Did you end up going?

Don't know how I missed this. Thanks! Definite potentially weird conditions, but if I can backpack later into the season here, I will!

KDE user here as well. Currently on fedora, but might go back to debian or some kind of *buntu. I've tried arch-based distros in the past but it's hard to break old habits, lol.

Thanks. I believe the salamanders burrow under mud and go into a sort of torpor. There are a ton of meadows and marshes. It seems like the area supports a large variety of wildlife.

My SO read about the wolf sighting. We weren't too far from Wyoming, which could explain it. I'm not sure of they've done it yet, but the state was planning on releasing some wolves as well.

Sad to hear about the fire but it’s all too common.

Yes, definitely. UC Boulder did a study and found that 84% of wildfires are human-caused. Nuts.

Definitely will do. Reading some trip reports and a cup of tea sound perfect right now.

Edit: That instance name is hilarious. TIL there are other Linux user/backpackers out there, huh

Got out for a few days. Originally planned for 4 days, but Monday's weather was nasty and Friday was supposed to get snow and 50 mph winds, so we cut out part of the route and did 3. We got snowed/sleeted on the first night and woke to a completely glazed over tent. Super fun to clean up before packing up.

The rest of the trip was mostly uneventful beside winds picking up as the trip went on. We saw plenty of wildlife. Moose, elk, owls, bats, pika, a salamander. Someone supposedly saw a wolf there recently. Below is a very fresh mtn goat kill we found up on the ridge line.

We didn't see more than a few people the whole time, but that didn't keep us from having to put out someone's still very alive bed of coals at their campsite. They could've easily taken the 5 minutes to do it as they were less than 100 feet from water. Extremely annoying.

Good trip otherwise. The fall colors were really starting to pop.

Cool, report. Very well written. I enjoyed this thoroughly. Not sure if you were keeping a journal or just wrote it that way, but it's narratively effective.

One could be bummed about having to bail due to weather, but you made the right decision in the moment. And it doesn't sound like a wasted trip at all. You saw some cool stuff, met cool people, got to hang out in/around SLC and got more hiking in where you could.

I know there wasn't much time, but are there any changes you made to your setup you were happy with or things you would've done differently in retrospect?

I definitely need to do some hiking in Idaho. The Sawtooths are there, correct?

The sound is really nice in this one. Headphones recommended!

Also, John Kricfalusi 2.0.

New John Zahorian video: hiking across oregon on the PCT [no music] [2023]

Sucks the rain/snow came in so hard for your trip. The landscapes in the Uintas are so cool. I do want to get there some time soon. We had an experience like that a couple years ago where rain/snow came in a day earlier than the forecast said and had to turn a loop into an out-and-back. It rained on us for two days straight, our gear wetted out and we got to the brink of hypothermia.

We're expecting snow this week, but I'm not sure how much, so it might not mean anything for the remainder of the season. We might be able to still go to high elevation spots. If the high country is too snowy, we go to lower elevation mountains or maybe high plains canyons.

It's in the Collegiates.

Last week we went out for a few days. I injured my toe a couple days before it so we kept things low key. Managed to get some decent views in either way:

We're seeing the first snows in CO. Trying to plan something this week, but have to figure out where we can go.

P.S. Post some pics when you get a chance!

Potentially. You could engineer potatoes to produce more of certain starches and less moisture, so it would fry up crispier than normal.

I'll probably be up in the high country again in a few days. I can give you an update after that regarding bugs. I will say that every trip I've done this summer there have been mosquitoes, but the last one a week ago wasn't as bad and I assume it'll continue going that way.

As you know, pretty much all of that route is above treeline. It's been a weird season for weather and conditions can be unpredictable anyway. We're currently having stormy weather up in the mountains. Main thing is familiarizing yourself with the route, finding potential bail points, planning days with afternoon storms in mind, etc.

You may be able to get some cell reception up there and check the weather. I like the app with NOAA reports since you can pinpoint your location in the mountains. It's usually pretty reliable.

I'll definitely consider it, if I have the time of course. Gear analysis, etc, is definitely fun, but the point in all off this is getting out in woods after all. Seeing others' pics of cool places they've been is far more interesting to me.

That makes sense. My mom has been offering to teach me, so I definitely should.

I eventually want to make an FKT-style quilt for summer, that's maybe rated 50* with a 30* footbox. Something light that I could stretch slightly lower by layering clothes.

I've been cooking in my 20* quilt this summer.

Oops, I meant Granite Gear in this context, although I have referred to Gossamer Gear as GG previously when talking about my solo pack. Granite Gear packs are easy to find cheap.

It's way cooler that you sewed your own pack. That's a skill I've been meaning to pick up forever.

That is a good deal. I use a GG pack for 2 person trips and they're hard to beat, especially since you can find them on sale a lot of the time.

That is indeed a Motrail. It's the lightest 2 person tent I have. Not as much room as the one I normally use (lunar duo), but lighter for sure.

We got rained on a little bit everyday, but lucked out overall. We rushed down from 13,500-ish because clouds were building, but it didn't start raining till we were back on trail.

Got out again for a few days. Made a loop by connecting trails via a cross-country hike and a tiny bit of class 3. As always, just another excuse to get above 13,000' and eat candy.

No.

