Rae Lakes Loop- Day 4/5

Day 4- Glen Pass.

How I loved it.

How I hated it.

Rae Lakes Loop- Day 3

Day 3- I woke up half-frozen the next morning, discovering a flaw in my new sleeping bag- My tossing and turning would force the down to settle, leaving cold spots EVERYWHERE.

Rae Lakes Loop- Day 2

Day 2- Surprisingly, I wasn't very sore on Day 2. With breakfast out of the way, I was ready to get on the trail- we had time to make up.

Rae Lakes Loop- Day 1

June 2014- I'd been itching to get back to the Sierras, but even with the dry winter we had there was still snow on the mountains. I waited as long as I could, then dared to make the trek to the glorious Rae Lakes. Hindsight being what it is, I may have waited longer...

Big Sur- Pine Ridge Trail- Sykes Hot Springs Trip - Day 3

After spending the night lounging in the hot springs, I slept deeply that night. I did wake up in the middle of the night, cold again as I readjusted my bag. Once again my feet had hit the tent, the condensation soaking the toe box. I brushed off the condensation, fluffed up the down, and shimmied back upwards.

Big Sur- Pine Ridge Trail- Sykes Hot Springs Trip - Day 2

There's something awesome about waking up next to a river. There's something awful as well.

Winter Blues: Black Friday and Beyond

Some brave souls face the fourth season with the heart of lions, while most backpackers are three season types. So what do three season backpackers do during winter?

Shop!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Thoughts on Food.

While backpacking and exploring the country-side, there is a piece of gear I refuse to compromise on- food. Leaving the comforts of civilization behind does not mean you have to eat bland foods every day.

While I may not have the lightest of packs, I am on the lighter side compared to half the people I meet on the trail. I spend time, money, and effort in cutting out extra grams from my gear, but not just to carry less weight. I do it because for every gram I cut from my pack is another gram of food I can bring. Since my recent indulgence on getting lighter gear, I felt I could splurge even more on food, allowing me to experiment some. In my most recent trip to Yosemite, I decided to try some new foods out.

GEAR REVIEW: SHELTER- Tarp/Bivy/Line/Stakes

Disclaimer- I will never review an item I have not personally used on a trip.

BUSHCRAFT OUTFITTERS SILNYLON TARP

MSR GROUNDHOG STAKES

KELTY TRIPTEASE GUYLINE

MOUNTAIN LAUREL DESIGNS BUG BIVY

Many of these items did not merit their own review, so I simply combined them into one.

GEAR REVIEW: Osprey Exos 58 Backpack

Disclaimer- I will never review an item I have not personally used on a trip.

OSPREY EXOS 58 BACKPACK

After constant trimming to shed weight, it became inevitable I’d have to switch from my bombproof Atmos 65. The pack was stout, it fit everything well. I didn’t want to leave it, but it was time to say goodbye.

There was a reason for my infidelity, though. The Exos 58 was offering the same suspension and comfort, with near equal capacity, all for over a pound lighter. How could I resist such temptation?

GEAR REVIEW: Big Agnes Mystic SL 15 Sleeping Bag and Q-core SL Sleeping Pad

Disclaimer- I will never review an item I have not personally used on a trip.

BIG AGNES MYSTIC SL 15 SLEEPING BAG

& BIG AGNES Q-CORE SL SLEEPING PAD

After backpacking Yosemite with the Big Agnes Mystic SL 15 and Q-core SL together, I have fixed feelings. The comfort is amazing, but the system is heavy for what it should be.

GEAR REVIEW: Jetboil Sol Ti Premium Cooking System

Disclaimer- I will never review an item I have not personally used on a trip.

JETBOIL SOL TI PREMIUM COOKING SYSTEM

Being one of the first pieces of gear recommended to me, I felt it deserved my first review.

Design: The design is very interesting. The system includes the cup section and the stove section. The cup section is a titanium cup wrapped in an insulated stove and spot welded onto a thermal heatsink. Smart design, but overpriced for what it is. I had seen a video where they had flipped the insulation around, leaving a much more appealing matte black look. There is an aluminum version available, but for the added price you can drop a solid three ounces. Also included: optional stabilizer platform, measuring cup, lid, and pot support.

Labor Day Yosemite Trip Part 4

Alas, all trips must come to an end. Some endings are better than others.

DAY 4: We woke up late, having stayed up late near the warmth of the fire that neither of us had wanted to leave. Down sleeping bags were wonderful, but it still takes several minutes to warm up.

Figuring that since Michael and Jose had set such a slow pace, we would have quite a bit of time. We talked about our options, wondering what was best.

Labor Day Yosemite Trip Part 3

The storm quickly passed, haven barely rained. We climbed off the mountain and pitched our base camp.

We still had the rest of the afternoon, so Andrew decided to lone wolf. Nose to the wind, he started climbing the mountain above the lake and quickly was out of sight. I had expected this, and simply grabbed my headphones and journal, planning to use the down time to get some writing done.

Labor Day Yosemite Trip Part 2

Ladder fuels lining the path.

After all the preparation, delays, and slacking off, we were finally underway. The first impression I had was this: Yosemite was in bad shape.

Not from the fire, mind you. The exact opposite actually. The ground floor is riddled with ladder fuels. Now I knew why the Rim fire was ripping through the tree tops- Yosemite was a ticking time bomb of fuel, just waiting for a match.

Labor Day Yosemite Trip Part 1

Mono Meadows- Our start point.

Time frame: Labor day weekend 2013, 5 day hike

Location: Yosemite National Park

Participants: Myself, Andrew, Michael, Jose

Oh, you want to backpack in Yosemite? Great! Oh, it’s on fire?

Even better.

While the Rim fire torched through north-western Yosemite, my friends and I had decided it was a great time to take a backpacking trip.