Tag: Backpacking

Big Sur Part 1

by adventuresoftheaveragejoe, posted in Big Sur

Ally and I took a week to backpack and explore Big Sur, California for our 1 year anniversary. I started organizing and packing early then per usual I needed some of the gear for something else, then had a sudden mutisport day and threw gear everywhere, which lead to a frantic stuffing of everything I need for Big Sur into bags at the last minute.

We stayed in Wexford the night before the flight and hired a Supper Shuttle to the Pittsburgh airport. This is less stressful than a 2 ish hour drive at a ridiculous hour to the airport, followed by the long haul from extended parking (I am frugal in most instances, Ally not so much) since we moved to Garrett County, MD. I used to use Super Shuttle all the time when we were in Pittsburgh. It cost more than parking if your trip was less than 2 weeks, but worth it for the convince. The downside is you arrive at the airport at the suggested time, leaving a lot of time to kill. We stopped to have drinks since we had a lot of time to waste we also ordered breakfast sandwiches with our Bloody Mary’s. After receiving the bill I decided it was better to order drinks and food on the plane from now on. I am sure you have noticed that everything costs more now. I have really cut down the amount I go out to eat. The main reason being I go out for convenience, but now it seems everyone is understaffed so I wait for my seat, I wait for my drink, I wait for my food, then I wait for my bill. Good thing we were trying to kill time. This waiting kind of takes the convince out of eating out for me. Eating out has become like an event with hours of my time tied up in it. I could have cooked, ate and cleaned at home in the time it takes to eat out now. Anyone else feel this way? After receiving my bill and adding the 20% min tip I decided it was a bargain at a per hour unit cost, but ridiculous for two Bloodies the size of one and two tiny breakfast sandwiches. Rant over back to eating on the plane. As I mentioned above, I am frugal. Since I have a branded card I get 20% off food and drinks on the plane and there is not a tip option, so right from the get go I am saving 40%! I have to remember this epiphany.

After enjoying our comparatively cheap drinks and food on the plane we land and go to get our rental car. This is where Ally and I diverge on frugality. She upgraded to an Audi A3 because it was the same price with my credit card as a standard rental. I wanted to spend a little more per day and upgrade to an SUV. We will see which one was the cheaper choice later.

My first impressions of the car was- I am not happy. I was too tall for the car so after grumbling Ally said she would drive. Good thing the car had a sun roof, my head hit the top if I didn’t put it into super recliner mode. Ally burnt rubber, tires screeching at the first light leaving the rental as we speed across the intersection headed to get supplies at REI. I was thinking , “hmm I want to drive now” as I try to charge my phone. Seeing no USB imputs I lay my phone multiple places seeing if it will charge. By the time we get to REI we realize we need USB – C inputs to keep our phones alive. I giggle thinking I left a cigarette converter at home because surely new vehicles didn’t have that input as I discover one trying to figure out how to turn on the cars WI-FI.
As we gathered our supplies, mainly food from REI, striking out on both the lighters and lightning chargers, I joke about needing a tent because I probably messed up in my rush packing. Checking out we head to Target where we found the phone chargers in short order, but it took us a full on mission to find a lighter (well 3 lighters), we finally found what had to be the only lighters in the store a 3 pack near the vacuum cleaners.

Driving now in super recliner mode my arm fell somewhere, not quite out the back window, but definitely not in the front window. I have to admit driving down route 1 from San Jose to Big Sur was a blast. Leaving the city, we passed though farm land on the way to costal redwoods. Speeding around the turns catching glimpses of the ocean from high on the cliffs as we approach our destination, the smell of salt air wafting in through the open windows.

Stopping to hike down to the ocean briefly, on our way to eat at the Big Sur tap house, we watch the waves crash again the jagged rocky shoreline sending water exploding into the air before hiking back up, through bright pick flowers exploding sporadically amongst the carpet of green in the tiny area lining the boardwalk. This flower is Carpobrotus chilensis a species of succulent commonly know as the sea fig. Finally we arrived at our destination Wayland campground. This is a part of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. This has 1,346 acres of redwood, oak, chaparral, and meadow areas. Hikers can enjoy 8 miles of hiking trails within the park and over 200 miles of trails in the Ventana Wilderness (USFS) which borders the park which we explored while backpacking to a hot springs.

I go about setting up the tent, and immediately regret joking earlier about grabbing the wrong tent. As luck would have it I stuffed the one man tent in my pack as I was rushing to pack for the trip. I told Ally “I grabbed this one so we could cuddle for our anniversary” she immediately knew I was full of shit.

Gear Review 2022 Part 2

by adventuresoftheaveragejoe, posted in Gear Review

Continued food from part 1.

I have eaten Peak, Back Country, and Mountain House many times and I believe they have been around for a while and most likely are made by food scientists. The newer to me meals listed below seemed to be trying to fill a niche with more environmentally sustainable food, while trying to up the taste levels by producing small batches cooked by people that have a passion for it.

I want to start off by saying across the board all the meals needed more time to rehydrate than stated in their directions. I even wrapped my meals in a puffy to keep the heat in. I wouldn’t suggest this method in areas with problem bears. The average extra wait time was 5 minutes per meal to reach what I thought was optimal rehydration. Optimal defined in this instance as not crunchy.

