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I forgot to mention, if you're driving up from Long Island and don't want to start at rear end AM, the park has a campground. A lot of people drive up the day/afternoon/evening before, camp out, and hit the mountain first thing. The downside is that you lock yourself into a date unless you're cool rolling the dice on the first come first serve sites. Weekdays they're a safe bet, weekends depend on the weather and time of year. If you reserve, Remote Site 2 is awesome. It's 100 yards or more from the nearest site and sits on top of a hill between two streams. It's also the only remote site that allows fires because there's an old free-standing chimney on it.
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Nov 17, 2013 05:19
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BF and I attempted Pikes Peak yesterday. We ended up experiencing some tranquil late fall hiking with 90mph wind gusts.  We got about half a mile from the summit before we decided the weather had changed from "uncomfortable" to "laughably ridiculous" to "loving dangerous". Small rocks were getting picked up by the wind and we got blown off our feet a few times, turning a Class 1 hike into a Class 3-4. This is probably the dumbest summit attempt I have ever made.
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Nov 17, 2013 16:03
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TerminalSaint posted:I forgot to mention, if you're driving up from Long Island and don't want to start at rear end AM, the park has a campground. A lot of people drive up the day/afternoon/evening before, camp out, and hit the mountain first thing. The downside is that you lock yourself into a date unless you're cool rolling the dice on the first come first serve sites. Weekdays they're a safe bet, weekends depend on the weather and time of year. My plan, tentative as it is right now, has me leaving the island early in the morning, doing a nice afternoon hike somewhere in southern VT, sleeping somewhere, and doing Pumpelly first thing in the morning. I hadn't even begun looking into where I might overnight, though car-camping was what I had in mind. How much do campsites go for at Monadnock?
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Nov 18, 2013 20:54
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It's $25 a night for a regular site. The remote sites are $23, and the first couple are a pretty short walk in. The campground is actually reasonably nice. Most of the sites aren't right on top of one another, and the bathroom building is high-end as far as campgrounds go.
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Nov 18, 2013 21:12
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Wow. I will never get used to the thought of $25 for a tent site. My mind's still in the mid-'90s when you could crash at Motel 6 just about anywhere for $25. I probably won't find any cheaper options aside from actually sleeping in the car somewhere, so I might as well factor that into my planning. Thanks for all the info!
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Nov 19, 2013 21:46
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Nevermind, misread.
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Nov 19, 2013 23:41
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Time Cowboy posted:Wow. I will never get used to the thought of $25 for a tent site. My mind's still in the mid-'90s when you could crash at Motel 6 just about anywhere for $25. I probably won't find any cheaper options aside from actually sleeping in the car somewhere, so I might as well factor that into my planning. Yeah, we're on the high side as far as state park systems go. That said I just did a quick check on private campgrounds in the area and they're like $30-35. You might be able to do better with some digging, and it's probably worth checking places in VT and MA as well.
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Nov 20, 2013 01:26
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I just got done backpacking in Big Sur's national wildernesses, and the ranger's tales of mountain lion encounters have cured me of my bear fears, totally, for life. Anyway, if you lived in Chicago and wanted to do a 2/3-day weekend winter overnight backpack, where would you do it? All I can come up with is Kettle Moraine North. Loosely transit-accessible is preferred. Loosely basically means transit+hitchhiking.
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Nov 20, 2013 02:53
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We've even got a mountain lion that wanders around Griffith Park (large city park in Los Angeles).
