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fritzov posted:Planning to do a 1 week hike somewhere in central or south europe this summer. Im will do it solo and pretty novice so i will most likely stay at hostels/hotels at night. Any 7 sections of the Alpe Adria trail, which starts in Austria and goes through slovenia and ends in italy: http://www.alpe-adria-trail.com/
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Apr 19, 2015 19:42
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The Story of How I Almost Died: Solo Traversing The Stein. After many months, a $1000 Hard Drive recovery job, and much hand wringing, I am ready to bring you a tale of adventure and tribulation, of damaged equipment and gross ill-preparation. In September 2014 I attempted a trip which had been in preparation for years: a solo through hike of the 100km Stein Traverse. Gear was purchased and tested, the body was prepared, courses on mountaineering had been taken. Most people take 10 days or more to do the trail, I planned on twelve so I could really savour the experience and find myself. I thought I was prepared, I came out in six. Friday: night found me camping on a creepy logging road, blissfully unaware of the true nature of what lay ahead of me. Overconfident, I slept the night away and broke camp the next morning with snacks on the trail instead of breakfast, this would become a trend as the situation deteriorated. By 6am Saturday: I was slogging up a logging road which had been abandoned for nearly fifteen years. VOC had not cleared the brush since 2010, which meant I spent the day forcing my way through soaking wet alder, and soaking myself to the bone. The failing of waterproofing on some items should have been a red alert to abort, as well as my loss of my sole bear bell two hours into the trail. I arrived at Lizzie Lake wet, changed socks and wrung things out while eating lunch, and resolved to make it to the cabin that afternoon as the abandoned forest service camp at Lizzie was one of the creepiest places I have ever been. As I was leaving, I noticed a shredded bag of trash hanging from a tree, with a torn up hiking shoe further up the trail. It had taken 4.5 hours to get this far.  Abandoned Road I arrived at Lizzie Cabin around 1pm, boots and socks soaked and my clothes not much better. Set about drying things on the porch as the sun peeked out between bouts of rain. The cabin had logs dating all the way back to its construction in the 1970's, including such highlights as a visit from Billy Joel and lots of high-tension exchanges between hippies and loggers. Later in the afternoon another hiker, Ian, arrived and we fired up the stove to dry things and keep warm for the night. It was quite cozy, I would gladly return to spend some time in that valley. Sunday: morning arrived cold and wet. We restocked the wood we'd used up and parted ways, him to civilization and myself to the alpine. A light drizzle soon ended, and after an accidental detour on the wrong trail, I was on my way over the first ridge with my goal for the night as Caltha lake. Several hours in, after traversing terrain that was pretty much the inspiration for Skyrim, I arrived at the entrance to Cherry Pip pass below Tabletop Mountain. Due to low cloud visibility was around 5 feet at best, and some joker had been building false cairns all over the place. I lost about forty minutes finding the trail.  Heart Lake As I gained the ridge that would take me to Caltha, I felt the ground shaking vigorously beneath my feet and heard what sounded like the ocean crashing over my head. Looking back, I saw what amounted to the entire backside of Anemone Mountain sliding off and covering an ice field. Boulders the size of trucks. I was reminded of Ian mentioning that when he had been climbing this week, he had seen Long Peak shedding boulders the size of houses regularly, and that all the mountains in the region appeared very rotten. I had considered scrambling up Anemone on my way past, but shied away due to the low cloud. Had it been clear, I very likely would be dead.  Anemone Slide I finished descending Cherry Pip Pass and arrived at Caltha Lake around 4pm. It would likely have been beautiful, had the cloud cover not been twenty feet up and drizzling. Had a hot dinner, buried my food bag under rocks, and passed out before 6pm. Slept like a rock, though it was very very cold due to the winds.   Caltha Lake Camp at Caltha Monday: morning found me again up at dawn, packed, and with a hot meal in my stomach I headed for Tundra Lake. This is where things started to go bad. There is only one way around Tundra, hopping through a boulder field that has become very active. As soon as I reached the lake, I could hear rocks crumbling in the distance, though there was absolutely zero visibility. Tundra Lake sits in a caldera, with mountains on two sides and sheer rock walls 3/4 of the way around, all of which act to trap cloud like a whirlpool. Rain started, heavily, and it took me until 2pm to reach the far end of the lake and what I thought was the campsite down on a forlorn pile of rock. I wanted to continue on to Puppet Lake, since it was early, but the rain was pushing my gear to the limit and I was unaware that BC Parks had moved the campside since my guidebook was written. Tundra camp was, ten years ago, located up on the very sheltered ridge at the end of the lake. Why they moved it down to that pile of rocks is a mystery, but it nearly killed me. In the heavy cloud and rain, I stumbled around the ridge for hours trying to find the trail before admitting defeat and going back to the new campground. Ate a hot meal, set my tent up, and got into my few remaining dry clothes. The wind and rain did not let up, and something awoke me in the darkness when it set off a small rockslide on the hill behind me. Morale was low.  