How To Choose Pants for The Trail

I found these Columbia GRT trail pants at a thrift store for $6. Of course I couldn't pass them  up. They are perfect for a long trail, or even just hanging out.

 

I'll take these on the CDT.

Why?

 

Ok, here's the breakdown in desirable qualities for trail pants.

 

 

 

 

Number one: They must fit! Too big or too small is no good when you're living in these, hiking 20 mile days, weeks on end.

 

Number Two: weight. These brand name pants weigh a mere 9 ounces. My fitted blue jeans weigh 18 ounces.

 

Number three: fabric content. Cotton will not dry, chafes when wet and fades. Hot sun destroys natural fibers. These Columbia pants are 100 % Nylonpolyamide- a strong ultralight fabric.

 

Number four: color. You can't pay me to wear pink on the trail, much less a baby blue, red or other non stealth color. Blending in to the scenery could be a life or death situations. Studies have proved that bears are attracted to bright blue. During hunting season, I will have something bright, but otherwise, no.

 

 

Number five: pockets. You need pockets for things like maps, toilet paper, chap stick, a small knife, maybe a snack or two. Pockets can save you from endless searching for the right tool, like a GI can opener (which I take on a knife ring) for times you find a little trail magic inside a sealed can.

 

Number six: and some will argue its farther up the list, but quality. You can replace clothing while on the trail, like in a mail drop, but there's nothing like dependable gear when your heading through wilderness. These pants are in perfect condition. All the zippers work and there are no holes or breaches in the seams, seat or knees.

 

Other considerations: While these pants have zip off legs, I seldom use that feature. Most zippers on a desert trail will eventually fail if sand and grit is not kept out of the teeth. To facilitate a difficult zipper, remove all sand and grit, then apply a wax based lip balm. I've sucessfully restored several zippers that way.

An elastic band assures the pants stay up if you don't want to wear a belt, and really, who wants to wear a belt hiking? The loops are handy for clipping your "ultralight" tool kit, kept on one lanyard, to prevent loosing it.

 

I have used North Face's trail pants for quite a few thousand miles. They look and feel similar to these olive green Columbia pants. I'm pretty lucky to find these perfect pants at a second hand store!

 

 

 

Always bring needle and thread/ dental floss for repairs. Check out my youtube videos for gear repair and other ideas at

http://www.youtube.com/user/brawny03

A Good Winter at Lake Yellowstone

Looking back on my winter here, I feel pretty satisfied. We still have about a month to go cooking for the construction guys.

Xanterra employees are pulling in, getting the Hotel's kitchen up and running for pre-season cooks.

The floors are installed, leveled and ready for carpet.

During these 6 months, I've skied to Stevenson Island, skied up Elephant Back and down again, both things I thought were nearly impossible.

I've skied along the snow packed roads, scouted lots of griz prints, made survival shelters and practiced my fire building skills in snow.
I've learned all about "Wraps" from the chef. Basically, lots of good meats, cheeses, spreads and vegetables, even leftover breakfast quiches or "man scramble" can go in one of these over sized tortillas, ends folded in, rolled securely and served. Wraps are a great way to stretch meat and come up with tasty alternatives to the  basic grilled sandwhich.

I've come up with new dessert and home made bread recipes, learned to utilize the leftover grits or oatmeal in the morning for luscious yeast breads at supper. At man camp, all the food has been tediously hauled in. All the garbage is stored in a huge trailer (dump style, built while we were here) and hauled out in the spring. The smells can draw in wild creatures. We have kept garbage to a surprising minimum.

This week I made "Spring Fever Bars". I used a basic yellow cake recipe, but instead of milk, I substituted orange juice concentrate. I frosted it with a home made icing of powdered sugar, orange juice, butter, and orange zest. The guys loved it.

I've met a lot of nice guys, most are married, many are seriously conservative. Imagine in this day and age meeting a guy who thinks women shouldn't have the right to vote because they tend to be socialists. Amazingly, this same guy thinks vegetarians should be fired.

We have some that don't speak a lick of English. That's been fun, too. I get to practice describing the menu to these dudes . Bottom line, they eat everything, no matter what we put on their plates.

Right now, most skiing has to be done early or late. Mid afternoon the snow gets punky, like mashed potatoes, the chef says. I agree.

Hiking is basically only on the road. Trails are snow packed and deep. A body busts through foot by foot. Now, we need bear spray on expeditions. Seriously, though, I'm surprised I haven't met a bear on our back deck, scoping out the bacon cooking in the morning before daylight.

Its been great, something I've always wanted to do. But, who knows, whether I return for stage two, or go on to another adventure remains to be seen.

Four Onces Removed -Streamlining Gear

November 16, 2012 I wrote a gear review on this blog for the Lightning 50 backpack.

