About the hike, a quick report: - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

MikeWaters · 02-28-2007, 02:47 PM

We car-camped Sunday night. Fajitas and pineapple upside-down cake in the dutch oven. IBC rootbeer all-around. Got nice and chilly that night, which was nice. Raccoon finished off most of the rest of the upside-down cake, which was nice, but he didn't finish it, and like a typical ingrate, didn't clean it.

We lolly-gagged around that next morning, ate breakfast, packed up and headed to the trail head. Zulu spent 30 minutes trying to find a geocache at the trailhead. By the time we actually got started it was 10:30am.

The late start in general was a big mistake because it got into the 80s. At about 9 miles we got to our water cache. We had each packed 4 liters, and there were 2 gallons waiting for us at the cache. I was basically out of water by the time we go to the cache, and was dehydrated further yet.

By the time we started that next morning, I was down to just two liters (of 8 total). More on that later.

At the dry camp, there was a nice 3-walled shelter. Since my backpacking tent is so small, we decided to sleep in the shelter. Big mistake. It is very hard to sleep in the company of scampering mice. Unless you are used to it. These mice were impervious to all remonstrations and noise and banging on the walls. It was not restful. Plus it was much hotter that night. Too hot to be in the down bag, but too cold to not be in it. I had it zipped down most of the way, but I was still hot.

We didn't cook my freeze-dried dinner and dessert for lack of water. We ate our 2nd MRE instead.

We decided to head out much earlier to take advantage of the cool morning. We took off at about 7:45 and arrived at the trailhead at about 11:30. Covered 10 miles. I was out of water at the end, but wasn't too miserable. Hiking in the cooler temp was a God-send.

It was beautiful pine forests, with bottomland hardwoods in the swamps. We saw much evidence of the White Man, where some areas were clearcut, trash, empty shotgun shells, toilet paper and dump two feet from the trail.

We didn't see very much wildlife, probably due to our noisiness and clanging. But there were many promising ponds that probably held good fishing.

There was almost no one there in the entire park.

In one of the swampy areas, I took some pictures of large tracks, that I didn't recognize. A little while later we came to a road crosssing where a Forest Service Ranger had both his doors open, while some hick was standing with hands behind back and furrowed brow next to his truck. As the Ranger has a digital camera and is taking a picture of the back of the guys' truck, Zulu says "hey, maybe this ranger can tell us what the track is!"

I say to Zulu and the Ranger, "I think he's busy."

Ranger: "yes, I'm busy."

What a butthole Ranger won't take time to look at our digital camera in the middle of a poaching arrest.

If I could do it over, I would have taken more water, and stashed more water.

Zulu didn't have nearly the water requirements I did.

This was my first real backpacking thing in a long, long time. First time to use trekking poles as well. I am sold on the trekking poles. I think they help, and they can speed you up, just like a skier.

ute4ever · 02-28-2007, 03:12 PM

Did you weigh your pack? I've never gone over 38 lbs on a three-night.

MikeWaters · 02-28-2007, 03:20 PM

I'm sure my pack was over 38lb easy. More likely in the high 40's with fully-loaded water.

Of course I was carrying the stove, pot, tent, camera, poop trowel, toilet paperand other communal stuff. I took too much. I will cut back next time.

Jeff Lebowski · 02-28-2007, 03:21 PM

Sounds like quite the adventure. Such a pity to have to backpack in Texas though.

MikeWaters · 02-28-2007, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Sounds like quite the adventure. Such a pity to have to backpack in Texas though.

I'll be going to the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend in March, it looks like.

That will be a different sort of terrain that I have no experience in.

I need to invent a battery-powered swamp cooler for this summer's camping.

Zulu451 · 02-28-2007, 08:27 PM

There were actually many parts of the evergreen forest that you could not have been able to tell if you were in the Sierra Nevadas or in a Texas pine forest.

There were some fun parts of the trail where they had built up long cat walks over the swampy areas and there were a lot of bridges over the washes and streams. Overall it was a very well maintained trail.

When I hike it again, I will take a fishing pole and bait along with me, several promising fishing holes along the way. That and mouse traps, the little buggers were driving us nuts. The positive was that it made getting up at 0600 real easy as I was never really asleep.

FarrahWaters · 02-28-2007, 08:41 PM

Tell the truth, Zulu. The real reason you chose to sleep in the mice-infested shelter was that you didn't want to share a tent with Mike after hiking on a hot trail all day.

MikeWaters · 02-28-2007, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarrahWaters

Tell the truth, Zulu. The real reason you chose to sleep in the mice-infested shelter was that you didn't want to share a tent with Mike after hiking on a hot trail all day.

Yes, he leaves that pleasure to you.

bigpiney · 02-28-2007, 09:35 PM

This thread is useless without pics.

Using Treking Poles?? you probably wore gaiters too. sheesh.

MikeWaters · 02-28-2007, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigpiney

This thread is useless without pics.

