Done For the Year

Well, football season is upon us, which means my Saturdays will be taken helping coach my son's team. Then comes hunting season, so I'll be in the field most Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Managed eight backpacking trips this year -- seven weekenders and my eight-day foray into the High Uintas -- about 200 miles and 22 "bag nights" in the wilderness. How has everyone else fared this season?

Still counting. Although over the years I have bped every month of the year here in the Sierra, this year I plan on bping every month straight. Just did five nights in the back country of Alaska into Wrangell-St. Elias Nat'l Park. Had a bush pilot fly six of us in by the Jacksina Glacier area.

Just finished 2 months in the Wind Rivers. Not done - just moving back to backpack in the Sierra. Good season. Living 2 months out of my car was also an experience - could not have done it without public libraries (W-Fi), laundromats, town parks, public swimming pools (cheap showers) and an understanding family and friends. Did not stay in a motel an single night! Only paid for a campground 3 nights. Mostly camped on free Forest Service "dispersed" camp sites. Also spent a few nights visiting friends.

I have done less well, with two trips across the pond to europe in the summer, combined with myself and my neighbor pouring two garage pads and building two garages (not yet finished the second) I've only managed 6 bag-nights afield so far this year. I have plans for 4 more soon. I've done a number of dayhikes (ireland and switzerland) so I feel somewhat ok about it though. I'll probably have some nights afield in moose season and then probably some chilly stuff once the snow flies in earnest.

You had a good year.

4 nights on the ground in the Grand Canyon, and 6 more in December.

5 nights in the hammock with 4 more planned.

I put out the controls for one orienteering meet and picked up the controls at another.

For a change of pace I got a season rafting pass and did 5 day trips. 2 Class IV.

I try for between 20 and 30 bag nights a year. With the rafting I may need a couple of quick overnighters to get in my goal range.

My season goes year round. I'm already looking forward to strapping on the skis and doing some snow camping. Bring on the El Nino!!!

Cooler temps mean some desert fun too.

I feel your pain. I've only done 4 nights, so far; another 3 planned 2-night weekend trips got aborted (weather, other commitments, too much time traveling on business, golf dates, etc.) and became long day hikes, instead.

One last hurrah: 4 nights on the AT late next week, in the Grayson Highlands.

Maybe sneak another weekend later this fall.

same here. I love the different seasons. The fall is my favorite.

Oh I don't feel too bad about it, I've still had some good trips, and will have some more.

I'm incredibly jealous of daisy's trip of course... oh but for having these things called work and family... But I know this and am content to be mostly a "weekend warrior".

On the plus side my wife had such a good time going up mount Torc in ireland that she's now dayhiked a couple of easy mountains with me (Sulpher Ridge here, and Mount Riggi when we were in Switzerland) so frankly, I'm loving that, even if it doesnt' count as "nights out". Previously she's never been willing to hike or backpack with me in 20 years of marriage. So I am definately content to trade off a few weekenders solo for a dayhike on saturday with my sweetie.

Trailrunner

I agree, all year fun

If I have a bad summer, and I did, I can look forwards to many winter camping trips on skis to make up for it. Skis are easier on my knes than hiking or snowshoes.
Jim

I know what you mean - occasionally, my wife will take a spring or fall dayhike in easy terrain, but no overnight camping, even in a campground. (So far, anyhow - the granddaughters are starting to ask when they can go camping, and where they go, grandma goes.)

She has gone with me on two backpacks: her first and last. It was at the urging of a girl friend (?), and against my advice - I knew the group had too many hidden agendas going on, and it wouldn't be an easy, relaxed beginner trip. I was right; the second (and last) morning, I was awakended by a nudge in the ribs and the words, "Get me the hell out of here."

With the start fo the school year my opportunities for backpacking take a precipitious plunge to zero or near-zero. However, my summers are as full as I can make them.

For backpacking, this summer I did a three-nighter, a four-nighter, a six-nighter, and a two nighter, for a total of 15 nights out on the trail. I covered about 150 trail miles.

I also did a total of 20 nights car camping with my wife. This included a visit to the Sierras for the first time, including my first time in Yosemite NP.

Toss in a few more day hikes and it was a good summer indeed!

Aimless, my summer is just the opposite. It's too dang hot to do much of anything around here and I'm too broke to go someplace cool.
We did manage to get a storage shed built without having heat stroke!

However, I did help get a crew ready for a 10 day bp trip to northern NM (Philmont Scout Ranch) and my son spent 10 days canoeing in the BWCA of Minnesota/Canada. So, I guess you could say I did my hiking vicariously.

I am so glad that fall is here. Our night time temps have finally gotten below 70F this week and our day time temps are in lower 90'sF. We'll be going out somewhere local the 3rd or 4th weekend in September. Just not sure where yet. I can't wait to hang in my hammock.

Woohooo!!!

I usually make it out a weekend a month, this year because of finances I'v only made it out on 4 overnights and have cancelled 2 multiday trips.
It looks now like I'm going to be able to do a 70mile hike on the Massanutten trail the end of this month, probably 5days and this winter I plan on trying my hand at snowshoeing. I normally winter camp but go where theres little snow, will try some snow this year!