Nomad nutrition

“Our mission is to feed avid adventurers and their pursuits with locally crafted, wholesome and sustainable meals; to share our passion for clean, non-GMO sports nutrition; and to support local food producers whenever we can. In short, we set a new standard for adventure meals.”

All these selections were plant based nutrition. We had the Irish Shepard’s pie. This meal needed extra time, lentils were still firm with an additional 7 minutes, the flavor was decent, but texture was lacking.

Would buy from the company again just to try more of their selection, however, wouldn’t try the Irish Shepard’s pie again.

Good to go

“Our mission is to create the most delicious meals, using clean ingredients, to be enjoyed wherever your adventures take you.”

The Pad Tai (pescatarian, gf) had a good texture and a taste that was mildly spicy.

Their mushroom risotto (vegan, gf) texture good, taste was ok but somewhat bland.

Would try their products again.

Crazy Creek Chair

Ally bought this chair, it’s a luxury weight item I wouldn’t carry on 99% of my hikes. To give her credit she did get the Hex 2.0 version, their lightweight model. Still, that is an extra 18.5 ounces I can do without.

As I sit here in it typing away, I have to say it’s fairly comfortable. While not as comfortable as the couch beside me or my swinging chair, outside it actually offers more lower lumbar support the both of them. It would be extremely comfortable given almost all other options while backpacking. As a plus the stays make for excellent splints in the backcountry, should the need arise! Hell, the whole chair can be rolled around a leg if need be. How I know is a story for another time.

Overall, I would not purchase this for my use. It’s not quite comfortable enough to replace a car or raft camping chair and too much weight for my backcountry hiking kit. However, after Ally lugs in on a backpacking trip, I do snag it every chance I get. I would definitely try to squeeze it into a multi-day kayaking trip.

Sea to Summit Spork

I purchased their Titanium spork. I wanted to get a longer utensil to fit inside bagged meals and their utensils were beside the food at REI. I ended up choosing the titanium spork because it was the lightest and why buy two pieces of cutlery when you can get a fork and spoon in one! In reality it’s really just a spoon with shallow pointy spikes. I do love it, its light weight but most importantly its long enough to fit in a bagged meal. I haven’t had the occasion to use it in place of a fork, but I think it would suffice.

The only drawback is it is not dishwasher safe. I found this out the hard way. I was loading the dishwasher after I got home from a week in Big Sur and noticed there was still some cheese stuck to my spork in the sink. As I was putting it in to the dishwasher, I thought I should google to see if this can go in here then my mind wandered… minutes later the dishwasher was running. While unloading it I saw my spork and was like, “hummm I guess it’s not dishwasher safe.” I googled it to confirm my observation. Google agreed that all the anodized finish was gone, and it was not dishwasher safe. After going down the internet rabbit hole I still use my spork that may possibly be slowly poisoning me, but hey it’s dishwasher safe now that the anodized finish is already gone, right?

Would defiantly buy this again, as a matter of fact I will probably just pick one up next time I am at the store and not put it in the dishwasher next time.

Gear Review 2022 Part 1

by adventuresoftheaveragejoe, posted in Gear Review

There wasn’t a lot of outdoor gear purchased this year (2022). Most of this year’s purchases were building supplies. I would have to say the best outdoor purchase made this year was a house in western Maryland. Due to this purchase and the time spent moving, along with the overall general maintenance of multiple house I had to pass on a lot adventuring. Being an adult has some drawbacks. On the plus side though I now live within walking distance of the takeout of one the rivers I paddle the most. While also being close enough to a ski resort for my wife and I to squeeze in some uphill laps and normally a couple lift runs to start our days. The best part is it’s simple to get some night laps in if we want to at the end of the day! It was a busy year, but definitely did the staycation pretty hard taking advantage of the new location. Here’s to more traveling in 2023 because even though I will be mostly still purchasing building supplies in 2023, we sold the Pittsburgh house freeing up a lot of time!

The gear I will discuss this year will be for backpacking which was used on a weeklong trip in Big Sur, CA. Purchased for the trip was a Crazy Creek Chair, Spork and a variety of food. I will also give an update on the Werner Surge straight shaft paddle I reviewed last year.

Let’s start with the update for the Werner Surge straight shaft paddle.

Below is an excerpt from last year’s post.

Click here to read full review from last year. ……….I think my next paddle will be the bent shaft version of the Surge because, to date, it is the only forward bend fiberglass Werner has available.

Werner Surge Straight Shaft Paddle

I had to purchase Surge bent shaft way earlier than expected. Less than a year after using the paddle I reviewed, the left blade flew off while kayaking. I had just finished paddling Iron Ring on the Upper Gauley in West Virginia when I went upside down. I thought to myself while rolling up that’s odd it’s like there was no brace or resistance when I took that stroke. After rolling up I confirmed my blade was missing upon finishing the river I looked at the shaft and there was no type of breakage the glue had just failed on the paddle.

I called Werner to try and get it warrantied. I knew it was less than a year old but didn’t have the receipt. The nice contact at Werner said I could mail it in at my cost then it would be about $116 to fix it. Off I went to get everything in order to have my paddle fixed. First up by a new paddle because this was going to take a while hence the bent shaft I now own. Hopefully it lasts more than a year! Next up, see how much it cost to ship paddle. Almost $100! Well shit I can just buy a new paddle for almost that total amount, oh wait I already had to. Called Werner again and about a month later after the defective paddle was sawed into multiple pieces and lots of confusion, I now have a replaced Surge straight shaft. I have to say the warranty rep was very helpful though out the whole process and did their best to make things right. Even after I had given up and told them this was no longer worth the time I had been investing to try and get the paddle warrantied they made sure I got my paddle replaced.