Using Treking Poles?? you probably wore gaiters too. sheesh.

I'll add some pics when I get the chance. I didn't take many.

Trekking poles are useful when you are an old man and need to protect your joints. They are useful in particularly rocky terrain when climbing and descending. They help during stream crossings. And as I said before, they can help you go FASTER, at the expense of increased cardiovascular effort. Plant both polls ahead of you, and then as you move forward, push off, like a skier. It propels you that extra 1mph faster.

02-28-2007, 02:47 PM	#1
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	About the hike, a quick report: We car-camped Sunday night. Fajitas and pineapple upside-down cake in the dutch oven. IBC rootbeer all-around. Got nice and chilly that night, which was nice. Raccoon finished off most of the rest of the upside-down cake, which was nice, but he didn't finish it, and like a typical ingrate, didn't clean it. We lolly-gagged around that next morning, ate breakfast, packed up and headed to the trail head. Zulu spent 30 minutes trying to find a geocache at the trailhead. By the time we actually got started it was 10:30am. The late start in general was a big mistake because it got into the 80s. At about 9 miles we got to our water cache. We had each packed 4 liters, and there were 2 gallons waiting for us at the cache. I was basically out of water by the time we go to the cache, and was dehydrated further yet. By the time we started that next morning, I was down to just two liters (of 8 total). More on that later. At the dry camp, there was a nice 3-walled shelter. Since my backpacking tent is so small, we decided to sleep in the shelter. Big mistake. It is very hard to sleep in the company of scampering mice. Unless you are used to it. These mice were impervious to all remonstrations and noise and banging on the walls. It was not restful. Plus it was much hotter that night. Too hot to be in the down bag, but too cold to not be in it. I had it zipped down most of the way, but I was still hot. We didn't cook my freeze-dried dinner and dessert for lack of water. We ate our 2nd MRE instead. We decided to head out much earlier to take advantage of the cool morning. We took off at about 7:45 and arrived at the trailhead at about 11:30. Covered 10 miles. I was out of water at the end, but wasn't too miserable. Hiking in the cooler temp was a God-send. It was beautiful pine forests, with bottomland hardwoods in the swamps. We saw much evidence of the White Man, where some areas were clearcut, trash, empty shotgun shells, toilet paper and dump two feet from the trail. We didn't see very much wildlife, probably due to our noisiness and clanging. But there were many promising ponds that probably held good fishing. There was almost no one there in the entire park. In one of the swampy areas, I took some pictures of large tracks, that I didn't recognize. A little while later we came to a road crosssing where a Forest Service Ranger had both his doors open, while some hick was standing with hands behind back and furrowed brow next to his truck. As the Ranger has a digital camera and is taking a picture of the back of the guys' truck, Zulu says "hey, maybe this ranger can tell us what the track is!" I say to Zulu and the Ranger, "I think he's busy." Ranger: "yes, I'm busy." What a butthole Ranger won't take time to look at our digital camera in the middle of a poaching arrest. If I could do it over, I would have taken more water, and stashed more water. Zulu didn't have nearly the water requirements I did. This was my first real backpacking thing in a long, long time. First time to use trekking poles as well. I am sold on the trekking poles. I think they help, and they can speed you up, just like a skier.

02-28-2007, 03:21 PM	#4
Jeff Lebowski Charon Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In the heart of darkness (Provo) Posts: 9,564	Sounds like quite the adventure. Such a pity to have to backpack in Texas though. __________________ "... the arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice." Martin Luther King, Jr.

02-28-2007, 09:35 PM	#9
bigpiney Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Big Pine , CA Posts: 842	This thread is useless without pics. Using Treking Poles?? you probably wore gaiters too. sheesh. __________________ <== that is a bad senior picture

02-28-2007, 03:12 PM	#2
ute4ever I must not tell lies Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 5,103	Did you weigh your pack? I've never gone over 38 lbs on a three-night.

02-28-2007, 03:20 PM	#3
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	I'm sure my pack was over 38lb easy. More likely in the high 40's with fully-loaded water. Of course I was carrying the stove, pot, tent, camera, poop trowel, toilet paperand other communal stuff. I took too much. I will cut back next time.

02-28-2007, 08:27 PM	#6
Zulu451 house-elf 3rd class Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 386	There were actually many parts of the evergreen forest that you could not have been able to tell if you were in the Sierra Nevadas or in a Texas pine forest. There were some fun parts of the trail where they had built up long cat walks over the swampy areas and there were a lot of bridges over the washes and streams. Overall it was a very well maintained trail. When I hike it again, I will take a fishing pole and bait along with me, several promising fishing holes along the way. That and mouse traps, the little buggers were driving us nuts. The positive was that it made getting up at 0600 real easy as I was never really asleep.

02-28-2007, 08:41 PM	#7
FarrahWaters Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 1,122	Tell the truth, Zulu. The real reason you chose to sleep in the mice-infested shelter was that you didn't want to share a tent with Mike after hiking on a hot trail all day.