Tundra Lake Tuesday: Morning dawned and the storm was still bad. I attempted to pack up but was soaked in seconds, and so retreated to the tent. I lay there for four hours, wondering if this was how I would end, and really understanding that the $250 price of a single-use emergency beacon was probably less valuable than my life. I studied the map for some time and eventually realized that the campground had been moved, resulting in my confusion the day before. Around 10:30 there was a brief break in the weather, and in five minutes I packed everything and headed out. Found the massive cairn I'd missed in the thick fog on Monday, and was on my way to the ridge. Before gaining the ridge, I crossed the most terrifying boulder field I have ever seen. Everything was fresh, very fresh, raw rock glistening all around me. Above, through breaks in the cloud, I could see enourmous slabs of rock, fractured and waiting to let go and crush me. For the first time in the trip I found myself praying that the cloud would remain thick and heavy, lest the sun thermal shock those cracks and bring the mountain down on top of me. The ridge, I'm sure, would be stunning on a nice day. Instead I was treated to periods of zero visibility and hail, while navigating a knife edge barely wider than a sidewalk with a 5000' sheer drop on either side. Some hours later, I began the 1000m descent to Stein Lake, switchbacking into dense rainforest. Everything was soaked, my clothes, my pack, my boots, all waterproofing had failed. I beat myself through the forest following what looked like fresh boot prints, driving myself with the hope that there would be someone at the lake with a SAR beacon that I could buy from them. Instead I came to a flooded campsite, shadowed and creepy. A bear locker full of abandoned coleman gear, and I found myself well into experiencing Hypothermia. Shaking uncontrollably with my hands going blue, I set my tent up on the helicopter pad and tossed my food bag into a slash pile. It was too wet to cook, and it was a very good thing that I did not. I crawled into a wet bag, put on my single dry pair of socks and long-johns, put on my other wet woolen layers, and tried to warm up. Around 7pm, something broke a tree like a gunshot about twenty feet away. It was then that I realized that I was probably going to die, either of exposure or a bear attack, and my body would not be found for a week when I became overdue. I could do nothing but rest and stare my own mortality in the face, realizing I was a very, very, very stupid boy. I thought of the things I would never see again, and fell into a fitful rest. Had I been using synthetic clothing, rather than 100% wool layers, I would have died during the night as they provide zero insulation when damp. This is the only reason that I am alive to tell this story. Wednesday: Somehow I was alive. The clouds had broken, there was sunshine. Everything was soaking wet still, but I was ALIVE. Did not want to risk hot breakfast after the previous nights visitor, resolved to get out of this godforsaken valley as fast as I could. If the Stein was a test, I'd failed it and it was time to go. Putting on all three pairs of soaked socks, and boots with blown out seams, I tossed my pack on and hit the trail. Lost a glove in a stream about an hour later. By 1pm it was gloriously hot for the first time in four days, and things were drying out. I did 20km in 8 hours, rolled into Logjam Camp in the late afternoon, and set everything out to dry. Had a huuuuge meal to make up for barely eating for two days, and settled down to rest. At 7pm, something broke a tree like a gunshot just outside the camp. Thursday: Awoke to a clear blue sky. Ate breakfast, rolled out of camp by 7am. When clipping my bear spray to my belt, I did not actually put the carabiner on my belt, and did not hear it drop to the soft ground. An hour later, while in the middle of a creepy burned out section filled with alder, I noticed my loss. Tired of singing nonsense, I strung my cooking pots together onto my walking stick, a ghetto bear bell. My goal for the day was the "secret" private cabin at Ponderosa Camp, but unable to find it and it only being 12pm, I pressed on to Lower Crossing instead. This was a mistake. The day was 25km, and I arrived at the camp just after 6pm, utterly destroyed and barely able to move. I spent most of the day on autopilot, and have very little recollection of that stretch of the trail as a result. A push like that, I will never attempt again, my legs were cramping up and seizing whenever I tried to lay down. After dinner, around 7pm as I was settling down, something breaks a tree on the other side of the river and pushes it in. Beyond coincidence now, I conclude that I have been stalked by something which has the ability to operate the multiple cable cars I have crossed since Stein Lake. Oh well, nothing I could do except sleep holding my Mora and a bear banger!  