Saturday September 18^th, 2010 –  260 miles  – 15 days

TRAIL DAY 0

The night before the hike, I walked to the downtown area looking for the North Country Trail. After asking two people and forty five minutes of roaming the streets and busy ATV trails on both sides of the boarder, I finally followed the lead of five deer that were headed across town.  Honest !  They skirted an old warehouse, went up a wooded hill and past the ATV trail.  On the other side of a small gully was a second, little used abandoned railroad grade.  A short walk east led to the old wood railroad bridge crossing the Montreal River and the Michigan/Wisconsin boarder.

Traveling in the wilderness, days of the week and month no longer matter.  The year does not exist.  The only measure that counts are Trail Days.

 TRAIL DAY 1

After an early start from the state boarder, a big country omelet at Ben’s was in order.  Meeting a few of the good natured locals, I was told twice that I would be passing the “flying hill”… hmmmm.  After a pleasant five miles departing from Ironwood and about four miles of road walk, the very impressive Copper Peak Ski Flying Hill first comes into view from eight miles away.  There are only a dozen or so ski jumpers in North America that qualify to fly this hill.

 Finally entering the forest along the Black River brings the start of the real “hikeable” trail.  It is very exciting with the rush of water over one waterfall after another.  Taking too many pictures was impossible.  After a first long days hike, the first nights camp at Black River Harbor with a fantastic sunset over Lake Superior was a great reward.    

TRAIL DAY 2  -  16 miles

Crossing the suspension bridge over the Black River Harbor gave a final look at Rainbow Falls before the trail ascended to high ground of pine and hardwood forest.  Twenty minutes were spent trying to get a picture of the largest Pileated Woodpecker I’ve ever seen.  Many small streams and a beaver pond are found along the way before the trail gives way to a wide swath through an area of forest harvesting.

Eventually heading northward into the Porcupine Mountains the trail follows high ground above the Presque Isle River.  After four miles, it finally descended to the river so a water stop could be made.   The flow of the river picks up quite quickly along here providing several rapids, a few quick drops and more waterfalls.  I love waterfalls !

A great suspension bridge built by Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930′s takes the trail northeast just inside the woods along Lake Superior.  With a light rain coming down, an unexpected, but very welcome camp site was found on the shoreline.  Easing back into an armchair made from stone and eating dinner while looking out over Lake Superior, provided a relaxing end to another great day.

TRAIL DAY 3  -  23 miles

Leaving camp, I ran into my first fellow backpackers.  Dave and Jenifer were very knowledgeable about the Porcupine Mountains and beyond and gave some good tips for the coming days.  Dave eventually confessed to being a DNR officer for the park.  He and his wife were spending a weeks vacation hiking the trails.  How great it must be to actually want to vacation where you work!

The trail soon left the shoreline and followed a gentle ascent along the very scenic Little Carp River.  After Greenstone Falls, the trail became a bit steeper for some time before coming out on the first of many distant views to be seen during this journey.  A few stepping stone crossings, rapids, a couple of oddities and many great views made for a fun day.

TRAIL DAY 4  -  15 miles

Anxiously arriving at M-64, I was happy to find the supply drop that my ride Sam and I left hanging in a tree on the way to Ironwood.  After loading up, I attached a note to the bucket asking “some good person to please take and reuse or recycle it.  Reward within”.  After returning home, I received an e-mail from Tim and his wife thanking me for the yogurt covered dried cherries and that the bucket was used to collect Lake Superior stones for their fish tank and was now in the recycle bin.

Next  came the Trap Hills.  That first, rather steep climb took forty five minutes.  The hills to follow were as much a challenge, but all very well worth it.  The scenic vistas were incredible and came on one after another.  This trip was in late September, just in time for peak colors.

TRAIL DAY 5  -  15 miles

Up to this point a couple of planned water sources were no good due to the dry Summer. Having obtained two liters for a dry camp the night before, left me with only one liter to start out with.  The next planned hole was also dry.  Normally that might be OK, but the next two water sources on the map did not look promising either so a detour of two miles down Cty. Rd. 400 was the only sure thing.  Setting off just fifty feet down the road, there was a little used side road…. with a big puddle !  I took a liter from it, but would not treat it until reaching those next two holes.  Arriving at those sources over two hours later, one was found dry and the other really nasty, so yes  ….I treated and drank the road puddle water.  Wasn’t at all bad, either.

The rest of the morning brought on a variety of terrain with several streams and occasional views of the distant horizon.  The clouds had increased through the day and around noon the sky was completely covered.  Looking back to the west it was obvious that something was building up as the skies were turning much darker and lowering to cover the hill tops that I had just traversed.

The next couple miles of trail were rather hard going, following a narrow gorge along a creek with many downed trees …..and that is when the rains began.  Seventeen hours straight of a steady hard rain!  More than eight inches fell.  Sleep came easy that night as the soon to come rivers, lakes and wetlands started to overflow.

