Backpacking

[FN Phat]

Awesome pics. Man, I miss the west coast

[SteelBlue]

Dang ER, that looks really cool. That beartrap canyon looks incredible.

[SteelBlue]

Bluegoose organized an awesome camping trip for our families over Memorial Day weekend. We camped in a beautiful old growth forest near Crescent City, CA (home of Cody Hoffman). The trip was filled with the kind of incredible scenery unique to the north coast. My kids are still talking about this trip and wanting to go again.

Sunset at Clam Beach near Trinidad, CA.
image.jpg

We hiked the Damnation Trail in the beautiful redwood forests near Crescent City. Goose had hiked this before and highly recommended. I wish pics could do it justice but they can't.
image.jpg

Tried these vertical panoramas to give an idea how huge these trees are.
image.jpg

image.jpg

These flowered trees were interspersed among the redwoods. Amazing sight.
image.jpg

[SteelBlue]

The kids really loved going crabbing. This is goose's oldest plying the trade:

image.jpg

My family's first (and only) crab.

image.jpg

It poured 2 of the 3 nights we camped. Days were perfect. This was the campsite on Monday morning. You find out a lot about your gear on nights like these!
image.jpg

Again, an incredible trip. Thanks to goose for doing all the research. I can't wait to go again.

[bluegoose]

I'll add a few of my own pics from our Memorial Day trip to Crescent City, CA. I put a few pics from crabbing in the Diner thread about Memorial Day eats, but I'll add a couple here as well in case some people never venture that way.

Looking north along Clam Beach when we first arrived at the ocean after a very windy 3 hour drive.



The perfect cast:



Me on the lookout for squalls. Also, trying to keep an eye on the sea lions that kept diving after our traps hoping to steal some of the bait inside the cages.



The girls anxiously awaiting the results of the latest cast.



Rock Crab in attack mode:



While we were on the Damnation Creek hike, we took a little side trip down this other trail, I think it is simply called the Coastal Trail, or something like that. It is a remnant of the old highway 1 that used to run treacherously close in some spots to the edge of the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. You can see some of the old pieces of pavement showing through the overgrowth. It is also one of the most beautiful places that you'll ever visit.

[ERCougar]

Wow, that looks fun.
I've been to one old-growth forest in my life, on an afternoon following a job interview in Seattle. It's otherworldly. You're right--pics just can't do it justice.

[ERCougar]

Filed under 'my father in law is a badass':
So that 21 mile day he put in that he described as 'a good little hike'? It gets better.
We're eating dinner today and he pulls this out of his pocket:

'What's that?'
'A rattle.'
'Well, yeah. Where did you get it?'
'Oh, from a rattler I killed on the way out of the canyon that day.'

Oh. That's all. Just another little detail.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[ERCougar]

Filed under 'my father in law is a badass':
So that 21 mile day he put in that he described as 'a good little hike'? It gets better.
We're eating dinner today and he pulls this out of his pocket:

'What's that?'
'A rattle.'
'Well, yeah. Where did you get it?'
'Oh, from a rattler I killed on the way out of the canyon that day.'

Oh. That's all. Just another little detail.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[BigPiney]

Just found out that I will get to go backpacking for 5 days in some of my favorite parts fo the Sierra in the middle of august. So excited. Time to pick up a new backpack - any suggestions from people here?

Also the big question right now is how I am going to get to where my friends are starting. They are starting the hike from Roads End in Kings Canyon National Park. This is exactly 30.4 miles from my house as the crow flies. Unfortunately there are big ol mountains in the way and would take 6 1/2 hours to drive there. If I drive 45 minutes south of my house I can get on a trail and start hiking and only 20 miles of trail would separate me from their start. So I am seriously considering going in the night before, and getting some miles in after work and then doing the rest in the morning and meeting them for the afternoon start that they were planning on. The trail would be 4 miles of uphill, then 16 of downhill. Seems doable, but the only issue is that at the end of the trip, I would need to repeat that 20 miles to get back home and then it would be mostly uphill, but of course I would have a weeks worth of hiking in my system and should be able to knock that out. That also would mean taking an extra day off work, but who cares about work?

It has been 4 years I think since my last trip. I have been needing this. Plus a chance to see Tehipite Valley again is too hard to pass up.

