We left Friday afternoon from the RCC parking lot, and headed up the 15 in rush hour traffic. We made a stop for gas on the 395 somewhere, and stopped at Carl’s for dinner in Ridgecrest. After dark, we left the 395 at nine mile canyon road, and drove about 20 miles on this twisty road into the Southern Sierra Wilderness, then another couple of miles on a dirt road. We all climbed out in the overcast pitch black darkness and strapped on headlights and gear.
22 people from 2 vans hiked 3 miles in the dark to the edge of Hooker Meadow where we made camp. It was neat to hike at night, id never done that before. The moon was bright, but was only out briefly, so it was completely ‘cant see where you are peeing‘ dark. As the group tripped over logs and pinecones trying to take of backpacks they couldn’t see, The teacher, “Duff” instructed us to spread out and set up tents about 30 feet or so apart, but I think every tent there was within a 30 foot radius. Someone said it looked like an REI commercial. Me and the 2 others in my food group stuck what food we could in the bear can and got to sleep at about 12:30 am. My thermometer said 32 degrees. If it wasn’t for the thermarest pad and the down jacket I brought, I would have been miserable. I slept fine, only waking up when my hand went numb cuz I slept on it. Inside that tent was a good 6-7 degrees warmer than the outside. It would only have been better if I had a decent sleeping bag. If I do this again, I am getting myself a $300 bag.
Posted on May 28th, 2008 by admin
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I took Friday off for a 4 day weekend, (Monday as a recovery day) and packed everything that morning before going to REI to pick up my rental stuff. I’m glad I tried to pack first because I found out my 60L pack was too small. It felt like trying to us a coat closet as a garage. I rented a 80L pack and a thermarest pad, and shopped around for some kind of waterproof hat. I had also purchased a tent on sale a few weeks before, the REI half dome 2, and needed the “not included“ footprint. I had never paid so much for a hat in my life at 40 bucks. They had a 50 dollar hat but I wasn’t that crazy. I can tell you now after this trip, this equipment was worth every penny. This will become more apparent as the blog unfolds. Do blogs unfold Or do they unravel? What’s the word for the progression of a blog? I guess if its going to be on blocks, its not going to roll, so I guess unravel is a better word. Anyway, My pack weighed in at 52lbs loaded. I put it on and felt like an upside down weeble-wobble, so I ran to Kmart real quick and got a hiking pole. (a walking stick with a strap and a spring in it)
Posted on May 27th, 2008 by admin
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As most of my family and readers from myspace know, I went on a backpacking trip in the southern sierra wilderness. I am now officially in the books as a mountain climber with a sierra peak under my belt. I wrote the name in myself, in a rusty can under a rock that sits on the very top of Jackass Peak. My next few blogs will be about different parts of my adventure. We camped in Hooker meadow, and hiked 6 miles to the rocky peak. When I asked why it was called “Jackass Peak” I was told its because when someone makes you climb it, you ask them: “why the hell did you make me do that you jackass?” I was afraid to ask about Hooker Meadow.
I can only imagine now the google pull this is gona get.
Posted on May 27th, 2008 by admin
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Welcome to my new blog site, thanks to my wife Sarah. Now more people can waste their time reading elaborate exaggerations intended to make life feel more exciting than it really is. Especially when your a mechanic in a one horse shop, living in a 40 year old double-wide driving a 30 year old truck.
Improvements will be made a step at a time, until I get this site how I like it. It is like everything else I own, a work in progress. Think of it as a blog up on concrete blocks.
Posted on May 27th, 2008 by admin
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