TRAIL DAY 6  -  6 miles

Everything including my boots were soaked except for a lightweight set of long underwear and a pair of socks.  It had also dropped to 34 degrees so it seemed safer to make a short day and try to dry things out at the up coming shelter.

This second rainy day turned into a fun one at Old Victoria Welcome Center.  While drying out using an old wood cook stove, I enjoyed greeting visitors, splitting wood and tending fires in the old historic homes used for the tours.  Many thanks to Lynette and Patty for their wonderful hospitality, good company and a great vegetarian pasty for dinner.

Historic Old Victoria, an old copper mining town, and the surrounding area were extremely interesting and worth spending an extra hour or two in any weather.  Check them out on their Face Book Page – Old Victoria Restoration.

TRAIL DAY 7  -  28 miles

With the heavy rainfall, it would not be possible to make the two river fords planned for this day.  Between the two high water routes, 5.2 miles were added to the journey.

The lands between and after these routes were typically wetlands.  On this day, they were flooded wetlands.  A friend suggested they then would simply be classified as swamp.  I agree!  Many unexpected challenges were faced.  Creeks and rivers were forded that normally would have been jumped or crossed on stones.  Boardwalks now under water could not be followed and left one surrounded by foot deep water.  In one spot a small spring was bubbling up right in the middle of the trail.  Dry land was seldom seen this day.

It did make for some great pics and ended on a high note with the meeting of trail mates Muir, Katelyn and Scuds.  They were very welcome company while standing around their warm coal stoked fire built along an unused railroad.

TRAIL DAY 8  -  20 miles

A fairly early start led to an eerie layer of fog infused with fall colors surrounding the many beaver ponds and swamps along the way.

I ran into John Diebel and his two boxers out for a day hike.  Nemo was especially “loving” and lots of fun after fording the Silver River   I walked about a hundred yards only to strip down once more to ford the Silver River again!

Entering the Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness brought much welcomed higher dry ground.  It was so dry that there was a twelve mile stretch coming up before the next water supply and would require an overnight dry camp along the way.  Treating just two litters of water might be stretching it a bit (hint), but I decided to go for it after “cameling” a half liter.

TRAIL DAY 9  -  19 miles

Waking with dry eyes (another hint), I continued on and came to a 1000 acre tract of forest that had burned two years prior.  At the same moment the wind died down and all was still.  It felt as though I was treading through a grave yard for the next hour or so.

Returning to the banks of the Sturgeon River, Tibbets Falls was not to be found.  The river was still flowing with such fierce volume that the falls had turned into a class IV rapids, which was very exciting for this old white water kayaker.  Northward from here, brought the introduction to a very friendly Spruce Grouse that must have been guarding a nest of young because he strutted his stuff back and forth across the trail within ten feet.  These grouse are very rare, seldom seen and protected by state law.  It was quite the treat.

Addressing those previous “hints” that I should have caught myself, I’ll be straight forward so others might learn from my mistake.  As the day progressed, I also wondered why I needed to piss when the volume was so little ….duhhh!  It was after 16 miles in that day, that the small amount of piss turned to a very dark brown.  Dehydrated !  I thought I’d been drinking plenty of water at my normal one liter per six miles, but obviously, it was not enough.  Minutes away from the next water source, I easily guzzled a liter of water, packed a second and slowly hiked another three miles.  Feeling a bit light headed and knowing that one can go down rather suddenly under these circumstances, I was very fortunate to catch a ride the last four miles into Alberta, my planned stay for that night.

TRAIL DAY 10  -  6 miles

Alberta is the site of Michigan Techs. Ford Center, a remote campus for their Forestry Program and an old Ford Motor Company saw mill museum.  Deciding to take a light day to recover a bit, I caught a ride back to the point of leaving the trail and continued the short hike back to Alberta.  It was a surprising treat to get a premier peak at a brand new section of trail crossing the Michigan Tech. Property.  This sweet addition to the NCT included a rather interesting bridge and quite a bit of full bench trail cut into the side of a couple of hills.  At one point, a small spring leaks out into the path so a tread of split stone was laid to cross the wet earth.  Kudos to the volunteers of the Peter Wolfe Chapter of the North Country Trail Association.

TRAIL DAY 11  -  24 miles

A very old M-41 was nothing more than a two track most of the way.  It was a creative dance trying to avoid the waters covering the tracks.  It was a very scenic and easy hike for the most part.  Road work can go quite quickly so many miles were covered and I was able to snatch a grilled burger, fries and a cold glass of milk along the way.  Ohhhhh… so good.

