Outdoors Thread

[Kyyle23]

Its the unofficial Chicago suburban living thing, have to take summer vacations with the kids to northern Wisconsin or the UP. We did Eagle River most years, Hayward once. Went back as adults some years ago, felt odd, but looked EXACTLY the same.

 

yep. I have two coworkers that are heading up to Three Lakes this week. Everyone goes up there.

 

It is sad though, lots of businesses are closed, it is a struggling economy. The resort owner said that the school schedules really mess them up now, they used to have a 13 week guaranteed window for familes to come up, and now it is about 6 weeks because of the varied schedules.

 

A Vienna Beef Hot Dog stand in Eagle River closed down. How the hell is that even possible

[NorthSideSox72]

We did about 3 miles up the Hoh River Trail one afternoon. Great trail, but never really got to the steep parts. I don't know that I'd say one park was better than they other, but Olympic was really more like three or four separate parks than one big, cohesive park. You have the coasts and tide pools, several different rain forests, and then the mountains and ridges.

 

I'm slowly working on convincing my wife to do some backpacking. I think she's up for a short overnight or maybe two nights at this point.

The Hoh trail is like a highway the first few miles, pretty level, wide and full of people. But as soon as you hit the steep climb, all the day hikers fall away and you are in an almost-wilderness at that point. By the time we got to our 2nd day-in camp, about 17 miles into the park, there were very few people. Also made for a nice day hike from the base camp up to the glaciers.

 

[StrangeSox]

Ice caves at Mt. Rainier

 

 

There are some incredible pictures

 

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Rainier and the Wonderland trail are on my short list of hikes I need to do, before I'm too old to enjoy them.

 

Speaking of which, that's a fun idea. A list of outdoor/park/wilderness destinations that people who are in this thread have on their "bucket" list. What haven't you done that you most want to do?

 

[StrangeSox]

Specific trails:

Half Dome, Yosemite

Summit Rainier (got up to the Muir Snowfield in August on a day hike)

The Muir Trail from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney

Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu

The Narrows at Zion, top to bottom (did the dayhike portion up to the first campsite in June)

Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali Coast on Kauai, possibly doing this next summer if my wife and I talk ourselves into it

Grand Canyon, Kaibob to Bright Angel

River of No Return Wilderness rafting trip

Wonderland Trail, or at least the northern portion of it

Glacier NP, Swiftcurrent pass to the Granite Park chalet

 

General places:

Patagonia

Acadia NP

Banff

Denali NP

Rocky Mountain NP

Alps

 

One of the guys at my work is leaving today for a week walking Scotland and staying in bothies.

Edited October 3, 2014 by StrangeSox

[NorthSideSox72]

Nice list.

 

For me, where I haven't been but want to...

 

--Going to do a Middle of Nowhere trip - backpack to the point in the lower 48 that is furthest from a road. Basically, the most remote location in the lower 48. It used to be in Idaho (River of No Return Wilderness), but after that area's boundaries changed, it is now in the SE corner of Yellowstone, where it abuts the Teton Wilderness.

--I want to hike from Death Valley to the top of Mount Whitney - basically the broadest cross section hike of eco zones one can do in the US

--The Bob Marshall Wilderness (MT)

--Glacier NP (MT)

--Yosemite NP (though I hate crowds, so I may hike in via backcountry instead of drive in)

--Havasupai Natural Area (AZ)

--Zion NP (UT)

--The Bright Angel trail, Grand Canyon (I've been to GC as a kid, but haven't done the trail down and up the canyon)

--Wind River Range (WY)

--the Superior Trail (Minnesota's north shore)

--Haven't done much in the Appalachians, and it was all south, so I want to do Katahdin in Maine

--ALASKA - I've been there but on a non-outdoorsy trip for the most part. Want to do Denali, but also something more remote, maybe Yukon-Charley or somewhere in the SW part of the state.