I will stay with this paddle unless one of these new paddles are also defective. Overall I am still happy with this product.

Next up the backpacking meals. We used a variety of companies; Evergreen Adventure Foods, Nomad Nutrition, Good to Go, Patagonia Provisions, Peak, Backpacker’s Pantry, Mountain House.

Evergreen Adventure Foods

This is a new company started with the mission of reducing waste. The founders kept seeing plastic food waste everywhere they went. The idea is to reduce this waste with biodegeable food packets. Unfortunately, I don’t think they will have much of an impact. Their target market is probably already responsible hikers. The litter they were seeing comes from people just leaving it here not because it’s not biodegradable. As a user of this product, you still have to hike it out to dispose of it! I love idea overall and their product was the best tasing of all the meals we used on this trip.

If you’re going to try just one Ever Green Adventure Foods meal, they want you to try the Bella Pasta. I agree of the meals sampled this was the best tasting by far.

“Mushrooms are an underrated superfood in our opinion,” says Jessica, “plus the Bella Pasta highlights (and helps protect) the Mt. Whitney area.”

The only down fall of this product unfortunately was a major issue. The packing of all the meals from Evergreen Adventure Foods leaked when we tried to rehydrate the food. with a little ingenuity or preplanning this is not a major issue, but if we hadn’t of had an old meal bag to use this would have been an issue since we had nothing to rehydrate it into on this trip.

Definitely will buy this product again I like the idea behind the company and now know to bring a stasher bag as backup next time. I couldn’t access their website as of this post but here is a link to the Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/evergreenadventurefoods/

Next up for review

Continuation of food

Crazy Creek Chair

Sea to Summit Spork

 

2020 Gear Review Part 2

by adventuresoftheaveragejoe, posted in Gear Review

I am going to give my opinion on gear usage in the two outdoor settings I mainly participated in during 2020, the van and river trips. I might add some side notes on other uses. Being first an environmentalist then becoming a long distance hiker, I have found that I end up being a minimalist in many ways. The need to look for multi functional equipment before making a purchase is almost second nature now.

Below I will split the gear by the primary function I bought it for, but will also review its alternative function.

Primary River Use

Yeti Panga 50 Duffel

This was another gift from my brother, he gets the most useful gifts for my life style! I received this before a three week Grand Canyon river trip! Besides the Grand Canyon I have used it as a day bag which is over kill, and also on a week long river trip, which it was just right as Goldilocks would say. It’s the ideal size at 50 liters for holding gear for one person as a dedicated bag for all the sleeping needs. Which in my case consisted of a tent, sleeping bag, pad, lights and night clothes. You really want to keep this stuff dry and the Panga is made for it. It does fall short for two people, as a dedicated bag for all the sleeping needs, it just wasn’t quite big enough. Multiple latch points allowed for it to be secured to the raft and the removable backpack straps made it super easy to transport from raft to campsite. The straps also made for a quick way to secure the bag in the back of a pickup.

For the Van

I sometimes use it to keep my river gear in when it’s dry and not in use just so I can stay organized. It’s not great for that because I have to have the gear dry before I use it as storage, but works.

It’s a bomber piece of gear but a little pricey. I would purchase if I was doing a lot of multi-day river trips.

NRS Expedition Driduffel 35L

I bought this immediately after getting back from the Grand Canyon trip. I found the Yeti duffel mentioned above so useful I wanted a duffel for day trips. Prior to the duffel, I used float storage in my kayak and roll down dry bags in the raft. The duffel is just so much easier to use when accessing with the zippered top. It works as a lap bag in the kayak, although I feel it’s a little big for that. The lap bag allows effortless access to things unlike the float storage bags. It opens wide horizontally from the top zipper to locate things, as opposed to the top down access of the float bag, which makes finding things difficult since everything was stacked on top of each other. It’s the perfect size for a thwart bag, holding first aid, beer and snacks in a super accessible place for day trips. The material doesn’t seem as durable as the Yeti and it lacks the backpack straps.

For the Van

I basically keep my first aid supplies used on the river in it, so I know where they are in the van. I do store it open so it stays dry, sometimes there is condensation in it from the cold beer stored in it on the river.

Goal Zero Venture 30

I purchased this for use on the South Fork of the Salmon. As stated in my previous review of the Goal Zero Nomad 13 Solar Panel and Goal Zero Sherpa 50 Power Bank I had trouble charging it on the Grand Canyon River Trip. The Goal Zero Venture 30 has enough battery capacity to charge my IPhone 3 times. It has a light on it for use in emergencies or if you need an extra. It’s kind of hard to find in the dark, but after finding it once you can find it easily by feel. My Nomad 13 Solar Panel actually charges this battery! It had enough charge for the 3 day South Fork of the Salmon trip. However, I had to recharge it on the 7 day Main Salmon trip.