Entering Craig Lake State Park, the rains from Trail Day 5 continued to prevail as it was necessary to pass through foot deep water just to get to a bridge to cross a river.  This very remote state park, however, was still really fantastic, leading to the first bald eagle sighting of the trip, many moose tracks and more interesting sites that will be saved for your own adventure.  Spending a week here would be well worth it.  They even have yurts with bunks and wood stoves available for rent.  They looked pretty sweet.

TRAIL DAY 12 – 14 miles

The McCormick Wilderness Tract was one of my favorite parts of the adventure with varied terrain and more fantastic views.  It is all about the views isn’t it ?  It also led to the meeting of two other section hikers from Traverse City headed in the opposite direction…. or so I thought.  Stopping for a short conversation while they ate lunch, they then pointed out the trail from which they came and I continued on.

No blazes are allowed and NCT hikers are warned upon entry of the difficulty in following this seldom used trail.  It was even more fun with the recent drop of leaves covering the forest floor.  The only clues to follow the trail were a slight depression in the leaves, hand sawed and ax cut logs that keep the trail open and occasional cairns (small stacks of rocks placed as a marker). It didn’t take long to figure out that I had gotten off on a deer trail a time or two and to back track a short ways to search for the proper trail.  Make sure to plan a bit more time to find the way through this section.

TRAIL DAY 13  -  17 miles

As of this hike, a note on one of the maps saying that construction of a couple mile section of trail was to begin in 2006 was untrue. The local chapters web site warned that this would likely be the case but there may be some flagging tape left that was placed to mark the intended route three years ago.

Occasionally, I had noticed a fresh footprint while hiking toward this blank section on the map.  Just before the trail ended it had turned north along a small stream when a voice was clearly heard on the other side.  Waiting until the stream crossing and turning back south I hollered loudly  ….”Hello? …. Someone else in here?”. Someone was in front of me that did not want to be found.   A hunter maybe? It was a bit unsettling especially since the old flagging tape was not to be seen.  Was this guy removing them as he went?

Avoiding any confrontation, I decided to climb a steep incline up and over the rocky hill rather than going out and around.  The climb was a bit tough, but quite exciting.  Finding an open lookout up top, I took compass bearings and decided to continue further northeast to the next ridge in hopes of running across the flagging tape.  Just before hopping up on a very large bolder to clear the next point there it was, a very faded pink band around a small two inch tree.  Bingo !  Carefully following the seldom seen pink tape, I added new orange tape that was brought along for the purpose of helping out some future traveler of this path.

An hour and a half later, the well point that was the first destination of the void appeared.  The old logging trail that was to be followed on out was totally grown over and blended in with the rest of the forest floor.  It was back to the compass on a southeast heading for the Silver Lake Basin to make the way to Red Road and my exit out.  A GPS unit in the future maybe? …..nahhhhh ….this was too much fun!

After the sighting of a full double rainbow toward the evening, the two guys I had run across in the McCromick Tract pulled up next to me on Red Road.  They had got my note left on the windshield of their car earlier, saying I had fun with the compass and map work and had made it through the void while avoiding a possible “situation” of a human nature.  We had quite the laugh when they explained that they had not heard me and that the stranger on the trail ahead was them.  I did find out that they had hiked the McCormick in and were headed back when I ran into them, but I’m still not clear as to how they ended up ahead of me.  I feel bad for forgetting names so if your reading this, please get in touch.

TRAIL DAY 14  -  22 miles

The next section of trail was disrupted by logging operations a few years ago and has since been revived but is not shown on the current NCT maps.  Maps and notes were found online that gave good directions to this nice section of trail that eventually falls in along the early beginnings of the Little Garlic River.  It wound in and around and up and down a few short hills with some nicely built stone stairs in a couple places.  The latest notes indicated that this trail may also come to an unfinished ending and it did.  There was a new ATV trail at that point but it ran in the wrong direction so I opted to continue eastward, bushwhacking my way along the river.  As promised, the slow progress ended, coming out on an old two track that hooked up with a network of gravel roads.  The trail ducked back into the Escanaba River State Forest to run back along the growing Little Garlic River.

After another quick bit of road work, the trail led out to the very welcome sight of Lake Superior for the first time since Trail Day 3.  The trail led in and out along some interesting shoreline and through the Little Presque Isle Recreation area.  It was here that a large and most interesting “rainbow wall” appeared far out over the lake.

TRAIL DAY 15  -  14 miles

The morning was spent approaching Hogback Mountain, but the trip to the top will wait for another time as the North Country Trail only traversed along it’s side.  The trail leading into Marquette was surprisingly a very nice hike.  The local chapter has done a nice job to avoid all but a very small amount of trail shared with bikers, joggers and dog walkers.  The “blue chip” runs mostly on it’s own into town and even at that point it was a nice walk along the shoreline.

A huge bacon / blue cheese burger, salad, steak fries and a Founders IPA at a downtown restaurant (fortunately with an outdoor patio) brought this journey to its end.