Cottonwood Falls Friday: Hit the trail at 7am. By the time I reached the pictographs, I was delirious and exhausted beyond measure. Standing beneath a cliff and seeing a thousand years of art stretch out to either side of you, in that condition, was a sensation I will never forget and cannot put into words. It moved me to tears.  Petroglyphs 1pm saw me at the trailhead, walking down the road to Lytton and baking in 40* with no shade and little water. A tremendous irony, I thought, if I were to collapse from heat stroke two days after nearly dying of hypothermia. Thankfully a native couple pulled up and gave me a ride into town in the bed of their truck. Wandered around the farmers market, bought some honey, phoned home, and killed time till the greyhound arrived. Rather than twelve days, I'd taken a mere six and a half. The lower valley, from Stein Lake to Lower Crossing, is like nothing I have ever experienced. It was never logged, never had a road driven through. The only modification was a mule trail and several thousand years of habitation by First Nations. There is a sensation of life in that valley, of a sort of interconnection, that I have never felt before when hiking in second growth. Even the burnt out sections felt vibrant. It's almost impossible to explain, and something that needs to be experienced in person. Tl;DR: Inclement Weather Is a Killer Bitch If Your poo poo Isn't Waterproofed, Dumbass. More pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/61645656@N08/sets/72157647280901846/ Rime fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Apr 19, 2015 |
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Apr 19, 2015 20:23
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Cool story. Seriously. What would you have done differently if you knew how it would go?
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Apr 19, 2015 20:47
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Awesome story, glad you're able to tell it.
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Apr 19, 2015 20:55
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Look Sir Droids posted:Cool story. Seriously. What would you have done differently if you knew how it would go? - Not worn boots that were four years old and end of life, however comfortable. - Brought waterproof pants. - Scotchguarded my jacket regardless of how much I trusted it. - Not gotten myself soaking wet multiple times through sheer stupidity. - Not done that 11 hour, 25km death march. Should have just camped in the sun at Cottonwood and enjoyed the drat valley. I just got laid off and now have six months free time, and it's too late in the year already to go to Turkey and hike the Lycian Way, so I think I'll do a week+ traverse of the Coast Mountains this August as my major trip. Squamish to Princess Louisa Inlet. This time I'll bring a SAR beacon. 
Rime fucked around with this message at 21:13 on Apr 19, 2015 |
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Apr 19, 2015 20:58
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Why is everyone recommending Ti for a hot drink cup? Unless you're planning to put it on the stove, you're just as good with silicone.
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Apr 19, 2015 21:17
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TI is lighter, basically. Having a silicon lip for it definitely helps when drinking hot things though
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Apr 19, 2015 21:26
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Speleothing posted:Why is everyone recommending Ti for a hot drink cup? Unless you're planning to put it on the stove, you're just as good with silicone. Cool factor...
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Apr 19, 2015 21:27
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It's so cool I had some put in my face
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Apr 19, 2015 21:44
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Thoren posted:Request: Can someone recommend me a light cup or two that can handle hot drinks? I am ditching this insulated stainless steel container to save weight. Are you looking to cook out of it or just eat out of it? Because I loving love these silicon dog bowls. They are sturdy enough to keep their shape while eating, but you can smash it down to fit in any kind of space.
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Apr 19, 2015 22:34
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I usually just eat out of the cook pot
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Apr 19, 2015 22:51
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I really like the sea to summit silicone 2 cup mugs because they won't burn your hands and fold flat. But then again, I'm not a weight weeny. 
