My normal dinners are Mountain House dehydrated meals. They come in a foil/poly pouch which is used for rehydrating. Just boil water in a pot, pour into the pouch, reseal the pouch, wait ~10 minutes and eat. Now I'm going to try rehydrating and eating from the cook pot. I'll repackage the food from the heavier, thicker, larger (harder to pack) MH pouches into regular Ziploc-type bags. That shoby ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Even using advanced search for all dates, all forums, I don't get any hits for nemo, cosmo (other than the drink) or astro (other than astronomy things (or the Jetson's dog...)). I thought someone would have tried, and opined on these pads. I just came back from a typical epic pre-trip visit to REI, trying lots of combinations continuing my quest for a comfortable sleeping setup. I currently hby ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Quotebasilbop Quoteags QuoteJustKeepWalking I used quilt, had to keep it tucked, but I have quilt wings to make this easier. What are "quilt wings"? Small extensions of nylon (no insulation) attached to the sides of the quilt that can be tucked in/under to keep drafts out. With JRB these are attached using the "Omni-tape" ("Velcro" that is along the sides of theby ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteJustKeepWalking I used quilt, had to keep it tucked, but I have quilt wings to make this easier. What are "quilt wings"?by ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The machete isn't a joke, but it's seldom used. I agree with your sentiments about leave-no-trace and such. It's actually the result of a bad experience in Hells Canyon NRA (Snake River between OR & ID; deeper than the Grand Canyon). Found myself & wife with the only way out (for many river miles) though a narrow, steep-walled side canyon. Maps showed a trail. BLM (or whoever administeby ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The only time I plan to use at home is on the trial run in the back yard before getting out for the real thing. I hate to learn (the hard way) when using things on the trail for the first time. The down hood ("Hoodlum" may be a good idea too. I just don't know. The Jacks R Better quilts look good, and are in stock. The EE may be even better (I can't tell until I try) but it looks lby ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I find it remarkable that the "things that everyone knows" - like use a down mummy bag - to be *the* way to do things, is not always so. I'm not a gadget collector, but I will admit that I do enjoy thinking through all the gear and methods and strategies, and constantly improving (or trying, and learning a lesson along the way). Is the TR Z Lite Sol something special? I understand iby ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
You raise a good point. My wife was thinking of creating some type of silk cover for the inflatable for a better feel on skin. That doesn't address the air draft problem of course.by ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The EE Revelation looks very interesting. The lead time is very long, may be a deal-killer (for this season). Looks like nice stuff though. I will call to see if there is any ready-to-ship inventory that is not listed online. I don't care about color.by ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm going to give a try to sleeping under a quilt instead of in a mummy bag. Reasons are complicated (and boring) but it stems from a bad back. Mummy bag keeps legs in a position that hurts. Also could use some more curve at the spine (back sleeper). Searches showed several threads over the years. Manufacturers that were given good marks: 1) Jacks R Better 2) Montbell 3) Feathered Friendsby ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yup, I get it. What we don't get is as many miles in before dark as you do... :-)by ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Great pictures. Seems to me like the top of the switchbacks above HH to Beehive is the most reliable place to see bears. I've never gone there an not seen any. Best video I have was taken in that area, just following behind a big cinnamon browsing and foraging along the trail for almost half an hour. Interesting bit of learning/perspective: watching that bear swat at the "rotten stumpsby ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
OK, I'll bite (so I guess I could be a snake...) - where's this picture taken? I don't recognize anything to get my bearings (but the granite is great).by ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Unless you are bringing the bighorn sheep to the ranger because "it's cold and needs help..." (as the helpful tourists did with the "cold" bison calf in Yellowstone earlier this year)by ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
For the record: not judging, just trying to understand. If a tablet is big enough to share, light enough to carry, has enough memory to hold movies without connectivity and battery life long enough to last the night, I get it. I tend to be rushing to cram in stuff before it gets dark, and by the time camp is put to bed I'm ready to sleep myself. If I could just sleep more than 15 minutes at aby ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I'll be heading out to some of those spectacular granite places week of July 4th. Can't wait. This will be the first year with "normal" water and I'll have to remember that it's not possible to cross the creek with impunity as has become the habit recently. Drove through YV last weekend - it was crowded but nothing like (I heard) Memorial Day weekend, thankfully. I don't recall seeinby ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Yup. No