--Something in Australia - no idea what yet

--Guadalupe Natl Monument (TX/NM) - want to climb on one giant fossil

--Rainer/Wonderland (WA)

--River of No Return Wilderness (ID)

 

There's more, but those are at the top of my list right now.

 

[StrangeSox]

Glacier is incredible. I will definitely be back there at some point.

 

Yosemite is crowed on the valley floor, but like most other NP's, the crowds thin out pretty well once you get 1-2 miles in and hit some elevation changes. The Tuolumne Meadows area was less crowded and had some great hiking. We also did a little hiking at Hetch Hetchy on our way out, and that place was deserted.

 

Zion was really nice, but there were some good crowds there as well. Angel's Landing trail was very busy. We didn't make it all the way to the top, so we ended up doing Observation Point the next day. That was a great hike as long as you started early so you weren't baking on exposed trail in the sun. The Narrows is the most unique hike I've ever done. It was the most tired I've ever been, slogging through ankle-to-waist deep water for 12 miles, but it was worth it. Depending on your driving route, I'd definitely recommend stopping at Cedar Breaks National Monument for an hour or two. If you'd be heading up to SLC or over to Bryce/Capitol Reef/Canyonlands/Arches, it's not much of a detour. We didn't a chance to check out the Kolob Canyons area, but it looked really nice from the pictures we've seen and it's definitely less crowded.

 

I don't know how I missed the Tetons in my list. My in-laws just got back from there and Yellowstone.

 

I'm still not sure why we live in Illinois.

 

edit: oh and we're going to Shenandoah for a couple of days next weekend. That'll make 6 NP's and one NM this year.

Edited October 3, 2014 by StrangeSox

[StrangeSox]

NSS or anyone else, is there anywhere within a few hours drive from Chicago to get into some backpacking? I did some when I was in scouts, and my wife likes the idea of it, but we've never done it together yet. I'd like to be able to try it out with some small-scale hikes over a weekend without having to dedicate a trip to it.

[southsider2k5]

Specific trails:

Half Dome, Yosemite

Summit Rainier (got up to the Muir Snowfield in August on a day hike)

The Muir Trail from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney

Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu

The Narrows at Zion, top to bottom (did the dayhike portion up to the first campsite in June)

Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali Coast on Kauai, possibly doing this next summer if my wife and I talk ourselves into it

Grand Canyon, Kaibob to Bright Angel

River of No Return Wilderness rafting trip

Wonderland Trail, or at least the northern portion of it

Glacier NP, Swiftcurrent pass to the Granite Park chalet

 

General places:

Patagonia

Acadia NP

Banff

Denali NP

Rocky Mountain NP

Alps

 

One of the guys at my work is leaving today for a week walking Scotland and staying in bothies.

 

Yeah, except for the cold places, this is a lot of my list. Throw on some active volcano's and that pretty much finishes mine.

[southsider2k5]

NSS or anyone else, is there anywhere within a few hours drive from Chicago to get into some backpacking? I did some when I was in scouts, and my wife likes the idea of it, but we've never done it together yet. I'd like to be able to try it out with some small-scale hikes over a weekend without having to dedicate a trip to it.

 

Indiana Dunes is great for that, depending on the kind of terrain you are looking for.

[StrangeSox]

Indiana Dunes is great for that, depending on the kind of terrain you are looking for.

Really just anything for the experience of actually hiking a few miles with 30-50 lbs of gear and then camping for a night or two. I'll keep that in mind for the spring.

Edited October 3, 2014 by StrangeSox

[NorthSideSox72]

NSS or anyone else, is there anywhere within a few hours drive from Chicago to get into some backpacking? I did some when I was in scouts, and my wife likes the idea of it, but we've never done it together yet. I'd like to be able to try it out with some small-scale hikes over a weekend without having to dedicate a trip to it.

