Badger Pass; Day Two

Woke up around 7am.  We both slept fine, the tent was on a clear patch so the pine needles and dirt kept the tent floor much warmer than if we were on snow.  Our sleeping bags are rated for 20 degrees and I put two bottles of hot water in mine, while Jim had two hand warmers in his.  Once up I had hot water going for oatmeal and Jim's backcountry pour over coffee.  The design of the coffee filter looked good on paper, but in practice we had to micro manage it so the paper supports used to keep the filter over the cup didn't break.  My feet felt like they were swimming in my boots, even with the laces as tight as I could get them.  I decided to try wearing both my day socks, and sleeping socks.  The extra socks took up the needed space and my feet felt much better.  I still put moleskin on both in an attempt to keep blisters from forming.

We only packed what we needed for day hiking since we were camping in the same spot tonight.  Bernd was heading to Camp 4 for the night so he decided to hike up the ridge further and enjoy the view for a few hours before he left.  

Mark, Jim, Bernd

We were at Washburn Point by 10:30, easy hiking since it was all downhill.  The viewing area had a large snow free patch so we stopped and enjoyed the view.

Mark

Jim adjusting his pack

We continued the decent to Glacier Point, reaching our lunch spot around noon.

Jim enjoying lunch at Glacier Point

One of the bathrooms was open for hikers so I took advantage of that!  Very nice of the Ranger to point that out when we picked up the permit.  As we hiked up the road we decided to summit Sentinel Dome.  The park service runs a cat up the service road to the base of the climb, so we just followed the trail.  I've hiked it in the summer and it can be challenging, but with the snow cover it made the walk up it very easy.  We didn't even put on snowshoes.  We reached the top around 1:45.  The 360 degree views were amazing, better than Glacier Point.  

Jim nearing the top of Sentinel Dome

After snacking on my lunch leftovers (crackers/hummus) we headed back to camp.  Once we left the groomed trail we wore snowshoes.  I saw Bernd's footprint over our snowshoes so I know he followed us out.  The hike back to camp seemed so easy compared to the hike on day one.  We had a few hours till dinner so I checked my phone and had service!  I sent some text photos to let everyone know I was having fun and even had a phone call with Sydney.  Things were going great.

Around 5:30 I heated up water for for our dinners and poured it into the canisters.  Then I started to make water but the sun was setting and wind was picking up.  At one point it blew my ground pad and I had to chase after it.  I decided to melt snow in the tent, protected from the wind.  After moving everything into the tent I noticed the wind had blown out the JetBoil flame.  I don't know how long it was out but I think for several minutes (maybe 10 minutes).  I had water for my breakfast shake, and dinner water was already complete, so I packed up everything and would melt water for breakfast.  

Strava stopped working when I took a photo of Jim near Glacier Point, it losses GPS and doesn't automatically connect when you take a photo and I forgot to open the app before putting my phone away.  So I missed a lot of the hike for the day.  We estimate the total miles at 7.5 for the day and elevation gain of 2,000.

Badger Pass; Day One

We started at 6am from Jim's house.  After coffee/gas in Gilroy we made it to Madera and stopped for breakfast at Black Bear Dinner.  Taking it to go we ate or omelets overlooking a grassy area with flowering trees, very beautiful.  

Arriving at Badger Pass around 11:00 we collected our permit and finished packing.  We checked our pack weight, Jim's was 50.2 pounds, mine was 42.2 pounds.  Jim said he had to much food and water.  Backpacker parking only had about 15 cars. 

The trail was recently groomed and either firm or frozen, so walking without snowshoes was easy.  During the day we encountered some clear spots, but with a good trail we made good time.  We were passed by about 10 skiers, about half backpacking.  One woman who was clearly older said she was hurrying back to Badger Pass to ski with her Granddaughter.  We met a guy skiing at our pace and began talking.  He joined us for lunch at Mono Meadow trailhead.  The bear boxes were visible and one was accessible, so our new friend left his boots/skies at Mono Meadow and continued on foot.  

The plan was to head East when we got near Sentinal Dome.  I didn't check the map when we started into the woods, but the trees were spaced so travel would be easy so I decided this would be a good spot.  We put on snowshoes and started hiking up.  Our new friend decided to join us, he was visiting from Chile.  After about 30 min we were still hiking up so I checked the map and we choose the worst possible spot to turn.  Jim was getting grumpy but we had to press on.  

