Welp, this is an interesting forecast for the 2023-2024 winter in the USA. Hiking season may start earlier in the Northern Rockies, later in the SoCal region. All a probability forecast though, so we shall have to see.
In the years following the 2013 debut of Adult Swimโs cartoon phenomenon โRick and Morty,โ its star and co-creator Justin Roiland became a titan of the animation and video game industry and a rock star of youth counterculture. His artistic style and caricatures became ubiquitous in cannabis culture, and his career expanded...
Day 0 (mile 0-5) New York-Denver-Vernal-East Park Reservoir - Walk. Train. Walk. Bus. Walk. Plane. Walk. Plane. Hope to walk a lot more on the 105 mile Uinta Highline Trail. This trip is an effort to moderate my life. To hold a job, be there for my partner yet still have hiker dreams that occasionally become reality. Iโve...
Cool, report. Very well written. I enjoyed this thoroughly. Not sure if you were keeping a journal or just wrote it that way, but itโs narratively effective.
One could be bummed about having to bail due to weather, but you made the right decision in the moment. And it doesnโt 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 wasnโt much time, but are there any changes you made to your setup you were happy with or things you wouldโve done differently in retrospect?
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:
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.
Weโre expecting snow this week, but Iโm 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.
Got out for a few days. Originally planned for 4 days, but Mondayโs 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 didnโt see more than a few people the whole time, but that didnโt keep us from having to put out someoneโs still very alive bed of coals at their campsite. They couldโve 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.
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 werenโt too far from Wyoming, which could explain it. Iโm not sure of theyโve done it yet, but the state was planning on releasing some wolves as well.
Sad to hear about the fire but itโs all too common.
Yes, definitely. UC Boulder did a study and found that 84% of wildfires are human-caused. Nuts.
KDE user here as well. Currently on fedora, but might go back to debian or some kind of *buntu. Iโve tried arch-based distros in the past but itโs hard to break old habits, lol.
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 donโt use it much, but the times Iโve needed it it helped a lot.
stove
I get the inner debate. When Iโm by myself the simplicity of no cook is amazing, but a hot drink on a chilly morning is also pretty unbeatable. Iโm sure you can get fuel in town before you start, but itโll definitely add to the hassle.
bear bag
It sounds like people donโt see many bears higher up, so youโll probably be okay. Iโve heard you have to watch out for mice wanting to get in your stuff. Do you use a โscent proofโ bag?
bidet
Coming from the food industry where clean hands are paramount, for whatever reason I canโt get over the idea myself. Itโs all up to personal preference, though, obviously.
I think youโll have am amazing trip. I definitely want to do it soon. All the pics Iโve seen look fantastic.
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 13,000โ and eat candy.
That is indeed a Motrail. Itโs 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 didnโt start raining till we were back on trail.
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.
Itโs way cooler that you sewed your own pack. Thatโs a skill Iโve been meaning to pick up forever.
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, thatโs maybe rated 50* with a 30* footbox. Something light that I could stretch slightly lower by layering clothes.
Iโll 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 othersโ pics of cool places theyโve been is far more interesting to me.
Iโll 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 Iโve done this summer there have been mosquitoes, but the last one a week ago wasnโt as bad and I assume itโll continue going that way.
As you know, pretty much all of that route is above treeline. Itโs been a weird season for weather and conditions can be unpredictable anyway. Weโre 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. Itโs usually pretty reliable.
Logbook Oct 2023. Stop by, say hi! ๐
A friendly place for casual discussion that doesnโt warrant a post. Whatโs going on?
How El Nino will affect the US this winter (abcnews.go.com)
Welp, this is an interesting forecast for the 2023-2024 winter in the USA. Hiking season may start earlier in the Northern Rockies, later in the SoCal region. All a probability forecast though, so we shall have to see.
Justin Roiland used his โRick and Mortyโ fame to pursue young fans, text messages show (www.nbcnews.com)
In the years following the 2013 debut of Adult Swimโs cartoon phenomenon โRick and Morty,โ its star and co-creator Justin Roiland became a titan of the animation and video game industry and a rock star of youth counterculture. His artistic style and caricatures became ubiquitous in cannabis culture, and his career expanded...
CRISPR used to 'reprogram' cancer cells into healthy muscle in the lab (www.livescience.com)
Uinta Highline Trail Trip Report, Labor Day weekend 2023
Day 0 (mile 0-5) New York-Denver-Vernal-East Park Reservoir - Walk. Train. Walk. Bus. Walk. Plane. Walk. Plane. Hope to walk a lot more on the 105 mile Uinta Highline Trail. This trip is an effort to moderate my life. To hold a job, be there for my partner yet still have hiker dreams that occasionally become reality. Iโve...
Logbook Sep 2023. Stop by, say hi! ๐
A friendly place for casual discussion that doesnโt warrant a post.
A reason to buy a MS product: Microsoft has created a pizza-scented Xbox controller (www.inferse.com)
:-)
Shakedown: Uinta Highline Trail first week of September
Where and when: McKee Draw to Hayden Pass (westbound), first few days of September...
Logbook Aug 2023. Whatโs going on?
A friendly place for casual discussion that doesnโt warrant a post. Stop by, say hi! ๐