Hello, Is It Me You're Looking For?

Yeah, I've been away. No, I didn't get eaten by anything. I had a relapse of sorts for a while. Namely a bit of depression. It's kept me off the trail since June but I'm hoping for a little outdoors activity. As soon as I lay tile flooring down in the bathroom and the kitchen. I have a much longer post on my other blog, Day Care 4 Dads that may explain a lot, including this next sentence. I've got some wordsmithing to do.

Another Change

Right about now, if you're reading this, you're either thinking that I get great Wi-Fi coverage in the middle of nowhere or I didn't go anywhere. The latter is correct. I had another change (actually two) so I didn't go to NY. Don't feel bad, I once broke up with a girl who couldn't handle my sudden plan changes; she actually scheduled free time! No lie! In regards to the NY trip I got the sudden urge to not be bothered by blackflies or a nine hour drive. So I switched to Shawnee State Forest and its sixty mile loop. Then I decided, "Nah" again, so I'm headed to Raccoon Creek. The NY trip is not totally out, I'll probably just take the advice of everyone and avoid blackfly season. Also, I still like the idea of Shawnee but five days out (with rattlesnakes) might have to wait until I get some more experience. So for now, two nights and three days @ Raccoon Creek. Repeat: For now. I was actually looking at other places to go as late as this afternoon, so my plans might still change.

A Step Ahead

It's been quite awhile but that's due to life happening. In the last month I've had to remodel my bathroom, my roof has been leaking, my wife has needed to prepare exams (she teaches high school special ed English and math) so it's been tough to get out, my daughter's been going through a terrible two phase and I've been sick and (slightly) injured. The sick was just a head cold, a couple days and I was good. The injury was worse. Nothing too bad but my Raccoon Creek overnight left me achy. For that trip I wore a pair of Lowa Renegade IIs. They're a nice boot, really comfortable with good ankle support but they don't have the underfoot support I need for heavier loads. On the overnight I did ~11 miles the first day and ~9 the second. The first day my feet felt great, no problems. About halfway through the second day the arch of my right foot started to ache. By the time I finished I had basically repeatedly over-flexed my foot. It didn't hurt, but for about a week afterward it was uncomfortable to the point where I had to wear some type of shoe all day just to support my arch. Needless to say, the Lowa's are going back to REI. I ended up picking up a pair of Scarpa Kailash's to replace the Lowa's. The Scarpa's are much more rigid and supportive while at the same time not being too heavy. Wearing them around the house (while remodeling) to break them in has shown them to be a comfortable boot that I usually forget I'm wearing. I couldn't find a wide size but ordering a half-size up solved that problem. Now it's just a matter of sitting around and getting through the next week and half before the big trip.

Big Agnes Takes On My Daughter

I Feel Like I Should Get a Medal

It may or may not be obvious as you're reading this but I survived my overnight at Raccoon Creek. So, drumroll please!: I'm now officially a backpacker! Yea! It was a good time with lots of learning thrown in, but it was a weird time, too. For instance, after freezing for a couple hours because I couldn't get a fire going, I now know why fire starting material is talked about in BP Mag as much as it is. On the weirdness side (for me and anyone who hikes in NE Ohio anyway), I haven't seen so many plants other than ferns, mayapples and garlic mustard; seeing grass and no deer almost made the trip worthwhile in and of itself. Other stuff: It's nice to know that I can do a ten mile day; I wonder why there were no switchbacks; someone in the PA DCNR needs to learn how to signify that the trail goes left or right (offset stacked blazes anyone?); crossing a road in PA when the speed limit is 40 (but everyone is doing 60) and there are no signs to alert motorists of a trail ahead is NOT fun; were those downdrafts and microbursts and what would I have done if that tree branch had landed on me instead of landing ten feet in front of me; how could the only "wildlife" I saw be a house cat, three chipmunks and birds? But the best part of the trip hands down was when I was in camp. I was tenting in an area adjacent to an organized camping area where there were Boy Scouts. Eventually, like kids will, the Scouts made it over to where I was (freezing in a shelter trying to figure out how to get a fire going) and one of the kids came up, saw my pack and said "Did you backpack in?" Saying 'Yes' was the best part of the weekend. Oh, and by the way, my bug spray turned out to be "highly flammable." That, on some TP plus pine duff, equals crackling fire!

Cocona Xcelerator Second Test Hike

Took the Cocona Xcelelerator test jacket out for another hike. I still don't get what people are raving about. Maybe it will do better if it rains in PA this weekend since it's supposed to be kinda chilly.