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Nov 20, 2013 03:25
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agarjogger posted:Anyway, if you lived in Chicago and wanted to do a 2/3-day weekend winter overnight backpack, where would you do it? All I can come up with is Kettle Moraine North. Loosely transit-accessible is preferred. Loosely basically means transit+hitchhiking. Accessible by transit and winter backpacking? I live in Chicago and I'm unaware of anything around that would be open for winter camping off the top of my head. There is a trail up in northern Michigan which extends to Ohio or something that is pretty remote but I'm not sure what is called at the moment or how you camp on it out if you can for that matter. Also its a 7 hour drive north. I hate to say but that's the lovely part of the central Midwest. Especially if you don't own a car hence the reason my wife and I just decided to move from Chicago to Seattle in the next year or two after getting home from our trip out there tonight. I just couldn't take it anymore. **EDIT*** heres the wikipedia for the north country trail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Country_Trail http://northcountrytrail.org/trail/faq/ Verman fucked around with this message at 16:50 on Nov 20, 2013 |
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Nov 20, 2013 06:17
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Yea its often faster to take public transit to the airport and fly anywhere in the country then rent a car than drive anyplace cool from Chicago. My cousins do winter backpacking in the McCormick wilderness in the up every year but it's like a ten hour trip. I honestly usually just go camp on my dad's farm in northern Illinois since it's a lot colder and snowier than Chicago. Not very exciting but it's accessible.
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Nov 20, 2013 15:22
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Suggestions for a decent skillet? Ideally something I can store a plate in.
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Nov 22, 2013 22:11
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Oxford Comma posted:Suggestions for a decent skillet? Ideally something I can store a plate in. Do you have a specific size you are looking for? This one is 7", and is compatible with MSRs cook sets. Most of the time I just use the mini-skillet / fry pan off the top of my Primus LiTech pot and eat directly out of it rather than carrying the weight of an extra plate so I can eat like a civilized human.
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Nov 23, 2013 01:27
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So I'm looking into planning a hut trip maybe in January or February, but we'll do it as a snowshoe trip. Does anyone have any pointers/tips/suggestions?
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Nov 23, 2013 02:26
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mastershakeman posted:Yea its often faster to take public transit to the airport and fly anywhere in the country then rent a car than drive anyplace cool from Chicago. My cousins do winter backpacking in the McCormick wilderness in the up every year but it's like a ten hour trip. I honestly usually just go camp on my dad's farm in northern Illinois since it's a lot colder and snowier than Chicago. Not very exciting but it's accessible. Yeah, I believe it. Sounds like if I want to keep doing regular weekend hikes, I'm going to have to get a bit more casual about hopping on an airplane. In winter, one could make their way across frozen farmland in a way they obviously couldn't in any other season, but I do wonder how long it would take me to get hassled/arrested. The railroads are also a trail substitute, since the actual trails are for jogging and bike commuting. Also there's always the I&M Canal. It's a pretty lackluster bike, but it's neglected and underdeveloped enough to be a serviceable hike. I mean you're both completely correct. There may be no worse metro for outdoor rec than Chicago. Maybe I could get a hold of a car to go do a segment of the North Country Trail, for which I thank you for the tip. e: Maybe I'll just join a climbing gym. agarjogger fucked around with this message at 03:45 on Nov 23, 2013 |
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Nov 23, 2013 03:43
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agarjogger posted:Yeah, I believe it. Sounds like if I want to keep doing regular weekend hikes, I'm going to have to get a bit more casual about hopping on an airplane. In winter, one could make their way across frozen farmland in a way they obviously couldn't in any other season, but I do wonder how long it would take me to get hassled/arrested. The railroads are also a trail substitute, since the actual trails are for jogging and bike commuting. Also there's always the I&M Canal. It's a pretty lackluster bike, but it's neglected and underdeveloped enough to be a serviceable hike. Another option might be Mississippi Palisades State Park. I think they have some "backcountry" campsites and several trails that kinda loop together if they're not reserved for skis. Website isn't too clear on winter use. New gear: 
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Nov 23, 2013 04:02
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I remember when New Belgium was good beer. 
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Nov 23, 2013 04:21
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i_heart_ponies posted:Do you have a specific size you are looking for? This one is 7", and is compatible with MSRs cook sets. Most of the time I just use the mini-skillet / fry pan off the top of my Primus LiTech pot and eat directly out of it rather than carrying the weight of an extra plate so I can eat like a civilized human. I usually do that with skillets as well. But sometimes I'm not alone and then its nice to put our food on individual plates.
