|
MicroSpikes are really nice and in the same family, but they're also not exactly bombproof. I almost look at them as a consumable item good for a winter or two. As lame as socks were to receive as a kid, I don't know any outdoor enthusiasts who wouldn't be happy to get nice merino wool socks. Not exactly an exciting gift, though.
|
#
¿
Dec 9, 2012 23:47
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 02:35 |
|
|
Diver Dick posted:Has anyone done all or a portion of the Presidential Traverse in New Hampshire? About 10-15 years ago I did Washington. Lucked out and had a beautiful day for it. Went up the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail and back down the Jewell Trail.    
|
|
#
¿
Dec 15, 2012 00:24
|
|
|
gently caress yeah, Christmas.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 27, 2012 05:58
|
|
|
Looks like a beautiful day for it. It's easy to forget how much extra effort snow requires until you're wading through it. That said, some trails benefit from it. For example, on Monadnock some of the trails are so worn down they look like riverbeds full of rocks; some date back to when recreational hiking was first becoming A Thing. It's pretty killer on the ankles and knees, especially on the way down. But, after a couple feet of snow and a few days for people to pack it down, it's smooth easy hiking(with traction).
|
|
#
¿
Jan 1, 2013 03:02
|
|
|
I like to attribute the straight-up-a-cliff trails to yankee frugality and puritan work ethic: No sense in all that extra work to make a trail zig zag, and if you can't make it straight up you don't deserve to get to the top anyway. Edit: For the benefit of you folks out west, here's an example of what passes for a hiking trail back east(not my photo): 
TerminalSaint fucked around with this message at 05:02 on Jan 1, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Jan 1, 2013 04:07
|
|
|
Yeah, microspikes are great. It would be nice if they were a bit more durable, but as long as you make sure they stay aligned properly they'll last long enough to be worth the price. One place they really shine are during seasonal transitions where you may or may not encounter early/lingering ice. Just toss them in your pack and within a minute you can be ready to cross ice.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 2, 2013 23:45
|
|
|
I was just reading the wikipedia article on bison a couple days ago. Yellowstone actually has one of the handful of remaining "free roaming and genetically pure herds on public lands". Also, fun fact: from 1980 to 1999 more than 3 times as many people in Yellowstone were injured by bison than bears.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 5, 2013 03:19
|
|
|
Yautja Philosophy posted:I think people assume that anything that's not a predator is totally docile. But cape buffalo and moose and such will straight up murder you. I was up hiking in Park City when a moose up and decided that it felt like flattening some poo poo out and steamrolled through the woods like it was nothing. I got charged by a moose once. I was out on the back 40 and saw him grazing in a vernal pool. I ran back to the house, grabbed a camera, and he was still there when I got back out. The area had a lot of brush so I kept working closer to try to get a decent shot. At that point he gave me a look which transcended inter-species communication barriers and I had just enough time to turn and start sprinting away before he lunged at me. Luckily it was just a bluff charge, but I got the message and called it a day. Moose don't gently caress around, though. If one attacks you in earnest and you play dead, you have to wait for it to leave before getting back up, or it may well come back to finish the job.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 5, 2013 05:22
|
|
|
Elijya posted:My hammock screen top tore last summer when I flipped in it. Not sure if I can get the company to repair it before I take off or to just use one without a screen. People who are early on the trail tend to get the worst of Maine's Black Fly season, don't they? Would have to be pretty early, black flies are usually done by some point in June or July in New England.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 11, 2013 07:12
|
|
|
I much prefer microspikes to yaktrax, myself. It depends on terrain, though. Yaks are fine for flat ice or packed snow, but if you run into ice on any sort of an incline there's no replacement for some form of spikes. I guess the big questions are how hilly your intended trail is, and whether you mind taking the time to remove them when you encounter large patches of bare rock. Edit: Ah, that I'm less familiar with. I'm not sure there's much you can do aside from selecting footwear with an aggressive tread, but another goon might have good advice. TerminalSaint fucked around with this message at 20:47 on Jan 19, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Jan 19, 2013 20:33
|
|
|
Yeah, microspikes own. I was all over Monadnock cleaning up trails after the ice storm of '08 with just them, and there were probably only 2 times(in the same spot) I wished I had something more substantial.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 6, 2013 00:39
|
|
|
Amykinz posted:I'd like to start doing some basic day hikes to get off of my lazy rear end and such. I currently have a 14 month old daughter that I take care of during the day, so she would go with me. There are a few hikes I could just push her in a stroller (paved with mild hills), but I'd rather hike on dirt. I have a wrap where I can fasten her to my back, but that prevents me from carrying a backpack for water and snacks. Is there any kind of (less dorky) advanced fanny pack system I could use or am I stuck trying to purchase a frame pack for the baby/stuff? Yeah, you want to look for lumbar packs or waist packs. You can find pretty good ones for hiking in sizes ranging from slightly-larger-than-a-fannypack to holds-more-than-a-small-backpack. I've got one for summer day hikes because I hate having a backpack keeping my back all sweaty.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 6, 2013 02:42
