Category: Travel

Chicago Lakes

7 July 2013

Chicago Lakes day hike

9.7 miles
2,270 ft elevation gain

I went with some friends. We started at Echo Lake Park and took the trail to the upper lake of the two. This was really just a relaxing morning hike. There were lots of people around. Many trail runners finished the trail up to Mount Evans rather than retracing their steps back. At the end, our end point at least, we relaxed and spent an hour or more exploring which is not part of the total distance nor elevation tally.

Today was a test of minimalist and not taking extra food to snack on. I of course will very carefully plan out my meals and snacks while thru hiking, but it is good to know what it is like to be hungry and see how well your body can function still. It is also a good reminder while preparing that ‘yes, you will want that extra Pop Tart and chocolate bar. That only equals 400 calories? Better add an extra of each then.’ Mini test hikes are the best way to test out gear and techniques without actually putting yourself into harms way. As with all skill sets, the best way to make a motion a habit is practice, practice, practice. Beyond that, however, it is also an excellent habit to try new things and expand your knowledge.

Short installment, but it was also a short trip. Nice to get out for a hike and still have most of the day remaining for other fun activities. 🙂

Mount Shavano (14,229′) – Tabeguache Peak (14,155′)

3 July 2013

Mount Shavano (14,229′) – Tabeguache Peak (14,155′)

  • Class 2
  • Exposure 2
  • 5,600 ft elevation gain
  • 11.25 miles
  • Sawatch Range
  • Closest town: Poncha Springs
  • Shavano/Tabeguache TH – Blank Gulch Route
  • Shavano East Slope, saddle to Tabeguache, return via Shavano East Slope

I squeezed this hike in during a 24 hour free period from work. That required me to make the drive both to and from Salida all in one day. I left the trailhead at 7 AM, snaked through the forest, and reached the Mount Shavano summit around 9:45 AM. Despite wanting a quick rest there were far too many children around, a result of such a late start time, so I headed for Tabeguache Peak (pronounced tab-a-watch by locals and taybwatch in the Ute language) and reached that summit around 10:45 AM. The crowd was far smaller over there. I snapped the compulsory photos of the surrounding landscape and finally rested before heading back. I should mention that the return trip involves reascending Mount Shavano before an all downhill marathon back through the forest. Luckily there is only a mile or so between the peaks.

I had the perfect weather. With my start a full hour after sunrise, I hardly needed any warm layers. The sky was perfectly clear and the winds never made it up to the forecast of 25 mph. In fact, the light cloud cover never rolled in until I was practically back to my car this afternoon. Something about rain on the high plains really tugs at my heartstrings. Big, full raindrops plopping onto the desiccated earth; dark, ominous clouds looming above; and the sun still in full view, warming the day.

Anyways, I am delighted to say that my ability to spot the accurate trail among the various offshoots has become markedly better. I am picking up on the subtle differences of an actual path, a favored photo op and resting spot, and short cuts to no where that intrepid hikers love to leave in their wakes. I also wore running shoes instead of my hiking boots. What a complete difference that made. My knees and hips required almost no recovery time. Though my ankles definitely felt the increased use.

I met two CT thru hikers on my way out. It is hard not to get overexcited when I have no base experience to compare the upcoming adventure to. I realize that the CT is a mere 500 miles compared to the more extensive thru hikes. Most section hikers take on distances greater than the CT, but my capriciousness makes it difficult to downplay these sudden spurts of enthusiasm. I also randomly ran into a college roommate while leaving the TH for my vehicle. She was on her way in for some exploring. Oh the coincidences of life 🙂

Ultralight Backpacking

29 June 2013

Ultralight Backpacking

Alright, I have camped a fair amount in my young life, but I have never truly taken on extensive hiking where a vehicle cannot be readily accessed to find the nearest restaurant because someone left the food out or a persistent rain storm is preventing a happy campfire. I am delighted by the prospects of carrying everything I need to survive on my back. During my ten month long travels across portions of South America, I truly gained an insight for properly selecting all the clothing and gear you will want access to for a year in changing climates and activities, the limitations of the carrying capacity of your backpack, and the compromise of only being able to take what you can actually lift and carry on your back.

