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Went hiking in Hickory Run State Park in in Penn today. Took a 3.5 hour loop which was really enjoyable. At my furthest out point I bumped into a couple of guys who were just wandering around with no water, maps, phone or anything. I was kind of floored at how poorly prepared they were. Luckily when I go day hiking I bring enough stuff in case I gently caress up and have to spend the night, and also bring a backup water bottle in addition to my water bladder, in case it breaks, so I gave them my backup water and guided them back to their car, a full 1.75 hour hike back. Disaster averted. Images!   
Nitrousoxide fucked around with this message at 00:53 on Jul 9, 2021 |
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Jul 9, 2021 00:50
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 05:13 |
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Crossposting from the Kayak thread because I'm a needy bitch and wasn't getting the affirmation I desire. Finally got to do my first proper trip of the year. Day trips are nice and all but there's nothing like slipping out of cell service for a week to help you forget about life's troubles  Obligatory photo showing I did some hiking on my trip, for the hiking thread  Navigated some pretty cool marsh featuring floating mud piles of some sort. Not peat, actual mud.   
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Jul 9, 2021 14:31
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Where's this at? It looks p gorgeous for paddling.
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Jul 9, 2021 16:28
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Math You posted:Crossposting from the Kayak thread because I'm a needy bitch and wasn't getting the affirmation I desire. I've never really done any boat or water stuff, but I'd love to some day. During covid I ended up finding some youtube channels of people who do that sort of thing, and I could chill and zone out to it for hours. Your shots look beautiful.
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Jul 9, 2021 16:38
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Nitrousoxide posted:Went hiking in Hickory Run State Park in in Penn today. Took a 3.5 hour loop which was really enjoyable. At my furthest out point I bumped into a couple of guys who were just wandering around with no water, maps, phone or anything. I was kind of floored at how poorly prepared they were. Luckily when I go day hiking I bring enough stuff in case I gently caress up and have to spend the night, and also bring a backup water bottle in addition to my water bladder, in case it breaks, so I gave them my backup water and guided them back to their car, a full 1.75 hour hike back. Nice to see the Poconos represented in the thread! I'm pretty sure I was in Hickory Run at least once a summer for my entire childhood. Had some nice day hikes there this year looping around the Fireline and Skyline trails. On my to-do list this summer in PA is an overnight on the Loyalsock-Link loop at World's End state park, and hopefully a two night solo trip around Old Loggers Path in early fall; two trails I've never been on. If I keep doing overnights I'm going to have to upgrade my reliable but weighty REI Half Dome 2+ to something more UL. I'm very interested in the Durston X-Mid if I ever manage to snag one while it's in stock.
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Jul 9, 2021 18:15
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Casu Marzu posted:Where's this at? It looks p gorgeous for paddling. Just shy of Northern Ontario, near Georgian Bay. We used cottage access to a river (first pic), navigated to the creek in the 2nd and 3rd pics, which take you to a system of lakes with no road access. incogneato posted:I've never really done any boat or water stuff, but I'd love to some day. During covid I ended up finding some youtube channels of people who do that sort of thing, and I could chill and zone out to it for hours. I would recommend the channel "Northern Scavengers" on YouTube. They do some pretty awesome trips, and film/edit/narrate them really well. Their Labrador and Flow to James Bay series are incredible watches. I think it's something everyone should try if they have the opportunity. Especially if you live in an area suitable for it. Here in Ontario it is simply the pre-eminent way to explore wilderness, and to see wildlife*. If you're a history buff, there are countless routes of cultural significance to indigenous people, as well as routes used in the fur trade. It's a pretty humbling experience to navigate these largely untouched historical waterways using the same craft as they were explored with hundreds, or even thousands of years ago. *this trip we saw a moose, a bear, some lizards I didn't even know existed, 4 beavers, a bunch of turtles (painted and snapping), had a great blue heron fly over one of our boats, and shared a campsite with a giant water snake who liked to sun in a juniper bush near our tarp.
