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[M52B28]

Is this real life?

Anyway, what are everyone's thoughts about hiking in rainy season?

It relies on where you're going to be hiking and they type of rain. If you're in wooded areas with lots of trees, the possibilities for erosion, mudslides and falling trees is going to be relatively high. In Northern CA, I would never try to hike due to the many fallen trees I've seen.

As for hiking in the rain, and risks besides that one, I don't see much of a problem as long as you're properly outfitted to handle the rain if it starts to come down hard.

Thanks for the compliment on the photo.

Otherwise you don't want to be causing rutting/mudding to trails so depending on where you're hiking and when in the season it may simply be poor manners and/or prohibited. Check ahead with the park management where you intend to hike, they can give you a good sense of what to expect.

Definitely. The people that manage these trails work really, really hard to keep them in the shape that they are in, if it's a good looking one. You can tell what place is inadequately managed due to failing erosion management systems, overgrowth covering trails, inaccurate markers, etc.

Definitely check with them to see what you should absolutely avoid doing in the area that you're likely to hike in.

-----
Man, the past couple of weeks have been benders. My job is wrapping up their sales. We had so many people coming in prepping for their camping trips, vacations.. I had to outfit a family that didn't know anything about hiking and broke down every little thing. I like my job, but it's exhausting having to be up to date with all the newest gear, advice, etc.

I'm going to do some heavy hiking sometime soon. I've been holding off because I need to get a better headlamp if I want to do some things at night.

Black Diamond had a huge discount going, but I'm going to miss it

 

[isaacnukem]

It relies on where you're going to be hiking and they type of rain. If you're in wooded areas with lots of trees, the possibilities for erosion, mudslides and falling trees is going to be relatively high. In Northern CA, I would never try to hike due to the many fallen trees I've seen.

As for hiking in the rain, and risks besides that one, I don't see much of a problem as long as you're properly outfitted to handle the rain if it starts to come down hard.

Thanks for the compliment on the photo.



Definitely. The people that manage these trails work really, really hard to keep them in the shape that they are in, if it's a good looking one. You can tell what place is inadequately managed due to failing erosion management systems, overgrowth covering trails, inaccurate markers, etc.

Definitely check with them to see what you should absolutely avoid doing in the area that you're likely to hike in.

-----
Man, the past couple of weeks have been benders. My job is wrapping up their sales. We had so many people coming in prepping for their camping trips, vacations.. I had to outfit a family that didn't know anything about hiking and broke down every little thing. I like my job, but it's exhausting having to be up to date with all the newest gear, advice, etc.

I'm going to do some heavy hiking sometime soon. I've been holding off because I need to get a better headlamp if I want to do some things at night.

Black Diamond had a huge discount going, but I'm going to miss it

I think most of the mountains I've hiked on had their caretakers relying on the weather if we're gonna hike or not. Raining hard? Nope. Lightning and thunder? Come back some other time. About the falling trees and erosion of trails, I'm almost sure they don't know about that because there is no government unit that takes care of those in my country. Well, technically there is but it is just like they've cast a wide net on tourism and put everything there.

Must be fun doing something for a living which involves something you really love to do. I don't work in the outdoors industry but I love orienting and taking people into the outdoors, often holding first time hikes for people.

Are those Black Diamond headlamps those ridiculous lights that could illuminate hundreds of meters beyond you?

 

[Head of Vengarl]

In just over a month I'll be starting my hike on the John Muir Trail! It's been an epic snow year so the river crossings and snowy/icy passes are making us a bit nervous, but it should make for one hell of an adventure. Also, I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted pics in here.

Here's two pics from our backpacking trip on the Big Pine Lakes Trail last summer, which was incredibly pretty:

The view from my tent when I sleep without the rainfly on:

In addition to our Eastern Sierra trips, we also like going to Joshua Tree:

Here's me at the summit of Mt. Baldy last month:

Also, just to give an idea of the difference between this year and last year in the Eastern Sierra mountains, here's two pics of my group standing in the same parking lot:

Summer 2016

Summer 2017

 

[bennywhatever]

I did not know this thread existed - LOVE hiking!

Luop - good luck on your hike I've touched the John Muir trail but never spent more than an hour on it. I'm sure you're in for a great time.

