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Hiking Gaf - "Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory."
- Thread starter Tex117
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Darren870
Member
No, haven't been there actually. It would be about 5 days I think, but we would aim to climb Mt. Tomanivi, since we tend to try and climb the highest mountains everywhere we go. Though, maybe Mount Victoria is higher? Have to look into it more
Here are some recentish pics. Excuse the Instagram layout, don't have access to the originals at the moment.
Grampians:
Wilsons Prom:
Mount Ngungun:
Mount Kinabalu:
Yeah, I'm going to have to plan quite a bit ahead of time. I'm going to start putting together a plan.
My god, that last picture. How long did it take to get to that exact point?
Darren870
Member
Thats Mount Kinabalu. Its a 2 day hike, the first day is from 1,866 metres to 3,270 metres which takes about 6 hours maybe. I think we left at 9 and got there at 2-3.
The next day you have to wake up at like 1am to get there for sunrise at 5-6am. Takes 2-3 hours to the peak but you eat before hand. The top is 4,095 metres. Thats on the way back down since its pitch black going back up and you only have your head lamp.
Its not that hard of a climb, but it can be slippery if it rains, which is why there are ropes everywhere. Some places though you need the ropes as its really steep. Oh plus the altitude if your not used to climbing that high.
Head of Vengarl
Banned
Well, we're on a video game forum.
It's not exactly the ideal place to find outdoorsy types.Thankfully I managed to get in one camping/hiking trip before tax season started. I went to Joshua Tree with some friends. I had never been there before but they had, so they knew of some cool hiking areas. It was a lot of fun and we lucked out with clear, not-too-cold weather.
Colonel Mustard
Banned
I had no idea this thread existed.
A tip for anyone thinking about doing North Fork trail in Seneca, WV. Start at the north trail head if you intend to do both ways. It's technically trespassing, but makes burying water for the return hike manageable.
A tip for anyone thinking about doing North Fork trail in Seneca, WV. Start at the north trail head if you intend to do both ways. It's technically trespassing, but makes burying water for the return hike manageable.
CarlieCaplin
Member
Just ordered this baby here:
My plans shifted from April to Oct/Nov 2016.
My plans shifted from April to Oct/Nov 2016.
I'm just updating this thread to shout out how awesome REI is.
Their one year, no questions asked return policy is awesome.
When I'm in their store again, I'm going to plop down $20 for their Co-op membership for a lifetime.
I won't be buying many boots from them because they don't carry my size often (14 2E), but for all other outdoors peripherals, I'm going to stick with them.
I bought a pair of hiking boots that were regular width. The footwear dept manager said that I wouldn't run into many problems, so I bought them anyways. They didn't hurt my feet at all. I logged about 20 miles on them. (Rain, light trails, heavy duty work.) My foot would bulge out towards the back, so that made me think about the unnecessary stress my feet would put them through.
They got some scuffs, but REI said nothing. My refund went through right away, and I ordered a wide from Amazon due to none of the REIs having them in my size in the area.
I've had an interest in that company since I was younger, and it followed through.
Also, I picked up a Military Molle pack online. I think it will be useful for day trips to various places. I also read the extensive reviews: It's a beast. With that, I picked up a solar powered, rugged external battery pack.
So much for me to purchase.
Their one year, no questions asked return policy is awesome.
When I'm in their store again, I'm going to plop down $20 for their Co-op membership for a lifetime.
I won't be buying many boots from them because they don't carry my size often (14 2E), but for all other outdoors peripherals, I'm going to stick with them.
I bought a pair of hiking boots that were regular width. The footwear dept manager said that I wouldn't run into many problems, so I bought them anyways. They didn't hurt my feet at all. I logged about 20 miles on them. (Rain, light trails, heavy duty work.) My foot would bulge out towards the back, so that made me think about the unnecessary stress my feet would put them through.
They got some scuffs, but REI said nothing. My refund went through right away, and I ordered a wide from Amazon due to none of the REIs having them in my size in the area.
