Category: Outdoors

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Dogwood in Oregon

Such beautiful flowers are all over the place. One of my favorite to see while in the woods is the Pacific Dogwood. This one is just opening.

Pacific Dogwood Flower
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Rope management

Rope management Card for YouTube

Today I offer a quick tip on how I coil my ridgeline and tie outs.

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What I Carry On A Day Hike

What To Carry On A Hike Card

Hey Guys, today I want to share with you a video on what I carry on a day hike. I have included the content list below.

This is a question I have been asked over and over. “What should I carry on a day hike”? While the simple answer could be as easy as, the 10 Essentials, it can also be a lot more. What I would like to point out here is that even someone who has never hiked before believes they should at least carry something! I ALWAYS carry a backpack or day pack with me on every hike. That being said, I suggest investing in a comfortable backpack in the 18-20 liter range. These can be purchased anywhere on any budget. I used one for a couple years from a low budget store that lasted long enough that I passed it on and upgraded to my current favorite bag to this date – the Osprey Talon 22 (22 liter). This bag is not only very comfortable, but holds everything I could ever cram into it for a day hike.

The 10 Essentials:

What are the 10 essentials? These are 10 systems you should always have with you. Some items, such as the satellite messenger can be valuable. I have plans to purchase one soon for some of my longer adventures. You may never use some of these things for months of hiking, but at some point, you may be in a situation where you really wished you had them, or even worse yet, you could end up in a situation where your safety depends on one of these items. Lets take a look at these items and if you aren’t sure what some of these things are, a quick internet search will fix that.

  1. Navigation:
    1. Map and compass
    1. Altimeter
    2. GPS device
    3. Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)
    4. Satellite Messenger
  2. Light:
    1. Headlamp or flashlight.
  3. Shelter:
    1. Rain poncho that doubles as a shelter.
    2. Tarp
    3. Bivy
  4. First Aid:
    1. Bandages, gauze pads, wound dressing, foot care, etc.
  5. Fire:
    1. Tenderbox
    2. Ferro Rod (Ferrocerium)
    3. lighter
    4. Matches
  6. Water:
    1. Water bottle
    2. Water filtration system
  7. Food:
    1. Energy bar
    2. Ready-to-eat meals
    3. Meat sticks
    4. Jerky
    5. Trailmix
  8. Knife:
    1. Pocket knife
    2. Victorinox type multi-knife
    3. MultiTool
  9. Clothes:
    1. Wool sweater
    1. Rain gear
    2. Socks
    3. Warm hat
    4. Gloves
  10. Sun Protection:
    1. Sunglasses
    2. Lip protection
    3. Hat

So you might wonder if you need everything listed in a particular system. For example, under Navigation, I would normally have my phone for photos. I also have apps on my phone with maps loaded that I can view when I am even out of cell coverage. However, it is my professional opinion that putting all your safety of staying found in an electronic device is about as smart as texting and driving – at some point you are going to be screwed. I will also carry a map and compass with me because it is a valuable tool that does not rely on power.

Having a tool and not knowing how to use it can get you in serious trouble or even dead! To make a point, here are some “tools” that can be deadly if you do not have proper training. In land surveying a machete is used, sometimes for hours, chopping through blackberries, better known as “weeds” in Cascadia. Not knowing how to use one could get your shin chopped in half, or worse, chop into someones head that you let get to close. A firearm is another “tool” that can be deadly without proper training. Same with map and compass. Having it in your bag is not going to save you. Enough said.

For the Fire system, I think it is wise to typically always have a mini Bic lighter and a tinderbox. I always carry a Ferro rod, which will work even when wet…a Bic will not work when wet. Most times I have two different items from the Knife system. As the seasons change, so does the contents of my day pack. Rain gear and my wool sweater usually are left out in the summer months – the two months of the year when it doesn’t rain. There are times I may carry a stove and food to cook a meal or coffee once I arrive at a scenic location such as in the image below. The best advice is to start with the ten and as you gain experience, adjust items you may want to add.

What to carry on a day hike
Firebox stove cooking sausages next to a creek in Cascadia.

EQUIPMENT LIST:

Below is the list of the equipment I went over in my video.

image of EDC
This is what I carry everywhere I go even if I don’t have a backpack.

If this post has helped you, or should you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section. I also ask that you subscribe to my YouTube channel and blog to stay informed.