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Apr 20, 2015 00:06
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Levitate posted:I usually just eat out of the cook pot I'm always jealous of super organized fucks who just have to boil water, throw said water in a freezer bag meal, toss it in a cozy, eat it outta the bag and then pack out the trash w/o having to clean any GD cookware. I seriously hate cleaning out my Ti cookware, and it's as non stick as my hairy fuzzy jewish rear end crack, unfortunately. If you can master the freezer bag meal then hot meals are a treat with almost no asspain instead of a chore with a treat then more chores. I just keep telling myself that ISOButane and methanol can't melt titanium, even if mild grade structural steels providence in such mild dalliances as a JP-8 fire is somewhat sketchy, and god knows what those organized pricks get eating boiled rubber maid bag meals for 6 months while I'm pissily using anything granular near the water source trying to unstick knoor rice from the bottom of my space age wonderfuck pot. God loving drat you, titanium!  
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Apr 20, 2015 00:07
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Levitate posted:I usually just eat out of the cook pot If I did more solo hiking, that's probably what I would do too.
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Apr 20, 2015 00:38
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Hungryjack posted:If I did more solo hiking, that's probably what I would do too. When my boyfriend and I go camping we bring one tin cook pot, two forks, and two tin cups that get clipped to the outside of one pack and acts as a bear bell. We eat out of the cook pot, which I guess could be strange if you're with someone who wouldn't appreciate exchanging mouth germs. If we are going on a canoeing or fishing trip we will bring a flatter tin pan for frying fish in addition to the pot. I don't quite get it when people spend a ton of money on cookware. Our pot is from the 1980s and is a little banged up but it's simple, inexpensive, and will last forever. The tin cups are nice on cold days to wrap chilly fingers around.
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Apr 20, 2015 02:04
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Rime posted:- Not gotten myself soaking wet multiple times through sheer stupidity. First off awesome recap! Glad to see you made it through. Can you elaborate on what you could have done to stay dry besides the rain pants and scotch guarding? Did the stuff inside your pack get wet as well while hiking? Did not eating enough throughout the trip effect your decision making at all? I've found that on the truly strenuous days I can find myself forgetting to eat which can make me foggy headed. Gear wise do you think you would be better off with trail hiking shoes that would dry quicker? What were the temps like, were you at risk of sweating out even if you had stayed dry? Sorry lots of questions, but your story got me interested.
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Apr 20, 2015 04:49
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Hi folks. Experienced day-hiker here. I've done as far as 18-miles round trip in a single day in the well-maintained trails of Orange County-- Bridge to Nowhere, Holy Jim Falls, Black Star Canyon, Top of the World, etc... My girlfriend and I did the Inca Trail over Christmas. It was with guides and porters obviously, but the trip made us want to hike more. We are really interested in taking the next step. I would like to find more backcountry terrain to challenge and then ideally do an overnight to build towards doing weekend trips. What is the recommended next step to take in the general LA/OC area, and is there a resource I can use to help find these more difficult, less established trails? All the info I use is typically scattered across multiple websites and difficult to use. Edit: Reading more of this thread, I am happy that you did not die Rime Blinkman987 fucked around with this message at 07:12 on Apr 20, 2015 |
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Apr 20, 2015 05:02
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Can you elaborate on what you could have done to stay dry besides the rain pants and scotch guarding? That's it, really. The three times I got totally soaked were from shoving my way through dense brush that was dripping wet, which fully waterproof outerwear would have negated. Did the stuff inside your pack get wet as well while hiking? By the third or fourth day my pack cover had ceased to be waterproof, so it was not good. Thankfully, everything was in internal dry compression sacks. Since I use a down quilt (dry coated, but still), this probably saved my life. Did not eating enough throughout the trip effect your decision making at all? I've found that on the truly strenuous days I can find myself forgetting to eat which can make me foggy headed. Gear wise do you think you would be better off with trail hiking shoes that would dry quicker? I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case, especially towards the end of the days when I had been making a long push towards camp. It's hard to differentiate between hunger, sheer exhaustion, and exposure at that point though. As for footwear, I like my ankle support and full-grain leather on these trips, it was more a problem of the boots being so old that the gore-tex and everything just straight up failed, and the gaiters I brought were one size too small so they didn't do much good. What were the temps like, were you at risk of sweating out even if you had stayed dry? Chilly, quite chilly, I mean I had hypothermia by the time I got to Stein lake. I didn't see the sun for the first four days of the trip. The hike out the valley was magically warm, but there was plentiful water. Hot weather on Stein Ridge is actually something I'd been concerned about before I left, since there's no water sources anywhere up there, but instead I encountered hail and constant rain!