The hiking was not very difficult, and with Jim and I making a trial in snowshoes, Bernd was able to follow in his shoes.  We found a location with views and had the tents up by 5:30.  The sunset was beautiful, dinner was amazing, and we had a great time talking with Bernd.  

Strava had our distance at 10.25 miles with 1,530 feet of elevation gain.

Badger Pass Food (3 days)

Trying something new, sort of.  When I go for 3-5 hour bike rides I have a shake before the ride, Hammer HEED in one water bottle, and Hammer Perpetuem in the other water bottle.  During the ride I have a Hammer Bar.  I am going to try the same approach during the hike.  Since my hiking partner wants coffee and real food for breakfast I will add oatmeal.  So my morning plan is:

• Add water to may shake powder the night before
• Wake up to multivitamins and a cold and fully dissolved shake
• Heat up water for oatmeal (two packets of lower sugar Quaker Oatmeal with dried blueberries/cherries and dried milk)
• In my water bottle I will start with HEED (two scoops for a two hour bottle)

·       After two hours (or when the HEED bottle is empty) I will have a Hammer Bar and refill the water bottle with water and two scoops of Hammer Perpetuem.  After that bottle is empty I will drink water the rest of the day

·       Once the Perpetuem bottle runs out I will have another bar or lunch depending on how hungry I am.

Friday lunch is mostly snack food: peanuts and dried bananas, cheese sticks with turkey sticks, and a kids Clif bar called ZBar.

Once in camp I will make a Hammer Recoverite shake and take my Hammer recovery supplements.

For Dinner I have cous-cous, red pepper flakes, and precooked mango sausage.  I will put all this in my Patagonia insulated canister and add hot water, while this cooks I will set up the tent and make some snow furniture and then eat.  The canister will keep the food hot for several hours even in the Yosemite high country cold.  For dessert I have a fig bar. 

Saturday lunch is crackers with hummus and sausage with a ZBar if needed.  

Saturday I will also have a Recoverite shake and Hammer vitamins.  Dinner will be mashed potatoes with red pepper flakes, dried mushrooms, and spicy Italian sausage.

Friday Food

Saturday Food

Sunday Food

Badger Pass Snowshoe Gear Review

 The plan is to arrive at Badger Pass in Yosemite by noon on Friday March 11.  Then snowshoe along Glacier Point trail (which is groomed) till the sun goes down and set up camp.  Saturday we day hike the rest of the way to Glacier Point for Lunch, then back to camp, and back to the truck on Sunday.  Here is a review of the gear I am taking:

What to Wear when hiking

- Patagonia snow pants with belt

- REI socks (found them on sale and bought them to sleep in, but they fit really well so I hike in them).  

- Short sleeve thermal shirt from Voler (a bike clothing company)

- Long sleeve Patagonia, loose fitting to block the sun

- Hiking poles with winter baskets and a bit of duct tape

- Sorel boots

Keeping Warm around camp

- Helly Hansen ski/snowboard jacket with snowskirt and hood

- Patagonia fleece

- REI mittens (over-mittens with fleece mittens inside)

- Fleece hat

- Medium weight gloves

    - I can use these for hiking to keep from getting sunburned hands

    - Also good around camp when setting up tent, cooking, etc.

Sleeping System

- Midweight fleece shirt with 1/4 zip

- REI socks

- Ice Breaker long underwear

- Kelty 20 degree sleeping bag

- Sea to Summit dry bag to store all of it in

    - I will put both sleep clothes and sleeping bag inside

    - The dry bag will keep everything dry

Water System

- Usually I bring a 3L Reservoir, but trying something different this time

- Two Nalgene 32 oz water bottles

    - I will fill these up in the morning and it should last me all day

- One Biking 28 oz water bottle 

    - I will fill this with HEED or Perpetuem to combine fueling and water

    - This will also hold my breakfast shake

        - I hope the lid does not clog

Random Gear

- Bear can, required and great for sitting on in camp

- Snow shovel for creating camp furniture

- Map

- Garbage bag to line backpack with in case of wet weather

- Snowshoes

    - We can hike most of the trail without snowshoes since it is groomed, but will need them when we go off trail