Adventure awaits!

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Planning A Day Hike for Beginners

Hey Guys, today I am going to answer the question of “How do I plan a day hike?” and show you how easy it is.

There has been many times someone that knows me has come up to me and said that they want to go on a hike, but do not know the first thing about what to do. I decided to offer a few basic steps that you can go through to help you go on a day hike. Lets look at the list first and then break it down a lot more than I did in the video.

  1. How much total time Do I have?
  2. How far do I want to hike?
  3. How difficult do I want the hike to be?
  4. Do I want to see anything in particular?
  5. What do I bring?

1. How much total time do I have?

First we need to determine how much time we have from home and back. The time we have will determine all the other questions. Here are three scenarios:

  • 1 hour) For me, If I only have one hour, then I probably will have to just take a walk around my neighborhood. I would not make it anywhere in that time frame, and if I did, I would not have any time to hike. But I can get four miles in in that time on the street.
  • 3-4 hours) Now we are getting somewhere. In this time frame, I can travel to the local trail system in the woods and hike about two hours, regardless of miles. However, for me, on that trail system, I usually cover roughly six miles in two hours. Another alternate hike in this time frame could be driving to the river path system in the city. It is a paved path system on both sides of the river and I know I can get four miles hiked in an hour. If I add round-trip drive time of one hour, that is three total hours.
  • 6-8 hour) In this range I have a lot of options. I could drive through the woods about an hour and fourty-five minutes to a trailhead that has three awesome waterfalls. The hike would take about two hours, include about two miles of hiking and is a relatively easy hike.
Upper Kentucky Falls Photo
Upper Kentucky Falls

2. How far do I want to hike?

As you can see from the above scenarios, the time I had available determined the length of the hike I had available. If I had one hour total time, deciding to hike six miles is out of the question. There are, however, times when I can choose how far I want to hike. For an example, lets say I want to hike ten miles. I could travel thirty minutes to the local trail system, hike about ten miles in under three hours and drive back home thirty minutes. With this option, ten miles in just under three hours, plus an hour of driving there and back equals four hours. Make sense?

3. How difficult do I want the hike to be.

With this option, you would need to search for a hike based on skill level. To do this, you will need to have either advanced mapping and route planning skills or will need to rely on guide books and apps (see my All Trails app guide). With the All Trails app you can search by difficult level and then choose the closest trail. You will have less options for where you can go in a specific time frame with this option.

4. Do I want to see anything in particular?

Do you want to see wildlife? Waterfalls? a lake? a creek? With this option, You choose what you want to see and the miles and time will more than likely be determined for you. Lets say I want to see those big furry white mountain goats. Well…I will have to travel very far away. I will have to hike some pretty treacherous terrain. I will also have to hike pretty far. When I lived in Colorado, I did this. I drove way up into the mountains about an hour one way. I then hiked about fifteen miles out and back. The elevation gain was colossal considering I climbed a fourteen hundred foot peak in the process. I did see lots of those mountain goats though. The downside was I got a blister on my heal the size of the full moon. Ouch!

5. What do I bring?

This is probably the question I am asked most. I have covered what I bring in the following video. I also list the contents below.

EQUIPMENT LIST:

Image of Everyday Carry organizer
Everyday Carry Organizer (EDC)

Well, this concludes this post. If you found this information helpful, please let me know. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments. You can stay informed of my posts and more by joining my e-list. Adventure awaits!

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Making Firestarters

Featured image for Post

I wanted to share how I make firestarters. In this post I will create two different types of firestarters. The first one I cover is a hockey puck style that works, but is definitely NOT my favorite. Let’s dive into the video after we cover the list of items needed. This is a very cheap project as the first two items on the list can be purchased at Goodwill for one Lincoln ($5).

  • A large candle, preferably UNSCENTED.
  • A pot to melt the wax in.
  • A mold such as a jar lid or egg crate
  • Material: sawdust, lint, tiny stick pieces, etc
How To Make A Jar Lid type Firestarters

Below is my favorite camping firestarter method. It is long lasting and comes in single use sizes.

How To Make An Egg Crate Type Firestarter
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Hike to Fall Creek Falls

Featured Image for Fall Creek Falls

Yesterday, We hiked to Fall Creek falls. This really wasn’t our destination though. The destination was Vivian Lake. We were hiking a trail that includes three waterfalls: Salt Creek Falls, Diamond Creek Falls, and Fall Creek Falls. The latter being the farthest from the others. The first falls (Salt Creek Falls) we have seen a million times and decided to go straight to Diamond creek falls and then Fall Creek Falls, which was up the mountain a ways.