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Apr 20, 2015 05:03
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Blinkman987 posted:Hi folks. Experienced day-hiker here. I've done as far as 18-miles round trip in a single day in the well-maintained trails of Orange County. My girlfriend and I did the Inca Trail over Christmas. It was with guides and porters obviously, but the trip made us want to hike more. We are really interested in taking the next step. I would like to find more backcountry terrain to challenge and then ideally do an overnight to build towards doing weekend trips. What is the recommended next step to take in the general LA/OC area, and is there a resource I can use to help find these more difficult, less established trails? All the info I use is typically scattered across multiple websites and difficult to use Modern Hiker does a lot of great write ups on trails in LA, OC, and San Diego. Excellent resource for researching trails a little further off the beaten path. Your next best bet is to get a set of maps and start poking around on Caltopo. This will give you a good idea of where all the hiking trails are so you can start planning trips further out. If something gets your attention then Google it and you can usually find a write up or trip report to give you and idea of what to expect. If you're the kind of person that likes checklists take a look at Sierra Club Hundred Peaks list. Pick a nearby section and set out to check off the peaks. Gives a great excuse to tag more remote destinations. Living in LA and OC you are fortunate to have several close ranges that offer great weekend escapes for backpacking getaways and day hikes. The San Gabriels are my personal preference. But the San Bernardino mountains have much nicer (and remote) back country escapes. The San Jacinto range also has some beautiful getaways but is a smaller overall area from the San Bernardino mountains. Final piece of advice, go buy a National Parks Annual Pass. This is not only good to get you in any national park, but also serves for the Adventure Passes required at many National Forest trailhead parking areas. If you're only getting out once a month it might not be worth it. But if you take lots of trips and visit any national parks it pays for itself quickly. Good luck, stay safe, and see you on the trails!
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Apr 20, 2015 05:17
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Hungryjack posted:Are you looking to cook out of it or just eat out of it? Because I loving love these silicon dog bowls. They are sturdy enough to keep their shape while eating, but you can smash it down to fit in any kind of space. I need something for drinking hot brew out of. Also, what UL Downs do you gents use? I have a Uniqlo UL Down but I'm considering a Montbell. Worth the upgrade?
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Apr 20, 2015 11:11
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I have an arcteryx cerium vest and it's quite nice (but made in china, and expensive). Fits really trim.
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Apr 20, 2015 11:24
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Thoren posted:I need something for drinking hot brew out of. They also make them drink-sized  The green bowl is small but not tiny. The little green cup is about the size of a sake cup at a Japanese restaurant. It's bigger than a shot glass, but it's still quite small for a cup.
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Apr 20, 2015 13:43
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Thoren posted:I need something for drinking hot brew out of. I have a golight selkirk jacket but they went out of business. My impression is that the Montbell stuff might be not that warm compared to some heftier options but it depends on what temps you're aiming to combat. Wouldn't take my word for sure though. My wife has a Stoic Hadron down jacket and it seemed to be warm and light and isn't too expensive (even on sale a bit right now). It'll probably run you 7-9 oz depending on your size http://www.backcountry.com/backcountry-backcountry-hadron-down-jacket-mens?rr=t
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Apr 20, 2015 13:51
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Thoren posted:Also, what UL Downs do you gents use? I have a Uniqlo UL Down but I'm considering a Montbell. Worth the upgrade?
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Apr 20, 2015 13:56
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That trip report sounds a lot like every instance I know of friends and family getting hypothermic. It's rarely in snow (except when my uncle fell through ice xc skiing), it's usually in 40 degree heavy rain that never lets up. I still don't know how to deal with that on a multi day trip since the tent will never dry out nor your clothes.
