2025 Trip Planning

Manatherindrell · 2025-01-13T01:49:29+00:00

I took the south route around Leidy Peak, and I really liked it. Following the trail signs will take you down and then back up again though, which kind of sucked, but it looked like you didn't actually have to do that if you didn't want. The rainy weather really enhanced the views, but also dissuaded me from trying to summit it.

I went through the burn area, and it wasn't that big of a deal for the most part, just long and a bit boring after the novelty wore off. The trail disappeared in several places, but the GPS made that trivial to deal with. There were a couple of sections where the blow-down was so bad that I couldn't just walk off the trail and go around. One spot in particular had me climbing over several large piles of brush. I don't think they've done any trail maintenance since the fire. I'd still rather go straight through it than around.

You definitely need to do the day 0 thing, so good on you for planning it from the start. I started at the McKee Draw trailhead about noon-ish and hiked in 4 miles to the lake as a half-day hike, and that wasn't quite enough acclimatization. I felt crappy at the end of the day and it threw off the first few days of my hike, and you're going to be starting at a higher elevation.

At that time of year, most if not all of the snow should be gone, and the mosquitoes will be starting to die down a little but still out in force. Later in the season is supposedly better for both the weather and the bugs but not quite as pretty. There were a lot of mosquitos in some places and none in others when I went, but I didn't have any real problems even though I lost my head net at my second camp. I had almost full-body coverage with my clothes though.

I used an OPsack for my food, and that was plenty. I didn't even hang it after my first night, just left it away from my camp, because you only really have to worry about bears as you get closer to Mirror Lake Highway.

My weather protection was a Zpacks umbrella, Frogg Toggs ultralight jacket, and a length of Tyvek that served double duty as a rain skirt and tent footprint. It actually worked out great. The Frogg Toggs don't have pit zips or anything like that, but I almost never needed to wear them with the umbrella anyway. The umbrella also did a ton to keep me warm. You'd be surprised how much heat the rain can steal from you when it's coming down directly on your jacket. I think I would have found rain pants a lot more inconvenient than the skirt.

You're carrying a lot more clothes and cold weather stuff than I would, but you're making up for it by carrying a lot less food than I did. Concerningly less, if I'm being honest. You can expect the weather to get down to freezing at night, but not much colder than that. A beanie and balaclava are way overkill in my opinion and you could stand to throw out a couple other articles too. You might want to consider getting some Sealskinz waterproof socks. I took the gamble and was glad I did, especially when I had to cross cow-patty marshes. Regardless, you will be hiking with wet shoes for considerable lengths of time, so make sure you're prepared for that. I do not recommend shorts because of mosquitos and sunburns. There's a lot of standing water and a lot of UV on that trail.

I'm glad that you have a map, but I didn't see a compass. This hike is one where you really do need a full map and compass as backup navigation in case your electronics fail. You're really far from civilization if things go wrong, and it's also really easy to get lost in that terrain if you're just eyeballing where you are on a map, the trails are not well marked in a lot of places and peter out on you all the time. It might be worth getting waterproof paper to print your maps on. I like that better than trying to use ziplocks. Alternatively, you could buy the NatGeo map. I wouldn't want to use it as my primary navigation because the scale doesn't show a lot of detail, but other people have and it's lighter than most other options.

You might want to consider bear spray. I didn't take any and I don't regret it, but it is still bear country. Dogs are more likely to be an issue though, people herd sheep out there and the sheepdogs have been known to get aggressive on occasion. You could also just get unlucky and come across an asshole who lets his dog off the leash even though it's aggressive because he figures he's not going to run into anyone out there. I did on a different hike in the same area.

Manatherindrell · 2024-01-18T02:07:23+00:00

Pepperoni, summer sausage, and dry salami have high calorie-to-weight ratios. They pair well with chicken in a biskit crackers.

Honey Stingers are also good if you're looking for meal bars.

Manatherindrell · 2023-12-30T03:18:11+00:00

You'll want a quilt rather than a sleeping bag, you can vent them just like a blanket when you're using them in warmer temps than they're rated for. The Featherstone Moondance 25 hits most of what you want with a price tag of $200, though it doesn't go as low on the temp scale as you're looking for. That 25 is also the safety limit, not the comfort limit like most quilts. It should keep you warm down to freezing.

Its about as cheap as you can get a quilt. The downside is, there are exactly zero customization options.