  • Sign on Trail
  • Trillium
  • Shrooms
  • Lushious
  • Fungus?
  • Diamond Creek Falls
  • Skunk Cabbage Leaf
  • Fall Creek Falls

Trailhead Map

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South Sister Climb 2016

image of Teodolite sisters and me
image of img_3310.jpg

Basic Information (from GPS)

  • Driving Distance – 2 hours 14 minutes
  • Hike Distance – 6 miles
  • Hike Duration – 7 hours 27 minutes
  • Elevation Gain – 4,913 feet (Alltrails.com says 4,901ft)
  • Starting Elevation – 5,445 feet
  • Summit – 10,358 feet

South Sister Information*

The South Sister is located in the Three Sisters Wilderness, in Lane County Oregon. The Three Sisters are a complex volcano of three volcanic peaks of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. Each exceeding 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in elevation, they are the third, fourth, and fifth highest peaks in the state of Oregon, and are located in the Three Sisters Wilderness, about 10 miles (16 km) south of the nearest town of Sisters. Diverse species of flora and fauna inhabit the area on and around the mountains, which is subject to frequent snowfall, occasional rain, and extreme temperature differences between seasons. The mountains, particularly South Sister, are popular for climbing and scrambling.

Although they are often grouped together and seen as one unit, the three mountains evolved under differing geologic situations, and the petrologic composition of each mountain can vary significantly. Whereas North Sister is extinct and Middle Sister is dormant, South Sister last erupted about 2,000 years ago and still could erupt, threatening life within the region. After satellite imagery detected tectonic uplifting near South Sister in 2000, the United States Geological Survey made plans to improve monitoring in the immediate area.

South Sister, also known as “Charity,” is the youngest and tallest volcano of the trio. Its eruptive products range from basaltic andesite to rhyolite and rhyodacite.[16][33] It is a stratovolcano overlying an older shield structure.[5] The first such episode, termed the Rock Mesa eruptive cycle, first spread tephra from flank vents from the south and southwest flanks, followed by a thick rhyolite lava flow. The second cycle, the Devils Hill eruptive cycle, was similar in result, but was caused by the intrusion of a dike of new silicic magma that erupted from about 20 vents on the southeast side and from a smaller line on the north side.[35]

Unlike its sister peaks,[36] South Sister has an uneroded summit crater about 1⁄4 mile (0.40 km) in diameter that holds a small crater lake known as Teardrop Pool, the highest lake in Oregon.[37] The slopes of South Sister have a number of small glaciers, including the Lewis, Clark, Lost Creek and Prouty glaciers near the crater rim.[38]

*Information from Wikipedia.

Why the South Sister

I had first hiked the South Sister over 15 years ago with a friend. On that trip, we backpacked up to Moraine Lake in the evening and setup camp. In the early morning we hiked to the summit and then hiked all the way back to the car. The very next weekend after the climb, I went car camping at Wikiup Reservoir. You could see the South Sister from the camping spot and it was completely covered in snow.

A few months ago, I was approached by a different friend who asked me to join a group of guys who were going to climb the South Sister in August of 2016. I really wasn’t interested at first, but then I thought it would be a great accomplishment for my oldest son, who was, Interestingly enough, conceived the weekend after the aforementioned climb. Due to football season and other factors, however, my son was unable to make it on this trip. I decided to go anyway.

The Trip

We met at Life Bible Church in Harrisburg, Oregon and planned to leave at 4:45 am (I’m not sure when we actually left). There were 11 of us riding in a passenger van, four of which I had never met before. The drive took about 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to Devils Lake Campground where the trailhead is located. We joined the 50 or more cars parked along the edge of the road and then headed out on our adventure. Do not plan on being alone on this hike. It seamed like there were hundreds of people out on the trail.