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Nov 23, 2013 04:28
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agarjogger posted:Yeah, I believe it. Sounds like if I want to keep doing regular weekend hikes, I'm going to have to get a bit more casual about hopping on an airplane. In winter, one could make their way across frozen farmland in a way they obviously couldn't in any other season, but I do wonder how long it would take me to get hassled/arrested. The railroads are also a trail substitute, since the actual trails are for jogging and bike commuting. Also there's always the I&M Canal. It's a pretty lackluster bike, but it's neglected and underdeveloped enough to be a serviceable hike. Renting a car for the weekend to go to southern WI or MI might be cheaper than flying, you choices are limited obviously. But a three hour drive can get you to both the North Country and the Ice Age Trail. Two-ish hours can get you to the Ice Age. I can never find cheap flight $120ish Friday after work until Sunday night, plus gas. Its a hassle having to pick up and drop off the car, but so is taking L to either airport. Edit Obviously the number of people involved makes a difference. Dukket fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Nov 25, 2013 |
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Nov 25, 2013 22:06
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I'd appreciate some suggestions on sleeping pads. It's a bit overwhelming with all of the choices, especially with all the similar names in the Thermarest line. I would like something packable and light, used for 3 season backpacking, and in the 40-80 dollar range. I see that the Trail-lite is available for about 55-60 at most places so that is at the top of my list currently.
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Nov 26, 2013 02:15
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My wife and I are going to Yosemite next year for our honeymoon. We're both very amateur backpackers, but we are looking to spend 5 days backpacking and we are a bit overwhelmed by all of the trailheads and rules as far as where you need to hike to and which direction you can go. We are probably going to fly out, stay a night at a hotel, backpack for 5 days, stay a night at a hotel, then fly home. Does anyone have any suggestions? We are looking to go in May, which I understand can still be fairly cold. Does anyone have any advice, especially regarding a trail or series of trails? Thank you. [Edit: While we have been talking about May, it is not set in stone and I am starting to think it will still be entirely too cold. We live in the south and even seeing snow is an event for us.] Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Nov 26, 2013 |
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Nov 26, 2013 03:22
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Yosemite is popular and permits will sell out. The permits open up starting in December for May, so you'll need to plan quickly. I've never been in May, but expect there to be snow. Tuolumne Meadows to the Valley floor is my favorite trip in Yosemite, and there are many paths to choose from so it can be made to be a 5 day trip. Layover days are also very worth it, so you can day hike to a near by peak or lake. My suggestion is to do part of the High Sierra Loop trail (trailhead: Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang) and branch off to follow the JMT back to the Valley Floor. If you park in the Valley, you can take a shuttle to Tuolumne (10bux iirc) and camp there the night before you hike. That way once you're done, you're back at your car. If you need more specific help let me know. I've been there tons and can probably answer most of your questions. However, May being May and not August there will be things I don't know. Such as dealing with snow or if Tuolumne is even open in May (I know the road isn't, but that doesn't mean the camping is closed). You may want to call the ranger station and see what they say.
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Nov 26, 2013 03:46
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Reformed Tomboy posted:Yosemite is popular and permits will sell out. The permits open up starting in December for May, so you'll need to plan quickly. I've never been in May, but expect there to be snow. Thanks for the quick response. Yeah, we are trying to finalize our plans now so we can apply to get permits. We were hoping it would be a little easier going earlier in the season, but maybe that is not the case. The suggestions on their site say that snow generally starts at about 7,000 ft during that time of year, so I was trying to find trails that stay under it. Your suggestions sound pretty good, will look into them. One part I am confused about right now, is that on their map here, they say "Hikers may not backtrack from one trailhead to another trailhead on any night of their trip (either partially or fully) unless exiting at their entry trailhead to end their wilderness rip." Does that mean we cannot go from one trailhead to another, for example Happy Isles to Mono Meadow? Thanks again for your help. I am sure these are very basic questions, but we are feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the choices.