Family commitments don't allow for much more than long weekend trips these days. 3 days in CT, 3 days in MA, 6 days in NH and 3 days in ME. Heading back to NH for another long weekend and probably up to VT when the snow arrives. Decent summer

1 night with my son in April
1 night with my daughter in May
3 nights with my family in June
3 hammock nights with my son on the Superior Hiking trail in August
2 more night coming up with my family.
I had to cancel on trip in June and backed out of a trip in February because I was too sick. I may possibly get 1 or 2 more nights in but that will be it. Not as much as I want, but I realize it is not too bad when I have to work every weekend and have a family with two kids.

Phat- when you get as old as I am you can do more backpacking! Get the kids grown and on their own, stay out of big debt, retire, stay in shape. That old saying, "when you have the money you do not have the time and when you have time you do not have the money" is so true! Thank goodness that once we have our equipment, backpacking is a relatively cheap activitiy. I spend about $1000(mostly gas and food)for the entire summer's backpacking. And food really is not an additional expense - you would have to eat if you stayed home. What I avoid like the plague are motels and resturant meals.

Oct-Mar are the best months here to get out in the forests. I've probably only spent 3-4 nights out so far this year.

But I've spent a lot of time in the forests near home this year. Many nights I didn't get home `til after midnight. I did a lot of wondering around at night in the hills and hollows near home up until early June. LED headlamps and flashlights have really made this more fun.

And I went to Mexico and got to hike around Uxmal and some other cool Pyramids.

I'm planning on spending another 3-4 nights in the Leatherwood Wilderness in Arkansas in late Oct. I'll do some hiking down in the Leatherwood Creek bed this time.

In fact, I just bought the boat I'll be taking up the Buffalo River to the mouth of the creek. It's an old 12 ft Starcraft aluminum V-hull with a 8 hp Merc on it. I'll tie it up somewhere on the bank and hike up the creek bed and around in it's hollows.

I'm really excited about this trip. I don't know anyone that has tried this here before. I'm sure that hunters and fishermen have traveled upstream by boat, but darn few have ever ventured off very far into the forest and even less have spent a few nights in there. Almost no one "Hikes" or "Backpacks" in there.

I suppose it's because there are no trails there. You can't do it in the Summer, too hot, too buggy, to thick. From Fall to early Spring the days are short and you can't get very far into the forest without risking nightfall comes before you get out. Even spending a night or two doesn't get you far if you enter from above the River.

I'll be taking the boat there next week or so to scout the river and see how far I can get up it. It will be just a day trip, so no bag time there either.

Bill

If it would quit raining I'd go finish replacing the transom on that old boat instead of blabbering on here

When the mountains are snowed in for the winter we head to the desert! Can't stop outdoor sports in Southern California!

Not a great year for me. We had a lot of forest fires here in BC. Back country travel was discouraged. However, I did do a number of short day hikes. On the plus side though, my new puppy Rebel is shaping up into a good hiking dog, and he swims like no tomorrow. I never before saw a dog go out and swim in circles just for the fun of it. I can hardly wait until next spring and summer. I may still do some hikes around here if I can find the time.

Howie

Wow, amazing.

Here is a bit more detail on my summer in Wyoming:

Trip 1, Bonneville Basin, 5 days, 45 miles, +6760 elevation
Trip 2, Little Sandy, 4.5 days, 28 miles (sprained ankle),+4180 elev.
Trip 3, Atlantic Canyon, 3 days, 20 miles, +3,230 elev
Trip 4, Upper Sweetwater, 2.5 days, 23 miles, +5,060 elev
Trip 5, Upper Grave Creek Lakes, 6 days, 53 miles, +10,900
Trip 6, WR Indian Reservation, 11 days, 65 miles, +13,850
Trip 7, day hike to Leg Lake, 10 miles + 2,080
Trip 8, N Fork Bull Lake Creek from Elkhart, 11 days (one day of zero miles sitting out a storm), 92 miles, +19,540
Trip 9, Hidden Lakes from New Fork, 5 days, 38 miles, +6,600 elev

In all, 50 days on the trail out of 57 days in Wyoming.
I had pre-packed all my food and had plenty of clothing options so did not have to spend a lot of time between trips preparing. I actually spent most of my off-time visiting friends, writing up my field notes and driving to trailheads. I can only praise public libraries, city parks, swimming pools and grocery delis that provided needed essentials - WiFi, plug-ins to recharge batteries, cheap lunch and a shower. I never got very good at living out of my car (Toyota Corolla wagon) - things seemed to get very chaotic quickly. I can certainly see why people who do road trips use a RV. My worries about frying my computer in the heat of my car was unfounded - it did just fine. I stored my backpack food in two coolers and put them in friend's basements. This gave me a little more room in my car too.

On the whole I accomplished my goals, but dropped three trips -one because a 4wd was required to get to the trailhead, and the other two because they were a bit too dangerous to do solo (technical terraine and grizzly bears). One problem I seemed to have is that weather forced me to change routes while in the mountains, and I did not always have the proper maps with me so I had to wing it from memory a few times. I know the area well, so this was not too difficult, but a map would have reduced the anxiety levels.

I am not done for the year, but my poor knees need a rest so I am resting for a few weeks. And I am really appreciating my comfy bed and hot shower! Not so keen on the noise, pollution and chores of civilization. Nothing is really simpler than backpacking. No bathroom to clean!