    - These snowshoes are actually for kids, but the last few times I went snowcamping I used them and they are lighter, hold my weight, and easier to walk in (for short amounts of time)

Safety Kit

- Hand warmers are great if needed, if not used during the day I will toss one in my sleeping bag before bed

- Benadryl because the Pines of YNP can give me problems

- Tylanol, Moleskin, a container of salve for cuts, bug stuff (not really needed), and band-aids

Poop Kit

Pack out what you pack in, so no shovel on this trip, the snow will prevent us from reaching the dirt anyway

- Wipes, TP, and empty zip top bags

- I suggest scented diaper/dog bags 

- Everyone brings a poop kit, this is not something you want to share

The smaller, but important stuff

I put these items in the grey sack

- Headlamp, not really needed because the moon will be up and the snow reflects the light, but if it were cloudy and your phone didn't work you would be glad you brought it

- Soap, moisturizer, sunscreen (very important when the sun reflects off the snow)

- Hand sanitizer and Chap Stick I will put in my hip pocket

- Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss

- Multipurpose knife, small lighter, rope

- Nail clippers are not really needed for a hike this short

- Compass with mirror (great if you get something in your eye or want to see how crazy your hair is in the morning)

 

Cooking System

- Sumo Jet Boil, great for all the snow we need to melt

    - The lid has a snap in pot stabilizer

    - The orange bag is the Jet Boil stove portion

- Patagonia insulated container for rehydrating food

    - Keeps food warm for a long time

- Knife, fork, spoon

- I cut off part of a pack towel to clean my pot, and I also wrap my fuel before I put it into the Jet Boil to prevent scratching

- One large fuel canister (used on previous trip), and one small (as a backup)

All the Gear

Here is all the gear laid out.  The tent is not pictured because I was showing my hiking partner the tents I have to see which one he liked.  We chose the tent and I will carry half, and he will carry the other half, stuffed inside a Sea to Summit Dry bag like the green on in the photo.  I ordered a larger size for my sleeping bag and sleeping clothes so I could use the green one for the tent.  My hiking partner will also carry a bear can.

The Pack

All the gear packed up, about 27 lbs, not including food, water, or the tent.

JMT Training Hikes

 As part of my training for the JMT I want to make sure I get actual hiking miles, not just walking around the easy local trails.  To accomplish this I plan to undertake a long hike each month:

March - Snowshoe from Badger Pass to Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park

April - Snow camp and summit Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park

May - Long weekend in Yosemite

June - Longer weekend in Yosemite

July - Week long trip in Lassen Volcanic National Park

August - JMT

Part of my inspiration came from a few days snowboarding at Badger Pass in Yosemite National Park with Pete and Harvey.  We had a great time and afterwards I wanted to come back and enjoy the backcountry.

2/22/2022 - Badger Pass

Seeds of a JMT hike

 In 2021 I was backpacking with Steve J. and we started talking about the long trails we hiked (me with 600 miles on the AT, him with 950 miles on the PCT).  At the time we were hiking on a section of the JMT, so the topic of doing the entire JMT came up.  When I got home I put JMT Lottery on the calendar and when the dates for 2022 came up I submitted for a SOBO hike from both Yosemite trailheads that allow exit over Donohue Pass.  Of course I didn't get a permit, nor a permit the next, or the week after that.  So I called my friend about plan B.  In addition to coming up with several alternative plans, he agreed to hike with me.  The next several post will be about planning for, and hopefully hiking the JMT.

Mark and Steve J. in 2021

With several options under discussion, I decided to start getting into hiking shape.  I was doing most of this already, so the only real change was to add hiking three times a week.  The mid-week hikes will be short 2-3 hours of rolling hills, and the Sunday hike will be 5+ hours.  Here is the plan:

Emigrant Wilderness

Backpacking again, this time with Sydney and Harvey.

Monday is a holiday and I needed to get in the wilderness, so a 3 day backpacking trip was planned. Naturally all three kids got sick leading up to the weekend, with Pete getting sick last (so he stayed home). But the three of us are healthy and decided on the Gianelli Cabin as our trailhead entry point. This relatively flat hike has lots of lakes and is very popular. During our 5.2 mile hike in we saw LOTS of people, and at Y Meadows Reservoir at least 10 groups were camping. We chose to stick our feet in the water because it was so cold. After that we saw the dam and headed up till we hit the summit just East of the lake.

