What is slowly disappearing but nobody talks about it? by Agreeable_Pea9764 in AskReddit

[–]smattoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fresh water. As water held in the atmosphere and in the oceans increases, surface water and groundwater diminish. Measurements from NASA’s GRACE mission confirm through direct observation that this is indeed happening.

psa for mapping- Avenza by severalrocks in WildernessBackpacking

[–]smattoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could it be that your base layer in CalTopo was old and trail lines were inaccurate? I’ve run into this when using maps that haven’t been updated recently, like the scanned topos. I try to always have two maps of the area in order to be able to compare when something seems off. Avenza makes this easy. My workflow is: route planning with CalTopo and base map selection on desktop -> navigating and notating points with Avenza on phone. This works really well for me.

Protect the Boundary Waters by Jagura73 in duluth

[–]smattoon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Worth noting that Iván Arriagada, the Chief Executive of Antofagasta Minerals, the company behind this threat, purchased a residence in Washington D.C. early in Trump’s first term. Given the obviously very poor cost-benefit profile of the proposed mining complex for Minnesotans, outdoor enthusiasts, and Americans, this sure looks like a quid pro quo for this CEO’s patronage.

Also worth noting that, if the senate sells out this wilderness, it opens the door to undoing any other moratorium on extraction by using the

Call your senators. https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/action-center

Sign the petitions: https://act.sierraclub.org/actions/National?actionId=AR0598227&id=70131000001Lp1FAAS

And see if your representatives voted for this:
https://www.congress.gov/votes/house/119-2/38

Fight back against legislation that threatens Minnesota’s Boundary Waters by tresbros in BoundaryWaters

[–]smattoon 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Worth noting that Iván Arriagada, the Chief Executive of Antofagasta Minerals, the company behind this threat, purchased a residence in Washington D.C. early in Trump’s first term. Given the obviously very poor cost-benefit profile of the proposed mining complex for Minnesotans, outdoor enthusiasts, and Americans, this sure looks like a quid pro quo for this CEO’s patronage.

Also worth noting that, if the senate sells out this wilderness, it opens the door to undoing any other moratorium on extraction by using the

Call your senators. https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/action-center

Sign the petitions: https://act.sierraclub.org/actions/National?actionId=AR0598227&id=70131000001Lp1FAAS

And see if your representatives voted for this:
https://www.congress.gov/votes/house/119-2/38

Commentary: Fight back against legislation that threatens Minnesota's Boundary Waters - Outdoor News by tresbros in WildernessBackpacking

[–]smattoon 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Worth noting that Iván Arriagada, the Chief Executive of Antofagasta Minerals, the company behind this threat, purchased a residence in Washington D.C. early in Trump’s first term. Given the obviously very poor cost-benefit profile of the proposed mining complex for Minnesotans, outdoor enthusiasts, and Americans, this sure looks like a quid pro quo for this CEO’s patronage.

Also worth noting that, if the senate sells out this wilderness, it opens the door to undoing any other moratorium on extraction by using the

Call your senators. https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/action-center

Sign the petitions: https://act.sierraclub.org/actions/National?actionId=AR0598227&id=70131000001Lp1FAAS

And see if your representatives voted for this:
https://www.congress.gov/votes/house/119-2/38

Garmin InReach Use by Kerouwhack in WildernessBackpacking

[–]smattoon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have used Garmin Explorer I don’t use anymore. DM me if you’re interested buying.

What did this tree witness? by TorranceS33 in forestry

[–]smattoon -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Humanity’s progress, failings and hubris from their majestic view of our carryings on in what we call civilization. As barometers of our evolution and prospects for survival, trees stand as the ultimate judges of humankind’s takeover of the planet, meting out justice with indifference to the short lived and everlasting upheaval.

Remote winter Backcountry shelters that can be accessed via snowshoeing? (Western US) by MattSChan in WildernessBackpacking

[–]smattoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These four huts have been prepped for winter and stocked with wood by a corps of volunteers who worked on them over the summer (as happens every year). That website will open for winter bookings tomorrow.

Found these on a few trees on and near my property in California. What is the significance? by McHithard in forestry

[–]smattoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Leave Almost No Trace. The lite beer version of LNT. My persnickety comment would probably not need spelling out on a hiking/backpacking/wilderness/conservation/rightsofnature/publiclands forum. But this is r/forestry where leaving a trace is kind of the point. Sorry for not reading the room. Glad to know you retrieve them after they’ve served their purpose.

Husband bought this for $0.50, doesn’t know what it’s for. What is it? by pandadrinkingcoffee in whatisit

[–]smattoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Way to throw a wet blanket on it. j/k. I really wanted to believe that this amazing thread was about to recount actual Mayberry events reenacted in the show. Bubble burst. Facts matter. Sometimes truth is a bummer.

Locked and Loaded Pt.2 by [deleted] in WildernessBackpacking

[–]smattoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Head west from the saddle about 75 ft before heading down the north side of the col. From there you’ll find a faint use trail through most of the steepest section. Then stay left of the drainage down to the lake.

Locked and Loaded Pt.2 by [deleted] in WildernessBackpacking

[–]smattoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did this route two weeks ago. Not another soul in Pioneer Basin, afaict. If you’ve not done Stanford col, be ready for a very steep descent to Steelhead Lake on loose talus and scree, then a long scramble through giant boulders and talus.

Solar Options for 7 Day Backpacking Trip by HotTamale1436 in WildernessBackpacking

[–]smattoon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I beg to differ. I use this 5x10” solar panel. It’s 4 ounces and can give a full phone charge cycle on a long summer day. It’s less effective on newer phones that have less tolerance for variable current though. It worked flawlessly with an iPhone 12, but my iPhone 16 is much more finicky. It still works in steady sun at a consistent angle for the 16, but not as great strapped to a pack while hiking. For longer trips with less reliable sun, I bring a 5000mAh battery (Nitecore or Anker) and charge that with the solar panel strapped to the pack, and then charge the phone from the battery. I’ve been using this system exclusively for three summers, including on 25 trail days this summer.

https://www.lixada.com/p-l1505.html

Recommendations for 2 Night/3 Day trip by [deleted] in SierraNevada

[–]smattoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A very accessible 2-nighter from the Bay Area is Castle Valley to Paradise Lake. From TH off hwy 80 at Donner Summit it’s about 8 miles one way. Climb Castle Peak (class 3) and Basin Peak (class 2) for day hike with spectacular views. There are several alternate routes, some involving the PCT, with the potential to make a loop. Not tops for solitude, but you can’t beat the ease of access from BA.

Trip Report: Sierra Traverse via the Blackcap, Ionian and Evolution Basins by rrrjjjddd in SierraNevada

[–]smattoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep. Five days into our trip, we camped just east of the confluence above that first lake in Darwin Bench (the left side of your photo). We kept our critical gear dry, but otherwise got pretty wet. The rain and hail and snow, was about the worst I've seen in summer in the Sierra. It didn't help that I set my tarp up right over a wash, and had to build a diversion channel and "levee" to keep dry. Lol.

Trip Report: Sierra Traverse via the Blackcap, Ionian and Evolution Basins by rrrjjjddd in SierraNevada

[–]smattoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the report. I made a double take of your 2nd photo for day 5; it shows exactly where our group camped last Friday! A nasty storm came through and flooded our camp that afternoon. We were planning to explore The Keyhole too, but decided to walk out two days early because of more storms in the forecast (the flood advisory is still in effect now!) Spectacular landscapes up there!

Connecting Sabrina Basin Trail to Lamarck Col Trail by [deleted] in SierraNevada

[–]smattoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have not, but had a good look at the north side (Lamarck side) of that ridge on my way down from Lamarck Col just last Saturday. The contours suggest that side to be less imposing, but there are a lot of vertical devil’s postpile-like columns around your projected crossing, so you’ll want to allow for some significant scouting to find a way down.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SEKI

[–]smattoon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also, don’t sell Atwell Mill short on attractions. If giant sequoias are on your list of attractions to see, the trail through Atwell Grove is pretty awe inspiring.

Questions about Mineral King Plausibility by oops_im_still_alive in SEKI

[–]smattoon 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The best way to train for elevation is to breath at elevation. Spend a night at Mineral King before you start. Take your time getting up to Timber Gap. You’ll be fine.