I've had an interest in that company since I was younger, and it followed through.
Also, I picked up a Military Molle pack online. I think it will be useful for day trips to various places. I also read the extensive reviews: It's a beast. With that, I picked up a solar powered, rugged external battery pack.
So much for me to purchase.
Going on a hike to Purisima Redwook Creek Trails in California this weekend.
I'm worried about potential mountain lion sightings, but I can't let that hold me back, especially since they are seen all of the time on my college campus.
They like to pounce on unsuspecting people, and they get scared off if they feel ill sized compared to their prey.
Anyways, I'm going on a day hike from early AM until around 2PM. I plan on getting there at the crack of dawn.
If shit gets hard, I have some good stuff to keep me going. Dressings, snacks, ample water, proper headlamp.
I'll report back to this thread with my thoughts and some photos (I'm bringing my big DSLR and a tripod) for those who are curious about this particular place.
Until then 🙋
Here are some photos not taken by me.
I'm worried about potential mountain lion sightings, but I can't let that hold me back, especially since they are seen all of the time on my college campus.
They like to pounce on unsuspecting people, and they get scared off if they feel ill sized compared to their prey.
Anyways, I'm going on a day hike from early AM until around 2PM. I plan on getting there at the crack of dawn.
If shit gets hard, I have some good stuff to keep me going. Dressings, snacks, ample water, proper headlamp.
I'll report back to this thread with my thoughts and some photos (I'm bringing my big DSLR and a tripod) for those who are curious about this particular place.
Until then 🙋
Here are some photos not taken by me.
Cpt.Underpants
Member
What do you guys wear underneath your over trousers when you're hill walking in a very cold weather?
Miss.Selfdestruct
Member
There's some awesome awesome pictures in this thread.
Going to be heading out to Zion in 2 weeks for a few days. Hoping to get some trails in.
Other than Zion, done a few trails in Yosemite, Kings Canyon/ Sequoia, Joshua Tree, Angeles Forest, Topanga Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Lake Powell/Antelope Canyon region.
There's a surprising amount of great spots in Southern California. Really though, the entire South West is fucking gorgeous.
Horseshoe Bend
For gear, I lucked out on a pair of Merrel hiking shoes on sale without knowing about the brand beforehand. Highly recommend it now, haha.
Packs... also lucked out on an Osprey pack about 1.5 years ago and it's still holding up strong. Cheap, great material, plenty of space for a day's hike supplies, and you can make it into a hydration pack.
Going to be heading out to Zion in 2 weeks for a few days. Hoping to get some trails in.
Other than Zion, done a few trails in Yosemite, Kings Canyon/ Sequoia, Joshua Tree, Angeles Forest, Topanga Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Lake Powell/Antelope Canyon region.
There's a surprising amount of great spots in Southern California. Really though, the entire South West is fucking gorgeous.
Horseshoe Bend
For gear, I lucked out on a pair of Merrel hiking shoes on sale without knowing about the brand beforehand. Highly recommend it now, haha.
Packs... also lucked out on an Osprey pack about 1.5 years ago and it's still holding up strong. Cheap, great material, plenty of space for a day's hike supplies, and you can make it into a hydration pack.
Darren870
Member
You can get some thermals, but I don't wear them. Just being on the move keeps me warm.
I use some merinowool underpants..
i had a kinda intense hike the other week.
my plan was to hike along this river trail that i'd read about, 6 miles, relatively flat, no problem. but i drive up there ~an hour from my house, and i can't find the trail. looked around for a while, nada. i came across a different trailhead, saw a sign for the mailbox peak trail, which i had read about before. it's a 4000k foot elevation gain over 3 miles, pretty steep .. so i said fuck it, i drove all the way out here, might as well climb this peak.
but i was poorly prepared. i had only eaten a bagel for breakfast, and thought i had a clif bar in my bag (but i'd forgotten to put it in) and didn't have a ton of water. which all would've been fine if i was just walking the river trail instead of the treacherous mailbox peak of death.
