Zaleski
Lately I've kind of gotten away from backpacking. I'm training for a half marathon with a local MIT group. I've signed up to do a triathlon and have been training with a group of triathletes @ Triformance, Between running and biking , I haven't got much dirt time in. Zaleski is a perfect place to get mileage in.
I didn't do much planning. My bag was packed with cold weather hiking in mind. The only adjustment I made was removing my crampons.
My Tarptent double rainbow and Osprey Variant 52. I love this tent every time I set it up. Tons of room , and a lot of configuration options will keep me using it for 4 seasons. The Osprey backpack is designed for mountaineering and I find it works best for a winter pack.
My blackrock down beanie and mittens with Montbell jacket. I had feathered friends down booties and Montbell down pants but didn't need them. One of these days I need to get them all on and take a picture of the stay puff marshmallow man.
My carbon Pacer Poles. I've been using these for about a year now. They are very ergonomic and work well with gloves. I've found that common wrist straps tend to stress my wrists after high mileage days. The adjustment system seems to hold well for me so far.
Another new piece of gear is Giant Eagle firewood. I heard from a friend @ work that some people he knew got busted driving their ATVs up the trail. I suspect this was their wood. It burned awfully good. The new Blind Horse Knife is mine too.
Optimus SVEA 123
Talk about oldschool. This stove was designed over 100 years ago. I wouldn't categorize this as a normal stove I'd use. It's not lightweight or very efficient. It is however , very well tested , and dependable. At high altitude cold weather treks , the typical butane/propane hikers stove typically don't work well. White gas stoves are cold weather workhorses. Generally used to melt snow , I wouldn't consider using white gas for anything but dedicated winter camping. The modern equivalents of this stove usually require gaskets , repair kits, pumps , and fuel bottles.
With one effective moving part , the valve , not much can go wrong with this stove. Inside the valve is a needle that cleans the port of debris. I've been getting 8 minute 2 cup boils which isn't that great , but it is using a narrow pot , the Snow Peak 900. This pot fits the SVE123 like it was made for it. The integrated fuel reservoir holds 4 oz's and supposedly burns for 50 minutes..
One of the tricky parts to getting this stove working is priming , as with most gas stoves. Essentially your heating the stove to build pressure to vaporize the gas. I've found an eyedropper full of white gas in the depression around the valve works for me.
I've got an old Sigg aluminum cookset on order that I plan on using with this stove. It should provide more efficiency melting snow. This is one more piece of gear that I'll use for winter mountaineering.
Weight 19 oz
Wildcat Hollow / Double Rainbow initial impressions
I'm not sure if it was the mud , downed trees , or me getting old , but I was sore after 16 miles averaging a 2.9 mph pace. I've hiked this trail enough times, I don't need to review it.
I did pick up a new tent that I've wanted forever. Henry Shires Tarpent Double Rainbow. Aside from seem sealing, this is it's first trip. I've owned the Squall 2 for a few years and the Double Rainbow fills some gaps in features missing from the Squall.
1. Freestanding. Although I haven't tested this capability yet, it's possible using trekking poles. This comes in handy in the sand ,snow, or tent platforms.
2. Possible 4 season use. The double rainbow isn't advertised to handle snow loads , but checking out the design , it should handle moderate amounts. It also has peak vents in case the bottom venting gets clogged.
3. Double vestibules , side entrance. With this feature theirs plenty of room for gear storage and kitchen space. This also makes it an easier to use 2 person tent. These awnings can be pitched multiple ways. I had it set up with double awnings and it has unbelievable ventilation.
I'll be using this tent exclusivity for a few years and have no doubt it'll meet my expectations given my use of the Squall 2. One small quibble could be the slightly higher weight than the Squall. It also may require extra line. Total weight , including extra line , stakes, a breathable liner, and seam sealing ends up being 3lbs 1 oz.
Here's a view with one side rolled up. Gossamer Gear Marisopa plus pack in front.
This shows the porch/awning setup with tie-downs to trees.I originally had the other side set up the same way with hiking poles. This thing looked like a spaceship with both awnings out.
Random hill shot.
Sunday Creek about 1/2 mile from main trail head. This is were camp was set. It's kinda soggy.