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Jul 9, 2021 19:00
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Had a great hike this morning in a state forest (Black River State Forest - Wildcat and Red Oak trails) that theoretically was shared path with mountain bikers. Saw people only as I was in the last 1/2 mile of 6.7 miles of a heavily wooded, but nearly perfectly maintained path. Started early, and I wore long tall (compression) socks, and pegged long pants. Frequently applied pircardin. That said, 17 loving ticks! I kept pausing to pull them off, and I have to wait until I get home to have someone check my hair for them. I changed in the pit toilets at the trailhead, found a bunch there, thought I had them all but I spotted 2 more while driving to my campsite. Someone really needs to make Frontline for humans.   
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Jul 10, 2021 20:00
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I cannot recommend permethrin enough as a Frontline for humans. At least our clothes.
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Jul 10, 2021 21:00
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WoodrowSkillson posted:I cannot recommend permethrin enough as a Frontline for humans. At least our clothes. Yeah holy poo poo if I ever found 17 ticks on me I would not return to that location. That said, I permethrin spray my shoes, socks, and pants at a minimum, but often also my shirts and jackets.
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Jul 10, 2021 21:11
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I have avoided it so far due to the toxicity with cats, but I may just try to get an outfit or two treated and keep them locked up in a tub. I have 2x 3 year old boy cats who get into everything. One has an adorable (annoying) habit of dragging clothes around the house, by his mouth too. He leaps up to the chest height laundry chute (which looks like a slatted box) and pulls out items of clothing, then drags them to us like a prize into the office. 8lb cat... Sometimes full pairs of pants. More often socks, underwear, and *loves* digging nasty hockey gear out of the boyfriend's hockey duffle.
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Jul 10, 2021 21:45
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Arkhamina posted:I have avoided it so far due to the toxicity with cats, but I may just try to get an outfit or two treated and keep them locked up in a tub. I have 2x 3 year old boy cats who get into everything. One has an adorable (annoying) habit of dragging clothes around the house, by his mouth too. He leaps up to the chest height laundry chute (which looks like a slatted box) and pulls out items of clothing, then drags them to us like a prize into the office. 8lb cat... Sometimes full pairs of pants. More often socks, underwear, and *loves* digging nasty hockey gear out of the boyfriend's hockey duffle. the claim i've always heard is that its totally safe for cats once it has dried. it probably still wouldn't hurt to keep them out of those treated clothes just in case.
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Jul 10, 2021 21:59
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Chard posted:the claim i've always heard is that its totally safe for cats once it has dried. it probably still wouldn't hurt to keep them out of those treated clothes just in case. I've had cats most of my life and it's never been an issue. I spray the clothes on a line outside, and once they're totally dry I bring them in and put them in my closet/dresser. So, anecdotal evidence and all that, but yeah.
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Jul 10, 2021 22:41
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My wife is out of town visiting her sister this weekend so this morning I woke up with literally nothing to do which is rare. I figured I'll take a weekend off from working on house stuff. At first I just thought about taking the dog out for a drive through the mountains then I thought "just bring the camping box anyway". So I did. Only a single night but I needed to get out and my back isn't quite ready for backpacking yet. I got such a late start. We didn't leave the house until after noon and I contemplated turning back. "It's this even worth it?" I tried a few different areas I've never been before and they were full. One site had several hundred people hosting some sort of edm party. Rangers were pulling up as I passed. I was really starting to doubt my luck. I figured I would at least drive up a little further to the area I know there are several good spots, two of which you're not getting to without a 4wd vehicle with good ground clearance and a sense of adventure. We got here and it was empty. There's a burn ban right now so no fire but I just grilled up some hot dogs. The dog and I took a long walk down an abandoned fire road. Now we're watching the sunset and enjoying the quiet. I'm so glad we didn't turn around. If you're car camping, the $40 Coleman 2 burner propane stove makes life so easy.  
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Jul 11, 2021 04:56
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Good dog.
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Jul 11, 2021 05:33
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withak posted:Good dog.
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Jul 11, 2021 14:53
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I'm looking for some suggestions on some non-waterproof hiking shoes. Lightweight, stable, trailrunner-adjacent is sort of what I'm aiming for. I'm not doing anything real technical--just long day hikes and backpacking in the PNW, occasional loose rock, a bit of mud, etc. I've liked Salomons in the past (XA Pro 3D and X Ultra), but I'm having trouble finding both of those in my size in stock right now (GTX versions in stock everywhere, non-GTX are scarce). Also the reviews of the X Ultra 4 are not fantastic. I'm replacing/supplementing some Altra Lone Peaks that have been okay-ish. I wanted to like the zero drop, but I'm just not a huge fan. And the traction on them is not terribly inspiring. Over all they feel less solid and grounded than my Salomons in the past. The big toe box has been pleasant, though. I'll be trying on some Saucony Peregrine 11s based upon reviews online. Anything else people have loved that I should try?
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Jul 12, 2021 22:03
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incogneato posted:I'm looking for some suggestions on some non-waterproof hiking shoes. Lightweight, stable, trailrunner-adjacent is sort of what I'm aiming for. I'm not doing anything real technical--just long day hikes and backpacking in the PNW, occasional loose rock, a bit of mud, etc. I've liked Salomons in the past (XA Pro 3D and X Ultra), but I'm having trouble finding both of those in my size in stock right now (GTX versions in stock everywhere, non-GTX are scarce). Also the reviews of the X Ultra 4 are not fantastic. if your feet run narrow (salomons tend to) check out la sportiva wildcats. they're tall in the heel but super ventilated, and tough enough in the sole that carrying a full pack isn't uncomfortable. e: you might recognize them as the shoes at least half of the REI shoe staff will be wearing
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Jul 12, 2021 22:09
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Whatever you decide take out the insole of the shoe and throw in some superfeet. It’ll make hiking and backpacking a bit easier on your feet as well.
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Jul 12, 2021 22:14
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incogneato posted:I'm looking for some suggestions on some non-waterproof hiking shoes. Lightweight, stable, trailrunner-adjacent is sort of what I'm aiming for. I'm not doing anything real technical--just long day hikes and backpacking in the PNW, occasional loose rock, a bit of mud, etc. I've liked Salomons in the past (XA Pro 3D and X Ultra), but I'm having trouble finding both of those in my size in stock right now (GTX versions in stock everywhere, non-GTX are scarce). Also the reviews of the X Ultra 4 are not fantastic. Hoka speedgoat 4. Even the EE width tend to run a bit narrow, though. 800 miles and counting over a couple of pairs on the AT with them and the cushioning can’t be beat- I came from altar line peaks and had the same problem you did.
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Jul 14, 2021 18:32
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If you need a ton of volume in the shoe Altra is kind of the only game in town. I worked through everything on REI's wall a ways back and everyone else felt really tight on my EE flippers. Some fit well enough to work and others didn't fit at all, but the Altra's were so cavernous it was pretty hard to go with something else. It is unfortunate that they only make zero drop, they'd really expand their appeal if they made a shoe for the rest of us.
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Jul 14, 2021 18:47
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I really like Altra’s but I have a pair of salomon’s that fit my wide feet just fine
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Jul 14, 2021 19:43
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Alamoduh posted:Hoka speedgoat 4. Even the EE width tend to run a bit narrow, though. 800 miles and counting over a couple of pairs on the AT with them and the cushioning can’t be beat- I came from altar line peaks and had the same problem you did. Seconding the Speedgoats! I just posted this in the gear thread since someone was also asking about them. Quoting the other thread: I trained in Soeedgoats for a year for running and backpacking, and they were awesome. I did the Wonderland (93 miles, 24000 ft gain and loss, varied terrain and river crossings) in them with no blisters and healthy feet. Just got a new pair for this season. Footwear is really personal and I think trial and error was what I needed to find my best arrangement. I like REI for that because I can return shoes even after trying them for a reasonable stretch.