For the Van

It lives mostly by my bed where I use it to keep my phone or IPad charged in the evening while watching movies or reading. It comes with a cord that is USB to Mico USB cord that can be used to charge it or to charge other devices using those inputs. It has a function where it optimizes its charging capacity depending on how you charge it. I suggest you use this feature, it took forever to charge from the USB in the van until I used this function! You can charge 2 USB and one Mico USB device simultaneously. It started trying to charge itself when the cable that comes with it is stored plugged into it. This is kind of annoying since it will drain the battery if the cord is stored in it and I keep misplacing the cord when not attached.

I made this purchase mostly based on wanting to use it for future backpacking trips. It’s too heavy for a weekend trip, but I feel worth the weight for a longer trip if you want to keep a phone charged even though it’s a little heavy for that also. I have a spot device I like to keep powered along with a phone so I am okay with this weight to return ratio.

I will not purchase this again if the above mentioned malfunction causes the battery to fail. I had to replace the Goal Zero Sherpa 50 Power Pack because it failed. It was warrantied, but I am against the waste involved. Once is a mishap twice is just a shitty product. As it stands the Venture 30 still functions for its purpose.

Hydro Flask Thermos

The outfitter gave everyone on the Main Salmon Trip a thermos before we pushed off for the week. It keeps coffee warm for a long time, too warm if you try to drink it immediately. I prefer my coffee with creamer so that cools it down, but if you drink yours black I suggest you drink some in a cup and save the Hydro Flask for latter that day.

The thermos is fairly durable. I swam out of my kayak one day on a home run and I found my thermos later that day with some dents and chips as well as hot coffee still in it!

For the Van

I use it for my second drink. It is just too warm to drink immediately so I pour the extra in it and enjoy a hot drink after I finish off my first mug.

Will purchase another when I lose this one, I think it will last until I misplace it.

2020 Gear Review Part 1

by adventuresoftheaveragejoe, posted in Gear Review

I am going to give my opinion on gear usage in the two outdoor settings I mainly participated in during 2020, the van and river trips. I might add some side notes on other uses. Being first an environmentalist then becoming a long distance hiker, I have found that I end up being a minimalist in many ways. The need to look for multi functional equipment before making a purchase is almost second nature now.

Below I will split the gear by the primary function I bought it for, but will also review its alternative function.

Primary Van Use

Yeti Tundra 35 Hard Cooler

I received a Tundra 35 as a gift from my brother, it’s great and I love it! I would probably have went with the 75 or 110 if I had purchased it, but I did not and I am super stoked about having it! The features of the different size coolers are basically the same except for the capacity. The first time I used my Tundra 35, my pasta actually started to freeze. It does a great job keeping things cold. My only complaint is it didn’t come with a bottle opener. I added a beer bottle opener to it, it was easy to do I just tied it onto the handle. The non slip base is great when the van is moving and I slam on my brakes, but when I try to slide it under the bed platform, the non slip really works making it difficult to move. Hence, it now lives out from under the platform making it the perfect dedicated beer storage cooler keeping those frosty beverages within easy reach. The Tundra 35 can hold enough food and beer for a long weekend for just me. It doesn’t quite fit the needs of two people for the weekend. When my partner comes for a few days she brings her cooler which is about the same size. This allows enough room for beer and food! If I worked out how long to freeze my beer so it thawed at different rates and didn’t explode, the cooler would work great for two people for an extended weekend, because this would limit the need for ice. Let me know if you have a formula for this?

For rafting

The integrated tie down points make it a breeze to attach to the raft with NRS straps. The reason I would have went with a bigger one if I purchased it myself is for mufti-day rafting and less need to stop to resupply in the van. I know, surprising the cooler holds the same amount of things for rafting trips as van trips.

Would definitely get again, probably would upgrade to a Tundra 110.

Goal Zero Nomad 13 Solar Panel

I have trouble getting this to charge my Iphone! I think I feel like it’s Apple proprietary bull shit. I have trouble getting multiple things to charge my stupid Iphone. I use it primarily to charge my Goal 0 Venture 30 battery through my van windshield when parked. I tried chaining multiple Goal 0 Nomad 13 Solar Panels to charge my Sherpa 50. I never got it to gain power, but it seemed to stall its draining. I don’t end up using it as much as I thought I would. I takes awhile to charge my batteries living in the rainy Mid Atlantic. If it would work with my phone I would definitely use it more, but as of now I charge my battery then use the battery on the phone. Since I drive the van a good bit I just cut out the solar and use the van battery to charge stuff.

For rafting

On both the Grand Canyon and the Salmon River the charger seemed to get too hot and not charge. It only seemed to charge my battery packs in the mornings before it got sunny and super hot. Does anyone else have this problem?

Going to try it backpacking to see if it works out any better. I don’t have high hopes.

Would not purchase again for my needs.

Goal Zero Sherpa 50 Power Bank

This can power my computer for a short amount of time. It keeps my phone and Ipad charged for about 5-6 hours with moderately heavy use. It charges from the charger faster than overnight. I usually plug it in to charge the night before I leave. I have forgotten and plugged it in later when I woke up and was like shit I forgot… and it charged in at least 4 hours. It’s small enough to move around the van with you or carry around in your pack. It’s heavy for hiking weighing around 2.2 lbs.