[Eddie]

Sent my boys off on a trip to King's Peak this morning. This will be the first time either has backpacked without me. I'm kind of torn between really wanting to be there and thinking it will be a good experience for them to do it without me once.

[SteelBlue]

Just found out that I will get to go backpacking for 5 days in some of my favorite parts fo the Sierra in the middle of august. So excited. Time to pick up a new backpack - any suggestions from people here?

Also the big question right now is how I am going to get to where my friends are starting. They are starting the hike from Roads End in Kings Canyon National Park. This is exactly 30.4 miles from my house as the crow flies. Unfortunately there are big ol mountains in the way and would take 6 1/2 hours to drive there. If I drive 45 minutes south of my house I can get on a trail and start hiking and only 20 miles of trail would separate me from their start. So I am seriously considering going in the night before, and getting some miles in after work and then doing the rest in the morning and meeting them for the afternoon start that they were planning on. The trail would be 4 miles of uphill, then 16 of downhill. Seems doable, but the only issue is that at the end of the trip, I would need to repeat that 20 miles to get back home and then it would be mostly uphill, but of course I would have a weeks worth of hiking in my system and should be able to knock that out. That also would mean taking an extra day off work, but who cares about work?

It has been 4 years I think since my last trip. I have been needing this. Plus a chance to see Tehipite Valley again is too hard to pass up.

Dang, that sounds fun. Do it!

[Pheidippides]

Just found out that I will get to go backpacking for 5 days in some of my favorite parts fo the Sierra in the middle of august. So excited. Time to pick up a new backpack - any suggestions from people here?

Also the big question right now is how I am going to get to where my friends are starting. They are starting the hike from Roads End in Kings Canyon National Park. This is exactly 30.4 miles from my house as the crow flies. Unfortunately there are big ol mountains in the way and would take 6 1/2 hours to drive there. If I drive 45 minutes south of my house I can get on a trail and start hiking and only 20 miles of trail would separate me from their start. So I am seriously considering going in the night before, and getting some miles in after work and then doing the rest in the morning and meeting them for the afternoon start that they were planning on. The trail would be 4 miles of uphill, then 16 of downhill. Seems doable, but the only issue is that at the end of the trip, I would need to repeat that 20 miles to get back home and then it would be mostly uphill, but of course I would have a weeks worth of hiking in my system and should be able to knock that out. That also would mean taking an extra day off work, but who cares about work?

It has been 4 years I think since my last trip. I have been needing this. Plus a chance to see Tehipite Valley again is too hard to pass up.

I have a Gregory that I absolutely love. My last trip with it was a 40ish miler, and it was comfortable the entire time. I got it on sale as last year's model through REI outlet (this is a few years back - it's like six years now) for relatively (key word) inexpensive.

[Donuthole]

I have a Gregory that I absolutely love. My last trip with it was a 40ish miler, and it was comfortable the entire time. I got it on sale as last year's model through REI outlet (this is a few years back - it's like six years now) for relatively (key word) inexpensive.

Yep. I'm a Gregory believer, too. I picked up a Lassen about 6 years ago from campmor.com and have absolutely loved it. I"ve done a couple 50-milers as well as some shorter hikes with it. It is, hands down, the most comfortable bag I've ever worn.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/...=&colorFilter=

[Art Vandelay]

I've done two 50 milers, and lots of shorter hikes with my Gregory Z55. I bought my son the medium sized Gregory last year. They are great packs, and can hold a ton of gear. I took the 4th year girls on a 10 mile overnight hike last month. By he time I reached the top, I was carrying 2 tents, and 3 sleeping bags. I looked like a 19th century mountain man, but the oak held it all, and remained relatively comfortable. There are cheaper packs, but I think Gregorys are well worth the extra $.

[Pheidippides]

Yep. I'm a Gregory believer, too. I picked up a Lassen about 6 years ago from campmor.com and have absolutely loved it. I"ve done a couple 50-milers as well as some shorter hikes with it. It is, hands down, the most comfortable bag I've ever worn.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/...=&colorFilter=

This one's mine. It's massive, which is good becaue I end up playing sherpa for the rest of the family.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___68610