A top ten most obvious fact about me: I am not classy. But I have a damn good, good time where I can, and every day I care less and less what other people think about me. Being in the woods so much the past few years is turning me into a real human animal AND I LOVE IT. Posing with Kevin AKA “BULLDOZER” at the eastern terminus of the L2H route in Badwater. 🐶 photo: Shotput 😍
My wonderful hiking partners and I make it to the top of Mount Whitney despite all that moisture!! Lots of hugs and next up: hot cocoa. L2H completed, and for Abram (left), the H2L2H (highest to lowest to highest)! My third summit in three years, and third time sleeping on the top. I climbed four 14ers this summer: Mt. Sill, Mt. Tyndall, Mt. Williamson, and Whitney. Backstory: Abram had no Microspikes (crampons) and so I lent him one of mine after his makeshift ziptie “spikes” failed (they break quickly in the cold). We skipped the icy 99 switchbacks and went straight up the Trailcrest chute, each with one spiked foot. When half-way up, we spotted a beautiful woman headed down, alone. That gave the boys courage to continue, whereas prior to that they seemed pretty leery of a snowy summit. continue reading…
Current status. Except for the fact that wind drifts removed most of it, the crest got about 3 feet during October’s big storm. The ice on rock was the scariest part.
First glimpses of the Sierra after the storm, panorama part 1 of 3. Abram takes shots. I take shots. By now, Kevin AKA “Bulldozer” AKA Lighthouse had already blown through his DLSR battery in a bewildering 5-day photo frenzy, and we had been cold and wet 36 hours in Death Valley(!), wondering what happened in the other side of the Inyos… 4 feet of snow on Whitney, we were informed… But we really don’t care because so far every moment of this trip has been an entire trip in itself. We are satisfied.
Unexpected and uncharacteristic rains hit on day three of our hike just while climbing out of Darwin Falls to China Garden Springs, and continued for over 24 hours while we hiked on through Death Valley. This is how we experienced one of the hottest places on earth: soaking wet. Dark clouds continued to slam this canyon all night; we got smart and took cover under this leaky old mining structure, and hiked out before sunrise the next morning, running ahead of the clouds…
Last Thursday evening I struck out at Badwater Basin (the lowest point in the USA) for a long hike with this awesome fella, @kevindoesstuff We just rolled into Lone Pine, about 110 miles into a 130 mile hike, and are scarfing Chinese buffet with our new BFF, Abram. The three of us have had the most spectacular time, tons of laughter, lots of natural phenomena, and some hi jinx. More photos soon! Photo by Shotput 😘
Ultra lightweight sleeping bags are purpose-built for long-haul treks where space is at a premium and weight is counted in grams, but they can also be used on your ordinary family camping trips. I call that win-win! The sleeping bag is part of “The Big Three:” your backpack, your tent, and your sleeping bag. These three items comprise the most weight, and take up the most space of all your gear. Also, they are items (aside from food and shoes) that can make–or break–your hike or tour. Be prepared to shell out good money up front (and not have to re-purchase something better later). This is an investment you’ll be putting to very good use. A sleeping bag is a camper’s best friend. Considerations Bag girth and length. You want enough room to be able to roll over in your continue reading…
Scottish hiker Lighthouse got off trail today. He chose not to walk the road to Canada after trying to posthole it for hours yesterday. He’s happy with his hike and all the friends he has made. I was there his first couple days hiking and I was around his last. He has hiked 2000 miles. So it’s a hard goodbye.
Hiker Lighthouse, the Scottish ginger with the amazing impromptu mohawk, showing off his crib. Quite literally “hikertrash.” Luv this kid!