Now That It's Next Week I've Got Butterflies

I've been sitting around waiting for June so that I can go camping. And I've been going stir crazy. So, like any other red-blooded American, I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and recently (within the last two days) decided to go camping somewhere else first. By somewhere else I mean Raccoon Creek State Park. "When?", you ask. May 8th and 9th. "Why?" Well, the stupidity of waiting until June to camp just kinda hit me. What with the fact that I've never camped, my gear is largely untested in the field and June is still almost two months away, I'm going to try to ease into it. Before I find myself ten miles in with a leaky tent, a cold sleeping bag (when I saw that it was snowing in the Adirondacks this week all I could say was 'Holy Crap!') and a broken stove. I made a reservation at one of the tent sites in the park, ordered more good stuff from Packit Gourmet, cleared my absence with the wife and next weekend I'll be packing up the Jeep and heading to PA. It'll just be one night and the campsite does have a gravel access road but there are bears in PA....and the access road is gated. So, I could be eaten and have my carcass dragged into the woods before a ranger could open the gate and drive down the road. Plus, I bought more stuff from REI and I still need to return some stuff (this, too) so I can stop into a store over in Pittsburgh. I'm planning a circumnavigation of the park and I'm hoping to hit the trail by 10 o'clock am (leaving from the park office lot on Rte 18). If you're in the area come hike with me. If you're not in the area "It's beautiful here, wish you were!"

Cocona Test Jacket

Recently Backpacker magazine had an ad in which a company, Cocona, was looking for people to sign up for the opportunity to test some gear. Since, with a limited budget, I tend to be all about free stuff, I filled out the entry form on the Cocona Fabrics website. Wonder of wonders, I was picked to be a tester. Cocona claims that their waterproof, breathable Xcelerator fabric is the best thing since sliced bread....I think that there is no reason for anyone to wax poetical about Cocona. This was the first hike I took with the test jacket I received. The test is supposed to last for sixty days which means it should end just about the time I plan to be climbing Mts Skylight, Marcy and Haystack; unless the jacket falls apart before then.

Euclid Creek After a Rain

I Went

A couple of nights ago I had the opportunity to take advantage of a pretty good opportunity. I was able to attend the IGO backpacking basics course that I had mentioned in a previous post. While a lot of the presentation was geared toward folks who were perhaps still in the "I don't know anything about either of them but I think I might try backpacking and/or hiking" stage (and there were a few attendees like that), it was nice to be able to ask questions and bounce ideas off of someone with more camping experience than me. For example: My biggest concern right now is packing my pack. I was able to ask about the proper way, or a better way, and get a good answer without feeling too ridiculous. And, my fifteen dollar registration fee got me a swank certificate that states that I am basically a basic backpacker. Cool!

Please Wait....Re-Routing....

Once again, I present to you : A New Route. After thinking about it, and reading Adirondack Journey concerning the parking/fees situation at The Garden trail-head and the absolutely free parking at Upper Works, I've come to the decision to change my starting point to Upper Works. I was willing to pay the $40 dollars to park at The Garden but then I thought to myself, "Why pay if I can drive for a half hour and park for free?" Whereas my old camp three was just a spot that looked good on my map, my new camp three will be at Scott Clearing; so I can be reasonably sure of finding a campsite. And, it may or may not be a plus but, the area east of Colden and Flowed Lands is black bear territory so I may get a sighting or two in. Lastly, with the added threat of possibly having to park in the overflow lot at the airport I didn't want to risk having to walk or hitch to pick up my car (the shuttle only runs Saturday and Sunday). So, the new route. The plan is now to start at Upper Works, make my way to Panther Gorge for camps one and two (bagging Skylight, Marcy and Haystack on day two), head to Scott Clearing for camp three and then hike out to Upper Works. The added bits are in red and positioned on the left of the map. Upper Works Rd and trail-head are at the lower left point.

Too Much Time on My Hands

With nothing else to do on a Saturday night:( I decided to give some trail baking (in my kitchen) a try. Because my wife (mostly) loves me, she picked up some Betty Crocker Warm Delights from the grocery store. I've planned on having a celebratory dessert on the trail and was looking for something that I know I would enjoy. Well, thanks to Sarah over at TrailCooking.com for posting her wonderful six part article on steam baking because I now definitely have my dessert! I used the Warm Delight Minis and found that each pouch fills a Wilton Silly Feet! silicone baking cup perfectly, so there is no overflow as it cooks. Put enough water into your cookpot to cover the Silly Feet...um...feet and bring it to a boil. While the water heats up, put the required H2O (1 T + 1 Tsp) into the mix pouch and squish it thoroughly to mix. I put a thin layer of the mix into the baking cup and then put a Hershey's Kiss in the middle of it. I then just poured the rest of the mix on top of and around the Kiss. When the water boils, put the baking cup in the pot, turn the heat down to a simmer and cover the pot. I found that ten minutes makes for a cake-like brownie so you can adjust the time from there. When the time is up, pull out the baking cup (CAREFULLY!), dump on the fudge packet if you desire and enjoy! And here's a tip: Check eBay for the Silly Feet!. I found a set of four for $.99 and $3.00 shipping.