For rafting

I have had the built in light click on in my bag and drain the battery a few times, but I use and carry this thing around a lot. When it happens it’s a bummer but it doesn’t happen that much and the light is useful. I don’t use it as a primary light, but when I am looking for something and the battery is beside me I really appreciate it being there. It’s been useful way more times then its drained my battery.

Would definitely purchase again.
I purchased rechargeable lights for the van instead of running wires and purchasing a large battery. I did this thinking it would be more environmentally friendly. I am not sure if that is going to work out. It is in the sense that I can use the lights in multiple settings as opposed to having different dedicated lights for each activity.

MPOWERD Luci Pro Outdoor 2.0 Inflatable Solar Lantern + Charger

I chose this light because it was supposed to charge other devices from the solar solar and enclosed battery. This function only worked reliably for a few weeks. Now sometimes it charges sometimes it doesn’t. It’s fairly bright when inflated and hung overhead. It can also be set upsidedown/rightly and used as a lantern.
I love that I can charge it from the van USB port with the enclosed cord. This is needed if you don’t have access to the sun, i.e. don’t spend a lot of time above tree line.

For rafting

The light would not charge my phone at all on a three week rafting trip. The plastic got really hot and the strip which you hang it from came loose. I was able to tape it and it has stayed since. I did keep it charged via solar and provided plenty of light in the tent. Was not enough by itself for the group outside of the tent.
Would probably purchase again on sale.

MPOWERD Luci Lux Inflatable Solar Lantern

This light is not as bright and only charges by solar. It’s not as useful as the MPOWERD Luci Pro Outdoor 2.0 Inflatable Solar Lantern + Charger. It works fine in conjunction with the other Luci’s to light the van. I primarily use this one before bed since the light is softer.

The plastic did crack in the cold, but it still holds air and functions as it should.

For rafting

Haven’t used yet. I feel it will function fine. The light isn’t quite bright enough for me to justify taking it.
Would probably purchase again on sale.

MPOWERD Luci Solar String Lights + Charger

This light charges with solar and USB which makes it great for the van. Since its a string light, I can have it charging via USB and use it at the same time unlike the lantern types. Their charging cords are not long enough to have a useful placement while being charged. I bought two of these and they give off enough light to make reading in the van a breeze without straining my eyes.

For rafting

One of my friends brought this light on a couple rafting trips and it was amazing. It lit the kitchen area and he kept it charged with the solar portion only. I was so impressed I bought two for the van.

I feel these lights would be extremely useful on a bikepacking trip!
Would probably purchase again. One of the two quit working after only a little usage. Will see if the other one lasts longer. I will not purchase again if only getting a few months usage out of it for environmental reasons.

Avocado Mattress Topper

This was purchased by my partner. I had an old worn out mattress, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, and she found it uncomfortable. After she mentioned it I noticed it was uncomfortable also. She went on a mission to find an ecofriendly mattress topper. So, now we have a Avocado brand topper (and a mirror in the van, not sure how that got there) which is really comfortable it helped a lot! She chose a latex topper so it would be less likely to be rock solid in sub zero weather. Not only did it make for better rest at night in a range of temperatures, the company uses organic materials and ethically sourced labor throughout their supply chain.

For rafting

I would’t be against packing it and taking it on the river, but it would take up so much space. Haven’t motivated to try it yet.

I wouldn’t buy it, but would definitely use it if she purchased one in the future.

Next post gear for the river

Yeti Panga 50, NRS Expedition Driduffel 35L, Goal Zero Venture 30, Hydro Flask Thermos

Major Setbacks on Hiking the Continental Divide Trail (CDT)

by adventuresoftheaveragejoe, posted in Uncategorized

IMG_9275
Grand Canyon

I have had a couple set backs with hiking the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). The first was that I won a Grand Canyon River Lottery for 2019, in which I was the default trip leader. Because I won and the method we used left no alternative leaders, I went or the trip did not happen. The second was well COVID! It actually set me back at least until 2022. It feels like I have spent a lifetime trying to hike the Triple Crown and I am only 2/3 of the way there. I know 2/3 is almost there, but it leaves me with over 3,000 miles to hike.

I honestly don’t think I would have went on the Grand Canyon Rafting Trip (GCRT) if there had been an alternate. In hindsight I would 100% not have gone on the trip! But the way we played the lottery was for everyone in our group to pick the same dates with no alternate. From our interpretation of the lottery rules, if an alternate also applies as trip leader you lose your extra points that you get for never having been on a GCRT. You see to boat down the Grand without paying for a guide to take you, there is a lottery you must win to do so. Each new applicant gets extra points so, we maximized our points by the combination of the above mentioned method: all same day with no alternate so we could get the maximum points for our group. I won a permit on my second time applying with this method.

The group came so close to not being able to go for two reasons: a government shut down and I ended up with an acromioclavicul (A/C) tear to my right shoulder along with a concussion.

GH011922_Moment

South Fork, Salmon River

Again in 2020 I was going to finally complete my goal of finishing the Triple Crown via completing the CDT, but that didn’t happen. I am not sure COVID will not affect hiking in 2021. I did manage to jump on a neat adventure in 2020, but I am sure a lot of you discovered the stay-cation was back in for 2020.