The stats of this trip included 260 miles of trail, fifteen days, well over eight inches of rain, lows of 34 degrees, 26 pounds of food and a bunch of good people along the way.  It brought on unexpected challenges by way of heavy rains, flooding, cold and dehydration.  As forewarned, the trail was difficult at times and non-existent at others.  A great deal of preparation and planning turned  these challenges into adventures and the basis for a great and exciting journey.

Also…. as always….  SAFETY FIRST !

This hike would not have been possible if it were not for the many hours provided by the volunteers of the North Country Trail Association.  Contact your local chapter and volunteer just for one day.  I promise a very rewarding experience.

Get up, get out and get active.  Your adventure is just over the next hill.

“Windigo” Doug

September 17 and 18 was the first full educational Apex Outdoor Gear Beginner Backpacking trip.  10 participants met for two clinics to learn how to pack and prepare for an overnight trip.  The first clinic was spent going over in detail all the different gear that you would want to have for a trip and how to use it.  This clinic was meant to ease those gripped with   Trilesalectinophobia, or the fear of camping equipment.  The second clinic was a dose of realilty with a complete shake down.  Everyone brought their gear in and we went through bit by bit of what to take, what to leave and how to pack their bags.  After prying a couple extra utensils and lights from our newbie’s hands we made sure everyone was ready to go.  The last thing we wanted was to worry about over packing and  leaving gear on the trail like Bill Bryson on his Appalachian Trail hike in the book Walk in the Woods (a good read by the way).

The overnight trip took place just north of Ludington on the gorgeous beach’s of Lake Michigan in the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area.  Friday night we hiked in looking for a scenic camp site.  And after finding a sight right near the beach we spent sometime getting to know each other through our first very serious clinic of the trip on going to the bathroom in the woods. If you think that you don’t know someone then wait till you hear about their favorite way to poop in the woods.  It is a good way to really get to know each other quickly.

After setting camp we dove into some of the beginner curriculum.  We roasted marshmallows while learning about fire building, tarp building, and stoves.  Full from s’mores we bear bagged and made camp bomb proof to prepare for the storm heading our way. 

Saturday morning brought thunder, light rain, and a gourmet oatmeal breakfast.  You can catch the YouTube video of the trip if you don’t believe the breakfast was gourmet.  It was good enough that our group mascot Summit(a dog) assisted in polishing off any that someone couldn’t finish.

Saturday’s agenda included hiking 3 miles to see some amazing tornado damage from 2007 and continue our education.  But, first order of business was to have fun dancing in the waves of Lake Michigan to get water that wasn’t too sandy.  Once the hike started we took time to stop on the trail and learn water purification, kitchen safety, blister care, map and compass, and Leave No Trace. 

Overall, the trip was a great learning experience for everyone and the group managed to make it back in one piece  Everyone was excited and ready to plan their next outdoor adventure realizing that they too have conquered the debilitating disease, Trilesalectinophobia.

Check out a video of our trip here or pics here.

The North Channel isn’t a mystical place that has been hidden from civilization.  It’s not a long and hard journey to get there.  Heck, we all know Canadians will pretty much take us and our money any day of the week.  And to be honest, it wasn’t a big to do trip.  We didn’t cover any record breaking miles or battle some relentless seas of death.  What made it big for me was that I had dreamt of coming to this place for 11 years.  And I finally made it.

So my question is: Why do we make realizing dreams so difficult?

My first thought is that complacency is so much easier.  To make a dream real requires effort and sometimes that’s more than what we want to put in.  Maybe we perceive the goal and what we’ll get out of it as not worth the work required to make it happen?  That’s fair.  We can be really lazy sometimes…. and I like lazy.
Other thoughts come almost daily from customers in the store.  When talking about giving backpacking a try (mind you they bring up the fact that they’ve always thought about it) I hear all sorts of stuff.  “I’m too old for that”, “I have kids now”, “Oh, I’m not capable of doing that”, ”Are you crazy? There’s animals that will rip your flesh off and eat your eyeballs for breakfast”.  Maybe not the last one.  But as a “take the easy way” society we tend to doubt ourselves.

My friend (we’ll call him Windigo), is currently working on completing all the sections of the North Country Trail through Michigan north of Grand Rapids.  In fact he’s out right now hiking south from Paradise in the UP.  He’s waited and planned to do this part finishing with the Labor Day bridge walk so he can actually “hike” every part.  Now that’s a cool goal!  Windigo could be sitting home drinking a beer right now pipe dreaming with friends.  But he’s making it happen.  This goal has given him a healthy focus point in order to get something out of life.
Believe it or not, we weren’t put here on earth to work for “the man” until we are old and then waste away in a rocking chair.  We have got to have some fun along the way!