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Jul 14, 2021 21:10
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I would suggest the following shoes to anyone looking for new trail shoes: - Brooks Cascadia 16 (this is my next purchase due to the early reviews despite not liking other versions of this shoe) https://www.roadtrailrun.com/2021/05/brooks-cascadia-16-multi-tester-review.html - Salomon Ultra Glide (a new Salomon shoe that focuses on comfort and long distances with a more accommodating fit) - Hoka Speedgoat (I prefer the 3rd and EVO versions over the 4 due to it's weight gain, but still a great shoe with cushion and traction). - Hoka Torrent 2 or Hoka Zinal (if you want a Hoka with less stack height0. - Brooks Catamounts (super light and comfortable, but negative is not great traction, still one of my favorites) - VJ Sport Ultra (currently my favorite trail shoe, light, cushioned, might be the best traction of any shoe I have used, I love this shoe) I would stay away from Saucony Peregrine. They are fine, but given the weight to cushion ratio there are way too many better shoes. Matter of fact all Saucony trail shoes are off in one way or another. They do make great road shoes tho. Also stay away from Nike. All of them have terrible traction. It is shame because I love the midsole of the Pegasus Trail. Now I am coming from this not only as a hiker, but as a trail runner (I have ran over 700 miles of trail so far this year). Still I have found what works for trail running works for hiking on that same terrain. nate fisher fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Jul 14, 2021 |
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Jul 14, 2021 23:17
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Does anyone have any general tips/suggestions for backpacking The Enchantments? I have a permit for Snow Zone in late August. 3 days/2 nights starting on a Thursday. I intend to set up a base camp at one of the Snow lakes and then do day hikes into the Core from there, but no plans yet beyond that. I don't anticipate hiking all the way into Colchuck (no desire to go down Aasgard, let alone down then up in one day). Honestly, one of my main concerns is getting a decent spot. Seclusion and reasonably pretty are ideal, but I have no idea what the spots there are like. I actually prefer camping beside streams/rivers for the white noise, but I assume most spots around there are lakeside. It always gives me mild anxiety backpacking somewhere I've never ever hiked and just hoping to luck into a decent spot. I'll be heading in early morning on Thursday (camping the night before at Eightmile Campground), which I hope will help.
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Jul 15, 2021 18:11
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There’s some good spots along upper snow lake just off the trail. I think you’ll be fine finding a spot. The farther you go the less hiking you have to do to get to the core zone the next day which is nice too. Situating yourself near a toilet is a plus. There are signs indicating the trail to the pit toilets up there and some are marked on openstreetmap.
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Jul 15, 2021 19:24
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Starting early and Thursday will help but be prepared to see some day hikers using sites (they're not supposed to) but this is more apparent at colchuck. I haven't been to snow zone but there are usually enough sites for the amount of permits given out for an area. Obviously the earlier you can arrive the better choices you'll have. I had that feeling when we got permits for Stewart lake and the first spots to fill up were the sites closest to the rest of the enchantments. If you want more solitude you have to keep hiking a bit further around the lake making your backtrack longer. I'm not sure snow zone would be the same since you hike through it. If you're planning to go up to the core, consider a spot closest to the pass so you have less to do the day you go up there. Should be mostly dry up there by mid August, especially with the heat we've had already but there might still be some lingering snow/ice. When I went a few years back in mid July the core was still buried in snow. Watch out for goats and give them space. I've heard mosquitoes are present in snow zone. The passes are steep and slick with gravel. I'm glad I brought poles.
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Jul 15, 2021 19:56
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sneaking a cheeky two-nighter in the local SP starting tomorrow, hopefully the heat will keep the casuls away 
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Jul 16, 2021 04:58
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Could someone give me an idea if soloing Adams would be a stupid idea? It seems like this year it's pretty melted out and probably a lot of scree and some limited snow. I've done plenty of solo backpacking and feel reasonably confident in a self arrest (if there's any snow left) but am trying to decide if there's anywhere I can really get myself in trouble going up the South route. Probably down to next weekend or save it for next year.
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Jul 18, 2021 00:06
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Scouting around for places to go in south Colorado, found a trailhead on google maps in the Rio Grande NF that neither caltop or alltrails have a route for. Satellite images show cars parked there so it gets used, and it passes kind of close to the CDT, but you know a spot is "secret" when those sites don't know about it. (it's a valley along the Conejos river SW of the Platoro Reservoir)
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Jul 18, 2021 03:59
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Iowa doesn't maintain the trails in their state parks very well holy poo poo one of three "climb-through" size downed trees in a 5 mile loop, but at least it was mostly dirt rather than overgrown grasses. Only one tick though, caught it before it latched on even.
