Sunday, August 30, 2009
Death By Mountain Nearly Achieved!
While taking the rather direct route straight up the side onto the trail yesterday, I encountered a falling rock. It was about 2' across, and it came down in a direct path to strike just left of my sternum. As steep as the hillside was, it seemed pretty unsurvivable at the time. I got my trekking pole up and it took the brunt of the impact for me. I'm out $200 to buy a new pair of carbon fiber trekking poles, but minimally injured.
I also fell into a water filled rock cut while I was trying to photograph it. I hurt my knee pretty badly in doing so. The water sluiced me down the cut and dumped me over a waterfall into a pool. Waterproof cameras are great for these outdoorsy pictures! It would have been a blast if not for all the limping from the knee.
My hiking companion was totally unprepared. Instead of going on a Friday campout, Saturday backpack in, Sunday backpack out, I did a 16km hike with a heavy pack that I didn't use nor need. I made my destination though, and I took pictures to prove it. As soon as I can find my card reader, I'll get them offloaded and then uploaded.
I also fell into a water filled rock cut while I was trying to photograph it. I hurt my knee pretty badly in doing so. The water sluiced me down the cut and dumped me over a waterfall into a pool. Waterproof cameras are great for these outdoorsy pictures! It would have been a blast if not for all the limping from the knee.
My hiking companion was totally unprepared. Instead of going on a Friday campout, Saturday backpack in, Sunday backpack out, I did a 16km hike with a heavy pack that I didn't use nor need. I made my destination though, and I took pictures to prove it. As soon as I can find my card reader, I'll get them offloaded and then uploaded.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Packing
I bought myself a Berkley 23kg hanging scale. It's for fish.
Gregory Z-55 backpack, 1.67 kg.
Leaf bag, 1.70 kg.
Wiggy's 35F sleeping bag, 3.13 kg.
OR bivy sack, 3.68 kg.
5' by 8' silnylon tarp, 3.88 kg.
6 stakes and 100' guyline, 4.05 kg.
Hammock, 4.63 kg.
3 Tasty-Bite, M&Ms, dried cherries, crackers, peanuts, 7.01 kg.
SmartWool long underwear, 7.36 kg.
Water filter, 7.77 kg.
9 LED headlamp, 8.0 kg.
GPS, 8.18 kg.
Rain pants, jacket, gaiters, and hat, 9.21 kg.
Junk bag, 10.21 kg.
2 AA batteries, 10.26 kg.
Digital camera, 10.54 kg.
Socks, underwear, t-shirt, shorts, 11.13 kg.
Sandals, 12.19 kg.
2 Nalgene bottles, 12.41 kg.
Balaclava, 12.44 kg.
Salmon, 12.71 kg.
This doesn't count what I'll wear:
Shorts, underwear, t-shirt, socks, boots, trekking poles, and sunglasses. The hat, GPS, and gaiters listed above might be worn as well. Also, I'll have water in my water bottles.
I also added in some ziplock bags and a spare leaf bag, which take the total weight up by a tad bit more.
Gregory Z-55 backpack, 1.67 kg.
Leaf bag, 1.70 kg.
Wiggy's 35F sleeping bag, 3.13 kg.
OR bivy sack, 3.68 kg.
5' by 8' silnylon tarp, 3.88 kg.
6 stakes and 100' guyline, 4.05 kg.
Hammock, 4.63 kg.
3 Tasty-Bite, M&Ms, dried cherries, crackers, peanuts, 7.01 kg.
SmartWool long underwear, 7.36 kg.
Water filter, 7.77 kg.
9 LED headlamp, 8.0 kg.
GPS, 8.18 kg.
Rain pants, jacket, gaiters, and hat, 9.21 kg.
Junk bag, 10.21 kg.
2 AA batteries, 10.26 kg.
Digital camera, 10.54 kg.
Socks, underwear, t-shirt, shorts, 11.13 kg.
Sandals, 12.19 kg.