I was lucky enough to get invited on an Idaho rafting trip of the Main Salmon and ended up doing a quick South Fork of the Salmon trip right before the Main. With that exception the rest of my time was spent exploring the area around where I live in WV. Mostly I kayaked and rafted the same rivers I always do, but I did get in a lot of local to semi local hikes/backpacking trips I had wanted to do, but always found myself hiking in other areas instead.

IMG_1699

Salmon River

Staying local allowed for much easier planning and preparation. Instead of pouring over maps and menus, planning for multiple months of clothing and food, prepackaging the food and clothing, calling to see if places still exist where I was planning to stay and/or resupply, and finally getting someone to send all the packages. I basically woke up the day we were leaving and asked Ally, my partner, what she had packed, filled in the rest of what was needed, then we went hiking. I also got a lot more accomplished this year then I normally do since I was in the same tristate area for over a year minus the ID trip which was less than a month. You know I had more fun overall then any of the longer trips. I was lacking the sense of adventure and unknown, but not to a huge degree. I did miss the huge sense of accomplishment that comes from the completion of all that planning, but to be honest it fades really quickly and I am looking for the next big thing.

Staycation
Staycation
Staycation Photo Justin Harris
Over a lifetime we all face setbacks to what we want to do in life. Some are major, some are minor. Some we perceive as major are perceived as minor to others and vise versa. A set back is just a test to see how bad we want something, maybe the set back is so great you can’t overcome it, but you won’t know until you try. No matter what, you can always control your outlook or reaction to the situation. Even if something has dragged you down all year you change your feelings over time. Worst case, in my opinion, you have to have a new goal. It might be different from the original but it can be just as rewarding.
CDT 2022 is now my next objective for completing my life long goal of hiking the Triple Crown! Did 2020 interfere with any of your major goals? What did you do to overcome it? What did you do instead this year?

My First Adventure with the Van Part 3

by adventuresoftheaveragejoe, posted in Van Life

Waiting for the snow to melt in the relentless blazing sun, I really regret not having sun tan lotion or chap stick. My lips crack as I sip the tiny bit of water that settled in the corner of the pot, a disappointing amount accumulated from the massive amount of snow I had been melting. Taking in the view of the snow covered mountains making a perfect crescent mirror image of themselves in the still indigo water, over the rim of the pot as I finish the last drop of water. Semi hydrated I continued my trek. Aiming for a saddle between the rim of the caldera that formed the lake and a large outcropping of cliffs that ended on the mountain that formed the other side of the saddle, I absentmindedly rub the scab that has formed on the tip of my nose from the unforgiving sun, probably accelerated from my lack of water. Five miles later I had to stop and melt snow for water again with the stove, now extremely low on fuel. I had a splitting headache from dehydration. I melted two pots I was so thirsty. Shortly after I started skiing again I arrived on the south facing side of the lake. I had an amazing view of the lake and there were bare spots lacking snow where I could set up for the night. I shoved a bunch of snow into my water bottle to sleep with to passively melt, since I had limited fuel for melting water. After finishing setting up camp, I rushed down to the rim of the caldera to watch the sunset. The far side of the lake was cast in beautiful pink hues that reflected the snow covered mountains surrounding the lake.

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Day 3

I had terrible cramps during the night, my calves cramping with such force and pain it felt like someone was putting me into an ankle lock. Extending then flexing my leg offered no immediate relief. I really needed to hydrate, laying in pain I decided I would use more fuel tomorrow. I really need to drink enough to relieve this cramping. I had a very fitful night, more cramps and once I woke up thinking I was suffocating. “Get me out of this bag, where’s the zipper? Shit I have the draft color pulled tight. Where’s the cord!? Relax and breath. I can’t, I am suffocating.” Okay I got the cord, damn that’s the one for the hood. Finally I get the two cords released and the zipper open only to realize that I was kind of suffocating. In the night I had managed to scoot around enough that my face was smashed against the bivy’s wall. I opened the bivy all the way and shivered for the rest of the night. Being cold was better then feeling claustrophobic. I got an early start, since I couldn’t go back to sleep. I drank the bottle of snow that had melted in the sleeping bag from the night before. I melted two pots of snow while I was packing and greedily drank them. A couple more cramps made their appearance while skiing that morning, I was beginning to feel mentally and physically exhausted from the lack of water. I melted more snow for lunch and used a garbage bag to get a little more while I made lunch then rested. Feeling physically better from the reprive I pushed on, but route finding was still taking a toll on me mentally. During my last break of the day someone skied passed me and said. “It was great to be following your tracks.” I have to agree with him it was amazing following his tracks. I was on auto pilot, no longer needing to concentrate on reading the topography and finding my way.

 

My mind free I had more time looking and enjoying my beautiful surroundings. I had veered away from the lake, but the snow covered pine forest had a fairy tale beauty of its own. The silence was only interrupted by the crunch of skis and the occasional sound of the snow rolling down the hill or falling from the tress. The guy I was following took the low route to avoid more avalanche terrain. Following him, looking up at the high route as I went, I could see snow cascading down to the trail from the slope above. There were some interesting snow features along the trail, it appeared that a small piece of snow would breakaway and it roll down the hill as it went collecting the snow like a large fruit rollup, to settle at the base of the hill.

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The tracks I was following cut back up the hill a few miles later, consulting my map I decided to do a few extra miles and avoid the steep terrain. Making it back to the van a few miles later having crossed paths with one more group snowshoeing towards me from the parking lot.