Now travel backpacking and hiking backpacking are significantly different in a plethora of ways, however my focus is on the packing itself. I carried around a 65L pack that was consistently at 50 lbs for the first few months and 40 lbs for the last few after sending a package home to my parents. Some people would commend my minimalist abilities, especially as a female, for being able to have all the gear, shoes, clothes, toiletries etc for adventuring, nights out, and long bus rides for every range of climate from beach town desert to alpine mountains to tropical jungle. I agree, I feel quite capable to pack a bag for a long trip when the topic is travel. However, when the activity underway is trekking and camping, the pack inventory takes on a whole new dimension of consideration.

First and foremost, during my travels I was never required to carry my entire pack and all its belongings more than a few miles to or from a bus terminal to my destined hostal. Any sort of hiking endeavors were kept to day long ordeals or I repacked my bag to only carry the essentials and left the rest in a storage locker. Thus, in my ambitions to become a proper thru hiker, I want to extend my minimalist abilities into the hiking and camping spectrum of my life. I am always a proponent of being aware of your impact on the surroundings, living simply and kindly, and always doing whatever brings the most happiness to your life. Back to topic, in my preparations for the CT, I have taken a peek into the vast realm of backpacking, thru hiking, ultralight backpacking, and other associated topics. The resources are endless, the information is readily available, and the communities of people already involved are eager to share their knowledge.

Having only spent a couple days looking into these matters, I have developed a list of my favorite information sites thus far. They are in no particular order.

Backpacking Light: Pack Less. Be More.
This has probably been my most accessed information portal. They provide access to an immense amount of information. There are links to personal hiking blogs, BPL equipment review, how-to and feature articles, a community forum for reviews of gear, trails and general banter, and they even offer courses and hard to find ultralight gear. I am particularly fond of their community gear reviews. A single location to find discussion on practically any gear question conceivable, literally. I have poured over topics as mundane seeming as the gram difference in a pot lid. Though I must state that as you enter ultralight backpacking, the argument of whether shaving grams off base weight is worth the hassle will always be yes regardless if you are sans toothbrush, cooking over a Fancy Feast stove, in your one set of clothes for 30+ days.

Backpack Gear Test: The most comprehensive interactive gear reviews and tests on the planet
This lives up to its name. If you want to know about the performance of gear, seriously check out this site.

Wilderness Survival Forums
A great site for posing outdoors questions and getting great feedback from the community.

Lightweight Backpacking 101
Provides a good introduction to lightweight backpacking. Get resource for sending you in the right direction for other great resources.

Ultimate Ultralight Backpacking
Provides a good introduction on lightweight backpacking and gear selection.

Backpacker: The Outdoors at Your Doorstep
This is actually a magazine you can subscribe to, but the website itself provides a great overview of hiking ideas that you can find by locale, gear reviews, trail forums, and community input. Having grown up in Kansas, I think the interactive trail finder was my favorite part. Who knew that Kansas had trails? 😉

These are actually organization sites, but they are just as valuable in resources.

Colorado Trail Foundation

American Long Distance Hiking Association – West

Pacific Crest Trail Association

Continental Divide Trail Coalition

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Finally, some of the best information is through personal hiker/backpacker blogs. There are heaps of people out there doing all the research for you and providing a concise overview of their findings and experiences so you can jump ahead of the line to the fun part. There are thousands of hiking blogs out there. Take advantage.

Section Hiker: Hiking and Backpacking for Beginners and Experts
Philip Werner provides key advice for all levels of backpackers in terms of gear, Leave No Trace, different seasons, general tips and how-tos, and trail information. This is a great resource where someone the appropriate level of expertise has gathered information in one succinct location.

Two-Heel Drive, a Hiking Blog
Tom has a fantastic blog about hiking, making a hiking blog, and so much more. I am sure I will spend more time heeding his advice as I continue my own blog. However, I view my own blog more as an information source for family and friends to keep up with my adventures than as an information source.

Andrew Skurka //Adventurer, Guide, Speaker, Writer
Andrew Skurka is an incredible adventurer. Most known for his long distance hiking. His blog is part of a fuller site that offers a wealth of information.

Stick’s Blog
I have come to really like this blog. Stick began his blog to document his own progression into the backpacking realm. He is the kind of person you want to read a hiking blog from because his experiences are self contrived. There is something refreshing and encouraging to see people go through a similar experience as yourself but being so open about the follies and blunders along the way.

