In Progress: Utah & Colorado Backpacking, Hiking and Snowshoeing – March 2016
After weeks of planning, I’m finally hitting the road. If all goes as planned, I’ll backpack in Coyote Gulch, take in the views at Bryce Canyon, snowshoe in Salt Lake City and Colorado and if the weather cooperates, attempt to bag my 4th 14’er. Here are some last minute thoughts on my itinerary gear and food. This is the second entry … Read More
Gear Review: Katabatic Gear Flex 22°F Backpacking Quilt
Over the last few months, I’ve been testing the Katabatic Gear Flex 22°F Backpacking Quilt. I used it on my Coyote Gulch backpacking trip, several nights in the New Hampshire cold, and as a blanket around the house. I’ve been thoroughly impressed with it’s quality and versatility. Why Buy? The main advantage of a quilt over a traditional sleeping bag is weight. … Read More
San Gabriel Mountains Sunrise Photos & Time-lapse , Feb 8 2016
Playing with my Sony a6000 again and time-lapse photography. The sunrise wasn’t as bright/drastic as I had hoped (I’m wondering if the clouds were obscuring the sun), but here’s the video anyway: Here are some stills: If you regularly hike or backpack in California, please join our Facebook group, California Hiking and Backpacking! It’s a great place to ask questions and share … Read More
Trail Conditions: Devil’s Chair via South Fork/Big Rock Creek, March 5 2016
I didn’t have much time to hike Saturday, but wanted to get out for a couple of hours, as well as see something new. After discussing some options with Joseph, we decided on Devil’s Chair. Our route: Most of the trip reports I’ve found for this hike start in the Devil’s Punchbowl. An excellent write-up on this route is posted … Read More
Trail & Water Conditions: Bridge to Nowhere, February 27 2016
ModernHiker.com has a great write-up on this hike located here: HIKING THE EAST FORK OF SAN GABRIEL RIVER TO THE BRIDGE TO NOWHERE I have a bunch of photos to post and plan to write more about our trip, but for now, here are some notes on what we found: Get there early. We arrived at the trailhead around 6:30 AM and the … Read More
Trip Planning: Utah & Colorado Backpacking, Hiking and Snowshoeing – March 2016
“Backpacking: An extended form of hiking in which people carry double the amount of gear they need, for half the distance they planned to go, in twice the time it should take.” Unknown author As part of my cross country drive in March, I will be backpacking, hiking and snowshoeing between California and Colorado. After discovering that mid-late March is … Read More
Register Ridge Snow Hike, January 9 2016
This was a fun day that deserves a trip report that I don’t have the time to write at the moment. I finished editing the photos a couple weeks ago, but haven’t had the time to organize my thoughts on this trip; I’m in the midst of a cross-country move, so my free time is very limited. I’m spending that … Read More
Misc San Gabriel Mountains Photos & Time-lapse , Feb 1-3 2016
Headed out again with my Sony a6000 to play with the time-lapse application and to take some pics. I need to start the capture when it is completely dark (30 mins ealier), but I’ve had a hard time getting out of the house on time. Here are some stills: If you regularly hike or backpack in California, please join our … Read More
San Bernardino Mountains Sunset Time-lapse, Feb 1 2016
On my drive home from work, I stopped with my new camera to get a time-lapse of the San Bernardino Mountains. I avoided some of the problems I had on my last time-lapse, but ran into a few new ones: The wind push the camera aound some. I had to stabilize the video in Adobe Premier. Should’ve started the time-lapse earlier, to make … Read More
Gear Review: Katabatic Gear Helios 55 Backpack
Why Buy? For the last 2 years, I’ve been working hard to reduce my pack weight. My first couple of overnight backpacking trips were miserable, a direct result of carrying too much weight. After keeping track of the gear I carried on hikes and what gear was actually used, I was able reduce pack weight by simply leaving unnecessary gear at home. At that point, I started … Read More