Without Further Ado...

I finally got tired of trying (and trying and trying and trying, etc) to get the Deuter AC Lite 16 review to load to Blogger. Apparently something is broken. So, I broke the video up into three parts, posted it to MyTube and embedded it here. The wooded spot is the Euclid Creek East Branch watercourse. A little history: When I first started hiking, before I got my nerve up to bushwhack, I would just find a creek and start following it. It worked pretty good as I was hiking with a dog and he could drink when he needed to. Flash forward ten years and I still don't mind getting my feet wet. Enjoy!

Just an amendment: I was able to stuff the Muir Woods vest into a small Outdoor Products dry sack (packed size 5" x 8") which gives me an extra space in the AC Lite that measures approximately 6" x 8" in size. Along with the other nooks and crannys in the pack I'm pretty sure this thing could handle a long dayhike.

DeuterUSA.com

Mmm, Mmm, Good!

I had been trying to post a video review of the Deuter AC Lite 16 daypack I recently bought but I think Blogger hates me. The video has been "uploading" since 8 am. It is now 2:15 pm, so I quit. I'll figure it out later. But, I do have good news, too (an open door, per se). The UPS man just paid me a visit and he had a box full of tasty treats from Packit Gourmet! Feast your eyes on my feast. In all I got: Bangers and Mash (x 2); Market Pasta Putanesca; Lemon Cheesecake; Jump Start Fruit Smoothies (x 2); Cheddar Jack Cheese Spread (x 2); Mango Margarita; Moonshine Margarita and a pack of Freeze Dried Chicken. I ordered two of some things just to try them before the trip. The contents of the box were well packaged and looking at the ingredients through the see-through bags has got my mouth watering. I'm really pleased so far with what I see of the food, especially the Cheddar Jack Spread. The cheese in there looks just like grocery store cheese except that it's not cold, obviously. Now my only decision: Take a long day hike and cook lunch on the trail or, take some stuff to work and cook in a more controlled environment? Quick question/comment poll: Which would you do?

Trekking Pole Update

Just an update on the Outdoor Products trekking poles. I've been able to get out on a few more day hikes with them and have been able to test them out a bit more. The only issue I've run into so far is that I don't check them enough. I noticed after a recent hike that one pole was shorter than the other by about two inches. Upon further examination one of the locks was loose. Compared to the other locks on both poles, the gap of the lock (it looks like a "C" clamp) was wide. A quick turn of the adjuster screw (on all of the locks) set me right again. I can say that, even with the one loose lock, the shorter pole was still holding up and I was unable to make it slip any further than the distance it had already moved. Still pleased!

An Adventure in and of Itself

I'm fidgety. I've gotten or have ordered everything I need for my trip and I still have about two months to go. So I have nothing to do except my normal day hikes to get in shape. The only thing I'm waiting for is food. I ordered a few things from packit gourmet (bangers and mash and pasta putanesca) and I'm waiting to get them so I can repackage and stuff stuff into the Bare Boxer. After that, I'm loading up the pack and hitting the trails around home to get used to the weight. While, I'm waiting I've been messing around with my maps. I took a tip from Rylan and Golden over at Southeastern Backpackers (who got it in an email from someone) and took my maps to CopyMax to get the sections I needed copied; so I don't have to carry the whole map. A note of caution: Your CopyMax people may be different but mine wouldn't copy copyrighted material. Instead, they turned me loose on a copier to figure it out myself. At one point I found myself making 875 copies.... After the CopyFiasco I headed home and grabbed the MapSeal. For those who don't know, MapSeal is a magical elixir that will make your maps waterproof and tear resistant. It also stings if you get it in your eyes. I have one of the Trails Illustrated maps and after I applied the MapSeal my copier paper map felt similar. It added a little weight to the paper and feels as if a wax coating was applied; like a grocery store apple feels. It also made the paper transparent in spots where I applied too much and slightly smeared the ink. I'm not displeased with the MapSeal, but only taking a portion of my map means I have to leave UTM grids, and other good info that is printed on the map, at home. So, I just decided to take the whole map and MapSeal it. It works better. The paper is a heavy enough weight that it didn't become transparent and the ink stayed stable. I bought the smaller bottle that comes with the small round applicator brush from REI so I just used an old paintbrush for the initial application. After brushing on the MapSeal I removed the excess with a sponge and let it dry. I also picked up something I absolutely don't need (but it looks cool) so my map will be safe and secure; and dry. I'm much happier now that my map is ready. But I'm still fidgety.

Hiking the East Branch of Euclid Creek

Somebody Owes Me a Door!

