1000

10/25/2011 6:11:21 PM

My gf and I climbed Mt. Washington in NH this past weekend. It was pretty awesome. The mountain is the tallest in the northeast at 6300ft. Its known for having really shitty and unpredictable weather . the highest windspeed ever recorded (231mph) was recorded on its summit. The hiking elevation gain is 4200ft in 4.2 miles one way.

We knew going into it that they were expecting a wintery mix. And the prediction was right. At the start, its a long rocky trail through the forest for about 2 miles. The weather here was around 50 and clear. At the base of the headwall, it started to rain with some sleet.

The head wall is a quite steep bouldery hike. It steep enough that you're using hands and feet and if you stand upright you get vertigo. a little bit scary on the wet rocks. To the left a waterfall flows down the ravine. its overflowing so water is pretty much flowing down the whole side of the mountain, flowing over boots, etc. It began sleeting and snowing. As we got near the top we passed a few ppl turning around as they heard the rocks were getting icey higher up. We didn't have any microspikes, but we decided to press on until we encountered bad conditions ourself. Its about a mile up this part and it was very slow going, but we finally reached the ridge.

At the ridge, it became much less steep, but the snow/sleet picked up and visibility went down to about 75ft. It was like a crazy alien world of rocks and boulders surrounded in the fog. The only guide were the cairns. We could see about the next two cairns ahead. This seemed to just go on and end, rock pile after rock pile. scrambling mostly on foot, but hands enough to keep stable. It was a bit slippery and slushy, but not icey fortunately. We were running out of steam, but luckily we talked to some hikers coming down and they said that we were only like 200ft from the top! So we got pumped and finished strong.

At the top it was super windy. It seemed that the wind was blowing into the opposite side of the mountain and was now hitting us in the face. The sleet hurt! It just a giant white world, everything covered in ice and frost, very low visibility. We found the summit sign and went straight to it. Luckily another guy was there and so he took our picture for us.

The best part of all was that the summit cafe was open! So we went inside and warmed up, dried out, and ate. We had some hot chocolate which especially awesome. We ended up sitting around for an hour, but it was finally head to gear back up and head down.

We took a different route down that was supposed to be easier in slippery conditions. Instead of a steeper headwall, it was a more gradual but longer descent. There were more boulders to climb down and more of the odd alien landscape that seemed to never end. The visibility continued to be bad for the most part.

At one point i looked up and thought i was going nuts. Right in there in front of me the clouds had parted and we could see the whole valley below all lit up in sunlight. It was amazing. And to the left and right we could see the huge clouds moving forward. After about 20-30seconds the clouds moved in and it was back to the white-out 100ftish visibility. It was so awesome. It happened three times and each time it was epic magical amazingness.

The rest of the hike down was basically the reverse of going up. It definitely felt longer on the way down, but we made it. 9 hours total including our rest stop. We promptly checked into a hotel, ate good food and drank good beer.

What lie ahead:


Never ending rocks:


Emmy being cold:


Summit!


Crazy cloud clearing:


[Edited on October 25, 2011 at 8:35 PM. Reason : .]

10/25/2011 8:34:21 PM

OK, Wolf-BackPackers...

I am figuring out my Spring/Summer adventure. Every year I do one huge backpacking trip somewhere in the Continental US for a week.

I need suggestions!! Where are places you all loved and has a weeks worth of great views, challenging backpacking, and general awesomeness?

10/31/2011 5:02:31 PM

Moab (Arches) & Canyonlands are pretty awesome.

Also pretty much anything in Colorado, but that's because I love it here. I presume you've already been as well.

Glacier & Olympic NPs are on my list as well.

[Edited on October 31, 2011 at 5:09 PM. Reason : .]

10/31/2011 5:05:25 PM

Mount Rogers was awesome BTW last weekend. We ran into a good bit of snow near the summit too. Wasn't expecting that. I'll post some pics later.

10/31/2011 5:15:24 PM

@meatstick, i know you've been to the san juan mtns in CO, but the more desert-y areas were cool too. we really wanted to go to arches but didn't have time.

glacier will always be my #1. i don't remember if you've been there, but if you haven't, go!

10/31/2011 7:51:02 PM

^^^^some friends of mine recently went backpacking at Enchantment Lakes in Washington state. I know nothing about difficulty, but their photos were absolutely breathtaking. Here's some info on it

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/enchantment-lakes

just google some images of the area... I am so going there for my next big trip

10/31/2011 11:00:07 PM

So as part of my AT Thru-Hike prep I told my parents that I would stay overnight during the week and help put up Christmas lights (It will take about 2-3 weeks total @ ~100,000 lights) if I could set up my tent in the back yard and sleep to better simulate what next March (when I am taking a week to go from Springer to Hiawassee) might be like. I also bought a thermometer to record the nightly lows so that I can track how comfortable I was and see if I need different clothes and to see how well my sleeping bag/pad holds up.

Where this will be different is that my tent now is not the one that I will be using since it was recommended to wait on buying an ultralight tent as the technology might change some more between now and March of 2013. So I am setting up the tent/rain fly and then a tarp over it so I don't have to put it up everyday. This test is mostly about experiencing sleeping outside in chilly weather.

That said, I haven't really given much thought to any kind of light weight yet warm pajamas for hiking. I was likely going to wear some under armor leggings and my Patagonia Cap 3 shirt but would probably like a layer on top of that but I'm not really sure what I am looking for that is light and warm.

11/1/2011 3:33:36 PM

So poll for you thru hikers:

How do you get enough time off to hike parts/all of the AT:

1. in school
2. lots of PTO from work
3. Un-employed

11/1/2011 4:20:47 PM

4. retired

11/1/2011 4:24:50 PM

Pretty much all I'm going to do when I retire. Hike, read, and drink scotch. Haha.

11/1/2011 4:26:18 PM

Quitting my job in March 2013 --> Thru Hike the AT --> Relocate to Boone and pursue a degree in Environmental Science at App. --> have a nice, quiet mountain life and build my dream home (http://enertia.com/aquarius.html) while working in acid rain study or some other form of environmental conservation.

11/1/2011 4:29:50 PM

where are you getting the money to do this?

11/1/2011 4:53:18 PM

To hike or build me a house? For my Hike I've been saving money since this past April and will continue to do so until I leave. That gives me enough cushion to hike comfortably as well as make my transition to the mountains. My home will be built in a decade or so after I have settled in with a new career.

11/1/2011 5:04:02 PM

How many kids are you going to have, and what are their names?

11/1/2011 5:35:16 PM

I know, right?

11/1/2011 5:39:39 PM

Anyone willing to let me borrow a sleeping bag for this weekend? I'd love something in the 20 degree range

11/1/2011 8:23:03 PM

dang, you guys do some real shit. I camp in my RV in race track paddocks.
moving along..

11/1/2011 9:23:06 PM

Glacier seems to be a good idea. Someone told me to check out Crater Lake area too.

There is a really crazy 15 mile trail in Hawaii...not sure if I'm willing to drop the money for airfare, though

11/2/2011 4:27:10 PM

Pretty out of the way, but there is some great hiking on Vancouver Island, across the bay from Seattle:

11/2/2011 5:36:04 PM

dannydigtl, that is an awesome story about Mt Washington!! If you ever go back, there's a post office at the top and it's cool to mail stuff with the Mt Washington stamp on it

We hiked it in the summer but the weather still sucked!! Never got to see even a 30 second break in the clouds. there were stern warning signs everywhere

11/2/2011 10:11:26 PM

$15 for $25 coupon to REI (doesn't matter where you live): http://www.google.com/offers/

11/3/2011 1:20:21 PM

I already spend way too much at REI. I feel like coupons just give me another reason to go spend a bunch more simply because I can save $10 or 20%. I guess that's why they do them though. They don't make much money off the people who ONLY spend the minimum amount.

11/3/2011 1:24:05 PM

just bought one

11/3/2011 1:26:25 PM

not only that, but they're valid with a 20% coupon at REI or on the outlet...so there's even more to save!

11/3/2011 1:27:47 PM

Bought that google offer this morning. I spend wayyyyy to much money at REI each year, and I probably have some 20% coupons sitting around somewhere....

11/3/2011 1:41:43 PM

Oh man, BOUGHT!

11/3/2011 3:20:31 PM

Totally bought.

11/3/2011 3:55:55 PM

Has anyone done the G20?

http://www.le-gr20.com/gb/

Want to plan a trip this summer with my brother.

[Edited on November 4, 2011 at 1:30 PM. Reason : or parts of it]

11/4/2011 1:29:17 PM

^ That looks epic...

11/4/2011 1:34:07 PM

Yeah I wanted to go last year. Did some hiking in the Scottish highlands instead. Think this one requires a little more planning.

11/4/2011 1:34:43 PM

Nerdchick, cool! i def want to go again in the summer. i hear there is only clear weather up there 60 days a year.

i might do some sort of loop of a couple presidentials or something

11/5/2011 8:33:11 PM

I've done some hiking in Corsica. Those mountains are giant, and very rough

11/5/2011 9:23:11 PM

I think next summer I'm looking at the John Muir Trail in CA. Anyone been?

11/7/2011 11:09:07 AM

Need a new sleeping bag since I'm still using the cheap one I got for camping, not necessarilly backpacking. Was looking at this one on Amazon, and it seems to be legit from the comments.


http://www.amazon.com/Suisse-Sport-Adventurer-Ultra-Compactable-Sleeping/dp/B001TR7QZA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=IUZSSIBYYJT6L&colid=1R7PYGANI0DOD


Any comments/concerns from TWW?

11/18/2011 8:42:31 AM

^ ive never heard of that brand

11/18/2011 9:14:20 AM

what's the best headlamp money can buy? need one for hunting, fishing, just doing shit in the dark in general.

i've got one now that's just a single elastic band and it doesn't stay put, so i'm pretty sure i want one with the battery pack in the back and the strap that goes over the top of your head. one thing i do like about mine is that it has red LEDs in addition to the regular white ones. i like the red ones for getting into the deerstand in the early morning b/c i'm not blind after i turn it off and it doesn't seem to spook deer as bad.

suggestions?

11/18/2011 9:17:21 PM

No budget? Probably one of the Surefire models:

http://www.campmor.com/surefire-saint-headlamp.shtml?source=CI&ci_sku=90207BLK

I like the cheaper Petzl's though, they seem to work good and be bright enough for me

11/19/2011 2:44:58 AM

Fumbler suggested one of the fenix headlamps
http://www.fenixlight.com/product.asp?classid=16

11/19/2011 9:13:52 AM

Has anyone ever been to fonatana dam when the lake is drawn down for inspection? I think it would eb cool to hike that portion of the AT at that time because apparently you can see the preserved buildings of the 5 or so towns that they flooded to build the reservoir. Seems really cool, i saw an account online of a dude that actually walked the bottom of the lake bed to check out the flooded towns and roads

i think its done every 5 years or so

[Edited on November 24, 2011 at 8:00 PM. Reason : f]

11/24/2011 7:58:53 PM

^got a link to that site? i'd like to read about it

11/24/2011 11:08:00 PM

Got a the 26th-2nd off from work as a bonus for meeting Goal Targets!

I'm doing Cumberland Island, GA for 2 days and then heading to Florida to do Canaveral National Seashore for 3 days (canoeing, beach camping, tours). I'm very excited since this is my Christmas Gift to my boyfriend.

Has anyone done Canaveral National Seashore before? Anything we should definitely check out?

12/12/2011 2:34:13 PM

Reserved my 10th Mountain Division hut for end of March
http://www.huts.org/

So pumped to do a hardcore snowshoeing backpacking trip.

12/12/2011 3:49:49 PM

^^,^ Both trips sound pimp, make sure yall take some pics for the rest of us to drool over!

12/12/2011 4:56:15 PM

In the primary stages of planning my trip to Corsica with my brother for later next year.

12/12/2011 5:35:51 PM

planning something in january...not sure what, yet...wives and girlfriends will not (for the most part) be going because it's so cold, so i'm stoked to be able to do some solo camping (not actually solo, but not packing for my wife will be nice)

can't decide if i want to bring my dog or leave her at home

12/13/2011 7:58:42 AM

Yeah I can't get half the people I usually would to go because it's so cold.

12/13/2011 9:14:59 AM

Yeah, that's why I'm heading south. The temps in Cumberland Island, GA tend to be around 65 this time of year and Florida is a little warmer.

I can't take another winter being cold and wet...

12/13/2011 10:09:03 AM

Quote :

"Has anyone ever been to fonatana dam when the lake is drawn down for inspection? I think it would eb cool to hike that portion of the AT at that time because apparently you can see the preserved buildings of the 5 or so towns that they flooded to build the reservoir. Seems really cool, i saw an account online of a dude that actually walked the bottom of the lake bed to check out the flooded towns and roads i think its done every 5 years or so"

I've been up there when the lake levels were low and you can easily see various houses and whatnot sticking out of the water. I imagine it would be very neat to see them without the water.

12/13/2011 10:11:21 AM

Is NEMO a good tent brand? REI is having 30-35% off online and I'm looking at a few tents:

http://www.rei.com/product/797200/nemo-morpho-1p-tent

http://www.rei.com/product/764119/big-agnes-copper-spur-ul2-tent

36% off:

http://www.rei.com/product/797213/nemo-espri-2p-tent

[Edited on December 13, 2011 at 11:51 AM. Reason : ok that Nemo morpho 1p tent looks pretty awesome.]

12/13/2011 11:42:14 AM