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Apr 20, 2015 14:20
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mastershakeman posted:That trip report sounds a lot like every instance I know of friends and family getting hypothermic. It's rarely in snow (except when my uncle fell through ice xc skiing), it's usually in 40 degree heavy rain that never lets up. I still don't know how to deal with that on a multi day trip since the tent will never dry out nor your clothes. Honestly you're probably screwed regardless unless you can get to somewhere that's dry enough to find a way to get things to dry out. Most rain jackets won't stand up to days and days of rain and wearing a completely waterproof plastic type of poncho or something probably results in you getting soaked in sweat instead. Maybe having a cuben fiber shelter would work, not sure if that stuff can wet through? Or a purely plastic tarp you could rig up to keep the rain off but your clothes still probably won't dry. Either way it sounds miserable.
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Apr 20, 2015 14:24
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Levitate posted:Most rain jackets won't stand up to days and days of rain and wearing a completely waterproof plastic type of poncho or something probably results in you getting soaked in sweat instead.
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Apr 20, 2015 14:37
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Hungryjack posted:They also make them drink-sized I might just have to get one of these. I love how it comes with two. Perfect for any hobo friends I might meet on my travels. Levitate posted:I have a golight selkirk jacket but they went out of business. My impression is that the Montbell stuff might be not that warm compared to some heftier options but it depends on what temps you're aiming to combat. Wouldn't take my word for sure though. My wife has a Stoic Hadron down jacket and it seemed to be warm and light and isn't too expensive (even on sale a bit right now). It'll probably run you 7-9 oz depending on your size Honestly I don't plan on being in temperatures colder than 20-30 degrees. I'm planning on regulating my temperature using four layers: Wool base layer, Hoodie, UL Down, and Hardshell. I figure combinations of those would be enough to handle everything aside from real winter. The worst part of all this is that I have an Arc'teryx Veilance jacket that I'll probably sell in exchange for one of their mainline jackets, simply due to better all-around functionality. Veilance gear is cut like a fine italian suit, so slim and perfect. Saint Fu posted:I use the Uniqlo down parka, got it on sale for $50 and love it. It's great for temps into the 30s but not so good if there's wind. I layer with a Marmot Ion wind jacket and that gives me a wide range of weather I'm comfortable in. I have an UL down now and it has served me well. I'm just exploring superior options.
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Apr 20, 2015 14:46
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I'll believe something is completely waterproof when it guarantees it can be submerged for a period of time, which my Sea to summit dry bags (that use event material) don't.
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Apr 20, 2015 14:47
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mastershakeman posted:I'll believe something is completely waterproof when it guarantees it can be submerged for a period of time, which my Sea to summit dry bags (that use event material) don't. I couldn't get my feet to like them, but I found legit completely waterproof boots a while back: http://www.altaigear.com sells some leather/super fabric combat boots that aren't bad at all. If they work with your feet they're pretty drat remarkable boots, I just have particularly wide feet and those boots are korean as gently caress. But their poo poo is legit water proof. Like stand in a bath tub, for hours, still waterproof. And ice doesn't like forming on that super fabric poo poo so they handle slosh in winter without becoming as ice caked and nasty as other, similar, boots. Also those boots are surprisingly light for how goddamn tough and durable they are. I'd have to check to be sure but I think my Saloman 4D GTX's weigh more.. Shame they wouldn't work with my feet though. They were pretty cool boots, otherwise. 
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Apr 20, 2015 16:57
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Also I bought my Altai boots through Amazon for the exact same price as through their site, but when I wanted to change sizes it was way easier doing Amazon prime returns than wading through the engrish filled hell of Altai's phone support last year. They may have improved by now, but back then their store took your CC but wasn't an https://site just a plain unencrypted web form, or a paypal link. So if their site skeeves you, just hit Amazon. They're a legit company with legit products, their marketing and online / retail presence just seems to be super janky and Korean as all gently caress. Great boots, if your feet like 'em, though.
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Apr 20, 2015 17:05
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 I'm glad you made it back alright to share the tale! Spooky though, especially with the abandoned stuff and whatever was following you. Do you think it was a brown bear looking for brunch? I just don't have the intestinal fortitude for solo hiking... Thanks for posting up all your photos by the way--they are just spectacular!
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Apr 20, 2015 17:35
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The ONLY thing I've ever had be completely waterproof was my heavy duty Helly Hansons rain gear. The poo poo they use on fishing boats. Super heavy, and doesnt breathe at all. It does keep you dry however. I only use it when I will be mostly stationary fishing and riding a four wheeler on hunting trips. As far as staying dry on multi day hikes when it never lets up I think the best thing to do is to just pack at least 3 complete changes of cloths. That way you can have one that your wearing, one that you are trying to dry out, and one dry safely packed away. Worst case scenario you at least have three days of dry clothes and most wool items should dry out by then.