2 Nalgene bottles, 12.41 kg.
Balaclava, 12.44 kg.
Salmon, 12.71 kg.
This doesn't count what I'll wear:
Shorts, underwear, t-shirt, socks, boots, trekking poles, and sunglasses. The hat, GPS, and gaiters listed above might be worn as well. Also, I'll have water in my water bottles.
I also added in some ziplock bags and a spare leaf bag, which take the total weight up by a tad bit more.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Googles Maps and Turkey Creek
Turkey Creek and Skeleton Canyon. I've always turned right here, and gone up the creek to the springs instead of ascending the ridge. We come out on the ridge.
View Larger Map
Google maps is broken, but I can reverse engineer the location to wedge it here in.
View Larger Map
Google maps is broken, but I can reverse engineer the location to wedge it here in.
Scales And Food
Right now I'm looking around the internet for hanging digital scales. A hanging scale would make it easier to weigh a lot of my stuff.
I'm also wondering about what food to pack. Unsalted peanuts are definitely going to be going with me. Probably peanut M&Ms too, despite the fact that I really don't like the ingredients that M&Ms are made out of. I don't want to cook (and I especially don't want to clean pans), so no pasta. Some cucumbers might be nice. Apples as well.
I'm also wondering about what food to pack. Unsalted peanuts are definitely going to be going with me. Probably peanut M&Ms too, despite the fact that I really don't like the ingredients that M&Ms are made out of. I don't want to cook (and I especially don't want to clean pans), so no pasta. Some cucumbers might be nice. Apples as well.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Getting Ready For My First Backpacking Trip In A Decade
I'll reach a landmark in my attempts to overcome a decade of fatness and laziness on Friday of next week. I'm backpacking in to Turkey Creek Hot Springs in the Gila. It's about 4 miles, with 3 river crossing and 7 to 9 stream crossings. I don't get my stitches out until Wednesday after the trip, but I won't let that stop me. Good clean mountain stream water is good for surgery.
I just packed up a pack with a set of most things I'd conceivably take. It seems to weigh a little less than 10kg based on my person-scale. Heavy by modern ultra-light standards, but nothing compared to absurdly stupid packs I used to carry in search and rescue.
And now, in a sense "live", I'm going to itemize and individually weigh what I packed on my kitchen scale.
The pack I'm taking is a Gregory Z-55. I guess I'll weigh it at the end.
My junk bag, since I last wrote about it, has had a fifty foot length of Kelty trip-lite added to it. After losing my pack over the edge in Water Canyon early this month I decided to add an ounce of strong rope to help out the next time I'm in that situation. The junk bag now weighs 1000 grams. Maybe I should prune it again. But everything inside the bad is pretty useful.
I packed a mesh bag with three Tasty-Bite Madras Lentils, a mini cliff bar, and a small spoon made of aircraft aluminium. This isn't enough food, but it's a start. I like the Tasty-Bite meals, and will probably take the three with me. Food so far weighs 976 grams. More needs to be added. The spoon isn't useful; I can squirt the Tasty-Bite into my mouth quite easily.
My new bivy sack weighs 540 grams.
The LED headlamp I picked out weighs 226 grams. I have lighter ones.
Stakes and guylines for setting up a shelter for my tarp weigh in at 164 grams. I probably have more stakes and more guyline than I will need.
I'm still blinded from having stared into my 9-LED lamp to see if there were batteries in it.
My GPS weighs in at 182 grams.
My water filter is 412 grams.
A mesh sack with gaiters, waterproof jacket, waterproof pants, and waterproof gloves is 1084 grams. I probably only need the jacket and gaiters.
A hammock to sleep in is 570 grams.
A mesh sack with my new SmartWool microweight wool pants, microweight long sleeve top, and microweight short sleeve top is 540 grams. I may not need any of it.
A 5' by 8' silnylon tarp is 198 grams.
All that's left is the sleeping bag, a 35F Wiggy's. I'm not sure I can weigh it on the scale I have. Nor do I think I can weigh my pack.
