Back and Better Than Ever....

Well, a lot has gone down between now and my last post in September. For starters, I had my first backpacking experience in NY with a trip to the Catskills and the Adirondack Mountains. My guide and college buddy Adam Moorad led me to the summit of Mt. Marcy (NY's highest peak) and the summit of Slide Mountain (the highest peak in the Catskill's range). Here is a picture of the Marcy summit....



There was quite a bit of rainfall the night before we hit the Slide Mountain trail and we had to take on this precarious water crossing...

Congrats Andrew....

Take note, one of my favorite adventurers has completed an amazing journey. In March of this year Andrew Skurka set out to travel over 4700 miles by ski, foot and pack-raft in an adventure that would take him through Alaska and the Yukon. Just 6 months later he as accomplished his task ahead of schedule...



Please read Andrew's blog at National Geographic and take in his knowledge and wisdom of the wilderness, he is truly amazing...

Bartender, I'll have another...

All of you fellow backpackers can rest easy and continue carrying that extra 5-10 pounds of booze in your pack. Just tell your teetotaler friends to zip it...

A new study done by some folks at the University of Texas in Austin shows that abstaining from alcohol does tend to increase one's risk of dying, even when you exclude former problem drinkers. Even Obama has the right idea...




My theory, most drinkers have to walk home from the bar, thus getting their daily exercise and increasing their shot at a longer life. Conversely, your abstaining friend sat on the couch all night watching reruns of SportsCenter and eating Cheetos.

Thanks to this new study, join me in lowering the mortality rates one Sierra Nevada at a time...Cheers....

Clean people are better...

As my wife and I were trudging up the 4 mile trail, from Yosemite's gorgeous El Cap Meadow all the way to Glacier Point, we were cursing like sailors. "This trail is F-ing brutal" I shouted to her, just within ear shot of a couple who, in my opinion, took the easy way out by taking a shuttle to Glacier Point and hiking down. Of course, they shot me a look as if were hiking naked. Weird, I thought to myself - taking note this particular couple was very well dressed with clean combed hair and crisp tucked-in shirts. My wife and I were sweaty, dirty and looking rather worn out.

As we reached the top, after one of the most grueling uphill hikes I have done, we tossed our packs down and started to drinking from the water fountain...drinking turned to washing our hands which quickly turned into pretty much bathing. Soon I realized we have drawn quite the crowd, a few Asian tourist snapping pictures of us and a hand full of people pointing and talking under their breath.

Thanks to a new study done at Northwestern University I understand that we were being judged...clean people render harsher moral judgement than those who are dirty...

So remember, next time your on the trail, wash up or be judged as morally inferior to our clean cut day hikers...

Joshua Tree...

Earlier this year Joshua Tree National Park claimed the life of a Georgia man that had set out for Quail Mountain. SAR (search and rescue) stopped the search after 6 days. It’s so easy to get lost in the desert, one wrong turn and it’s life or death…

Those who know me are aware of the fact that I absolutely love Joshua Tree National Park. I frequent the park during the winter and spring seasons when the snow is too prevalent to do any real hiking in the Sierras.



The most recent SAR mission in Joshua Tree reminded me of my first trip to Joshua Tree with my brother-in-law in 2007. We planned on hiking a 50 mile loop from Juniper Flats over Quail Mountain, out to Black Rock Canyon then through a not so popular area of the park along the west entrance back to Juniper Flats. On paper it was a straight forward hike. We staged water in two different places and we were sticking to the trail on almost the entire trip. Quickly we realized this was not possible. We started on the very popular California Riding and Hiking Trail, we missed a turn off and it was all down hill from there….

Backpacking in the desert can be a hard task. Many of the trails are difficult to find, largely because the NPS doesn’t maintain a lot of the backpacking trails. Trails turn into washes and washes lead to dead ends…. Long story short, we became very lost. Using our skills with the map and compass we were able to move in the right general direction but we just couldn’t find the trail. We were at the point of exhaustion on day two, running low on food as the sun was fading, we had gone 15 miles already. We realized that our trip had to be aborted if we were to make it home safely. We quickly put our heads together and decided that we should find the highest peak and get a vantage point, try to determine our location and select a path. Thankfully while on that peak we spotted the distant flash of the setting sun on a car windshield and realized we were about 5 miles from a road that splits the park…that was our destination. We reached the road with no food or water and over 6 miles to hike back to Juniper Flats and our car. We were able to hitch-hike a ride with a school teacher on a rock climbing trip that was getting into the park late….

More Bears?...

Bears seem to be in the news more and more everyday. Today some crazy redneck from Cleveland will surely find himself in the middle of a lawsuit after a caged black bear on his property mauled to death a 24 year old man who was attempting to feed the animal. Go figure, the bear's owner used to offer a chance to wrestle a black bear, that was until the animal rights activist started attending the events...