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Apr 20, 2015 17:42
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OMFG PTSD LOL PBUH posted:I couldn't get my feet to like them, but I found legit completely waterproof boots a while back: Those look interesting. I wear vasque summits that are super heavy, so not only are those lighter but they're better it seems. Weird that the toe is leather yet still waterproof somehow?
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Apr 20, 2015 17:51
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For the Northeast people in this thread, Bloomberg published a followup article about Kate Matrosova (hiker who died on Adams a few months ago): http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-trader-in-the-wild/ More of a human interest piece than anything else, but some further information did come out. She was legitimately experienced and was trying to train for an Everest ascent, which is why she disregarded the potential horrible weather conditions and continued with an attempt. However what is not mentioned in the article, or is glossed over somewhat, is that poor weather conditions in the Presis can be equivalent to the absolute worst weather conditions on much higher peaks, conditions which experienced mountaineers generally try to avoid. Additionally her itinerary showed she expected to rip through the summits quickly and possibly beat the oncoming front - the times listed are pretty unrealistic for a winter traverse, even for someone experienced, in good shape and with a light pack load. The article did little to change my own opinion, which is that this was a classic case of someone underestimating the weather in the Whites, the only difference being that her poor decision making was due to overconfidence as opposed to inexperience. Still a tragedy and the article's worth a read.
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Apr 20, 2015 17:58
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Has anyone hiked around Smokey Mountain National Park or through it during an AT hike? What's the best time to go and the worst? Considering weather, wildlife, and tourists.
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Apr 20, 2015 18:11
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OSU_Matthew posted:
Well thanks! The camera got condensation inside the lens and body despite being fully weather sealed, and I'm still a beginner when it comes to shooting and Lightroom, so I'm pleased to hear they aren't trash. As for whatever was following me, I have no clue. I suppose it could have been different bears cracking trees looking for grubs, but the same time every night is pretty weird and there was also that rock fall in the dark at Tundra. It wasn't the same animal, because there are four cable crossings between Stein Lake and the Trailhead. I really just don't know. I like to think that I'm not particularly superstitious, but that valley was inhabited by the First Nations for over 3000 years and had a very special significance to them (hence all the petroglyphs). I'm just glad I didn't get eaten.  BaseballPCHiker posted:As far as staying dry on multi day hikes when it never lets up I think the best thing to do is to just pack at least 3 complete changes of cloths. That way you can have one that your wearing, one that you are trying to dry out, and one dry safely packed away. Worst case scenario you at least have three days of dry clothes and most wool items should dry out by then. Yeah, bringing more than one pair of pants would have been a better plan. There's a line between ultralight and negligent, and I certainly found it.
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Apr 20, 2015 18:29
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Look Sir Droids posted:Has anyone hiked around Smokey Mountain National Park or through it during an AT hike? What's the best time to go and the worst? Considering weather, wildlife, and tourists. Twice. If you go in fall or summer be aware there might not be any water for long stretches.
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Apr 20, 2015 18:51
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mastershakeman posted:Those look interesting. I wear vasque summits that are super heavy, so not only are those lighter but they're better it seems. Weird that the toe is leather yet still waterproof somehow? That's a polishible and extremely thick leather toe, and the vibram outsole is sort of outsized over the lip and what have you. It'd make sense of you were to hold them- the tongue is a simple single non-perforated piece of super fabric stuff.. The speed lacing system doesn't have any holes in the tongue for water to leak through. Water literally has to come in from over the top, which is pretty high being combat boots and all. I really can't overstate how light these things were, despite being full length waterproof combat boots and not $200 f'ing dollars. They're pretty  worthy if your feet take to them.
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Apr 20, 2015 19:04
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That toe is seriously a tough rear end thick hunk of waterproofed and polishible leather. You can high shine those fuckers with kiwi wax and get a true goose stepping backcountry alpine experience if that's how you hike. Plus you can keep the kiwi wax to do black face in camp like me.
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Apr 20, 2015 19:10
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