image of climbing group

The first section starts by leaving Cascade Lakes Highway at Hell Creek (about 5,444 feet) and climbs roughly 1,076 of elevation gain through the forest to about 6,520 feet – mostly switchbacks (as one guy put it, it was “a slap in the face” start). This first section can really weed out those that aren’t truly up to the task of making the summit. I feel it’s best to warn you now… this first section is as easy as walking from your bedroom to the bathroom compared to the torture of climbing the last 2,000 or so feet of elevation to the summit! Once you come out of the forest, you come to the cross-trail to Moraine Lake. We stopped here for a a minute or two and moved on. The next section wasn’t really bad at all. The trail was wide and the elevation gain seemed minimal. This section is a good place to pass the slower groups of people headed up the mountain. The trees become further and further apart and the ground is real dusty. If you keep your eye to the right, you will spot Broken Top in the distance and Moraine Lake down in the valley below. black and white of broken top

As you leave the last area, the next section starts to get a little steeper with a lot more rocks. The trees become fewer and shorter and as you move above timberline the rocks turn to boulders. The boulders begin to dominate and at one point everyone is all over scrambling via their own path across a boulder field.image of boulderfield

You eventually make it to a summit where a ton of people are resting at the Lewis Glacier. There is water at the base of this glacier and it is a great place to fuel up before the torture fest to to top begins. From here on out the trail gets steeper and tougher. image of last section.

After about 4 hours of hiking, we finally made the crest. In my opinion, I would consider this the “first” summit. As you come over the edge, the first thing you see is the Tear Drop Pool Glacier. When I saw it this time, I found myself saying to myself, “Wow, that glacier has really shrunk!”. For some reason it seemed like it was much higher to me from where I remember it 15 years ago. The second thing that some of us may notice once we reach the “first” summit is that the highest point of the mountain is on the far side of the glacier, I’ll call this the “Second summit”. You absolutely have to go over there because that is where you are able to view of all the north peaks from. 15 years ago, a well worn trail went strait across the glacier to that point, however, this time there was no glacier trail and a well worn trail traversed along the east rim – that must have been under the glacier when I was here before.image of Looking North through Theodolite

When you get to the second summit, you will notice that it drops straight down, frighteningly steep. If you search a bit you will find a ledge just below the highest point of the mountain, hanging out there. This was the only place to get out of the ferocious wind last time up. This time it wasn’t very windy. I remember sitting on that little ledge and some of the climbers sitting with me were talking about a lady that fell off that ledge to her death the weekend prior. Not sure if it was true or not, but i tell ya, if you fall over…your probably going to die. After resting while taking pictures, I decided to walk barefoot on the glacier before my decent. that felt so good on the feet!

I was finally ready to head back down. Of course, you would think it would be easy, think again. The thing I wasn’t prepared for was going down the torture section of scree. Your feet just slide and slide (see the video). I, however, was determined to get down as fast as possible. By the time you get through the third section (boulder section), your legs are so shaky you can barely keep yourself up. I passed lots of people, and you could see their legs shaking, just like mine, with every step. I hiked as fast as I could, without actually running, the whole way down. I just wanted to get to Devils Lake to cool my feet and body in the water. After about two and a half hours, I made it down and soaked in the lake. It felt so very nice! I then had two and a half hours to rest and soak before the last two guys made it back to the van.image of Devil's Lake cool down

Update: Now that I have finished typing this story I think I may do it again if any of my kids ever decide they want to climb it. I would love to do that with them!

Gallery of pictures from the trip…

image of climbing group
image for start time
image of Section one group photo
image of dust
image of South Sister through the bushes
image of South Sister from the plain
image of Broken Top
image of Sam and Broken Top
image of South Sister from plain 2
image of Sign at begining of section three
image of Leaving section two
image of View of Cascade Lakes
image of Cinder cone pushing up
image of Section three rocks
image of broken top B and W
image of section three
image of boulderfield
image of resting
image of Lewis Glacier rest
image of the torture section
image of last section.
image of The South Sister Summit edge
image of East side view
img of Azimuth Brass Cap
image of Teodolite sisters and me
image of Tear Drop Pool Glacier
black and white of broken top
image of Devil's Lake cool down

Videos from the trip…

Map and GPX File

(Information generated from GPX files)

[sgpx gpx="/wp-content/uploads/gpx/South_Sister_2016_Up.gpx"]
[sgpx gpx="/wp-content/uploads/gpx/South_Sister_2016_Down.gpx"]

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My Backpack Contents of Equipment for Two

image of backpack contents
Image of backpack contents

Equipment in my backpack when I hike with my friend:

Anyone who is new to backpacking may wonder what to carry in their backpack. I know I wished I knew where to find a list of what to carry; however, since that was before pagers, cell phones, and the internet, I made do. My first backpack weighed in at about 75 pounds! Luckily for me, I wasn’t adventuring very far out into the Mojave Desert where I lived that day.  I have learned a little since then. My pack is extremely minimal compared to this on solo trips (I use a Warbonnet hammock instead of tent, Solo Stove instead of canister stove and Titanium cup instead of GSI pot setup); however, I make up that lost weight and more with lots of camera gear.

