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Archives for December 2018

Campsite Spotlight: Zion NP, UT

December 15, 2018 by pbryant Leave a Comment

Location: Zion National Park, Utah. At-large site near the North Gate Peaks Trail.

Scale is 0 to 4

Time of year visited: March

View: 4        Awesome, expansive view overlooking Russell Gulch.

Water: 1       Nearest available water in March was about 2.5 to 3 miles in either direction along the trail. But you could also cache some at the road.

Accessibility: 3       Only about a 2 mile trail hike (mostly) from Wildcat Canyon trailhead on Kolob Terrace Road.

Solitude: 3       At-large camping, so solitude is partly up to you. This was still fairly close to a trail. Didn’t see another soul.

Comfort: 2       I took a nice afternoon nap here but it was rocky and not too flat. Worth it for the view.

Coolness: 2.5      Camping on the edge of a canyon and didn’t see another person.

Gear Review: Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller and Sea To Summit Insect Shield Head Net  

December 13, 2018 by pbryant 1 Comment

 When I first saw the advertisement for the Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller in Backpacker magazine I thought it was a great idea, and could be the best thing since sliced bread. It showed a picture of a happy couple tucked within the safety of their Thermacell dome while swarms of disease-carrying mosquitos buzzed furiously around them. It created a force field for cryin’ out loud! Now I’ve never been a big fan of the Fantastic Four, and among them, Sue Richards came in at a solid fourth place for me. But I must admit having your own force field would be pretty cool. Just screw the Thermacell appliance into a propane canister…instant super hero. I purchased one immediately.

Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller

There are, of course, other alternatives to dealing with mosquitos and biting flies in the wild. You can slather yourself with insect repellent, you can wear long clothing and a head net, or you can be miserable. I also recently watched a video on You Tube (that I cannot unwatch) of a man powdering himself, all over, with wood ash.

He swore by it for keeping away bugs and various itches and rashes. I have not tried it, nor had I tried a head net. A head net had always seemed like it would be a nuisance. But I was heading to the Sierra Nevadas where I had experienced black flies on a prior trip. When I saw the minimal footprint, and felt the near weightlessness of the Sea to Summit Insect Shield Mosquito Head Net, I picked one up for the trip, not sure if I would ever use it.

The Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net in the stuff sack (it can be compressed smaller)

I put them both to the test in Sequoia National Park in June.

I arrived late at the Cold Springs Campground, a backpackers’ camp in Mineral King, after a seven hour drive up from Long Beach. There were no bugs as I set up a minimal camp and went to sleep to the sounds of Soda Creek running nearby. I was hiking the Mineral King Loop and stopped at the ranger station in the morning to pick up my permit. She pointed out some areas on her map where the snow covered the trail and some areas where mosquitos were bad. I got a little excited knowing I would put my new gear to use.

I hiked over Timber Gap and at about 5 miles from my rental car I crossed Cliff Creek. I turned east and the mosquitos began covering my head, right where the ranger had said they would be. After swatting them away for about ten minutes I decided to take a pack-off break and get out my head net. The net itself only weighs an ounce. I put it on and let my glasses keep it off my face. It has a draw string to close it around your neck. I put my hat back on and began hiking again. The net is also roomy enough to fit over a full-brim hat with and still cover your neck. The bugs were kept away from my face and after about a minute my vision adjusted to the net. Airflow was good through the net and I quickly forgot it was there. It fits easily into a teeny-tiny stuff sack that is about 1 ½ “ in diameter and 2” long, which slips into your pocket. Be aware that the net is coated with an insect repellent called Permethrin. It is not noticeable but I don’t know how long it lasts or if it becomes less effective, or if it is harmful to humans or the environment. Visibility was good through the netting, perhaps because it is black.

The following morning I hiked over Black Rock Pass at 11,600’, realizing early on that my pack was way too heavy for these big mountains. I navigated my way down through snow fields and lunched at the first of the beautiful Little Five Lakes, then moved on to my pristine campsite at Lower Big Five Lake. It is hard to beat the beauty of alpine lakes.

This lake sat at just below 10,000′ so a fire was permissible but I opted to spend my remaining daylight fishing and cooking a nice dinner. The mosquitos around the lakes were bad, especially when you stopped moving, and I had become accustomed to wearing my head net. I decided first to create a “15-foot zone of protection” around my campsite using my new Thermacell BackpackerMosquito Repeller. The instructions seemed simple enough: 1) Insert mat 2) Attach canister 3) Turn on 4) Get ready for some superhero force field action (Okay, I added this last step).

Now, it is understood that I am dumber than a bag of hammers so I might have done something wrong. Either I didn’t light it correctly or it just didn’t work, because I sat next to it surrounded by hundreds of swarming mosquitos. Could I have trapped them inside the force field? Would they find my pale, withered bag of bones weeks from now, completely drained of its last drop of blood? That would be a rookie super hero mistake.  I reread the instructions and use restrictions, then tried relighting since it is not easy to tell if it is burning. But it is easy to tell if it’s not working. No luck.