Sure there are. For overnight backpacking that allow camping outside the drive-up campgrounds, here are some good ones within 3 hours' drive:

 

--Black River State Forest, WI

--Kettle Moraine State Forest, WI (there are three units, the southern one is most crowded, the others less so)

--Yellow River State Forest, IA (yes, Iowa - one of the most beautiful spots I've been in the midwest)

--Mississippi Palisades SP, IL (check if they allow overnight camping in the interior, not sure on that one, but great trails)

--You can do portions of the Ice Age Trail through WI, as it stops in various parks for camping

 

I'm sure there are others too, I don't know the Michigan and Indiana ones as well. I am not sure Dunes really has backcountry camping.

 

[southsider2k5]

Really just anything for the experience of actually hiking a few miles with 30-50 lbs of gear and then camping for a night or two. I'll keep that in mind for the spring.

 

I did this this year... The elevations aren't much, but hiking in sand is a b****. For every three steps you go up, you slide back two in the sand. I can't imagine it with 50 extra pounds on my back.

 

http://www.indianadunes.com/travel-blog/do...dune-challenge/

 

This is their page, and it has trail maps and descriptions on it, along with info on camping and such.

 

http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2980.htm

[Leonard Zelig]

I just hiked the South Kaibab and Bright Angel in August. We got really fortunate with the weather and it was a great trip.

 

The Swiss Alps are amazing and should be on all your lists. I was in the Bernese Oberland area in 2012 and it was an incredible time.

 

Just realized my avatar is a picture of my wife on one of our Swiss hikes.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Leonard Zelig

[StrangeSox]

edit: oh and we're going to Shenandoah for a couple of days next weekend. That'll make 6 NP's and one NM this year.

 

Ended up replanning this trip entirely due to weather. We drove down to southern Illinois and then spent Saturday in Shawnee National Forest. Sunday we drove over to Mammoth Cave NP, then stayed the night in Louisville. Kentucky, or at least that area of it, was a lot nicer than I expected and way less run down than the parts of southern Illinois we were in.

[Y2HH]

Ended up replanning this trip entirely due to weather. We drove down to southern Illinois and then spent Saturday in Shawnee National Forest. Sunday we drove over to Mammoth Cave NP, then stayed the night in Louisville. Kentucky, or at least that area of it, was a lot nicer than I expected and way less run down than the parts of southern Illinois we were in.

 

There are some extreme Deliverance looking parts of the Shawnee.

[StrangeSox]

I'm not a climber myself, but a couple of my friends/acquaintances are and they were very excited about the opening of The Dawn Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite. Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson are the first people to ever free climb* this face which was widely considered to be impossible to climb due to the difficulty. They started on December 27th and finished Wednesday.

 

*free climbing means you're scaling the rock with just your hands and feet, but you're still safety-roped to the wall for when you fall.

 

You can see how flat and smooth this rock face is, making free-climbing this very difficult.

 

Their sleeping quarters for the last two-plus weeks:

 

The moment of triumph:

 

[StrangeSox]

Anyone ever been to Big Bend NP in Texas? Considering a short trip there late March/early April.

[Y2HH]

Really just anything for the experience of actually hiking a few miles with 30-50 lbs of gear and then camping for a night or two. I'll keep that in mind for the spring.

 

I know this is an old post, but I thought I'd say something about it anyway.

 

30 lbs, not 50. If your pack weighs that much, you're taking wayyyyyy too much stuff with you. People commonly overpack cloths and food on these types of trips. I'd recommend getting the pack as near to 30lbs as you can.

 

Or you can be like me, arrive at 6pm and do a 1 mile vertical switchback hike in Colorado carrying 18 cans of beer in your pack.

 

My friends all laughed at me until we arrived at our campsite. I could have sold those beers for like 20 a piece. They're lucky I'm nice.

[Balta1701]

Anyone ever been to Big Bend NP in Texas? Considering a short trip there late March/early April.

Send a PM to Tex to get his attention.

[StrangeSox]

I know this is an old post, but I thought I'd say something about it anyway.

