Interloken Trail

Didn't feel great. Got a late start, so I was pushing the pace on the way north. This caused me to miss a turn and head down the gorge Trail which really threw me off. I had also set my watch on ultra track, and it was giving me all sorts of screwy readings, like a 2 minute kilometer, and told me my total distance was 13 km. But clearly from the way back, much shorter. But I made it to a new trail, saw some people, a very cool owl, and was able to continue to test my setup. The Solomon boots still agitated my right ringtone, but on the way back I had moved my insole and added a second layer of sock and it was no problem. Something I can fix going forward, instead of buying another pair of boots.

Finally Out Again

Testing some things this weekend. Went to lean-to via Moss Hill Road on Saturday with:

• La Sportiva sneakers & thin knee-length compression socks
• ZPacks gaiters
• SMD Flight 30 UL
• Hummingbird Hammocks Single+, tree straps, & Martin bugnet
• EE Apex Enigma
• Kammok UL Weather Shelter
• Didn't bring towel, trekking poles, handkerchief, or pack hangar

Footwear was fine. Path was pretty gradual and they got a little muddy - definitely NOT waterproof! The gaiters stayed up the whole time which was a nice surprise. The pack was fine, but I've mentally decided to move on from my UL pack and get a Gregory which will only be another 5-8 ounces and will be more comfortable; it also won't sit on my back and soak up all my sweat! 

The hammock setup was great! It rained a little (sprinkles on & off) so I used my Sea-to-Summit poncho over me & the pack. Then when I got to lean-to I pretended it was pouring and tried to setup tarp & hammock while still in poncho with pack on my stomach. Nice test all around. The tarp was big enough for the hammok, though not a lot of extra room. Setup was narrow since I forgot my pole. Used the poncho as a ground cloth for my pack & footwear while I napped for 45 minutes. All-in-all, a solid test and a great day. Few, if any, bugs.

Sunday

• La Sportiva sneakers & padded ankle-length Darn-Tough socks
• ZPacks gaiters
• SMD Minimalist
• Hummingbird Hammocks Single+, tree straps, & Martin bugnet
• This time I remembered trekking poles and pack hangar (see pic below)

Went in from Bailey road this time. Much shorter, and much STEEPER which was a good workout for the legs. Really felt stronger as a result of this hike - less knee pain. Can't believe how much quicker it was going back to car vs the walk in - or at least it seemed that way. No nap today, but did set up the hammock again and added a ridgeline to keep bugnet out of my face. Pack hangar worked, but I think it should be thicker cord, and no so long - best idea is to get cord that can also be used to field-repair Zpack gaiters also, and used as bear-bag hang. The Minimalist bag was fine, but still not as comfortable as the Gregory packs I've had in the past. AND I HATE THE ROLL_TOP closure. Waste of time & space I think, but maybe that's just due to my current approach. I've listed the Flight and my Fusion packs on FB, but I'll keep the minimalist as an alternative in the future.

The point of hiking in again Sunday was to replenish the outhouse supplies - completely empty I noticed on Saturday. Added 1 roll TP, 1 package wipes, 1 hand sanitizer, and some feminine hygiene stuff to the tupperware container. It wouldn't hold the 2nd roll of TP that I brought so I just double-bagged that in hopes it would survive until needed. Maybe I'll check again this weekend.

Gear eval: 

• La Sportiva were fine, though not as comfy as when I first tried them on and my toes were a bit sore on Sunday from the down hill. Should try downhill again with thin socks to see if that changes things. But on Saturday, felt like my feet slipped around way too much with the thin socks.
• ZPacks Gaiters - AWESOME. Even on Sunday, with ankle socks, they stayed above the calf the entire time.
• HH Single+ - continues to be comfortable and I had a decent nap in it with just an UL inflatable pillow.
• EE Apex Enigma blue / gold - perfect for the weather on Saturday which was cloudy & spots of rain.
• Backpacks - I don't like how little structure the UL / frameless packs have. It doesn't stand up when it's on a flat surface. It's harder to pack because it flops around so much. I hate how it's right on my back which soaks up my sweat and makes me hotter, faster. And the roll-top is only useful when you've got a bunch of food that you are working through over several days - it's not like the gear itself gets smaller. 

(27 Miles) Two-night backpacking w/ Aaron: Watkins to Bradford

Aaron came along for the fun of it and it was an experience. We had to filter a lot of water, about 10 L at least, and the Sawyer filter definitely degraded. If I'm going to keep using that one I'll have to remember to bring the back flush system. This was the same route I went last year, but in opposite direction. I couldn't believe how dry the area was. We almost didn't stay over that first night, but in walking to the road to find a place with signal to call Annie, we found a couple puddles we used for the night. First night was at Parks Hollow lean-to. Second night was at Moss Hill mean to. The hike between the two was not easy! Met a few young guys hiking in the other direction, first time that ever happened to me. Then at Moss Hill, met Mark from Finger Lakes magazine, and Robin & Joy. That's pretty cool. Everyone had a tent, but Aaron was so tired and so social he didn't have enough time / energy and ended up just sleeping in the lean-to. I got a small blister on my left toe, but all in all I was good. However, I trashed my Solomon Pro Odyssey after this hike. They've been around a while and they did not feel comfortable in general. Didn't hurt, but wasn't great. Definitely learned about filtering water, and how important it was to scout the area before leaving - water was an issue that was always on my mind.