My wife and I are hiking up Mount Saint Helens (Washington State) in September. Gonna be an awesome one.

 

[zeemumu]

Haven't hiked in a while. I gotta choose a trail when the Chronicles of Riddick sun isn't outside.

 

[M52B28]

I think most of the mountains I've hiked on had their caretakers relying on the weather if we're gonna hike or not. Raining hard? Nope. Lightning and thunder? Come back some other time. About the falling trees and erosion of trails, I'm almost sure they don't know about that because there is no government unit that takes care of those in my country. Well, technically there is but it is just like they've cast a wide net on tourism and put everything there.

Must be fun doing something for a living which involves something you really love to do. I don't work in the outdoors industry but I love orienting and taking people into the outdoors, often holding first time hikes for people.

Are those Black Diamond headlamps those ridiculous lights that could illuminate hundreds of meters beyond you?

I suggest doing brief research on the trails you'll going to and studying the weather patterns. If there's heavy rain and there's lighting, expect some downed trees and eroded trails. Considering you say that they avoid bad weather, it's still worth considering because the weather can close down trails for a while, if bad enough.

It's a good gig for me. I work part-time, but it does kick my ass sometimes. The gear discounts are pretty substantial, so I have a bit of high end gear and clothing.

Yep, Black Diamond makes some of the best climbing gear in the world. To me, their headlamps are the best, though it may be debatable in some cases.

Spoiler

If the discount is right, I may allow for one of you to make an order along with mine. I'm about to purchase some Black Diamond gear soon.

 

[isaacnukem]

I always try and research as much as I can about the hikes that I take and it really helps me a lot because I am almost always the organizer/leader of the hikes I'm part of. Sometimes, especially with newly opened mountains or remote ones, the information is really scarce.

I really appreciate the very kind gesture bur I think the offer will be wasted on me since I live in Asia where the delivery rates alone will defeat the purpose of the discount. Thanks a lot, anyway

 

[M52B28]

Oh, that's a shame. I'm not sure if they ship to Asia anyways 😕

If anyone is interested, I do have a 20% Black Diamond discount that is useful for the public. Send me a PM, and I'll send it your way.

 

[Head of Vengarl]

I did not know this thread existed - LOVE hiking!

Luop - good luck on your hike I've touched the John Muir trail but never spent more than an hour on it. I'm sure you're in for a great time.

My wife and I are hiking up Mount Saint Helens (Washington State) in September. Gonna be an awesome one.

Thanks! We're all super excited, nervousness aside.

Oh, that's a shame. I'm not sure if they ship to Asia anyways 😕

If anyone is interested, I do have a 20% Black Diamond discount that is useful for the public. Send me a PM, and I'll send it your way.

If nobody else takes it by then, I might send you a PM in 2-3 weeks. We're all waiting until the last minute to decide to we're going to buy ice axes (we're hoping this heat waves wipes out the major snow/ice on the passes), and if we do decide to get them I'll be buying a Black Diamond one.

 

[Head of Vengarl]

Less than 1 week until I leave for the John Muir Trail.

Preparing a month's worth of food is pretty overwhelming lol.

 

[Oppo]

Less than 1 week until I leave for the John Muir Trail.

Preparing a month's worth of food is pretty overwhelming lol.

holy shiiiiit

ok what is that giant Eleventh thing? is that like a Windburner?

I want to see the whole gear list!
good lord man are you really taking all food for the whole trip from day 1?? is that a thing people do?

seriously tell us everything, I for one am super interested in thru-hikes. Just did a tiny piece of the Bruce Trail in Ontario and i hunger for more.

 

[Vicetrailia]

I love hiking, but haven't been anywhere exotic. I live in North Carolina and have been the typical Hanging Rock, Grandfather Mountain, etc, etc. I need to go visit my marine buddy in San Diego when he gets back and go hiking there.

 

[M52B28]

Nice spread of gear, Luap.

I haven't been anywhere quite yet. I'm definitely planning to get out soon.

 

[Chance Hale]

What are the hottest spots in Denver? And does anyone have recommendations on where to learn how to properly and safely rock climb natural mountains?

 

[Head of Vengarl]

holy shiiiiit

ok what is that giant Eleventh thing? is that like a Windburner?