Maybe theres underlying reasonable reasons to put these dreams off.  Money, experience, I wet my pants everytime I think about it.  We could go on and on.  I wonder if I was meant to kayak the North Channel with my wife rather than with a bunch of friends as another “tick” in our list of “places I’ve been” when I was young.  I’ll never know.  But what I do know is that I wouldn’t trade that experience with my wife for anything.
This leads me to something that will really blow your mind.  Maybe the North Channel wasn’t the point.  Maybe, just maybe, it was simply the medium in which my wife and I could make a lasting memory and really could have kayaked anywhere.  Of course, would the memories not have been as great if it wasn’t such an important destination to me?  Once again, we’ll never know.

Ever hear the phrase “It’s about the journey, not the destination?”  I really believe this holds true in just about everything we do.  Think about your favorite trips.  Do you remember the one minute that you stood looking out over a particular vista?  Or the planning, mishaps, arguements, laughs and fun experiences that lead you to that vista?
Think about your goals or dreams.  What’s holding you back?  When you think about the destination and what you’ll get out of it, does it not seem worth the effort?  Now think about getting to that destination with friends or family and the experiences that could come from it.  Does it seem worth it now?

Another friend has always wanted to through hike the Appalachian Trail.  He recently asked “what am I waiting for”?  Now he is putting a plan together to see what it will take to make it happen.  This is how we should go about handling our dreams.  Can they all come true?  No.  But this is how you tell what to hold onto and work towards or what can be a pipe dream.  Life will get in the way.  No doubt about it.  Just make sure that you aren’t short changing yourself and taking the easy way out.

Thinking about all of my trips and experiences while writing this, I know I don’t regret any of them.  Well the alternative was work, so of course I don’t regret them.  Where I went or what I saw was cool, but what I remember the most is the fun I had with whoever I went with.  But even more important than that is how these trips have shaped me as a person.  Everything we do, we take something from it and that changes us just ever so slightly.  It makes up who we are.  In fact I realize that these “experiences” have made me realize that life is all about experiences.  Now that makes my mind melt…..

So.  Instead of sitting home (easy), watching TV (easy) and sipping on a Milwaulke’s Best (not so easy – have you ever really tasted one?) figure out where you are going to take the kids backpacking.  Think about something you’ve wanted to do and keep putting off.  And how to make it happen.  That’s your first step down the harder trail that has spooky looking trees and knarly rocks.  Don’t worry though, the planning, the packing, the anticipation, it will all be worth it and really make the trip “a trip”.

Oh, and Windigo.  By the end of the month he’ll be completing the last bit with a hike from Iron Mountain to Marquette in the UP.  The funny thing about dreams are how they change.  He’s already talking about the North Country Trail through Wisconsin.

So what are you dreaming of doing???

We have all encountered such mystifying persons in the field.  In fact I encountered one just a couple of weeks ago while kayaking the North Channel waterway in Canada.  The North Channel is a must do for any kayaker and I wonder why it took us so long to make it there.  But that’s a whole other topic.
So there we were, two kayakers freshly perched upon a pathetic slab of rock (one could call it an island since there were technically 3 trees on it).  As we settled in our camp chairs for our second to last day’s lunch this “idiot” presented himself.  He was one of those people who are completely unaware of their mistake in being unprepared until it’s too late and they are in the thick of their predicament.  That’s when us good Samaritans step in to save the day.  Even though by helping this person we risk being uncomfortable (lending a hat or jacket) at best or ruining your whole trip (escorting them all the way back to the trail head) at worst, we still go home and brag about our heroics.  There is a certain pride in being prepared.  And there’s even more pride when we can step in to help a fellow camper,… even if you think this idiot couldn’t handle walking a dog let alone sustaining life in the backcountry.  The problem in my situation is realizing that this idiot whom my wife was now staring at was me.  And there was no good Samaritans around to help us out.  Now my folly wasn’t as bad as some, but deciding to roll the dice on only one small canister of fuel for a new stove setup was not smart.  Especially since we had spent the time to  strap two 17ft. long yellow torpedos to a car and drive 7 hours.  Now it was suddenly cut short.  We could have survived off of crunchy dehydrated hash browns in the morning, but where do you draw the line on “fun”.  Luckily we had decided to take the second to last day, get back towards our car and just be able to play around the islands.  This obviously didn’t happen as we paddled back in almost a day early.

