06:34
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:Seconding and thirding this. If you have an interest in knots, this is the go-to guide. Online discussions and sites use it as the primary encyclopedic reference (ABOK #123 &c), and though it lacks modern photographic techniques with colored cord that might help with more complicated tying, the number of confusing items in the book due to that lack is rather small. Wow, that's a . . . pricey book. List price for $85, Amazon price of $50. What makes it worth that kind of money (versus just using the internet, like http://www.animatedknots.com/ )?
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Feb 9, 2013 08:29
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Business of Ferrets posted:Wow, that's a . . . pricey book. List price for $85, Amazon price of $50. What makes it worth that kind of money (versus just using the internet, like http://www.animatedknots.com/ )? If your primary interest is to learn 16-25 basic knots, an online reference or smaller book may well serve the purpose (be careful, I have seen unfortunately many that are incorrect in nomenclature or form, some with potentially hazardous side effects). If you are doing anything climbing related, you should have a book suited to that purpose. If you have an interest in the history of knots, are a knot enthusiast, have an interest in decorative knots, or want to see how these things were or might still be used, you'll probably want Ashley eventually. If you can find it in a used book store, flip through it to see what is there. There are some new knots in existence that aren't in Ashley, but I believe there are very few that aren't a variation on the categories contained therein. Edit: You have noticed that The Ashley Book of Knots is 8.5"x11" and 600 pages in length; right? PhantomOfTheCopier fucked around with this message at 00:05 on Feb 10, 2013 |
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Feb 9, 2013 14:14
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Anyone familiar with backpacking in Wyoming in March? I want to try to photograph the east side of the Winds or the Bighorns, but know little of what to expect (I mean, sure, lots of snow). Obviously should be relatively easier paths given winter. Any suggestions/experiences?
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Feb 9, 2013 19:09
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Business of Ferrets posted:Wow, that's a . . . pricey book. List price for $85, Amazon price of $50. What makes it worth that kind of money (versus just using the internet, like http://www.animatedknots.com/ )? That is why I said to keep an eye out for a used copy. The best thing about the book is how complete it is. There is nothing wrong with using online resources to learn or even asking a friend who knows knots to show you some stuff.
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Feb 9, 2013 20:30
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JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:Anyone familiar with backpacking in Wyoming in March? I want to try to photograph the east side of the Winds or the Bighorns, but know little of what to expect (I mean, sure, lots of snow). Obviously should be relatively easier paths given winter. Any suggestions/experiences? I did some day hiking in the Cloud Peak wilderness area of the Bighorns, but that's more central than eastern and I was there in the summer so pfffttt I'm an unhelpful jackass. The Lost Twin Lakes hike had some beautiful glacial features and was only ~12mi roundtrip, but since the trail could be hard to find in July I bet it is completely obscured in March. We also drove up to the "Bud Love Wildlife Habitat Management Area" which isn't far from Buffalo, WY right on the eastern edge of the NF. Didn't do any hiking there, but even from the road the landscape was pretty great/bizarre with these little grassy buttes and the mountains in the distance. I'm guessing it probably isn't as cool looking when everything is covered in snow. Also if you are going through Buffalo at breakfast time, make sure to eat at Pistol Pete's.
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Feb 11, 2013 10:27
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I've decided the Winds are probably out of bounds. The two trailheads I used are almost certainly impossible to get to, especially with my Honda Accord (despite tire chains). Big Sandy trailhead into Cirque of the Towers is definitely a no go. I may have to be content with photographing from a distance. I can only assume the Bighorns are the same, however I'm still looking into it. Medicine Bow seems possible, but the road closest to it is closed in the winter so, welp. ... exploring other options, I know Glacier pretty well. I know of a few places I would very much like to photograph in winter and that I could snowshoe to them with relative ease. It's just so far from me. :/ The Tetons are also a possibility, but again I won't be getting into the backcountry. Any other ideas? How is Rocky Mountain accessibility this time of year? I can't handle any real ice or anything, just snowshoes, and probably not terribly far, maybe ten miles in max? God, I just imagine all the places I've been, and then covered in snow. This will be the first time I dip into it, and by god I'm gonna figure it out. On that note, anyone with tips and trick for camping in snow beyond "layers, warm sleeping pads, etc." is probably good to hear too.
