Photos of the Hike!

Oak Forests
Waiting at the gate

Another amazing view

Heading out for a beautiful day of hiking

Backpacking in style!

We had our first practice hike as a group last weekend and what a success! Mary was an amazing guide and very gracious host for the hike. There were twelve hikers for the weekend and we set off at about 10 on Saturday morning. The weather could not have been more perfect- not too hot with an incredible cerulean sky. We hike up to Mary's house to feed the baby pig and a lamb, not to mention a warm welcome from her husband, Chris (who drove 10 gallons of water and a couple bottles of wine up the the cabin) and their very large dogs, goats and other large animals. We made it up to the cabin which rested on a hill at about 1600 feet, with plenty of time to enjoy the view of the Bay and rolling hills. The evening ended with a visit to the neighbor, who had a house down the hill with a wonderfully landscaped yard (think Sunset magazine centerfold). Our morning was relaxed for I think everyone was a bit groggy from a long night of doggy cacophony- I tried to remember that they were just doing their jobs and kept the racoons (maybe mountain lions!!!) away. We meandered back down the hill and had a lazy lunch under the 'sister' Buckeye trees before heading back to the cars.

It was a excellent opportunity to compare gear (there must have been 7 camp stoves on the table at dinner!)and talk meals with everyone. As the big hike nears, I know that there will be plenty of questions about efficent and light meals. I think that the biggest comment of the weekend was how to get everything you need in a pack without all of the weight. That is the question!

More thoughts on that later...

Keep it Green and Muddy!

First Backpacking of the Season...don't forget your raingear!

Back from our adventure in sunny Southern California and as you can see by the video we did not get in as many days of hiking as we had planned. The terrain in that part of the of the high desert is simply amazing and even more amazing to see a Yucca completely covered in ice. It was as if all of the flora had been dipped in water and stuck in a giant freezer. Our first day in was a short and sweet 4.5 miles to this amazing cedar grove with a nice little spring. But that night someone turned on the shower (a cold one) and the hail started at about midnight. My new tent was a real work horse and we stayed dry and warm all night, even considered waiting out the storm but I began to envision a warm breakfast and a hot cup of coffee... The pix is our trudge out of the mt. that morning. Despite the brutal winds and ice the scenery was amazing and I can't wait to get out for a few more days on the next trip in a couple of weeks.

Speaking of hiking... we are getting closer to the Sonoma hike on the 24th and 25th of this month. I will get a topo to send out to folks in the next week and we can talk about the route on the morning of the hike. We may have up to 12 or so people for this adventure. If we have not confirmed your desire to go on the hike, just drop me a note or comment and I will include you on the list of backpackers! There is some extra gear (ie.g., tents, stoves, backpacks and bags) around, so if you do not have all of the equipment that you need- not to worry, just let me know what you are in need of and we can try to fill it.

I will have the details of the hike soon but just think of an earlyish Sat. start ( I know that some folks are going to be driving a ways to get to Napa {Mary's house} so I will take that into account :))

Keep it Green and Muddy!

Spring Break

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will fall off like autumn leaves." -John Muir

Just a little inspiration as I prepare for a few days of hiking in the desert next week during Spring Break. It is really amazing to think of John Muir, 100 years ago, trekking over 10,000 foot passes with some biscuits and his wool coat. I am sure he also like to tell a tale or two to keep his readers in suspense (like the story of surviving a blizzard by hiding out in a hot spring...). It does put into perspective the idea of what one really need to survive comfortably in the wild. With that in mind, tomorrow I will dust off all of my old gear and pack for three days of backpacking at Mt. San Jacinto. There is still plenty of snow at the top of the mountain (13-15 feet of snow at the apex of approx 10, 000 ft)but the ranger I talked to yesterday seemed to think that we should find reasonable hiking and camping at a lower elevation. It may be three day of post-holing in the snow (or more like one day!) but it will be great to get out there and have 'get the good tidings of the mountains...'

For those who are interested in the up and coming hikes (2 days/one night) in Sonoma and Pt Reyes, would you please drop me a line, comment or email to let me know if you are going on both or just one of the weekends. The dates are on the schedule page of the Trek for a Cure website and also on the blog archives. That would be great!

Keep it Green and Muddy!!

More ruminating about gear... tents!

I have been really rethinking my Mountain Hardware Hammerhead tent. I have used this tent for quite a few years and have loved all of the bells and whistles that this tent has to offer. Two huge vestibles for starters- my original thought was to be able to break down my mountain bike and slip it under a vestible if needed (this was on a road trip to Canada a few years ago). The tent also has the most magnificent star viewing capabilities, I can unzip the ceiling of the tent (sans fly) to look at the stars, and on and on... I love this tent (except the condensation-ugh!). But it is a 7lb beast with the footprint, too heavy!!

I just found a great new possibility without the big bucks (still, not cheap tho)- it is the Vapor Light 2 by Sierra Designs. For 299.00 dollars and 3lbs 4ozs, it has it all! All the reviews I have read about this tent have been primo- light, easy to set up, and durable under windy and rainy conditions. Not to mention that is had minimal condensation problems.

I also looked at some other ultra light tents but they are a little too rich for my blood. But, if I could swing it I would look at the Nemo Morpho 2 or the Tarptents- most of the high tech tents that are weigh less than 4 lbs run up to $500.

Now I am on to reassessing my cookware!

Keep it Green and Muddy!

Thinking about gear...

I just picked up the latest Backpacker magazine's Gear Guide- always a favorite of mine 'cause I love to check out the new and 'tested' gear. This year the Gear Guide has a whole new meaning for me- I am looking at the Ultralight gear that is out there and really processing what can I give up in weight and what am I willing to spend to go light while on the trail. I do love some of those creature comforts while backpacking but I am kinda of getting older and, boy howdy- I do not want to carry a 40 pound pack 220 miles. So, I am ditching my Jack Wolfskin pack and thinking about going for a Gossimer pack. It is about 4 lbs difference in weight- probably more, actually... those German bags are heavy but they have just about everything you need, a tone of outside pockets, separate compartment for your sleeping bag, excellent support and cushioning for your back, etc...

On the Fundraising front- Trek for a Cure has raised close to 10 thousand dollars so far!!! This has been an amazing show of support!! I have just had a few hundred postcards about the Trek printed (actually, they were donated to Trek, thank you Janene and Robert)so if anyone can think of businesses or folks to send them to, let me know and I will drop some in the mail to you. I have been busy leaving stacks at sporting good store.
The donation gift tees should be printed in a couple of weeks. This has been a little bit longer than I had planned but well worth the wait. Tom Killion has been generous and allowed me to use the block print that is on the website for the shirt, too. The shirt will be amazing!! I am waiting for the final design from Jason at Ink Monkey and I will let you know when they are available (it will also be posted on the website).

Keep it Green and Muddy!

Back on Line!

I did not realize how I depend on my internet- We had no connection for about 5 days and Wow! I had to use the phonebook and other antiquated objects. Anyway, I just wanted to update everyone about the hikes coming up. There will be a backpacking trip - as previously posted- on the 24th and 25th of April. This hike will take place near the Sonoma Mts and it is entirely on private property (thank you, Mary!). I would love to hear who is interested in joining this hike. It will be about 13 miles total and I understand that there are some fantastic views of bridges at the top of the hill!

Another hike will be the 15th and 16th of May. This trip will be in the lovely Pt. Reyes National Seashore! Peter had secured a permit for 6 hiker to camp at Sky Camp (hmmm...maybe we need a few more). We will be hiking about the same mileage for the two days-13 to 15 miles. If you are interested in this trip- please let me know or just leave a note on the blog!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Keep it green and muddy!