I want to see the whole gear list!
good lord man are you really taking all food for the whole trip from day 1?? is that a thing people do?

seriously tell us everything, I for one am super interested in thru-hikes. Just did a tiny piece of the Bruce Trail in Ontario and i hunger for more.

Heavens no lol, I'm not carrying a month's worth of food on me all at once. That orange bucket you see in the background is one of my resupply buckets. I'm going to stuff it full of food/fuel/toilet paper/etc. and mail it to Vermilion Valley Resort, and then we'll hike there and resupply our bear cans. We have 4 resupply stops along the way. The longest I'm going is 8 days without a resupply.

By Eleventh thing I'm guessing you're talking about the black bucket? That's my Garcia Bear-Resistant Container. You put your food and other scented items (toothpaste, soap) in it to protect against having it stolen by bears or other wildlife. The transparent blue can is my second bear can - the BearVault BV450. I'm very skinny so I couldn't fit enough food into just 1 bear can for my caloric needs.

If I have time I'll type out my full gear list. For now I gotta get back to work though. It's incredibly time consuming putting together my breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and daily snacks for a month-long hike!

 

[isaacnukem]

Luap good luck on the hike! I personally haven't hiked overnight yet but eventually I have to, if I want to do more challenging hikes.

A question for hikers who also work out: if your hike takes what would normally be your rest day, do you still work out or jog or run the next day after the hike or do you just rest?

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Look.

I came across this thread by accident.

The thread title is on point.

 

[Anno]

The wife and I just got back from a few days in Glacier National Park. That place is crazy. No matter where you hike it's basically the most majestically beautiful place I've ever seen.

 

[SafeinSound]

The wife and I just got back from a few days in Glacier National Park. That place is crazy. No matter where you hike it's basically the most majestically beautiful place I've ever seen.

Jealous! Possibly going out there later this year.

 

[Anno]

Jealous! Possibly going out there later this year.

I would definitely recommend it! We stayed in East Glacier at the Rising Sun cabins or something like that. They were reasonably priced and comfortable and the lodge had surprisingly excellent food. We got there via train from Minneapolis which I would also recommend if you want a nice relaxing trip with some beautiful scenery.

 

[victreeb3l]

Any recommended half day hikes for Olympic NP? Is late July a good time to visit? I wanna visit the coast line as well as get to the mountains! Place looks so diverse.

I would definitely recommend it! We stayed in East Glacier at the Rising Sun cabins or something like that. They were reasonably priced and comfortable and the lodge had surprisingly excellent food. We got there via train from Minneapolis which I would also recommend if you want a nice relaxing trip with some beautiful scenery.

Can you get around Glacier without a car? Does it have a good shuttle system? It's been on my to do list forever but lack of car access has made me put it off.

 

[SafeinSound]

I would definitely recommend it! We stayed in East Glacier at the Rising Sun cabins or something like that. They were reasonably priced and comfortable and the lodge had surprisingly excellent food. We got there via train from Minneapolis which I would also recommend if you want a nice relaxing trip with some beautiful scenery.

We are gonna be flying out to Denver at the endish of October and doing Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Teton (maybe), Zion, and probably some others along the way. Depending on what the weather is and our plans we might stop there. We haven't really done any planning yet other than States and looking at ticket prices, and being approved for time off work.

At some point in my life I plan on going there. Hopefully before the rest of the damn glaciers melt there.

You should post some pics! I love looking at everyone's adventures.

 

[Anno]

Can you get around Glacier without a car? Does it have a good shuttle system? It's been on my to do list forever but lack of car access has made me put it off.

There are plenty of busses but I'm not sure they were really acting like a shuttle, so I guess I don't know. Sorry. There are a few rental places within an hour or so if you just need a car for a day or two. It's totally worth it.

Any recommended half day hikes for Olympic NP? Is late July a good time to visit? I wanna visit the coast line as well as get to the mountains! Place looks so diverse.

We went to Olympic on this trip as well (And have been there in the past) and it's another beautiful area of the country. The Hoh rainforest has a good amount of hiking available, I think. I'd also recommend going yo Rialto beach and walking a few miles down to this hole in the wall thing. The walk along the beach is great and when you get there you'll see a bunch of tide pools with crabs and starfish and stuff. It's fun.

