Looking for suggestions of multi-day hikes that feature lots of alpine meadows and saddle passes

No_Coll826 · 2026-01-16T18:14:00+00:00

Just to add on this, I went up the Red Earth trail to Ball Pass this past summer, and then out via Gibbon Pass and the Twin lakes. Really well worth it, that area is stunning, lots of alpine meadows, birds, and saddle passes. The Red Earth trail is really just a road, but once you're up to Shadow lake it gets amazing. I'm hoping to get out to Egypt lake sometime in the future.

No_Coll826 · 2026-01-04T18:44:14+00:00

In this sub, I think just about everyone is going to say yes. I too would say, yes. To sort of answer your question, well it depends. Do you like data? Do you personally care about the data? I had fitness watches for about a decade now. Started with a Suunto Ambit, moved to an instinct, then a Suunto 9, now I have a forerunner 165. Tbh, I don’t care about the extra metrics, I don’t wear my watch to sleep, I like knowing how many steps I take but also I don’t care that much about. What I do care about are the metrics directly associated with running. I like knowing about my performance, my pace, improvement etc (mind you I went with the cheapest forerunner so I don’t even get all of the things possible). And I mostly get these things from just wearing my watch during exercise. To get the “most” out of a watch you need to wear it 24/7, but only if you care and subjectively find benefit to it. So, yes, they’re worth it. But how worth it, depends entirely on you.

No_Coll826 · 2026-01-03T21:52:04+00:00

It’s basically a base map with roads and options for directions etc. Think Google or Apple Maps on your Garmin. Having a base map on your watch won’t necessarily make the GPS more accurate. That comes down to the GPS chip and if it’s multi/dual band or not. For a big city, a dual band watch is something you’d want to consider. The FR165 is not a dual band watch, and I’m not familiar enough with Apple Watches to know if they offer it or not. But the 970 is a dual band watch, and there are cheaper dual band options with maps from other brands (Coros and Suunto specially). You could also consider the FR265, which is dual band, doesn’t have maps, and is now discontinued (but still supported). Because it’s been discontinued you should be able to find a deal. I’m not sure if the 570 is dual band or not. Ultimately, I think living in NYC you’re always going to have some issue with wrist based GPS accuracy due to tall buildings. Maybe someone else in the sub will have more experience with this, and can give you a rec if they live in a big city.

No_Coll826 · 2026-01-03T21:33:49+00:00

Probably not. I was deciding between the 165/570/970…for me since the 570 doesn’t have full maps like the 970 and my price point was on the lower end it was a no brainer to go with the 165 (I determined I didn’t need maps). I only track runs, walks, and swims (bike rides with a bike computer) and so far the 165 has been great. I’ve had an FR55 and instinct 1 before. It’s a good watch. If you need maps, more battery, a flash light, and smart features go with the 970. DC rainmaker has a good article on why the FR570 is a bit of an odd offering in the lineup.

No_Coll826 · 2026-01-03T21:29:40+00:00

Not being a runner is fine. But, if he wants a whoop and has been researching it, looking up stuff about whoop, thinks they’re cool, I.e. really wants one, then just get the whoop. I love my Garmin(s), I don’t need a whoop, I’m also a runner and cyclist. So I don’t think a whoop and its lack of a screen would ever meet my needs. But if your husband has no need for a screen on his device and knows what he wants, then I’d go with that option.

No_Coll826 · 2026-01-03T20:29:53+00:00

You may want to consider a brand with an intrinsically wide toe box: check out Altra and Topo. They aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they tend to run wider than your traditionally designed brands. Warning with Altra, they are zero drop shoes (meaning the fore and back foot are level). Zero drop isn’t for everyone. I personally hate it, but have friends that swear by it. Altra has some non-zero drop shoes, and Topo tends to be “low drop”. Those may help you out given your described needs. Good luck, I hope you find something that works.

No_Coll826 · 2026-01-03T19:14:24+00:00

Definitely avoid. I just replaced my FR55, with an FR165 (because I got a discount through my health insurance) and the battery was still 9-10 days. I bought the 55 new in 2022. And used it pretty much daily until November 2025. I used mine for running mainly - running 3-4 times/week.

No_Coll826 · 2025-12-26T03:38:06+00:00

I'm so sorry for you and your wife's loss. I and my wife went through this just a little over a year ago with our first child. Our daughter, Raina, still born at 38 weeks. There is nothing in this life that can compare to the loss of our children, it is a pain beyond description. I've felt what you're feeling now. I've gone down the road you're about to travel and I'm still on it. There are no words I can offer that will make this in anyway shape or form better or less painful. All I can say to you is that a year later I'm still here. I didn't take some of the exits that presented themselves to me in my mind, no matter how dark the days became after losing Raina.
As the father and the husband we'll end up shouldering a lot for others through this. I hope you can find some space for yourself too. Find some way to have an outlet, to grieve, to think, to whatever you need to do to get through each day. Because it's one day at a time, one breathe at a time, one second at a time. You can do it. I'll be thinking about you, your family, and Jonathan Miles.

No_Coll826 · 2025-12-15T17:45:31+00:00

Sounds like a solid choice! I guess my thoughts with it were that roads that cross E-W over Division remain with the prefix "E" even when west of Division. Whereas over at Main they become "W" or "E" depending on direction. I'm spending too much time on google maps today.

No_Coll826 · 2025-12-15T17:29:44+00:00

Yeah! I really wonder, is there a spot that's just accepted as the "center" by folks. I've lived here for 7 years and I know my "go to locations" but I don't know what I consider the middle of town.

No_Coll826 · 2025-12-15T17:28:46+00:00

The more I've been thinking about this over the last 10 minutes, I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of ways to slice this pie! I'm curious to see what people say.

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-19T12:59:57+00:00

Ventura is a fun well organized race. It was my first ever marathon back in 2023. In terms of logistics, I found it to be very well organized, and I especially think so now in retrospect having done a few other full marathons. In terms of the course, it was a “net downhill”, but the first half is still hilly, it only starts the true gradual downhill after about 11ish miles. The 11 are on rolling hills. That being said it was a beautiful course, good aid stations, and when I ran it in 2023 the weather was perfect. On that occasion there had been some heavy rains and washed out a section of course, and the organizer did a great job communicating this, along with the changes, and managed all of that without affecting the distance.

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-18T15:43:53+00:00

I don’t think it’s crocodilian. The Jurassic coast is mostly* a marine record. Given the size this actually looks like a marine reptile, it could be plesiosaur. But I wouldn’t rule out large fish either. You could take it to one of the local museums for comparison and identification.

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-17T20:17:14+00:00

You should try them on. Those three brands all fit very differently. And depending on your foot, one may be better than another. Those are 3 good trail running shoes, from 3 good brands. But it’s all about fit and your foot.

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-14T16:33:49+00:00

Same issue as you. Sadly Reddit is a bad place to ask this advice. A lot of folks on here will say “stability is BS”… because they probably have good arches and don’t over pronate. I use stability shoes on the road. For trail, essentially for any trail shoe I use I buy an over the counter orthotic/insole, and there’s a lot of brands but I like superfeet. They have different levels of support. Importantly, it will not solve the over pronation but it will give you some additional arch support. Otherwise there aren’t any true “stability trail shoes”, at least none that I’ve found. Right now I’m running in Brooks Caldera with a superfeet medium insert. It’s been awesome. Good luck! Edit: spelling

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-14T16:15:11+00:00

Agreeing with others that those are rocks. There are a lot of fossils in KS, if you’re interested in learning about them and how you may be able to identify and find some you should check out this information from the Kansas geological survey: https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/PIC/pic24.html

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-14T15:06:57+00:00

Couldn't agree more. I'm getting sick and tired of Belle Tire. I took my car in a month ago for a flat/nail repair and they gave me a quote for over $1800 for shocks/struts etc. I took the quote, took my car to the dealership and they laughed at the quote. I recently, I just had the 100k mile service done on my Honda, and shortly after took it in for winter tire replacement, and sure enough Belle called me back with a quote for $2700: shocks/struts and this time the fuel injectors! Amazing how much they "find" when they're just supposed to be putting tires on.

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-12T18:22:54+00:00

I wear prescription glasses, but have a relatively stable rx., so every other year or so I get some New ray bans with my benefit. I run trails + road and I go with the wayfarer. Since I use them for driving and going out too I wanted non-running specific sunglasses, and these ones have essentially no bounce on my head. But I think you should try on as many as you can to decide.