|
|
|
gently caress people who can't or won't control their dogs. Maybe it's because I'm a cat person, but some unleashed dog bounding up and accosting me while its owners are 100 feet down the trail calling out "oh don't worry, he does that" as if it's an excuse is one of the most annoying things while hiking.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 18, 2013 08:53
|
|
|
I've got a couple vacuum bottles which are great. A Hydro Flask which I dropped and now makes a rattling noise, but still works fine, and a widemouth Klean Kanteen one. They're awesome for day hikes. in warm weather they keep drinks cold, and in winter I keep chai in one and soup in the other. I'd skip them for backpacking, though. They weigh almost twice as much as a single-walled one.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 7, 2013 05:30
|
|
|
For wearing them with snowshoes it would depend on the bindings. I suspect they'd be bulkier than ideal, though they're pretty quick to get on and off. As far as rock they're fine for rocky patches, but I'd take them off for any real distance.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 19, 2013 01:05
|
|
|
That reminds me of an incident at work. A bear wandered near a trail and a small crowd formed looking and taking pictures. One of our rangers was hiking off duty and came across the scene. She, having more than two braincells, knew this was not an ideal situation and started clapping and yelling to scare it off. At this point one of the slack-jawed gawkers told her to stop because she was going to scare it off, and then started walking off trail to get closer for a better photo.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 4, 2013 04:17
|
|
|
Well the crocuses have bloomed, the daffodils are emerging and the lawn is greening up nicely. Time for a hike... Good thing I brought my crampons.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 16, 2013 23:04
|
|
|
BeefofAges posted:Also consider using hiking poles. They improve your stability a lot. I was skeptical of hiking poles because I'd always hated carrying stuff while hiking. Then I tried them out and fell in love. In addition to being knee-savers, they've kept me on my feet in a number of cases that would have been falls.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 30, 2013 19:57
|
|
|
I can relate. I've got some softshell pants I dropped a couple hundred bucks on, and while I'm usually loathe to spend that much on a single item, holy hell are they worth every penny.
|
|
#
¿
May 21, 2013 07:42
|
|
|
They're also nice because they're dead simple. 2 poles for the tent, 1 for the fly. After you put it up once you'll be able to do it in the dark. My parents have a couple we used when I was a kid. They're still using the drat things (15-20 years) with nothing but an occasional waterproofing or pole replacement.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 2, 2013 05:12
|
|
|
Crabby Abby posted:The stairs to get to the top reminded me of the Needles lookout which burned down back in 2011: Oh the irony.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 3, 2013 02:08
|
|
|
Clearly the answer is to hang your bear can.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 13, 2013 17:47
|
|
|
Business of Ferrets posted:I think they might have been trolling you. Going back to this, I can't imagine rangers would troll someone with bear safety related information. We joke around with amiable park guests, but the only time we might ever give information that wasn't strictly accurate would be erring on the side of caution. For example: when a carload of 20 year old college guys pull in 3 hours before sunset with no lights and a 20oz bottle of water and ask me for the hardest trail up the mountain. I direct them up the main trail, telling them how tough it is. To be fair it is tough, but in a stairmaster way rather than the scramble-up-sheer-ledge way they're hoping for.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 14, 2013 03:51
|
|
|
megazord posted:PS, you're gonna die. If it cools off there's prob a monsoon and you're gonna drown in a flash flood. Case in point; never leave your house. That or an undiagnosed heart condition will drop you in your tracks. I helped carry this guy a mile and half down a rocky trail on Sunday: http://www.ledgertranscript.com/home/7145262-95/hiker-dies-descending-mount-monadnock Never leave home.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 27, 2013 17:36
|
|
|
Most of the park guests of that sort I deal with don't even give any thought to the how of a rescue. It's just "We can call you if we get in trouble right?" or "You'll come rescue us if we get hurt, right?". When I tell them that cell service is spotty up the mountain and they probably won't be able to reach us, or that if we have to do a litter carry it'll be a 6 hour affair if they're lucky, they usually get a worried look.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 4, 2013 06:29
|
|
|
PRADA SLUT posted:Which Vibrams are the best suited for hiking? A (spergy) pet peeve of mine, but vibram is a kind of boot sole, or more specifically, a company that manufactures said boot soles. The toe shoes are FiveFingers. Suddenly their toe shoe gets popular and the term we've been using for decades gets mis-assigned. 