 

30 lbs, not 50. If your pack weighs that much, you're taking wayyyyyy too much stuff with you. People commonly overpack cloths and food on these types of trips. I'd recommend getting the pack as near to 30lbs as you can.

 

That's true. One of the funnier parts of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" about the AT is when his friend goes "yard sale" on all of the extra crap in his pack.

 

I've 50 lbs as the upper end of the common range for longer (week+) trips, but for a night or two that's really unnecessary.

 

Or you can be like me, arrive at 6pm and do a 1 mile vertical switchback hike in Colorado carrying 18 cans of beer in your pack.

 

My friends all laughed at me until we arrived at our campsite. I could have sold those beers for like 20 a piece. They're lucky I'm nice.

Whiskey has a better weight/alcohol ratio!

[StrangeSox]

Send a PM to Tex to get his attention.

This was more or less a post for him, but I thought there might be some others who have been out that way.

[Y2HH]

That's true. One of the funnier parts of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" about the AT is when his friend goes "yard sale" on all of the extra crap in his pack.

 

I've 50 lbs as the upper end of the common range for longer (week+) trips, but for a night or two that's really unnecessary.

 

 

Whiskey has a better weight/alcohol ratio!

 

I had some of that, too.

 

It's not something I'd ever do again, but I was in my 20's and I really liked beer while camping.

[StrangeSox]

I just hiked the South Kaibab and Bright Angel in August. We got really fortunate with the weather and it was a great trip.

 

Will do this at some point

 

The Swiss Alps are amazing and should be on all your lists. I was in the Bernese Oberland area in 2012 and it was an incredible time.

 

Just realized my avatar is a picture of my wife on one of our Swiss hikes.

 

Hulu has this awesome 8-part series on the Alps called "The Alps from Above." Beautiful shots throughout the Alps, and despite the name, it's not just a bunch of aerial footage. They also focus on people who live and work in the areas doing unique things either for a living or as a hobby. It's usually some traditional arts/craftsman thing.

[NorthSideSox72]

I know this is an old post, but I thought I'd say something about it anyway.

 

30 lbs, not 50. If your pack weighs that much, you're taking wayyyyyy too much stuff with you. People commonly overpack cloths and food on these types of trips. I'd recommend getting the pack as near to 30lbs as you can.

 

Or you can be like me, arrive at 6pm and do a 1 mile vertical switchback hike in Colorado carrying 18 cans of beer in your pack.

 

My friends all laughed at me until we arrived at our campsite. I could have sold those beers for like 20 a piece. They're lucky I'm nice.

 

 

That's true. One of the funnier parts of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" about the AT is when his friend goes "yard sale" on all of the extra crap in his pack.

 

I've 50 lbs as the upper end of the common range for longer (week+) trips, but for a night or two that's really unnecessary.

 

Agree strongly that keeping weight down is key, and normally you shouldn't even need 30 pounds, let alone 50, even for a week.

 

That said, I have seen one exception to this. Did a backpacking trip once that I was quite proud of - we were the first backpacking group to do the at-the-time new anchor leg of the Continental Divide Trail, from the Mexican border to I-10, in the boot heel of NM (there's a whole story how and why we were first but that's another post). 75 miles in 5 days, mostly without trail or road, through a combination of searing desert and rough sky island mountains, usually without any sort of trail or road. It was rough.

 

But the key thing is, this was a really, really dry area. There was no reliable natural water source the entire route. Our only water re-supply was around the midway point when we crossed a road, where the day before we had left a water cache. We needed to carry 2-3 days of water per person, which in those conditions is about 1.5 gallons per person. A gallon of water weighs 8 pounds. So we were carrying, at the beginning of each segment, 24-36 pounds of water each.

 

Let me tell you... scrambling your way up a steep, dry wash of rough pumice-like rocks and every kind of pointy and edgy plant imagineable while rucking 50+ pounds was a challenge. But we needed the water, it was that simple.

 

Exceptions to every rule.