When I hike with my best friend, I want them to enjoy the trip so that they will want to go backpacking more and more. I only ask that they carry their personal items, which I consider to be:

  • Toiletries
  • sleeping bag and pad
  • Snacks
  • Clothes.

In my backpack, I carry everything else. My pack for the last trip weighed in at 30 pounds, and I could have left all the extra clothes at home; however, I have issues with climbing in my sleeping bag at night in dirty clothes. Below is a list of everything in my pack that I took on my last trip:

  • Osprey Aether 70 Backpack
    • Rain cover
  • REI Half Dome 2 plus
  • REI Lumen 20 degree Sleeping Bag
  • Term-A-Rest Sleeping Pad
  • GSI Two person Set
    • 2 insulated Cups (with lids)
    • 2 bowls
    • 2 Sporks
    • Stove
    • fuel can
  • Snow Peak GigaPower Stove
  • MSR Fuel Canister
  • Food
  • Mesh Bag-O-Lights
  • Maxpedition Beefy Pocket Organizer (This is also my “Every-Day-Carry” bag)

    • Snow Peak Titanium Spork
    • Straw (for Sawyer water filter)
    • Leatherman Tool (unknown model)(not shown)
    • First Aid bag
    • Sawyer water filter bladder
    • Trusty Silva Ranger CLQ Compass in Bearings (Have used in the field for 27 years)
    • Write-in-the-rain Weatherproof Journal
    • Sawyer Water Filter
    • Fox 40 Whistle
    • Mini toothbrush
    • Tiny toothpaste
    • Tinderbox
      • Vaseline soaked cottonball (in a tiny medicine ziplock)
      • lots of Birch bark
      • Light My Fire mini Flint and steel
    • 8 Starbucks instant Italian Roast Coffee single servings
    • 2 Yerba Mate tea bags
    • lotion
    • Sea To Summit HeadNet (for mesquitos)
    • Survival Bracelet (usually worn in the field)
  • Garmin GPS 60
  • Gerber Sheath Knife (instead of 9mm Taurus)
  • 100 ft of paracord
  • 1.75x Reading glasses
  • Canon G16 Camera
  • Ultra-Pod 2 Tripod
  • Canon Cable Release
  • Oregon Pinot Gris in a 1 ltr Platypus bladder
  • Boonie Hat to hold up the Mosquito HeadNet
  • Clothes
    • Socks, 1 pr
    • underwear, 1pr
    • Thermal “long johns”, 1 pr
    • Switzerland Military issue wool sweater (From military surplus store)
    • Pants with zip off legs, 1 pr
    • Long sleeve sports shirt with zippered chest, 1
    • Fleece gloves, 1 pr
    • “beanies” or “skull cap”, 2
  • Collapsible fleece pillow

There were a whole heck of a lot of things I didn’t need in my pack this trip. I could have left out the Wool sweater, pants with zip off legs, 100ft of para cord, AlpineAire food, Tent rainfly, tent stakes, long sleeve shirt, and a few other things. Hope this helps someone out there.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section.

UPDATE: You have to take into consideration many factors when backpacking. One thing I was unsure of is what the temperature where we were backpacking to was going to “feel” like overnight. The reason I said I could have eliminated the aforementioned items is because  I didn’t use them, however, that is hindsight.

Cost of equipment: I am a firm beleiver in buying what I can afford and upgrading from there. I do want to say, on the other hand, There have been many times I have purchased some piece of equipment and immediately after the trip replaced it because it sucked frog lips! That being said…You get what you pay for; however, buying a $39 collapsible bowl that cooks on the stove may be replaced by a cheap a$$ 5 pound Goodwill pot and a $0.50 plastic bowl. That doesn’t mean that someday when you find an extra 40 bones in an old pair of pants you wouldn’t want to buy that collapsible pot/bowl…It would be worth it… IMHO.