Mohican River
I gotta chance to hit the Mohican in North-Eastern Ohio. I had been down this river a a kid but didn't remember much of it. I got down their Sunday afternoon and found this was an off-week time to go. The crowds were leaving and the water was clearing out , a perfect time for a kayaking trip. I didn't bring any fishing gear , hearing about the crowds. Someone in our group did , and managed to catch a small musky. Having multiple people with trucks , kayaks and tubes let us ferry back and forth without using a livery. We stayed at Mohican Wilderness private campsite. This kinda improved campsite/ car camping isn't really my thing , but kids love it. They had showers , bathrooms , a general store with ice and food , and tons of activities for kids. I was also surprised to find a trail that I happily hiked on a 90 degree day.
Having a beverage on a paddle.
The group on a lazy float.
A panoramic picture taken with my new camera a Pentax WG-1. I just started messing with it , but so far the pictures are adequate for a point and shoot. The real draw of this camera is the waterproof rating that kept my other camera at home for a few months.
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More new gear , a Gränsfors Bruks Scandinavian Forest Axe. This axe makes quick work of logs , and will work good for smaller kindling. Sharp as razor out of the box , great fit and finish, this might accompany me on winter trips.
The foot bridge to the hiking trail . I was scared to cross this.
Nordhouse Dunes
I took a trip to Michigan in a second failed attempt to get a case of Kentucky Breakfast Stout on the release date. I drank a ton of good beer at Hopcat Friday night. Woke up and headed to Founders at 8am hoping to be in front of the line and found 150 already their. I decided I better head out to Nordhouse Dunes.
I don't recall what beer this was. It was a sour high proof Belgium that was delicious.
Although most of the snow had melted in in the lower half of Michigan , I'd say the trails had 6-8 inches of slushy wet snow. I don't believe the temperature dropped too far below freezing.
A windy cold breeze made a dune hill windbreak a necessity.
My new winter-pack is the Osprey Variant. I had plenty of room for winter gear and weighed it down with 40 lbs of gear. I found it carried the load nicely.
The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 is a pretty nice setup for winter camping with it's freestanding capability and generous sizing. I didn't have the vestibule taught enough in this picture but it's roomy enough to cook in. It also has smaller vestibule in the back that's useful for bathroom breaks in the middle of the night.
I still haven't made it to Nordhouse in the summer but imagine it'd be a blast with the short hike to the beach.
Zaleski North Loop
Tried the north loop for the first time. It measures 14 miles and does a figure 8 back to the parking lot. I planned on passing the parking lot and hitting the first camp. Within 2 miles I noticed my shoes were a little loose and rubbing a little on the heel. Too late , as I had half dollar sized blisters on my heel. I stopped at about 4 miles to apply moleskin and found I had left my medkit in another bag. Compounding the problem was I was trying out my new Kahtoola KTS aluminum crampons.
I probably only needed these a total of 1 mile but used them a total of 12. The lightweight aluminum crampons weight in at 1 lbs 10 ozs with a bag (not included) and their lightweight version of anti-balling plates worked fairly well. These fit virtually all footwear and don't require mountaineering boots.
The Aluminum wears fairly quick when moving over rocks and mud , so the steel would work better in these situations. My feet hurt so bad at 12 miles these had to come off. It didn't help , the damage was already done. I'll have to rethink my footwear with crampons , maybee a sock liner will help.
Another piece of gear I tried was the Mountain Laurel eVent rain mitts.
These worked awesome in freezing rain and sleet. The eVent kept my hands from sweating @ 32 degrees Fahrenheit. A lower temperature my have required lightweight gloves.
Ice cave towards the end of the hike. After hitting the parking lot I didn't have enough will to hike another 2 miles and headed home. I'll probably do this again with proven footwear.
Cold Weather Gear
Being in the deep freeze of winter only leaves me one choice. More gear. I've been hoping to increase the temperature rating of my Montbell UL Super Stretch # 3 30 Degree bag by utilizing down clothing. I'll use clothing I'd probably need in winter camp anyway. I'm really trying to keep myself from buying a 0 degree bag that will cost $500.
Feathered friends down booties were a bit of a splurge. I have found walking around in the snow with outer covers comfortable enough. The covers slip off before getting into the tent. These will be nice to put on after a long day of hiking.