Driving back to my new place I reflected on how trying that trip was. I knew going into it that I had the wrong gear (heavy skis downhill and boots, a light sleeping bag, not enough fuel nor sun screen), but the added lack of experience in this environment really made this extended weekend trip feel more challenging then some of my month long adventures.

My First Adventure with the Van Part 2

by adventuresoftheaveragejoe, posted in Van Life

I talked to the couple for a little bit before skiing off a little ways to give them some space. I didn’t have a shovel to build a platform or wind break in the snow, so I found a sheltered spot in a tree well and stomped a flat platform with my skis.  Setting up in the snow with gusting wind was challenging. Once I was in my bivy sack, I set my stove up to melt snow for drinking water. Once I was set up I pulled out my lighter and instantly dropped it in the snow. It wouldn’t light because of the moisture. Crestfallen I dug through my black MSR bag that I kept all my stove supplies in to get my matches and wouldn’t you know the matches that I have kept in the bag and never had to use for 13 years were not there. Shit I wonder at what point I took them out or lost them. I remember putting them in there before a trip in the Sierras but had no recollection of taking them out!

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I stuck the lighter in my sleeping bag to dry out and occasionally flicked the flint to speed up the process, the smell of flint occasionally wafting out.  Eventually I got it to work and melted snow to drink. When I was dismantling the stove from the red fuel bottle I noticed that the fuel bottle was over halfway empty. I had forgotten to fill it up before I started the ski trip. I had been using it to make coffee on my cross county trip and I really like coffee so I should have remembered I had used most of the fuel before I left. I would suffer from dehydration for the rest of the trip.

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Day 2

Woke up to a clear blue day after a night freezing and shivering with no sleep. It was 30 degrees when I went to get the permit at 4:30 the previous night and I only had a 20 degree sleeping bag with me. So I knew I was in for a long cold night! I skied up to the rim of the lake multiple times to look at the spectacular view and take photos. Haven’t seen a bad photo of this spectacular place yet. I began to get exhausted around noon from all the side trips to look at the lake. There were also no tracks to follow so route finding took some time with backtracking due to large cornices that could not be skied down. I had to cross an avalanche field at about noon that day. Right before I came to the avalanche field my left ski came off!! This did not instill a sense of confidence in my crossing the slope. As I started across the field I stayed on the ridge as much as possible. Feeling that it would have been better to fall toward the right which was only a 30 foot drop to the snow as compared to the left which would have ended in certain death, buried beneath the snow or bouncing off a tree when a slab broke off. Then I heard a thump…. I closed my eyes and my heart stopped, I thought I was dead. A small slab had broke off the right side and laid 30 feet below me. I instantly thought I am in over my head, I don’t know how to check the snow pack, there are no tracks to follow why are there no tracks!? Do people who actually know this stuff know not to cross!?! I am doing it early while the snow is still firm… that’s a good thing right!?! Okay keep GOING! Suddenly I was on a slope with no more right ridge and its perceived safety. Okay kick the down hill ski in hard like it’s a crampon and repeat. Over and over I repeated this until I was more then halfway across when I noticed the ski on the down hill ski was coming loose. I imagine this is from kicking the edge of the ski into snow with such nervous force from the fear that gripped me. Okay I see a tree well, I just have to make it there. Once there I took my ski off as soon as possible, hastily reattaching the skin not wanting to stay on the avalanche slope any longer then needed. I finally make it across relieved and mentally exhausted, stopping to eat and passively make water by melting the snow on a trash bag and in black pots while I got lost in the view.

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Comparison Between Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail

by adventuresoftheaveragejoe, posted in Appalachian Trail (AT), Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)

I feel like most people I’ve talked to who hiked both the Appalachian Trail (AT) and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) agree that the answer to which trail is harder is, “they are different trails it’s really hard to compare the two.” That being said most hikers would probably say the AT is more physically demanding while being more comfortable and the PCT is less physically demanding while more mentally taxing. This is strange because the PCT is around 500 miles longer, hell even the abbreviation for the PCT is longer then the abbreviation for the AT! Also, the highest point on the PCT coming in at 13,153 ft is at Forester Pass, with a lot of hikers making the trek to the top of Mount Whitney at 14,505 ft as a side hike, since you pass so close and the AT’s highest peak is only 6,643 ft at Clingmans Dome. How can the AT be more physically demanding, you ask? Well first off it seems to me the AT’s goal is to go straight up every peak along the way from Georgia to Maine while the PCT is graded for pack animals, so even though the summits are higher on the PCT the trail doesn’t go straight up! Well not all the time anyway and it might feel like it does some days, but the fact that I knocked out more miles per day on average on the PCT makes me feel that this statement is true.

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Forester Pass Vs Clingmans Dome

How’s the PCT more mentally tasking? It rained the whole time on the AT and I was almost completely drained by mosquito’s. While it hardly rained on the the PCT for 2,144 of the 2,700 miles and I was strolling along this nicely graded path. So what does being more comfortable mean? For example Clingmans Dome can be accessed by a fully-paved and only half a mile long road. This highest point on the AT has an alternative route to the white blazed trail that involves driving most of the way. After spending half an hour searching for the trail head to Forester pass I can only conclude you have to hike in on the JMT/PCT the two trails parallel each other for some distance or drive to Junction Pass and hike over it and then reach Forester pass. It’s all about the access and planning that makes the AT more comfortable and the PCT mentally taxing. The AT hike is basically running from town to town getting beer and resupplies every couple of days. While the PCT involves more planning and longer hitches into town. The ability to resupply is more limited and involves more mail drops and relying on other people to take you to and from the trail heads since towns are farther away. On the AT you’re hitching because you don’t want to walk the 2 miles while on the PCT you’re hitching because it would take another day to walk into town.