No problem. I doubt I added much of anything useful. Glad someone that just hiked it chimed in with some trail beta.

rain skirt

I love mine. I don't use it much, but the times I've needed it it helped a lot.

stove

I get the inner debate. When I'm by myself the simplicity of no cook is amazing, but a hot drink on a chilly morning is also pretty unbeatable. I'm sure you can get fuel in town before you start, but it'll definitely add to the hassle.

bear bag

It sounds like people don't see many bears higher up, so you'll probably be okay. I've heard you have to watch out for mice wanting to get in your stuff. Do you use a 'scent proof' bag?

bidet

Coming from the food industry where clean hands are paramount, for whatever reason I can't get over the idea myself. It's all up to personal preference, though, obviously.

I think you'll have am amazing trip. I definitely want to do it soon. All the pics I've seen look fantastic.

Finally had chance to look at it. Not a lot to add really.

Clothing/layers are minimal, but should be fine since you'll be in your quilt during the coldest part of the night. And I assume you'll be moving most of the daylight hours. Do the wind pants add much warmth and can you sleep in them?

Looks like you're going no cook/no cold soak?

Nothing for foot care or blister prevention? I keep a few square of leukotape on release paper for this purpose. I mostly need it for off-trail hikes where I get more side to side movement and friction on my heels, but I like having it anyway in case I get a hot spot.

How are you hanging your bear bag? I don't think canisters are required, but I'm not sure what the regulations there are exactly.

I see no TP, etc. Doing the Skurka-style bidet?

Like I said, not a ton to add. That's a tight system. Very efficient, no excess. Overall, it seems like you have a lot of experience with long distance hikes and know what works, what doesn't and what you can handle.

Good, thoroughly writ gear list. Cool to see all the myog stuff. I'll take a better look once I'm done with work later tonight.

So, 20-25 miles a day? Pretty good.

It's funny how mountain weather works. We've had snow at the end of August or, like last year, we were sleeping at 12,000' mid-October.

You'll probably be on trail about a week, I'd imagine?

That's right! We discussed it a little bit ago. It's definitely on my bucket list.

You're probably just about to leave.

Weather's been a little wet, which, along with the melt from the snowpack, has been good for wildflowers.

I tend to just look at maps for off-trail options. Caltopo with 'slope angle shading' turned on helps a lot. The hike was tough, pretty much 1000'/mile up and down, with tons of deadfall everywhere. But it was nice having the place to ourselves, especially on a weekend here.

Ah, good eye on the trekking poles.

We cook when we're together. I make my own "add hot water" meals and use a small cook kit for both of us.

When I'm alone I go "no cook": stuff like bars, nuts, fruit, fritos, jerky, etc. I enjoy the simplicity of it.

"I just hold it."

Whereabouts are you planning?

Is this a good place for trip photos?

This past week we did a bushwhack hike that lead us to an off-trail lake, from which we hiked over a pass to other off-trail lakes. The quietude and isolation were really nice.

We're planning to go out again this week. Not sure where yet. We'll have to see where it won't be raining.

Thoughtful response and good points/questions! We'd seen some gear lists, but I realized we hadn't seen any shakedowns yet. Figured I'd throw in.

What do you use the “longie” shirt for?

Longies=long johns. Some times I forget that not everyone calls 'em that. It's either a construction work or St Louis thing or combination thereof. My whole family calls 'em 'longies' though.

Swap the ridgerest for 6 panels of z-lite (-2.5 oz) Decathlon sells 12 panels for $35, that’s 2 sleeping pads. It’ll probably pack better too – how do pack the ridgerest now, roll it inside your pack?

It'll roll up inside the pack, but I also sewed a strap onto the Gorilla that goes over the top that holds it in place well. I do have a cut-down Decathlon .3 inch thick pad that weighs 132g that I'm too much of a coward to actually use.

Get lighter groundsheet (-2 oz) $12 I believe there are different weights of polycro. I cut my 1.6 oz groundsheet from Duck window wrap from Home Depot

Yeah, mine is scrap from one I cut for my 2p tent. One thing I forgot about was: Last solo trip (90% of the time I'm backpacking with my SO) I ditched the ground sheet and used a space blanket I keep in the ditty. I'll edit to reflect this since I'll probably continue to do so.

Repack hand sani into smaller bottle (-1 oz)

Not a terrible idea, especially for shorter trips.

Itemize your ditty

Ditty contains FAK, repair kit, flashlight, power bank, etc. I can definitely itemize. I do carry a slightly more robust FAK since I tend to do a lot of off-trail, high elevation routes, and help would be much further out than if I was on trail.

Phone’s not worn

Done.

Include your typical worn, since it influences carried clothing

I added them to the bottom of the 'Worn' section. No weights yet, but you'll get the idea.

Lol, I suppose because it changes from trip to trip (depending on length) and it's a consumable. I could weigh out an overnighter's worth?

Fun watch. And I thought I ate a lot of candy.

Even if John Z is going around burning down orphanages, I think he cut ties with Palante at least a couple years ago. Consider your conscience clean.

I have two printers a HL-L2350DW b&w laser printer and a label printer. The laser printer is connected to our wifi and is detected in Fedora and Ubuntu without having to install additional drivers.

Maybe that's one of the features you can enable.