I didn't have any water packed, so add in maybe 300 grams for two plastic bottles, plus the weight of the water. I also need more food. Not sure how much that will weigh since I haven't made up my mind what it is. I don't plan to cook, so there won't be a stove or pot. I'll also have my new waterproof digital camera with me, which adds a little weight too.
Sandals will be included, and several pairs of socks. Boots for hiking, but sandals for crossing the water.
Overall, the pack doesn't feel that heavy. Water, food, and footwear will add a little more, but I have things I know I can remove as well. It should be a good hike.
Oh, and it's only been eight years since I backpacked, but a decade sounds better.
I just packed up a pack with a set of most things I'd conceivably take. It seems to weigh a little less than 10kg based on my person-scale. Heavy by modern ultra-light standards, but nothing compared to absurdly stupid packs I used to carry in search and rescue.
And now, in a sense "live", I'm going to itemize and individually weigh what I packed on my kitchen scale.
The pack I'm taking is a Gregory Z-55. I guess I'll weigh it at the end.
My junk bag, since I last wrote about it, has had a fifty foot length of Kelty trip-lite added to it. After losing my pack over the edge in Water Canyon early this month I decided to add an ounce of strong rope to help out the next time I'm in that situation. The junk bag now weighs 1000 grams. Maybe I should prune it again. But everything inside the bad is pretty useful.
I packed a mesh bag with three Tasty-Bite Madras Lentils, a mini cliff bar, and a small spoon made of aircraft aluminium. This isn't enough food, but it's a start. I like the Tasty-Bite meals, and will probably take the three with me. Food so far weighs 976 grams. More needs to be added. The spoon isn't useful; I can squirt the Tasty-Bite into my mouth quite easily.
My new bivy sack weighs 540 grams.
The LED headlamp I picked out weighs 226 grams. I have lighter ones.
Stakes and guylines for setting up a shelter for my tarp weigh in at 164 grams. I probably have more stakes and more guyline than I will need.
I'm still blinded from having stared into my 9-LED lamp to see if there were batteries in it.
My GPS weighs in at 182 grams.
My water filter is 412 grams.
A mesh sack with gaiters, waterproof jacket, waterproof pants, and waterproof gloves is 1084 grams. I probably only need the jacket and gaiters.
A hammock to sleep in is 570 grams.
A mesh sack with my new SmartWool microweight wool pants, microweight long sleeve top, and microweight short sleeve top is 540 grams. I may not need any of it.
A 5' by 8' silnylon tarp is 198 grams.
All that's left is the sleeping bag, a 35F Wiggy's. I'm not sure I can weigh it on the scale I have. Nor do I think I can weigh my pack.
I didn't have any water packed, so add in maybe 300 grams for two plastic bottles, plus the weight of the water. I also need more food. Not sure how much that will weigh since I haven't made up my mind what it is. I don't plan to cook, so there won't be a stove or pot. I'll also have my new waterproof digital camera with me, which adds a little weight too.
Sandals will be included, and several pairs of socks. Boots for hiking, but sandals for crossing the water.
Overall, the pack doesn't feel that heavy. Water, food, and footwear will add a little more, but I have things I know I can remove as well. It should be a good hike.
Oh, and it's only been eight years since I backpacked, but a decade sounds better.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
More Progress
And some failure! My pre-walk plans fell through last night, and I ended up being distracted by killing time, and I didn't walk. Not a terrible loss I suppose.
Today I had my first yoga class. I'm taking private classes because since yoga began to interest me in about 2004 I have yet to encounter a yoga class held at a time that is good for me. The private lessons still aren't the best, but they get me much closer. I think I'll enjoy the one-on-oneness a lot as well.
I didn't learn any secret yoga fighting moves to defend myself during the zombie apocalypse yet. I did learn a defensive pose to use in case I'm trapped in a hurricane.