|
|
#
¿
Jul 7, 2013 00:38
|
|
|
JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" I love the hell out of that book. I think Shnooks is looking for something more instructional, but A Walk in the Woods is a worthwhile read anyway. I love the mix of humor, history, and science.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 7, 2013 03:10
|
|
|
SOLO also offers it through Apex Mountain School out that way: http://www.apexmountainschool.com/courses/wilderness-medicine/wilderness-first-responder/ Edit: WFR, that is.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 10, 2013 00:52
|
|
|
Never leave home.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 14, 2013 04:17
|
|
|
Smoove J posted:If you've ever wondered what those mountains around you are named, or if you want to see a little preview silhouette of what you're about to climb, get the PeakFinder app, best app ever. This gets the name and elevation of Monadnock wrong.  Edit: and is completely missing Washington.   TerminalSaint fucked around with this message at 09:19 on Aug 20, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Aug 20, 2013 09:13
|
|
|
To be fair, they weigh hardly anything.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 15, 2013 02:34
|
|
|
SpitztheGreat posted:Just did Hadley Mountain in the Adirondacks. The description that I read had it labeled as a "moderate" hike- and that's bullshit; there's nothing "moderate" about it. While it's a rather short hike (five miles round trip) it is one of the most intense climbs I've done. There are great views at the top, and a fire tower which gives you a spectacular 360 view of the Adirondacks. Welcome to my world. Stuff like this is part of why my park's mountain has possibly the highest number of emergency responses of any mountain in the country. Edit: Different mountain, same problem. TerminalSaint fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Sep 30, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2013 23:38
|
|
|
EPICAC posted:
Images like these are the proper response to the people who say "Uuugh, I need to get out west where the real hiking is."
|
|
#
¿
Oct 8, 2013 23:20
|
|
|
Speleothing posted:That's the difference between a National Park and a National Forest. They're not really allowed to keep you out of the forests. One is a protected recreation area, the other is land being held by the government until it's ready for harvesting. That's the funny thing about National Forests. They're not a so much a conservation concern as they are a strategic wood bank. Edit: I should clarify. Conservation is absolutely a part of what the Forest Service does with the goal of maintaining healthy forests. My understanding was that at the time of it's creation the interest was more to ensure a reserve of timber, but a little digging suggests that preservation was a goal at the time as well. TerminalSaint fucked around with this message at 17:11 on Oct 11, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Oct 11, 2013 16:15
|
|
|
All my smartwool socks have held up fine. I usually just get lighter socks and when winter rolls around I double up.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 12, 2013 05:31
|
|
|
If you insist.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 12, 2013 06:18
|
|
|
That's more of a personal boot fit/sock thickness/lacing issue, though. Wearing two pairs of light socks with a thickness equal to a heavy pair plus liners isn't going to be any worse, provided you're not squashing your feet in and lacing too tight.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 13, 2013 00:17
|
|
|
Time Cowboy posted:Has anyone here hiked the Pumpelly Trail up Monadnock in NH, or climbed Stratton Mountain in VT? How are they? I'm looking for one or two big (but not too grueling) dayhikes to do in New England next year, ideally not much more than five hours' drive from the middle of Long Island. I'm a ranger at Mondnock. The Pumpelly Trail has a pretty From there on it's one of the coolest trails on the mountain. It's a lot of bare rock and dips back into trees here and there. It definitely gives you that big mountain feel with krummholz and mountain bogs. The mountain's isolation results in weather and vegetation usually only seen on bigger mountains, and you'll find alpine features that don't occur anywhere else in New Hampshire south of the Whites. Here's a photo that hardly does it justice that I had hanging around:  Also a heads-up if you're coming soon: we do have patches of ice up the mountain. Things are warming up so they may not hang around long, but be ready for the possibility. Also be warned that the Pumpelly trailhead is roadside parking. The trail can be hard to spot if no one else is already parked there. It's on Lake Road which runs around Dublin Lake off of 101. The trailhead is on the south side of the lake. To find it I look for the house on the lake side which has siding made out sliced evergreen trunks, bark and all. The trail is across the street, look for a sign a few feet in the woods. It's the longest trail from base to summit and you're probably looking at 5-6ish hours for the round trip, though that will obviously vary with your speed. Keep sunset time in mind. Don't skimp on water and food. Also keep in mind you'll be pretty exposed, so check the weather to see if it's going to be a windy one. Sorry if any of this comes off like I'm talking to someone who doesn't know their rear end from a hiking boot, I can slip into work mode when I get talking about it.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 15, 2013 01:56
|
|
|
Fall is great since you avoid the mosquitos and black flies, but it's also the busiest season (which really means something on the most hiked mountain in the hemisphere). The Pumpelly doesn't get a whole lot of use even on the busiest days, but when you hit the summit it can be a zoo. Mid-week is usually fine if your schedule can accommodate it. Late summer is pretty nice. September is good since it's cooler and drier, but you beat the leaf peepers. Spring and mid-summer can get buggy; just as black fly season ends the mosquitoes and deer flies come out. July and August can also get muggy as hell, we had one poor guy die of heat stroke toward the end of June this year.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 15, 2013 21:18
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 02:35 |
|
|
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.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 17, 2013 05:19
|
|