Anyway, my point here is that we can all be idiots at times.  It really is a humbling experience to think you have your “poop in a group” only to realize that you in fact don’t.  I have noticed more and more stories lately of these “idiots” that venture into the backcountry and get themselves into more serious trouble than not being able to cook dinner.  Here’s an article from the NY Times (Technology Leads More Park Visitors Into Trouble) that gives a point of view on such idiots.  Some stories are of serious injury, while others are of head-shaking bewilderment leading you to think “how can these people even get dressed in the morning”.  I’ll admit that I’m one of the critics of such idiots.  But the big issue here really boils down to being prepared.  And education is a strong part of being prepared.  Education in gear and proper use.  Education in the area we are traveling to.  Education we gain from experience.  And education in knowing what we don’t know.  Many of the recent stories include a “new to the outdoors” victim that has bought a sweet piece of gear or gadgetry and feels as if they can take on mother nature.  If worse comes to worse, they can rip off their wicking shirt and turn in to Bear Grylls….. what idiots!
Well, KNOCK, KNOCK.  Reality here.  This will continue to happen as along as new technology is developed and safer ways of venturing into the wild come along (like SPOT messaging).  Let’s use these new tools (gadgets), but be smart about it.  Once in awhile I’ll talk to someone who had a bad experience setting up a tent on a trip.  Well come to find out they didn’t set it up in the comfort of their own backyard before they went.  The problem in these instances is looking at gear as a solution rather than simply a tool.  YOU are the solution to a particular situation whether it’s in the prep work or during the mishap on the trail.  The gear is only as good or as smart as the operator.  In my situation I did stop to think of the risk of not taking extra fuel while packing.  As a gear nerd I wanted to see how long this fuel would last.  But I should have done this BEFORE the trip.  However, I had assured myself that we would be fine.  And we were.  But willing to cut the trip a little short because of our lack of fuel was suddenly regretted when I heard the stove go out.  Luckily the paddle back was entertaining as my wife cracked jokes about what else her great outdoorsman might have left behind.

Remember that no matter how new or experienced you are there is always room to be an idiot.  I’ll still criticize the ones that call in rescue because they lost their flashlight (mostly because it’s fun).  But we have to be humble in not thinking that we’ve got this outdoor think licked for one reason or another.  There’s no substitute for practicing with new gear and having backups.  Plus there’s no excuse to not educate yourself as much as possible.  Always be willing to learn new techniques even if you are 90% sure it’s something you’ll never need.  That 10% is always looming over our head.  Learn from others mistakes and if you see an idiot in the woods, help them out.  It maybe some that has run out of fuel for their stove………… what and idiot……  And most of all be willing to laugh at yourself for being an idiot. 

In the end I go back to what was drove into my head as a Boy Scout: Be Prepared.  Meaning don’t forget anything.  But now in my adult life I have come to realize that those two words actually mean something different: Know How Much of an Idiot You Can Be”.

yum! (is it okay to say "yum" as a description for gear?)

We are always looking for new gear.  That’s part of being a gear nerd.  But what’s more important to us than this  new gear just being sweet and cool is the usability of it.  We want to know that this new peice of sweetness is actually functional and going to work.  So ultimately we play with it until we can say, “yes, I would use this myself”.

Yes!  Is the answer for the Black Diamond Infinity 60.  This baby is fully functional and has only what you need in a pack,…… along with something that you didn’t think you needed, but will want once you try it on and determine that you do need it!  BD calls this the ergoACTIV suspension.  Now we’ve tried packs that “move” with your body.  The ones that feet like a blind donkey picked out where your hip movement should be.  But the ergoACTIV suspension pretty much nails it.  The hipbelt is on a single pivot point that allows complete independent movement.  And the shoulder straps, get this, are linked at the bottom through the pack via a free running cable.  So if you reach up with your right arm the shoulder strap pulls slack from the now loosened left side…. genious!   Below are more features that BD states on their website (with our comments of course..) 

This pack was listed in Backpacker magazines Gear Guide as “all-day comfort”.  You can read the brief review below: http://www.backpacker.com/gear-guide-april-2010-black-diamond-infinity-60innova-60/gear/13885

If you’re a gear nerd (and I know most of you are) it’s worth just stopping in to try it on.  Even if you’re not in the market for a new pack, it’s sweet!
Plus, we only have one in right now.  So if you stop in to check it out, let us know what you think of it.

What kind of pack do you have?  And what do you think of it.  Maybe write a quick review here under comments and let everyone in on your thoughts.

You don’t want a behemoth on your back because it is simply going to slow you down. At the same time, if you do get stuck out there for a night, you want have what you need to survive. Look for a pack with a capacity around 24-32 liters. (Think Dueter Spectro 28). With the back system that will keep you dry as well as a superb suspension system that will take weight well, the spectro line is a solid line to take with you out and about. But the key to keeping it simple is knowing what gear you have and all the ways you can use it.

Clearly, you need to know where you’re going. If if you plan on sticking to  a well marked trail it is ALWAYS a good idea to take navigation tools with you. A map of the area along with a compass or gps will keep you in the game. Knowledge of how to use the compass is also essential, ask us about our navigation clinics. Oh yeah, and do you have some kind of communication device like a whistle?

Dealing with the light. A headlamp with extra batteries is pretty essential. A lot of times the hike may just take longer and you don’t get back to your car until the sun is gone. Also, make sure you’ve got a hat and sunglasses or something to protect you from that big burning light source we call the sun. You want to be able to see and enjoy what you just hiked for, don’t you?