Hike Lighter
This is John Abela’s hiking and gear website. Great source for equipment reviews and comparisons, outdoor cooking advice, and general hiking guidance. John is part of a growing group of individuals pushing the bounds on light and ultralight backpacking into super ultralight and extreme ultralight backpacking, with how gear is constructed, used, multi-purposed, and stretched to the limits of functionality, all in the name of a lighter base weight.

Light & Ultralight Backpacking
Jolly Green Giant provides information for light and ultralight backpacking in terms of gear use and techniques. He is conscientious about researching the best materials, technology, techniques, and necessities when it comes to carrying everything on your back and surviving.

Outdorky
Chris’s take is to “Dork out Outdoors.” He focuses on California hiking but I am quite fond of the articles on his Tips page.

This is it for now. As I said, however, I have only just begun my quest into coupling gram counting with adventure seeking. This is sure to be an enjoyable, enlightening experience.

Grays Peak (14,270′) – Torreys Peak (14,267′)

26 June 2013

Grays Peak (14,270′) – Torreys Peak (14,267′)

  • Class 2
  • Exposure 1
  • 3,600 ft elevation gain
  • 8.4 miles
  • Front Range
  • Closest town: Silver Plume/Georgetown/Idaho Springs
  • Grays Peak TH – Stevens Gulch Route
  • Grays East Slope, saddle, Torreys South slope
After Bierstadt and Evans the day before, I spent the afternoon/evening recovering with lots of cold water and a beer or two in Georgetown. In hopes that a big, hearty meal would store energy for the next day, I ate a proper supper in Georgetown before heading to the Grays Peak trailhead to camp for the night. The next morning I allowed myself some extra sleep after being woken by a sunrise seeking group heading up at 3:30 AM. I hit the trail at 5:50 AM, quickly passed a couple small groups of people along the way. The start out felt quite brutal. My body wanted to lie down and sleep longer. I could tell I was dehydrated with fingers slightly swollen and cheeks still feeling the burn of wind from the previous day. I snarfed down some snacks with extra amounts of water and continued forward for a 7:50 AM summit of Grays Peak. Despite the “early” hours, the warm sun was already shining brightly with just the right amount of wind to dry the sweat beading on my forehead. I had the peak all to myself and was highly encouraged that I made it up faster than the other groups despite my unsteady strength. With renewed vigor I quickly headed down the saddle over to Torreys Peak and reached the top at 8:40 AM. At the top I met three other hikers and their two dogs. I sat and chatted with them a bit to discover one guy and his dog will be on the Colorado Trail a week or two before me. I am to look out for Sticks and Paws in the registries. I am completely enthralled when someone readily offers advice and encouragement for my upcoming jaunt along the CT. Conversation was great, but I was ready to head down and be on my way. I bid farewell to the group and set out for a strong finish back to the trailhead at 9:30 AM. On my way back I was surprised by how many people were on their way up. I am pleased with my decisions to make earlier than later ascents. I left the trailhead with maybe four vehicles in the parking lot yet returned to one so full the cars had spilled out along the access road. I enjoyed meeting the small groups in the morning, but sharing the summit with a dozen people is not nearly as appealing. I will make not to continue early mornings with a goal to hit a few peaks for sunrise shots.
Eight 14ers completed. I feel pretty accomplished in my physical training. The back to back hiking days were a brilliant idea to fast track my preparation for conceptualizing what twenty-odd days of hiking in a row will feel like. I want a concise and ultralight pack, lots of thoughtfully prepared food, a brisk pace, and lots of beautiful scenery. I feel very confidant that over the next weeks I will easily be able to guarantee all of those desires.

Mount Bierstadt (14,060′) – Mount Evans (14,264′)

25 June 2013
Mount Bierstadt (14,060′) – Mount Evans (14,264′)
  • Class 3
  • Exposure 3
  • 4,300 ft elevation gain
  • 11.3 miles
  • Front Range
  • Closest town: Georgetown/Idaho Springs
  • Guanella Pass TH – Guanella Pass to Sawtooth Ridge
  • Bierstadt west slope, Sawtooth Ridge traverse, Evans west ridge, return via gully to Guanella Pass

Drove from Denver this morning, on the trail at 5:30 AM, Mount Bierstadt summit at 7:30 AM, far side of Sawtooth Ridge at 9 AM, Mount Evans summit at 10:30 AM, and back to my vehicle at 12:30 PM. A 7 hour loop, which my mapping app claims only 5 hours are actual moving time. So I need to work on speed and endurance haha.