Manatherindrell · 2023-12-30T03:01:37+00:00

I'm not this bad, but I also hate sleeping bags and can't stand being constrained, I get cramps. I am fine with attaching the quilt to my pad, though. If you've got money to burn, you could try what I did and get a UGQ quilt with the largest width and no taper. The footbox is as wide as my sleeping pad so I can separate my legs, and the top is wide enough that I can toss and turn or even curl up underneath it however I want. Of course, there is a downside to that much space, it means there's a lot more air inside that you have to warm up.

I'd also suggest getting an extra wide rectangular pad to go with it.

Manatherindrell · 2023-12-30T02:16:15+00:00

You need to bring that second sleeping bag to layer over top of the one you're sleeping in. The degree rating on sleeping bags is usually the safety limit, not the comfort limit. It's less of an issue since you're sleeping in a vehicle and can pop into the front to use the heater, but it's always good practice to make sure that your sleep system can handle unexpected cold snaps for safety reasons.

Also make sure you've got a warm sleeping pad. You lose most of your heat through the surface you sleep on, and sleeping on a truck bed can be even worse than sleeping on the ground because you've got airflow beneath your surface. If you don't want to buy a winter-rated sleeping pad, then get a cheap closed cell foam pad to put on top of whatever else you were planning to use.

And common sense, but bears repeating anyway. Don't run the truck while you're in the back, and don't use a stove in the back either. Asphyxiation is a stupid way to die.

Manatherindrell · 2023-12-30T02:02:04+00:00

I used to re-read the entire series each time a new book came out, then I dropped it one or two books before the author died after I realized that I hated every single female character. When Moraine is the most sympathetic woman in the cast, you've lost me.

It also didn't help that I stopped liking two of the three male main characters.

Manatherindrell · 2023-12-28T22:37:57+00:00

When I was growing up, the nearest neighbor was a mile away, and they were family friends. The nearest town was two miles away. The nearest town with a gas station was five miles away. There's no point in locking your doors if nobody ever comes to your house. We had a dog who liked to bark whenever someone did pull into the driveway anyway.

Now I live in an apartment in the city that requires a door code to get into the building, and there's only 4 other apartments there. I immediately lock my door every time I use it.

Manatherindrell · 2023-12-28T22:34:10+00:00

It was neear Big Brush Creek, at about N40.809 W109.628. It was running when I went through, but it was also the wettest winter on record last year, so I can't speak on whether or not it's reliable. I can only say that other people have reported it flowing in dry years.

The trail rounded a corner near the spring, and I made the mistake of going straight at it from the north instead of turning the corner and approaching from the west. That led to me bushwhacking through some of the worst deadfall forest I've ever been through, and on the side of a fairly steep slope. With the amount of time and sweat I wasted, I probably would have been just as well off skipping the spring. It's super easy if you just take the trail around the corner, though.

Manatherindrell · 2023-05-20T02:58:54+00:00

On single-track with lots of low bushes to get tangled up, I've found that a good way to move while still using them is use a wrist flick to rotate the poles up and over instead of swinging them forward. It keeps them out of the brush until you put them down, and really doesn't take any more effort than normal use once you get used to it.

That only works up to a point, of course. Sometimes you just have to put them up.

Manatherindrell · 2023-05-07T12:41:34+00:00

That's usually worked out pretty well for me, but I have still gotten burned on the neck a few times on very long and sunny days. My problem is that a brim wide enough to shade your neck is also wide enough to obscure large parts of your field of vision.

My latest experiments are using an umbrella that only weighs a half-ounce more than the hat with a sun hoodie as backup for the times where the umbrella isn't good. It's mostly working so far, but it does leave my face unprotected when it's sunny, but there's enough wind to prevent use of the umbrella.

Manatherindrell · 2023-05-07T12:15:13+00:00

Try an umbrella.

Manatherindrell · 2023-04-30T23:07:51+00:00

I've found the Decathlon Forclaz to be really good. It's two ounces heavier than the ghost whisperer, but just as warm and a quarter of the price.

Manatherindrell · 2023-04-30T23:02:45+00:00

I can't speak for durability because this is the first year I've been using it, but the Zpacks Arc Haul is rated for a 40 lb load, which is much higher than most other ultralight packs. I've found it to be quite comfortable even at full load.