Plus, unless you have a steel gut with an “on/off” valve you may have to do an emergency pit stop, a trowel and a bit of toilet paper is always good insurance. Nobody wants to see your ‘leave behind pieces’ next to the trail……. or stained on the seat of your pants!

For a typical three season hike, it is pretty important that you have the essential clothing and insulation. Even if it is warm during the day, it may get colder the closer it gets to evening/night especially if you’re at any sort of altitude.

So here’s a list of 10 essentials…

Map, compass, Flashlight/headlamp, extrafood&water, extra clothes, sun protection, first aid kit, firestarter, matches, knife. (why not bring some cord, water purification tablets, blister kits, whistle, signal mirror, lighter)

Though we’d love to debate all day why we’d take the a Petzl headlamp over a blackdiamond, or why tablets are better than drops, you’ve really got to figure out what works best for YOU. But then, why would you hoard all that information for yourself. Nobody new is going to learn and get our more if it wasn’t passed on. What are the things you’d bring for this kind of hike?

“It was taken last summer in Olympic National Park along the “Ghost Coast”. My Mom, a friend and I hiked for three days along the coast line, then headed inland to backpack in the Hoh Rainforest. This photo was taken a few miles north of Rialto Beach. This was our first trip hiking around the tidal conditions and surprisingly it felt like a race, having to be to your camp by a certain time in order to get there while the tide was out. Awesome trip though! I took home tons of sea glass (I consider picking up sea glass like picking up liter, its just trash. beautiful trash). This picture is of me navigating the slippery rocks in the tidal plane.”

Kyle won a Sea to Summit Kitchen Sink.  We were not planning on having a runner up, but Sheri and Randy insisted that this photo could not be ignored!  Congrats Kyle!

And our winner of the Photo Contest, Matt & Maureen!  This photo edged out all of the other great photos.  Sheri was very inspired by the shear coolness, but mostly due to the depiction of a shared experience.  Randy and Sheri both thought that this particular photo would really inspire others to get their families out and experience things like this together.

“We went canyoneering near Zion National Park in Utah last summer. Matt loves to climb rocks, but when it came time to rappel down, well…not so much.  After Jeremy (Zion Rock and Mountain Guides) got Matt all geared up, Matt just couldn’t do it.  So Jeremy unhooked Matt, strapped him to himself, and they came down together.  To his credit, Jeremy tried each time to get Matt to come down, geared him up each time, but they always ended up coming down together.  They were both troopers!  And, of course, all our AOG gear worked out very well throughout the trip, especially on our Narrows hike.
Thanks again! It’s been great finding a place with good products, but priceless finding a place with people willing to take the time to help and give advice.” – Maureen

We didn’t add that last part…… really!  Thanks Maureen!
Matt and Maureen won a Steripen Classic UV Purifier!  This little baby is great to carry with you anywhere.  It zaps all the nasties in the water in 90 seconds!  Hope you get some great use out of it.

We poured out of the van at our start.  Everyone got situated with packs and shoes and one last stop to the luxury of a toilet stationed at the parking lot.  The one lane bridge crossing the Manistee was a great photo opp for the “before picture” prior to ducking into the woods on the north side.  This was clearly a new trail as you could see the remnants of fern stalks still in the path.  It has only been maybe a year since this new trail had been cut due to a re-route further south that puts the hiker along the Hodenpyl dam backwaters.  Our pace was enjoyable as our only goal was to exhaust a little daylight and work in about 3 miles.  Bryan and Ed took the lead (which was to be expected) while Pat and Pattie brought up the back taking their time to enjoy their surroundings.  Kate and I bopped along in the middle along with Alex who quickly got the new trail name “Yo-Yo” due to how he would dissappear to the front with Ed and Bryan and then drop to the back with Pat and Pattie while sometimes hiking with us in the middle.  Our first night was on an open bluff overlooking the river.  Some of us scrambled down to the river to get a look and watch master fisherman Ed make “not catching” a fish look good.  As we settled in next to a fire we could tell that the forecast of thunderstorms and rain was not looking too good.

I always enjoy waking to the oven affect the tent gives off from the morning sun hitting it.  But, as I prepared myself to see the rain clouds looming in the distance as our forcast had called for I saw exactly what I suspected, filling the sky, threatening the enjoyment of our day…..big huge rays of sun.  Just as I thought, the forecast was wrong again which was going to be a theme the rest of our beautiful weekend until Sunday morning’s rain showers.  While packing up we observed our newest to backpacking Pattie trying to get her pack all filled.  So as the experts that everyone wants to be, we decided to help and put in our thoughts.  Whenever you are new to something there is a learning curve that has to be overcome and backpacking seems to have a pretty steep one.