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Nov 26, 2013 04:13
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I've done a fairly hard search and I'm having no luck. I'm wondering if someone here could help me out: I'm looking for a titanium cup such as the Snow Peak 450 single wall, that also has a secure lid. The application I'm looking for is something I can use as a protein shaker (i.e. no liquid spills when shaken) and also as a boiling pot over a small stove. The closest I've seen is the Evernew 400 with sipper lid which would require me to put my fingers over the holes when shaking. It's less than ideal which is why I'm asking if there is a better option out there?
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Nov 26, 2013 04:37
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Internet Explorer posted:Thanks for the quick response. Yeah, we are trying to finalize our plans now so we can apply to get permits. We were hoping it would be a little easier going earlier in the season, but maybe that is not the case. The suggestions on their site say that snow generally starts at about 7,000 ft during that time of year, so I was trying to find trails that stay under it. Your suggestions sound pretty good, will look into them. One part I am confused about right now, is that on their map here, they say "Hikers may not backtrack from one trailhead to another trailhead on any night of their trip (either partially or fully) unless exiting at their entry trailhead to end their wilderness rip." Does that mean we cannot go from one trailhead to another, for example Happy Isles to Mono Meadow? Call or email a ranger to be sure, but I've never ever had a problem hiking in at one trailhead and hiking out at another. I've almost never even run into rangers in the backcountry, and when I have it's just been a quick permit check, a friendly chat, and a friendly goodbye. Half of all trail quotas are saved for first-come first-serve use the day before. If you just show up early at the ranger station, and you're not picky, the rangers can probably help you pick a hike that still has some available permits and fits your abilities. Please read up very carefully on the bear rules. Bears in Yosemite are very aggressive relative to bears in the rest of the country. They won't attack you, but they will work extremely hard to steal your food.
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Nov 26, 2013 06:01
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Aluminum gives much better & more uniform heat transfer. Titanium cookware is pretty rare for that reason, and it tends to be much more expensive. Do you really need the weight savings that much? Moving beyond that, are you sure that neither of those will accept a standard-sized lid? You can probably find something from rubbermaid, ziplock, or tupperware that will match the Evernew 265, which looks to be fairly normal-sized.
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Nov 26, 2013 06:04
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Speleothing posted:Aluminum gives much better & more uniform heat transfer. Titanium cookware is pretty rare for that reason, and it tends to be much more expensive. Do you really need the weight savings that much? I'm not planning on boiling water very often, it's primary use would be as a protein shaker. Originally I was going to take the smallest protein shaker I could find but then I figured that a hot cup of chicken or beef broth (stock cube + hot water) is a neat way of replenishing salts in tasty hot drink form.
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Nov 26, 2013 06:42
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I have a snowpeak 450 double wall that has a secured lid... think the lid cost $5. It has a hole for a drinking spout but you could probably figure out a way to cover it if you're shaking it. 
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Nov 26, 2013 06:55
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Speleothing posted:Aluminum gives much better & more uniform heat transfer. Titanium cookware is pretty rare for that reason, and it tends to be much more expensive. Do you really need the weight savings that much? Titanium cookware really isn't that rare or that expensive for backpacking. It's pretty common, and you can get a small titanium cup or pot for $30 and up, depending on where you look. This thing looks like it might work: http://www.rei.com/product/800043/snow-peak-hybrid-summit-cookset Here's a $20 titanium mug (without a lid): http://www.amazon.com/TOAKS-CUP-450-Titanium-450ml-Cup/dp/B008NOYQ6E/ BeefofAges fucked around with this message at 07:36 on Nov 26, 2013 |
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Nov 26, 2013 07:31