 

I'll test this pack for my upcoming CDT hike. I know all my gear will fit inside. Now that the extra strap length is removed, its a custom fit. I also removed the fabric sleeve at the bottom.

 

Its important to heat seal every strap you cut. Make sure to fold back the edge, too, or it could slip through the buckle. Leave enough for adjustment in case you are wearing a bulky jacket or gain a few pounds....not likely on the trail.

 

At 2 pounds 12 ounces, this 3000 cubic inch pack is sweet. Stay tuned for more gear choices.

Gear Selection for the Continental Divide Trail

 

Today I pulled out three contestants for the insulating top layer. This will go over my silk long sleeve hiking shirt when its really cold, and also under my silnylon Gram Weenie rain jacket, which I designed and used to sew for Dancing Light Gear.

 

Photos of the three contestants and weights -perks given below each photo.

 

 

This black Brooks-Range jacket has four pockets, two for the hands, one chest outside, and one inside. I wrote a gear review for it on this blog, March 24, 2011. Other than the zippers being a little too light (one has already separated forever and refuses to stay shut, its been a fantastically great piece of gear. Its down, weighs only 11.25 ounces. Feels like nothing. I could easy sleep in this jacket, as well as ball it up for a pillow. It packs down to nothing. The sleeves are extra long. I love that, too. When hiking with poles, you don't want wrists to freeze, sometimes gloves are overkill.

 

 

 

 

Second contestant is my Patagonia Fleece pullover. Only one chest pocket, weighing 15.25 ounces, it doesn't pack down as well. I used it on my thru hike of the Colorado trail and it was really warm and reliable. Old friends are hard to leave home. No hood, the sleeves are bound with a thin edge. Fleece dries fast, unlike the down. 

 

 

 

This Free Country jacket is so comfortable, I always wear it for my outer layer when skiing up at Lake Yellowstone. It does weigh 22 ounces however, but has a good collar and hood. I wished the down jacket had a hood, then it would be perfect.

This jacket is polyester-spandex. There are two inner pockets and three outer. Its sort of fitted and feels great. It packs down like the fleece. However, it doesn't breath that well. Sometimes its been damp after a ski, in spite of multiple wicking layers.

e

 

I used our kitchen scale which goes up to 2 pounds. I put each jacket in a clear sack to weigh it, check the compressablity for pack volume.

 

After work I took a walk in the cold snowy wind. Each contestant was layered over a think polyester long sleeve shirt, one I could take on the trail.

 

Amazingly, the Brooks Range won hands down. Warmer, much lighter, much more comfortable, I've decided that jacket will do wonderful. Now, I know at the end of the trail, I'll be washing it to restore the loft, just as I did with my Marmot 30 degree bag, bringing new life to this great piece of gear.

 

If the light zipper on the jacket would give out on me, I am prepared to sew it shut half way up and use it as a pull over too.

 

Stay tuned for more gear discussion for my upcoming CDT section hike.

Ski Report and Glide Wax Gear Review

Today I applied a heavy coat of glide wax to my waxless back country skis, effectively sealing the scales completely except those under my boot. The snow is wet and slushy now, March 28, making my skis ice up so that snow pack accumulates in the scales.

Allowing the F-Wax (Snowboard Specific Fluorinated Rub On Past Wax) to dry, I buffed it and set my skis outside to adjust to the temperatures before embarking on my adventure.

The climb was done earlier this week on snowshoes by the chef. I followed his prints until arriving at the top, where he lost the trail. There really could be a few more orange markers on top, its pretty sketchy.

The glide wax was excellent. No icing up, and incredible glide, almost too much on the way down.
I managed to manipulate the hairpin turns looking out over the abyss. A couple times I used control falls to keep from going off the edge. I didn't realize going down was going to be as challenging as climbing!

Back country skis should be wider than x country skis. I'm glad mine were. At times the side stepping caused them to cross. At that point, the skier must be able to back them up, lift one over the other, yet without sliding off the edge of a very steep narrow trail.

It was fantastic. I spent about 3 hours on the adventure and highly recommend the wax as a way to prolong the season.

Remember Meredith Emerson

As hiking season gears up, and we start hiking alone, let us all take a few minutes to remember Meredith.

If you don't remember the case, several articles can be read about this heart rending murder. And, she wasn't the only victim of Gary Hilton.

 

 

This painting I did, I dedicated to her. It seemed to lack something until I added a figure of a woman and dog hiking into the mountains together.


http://www.sickcrimes.us/tag/blood-mountain is a good place to read the account, and the other 4 murders attributed to this sick old man.

Men and women, beware. If someone gives you bad vibes, hike away from them. Be especially wary at road crossings. If you have to hitch hike for a resupply, don't get into the vehicle if you're the least bit on edge. Trust your survival instincts.

