This past weekend.  Adirondacks

Backpack trip in the Joyce Kilmer wilderness here in the western NC mtns this past weekend +Monday. Hiked up Sat and Sun, gaining 3400'. Primitive trails that are narrow, little to no side bench cut while covered in deep leaves(hard to follow sometimes), and often straight up the fall-line(no switchbacks). I've been hiking these trails for yrs tho, since I live about 10 miles from the trailheads. Anyway, here some pics.

3 of us on this trip, that are life long best friends, now in our late 50s. About to head-in(note we're calibrating our altimeters) and climb for the next 2 days. We're climbing up unto and the along for about 7.5 more miles..a dry narrow ridgeline. So we have to pack 2 days worth of water(normally we just carry enough to get us to the next water source, which here in these mtns, is usually relatively close) just starting out dow low. The pay back is awesome views and a more remote trail.

Up up up for the next 2 days.



My base load(everything including stove fuel, but no water or food yet) is 15lbs. But with waterfor both me and the dog(for 2 days), 3 days food plus some luxuries(Bourbon, real food, +dog food) I'm tot'n about 30 lbs for the first 2000'-ish vertical.


After gaining about 1000' and a few miles in, we bushwack up the ridgeline above the trail to small narrow exposed ridge top at 4500' alt. Just wide enough for 3 tents..(after we pull a chit ton of briars) No water within miles tho, but were good since we're carrying it for 2 days.


Presto. Same place a few minutes later, and first nights camp. With awesome views of the Smoky mtn park behind us, and the Nantahala mtns/Lake Santeetlah in front.


Mmmmm. No freeze dried tonight. Burritos. Ground beef, sharp cheddar, fried unions.


Sunset from my tent. The lake about 5 miles away and 2500' down.


Next day we climb for another 1500' for another 4 miles or so. Still on a dry ridge.




A .8 mile in/out side hike to whats called the Hangover. A rock outcropping with a 360* view. Also where I asked my wife to marry me, about 9 yrs ago. That far ridge in the right=middle of pic, is where we hiked in from. Thats the Smoky mtn park, being the most distant ridgeline and left half of pic.


Me and Bandit. a 1yr old Border Terrier mix. Also a better pic of most of the ridge(directly behind me, called Haoe Lead trail) or "lead", that we just hiked up and across to where we are now.


We've been hiking 1.5 days up till now, with a gain of about 2500'. But have yet to pull water. Thats over in that saddle in the top middle of pic(taken from the Hangover). We'll pull water from there(again, for that nights camp, plus mondays all day hike out) and then camp on the other side of that highest point in the pic at Bob Stratton bald.


Working on more pics...

staying tuned for the others. absolutely gorgeous

Now up high, the trees are stunted. These high ridge lines(5300'-ish) are sometimes reduced to what we call a "narrow". With 4000' descents off both sides, in this case.


Heading over to the bald for the next camp. We're all topped off now with about 4-5 liters of water each, plus tired legs and sore feet. Time to make camp. Been hiking all day.






Camp. Time to relax, eat, coffee, kick back.

Time for some good coffee, and see what kinda sunset we get.


Not bad. This lasted for 20 minutes.


And this was sunrise the next day.


Heading out the next day(ysterday, Monday). 7.9 miles, and needed to lose 3300'.


Hightest point of the trip and the entire area. 5341'.




Had to focus at navigating the trail constantly. The trail wasn't defined, covered in heavy new leaves, not cut back, etc..so it was easy to lose. This was more the rule, then otherwise. Plus very technical, where one could fall easily. Trekking poles were almost mandatory imo. Saved my arse several times. All 3 of these, your looking down the trail..such as it is.










Looking back at the trail where we've already hiked thru. Always off camber, with little bench cut, if any.


From an old homestead.


Great trip. About 17-18 miles. The end.

Great post Hi.  Well done, looks like a good trip all around.

From my small game thread...

I don't have my photos hosted online but the friend I hiked with put this video together: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFca_8HhG_E[/youtube] We spent 3 days in the Enchantments area prior to the permit season kicking off.

ETA: Sorry cant figure out how to embed the video in this post.

 

My son and I went camping last fall.

By the stream
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Our campsite


the view on the way (taken an another date when we went for a hike)

I'm working on that with this

Official Camper/Camping Thread

I'm an idiot and realized this thread is as old as my account.

Father's day (a little early) edition of the camping pic thread....

Took the offspring to Cloudland Canyon State park. Georgia.













Raccoon Cavern up in TN



This guy was scooting along from one side of the falls to the other when I spotted him.





My $10 brand new Coleman yardsale tent



Looking out over Trenton GA



Nature, you scary edition



String with a piece of bacon on the end wielded these little morsels above the falls.



I made the mistake of dumping them onto tin foil all at once...one of them screamed "run for it" and they all attempted a jail break while covered in butter.

I took my wife and 5 y/o daughter on our first overnight backpacking trip recently. We are avid hikers and car campers. My little one has completed multiple 5-7 mile day hikes on her own and we camp sometimes 2 weekends a month, but this was our first time hiking in and setting up camp.

We picked the Horton Springs and Upper Tonto creek area east of Payson, Arizona. We picked this area because it was free, only a 90 minute drive from home, and although it was still highs in the low 90's that was much better than the 118° it was at home. We hiked a total of about 7 miles in the 2 days and camped close to the creek.

We had a great time. My daughter especially had fun playing in the stream and learning about filtering water. We are planning out next trip in just a few weeks.



My little one leading the way.


Wife & daughter cooling off

 

Rio Grande in Big Bend Texas

Beautiful, thanks for posting.

Some great pics.   I'm jealous.

I'm hoping to get my little ones out on an overnight camping hike soon.  Getting cold here, so it might have to wait till Spring, but we'll be hiking almost every weekend we can because they really enjoy it.

I'm really missing the places we went on our Western Road Trip last summer.  Been looking at photos today wondering when/IF I'll ever get to go back.

Colorado, San Juan National Forest

 


Got the entire Grand Canyon Mather Point all to ourselves at 11pm



My wife....just before I pushed her off  

Beautiful pics, it's a shame CO is such a mess politically.  Well the population centers at least, the rest of the state is filled with normal peeps.

Everywhere we went in Southern CO, the people there reminded me of rural Eastern Tennesseans.

Gave hammock camping a shot two weekends ago. Best sleep I've had in a long time! My sleeping bag is rated to 40 degrees, outside temps were low to mid 50's and other than waking up chilly once each night on my back, I was good. I had the bag open and draped over me and it kept me plenty warm on top in just shorts. Looking at a HammockGear Incubator 40 for a bottom quilt when I can save the cash for it.

ENO DoubleNest hammock
ENO Guardian bug net
Kelty Cosmic down sleeping bag
Eastern Ridge rain fly/tarp
Chill Gorilla straps
Field & Stream camp pillow (not pictured)







More pics to come if I go again this weekend.

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Hell's Bay chickee, right before we made camp, Everglades National Park

Here is some luxury island camping.
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We've been going here since 2005 probably. Forgot about it for 8 years or so.
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Used to have a water slide and a dock built.
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We decided one day while we were all back together at about 8 at night to go that night and start again.
Hung some christmas lights. hooked up the generator for tunes.
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Not all pics are in order and some are from other trips there since the restart of islanding.

After a few trips we decided to add some more luxury. Actually cut the grass for once.
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Built a little roof for cooking under. Used trees as post. Solar panel, charge controller, led lights and a radio.
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i'll continue if anyone cares enough.

About a month ago.  I miss backpacking, but I also love the desert.

Great pics guys.  

louisianarebel any fish in that water?  

I bet that looked gorgeous under the stars.  That's one thing we don't get over here in TN.  You can see the mountains, but it's rare that they're so clear.  The humidity just kills most views.

Yep also frogs and gators.
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I'm jealous of the crappie.  

I took my wife and 6 y/o daughter camping north of Payson, Arizona.

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, July 2-3

The actual rock (and views from the top) were kinda 'meh', but Echo Canyon Trail and the eastern half of the Loop Trail are beautiful.

(If you look close, there's a deer and a roadrunner in those pics)

Love reading the bible when Im in the outdoors as well

Lone Star Hiking Trail, from Trail Head #2 to the northeastern most campsite on the Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, then back via the North Wilderness "shortcut".

It was raining, high of 41, low of 34, and I simply wasn't ready for that much cold so I turned back without finishing the "Grand Loop". I'm going to be buying a new sleeping bag before next winter.























ETA: 9.1 miles out, 7.6 miles back (measured with AllTrails.com recording)

Manistee River Trail

Will be camping for 5 days Feb 1-5 near Spooner, WI
Test camp 3 weeks ago.  -15f
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Forecast for this weekend.
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Manistee NF near Mesick
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Nice pics! Can't wait to get back into the forest.

Leaving in the morning for NW Wisconsin.  5 days winter camping.

My humble spot for the night at Seneca Lake in Wyoming's Wind River Range.  This was back in August 4-5 days before the solar eclipse.  I spent 7 nights out there total at various lakes.

Camp at Seneca Lake by Jay, on Flickr

Winter Camping Rendezvous, Sawmill Lake, Birchwood, WI last weekend.
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Night temps were -17, -4 and -13 for the 3 nights.  Day high temps were 0 to 5
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Spent a week camping with wife and 7 y/o daughter over Spring break.

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A little river camping and night cat fishing.
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Climbed up with my girlfriend...








climbed down with my fiancee.

A couple weekends ago, in the ozark National forest

This time last year. Private land in the TN Smokies.



Got to break in my LaRue barreled SPR on that trip.