After dinner I sat in my chair for a bit watching the sun set over the mountains across the lake to the southwest as the mosquitos swarmed me, but I didn’t care. At this point the Sea to Summit head net, chair, and camp shoes were all seeming like good pieces of gear worth their weight. The Thermacell backpacker, not so much.

While writing up this review I went online to the Thermacell site, watched a video, and confirmed that I had followed the lighting instructions correctly. But I also found this important piece of information: “Dependable performance up to an elevation of 7,000 feet”. This may have been stated on the original package, but I think I would have noticed. It was NOT stated anywhere on the device or instructions that I took with me on the trail.

In summary, my first impressions were way off. The head net that I thought would be a nuisance became an invaluable piece of gear, whether hiking or in camp. And the Thermacell Repeller that I thought would be very cool didn’t work at all, though I will try it again below 7000’.  I hope this restriction is now clearly stated on their packaging. Regardless, it was no Sue Richards, it wasn’t even Violet Parr.

Specs

Sea to Summit Insect Shield Mosquito Head Net

Cost: $9.95 – $14.95

Weight: 1.3 ounces

Dimensions: about 1 ½” x 2” in stuff sack

Would I Recommend: Definitely

Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller

Cost: $27.99 – $39.95

Weight: 4 ounces

Dimensions: 2.7” x 2” x 3.9”

Would I Recommend: Not at this time, but I will test it again at a lower elevation.

The author models the Sea to Summit head net.

Fall in Love With Our National Parks

December 13, 2018 by pbryant Leave a Comment

(Part of this article was originally published in The Hook magazine, July/August 2018.)

The benefits of immersing yourself in nature have been well documented. Scientific studies have shown that spending time in the woods can be regenerative and improve your focus. These benefits have been touted in both literature and film as well, from Thoreau’s Walden to Cheryl Strayed’s Wild. And so have the dangers of the wild: think 127 Hours, The Revenant, or any disaster movie ever made. However, with a little preparation you are much more likely to reap Mother Nature’s rewards than suffer her wrath. But here’s the kicker- in today’s world of technology and constant media, nature is not going to find you. To reap those benefits you must get yourself out there.

Hiking Into Hop Valley, Zion National Park

Our national park system is one of many ways to experience nature. But oh, what a wonderful way. Started over a century ago, the National Park Service protects and maintains over 400 parks. Not only does it preserve pristine environments from becoming riddled with hotels and parking lots, or oil wells and strip mines, the park system helps us to interact with the disappearing wilderness. By getting out of our houses and into the woods, meadows, mountains, or oceans, we learn to appreciate nature. And possibly, we fall in love. Only when we are captivated by our natural world do we want to protect it. Only when many become enthralled will we be moved as a nation to save our vanishing wilderness. For those that remain on their couch or in the office are not likely to give a hoot about saving an owl from extinction, or a pristine mountain valley from becoming a sprawling outlet mall.

Over the past ten years I’ve had the privilege of backpacking, which is carrying everything you need on your back and heading out to explore the wilderness for multiple days, in some of the most beautiful places in the United States, often alone. I have a map on my wall of the US National Parks and I’ve set a goal to visit them all. Each time I visit one, I place a pin on the map. “Pinning the map” has become somewhat of a ritual in our household. Visiting all the national parks is less of a rigid objective than an incentive to just get out there. Because it is very easy to get caught up in our everyday lives.  Work, kids, school, more work, more kids, etc.

On the surface, spending a Sunday afternoon hiking in the woods can seem like just another item on the overwhelming to-do list. But being in nature has the power to heal. Seeing a grand vista spread out before you after hiking to the top of a peak can bring spiritual revival. Solitude among the trees can melt away stress. And while finding the time is not easy, since setting my goal I’ve hiked in over two dozen national parks, while working a full-time job, attending school, and raising a family. Not a great number, but also not a small feat considering how far I live from most of these parks.

A climber prepares to navigate the Otter Cliffs, Acadia National Park

I’m not suggesting that everyone run out into a remote area to try to make it on their own. I am telling you to get out there…but do so wisely. There are guidelines to follow. If you are inexperienced, start small:

  • Visit your local park, or go for a walk in the woods at a state park where you have a phone signal (for safety, not for texting).
  • Go camping in a campground. Hauling your kids and a camper across the country to visit the national parks and stopping to see the world’s second largest ball of twine along the way is the great American vacation.

It is a trip that none of you will forget and will instill an awe of nature in your children that will last a lifetime. You don’t have to head into the remote backcountry when you get there. Most of our national parks have accessibility for the multitudes. For example, in Zion National Park buses run through Zion Valley and expose all to grand rock cliffs towering on both sides, with colors that change with the waning sun and growing shadows. You don’t need to be adventurous or in great shape to get on the bus. You just need to make the time. And you just might fall in love.

A storm rolls in over Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, Yosemite National Park

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