Today was an adventure. I turned a 10.25 mile trail with 3,800 feet elevation gain into an 11.3 mile route with 4,300 feet elevation gain. How or why you may ask… Because the only consistent part of today is that I was never on-trail. With my impeccable attention span and focus, I managed to get off track along every segment of the route. And I lost my favorite hat in the gulley on the way down. The exciting part about today are that my camera battery was fully charged and my phone didn’t die before mapping the route. Not to mention that I now have two more 14ers under my belt with two more planned for tomorrow. I am definitely a bit sore in the feet and knees, so tomorrow will be the real test of endurance. My hiking/camping knowledge is coming back quickly and I am quite enjoying the use of 14ers for Colorado Trail training and reconnaissance. Lessons learned today: I possibly need to reevaluate my hiking shoes, I should give thoughtful consideration to hiking poles for the Rocky Mountains, always properly secure gear to pack, and I need to work on more clothing/layering combinations as I overheat quickly allowing cold wind on damp clothes. In all, my gear selections need serious evaluation and refining.

Mount Democrat (14,148′) – Mount Cameron (14,238′) – Mount Lincoln (14,286′) – Mount Bross (14,172′)

16 June 2013

Mount Democrat (14,148′) – Mount Cameron (14,238′) – Mount Lincoln (14,286′) – Mount Bross (14,172′)

  • Class 2
  • Exposure 2
  • 3,700 ft elevation gain
  • 7.25 miles
  • Mosquito Range
  • Closest town: Alma
  • Kite Lake TH – Kite Lake Route
My first go at the Colorado 14ers, bagged four in one day. Despite this loop being considered extremely easy, I still feel quite accomplished. It was also the perfect way to ignite my motivation to start training for the Colorado Trail. Photographs to accompany soon.
I drove from Denver that morning, was on the trailhead by 6 AM, knocked out the peaks in the order above, and made it back to my car by 11 AM. After perusing other hiking accounts for summiting, it is apparently customary to have summit times and distances. I attempted to map the hike with my running app, but it gave out or lost signal 2/3 of the way through. Next time I will try to have better documentation. I also caused a blunder of my own by not charging my camera battery. It of course died at the top of Mount Cameron. I used my phone at Mount Lincoln, but it stopped working on the saddle to Mount Bross. I did have a backup pocket camera but left it on the front passenger seat in the vehicle. C’est la vie. I am sure to have more experiences in kind the first couple times out until I remember my hiking legs. 🙂
I planned out a few grouped 14ers I would like to accomplish this summer. They can be found on my Colorado 14ers page.

Favorite Travel Quotes

9 May 2012

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins

 “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu

 “Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac

 “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

A little reading time…

9 May 2012

42) Absolute Friends – John le Carré
41) White Fang – Jack London
40) The Call of the Wild – Jack London
39) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain (aka Samuel Langhorne Clemens)
38) The Crime of the Century: Richard Speck and the Murder of Eight Student Nurses – Dennis L. Breo and William J. Martin
37) An Analysis of the Kinsey Reports on Sexual Behavior in the Human Male and Female – edited by Donald Porter Geddes
36) The Help – Kathryn Stockett
35) Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
34) Chile: The Legacy of Hispanic Capitalism (3rd Ed., 2001) – Brian Loveman
33) Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (#1 in series) – Gregory Maguire
32) Interpol: A History and Examination of 70 Years of Crime Solving – Fenton Bresler
31) The Mammoth Hunters (#3 in series) – Jean M. Auel
30) Angle of Repose – Wallace Stegner
29) Tender is the Night – F. Scott Fitzgerald
28) The Girl Who Played with Fire (#2 in series) – Stieg Larsson
27) Never Let Me Go: A Novel – Kasuo Ishiguro
26) Ordinary Thunderstorms – William Boyd
25) Bel Canto – Anne Patchett
24) Stonehenge: A Novel – Bernard Cornwell
23) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – Jules Verne
22) We the Living – Ayn Rand
21) Beloved – Toni Morrison
20) The Safe House – Nicci French
19) The Interpretation of Murder – Jed Rubenfeld
18) The Meme Machine – Susan Blackmore
17) Karl Marx: A Life – Francis Wheen
16) Galápagos – Kurt Vonnegut
15) Envisioning Sustainability – Peter Berg
14) Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World – Alan Weisman
13) Solar – Ian McEwan
12) The Blind Assassin – Margaret Atwood
11) Inka Kola: Traveller´s Tale of Peru – Matthew Parris
10) For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway
9) Dreams of Rivers and Seas – Tim Parks
8) Some Came Running – James Jones
7) A Feast for Crows (#4 in series) – George R.R. Martin
6) The Valley of Horses (#2 in series) – Jean M. Auel
5) Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen
4) Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (#1 in series) – Stieg Larsson
3) Flat, Hot, and Crowded – Thomas Friedman
2) Cadillac Desert – Marc Reisner
1) Lies my Teacher Told Me – James Loewen

