New Year – New Plans!

As the 2017 year comes to a close, and we are full on into the dead of winter, I feel it is time to reflect on a few things, and maybe check in and see what we have in store for 2018. Do you ever stop and think “Holy Crap, its 2018… Y2K was 18 years ago!!??” I do 😛

So… what have I been up to while we wait for hiking season to begin again? Well my last hike was around the Thanksgiving weekend (the Canadian one, late October), we were graced with about 8″ of snow while camping. Our plans to summit Mt John Carter were squashed, so move that adventure to next year’s bucket list. This is the photo when we first arrived at our tent pad in Kokanee Glacier Park. We still had a fun time in the snow; it’s always fun to do some colder weather camping!

We also managed to do some nice local day hikes, as the shoulder season was upon us.

But now, as temperatures are commonly hitting around 1°F/-17°C over the various mountain passes, it’s ski season! I picked up a pair of on-piste ski’s and boots for $50 in the classifieds – perfectly fine shape to learn on! Me, enjoying some time on the hill:

Looking into the new year, I have a few big plans in the works. I’m going to try my hand at getting a Wonderland Trail Permit for later in the summer/early fall. Also, I am looking at hiking the Chilkoot Trail in three days in late summer. This trail connects Skagway, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. I have already scheduled one half-marathon for the end of May, and probably will do another one later in the summer, as well as a 10K trail run. I look forward to providing posts surrounding planning to the bigger hikes.

In the gear front, I have gotten some pretty awesome stuff over the past month! I cannot *wait* to have a few nights in my new tent to review the Six Moon Design Lunar Solo – this tent will be my first single wall and the price point is really decent!

I also bit the bullet and just ordered an Enlightened Equipment Enigma Quilt for 0F (I had a -20F bag, and a 20F bag – felt I was missing that middle range). This bag is my first quilt ever and I look forward to reviewing it after several nights.

Happy New Year and Happy Hiking!

Let me know what you have planned for 2018!

December 27, 2017 0

Review – GooseFeet Gear Balaclava and Booties

Love love love! If I had to write three words to describe this purchase. If I had to choose only one, down booties easily! The feeling of slipping into a pair of down booties after wiping my feet with a wet wipe and feeling the very soft shell on them after a long day’s hike was just exceptional. Eleven days in the high sierra and they are now a valuable part of my regular cold weather gear packing list!

The booties: I purchased here

I went with 100% overfill and a bright purple colour to find them easily in my pack. They have an elastic around the ankle and feel thin but silky soft and comfortable.

They weigh a measily 2.68oz (76g) and compress to almost nothing.

The balaclava weighs 1.97 (56g) – I really like it as well, especially if you sleep with a quilt or a bag that is not a full mummy bag. Those cold mornings you can cinch it real tight when you are getting ready. Definitely not a fashion piece but is super warm!

Here is a silly picture from when they first arrived to my house… I cinched the drawstring up real tight and was channeling my inner Kenny from South Park 🙂

October 24, 2017 1

Gear List 1.0 – The Big Three

The big three. Pack, Shelter, Sleeping Bag. The evolution of how these items change is, in my experience, due to uncomfortable trips.

I used to have this Kelty synthetic sleeping bag, however I froze my ass off in New Zealand during December 2014 when it snowed on us in the mountains. First thing I did was sell it on Gear Trade (great site if you are in the U.S, unfortunately after moving back to Canada I don’t get the luxury of this site).

I researched and researched and went with a 20 degree ZPack bag I am fairly happy with this bag, though I wish I did the 10 degree version. I also found a 0 degree REI bag on craigslist that had been used once for 100 dollars. I haven’t actually used it yet as my 20F was fine for Rainier and Peru, however I did give it to my husband once when we went camping and he died of over heating 🙂 but I digress. The ZPack’s bag is super light and fits so small. I will do a full review on it soon.

My first tent that wasn’t a piece of crap Canadian Tire monster car camping tent was a four season Terra Nova I got on Craigslist for 100 dollars. It has an issue where the inside of the fly sticks to itself and you have to gently peel it open for it to be spread out, but other then that, the price was a steal. I am in love with free standing tents at this point in my backpacking adventures. I know one day I will get a solo ultra light tent but currently free standing is my luxury, as I don’t have the extra cash for a super duper tent.

I sometimes backpack with friends that visit, as I live in the mountains, so I went with the MSR Hubba Hubba NX. I was really on the fence between it and the Big Agnes Copper Creek UL2 but in the store I made a snap judgement by the feel of the MSR material, it just felt stronger and more durable. I liked the two doors/vestibules and room to store my gear inside.

Packs – At one point I had 5 packs. I have recently downsized that list. A Deuter 35L, Deuter ACT 65+10 and a ULA Circuit pack. The ULA is by far my favourite of the three, and I will do a review of it at a later time. Shaving off the weight, and looking super rad!

June 29, 2017 0

Well that is out – where to go next?

PCT Section, OCT, Timberline Trail, JMT, WHW, TCT, WCT – alphabet soup! I have read so much information on each of these treks some of it starts to mix together. They are all on my bucket list to complete. I wanted to pick something that would be personally challenging, not too difficult to get a permit, and fairly safe/easy access.

Time of year. I got two weeks to play with in September, this limits some of the hikes

Pacific Crest Trail section – I was looking at doing some of the sections in Washington. One was to hike towards the Canadian border then start heading SOBO. Two reasons this seemed like a good idea – 1) my husband could drop me off and pick me up 2) If I ever wanted to section the whole thing, that one is kind of a pain to start. I chose against this route though as it would be later in the season, and I wanted a loop if possible. I was also looking at Section J in WA but some logistics with rides was daunting and I knew my husband did not want to drive 8 hours just to drop me off.

Oregon Coast Trail and West Coast Trail – I decided I felt I was more longing for a mountain trek and wanted to stay away from the coast. September can bring more rain, and being on the coast was not what I had in mind.

West Highland Way – Is definitely on my short list of treks to do, but the urge to keep air fare low, and there is so much to do on this continent. Adding it to the bucket list though!

Teton Crest Trail – This one is also on my short list! I believe I passed on this one just purely due to accessibility and I will be honest I wouldn’t be able to tell you where Wyoming was without looking at a map. I hope as I learn and grow as a backpacker that this is one I will be able to one day see!

John Muir Trail – After going through permit anxiety, I did not want to deal with that all over again. Such a high snow year in the Sierra I knew that there would be more pressure on late season permits. Yes there are always walkups however I don’t like the idea of buying a plane ticket and not knowing if I will be able to do the hike (see my post about permits :P). While looking at options in this area around the JMT I stumbled on this beauty of hike:

Big Seki Loop – this trek is around 155 miles and is a full loop, no need for pesky drop off/pick up shenanigans! Permit system is easy, and a chunk of the route is on the JMT! I was sold!

June 29, 2017 0