If you go and stay near Forks then I very, very highly recommend the Huckleberry Lodge. Stay at the Trappers cabin and you'll sleep in the best bed I've ever encountered on the road. The people are really nice as well and you're close to a lot of interesting things to do.

We are gonna be flying out to Denver at the endish of October and doing Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Teton (maybe), Zion, and probably some others along the way. Depending on what the weather is and our plans we might stop there. We haven't really done any planning yet other than States and looking at ticket prices, and being approved for time off work.

At some point in my life I plan on going there. Hopefully before the rest of the damn glaciers melt there.

You should post some pics! I love looking at everyone's adventures.

They're currently estimating 2030 or so before all the glaciers are gone. So you've got some time! But not as much as I would like. It's sad to think about.

I'll see if my wife has any pictures uploaded yet. She's the one crazy about national parks. I think she's now been to all but like two. It makes me jealous of her time off in the summer as a teacher lol. I'm at home working and taking care of the animals and she's galavanting around the country seeing awesome places.

 

[woolley]

Less than 1 week until I leave for the John Muir Trail.

Preparing a month's worth of food is pretty overwhelming lol.

Damn dude, living my dream. I'll do the John Muir one day but it won't be anytime soon.

 

[shnurgleton]

I had a really fucked be experience in the narrows but I wouldn't skip it for the world.

Went to the far upriver trailhead, but one of our group forgot both his boots and his walking stick. We went on anyways.

Ran out of water. One of our group had a UV purifier so we refilled at the major fork in the river.

Couldn't find our campsite and it was past sundown. Found a patch of land and somehow survived.

Made it through the night and our unprepared hiker friend was eating all our food because of his unpreparedness. Two out of the four of us were either incapacitated or hungry, so I and my other friend were almost dragging them along with us.

Unprepared hiker got weird, laid on a rock a mile or two from the the end, pledged he could not go on. We plowed ahead, got help, dragged him to the end.

Horrifying in the moment, amazing in retrospect. Place is beautiful and brutal. Just...be prepared for the worst.

 

[JoJoShabadoo]

Is hiking in the Winter only recommended for people with a lot of experience?

I might be in Northern Patagonia, Argentina next month and there are some great hiking trails there, but as it'll be Winter I imagine it can be much more grueling and challenging than in the other seasons.

 

[Chance Hale]

Hiked the Mountain of the Holy Cross which was my first 14er as I guess they're called. What's a good follow up that perhaps is a bit shorter(think this was 13 miles?) and doesn't have a return climb because that was fucking brutal given how tired I was. Didn't mind the rocky approach to the summit at all tho.

Hailstorm that arrived a few hours early in the last mile of the return climb was miserable tho.

 

[SafeinSound]

Just ordered the fenix 5. Anybody have an experience with it for hiking?

 

[parrotbeak]

Ran out of water. One of our group had a UV purifier so we refilled at the major fork in the river.

Just curious, what kind of UV purifier did your group have? I carry a lifestraw but haven't used it yet--one time I ran out of water was on a ridge and there was no water source until we got back into the valley and by then we were almost out.

Cool write up. Those times are always great learning experiences--so long as you make it through. My friends who hike a lot always over-prepare and people often look at us weird cuz we have big packs and appear over dressed with gear even for a short hike, but having been lost, having run out of water, having been caught in flash floods, we would rather have too much than too little.

 

[Head of Vengarl]

Yesterday my group and I returned home after successfully completing the John Muir Trail (southbound). I have so much I could say, but for now I'll just be lazy and copy+paste my post from FB/Insta:

Sunrise on top of Mt. Whitney. Thru-hiking the John Muir Trail is the coolest thing I've ever done. That final hike to the Whitney summit, done in the middle of the night with shooting stars flying overhead, was an unforgettable experience.

But more importantly, it was the people that left the biggest impression on me - not just my crew [names removed for privacy], but the unique and intrepid fellow adventurers we met along the way: Bekah (really our 6th), Nina & Ashley, Cindy (our "spirit guide"), Kristina, Ellen, Kevin, Chuck, Jen & Hannah, Don, Savannah (our "nature guide") & Becca, Olya, Peter, Tim & Alice ("the Aussies"), Nathan, and many others whose names I never caught, like the elderly man near the base of the Golden Staircase who told Eric & me: "You've got a real thumper of a hike ahead of you!" We spent the rest of the trip quoting him whenever we ran into a tough climb.