In other bear-related news, a woman from Wisconsin made local headlines when she woke up to the sound of a choking black bear in her back yard. Doing what almost any sensible human would do she threw on a pair of plastic gloves and went to the bears rescue. As it turns out the mother bear, with two cubs, was choking on a dog bone. The woman managed to pull the bone from the bears throat and make it back inside as the bear collapsed exhausted...

Just a word of advise, if you see a bear with a jar on it's head, call animal control...



And if you run into a bear in the wild take this advise from a bear expert...

The coyote that cried wolf...

Imagine sleeping under the stars on a beautiful Canadian night, suddenly you wake up to a coyote chewing on your skull. You have just put yourself in the shoes of a 16 year old girl from Canada that was the victim of a brutal coyote attack...

Not long ago a 19 year old girl from Canada was brutally killed by two coyotes who attacked her in broad daylight. Two other hikers heard the screams and came running to her aid but arrived too late.

The latest research is indicating that some coyotes are breeding with wolves, creating a more aggresive coyote that apprarently loves the taste of human flesh. This little guy seemed intimidated by my presence but he's in Yosemite, hundreds of miles away from the aggressive Canadian cross-breeds...

Power Me Up...

This years Outdoor Retailer trade show brought us some cool new products. Some of the most popular items were the Black Diamond Z Pole, a three section foldable trekking pole, and the Klymit Inertia X Frame Pad...



Personally I think one of the greatest products to come from this years OR trade show was the nPower PEG. This light weight product captures and stores kinetic energy while you hike by using the up and down motion of a magnetically active mass that passes through a conductive loop. As you hike the nPower captures the energy, allowing you to charge your GPS, iPod or any other electronic device.



I will probably snag one of these before my next solo trip...you never know when the GPS will run out of power.

Bring Your Own Toilet Paper....

As the country goes through a recession more and more people are turning to the cheaper alternatives for vacations. Rather than a long weekend wine tasting and eating great (expensive) food in Napa, people are opting for state parks, where, for a small entrance fee, they can kick back and enjoy a cooler full of beer, get some exercise and camp.

In California, as a budget crisis chokes the state, these parks will soon have a new look. In an effort to cut cost and save some cash the Govenator has decided to make a few changes in addition to the nearly 50 parks that have already closed. Some of these changes include locking the restrooms, closing the campgrounds, cutting life guard services and even closing hiking trails.

Read about some specific park alterations here...

So, in the event you plan a trip to your local state park for a fun weekend getaway, bring your own toilet paper and watch this video for some pointers on using natures facilities...

August 14-15...

Get off the couch...all of the national parks will have free admission next weekend, August 14-15.

As part of an ongoing initiative to get more people into the national parks, Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar had this to say...

“This fee-free weekend provides an opportunity for individuals and families alike to take an affordable vacation or to explore a nearby park they have never visited before. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free admission to visit not only our greatest natural wonders but also our nation’s historic and cultural icons.”

I say...get off your ass, this is what you're missing....

127 hrs...

Unless you've been hiding under a rock (no pun intended) you must know about Aron Ralston, the Colorado resident who was forced to amputate his own arm after being trapped under a boulder, deep in a remote slot canyon near Moab, Utah.

I picked up his book several years ago during a binge reading session of adventure books. If you have read any adventure books you know, the best books are finished in under a week....I finished Aron's book in 3 days.

I don't know about you, but I'm pumped to see Danny Boyle's new movie, 127 Hours, which is the motion picture based on Ralston's story of survival.



Do yourself a favor.....read the book, watch the movie when it comes out in November of this year and be amazed at Aron's incredible story.

Bears will be Bears...

Can't help but notice all of the bear activity going on the last few weeks. In Denali this past weekend a hiker pulled out a .45 caliber pistol, which is legal to carry now thanks to new gun laws in national parks, and fired 7-9 rounds into an oncoming grizzly. The grizzly came out on the losing end of this battle but in Yellowstone a few days ago a man was killed in what seems to be a predatory bear attack while two other people were seriously injured, presumably by the same bear.

Apparently bears are also skilled in stealing cars...

And just the other day, in Glacier National Park, our good friend Jack Hanna had a close run in with a grizzly. Jack, being the wildlife expert he is, pulled out the pepper spray a fired a few shots into the face of the agitated bear. The bear retreated and here is what Jack had to say about the whole situation...

When the Lightning Strikes...

More deaths are caused by lightning in a year than floods, hurricanes and tornadoes...

We were faced with some unpredictable weather this past weekend while hiking in the eastern Sierra Nevada. This area seems to be the meeting place for very warm air coming from the the nearby desert to the east and cool air arriving from the west coast. This can be a recipe for disaster....