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Crossposting from the tfr woods thread Picture dump incoming. Last winter I purchased a ticket to visit my girlfriend in Hawaii, where she had returned for the semester to take care of her ailing father. As one would expect, this didn't exactly last, and I was reduced to spending a night getting trashed and watching Into the Wild. Much to my surprise, upon awaking from my drunken outdoor adventure binge, I was informed I had changed my ticket to Anchorage, Alaska for Aug 7, returning on Aug 22. Instead of changing it back, I kinda just went with it. I really hadn't done much (any?) camping since cub scouts, but I figured gently caress it, I got this.  Making the four hour drive from Anchorage (a tremendous shithole) to Denali was just one scenic vista after another by hour three.  The first day in the park I did short hikes from around the visitors center, but poo poo son its still loving Alaska dog.     I got my backcountry permit and headed out on the bus to the Polychrome Pass area, which is kinda the poo poo. Also awesome pickups.    Whether in perfect sunlight, or the all too loving common rain and choking fog, the rivers were assholes. They're glacial, so cold as all gently caress, full of silt (making cleaning dishes or filling your drinking water a royal pain), and much higher than I had first thought.  Eventually the river valleys paid off. Great views, (relatively) easy walking, and no real issues with bears wandering near your campsite.      Also, wildlife out the rear end.  Denali from 70 miles out.      I spent a little over a week in the backcountry. After that week, I realized how much it sucks to carry all your poo poo for extended periods of time over rough ground, and did a bunch of hikes from various campsites, and a tour of the Matanuska glacier before leaving (so worth it)
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Nov 26, 2013 16:30
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B...B...brown bears...  Edit: Nice pictures, way better call than Hawaii. Yiggy fucked around with this message at 17:27 on Nov 26, 2013 |
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Nov 26, 2013 17:23
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Yiggy posted:B...B...brown bears... Hey, Hawaii is pretty beautiful too  ...but yeah those alaska pics are pretty amazing.
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Nov 26, 2013 17:32
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Hawaii would've been awesome too, but without a place to stay it just became way too cost prohibitive. Besides, Alaska is just massive on a scale I couldn't really picture till I got there.
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Nov 26, 2013 17:35
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Internet Explorer posted:One part I am confused about right now, is that on their map here, they say "Hikers may not backtrack from one trailhead to another trailhead on any night of their trip (either partially or fully) unless exiting at their entry trailhead to end their wilderness rip." Does that mean we cannot go from one trailhead to another, for example Happy Isles to Mono Meadow? No. It means you can't enter at Happy Isles, hike in the required camping distance, camp a night, then exit Happy Isles, and re-enter at a nearby trailhead. People think they can get away with "entering" at their specified trailhead and then go back the next day to sneak in at a different trailhead. In actuality, they just entered two trailheads back-to-back to get around the quotas. It's cheating, essentially. Hiking point to point is definitely allowed.
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Nov 27, 2013 01:50
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Got ya. Thank you for the explanation. That didn't make much sense to me, as it seemed far too restrictive and I know I have seen people talking about routes to go from one trailhead to another. We did some more research last night and we are looking at something like Happy Isles, down to the Illilouette Creek area, then back out towards Mono Meadow. The route that you suggested, Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang, seemed like it went above 7,000 ft (to about 8,500), which we thought may be a problem for that time of year. We still have a ton of research to do, and we are considering pushing our trip back to early June or so. Thanks again for your help. I'm sure I'll be posting more in this thread before we head out that way. 
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Nov 27, 2013 04:34
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DeesGrandpa posted:Alaska picture dump Outstanding stuff, man. Thank you for sharing!
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Nov 27, 2013 04:41
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I've been shopping around for some good hiking pants. I ended up getting the prAna Zion pants due to the recommendations in this thread. They're exceptionally comfortable and stretchy. I can't wait to try them out this weekend on our backpacking trip.
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Nov 28, 2013 04:09
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Suggestions for some comfy flannel shirts?
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Nov 28, 2013 04:30
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marsisol posted:I'd appreciate some suggestions on sleeping pads. It's a bit overwhelming with all of the choices, especially with all the similar names in the Thermarest line. I would like something packable and light, used for 3 season backpacking, and in the 40-80 dollar range. I see that the Trail-lite is available for about 55-60 at most places so that is at the top of my list currently. I spent about an hour and a half or so setting up different ones at REI and testing them out. I would suggest the same to you.
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Nov 28, 2013 05:58
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Where do you go in the states for snow free long distance backpacking in January and February? Oh yeah.
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