Montebell UL jacket and pants are about the lightest pieces of down gear you can buy. Weighing 7.7 ozs for the pants and 6.5 for the top. These are no frill garments , with no pockets, minimal elastic, and no felt lining. They keep me warm standing around in 10 degrees with a warm merino wool baselayer and lightweight nylon shells over them.
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 doesn't seem like winter gear, but it's replacing a lightweight, non freestanding , single wall , Tarptent Squall 2. It's only rated for three season use but I don't expect I'll have much of a snow load to test it's limits. Weighing in at a relatively light 3 Lbs 5.5 ozs with stakes, stuff sacks and ground cloth. I set this up in my snowy dark backyard without too much trouble for the first time. It has less room than my tarptent but I managed to get all my gear in and used my backpack as a pillow. I've got enough room to sit up in without hitting my head. A 37 inch peak height was enough for my 5 foot 10 height , taller people my have to hunch over a bit. Lengthwise I had plenty of room to spare and suspect it'll fit at least a 6'2" hiker. This will be my new winter and kayaking tent.
I got a chance to test this gear on a clear cold 0 degree night. I had my backpack set up with full gear and my new tent. I set up in the backyard and lasted about an hour. I wasn't shivering cold , but my feet were a little nippy. I don't think I'd of slept comfortably , and would've woken up shivering. It did get down to -5 degree Fahrenheit that night. With some handwarmers in my sleeping bag , I may have slept without too much trouble.
Some gear I need for comfortable winter sleeping:
A down inflatable pad to replace my Thermarest Neo-Air. I have ordered the Exped 7 down sleep pad and expect that will increase my warmth retention with twice the R-value of the Neo Air. I also have a Mont Bell UL Thermal sheet on the way, that may be used to supplement my 30 Degree bag.
Next on my list is a down beanie from BlackRock Gear.
Who's ready for winter hiking? Me.
Shawnee backpack trail
Located west of Portsmouth Ohio this 45 mile loop or 60 mile figure 8 promised a challenging hike. I started out , kinda late @ 10:00am at the trail head on Saturday. There was one other car their , with space for 50. At Zaleski I wouldn't have a parking spot on a Saturday morning. I had originally planned a 3 day 45 or 60 mile hike. I was in for a surprise.
I managed to make it to camp 1 @6 miles no problem, I don't think I even looked at the time. My first mistake was taking in the scenery , taking pictures, & stalking game , even though I had no intention of harvesting anything until the third day. I could have limited out on squirrel , flushed out grouse and a wood duck. On my way to camp 2, I saw a sign that read " camp 2, 4.7 miles". My watch read 3pm. My GPS read a 2.1MPH moving average. Sunset at 5 and change. Not only did I have pick up the pace, I couldn't take a break.
Panic mode sets in. Getting to an official camp site isn't that important to me. Getting water is. It's dry in Ohio, and the water is scarce. Every campsite @ Shawnee has cistern water sources and a privy. I'm double timing it over the harshest terrain I've ever hiked. 600 to 1200 elevation foot inclines. It doesn't sound like much if you've ever hiked the Appalachian trail, but for an Ohioan flatlander, it's torture.
A sign, ".5 miles to camp 2". You'd think a half a mile would be easy after traveling 12, it wasn't. I took my first spill in 4 years with hiking poles. 8 layers of dried leaves took out my left foot, and right pole on a 45 degree downhill. My head landed softly in that pile of leaves. Luckily one of the many rocks that line the trail wasn't protruding. Later that evening I decided not to hike this trail solo again.
4:45 I make it to camp 2. Privy. Check. Fire Ring. Check. Water , no dice. Luckily a dry creek-bed is 50 feet from the privy. Looking upstream I see nothing, downstream some promising depressions reveal some nasty pools of water. I'll know in a few days if ingesting a few liters of filtered human waste was a good idea. I found out later this campsites water source is a mile down the road.
After a night of watching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 4 for third time, I broke camp at about 9:30. I figured the next day wouldn't be as grueling , no hunting, limited pictures, and hopefully easier terrain. Wrong , the terrain was harder. Later I found found the elevation gain and loss to be over 9000 feet. The last 5 miles was a cakewalk, and i cut my losses and headed for home with a paltry 24 mile 2 day outing. I had a three day food supply and would need 4-5 to make the south loop.
Trail Head registration. A nice display, but no maps, Print your own @ ODNR's website.