Hike safe, hike long, hike light.

 

And remember, we won't give up our passion because of fear.

Home Made Flame Retardants

A viewer on my youtube channel told me you could make flame retardant with borax and spray it on your tent . He suggested I do a google search on it to come up with the formula and so I did. There are many possible pages to read that came up as a result of the search.

http://search.yahoo.com

I clicked on  a few and came up with this, among many other similar formulas:

Homemade Flame Retardant

For a make-it yourself fire retardant mixture, mix 7 oz. Borax, 3 oz. boric acid, and 2 qts. warm water. Stir to dissolve completely. Either dip the fabric in the mixture or spray on to thoroughly saturate the material until it drips. This product will wash right out without damage to the fabrics so if you have to use a bedsheet for stage curtains, it won't damage them for at home use.

from the website:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79147904.tip.html

I don't know, though, if the rain would wash the product off the tent. I imagine in time, it would and you'd want to reapply the spray.

If anyone tries it, please let me know. Once I get my car out of the storage container here at Man Camp in Yellowstone, I'll get the stuff and see what happens. Stay tuned for a full report this summer.

May all your trails be lighter.

He Walks Along the Lake

 

Some prints didn't photo well, but the characteristic claw, depth and stride sign were perfect. The bear ambled up the bank from the Lake, walked aways, headed back down the bank, looking for food and easy travel.

 

This print came across pretty decent. He walked the road, I used my field glasses to scope my surroundings. Didn't want to surprise the dude, although the sign didn't appear too fresh, not like the other day when even the creases and lines in his foot pads were clearly visible.

Here he headed back to the lake, off the roadway. I followed a bit, then backed away. Seemed I could just about see his face startling me near the drop off. Wouldn't have been pretty!

Continental Divide Trail Hikers Wanted

I'm starting to look at the Wyoming section of the CDT....and I'd like a partner to hike it with me.

I'd like to start at Copper Mountain and head north at least until I reach Old Faithful.

If anyone is interested, please comment, or email me. Check my profile for the address.

I've hiked two portions of the CDT.  This photo was taken in Glacier National Park.  It was a fantastic hike through griz country. The bear canister weighed 2 pounds 11 ounces. I used my modified external frame. The original pack was replaced with a custom silnylon pack I made and fitted so the canister could slip right in.

This is some of my gear in front of the pack I used. As you can see, I favor green and black, along with some camo. My hiking poles show lots of use as well. They form the support or structure of my ultralight, custom made Brawny Tent.

I don't have to have a partner for this, but I would like one. My credentials can be found at
http://www.trailquest.net/BRindex.html

May all your trails be lighter.

First Griz Sign Sighting

 

March 15th at Lake Yellowstone Man Camp. Things are getting interesting, spring is in the air, cabin fever setting in big time. Yesterday I went for an evening ski. Had to use the road, all snow packed and slick. The trails are soft. Breaking through to the thighs is not fun. I headed up to Fishing Bridge, turned around, went towards the Marina, intending to take the well used Marina trail back to Lake. Just as I swung in, I noticed huge tracks. I stopped, glanced towards the trail. Yup, he had to be right on up the trail. Of course, my camera was back in my dorm room.

 

The prints were so fresh I could see the lines in his pads, the claws so distinct I could count them. I followed the tracks in towards the lake, saw them head right down the trail I planned to take as the sun set. Well....humm, no bear spray on me, no camera, nope. Guess not, not tonight. I turned around, headed home, went into the Hotel to report to the foreman. No more leaving beers in the snow to chill out. Probably better not leave apple cores on the ground. As cooks making bacon for breakfast, I plan to watch the reefer platform before I head out there in the dark.

 

I love it here! Its fantastic. Where else do you get an adrenalin rush on a daily basis?

 

 

One of our painters doing the trim in the sun room. He's living here for a month. Its hard work, but they eat well.

 

Sun set view looking north across the lake. Everything takes on this lovely pink hue. Sometimes the meadow is socked in with fog while the hotel is bathed in perfect light.

 

A local coyote is not the least worried about me walking past. You can see the mountain of scrap metal and wood in the back.

 

Guys take turns pulling fire watch. The least little spark could send this place to an untimely death. All night, a man on duty will monitor from the attic to the basement, walking the floors. Many have reported strange bumps in the night. The Ghost of John Deerfield? Probably.  I wrote

Primal Cut back in November. Its a ghost story about the infamous caretaker of this historic location. Beware...it will make you look at red meat just a little bit differently!

 

 

 

The snow looks blue most of the time, a perfect reflection of blue skies and mountains. The pines are a welcome contrast. I count myself very fortunate to be working here. I call it home.