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Feb 12, 2013 01:32
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Does anyone have any suggestions for hiking in Southern New Mexico? I am looking for somewhere that I can get on some less used trails and have some time alone. Preferably a place that allows fires with collected wood since I miss a good fire living in the desert.
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Feb 12, 2013 03:32
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I've tramped around White Mountain Wilderness near Ruidoso. Beautiful and you can walk all along the ridge. Great view of the desert.
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Feb 12, 2013 03:51
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If you guys in the US don't use Google Earth to help plan trips, you're missing out. They have every trail in every National Park well marked, with distances between waypoints and campgrounds, you name it. And here: http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/geography click on the "Google Earth" tab you can download maps of all the BLM and Foresty Service areas, including Wildernesses. National Wilderness Areas are even more protected than national parks, and there's a lot of them! e: and using Panoramio you can pull up snapshots people have uploaded, so you can actually see what the area looks like e2: and places like summitpost have .kmz files with routes, also, and those can be loaded onto newer GPS units, too JAY ZERO SUM GAME fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Feb 12, 2013 |
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Feb 12, 2013 03:54
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JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:I've tramped around White Mountain Wilderness near Ruidoso. Beautiful and you can walk all along the ridge. Great view of the desert. That is only 5.5 hours away which puts it just close enough for a long weekend. I will look in to that some more. JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:And here: http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/geography click on the "Google Earth" tab you can download maps of all the BLM and Foresty Service areas, including Wildernesses. National Wilderness Areas are even more protected than national parks, and there's a lot of them! I love this already. Thanks for the suggestion. Atticus_1354 fucked around with this message at 03:57 on Feb 12, 2013 |
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Feb 12, 2013 03:54
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JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:If you guys in the US don't use Google Earth to help plan trips, you're missing out. They have every trail in every National Park well marked, with distances between waypoints and campgrounds, you name it. please tell me there's a way to load google topos/routes onto my garmin 450, that'd be rad.
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Feb 12, 2013 04:59
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I've got a 4 day weekend coming up this weekend and I've been struck by the desire to do some hiking and trail running. I don't want to deal with much if any snow, though. I don't have the gear for it. I live in San Diego and I want to do something that's an 8 hour drive or less away. Everything I've looked at seems pretty snowy, though. The best I can find is Palm Springs, but it feels a bit like a waste of a 4 day weekend to go somewhere only two hours away. Any other ideas for good trails in Southern California that won't be inundated with snow?
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Feb 12, 2013 06:18
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The Big Horns don't lose snow until May usually. PM me if you have any questions about them, I'm from that area and I've spent a lot of time there in the early summer and fall when the Beartooth-Absarokas are inaccessible.
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Feb 12, 2013 06:41
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FYI for anyone wanting to try for the Enchantment Lakes in WA this summer, permit lottery starts this week: http://www.recreation.gov/wildernessAreaDetails.do?page=details&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72280
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Feb 12, 2013 07:08
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blue squares posted:I've got a 4 day weekend coming up this weekend and I've been struck by the desire to do some hiking and trail running. I don't want to deal with much if any snow, though. I don't have the gear for it. I live in San Diego and I want to do something that's an 8 hour drive or less away. Everything I've looked at seems pretty snowy, though. The best I can find is Palm Springs, but it feels a bit like a waste of a 4 day weekend to go somewhere only two hours away. Any other ideas for good trails in Southern California that won't be inundated with snow? you could try Joshua Tree (which isn't that far from Palm Springs, I know), it has some good hikes (Lost Palms Oasis and Ryan Mountain). Or Vegas is less than 8 hours away and there's some neat hiking around there, like in Valley of Fire State Park, and the railroad tunnel trail that goes along Lake Mead to the Hoover Dam. I'm in Orange County and most of the hikes up here are snow-free. There are also some cool hikes in the Cleveland National Forest off Ortega Highway, the trail to Sitton Peak is like 10 miles and I only saw a few people the whole time I was out there.