snow at all. Now that I think about it, of course not. There's no snow at Crane Flat, why would there be snow at Aspen Valley? So we did this ride and it was just as advertised (see link in OP). No deadfall, road is clear and relatively good condition. Pretty steady, but gradual ascent from Evergreen to AV. Nothing very difficult, no spectacular views but a nice ride through the Sierraby ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Beautiful scenery. Thanks for taking the time for this TR. Now that it's summer I am already thinking of winter camping. Never been snow camping before, but hate to stay inside all winter long - so it may happen this year. 1) How does one... um... "dig a hole" in the winter? The ground is frozen. I presume just go into the forest and dig the snow? I hope it's not like going up heaby ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I've found information here about Old Tioga Rd to Aspen Valley. That seems like an interesting, easy, fun short trip to a place I've not yet visited (Aspen Valley). Until seeing that post (which was the result of following one link to the next to the next... about Old Tioga Rd) I'd not even heard of the place named Aspen Valley. Does anyone know, or care to offer an educated guess based on eleby ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
QuoteOne word of caution: if someone plans to camp in an area where land managers require International Grizzly Bear Committee certification the Bearikade wouldn't be an option. Otherwise it's great. Is Yosemite one of those places? Any idea why the Bearikade isn't certified? Not able to pass the test, or not willing to pay the fee for the testing?by ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Great trip report. I really like that area (I actually can't think of an area in Yose that I dislike - maybe lines at the entrance gates...?). My first visit to Yose was a long weekend years ago. I had done absolutely no research beforehand. I met a friend there (reaching Priest Grade around dark so no views or perspective entering the valley) and we figured we'd just "see the park".by ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Looking at the old and new routes (in maps above) it looks like the old Tioga Rd was routed around Tenaya Lake just as it is now - or close to it - as shown on Google Maps. That's far east of the portion maligned for scarring the granite dome (leading to Olmstead Pt). I can't reconcile that with the claims that someone's (can't remember who - Adams or Brower?) wife cried when she saw the new roadby ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
So now I've gotten sucked into this thread. I've read what I can find, including links to links. Still, I can't find anything concrete on what the alternate route for Tioga Road that would have avoided dynamiting (defacing? destroying? desecrating? some have opined) the granite domes there. I did read a vague reference to an early option (before WWII) of something north of Polly Dome, but that waby ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
From your link I am guessing that you are using Advanced Search. I was just using standard. It appears that the default (for me) is search the past year, and posts with me as the author. That's not very helpful. Your link looks like any author, any date,, any forum, any type. I'll have to keep this in mind. Maybe there is a preference in profiles for search defaults? I'll take a look.by ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
@plawrence thanks for the TR link and search tip. I searched using this site's search and nothing turned up. It surprises me that Google found anything, as I thought Google was used for even intra-site search here.by ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I'll be heading out further south than normal for an easy (sleeping on a bed in a cabin each night) long weekend in Dinkey Lakes Wilderness. Probably just hike a loop to the lakes, then maybe up to Kaiser Peak. I thought that there might have been some discussion here regarding that general area but searches of Kaiser Peak and Dinkey Lakes turned up nothing. Any suggestions about what to see/aby ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
JKW, thanks for the reply. My Therm-a-Rest Trekker is an older model (not sure what is "New! Improved!" but they say it is so it must be true...). I'll have to inflate and measure it when home. The new model specs list 2.5" thick and it seems to be identical to the XTherm, but apparently there is a reflective layer on the XTherm that makes better use of body warmth (?). My problemby ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I'm still trying to figure this out. Now even more confused. I'm backing away from the hammock idea but will still consider based on success/failure of other options. I will follow the advice given here and only consider a hammock based on comfort, not saving pack weight. The discussion of under-quilts has caused me to think though some things I've just not considered. Of course I know that coby ags - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks. Looks like I missed the boat (saddle) this time but maybe next weekend...by ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I just checked the NPS site and the latest "official" Tioga Rd says "no estimated opening date" (updated May 6th). I also read (can't find it now...) that once the road has been made passable (but not yet open to motorized vehicles) it is opened to bicycles. To me this would be a spectacular opportunity - not having to worry about dodging cars, trucks and busses. Is tby ags - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion