Wilderness
Posted by alpenglowbc on August 26, 2011
Backpacking/Hiking
Day two of some of the findings are on our Facebook page, you don’t need an account to view.
Montrail Rogue Fly
Hoka Stinson EVO and Mafate shoes, Salomon trail gaiters, Montrail trail running shoes, New Balance Minimus, Scarpa rock shoes, Exped Tandem sleeping system, Camelbak All Clear UV purification system, Petzl’s 59 gram belay device, and more!!!!
Once again if you want the quickest update follow us on Twitter!
La Sportiva Vertical K 7.75 ounces!
Check out our Facebook Page for some photos of cool new stuff for 2012 including the Scarpa Alien 1.0 ski boot, La Sportiva Vertical K running shoe (7.75 oz!), Salomon Synapse running shoe, shoes from Treksta, packs from Osprey, and of course ‘biners, harnesses, poles, headlamps, and more from Black Diamond! There are a ton of photos on there and I’m sure more to come!
Want the quickest updates? Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AlpenglowSports
Salomon Synapse
Like this:
view up to Muir Hut on Muir Pass 2006
Sorry we don’t have a current photo of the Sequoia backcountry but the one above is from the last huge winter we had. This is the view from the north looking south up at Muir Pass. You can see the Muir Hut poking out a bit as well. I’m guessing this is about what it looks like back there now. The creeks will be cranking and snow bridges will be sketchy as well, more so in the afternoons, so plan ahead and take on any crossings in the morning. This particular summer the water crossing at the outlet of McClure Meadow was 4 feet deep in the morning and McClure Meadow was a lake!
Here’s a list of a bunch of links that may be handy. Some of the Forest Service and National Park Service trail, road, and campground openings and conditions. Looks like they have tried to update them recently. If you’ve been out in the backcountry shoot these folks an e-mail with any info you’ve got on conditions. It is greatly appreciated since many of these agencies are understaffed especially in the Wilderness departments.
Tahoe Basin:
Road and Campground Opening Dates
Inyo National Forest:
Mono Lake Mammoth Bishop Lone Pine/Mt. Whitney
National Parks:
Yosemite National Park Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
One other spot to check for High Sierra information is the High Sierra Topic forums. They have a thread that may or may not be updated but worth a look for some first hand info.
Like this:
Hey all, a few things to mention before the weekend hits.
First of all if you’re someone who is into backpacking stoves and errors towards the lighter weight end of the spectrum we’ve got the second installment of our “Light is Right” gear review up on Unofficial Networks. This time of the Jetboil Sol Advanced Cooking System which is definitely worth a look, great review and excellent photos. Click here for the full story.
Also the official Western States 100 results have been posted, find them HERE.
And finally I recently came across this on the interwebs. It’s UltrarunnerPodcast.com. I have kind of a heinous commute some days and some times I prefer to melt away to music and relax however most days I try to take that time to learn something so I’ve been downloading and listening of a lot of podcasts lately. I listen to a lot of stuff on cycling, fitness, running, bone up on my spanish, try french, the list goes on. However until now I hadn’t found a decent ultra running podcast. I’m giving this one a try and will get back to you.
Have a great weekend.
Like this:
This has been all over our Facebook and Twitter and here it is again:
“Trail Update as of Saturday 6.18: Glen Alpine to Lilly Lake DRY, TRT Tahoe City towards Brockway 5 miles in DRY, Eagle Lake DRY, Rubicon Trail/Emerald Bay DRY, Meeks Bay mostly DRY 4.5 miles in. Things are melting quick! Get out there and enjoy the sun!”
According to the Yosemite National Park website Tioga is open as of today however with limited access:
The Tioga Road will open on Saturday, June 18, 2011, at 8 am. There will be several no-stopping zones and visitors should be aware that hiking opportunities are extremely limited due to snow and dangerous creek crossings. No services will be available along the road.
Ever wonder why all the trails you use are in such nice condition? Well here in Lake Tahoe the big daddy trail of them all is kept in tip top shape by users just like you.
photo from TRTA
Throughout the summer the Tahoe Rim Trail Association runs volunteer trail maintenance days in order to build and maintain the Tahoe Rim Trail. So if you’d like to help out and do your part check out the TRTA’s website for volunteer opportunities. In addition to trail work info the TRTA puts on all sorts of great events year round.
What a great way to get out and enjoy the wild lands and give back as well! There are 165 miles traveling the ridges around Lake Tahoe to be kept in order, why not volunteer on an unfamiliar section?
Don’t feel like digging in the dirt all day but still want to help out? Check out what the US Forest Service has available as well. They have many other options besides trail work.
About a week ago we had some links and such to Inyo National Forest, Sequoia Kings Canyon, and also the Tahoe Basin management agencies with info on the current road, campground, snow, trail conditions. Here’s one we forgot to mention.
Yosemite National Park has gotten pretty much everything open as far as the roads go however crews are still cranking away at Tioga Pass. On their conditions page you’ll find the current road, campground, and wilderness conditions in addition to other info on peregrine falcon nesting closures on climbing routes. They’ve also got links to webcams, weather, and water flow levels of the Merced in the Valley among other more positive (ie nothing that says “closed”) info on flowers, waterfalls, etc…
Check this one out specifically for Tioga Pass plowing updates. As of now it looks like they have absolutely no tentative opening date.
as of May 26, 2011
As far as the high snow levels through out the Sierra I see this as good and bad.
Bad, because it limits access everywhere in the parks and forests so people are bummed they can’t get out and play. Good, because it limits access. Why would limiting access be good?
Well considering that the usage of our wildlands seems to be growing exponentially mother nature keeping people out gives these lands time to recover from all the impact. Whether you are a hardcore Leave No Tracer or that person doing donuts in the designated Wilderness all these impacts add up, some more than others obviously. However the nice thing about a huge winter is that we can’t argue back and break the rules imposed by mother nature like some people choose to with the federal agencies (pertaining to trailhead quotas for example). Besides if you really want to get out and are bummed about all the snow pushing back your backpacking trip, here’s a hot tip: get some skis or snowshoes! Experience that annual trip in a different light!
It’s a killer year for the Sierra High Route (Shepard Pass to Wolverton) or maybe take on the John Muir Trail over snow. Need some more ideas? Look into Moynier’s book “Backcountry Skiing in the High Sierra”. He’s got a ton of short and long length ski tours that would be an excellent replacement for that early season backpacking trip. And if you are 100% over the snow, well, you’ve always got the desert to explore. Ahhh, the beauty of California!
photo from espn.go.com - Nate Deschenes
And one last Tioga Pass update for you. Saw this one filed under “Snowboarding” on ESPN’s website. Maybe some more info for those looking to get out there!
Interesting article for all of us who play in the public wild lands of our country:
By Rone Tempest, WyoFile, Guest Writer, 5-24-11