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Feb 12, 2013 07:13
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Hey does snowshoeing fall under the hiking banner? It's what I tend to do to scratch the itch during winter. I'm planning a 2 day camp up at Brew Hut near Whistler, BC and will probably do it on snowshoes.
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Feb 12, 2013 23:11
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blue squares posted:I've got a 4 day weekend coming up this weekend and I've been struck by the desire to do some hiking and trail running. I don't want to deal with much if any snow, though. I don't have the gear for it. I live in San Diego and I want to do something that's an 8 hour drive or less away. Everything I've looked at seems pretty snowy, though. The best I can find is Palm Springs, but it feels a bit like a waste of a 4 day weekend to go somewhere only two hours away. Any other ideas for good trails in Southern California that won't be inundated with snow? This past weekend the snow was down to 3000 feet, so good luck! Maybe parts of the Cleveland NF will be allright.
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Feb 12, 2013 23:13
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I've been meaning to ask a question to see if anyone around here knows the answer. Why in the world is there seemingly ancient barbed wire fences along the boundaries of federal lands like wilderness areas, national rec areas, etc. Though I can't seem to recall finding any along the outskirts of actual national parks now that I think on it. I'm presuming it's an attempt to keep the wilderness "wild" and keep livestock/dogs/random critters from mingling? Just my guess though, and I wandered if anyone here knew the actual answer.
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Feb 13, 2013 02:21
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PabloBOOM posted:I've been meaning to ask a question to see if anyone around here knows the answer. Why in the world is there seemingly ancient barbed wire fences along the boundaries of federal lands like wilderness areas, national rec areas, etc. Though I can't seem to recall finding any along the outskirts of actual national parks now that I think on it. I'm presuming it's an attempt to keep the wilderness "wild" and keep livestock/dogs/random critters from mingling? Just my guess though, and I wandered if anyone here knew the actual answer. Along the boundary of federal lands and private lands? Likely old fences set up to keep cattle off the federal land. Where I grew up in Maine the the woods were riddled with old barbed wire fences. As people moved away from working the land they just left their fences up and let the woods grow up.
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Feb 13, 2013 04:33
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Sometimes boundaries butt up against private land. Sometimes the boundry is from when the land, now public, was private. I don't think it's purposeful. They don't even always denote an actual boundary anymore. The boundary to Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico has a fence on the south side were it meets Santa Fe Ski Area. There's a gate for pack animals and all that. However where Bridger Wilderness meets Bridger National Forest there's just a sign along the path.
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Feb 13, 2013 04:51
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PabloBOOM posted:I've been meaning to ask a question to see if anyone around here knows the answer. Why in the world is there seemingly ancient barbed wire fences along the boundaries of federal lands like wilderness areas, national rec areas, etc. Though I can't seem to recall finding any along the outskirts of actual national parks now that I think on it. I'm presuming it's an attempt to keep the wilderness "wild" and keep livestock/dogs/random critters from mingling? Just my guess though, and I wandered if anyone here knew the actual answer. There's usually grazing leases on whatever state, BLM, or Forest Service land butts up against wilderness and NRAs, whether they're active or not. Barbed wire fences don't really control wildlife at all, except maybe really big animals like elk and bison.
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Feb 13, 2013 05:06
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Fat Twitter Man posted:There's usually grazing leases on whatever state, BLM, or Forest Service land butts up against wilderness and NRAs, whether they're active or not. Barbed wire fences don't really control wildlife at all, except maybe really big animals like elk and bison. This would be mostly the reason. Also, elks give exactly zero fucks about fences. They just run right into and then through them.
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Feb 13, 2013 06:42
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