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It was easier to relax on the AT because you are basically following a beaten path that is hard to miss, while on the PCT snow totally covers the trail and there are more then one set of tracks to follow all taking slightly different paths hopefully to the same place. Its also hard to relax when you are sliding down a hill trying to stop yourself with an ice axe before you pitch into an alpine lake.

“Generally speaking, thru hikers on the PCT go to extreme lengths to cut down on their pack weight. While counting ounces is important on the AT, most typical AT pack weights are more than that of what you would see on the PCT. Even the most popular packs on the PCT are themselves from ultralight brands such as Gossamer Gear and ULA instead of Osprey or Gregory, as seen on the AT. Still, gear choices always vary heavily from one hiker to another.” – Carlie Gentry

The other major difference is the tree corridor you are in on the AT, the scenery is basically the same tree cover above. It’s not until you get to New Hampshire that you are really excited about the next view. Whereas most of the PCT is spent hiking from dramatic view to dramatic view. You also go from desert to rain forest while hiking the PCT with drastic changes in environment. With that being said for me I thought the desert was really challenging physically and mentally. If someone would have asked which was harder while I was still in the desert I would have said the PCT, but the desert is not the whole PCT just part of the experience. There was much more amazing sections to overall experience that is the PCT.

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I personally liked the PCT better and would hike all of it but the desert again if given the chance. While if given the chance to hike the AT again I would turn it down, with the exception of New Hampshire and Maine. I disliked the desert so much I am dreading hiking the CDT. I am only slightly nervous of the grizzly bear, but dread having to hike through the desert again!

Maine

by adventuresoftheaveragejoe, posted in Appalachian Trail (AT)

I found this old Facebook post from shortly after I finished.

I finished hiking the AT on September 6! I walked over 2200 miles saw hoards of mosquitos, countless ticks, too many rattlesnakes, 4 bears, 3 moose, 1 porcupine, 1 unidentified feline and amazingly only 4 completely crazy people. The most amazing thing I saw was the views. I had became used to seeing the views, but when my father hiked Katahdin with me he stopped to look at the views (rest) more than I would have. I would have looked at the view made a mental note of it and rushed toward the top, my goal for many months. I am glad I slowed down the last day and really took in the scenery. Done!!!

Being so close to the end of this experience stirred a broad range of emotions. Excitement from almost completing this hefty goal to a feeling of loss and listlessness. On one hand I was about to complete this “once in a lifetime experience” as I have heard this referred to many times, but I didn’t want this to be a one and done. This is what I want my life to be. I had already started formulating plans for future adventures. There is no way I could see my self going back to a “normal life”. Next spring I was planning to cycle across the USA then work on completing the triple crown, with the PCT next and the CDT to finish it off. The infinite possibilities bouncing around in my head, the creative juices flowing from spending the last few months in the wilderness with not a care, but the singular goal of hiking to the top of Katahdin.  And here it was just a few hundred miles away.

I got a head of my self, I realized as I took my pack off and squeezed through a hole in the rock jumble that is Mahoosuc Notch (the hardest or most fun mile of the AT, according to AWOL’s Guide), reaching back through the opening and pulling my way to heavy pack through. I crammed about 10 days of food into my pack so I could take out a resupply to save time. Sweating profusely as I dragged the pack though the opening I doubted if I would actually save time.

Maine flies by and I arrive at the 100 mile wilderness way to soon. Nine days latter I was eating Lobster and drinking beer at the restaurant near Abol Bridge, waiting on my parents to meet me. While waiting on them enjoying another beer, they were late as usual,  I saw a moose run across the road. I had been hoping to see a moose and was super stoked to that I got the chance. My parents arrived shortly after late , but dependable and supportive we proceeded to get a campsite in Baxter.

My parents wanted to hike as far as they could with me the end of the AT.  However, Katahdin is the longest climb on the entire AT, at five miles of climbing, starting from 1,089 feet at Katahdin Stream Campground to 5,268 feet at the summit. So I was surprised that they made it as far as they did. My mother turned around before we made it to the exposed sections. Dad and I stopped just shy of the treeline to eat and and rest before tackling the windy summit push. Climbing our way to the top using rebar drilled into the rock we slowly made our way to the top which was in sharp contrast to the start of the day where I was rushing to keep up with my father. Now stopping on many occasions “to take in the view of the numerous lake” as dad put it. Not far from the top he said, “I can’t go any further.” Commenting that the helicopter ride off the top cost just as much as from where we were I urged him to keep going. We took in a few more views, but made it to the top where a group of thru hikers were celebrating the completion of their journey, gorging on a watermelon heavyweight, another hiker, had hiked up to the summit.

Looking out over the summit, before for heading down, dad following me, I know definitely that I will cycle across the country the spring after next, spending this coming year working and saving money for the next adventure.