But no fear, we had her set and a little more educated.  The pack was definitely a little on the heavy side so our hero of this story Bryan volunteered to swap packs.  Pattie’s = 35lbs, Bryan’s = 16lbs, which one would you want to carry?  Well, after a hearty breakfast and everyone was packed we moved out on our day that was to be around 14 miles.  The pace was again nice, easy and steady.  With plenty of overlooks the Highbanks rollaway area is a wonderful trail to hike.  The only downside to this beautiful hike is the lack of water along the way up on the bluffs.  So when you hit a stream, make sure you use it.  Bugs were very under control.  Just make sure you Ed with you for them to follow…..  Our lunch stop at “the” Highbank Rollaway was hot and a little buggy with black flies, not biting, just landing on everything.  Our next stop was to be a creek right before we hit our 2.4 miles of road hiking (an unfortunate, but necessary part of many sections on the North Country Trail).

The creek was like a little Garden of Eden for us as we were all low on water and hot from the hiking.  Shoes came off and bottles were filled while we relaxed.  After our road section we ventured down an overgrown two track to make our way back towards the Manistee River.  Our hope was to find a nice spot like the previous night to set up and relax.  The bummer was that this didn’t happen for a few more miles than expected so we were beat.  But the good side was having the river again that we could soak and relax in as well as having a good view at our camp.  That night we made cheesy potato burritos that made short work of filling our stomachs… very delicious.  As we went to bed we were all amazed at Yo-Yo (Alex)(we’re trying to get his trail name to stick) who simply put down a pad, doned his rain shell and bug net and pulled a tarp up to his head.  He was going to just cowboy camp.  How simply lightweight and sweet is that?  Well, not too great when we woke up at 5am to pouring rain.  At which point Ed came up to my tent, “Dude, let’s boogy into Cadillac and get breakfast”.  My wife, Kate, and I replied, “done and done”.  So we all packed up in the non-stop rain and started hiking.  This is where the extra hiking the night before really paid off.  Only 4 miles and we were back to the other vehicle we had dropped on Friday night.

Once again, sardines stuffed into a can to make our way to the start and the van that we left two days ago, only this time we were sardines in the mustard sauce, looking a little nasty but feeling so good.  And by 9:30am we were stuffing our faces at an all you can eat breakfast bar.  The other beauty to backpacking is the feeling of treating yourself after a job well done: Hiking all that way, defying mother nature with her bugs and unpredictable weather, being able to comfortably survive in the wilderness for two nights and enjoying every bit of it.

Also, we are going to add a new section to the Blog pretty soon. Our Reports about Awesome Destinations section or RAD as we’ll call it, will be an open section to you guys to post about cool trips you’ve done. We’re gonna provide you with a basic template and then you get to share your knowledge and experience with others. RAD is going to be a resource for all of you looking to check out new places, hook up with new backpackers, climbers, runners etc. and get the skinny on cool places to be.  

Oh, and one last tidbit, we’re going to host some cool events on the blog soon that could win you some swag from Apexoutdoor gear or some other cool stuff. Let’s put it this way, you WILL NOT want to miss out.

Down to business….

We’ve got to eat. Research suggests that the average Human can four to six weeks without food. But honestly, we hope you never get there.

Enter Enertia Trail Foods.  Around $5-7.

These pre-packaged meals are dehydrated instead of freeze-dried, an industry standard way of preserving food for backpackers. You could make a case for both but we’ve heard from backpackers that the difference is clearly noticeable. The flavors seem more prevalent. The aromas smell more perfect.

Each meal is individually vacuum-sealed in an FDA approved, stand-alone, waterproof pouch. The pouch is re-sealable and has water mark measurements on each side. Enertia trail foods have changed their packaging to a brighter blue so you can quickly and easily find those packets too.

The process is pretty simple, cut the top, mix the ingredients if that is necessary at all, use as bowl, pack out trash (DUH!).

Enertia has also broken the meals into three categories (not Breakfast, lunch and dinner). You can choose from ‘Prepare’ , ‘Perform’ and ‘Recover’.

One of our favorites is the Rainier Rice. It’s fairly high in carbs (76) and calorie total (430) and tastes great as is. Real men, for example, Dave, pile on the Tabasco to give it that extra kick. It takes about 10 minutes to cook – add boiling water, seal and set aside 5-7 min. Add your spices and enjoy. And, for you real mean, cooking doesn’t get easier than that. Well, there is cereal…

Don’t look at the copious calories as a bad thing. After a long day on the trail, you’ll be happy to eat a whole meal and really, we’ve found it to be a good amount to fill us up and replenish us for the next day.

There are over 30 different choices, and for the price, you might as well try them out. Serve them for your Mom. They taste so good there is no way she wouldn’t be impressed with your cooking “skills”.

Enjoy the weekend!

P.S. for a party in your mouth, try the “No-bake Power Cookie”.