long story short, halfway up i was starving as fuck, and that's right about when i hit the snowy part of the mountain which makes progress alot more difficult (since i'm not really properly equipped to be hiking in snow). started feeling kinda weak and woozy. i kept going for a while but eventually turned back short of the summit, feeling super whipped and dehydrated.
that's my recent hiking story. i plan to return to that peak with proper equipment/food/water in the near future..
my plan was to hike along this river trail that i'd read about, 6 miles, relatively flat, no problem. but i drive up there ~an hour from my house, and i can't find the trail. looked around for a while, nada. i came across a different trailhead, saw a sign for the mailbox peak trail, which i had read about before. it's a 4000k foot elevation gain over 3 miles, pretty steep .. so i said fuck it, i drove all the way out here, might as well climb this peak.
but i was poorly prepared. i had only eaten a bagel for breakfast, and thought i had a clif bar in my bag (but i'd forgotten to put it in) and didn't have a ton of water. which all would've been fine if i was just walking the river trail instead of the treacherous mailbox peak of death.
long story short, halfway up i was starving as fuck, and that's right about when i hit the snowy part of the mountain which makes progress alot more difficult (since i'm not really properly equipped to be hiking in snow). started feeling kinda weak and woozy. i kept going for a while but eventually turned back short of the summit, feeling super whipped and dehydrated.
that's my recent hiking story. i plan to return to that peak with proper equipment/food/water in the near future..
Cpt.Underpants
Member
Thanks
Just wore some helly hansen baselayer underneath the over-trouser
Just wore some helly hansen baselayer underneath the over-trouser
Hi everyone, I did Purisima Creek Redwoods. The hike took me from 6:16am until 12:00pm to complete. I could have ran through faster, but I had time to get some R&R.
The elevation change was actually quite interesting, but the drive was even more crazy. I had almost no visibility. I left at 4:37am and made it there at 5:10am. There was so much fog, rain, wind, just everything. The elevation being pretty high up was due to Skyline Blvd. being high up (that's the road to the southernmost trail head.)
Anyways, it was fucking amazing carving roads with no traffic.
The hike was beautiful. I had to use my headlamp for a greater part because I decided to get out early. It was sort of scary being the only person on the trail, but I started to get accustomed.
Eventually, I ran into a runner that took a cool picture of me.
I took a good amount of pictures to give you all an idea.
I had to drive high up. The hike down to the creek bed was easy, but getting back up, I had to hustle back to make sure I got back in time. I had about 30lbs of stuff with me in my day pack. That includes water, my camera gear, laptop, notebooks, foods, etc.
Good investment.
The elevation change was actually quite interesting, but the drive was even more crazy. I had almost no visibility. I left at 4:37am and made it there at 5:10am. There was so much fog, rain, wind, just everything. The elevation being pretty high up was due to Skyline Blvd. being high up (that's the road to the southernmost trail head.)
Anyways, it was fucking amazing carving roads with no traffic.
The hike was beautiful. I had to use my headlamp for a greater part because I decided to get out early. It was sort of scary being the only person on the trail, but I started to get accustomed.
Eventually, I ran into a runner that took a cool picture of me.
I took a good amount of pictures to give you all an idea.
I had to drive high up. The hike down to the creek bed was easy, but getting back up, I had to hustle back to make sure I got back in time. I had about 30lbs of stuff with me in my day pack. That includes water, my camera gear, laptop, notebooks, foods, etc.
I can attest. I have some socks as well, and after dealing with the winters that we can have in the Midwest, they're a good staple for when stuff starts to get chilly. They're also surprisingly breathable.
Good investment.
those are great pictures, thanks for sharing! California seems so beautiful but I've never hiked around there at all .. shame. also, 30 lbs seems like a heavy pack for a day hike .. just out of curiosity, why did you bring laptop/notebooks with you? drawing?