Today I had my first yoga class. I'm taking private classes because since yoga began to interest me in about 2004 I have yet to encounter a yoga class held at a time that is good for me. The private lessons still aren't the best, but they get me much closer. I think I'll enjoy the one-on-oneness a lot as well.
I didn't learn any secret yoga fighting moves to defend myself during the zombie apocalypse yet. I did learn a defensive pose to use in case I'm trapped in a hurricane.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Progress
Today I rode my bicycle to Supermart twice, and then I walked. I just returned. I walked about 3.3 miles. It went pretty well. I also had five people who tagged along, which is a record.
I also went to meditation class again yesterday, and on Thursday I take my first yoga lesson. I told my yoga instructor that one of my goals was to learn the secret yoga fighting techniques I'll need to survive the zombie apocalypse. AND I told her that before I'd seen that paper on the zombie apocalypse. Actually, I suspect that the google ad for it popped up solely because I just sent an email about the zombie apocalypse. Google is tricky that way.
In nine days I'm headed four miles into the Gila Wilderness through three river crossings and seven to nine stream crossing. I'll also have to crawl through one cave in an otherwise impassable box canyon with a waterfall rushing through it. The goal is a 186F hot spring.
I also went to meditation class again yesterday, and on Thursday I take my first yoga lesson. I told my yoga instructor that one of my goals was to learn the secret yoga fighting techniques I'll need to survive the zombie apocalypse. AND I told her that before I'd seen that paper on the zombie apocalypse. Actually, I suspect that the google ad for it popped up solely because I just sent an email about the zombie apocalypse. Google is tricky that way.
In nine days I'm headed four miles into the Gila Wilderness through three river crossings and seven to nine stream crossing. I'll also have to crawl through one cave in an otherwise impassable box canyon with a waterfall rushing through it. The goal is a 186F hot spring.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Hiatus
I realized I should post something here just in case someone reads this who doesn't know me.
Just after the last post I had surgery, and I'm not expected to be able to do anything for a month or two.
Just after the last post I had surgery, and I'm not expected to be able to do anything for a month or two.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Mountain Biking In The Bear Mountains
Yesterday was another overly ambitious day. A week previous, we had driven out to the base of Hells Mesa and climbed up. We had originally overshot the turn off, and when we turned around the road had become quite interesting with lots of colourful rock outcroppings on both sides alongside the twisty and hilly roads. It seemed like a nice place to ride. So yesterday, we went back out to ride. We parked quite a ways from the interesting spot, so we had a lot of riding to get there. On the way we diverted down a couple of side roads, one to the end of the road, and the other to a rattlesnake.
We also stopped once to hammock in a smalls stand of piñon. Around the time we arrived at the interesting part, Brad's front tired suddenly lost pressure. We turned around and headed back. His tire was low, but seemed to be holding out well. He made it most of the way back before it suddenly flatted out completely. He pushed for a while, then abandoned it and started walking. I tooled along beside him alternating between walking and riding. Eventually he hitched a ride to his truck and I continued on. He picked me up at 50.3 km into my ride that day, just as I had stopped to photograph a transmission someone had thrown into a ditch.
In the long run, it's fortuitous that we turned around when we did. Both of us were wiped out from the ride. I suspect that it was once again the noontime sun that really did us in. It was hot out there.
I have a tracklog and pictures that I'll get to at some point.
We also stopped once to hammock in a smalls stand of piñon. Around the time we arrived at the interesting part, Brad's front tired suddenly lost pressure. We turned around and headed back. His tire was low, but seemed to be holding out well. He made it most of the way back before it suddenly flatted out completely. He pushed for a while, then abandoned it and started walking. I tooled along beside him alternating between walking and riding. Eventually he hitched a ride to his truck and I continued on. He picked me up at 50.3 km into my ride that day, just as I had stopped to photograph a transmission someone had thrown into a ditch.
In the long run, it's fortuitous that we turned around when we did. Both of us were wiped out from the ride. I suspect that it was once again the noontime sun that really did us in. It was hot out there.
I have a tracklog and pictures that I'll get to at some point.
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