After a quick 20 minute hail storm we decided to press on to LaSalle Lake, a small body of water just below Feather Peak Pass around 11,500 feet. Knowing that we were very exposed to the weather, should it rear it's ugly head, we decided to press on anyway. And the lightning, thunder, rain and hail decided to press on as well, in our general direction. We took shelter next to a rock and hoped for the best. This is where we were...


and this is what you should do to avoid looking like these cows that decided to huddle together against a barbed wire fence during a storm.....

Eastern Sierras...

This weekend I'll be hitting the trail pretty hard with my first opportunity to get into the high country and see some expansive granite. We will be starting our hike out of North Lake and continuing over Piute Pass into Humphreys Basin. 28+ miles later we will exit over Italy pass, through Granite Park and back to the car via Pine Creek. Here is a rough draft of the hike...


I'm pretty excited to hit a portion of the High Sierra Route, a 195 mile cross country route that flows through some of the sierra nevada's most pristine and less-populated mountains, hanging just above the treeline. The route was developed by Steve Roper who published a book of the trip, a book that I have had my nose buried in for the last few nights....

One of my favorite adventurers to follow right now (and for the last few years) has been Andrew Skurka. Andrew caught my eye several years ago when I heard about this crazy guy that was hiking a "Sea-to-Sea" route, a trip that included nearly 7,800 miles of travel. Back in 08' Andrew hiked the entire SHR and even had the senses to take down a cold one at the end...we all know that's the best way to re-hydrate...

50-50-50...

If you haven't already heard about this kid you should put down the t.v remote and google him right now...

Today, 11 year old Matt Moniz should be wrapping up his adventure of 50 peaks in 50 days in 50 states. If you ask me, I think this is an incredible accomplishment. He already has the biggest peaks under his belt (Denali, Whitney etc) and is in route to Hawaii to bag the 13,796ft Mauna Kea. Obviously he will go into the guiness book of world records as the youngest person to accomplish such a task, but this kid is amazing.

Matt took down Mt. Ranier (Washington's Highest Peak) and was back at his hotel room in Seattle eating pizza the same night. If you're not convinced of his skills you should reconsider that thought...he has also taken down some of the highest points in Europe and Africa.

This gets us into the debate about young children risking their lives on dangerous mountains and how stupid their parents are for putting their child in harms way. If you align your thoughts with the previous statement...please exit my blog (on second thought just keep reading, I don't have many followers). But seriously, given the correct resources and a good team these kids are no more at risk than riding in a car on the freeway.

Not that long ago Jordan Romero of Big Bear, CA climbed Everest at the age of 13. I followed him, almost religiously, on Facebook and his website to check on his progress and see if he could set the new record for youngest to summit. It's amazing how many parents were on the news bad mouthing Jordan's father and setp-mother (both of whom summited with Jordan). Sure he was putting himself in harms way, but with the training this kid had under his belt he was light years ahead, in terms of conditioning, than half the people that attempt to summit the worlds highest peak. Danger is realtive to preperation and experience, Jordan and Matt both prove that to be true...

Wickiup...

On my most recent trip to the Sierra Nevada's I had my first ever 'harvest moon' hiking experience. We were able to enjoy some of the most amazing parts of Yosemite National Park with zero crowds, no heat and the most beautiful glowing granite I have ever seen.

I found myself incredibly attentive to my surroundings, bordering paranoia, and turning my head to the slightest sounds. As I was traversing a fairly popular trail I found myself using the headlamp to light the trail. Hearing the flow of water I shine the headlamp toward the whisper of the rapids only to find this.....

We opted for the tent, but some poor soul spent quite a long time building a wickiup tipi, a traditional Native American shelter used mostly by Indians in the American Southwest.

Watch a crazy Brit build one here...

Fill it up again...

Very interesting study by a professor at Granada University in Spain showing the effects of drinking beer vs. water after long workouts....

Re-hydrate your brain here...

I have been known to let a few cold ones chill in the waters of the Merced in the Yosemite Valley after a long hike. I also suggest hitting the Joshua Tree Saloon after a long hike in the desert heat. I recommend the 'Miner's Milk', a homemade recipe by the saloon owners and brewed by the Firestone Brewing Company. Unbeknown to me, I was re-hydrating at a better rate than all those fools at the water fountain....



Ohh yeah....the mineshaft burger is pretty solid too, only when washed down with a few miners milks, to re-hydrate of course.

Maiden Voyage...

After endless days of commuting on the traffic ladened freeway to a stale and stuffy office, there is a great urge to backpack into the mountains and build a fire.

I stare at my pictures of the Sierra Nevadas, Joshua Tree, Sedona and other natural wonders that consume my thoughts on a daily basis. I constantly plan backpacking trips in my mind only to be interrupted by a ringing phone or the vexatious ding of another email arriving to my inbox.

Going forward, I will share my adventures, both actual and imaginary, for anyone to see....


If you were curious about the name, cairns (like the one above) are often used to mark trails. There have been many times where a cairn has guided me in the right direction and kept me hiking....just as I hope this blog will do.