Yeah, this is my first time really photographing the trails I've been on here. The place is beautiful. Even the small hikes in the Bay Area can warrant amazing visuals.
I packed my bag for the whole day because I wasn't going to be home for a while. Right after the trail I went to my brother's place, did homework and organized my photos with my laptop.
Seriously, consider doing a hike on the northern part of the Pacific Coast.
Thanks for the compliments on the photos as well. I thought they were mediocre, but it's nice to know someone appreciated them.
they made me want to get outside TODAY. sadly i'm stuck doing homework.
Cpt.Underpants
Member
Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh. There's literally a seat at the top of the hill
Looks awesome, would love to hike outside of the states some day.
Last weekend was supposed to be snowshowing, but it was mostly hiking on snow since it was pretty packed. Hiked to the top of sunlight mountain near Glenwood Springs, CO.
P3057617.jpg by adamwolach, on Flickr
P3057664.jpg by adamwolach, on Flickr
P3057733-HDR.jpg by adamwolach, on Flickr
P3057687.jpg by adamwolach, on Flickr
P3057678-Pano.jpg by adamwolach, on Flickr
P3057675-Pano.jpg by adamwolach, on Flickr
P3057750.jpg by adamwolach, on Flickr
Last weekend was supposed to be snowshowing, but it was mostly hiking on snow since it was pretty packed. Hiked to the top of sunlight mountain near Glenwood Springs, CO.
P3057617.jpg by adamwolach, on FlickrP3057664.jpg by adamwolach, on FlickrP3057733-HDR.jpg by adamwolach, on FlickrP3057687.jpg by adamwolach, on FlickrP3057678-Pano.jpg by adamwolach, on FlickrP3057675-Pano.jpg by adamwolach, on FlickrP3057750.jpg by adamwolach, on FlickrShort notice backpacking trip to Mark Twain National Forest next week. I have to do a few more gear purchases.
My friend and I plan on doing a rugged and long trail that has us cutting through creeks. It's going to be raining as well.
That said, I'm fairly ready, but my friend needs to purchase more gear.
I'll probably post more about my plans later. Meanwhile, here are some photos not taken by me.
I'm hyped. Spring time is coming around, so maybe I'll see some early blossoms.
Also, it's going to be fucking cold, so I'm going to need a better sleeping bag.
My friend and I plan on doing a rugged and long trail that has us cutting through creeks. It's going to be raining as well.
That said, I'm fairly ready, but my friend needs to purchase more gear.
I'll probably post more about my plans later. Meanwhile, here are some photos not taken by me.
I'm hyped. Spring time is coming around, so maybe I'll see some early blossoms.
Also, it's going to be fucking cold, so I'm going to need a better sleeping bag.
I'm planning to do the Kungsleden trail in northern Sweden this summer. It's about 440km (270mi) so it's probably gonna take a bit over two weeks. The problem is my phone, which I use as a camera on hikes, lasts at best a week. Would people here recommend a solar panel or just a battery pack?
Bonus pics from some recent hikes in NZ.
Bonus pics from some recent hikes in NZ.
First off, that looks like an awesome retreat.
To answer your question, people use either. One person I spoke to, for example, liked to keep a solar panel powered battery pack that he could charge. Some charge slow, some charge fast.
Me, on the other hand, I like to carry a solar less battery pack @10,500 mAH. I don't use my phone on trails or hikes, but I keep it just in case + it has a high powered flashlight on it.
Knowing the excursion is going to be about 2 weeks, I suggest a solar powered pack.
Here's a good company that I'm somewhat partnered with.
http://www.goalzero.com/mobile/p/11/nomad-7-solar-panel/
Though it's somewhat pricey, it's of high quality and is very weather resistant. I suggest you give that a proper look.
If you can find a ruggedized battery bank, you should bring that along with the solar panel since it doesn't hold charge.