A stream crossing early in the trip.
A fire tower on the next ridge. I'm not sure if it's accessible on the south loop or not.
I tried many times to capture the steep switchbacks, but the pictures don't show how steep they are. This is a gentle 100 foot ridge climb after a tough 400 footer.
Camp 2 @ sunset.
Filtering water in the morning. The Camel-back quick connect kit makes this easy.
Sticking around camp late to ensure the fire was out , and drying the tent.
Empty parking lot. I never saw or heard another person or car until the last 5 miles near the boy-scout camp. Overall this trail is probably my favorite in Ohio. It's in the largest continuous forest track in state and offers plenty of wildlife and solitude.
Tarp Tent Squall 2
I've been beating the heat by staying inside , but figured I'd shake out , and clean out my favorite tent. I did some research before buying the Squall 2. It's a non-freestanding single wall tent. Non-freestanding tents have a disadvantage of needing a place to stake. Sand , rocks , and hard dirt present challenges. I've used large rocks , logs , and burying my stakes sides-ways in the snow to get a taught pitch. It's advantage is weight.
This thing is light , 2lbs 6 oz's with seam sealing , and silicone beading on the floor to prevent slippage. I choose to seam seal it myself , but they'll do it at the factory for a nominal fee. I recommend using the same seam sealing mixture of 50/50 white gas and GE silicone 2 on the floor (recommended by the manufacturer). If you pitch this tent at an angle , you'll find yourself scooting down to the lowest point without it. I used a a tic-tac-toe pattern to accommodate vertical and horizontal baffled pads.
Handing 70 mph gusts , the Squall 2 is a little shaky but held it's ground. To be honest , if I wasn't more worried about logs blowing down and killing me, I'd of fretted more. This isn't a 4 season bomber and it wouldn't handle a snow load. I've never had it in a driving rainstorm , but imagine, and have heard the tent has an issue with misting. I can't say for sure , but I suspect this has to do with it's phenomenal ventilation. Having ventilation all the way around; humidity and condensation shouldn't be a problem , unlike most single wall tents.
Packs down fairly small with the rear aluminum poles removed I can halve this size.
Front half requires 1 or 2 hiking poles. I prefer 1 for ease of entry . 2 is supposed increase stability , but requires yoga skills I don't possess. Their is a carbon fiber strut between the front guylines. The beak is rolled up in this picture but extends out to the front.
Inside front. The bathtub floor un-clips for more space , clips up for weather protection.
Rear. This end should be placed into the wind for maximum strength.This isn't staked out and perfectly taught. In actual use I find it's nice to get it set up , let it stretch for an hour or so , then tweak it.
Check them out @ http://www.tarptent.com/products.html
Caldera Cone for the MSR .85L Titan
Caldera Cones have peaked my interest for some time. With supposedly 5 minute 1/2 ounce alcohol burns achieving 2 cup boils, this is worth looking into. An issue with alcohol, is long distance trekking. A 1/2 ounce stove is nice , but after carrying 14 oz's of fuel of fuel for a 7 day hike , your better off carrying an IsoButane canister and burner for the same weight. I've personally used Minibull design stoves , white box stoves, and made a few. I tested this stove this weekend but didn't bring my camera. Test bed is my Weber Grill with well used pizza stone. 60 degree weather . 60 degree water. 9mph wind speed.
Total weight of kit is 4.2 ounces.
Kit comes with Fuel bottle , measuring cup, stove ( calibrated for cone) , plastic container(The plastic container also doubles as a cup), and the aluminum cone.
A 1/2 oz of Heet alcohol. The measuring cup comes in handy when measuring 1/2 oz's.
Boil time was reached 5:30 , total time burned was 6:30.
My cone sticks to the pot when I lift it , I hear this can be remedied by slightly working the aluminum , but it doesn't bother me. This will be my go-to stove , for more than an overnighter. Pick one up at antigravitygear.com.
Update 8/27/10
I picked up some 91% rubbing alcohol and tested with 8:30 full boil time and a total burn time of 14 minutes, with 1 oz. I'm guessing 3/4 oz would probably be the perfect amount. Rubbing alcohol also burns with a visible flame. This also creates a light layer of soot which washes off pretty easily. I may start carrying it instead of methanol because it double duties as an effective foot dryer/cleaner.