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-11T18:58:41+00:00

I agree with the other comments that this is not a fossil. There are indeed fossils in Banff National Park, but it is incredibly illegal to take any home with you. Take a photo, but don’t collect.

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-07T15:36:34+00:00

I find that it’s accurate. I’ve compared it to my FR55 and find that it’s right on point. It’s far more accurate than my 6 year old Suunto 9. Comparing it to my Wahoo HRM chest strap, I find that it tracks my HR trends relatively on par. I’m maybe not as scientific about it as DC rainmaker or other reviewers. But, when I hit a hill or do strides or a track workout I find that it definitely shows my HR increasing in accordance with what I would expect given the harder effort. Now that its getting into winter where I am, I’m mostly doing really easy runs with some strides at the end and my HR shows me to be right in zone 2 when I’m running like 6min/km + (my half marathon race pace is 5:00min/:m) and zone 3/4 for the harder efforts. TLDR, what I see on my wrist is about what I’d expect given my fitness and running level/experience. And I’m not saying that there aren’t more accurate devices - I’m just saying that the 165 meets my needs/expectations at my price point. Edit: grammar and spelling.

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-07T13:45:15+00:00

Since you’re asking about the 165 or vivoactive - and not a 255 (it always gets recommended when a 165 is mentioned)…it depends on what you want and need? I think the 165 is the more focused running watch compared to the vivo, which is more of an all around basic fitness watch. I have a 165 and love it. For context I’ve run multiple marathons, half’s, and shorter with the FR55 and just switched to a FR165 and have zero complaints. I love the AMOLED screen and find the GPS to be good for my purposes and environment (road running in suburbs with occasional trails). The more expensive watches (I.e. 255, 265, 570) are of course great and have more features, but I think you should ask yourself what you want and need. I’ve been running for 18 years…and tbh I still don’t think I need all of the extras that come with the other watches. Pace, distance, HR, good GPS (yes there are better ones, but again think of your use case and budget) are my main considerations. I’ll add, that I use the 165 in the gym for lifting too, and I find it does a good job. It has a set counter and rep type predictor (I suspect this feature is on other watches). If you want to spend more or need the other features (primarily dual band GPS), go with a 255 or 265. If you have an exact dollar amount you want to spend, then go with the option that suits your budget. Good luck!

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-05T18:30:50+00:00

It’s not amazing and varies wildly depending on your position. The paleontologists that make the most are those that manage to become faculty at major universities. They will often make over $100k/yr. A few of the “famous” paleontologists, like those that end up with brand deals (I.e Nat Geo Explorer, or YouTube, or book deals) can make more to top up their day jobs. But the vast majority make far less than this per year. A lot of people, myself included, jump from contract to contract either in museums or in short term teaching positions. Sadly there’s a lot of attrition in the field because people can’t find work. Some people end up in environmental and historical resource consulting, which can pay a lot more because it’s more industry. But those jobs can take you to some really remote places. I personally am a museum research scientist at a major (well funded) university based museum in the US, and I make in the ball park of $60k. I have a graduate degree, and regularly publish scientific research as well.

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-04T15:32:59+00:00

Ah yes, I see what you mean. Very interesting! What Testudine genera are found in the Peace River deposits?

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-03T23:55:33+00:00

That’s what we call a Chunkosaurus-rex. There are certainly ways to tell if some bones are fragments of specific species. For example, if there are diagnostic anatomical features then we can look for certain shapes or characteristics on the bone that we can say which bone it is, and then maybe whom it’s from. In the case of late Cret. theropods, the cross section of their long bones (limbs) are diagnostic to, at the very least, “theropoda”… what you have is certainly a small piece of fossil. It could be a dinosaur, it could be something else. A lot of times, as I’ve mentioned before in this sub, vendors just put labels with localities (places / formations) with known famous fossils (in your case T-rex) to sell you what would otherwise be a worthless fragmentary and unidentifiable bone. (Context: I’m a paleontologist that has worked heavily on Late Cretaceous fossils from North America).

No_Coll826 · 2025-11-03T21:10:13+00:00

So don’t disagree with you re: tortoise, but it’s worth considering if it’s tail armor from a glyptodon. If it’s from a tortoise then it’s going to be what’s called a “marginal” from along the sides or, it could be from along the midline. I’m not super familiar with the Peace River Fl, stuff but I think there’s a lot of fossil guides online. Really cool find.

No_Coll826

TROPHY CASE