I was all set to go to my alcohol stove class that I mentioned in a previous post, even though I honestly had no desire to be out on the trail with one (I'll put my faith in my Pocket Rocket). I was just feeling the urge to build something, maybe even figure out (another) better way to build an alcohol stove. So, imagine my chagrin when, the day before the class, my confirmation still had not arrived; also, there was no charge on my credit card. Thinking maybe I had not been registered I held my breath and called IGO, only to find that the class had been canceled due to there not being enough participants. That's a downer...So, the year creeps steadily onward and I've gotten nowhere closer to doing (more) stuff outdoors. On a lighter note, I'm headed to Pittsburgh this weekend to visit my parents and return the Garcia I bought. Maybe I'll cheer myself up with some nice, new, expensive boots!

One Door Closes, Another Door Opens

My job is kinda cool. I work outside, I don't really have to deal with supervisors and I get free full medical and dental benefits. The only issue is that, because it's law enforcement, I have to work swing shifts. My department works a five week cycle: two weeks of afternoons (both six days), a "relief week" (four days of day shift and two days of afternoons) and then two weeks of a day shift (a seven day week and a five day week); Friday the twelfth I will start the seven day week. Then just for fun, all road personnel do eight weeks of midnights every year. Week to week I don't have the same days off. My days off go Mon/Tue, Tue/Wed, Wed/Thurs, Fri/Sat/Sun, Sat/Sun/Mon and then back to Mon/Tue. I explain all of this to make you realize how, thirteen years after I started with the department, I still get my days off wrong. I mentioned in a previous post about an IGO trip to Oil Creek State Park. I originally thought I had the weekend of the trip off. Turns out I was wrong. I'm working. There is good news though: Through trying to find out about Oil Creek I stumbled across the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR)website. Turns out PA has a "long trail"; the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. According to the site it's a seventy mile trail that can be hiked in 5-9 days. I'm thinking about giving it a shot. Since not being able to make the Oil Creek trip will wreck my resolution of camping twice this year, I've started to look for other alternatives. The LHHT is two to three hours from Pittsburgh (where my folks live) so I could reasonably expect some support (read: a ride around the turnpike bridge) and a re-supply. Plus, and this is the real reason, I love patches and I could get one if I complete the hike. And in case you were wondering, yes, I've already bought the trail guide.

I'm Off of My Vitamins

As I've gotten older I've noticed that Vitamin I has become a post-hike ritual for me, which isn't good. I know there is nothing I can do about aging so I did the next best thing. I picked up a pair of trekking poles. I've used a single Leki pole for the last decade but I had never jumped on the double pole bandwagon, until now. A recent trip to Wal-Mart found me, again, in the camping section. Because I haven't had any complaints about the Outdoor Products (OP) dry sacks that I had purchased I decided to give the company's poles a try; I figured at $12 a pole, what did I have to lose. The poles are, according to the manufacturer, a "lightweight aluminum alloy." They are also impossible to find on the OP website so exactly what this alloy consists of, I don't know. They are a three section, non-shock absorbing design with dual cam-locks. The locks are further adjustable with a phillips head screw. Included with the poles are two rubber tip caps/covers and a screw on trekking(?) basket. The basket features a cut-out that, I assume, lets the poles be clipped together for carrying. The poles are adjustable from approximately 54"-24.5" and are marked in 5 cm increments. The grips are an ergonomic, hard rubber and include an integrated, adjustable wrist strap. The Wal-Mart I visited had two colors: A bright, metallic orange and a more subdued metallic green. I purchased the green. My Leki pole, on a calibrated scale, came in at a weight of 10.6 oz. One of the OP poles weighed 9.4 oz and the other weighed 9.7 oz. In all fairness the Leki pole does have a wood knob on top and features Leki's antishock system. I've had the OP poles out twice for hikes now and I'm pleasantly surprised. The hikes consisted of snow covered trails and some steep off-trail scrambles. With both baskets removed from the poles I was able to jam them into the softer dirt under the foot of snow and, as I walked, pivot the poles in an attempt to bend them against the crust on top of the snow. Both poles came through with flying colors. Also, during the off-trail scrambling, there were several times when I used the poles to support my full weight (~240 lbs) both up and down hills. Again the poles performed well with no slippage of the locks. For me the greatest thing to overcome was the ergonomic grip. My Leki pole was adjusted to waist height and I would hold the wooden knob in the palm of my hand, like a walking stick. This allowed me to drop the pole if I fell so it wouldn't smack me in the head (which happened anyway). The ergonomic grip and wrist strap of the OP poles are, to me, a disadvantage but will probably get easier to use as I learn to use them. So far I'm happy with the OP poles. The price was good and the initial quality is on par with the Leki pole.