There are also solar battery packs, but I'm unsure of the reliability of those. There are some on Amazon. There are lots of them, but I hear that they are mainly gimmicks on the solar side of things.
---
I just acquired some fresh multi-day hike gear.
Osprey Skarab EX 32L Hydration Pack.
Considering there are no reviews online for this bag (this pisses me off.), I'm going to put together a 5-7 minute high quality review of it when I get a chance. The bag is really great so far.
My company threw me a ton of NikWax Techwash for rain-proofing my stuff.
The next thing I purchase will probably be a pair of Asolo TPS 520 GTX EVO boots or Asolo Fugitive GTX boots.
I also have my eyes on an Arc'Teryx rain coat for hiking.
This stuff is expensive, but it's pretty much guaranteed to keep me going for years and years. The summertime is going to be of high activity, so I'm going to be using the living hell out of this stuff.
I through hiked a trail in Maryland on spring break, so I'll post some photos of that trail later.
I had my eye on this one actually. I think for me it'll be either a panel or a battery pack, but not both. Got to keep the weight down.
Thanks for the tips.
BriareosGAF
Member
Sounds awesome, good luck. Since I've had kids big trips like this faded but with them getting older now we're slowly approaching the time when they can do these with us.
I manage a 270 acre parcel of land out here in Maine as part of a Land Trust, season has been starting up, had some volunteers out this weekend as part of Earth Day that I was directing for trail improvements. Always fun sharing all the knowledge you learn from the old timers--lots of the property was logging up to the 50s and various landscape features attest to that in interesting ways.
Goals this summer are to head up to the Cutler Coast here in Maine for one of the most gorgeous day hikes in the state. We also usually do a few days in Acadia hiking around but I think we'll switch it up to the White Mountains this year. We've also done Katahdin at Baxter State Park, Mt. Blue, etc.
I hiked from Abisko to Nikkaluokta on that trail a couple years back and loved it. It was a pretty easy hike and the scenery was amazing, although the trail itself was heavily worn down from years of hiking.
Nice. Yeah, it all looks pretty easy. No very steep hills and plenty of places where you can stock up on food. Should be more than fine with 4 or 5 days of food in my bag at any time. Planning to walk at least 25km a day, so that's 5 to 6 hours of walking with a (hopefully) fairly light backpack.
Since I'm planning to do this at the end of July nights will be very short. I'm used to going to going to bed at sunset and getting up at sunrise when hiking. You can't really do that if the sun sets at 2300 and rises 0300, or something silly like that. So that'll be interesting!
Looking at this OP, I feel like we could use something more informal and something that provides help for people just getting into the outdoors.
I'm fairly versed with Photoshop and Illustrator due to my degree interests, so I could whip together a nice, informal OP.
What do you all think of this?
I'm fairly versed with Photoshop and Illustrator due to my degree interests, so I could whip together a nice, informal OP.
What do you all think of this?
that is freakin awesome.
ThatGayWolf
Member
Sounds pretty nice. I'm thinking of doing some hikes with the bf or friends this summer, just shorter ones, in the northwest. Attempted beacon rock a couple weeks ago but... It was closed because wind ripped out the railings :c
Another nice hike in WA is silver star mountain.
Go for it, I've decided this is the summer I finally get back into hiking with the various groups around Philadelphia that go on treks every weekend.
Alright, I'll contact a moderator.
For now, does anyone have ideas for a thread name?
Hiking GAF, sure, but we need something else. If we make a new one, I want to keep it afloat.
Hey there everyone who is interested in this thread,
I got approval from moderators for creation of a new thread.
Although the participation of people is the biggest part of the thread, a clean, inviting and interesting OT is needed, so as requested by the mod I contacted, they suggested making a thread about the general outdoors instead of just hiking. Considering the many outdoor disciplines, it will be pretty hard to cover everything, so I'm going to ask for help from everyone to create an amazing OT.
I sat down over coffee and made up a few starter names and banners.