Travel Log

9 May 2012

The following are all the places I visited while traveling the past year in South America.

Argentina:
Mendoza
Córdoba
Alta Gracia
San Miguel de Tucumán
Cafayate
Salta
Purmamarca
Tilcara
Humahuaca
Iruya
Salta
Corrientes
Puerto Iguazú
Mercedes
Colonia
Carlos Pellegrini
Buenos Aires
El Tigre
San Antonio de Areco
Rosario
Santa Fe
Colón
Lujan
Buenos Aires

Chile:
San Pedro de Atacama
Calama
Iquique
La Serena
Pisco Elqui/Valle Elqui
Santiago
Valparaiso
Viña del Mar

Bolivia:
Copacabana
La Paz
El Alto
La Cumbre
Yolosa
Cochabamba
Samaipata
Mairana
Amboró National Park
Santa Cruz
Sorata
Sucre
Potosí
Uyuni (Salar de Uyuni)

Perú:
Tumbes
Máncora
Chimbote
Huaraz
Lima
Ica
Huacachina
Nazca
Cuzco
Pisaq
Pikillaqta
Tipón
Ollantaytambo
Chinchero
Santa Maria
Santa Teresa
Aguas Calientes
Arequipa
Chivay
San Juan de Chuccho
Cosñirhua
Malata
Sangalle (Oasis)
Cabanaconde
Puno

Ecuador:
Guayaquil
Loja
Vilcabamba
Rumi Wilco
Cuenca
Riobambo
Baños
Puyo
Kichwa Community
Quito
Bahía de Caraquez
Planet Drum Foundation
Canoa
Latacunga
Chugchilán

Home sweet home.

8 May 2012

In all my excitement to go home, I forgot to make a final post. That is right, I am officially back in the U.S., in the one and only Colby, Kansas. I will be living with my parents (though not in their basement…) for the next couple months until I move to Colorado. I will be making a big step toward adulthood and maturity by starting a real job and living in my own place. How exciting…

To wrap things up, my last week in Buenos Aires was fantastic. I finished visiting the different neighborhoods: San Telmo, La Boca, Recoletta, and Palermo. I went to two Tango dinner shows (AMAZING!). I also caught a few fairs in the neighborhoods. Though I must say the highlight finale was going to the Lujan Zoo, where I interacted with lions, tigers, elephants, snakes, an iguana, ferret, and more within their cages! I kissed a lion on the face and he simply blinked at me; I played tug-of-war with four month old tigers; and a full grown elephant ate from my hand! It was the best way I could have spent my last day in South America.

Leaving South America was the strangest sensation. To have been gone ten months and then suddenly leave. No grand send off, no goodbye party. Equally strange was arriving to Denver International Airport to the welcoming party of my one friend Caryl Abeyta. However, a low key reintroduction was just what the doctor ordered. I had just over a week to see friends in Colorado and relax with no pressure to do anything or be anywhere. I loved seeing my friends but now I am starting the slow life in Colby. My immediate plans are to do a little work to flush out the bank account before my move to CO.

That is it. My grand adventure has come to a close. Thank you to those who actually read along. 🙂

The End.