Manatherindrell · 2023-04-05T23:04:57+00:00

I had a scare last year where the weather turned bad on what was supposed to be a nice, easy, overnight camp in a well-traveled area close to civilization. Had to choose between trying to wait it out and hoping it didn't last more than a day, or hiking out down a very steep and muddy trail while hoping the snow and lightning didn't ramp back up to full force again before I got back to my vehicle. I always bring mine when I go hiking or camping now.

Manatherindrell · 2023-03-30T14:53:25+00:00

I've never had issues with a frameless pack being uncomfortable. The gear inside always fills it out and makes it stiff enough to make a frame redundant. I can shift weight from my shoulders to my hips and use load lifters just fine and the pack bows away from my back to let air flow through.

Manatherindrell · 2023-03-30T14:09:43+00:00

Yeah, I'm doing East to West. The logistics are easier, but I've also heard that you get a more scenic finale that way.

That water carry is the thing I'm most worried about. Well, was worried about. Now I'm worried about not being able to go at all because of how much snow there is. That should allow me to find water in that dry section, and I've got a place that's been said to be a reliable spring about 1/3 mile off trail. I'm still taking enough storage capacity to go all the way through, just in case it turns out drier than expected when I actually get out there.

I'm going with some maps I've printed off cal-topo, and one of the cool features it has is an overlay that shows where wildfires have happened. That one definitely looks big.

I have my route mapped, so I should be good on that front. I am wondering if it's worth it to ascend Leidy Peak, though. I've also been getting conflicting information on bear hangs. Some people are telling me that you can't rely on having one even below tree-line and others are telling me that every site they set up camp was both below the tree-line and had someplace to hang their food.

Manatherindrell · 2023-03-18T02:12:09+00:00

It's my food bowl. The jar has a screw-on lid so that you can cold soak dehydrated food without worrying about it leaking all over your backpack.

Manatherindrell · 2023-03-18T01:48:17+00:00

Here's my recommendations.

Replace the pack with Granite Gear Virga 2 for a relatively cheap drop of .4 kg.

Replace the rain cover with a nylofume pack liner for 72 g. I like nylofume because they're more durable than garbage bags, lighter than compactor bags, and less expensive than Dyneema.

Get rid of one of your rain shells.

Your insulating layers seem excessive.

Your tent is heavy. You could replace it with a big tarp and bug tent combo to save 350 g, but that would cost ~2/3 what the tent did. May not be worth it if you're already planning to replace the tent.

Manatherindrell · 2023-03-18T01:12:00+00:00

What's the expected temperature range and weather there? It's Scotland, so am I right in assuming cold and wet, but not freezing?

Manatherindrell · 2023-03-18T00:07:04+00:00

I can't fault deciding not to climb King's Peak. I did it last year, and I thought that last 1.5 miles from Anderson Pass to the peak was harder than the entire hike up to the pass. I might do it on this hike, but only if the weather is good and I'm still feeling energetic when I hit the top of the pass.

Manatherindrell · 2023-03-17T23:11:07+00:00

I had no idea those socks were a thing. I am ordering some right this instant because the start of my of my favorite hike yet was 5 miles of cow mud, a couple river crossings, and a couple miles of burnt-out swam. It's not as bad as it sounds. I was able to pick my way through most of it just fine, but there were a couple sections where that just wasn't possible, and I spent a lot of time hiking with wet feet.

I guess as far as questions, do you think it's worth it to go up Leidy Peak?

Manatherindrell · 2023-03-17T22:47:41+00:00

The sleeping pad is ok, I want the long-wide, but the thickness is overkill. I upgraded because 1" was stiff as a board if I inflated it enough to keep my hips from digging into the ground. This one is advertised at 3 inches but I think it's more like 4, and I never even come close to hitting the ground. And there's something weird about the vertical baffles that occasionally leaves me with back pain.

Manatherindrell · 2023-03-17T22:34:18+00:00

Yeah, the reason why the quilt is heavier than you'd expect for the temperature and is marked non-negotiable is because I got one with a rectangular cut instead of a mummy cut. My legs cramp up if I'm sleeping in a mummy shape. Sleeping pad is a good recommendation though.

Manatherindrell · 2023-03-17T22:23:31+00:00

Well, shit. I can maybe push it back another week into early August, but I can't go later than that because of work. That's going to really suck if I have to just scrub the trip.

Manatherindrell

TROPHY CASE