One name I thought out for the OT would be:
NeoGaf's The Great Outdoors OT | Camping, Hiking and Everything Between
For the banner, I sketched out a hiker/mountaineerer gazing at the summit of a mountain from afar. The NeoGaf logo is shaped like peaks, so I want to incorporate the NeoGaf logo into the mountain summit.
Apart from names and banners, I want the OT to be organized well.
Ex: Suggestions for different disciplines. Hiking, for example, would have categories such as clothing/footwear, backpacks/hydration packs, safety gear.
Things like clothing and backpacks will have sub categories like what is recommended for what climates, etc.
All other categories will be broken down like that for consistency (camping is pretty broad, so I'll be loose on that section.)
Knowing I can't cover everything, I'm going to have links going to our favorite outdoors sites that provide good knowledge.
Anyways, if anyone wants to help out with this, feel free to drop suggestions or PM me.
I got approval from moderators for creation of a new thread.
Although the participation of people is the biggest part of the thread, a clean, inviting and interesting OT is needed, so as requested by the mod I contacted, they suggested making a thread about the general outdoors instead of just hiking. Considering the many outdoor disciplines, it will be pretty hard to cover everything, so I'm going to ask for help from everyone to create an amazing OT.
I sat down over coffee and made up a few starter names and banners.
One name I thought out for the OT would be:
NeoGaf's The Great Outdoors OT | Camping, Hiking and Everything Between
For the banner, I sketched out a hiker/mountaineerer gazing at the summit of a mountain from afar. The NeoGaf logo is shaped like peaks, so I want to incorporate the NeoGaf logo into the mountain summit.
Apart from names and banners, I want the OT to be organized well.
Ex: Suggestions for different disciplines. Hiking, for example, would have categories such as clothing/footwear, backpacks/hydration packs, safety gear.
Things like clothing and backpacks will have sub categories like what is recommended for what climates, etc.
All other categories will be broken down like that for consistency (camping is pretty broad, so I'll be loose on that section.)
Knowing I can't cover everything, I'm going to have links going to our favorite outdoors sites that provide good knowledge.
Anyways, if anyone wants to help out with this, feel free to drop suggestions or PM me.
I love graphic design and the outdoors. That's why I'm so enthusiastic to work on this 😜
Food might also be an interesting topic. At least for those interested in multi-day hikes. I remember that being my biggest worry before getting into it. Maybe someone even has suggestions for something other than instant noodles and soup (which is what I live off usually) or super expensive dehydrated meals.
The Great Outdoors OT | Life beyond the curtains
The Great Outdoors OT | Life beyond the curtains
Blasted through a trail today.
It was two miles with a steep elevation change, but it was pretty easy with my backpack with school stuff in it.
I'm going to do something more planned out v and prepared next week. I may just do a trail tomorrow if I get space to.
As for the updated thread, I haven't sat down to work on it, but I'll start working on it in a bit.
It was two miles with a steep elevation change, but it was pretty easy with my backpack with school stuff in it.
I'm going to do something more planned out v and prepared next week. I may just do a trail tomorrow if I get space to.
As for the updated thread, I haven't sat down to work on it, but I'll start working on it in a bit.
Good luck on the OT. I'm more into camping and the occasional fishing myself. But I did the small trail near me earlier thanks to this thread. My god I envy you guys that go for miles and weeks. Maybe someday, but I'm sticking to the easier ones in LA. I'm guessing the highest peak I've done was one of the trails in Big Sur.
Nice, hiking thread.
Cool, me too. Though I'll probably settle with Abisko to Nikkaluokta (108km), since it's my first longer hike. Need to start looking into some gear, and doing some shorter hikes in my nearby area (got a national park nearby). Also talk a friend into this whole thing...
Cool, me too. Though I'll probably settle with Abisko to Nikkaluokta (108km), since it's my first longer hike. Need to start looking into some gear, and doing some shorter hikes in my nearby area (got a national park nearby). Also talk a friend into this whole thing...
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