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Jul 18, 2021 04:18
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SuicidalSmurf posted:Could someone give me an idea if soloing Adams would be a stupid idea? It seems like this year it's pretty melted out and probably a lot of scree and some limited snow. I've done plenty of solo backpacking and feel reasonably confident in a self arrest (if there's any snow left) but am trying to decide if there's anywhere I can really get myself in trouble going up the South route. Probably down to next weekend or save it for next year. Adams is pretty straightforward if you choose to do it solo. I know we've talked but I don't recall, what's your crampon/ice axe experience? If you know how to, and have practiced and feel comfortable with self arrest, you should be fine. I've seen kids up there, dogs, people in trail runners etc. The only real tough area is the initial climb after lunch counter to the false summit. It's steep and gets slushy during the day. If there's still snow, get started on it as early as you can so that is hard and your crampons will get better traction. I've watched a few people drop their nalgene and it slid all the way back down. The chutes will probably be pretty melted out but if there's enough snow people will form new ones. Don't wear your crampons when glissading. Scout the chutes on your way up. Look for rocks. Other than that it's just a hike with a really steep snow section near the end. 2 days is standard or could be made into a long day trip for someone fast and in good shape.
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Jul 18, 2021 04:45
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FAUXTON posted:Iowa doesn't maintain the trails in their state parks very well holy poo poo I have to imagine after the derecho of last year that they are pretty far behind in trail maintenance.
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Jul 18, 2021 12:07
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That tree must have just fallen. It still has green leaves on it.
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Jul 18, 2021 17:26
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BaseballPCHiker posted:I have to imagine after the derecho of last year that they are pretty far behind in trail maintenance. Waubonsie is way down south and on the NE border,, I'm not sure they caught any part of that derecho.
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Jul 18, 2021 17:44
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I picked up some of the Tick Gear spray. Going to also going to try that duct-tape cuff thing, that I think someone posted here. Or maybe another site... Normally I am a softy towards most insects, escort spiders out of the house. Don't even mind getting mobbed by mayflies, but ticks can get hosed.
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Jul 18, 2021 22:48
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I'm looking for some advice on getting fit. In about 3-4 months time I've got a bundle of hunting trips planned, all of them overnight. On average they will be around 700m+ climb to get to the tops then 20k odd along and I'll be carrying about 20kg of gear with me. So with that set up how would you go about building a decent fitness base? At the moment every Saturday I'm doing a hike up a nearby hill with my pack weighted to what I'm expecting to be carrying and slowly increasing the duration, I'm also doing a three day split gym routine to make sure I've got a decent strength base. Is there anything I'm missing? The folks I'm going with run marathons for fun when they aren't out diving so I just don't want to hold everyone up.
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Jul 19, 2021 09:38
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carrionman posted:I'm looking for some advice on getting fit. In about 3-4 months time I've got a bundle of hunting trips planned, all of them overnight. When I was training for alpine climbing I did more uphill work than that. Load your pack with gallons of water (with sturdy screw caps, not the pop-on kind). If you get too exhausted you can dump/drink some to lessen the weight. If you expect 700m+ of elevation, I would work towards doing 1000m on a hike several times before your first trip. If there's a stairmaster in your gym, I'd add that to your routine one day as well.
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Jul 19, 2021 12:43
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Porcupine Mountain, it's the one to the left here Not situated close to anything other than more mountains and tundra     Depending on how you define mountain, this comes in around 21 or 22 for the tallest in Utah at 12892 feet. Which means I've done the top 21, or 21 out of 22 for the state. Not sure how many more of the ones in this range I'll do, this was 27 miles roundtrip and most of the others are pretty similar
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Jul 19, 2021 15:37
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Verman posted:Adams is pretty straightforward if you choose to do it solo. I know we've talked but I don't recall, what's your crampon/ice axe experience? If you know how to, and have practiced and feel comfortable with self arrest, you should be fine. I've seen kids up there, dogs, people in trail runners etc. The only real tough area is the initial climb after lunch counter to the false summit. It's steep and gets slushy during the day. If there's still snow, get started on it as early as you can so that is hard and your crampons will get better traction. Adams is completely melted out already and no snow on the route. The fire tower on the summit is fully exposed (usually doesn’t happen until September).
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Jul 19, 2021 16:09
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Wow that's incredible. I'm curious how it is to do Adams without snow. I think crampons and ice axe make the ascent easier than climbing up a scree slope. I just think of Asgard pass in the enchantments but longer. It's slippery loose volcanic rock in a steep slope. The volcanic dust destroyed my feet on the way out. It's really granular and sharp, awful when it gets dusty. For reference I just looked at my photos from when I did it. August 20 2017 and there was still plenty of snow. That's incredible.   
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Jul 19, 2021 16:21
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