My main takeaway was this: If you want to meet cool people, go out there and do cool stuff. May I suggest hiking the #JMT?

 

[Raven117]

If you want to meet cool people, go out there and do cool stuff. [/I]

Great pics!

Damn, this quote is simple and yet extremely accurate.

I had a really fucked be experience in the narrows but I wouldn't skip it for the world.

Went to the far upriver trailhead, but one of our group forgot both his boots and his walking stick. We went on anyways.

Ran out of water. One of our group had a UV purifier so we refilled at the major fork in the river.

Couldn't find our campsite and it was past sundown. Found a patch of land and somehow survived.

Made it through the night and our unprepared hiker friend was eating all our food because of his unpreparedness. Two out of the four of us were either incapacitated or hungry, so I and my other friend were almost dragging them along with us.

Unprepared hiker got weird, laid on a rock a mile or two from the the end, pledged he could not go on. We plowed ahead, got help, dragged him to the end.

Horrifying in the moment, amazing in retrospect. Place is beautiful and brutal. Just...be prepared for the worst.

What a story. Moral of the story for anyone trekking with friends. Sometimes, you have to be a leader. Make sure everyone has the right gear, the right preparations. And if need be, insist the guy can't come with you without proper preparations.

While it all worked out well, different circumstances could have put yalls lives in danger.

 

[Head of Vengarl]

A trail buddy I met on the JMT just uploaded this highlight video of her (and indirectly, my) journey! My crew makes several cameo appearances throughout. I think she did a great job of capturing the incredible experience we all went through. Check it out:

John Muir Trail 2017 July 24th - August 11th

 

[SafeinSound]

Awesome video! Looks absolutely amazing. Dying to do something like this at some point in my life.




Question, does anybody have any experience with micro-spikes? Looking at possibly picking these up, https://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/s...Footwear-Traction_10293784_10208_10000001_-1_


My girlfriend and I are leaving for Colorado, Wyoming and Utah in a week and there is already snow and ice in locations. Also, is using trekking poles with micro spikes recommended for more traction?

 

[M52B28]

Awesome video! Looks absolutely amazing. Dying to do something like this at some point in my life.




Question, does anybody have any experience with micro-spikes? Looking at possibly picking these up, https://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/s...Footwear-Traction_10293784_10208_10000001_-1_


My girlfriend and I are leaving for Colorado, Wyoming and Utah in a week and there is already snow and ice in locations. Also, is using trekking poles with micro spikes recommended for more traction?

Haven't used these before, but I've been advocated to inform customers about these if they're looking for anything to help them gain traction in slippery areas.

 

[RedNalgene]

Awesome video! Looks absolutely amazing. Dying to do something like this at some point in my life.




Question, does anybody have any experience with micro-spikes? Looking at possibly picking these up, https://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/s...Footwear-Traction_10293784_10208_10000001_-1_


My girlfriend and I are leaving for Colorado, Wyoming and Utah in a week and there is already snow and ice in locations. Also, is using trekking poles with micro spikes recommended for more traction?

I used these when hiking in Nepal. They are very helpful when you need to cross icy sections of somewhat flat trail and are easy to pop on and off if the ice is intermittent. They also pack down really small and/or can be lashed to the back of your pack if you're switching in and out of them. Just keep in mind they are not a replacement for crampons, so if you're doing anything with a decent grade they're going to fail. My guess is they'll be fine for what you're trying to do, and they definitely do help with purchase on ice.

Trekking poles are great too. My wife and I usually share a pair since that allows you one pole for stability and one free hand for something else.

 

[Flying Toaster]

A trail buddy I met on the JMT just uploaded this highlight video of her (and indirectly, my) journey! My crew makes several cameo appearances throughout. I think she did a great job of capturing the incredible experience we all went through. Check it out:

John Muir Trail 2017 July 24th - August 11th

Late to the party on your original post about this trip but wow that is amazing. I am jealous and envious of that great adventure.

Thanks for including a link to the video it is always neat to see people filming their trips.