Wind is making it cold but we have a fire and warm food so we are still having fun.

Ming Garden Buffet

8/5
We don't eat the typical things a thru hiker eats. Things like Pop Tarts, candy bars, ice cream by the pint, and Mountain Dew. So it should not surprise me when we eat at a highly recommended restaurant we will be disappointed. The kids said they will never eat at a Chinese Buffet again. Not all the food was bad, the pears were good, and the stir fry green beans (the first time) were good too. But overall a disappointment.

The bright spot was when Mystery Man and Pack Man came in. They were at The Priest Shelter with us last night. They hitched a ride to town, but before they got the ride a funny thing happened. As they are waiting by the road a car stops, they run up thinking they are getting a ride. The guy rolls down his window and points, saying "I saw a bear in the trees". He then drives off leaving them behind.

Mau-Har Trail Shortcut

8/5
This is my guidebook for today noting the section we skipped by using the Mar-Har Trail. At one point this was the main AT because we saw faded white blazes. You can also see my 600 mile notation at mile 841 from Springer.

We did about 590 total trail miles this summer.

Hours of Waiting

8/5
This is how we spent our time waiting for Harvey to see a doctor. It was so boring but the kids were mostly good about it. Sydney asked for paper and an envelope to send a letter to one of her friends. When we are waiting like this she tries to make good use of the time. In the picture she is the only one smiling.

Waynesboro, VA

8/5 Last day on the trail
Started at The Priest Shelter
Ended at Reed Gap
11.4 miles

Harvey has been complaining about a sore ear and it was not getting better so I decided to get off the trail and end our AT Summer vacation one day sooner. We are just shy of 600 miles, and we really wanted 600, but yesterday Harvey was laughing and heard a pop in his ear and had a hard time sleeping. I really wanted to get his ear looked at, so at the first major road I decided we would try get a ride to town. This is how our day went.

The tradition at The Priest Shelter is to confess in the journal. Many people have a confession that is funny, but some actually put in real things (and some things are just creepy). Sydney put her own confession in the journal and I also got a picture of the confession from Mystery Man.

Once hiking we made good time and came to some great views. Overall today was a bit slower because of the steep and rocky downhill. The last thing I wanted was someone to fall. However, Pete tripped and super-manned down a step, hit the 2nd step on his side and flipped over onto the 3rd step for a spectacular crash. Being 7 he yelled for a hug and then was fine, with only a scratched knee. I packed band aids, but hugs seem to work just as well.

Today we cut the trail for the first time ever (using the Mau-Har Trail). In the name of safety I decided to take the shortcut. It saved us 4 miles and was not that difficult. The hardest part of the Mau-Har trail was not stopping at all the awesome swimming spots along the creek.

We were aiming for Reed Gap because it was next to the Blue Ridge Parkway and had a parking lot. I figured we could hitchhike if needed. A couple offered us a ride but we could not fit our gear and all the gear they had into the car. I had the kids sit next to the road and wait while I talked to the couple, maybe someone would drive by and see them and ask if we needed help.

A Park Ranger drove past and kept going, but then turned around and asked the kids if they needed help! We love the park service. The kids asked for a ride as I quickly walked over to explain the situation (and also ask for a ride). He called to see if a Trail Angel could come get us, but not finding one offered us a ride to town. His son struggles with ear issues so he was sympathetic to our problem.

Mary-j made a car reservation for us at Hertz, but it was for tomorrow. We went to Hertz anyway. He dropped us at the door, what great service. We got the car and went to see a doctor.

After a 3 hour wait we saw the doctor and Harvey does have an ear infection. He has 10 more days of medicine, but we will have access to a fridge so he can have the liquid and not pills. Harvey does not like swallowing the pills.

Next we ate at Ming Garden and then drove to my Aunt and Uncles in Maryland. The kids and I were very sad as we drove north along the highway. Looking to our right we saw the mountains in the distance and knew the AT (and the many friends we made) was up on the ridges and down in the valleys. Pete asked if we could start at Reeds Gap next year and head north. Harvey wants to start at Harpers Ferry in West Virginia, and Sydney thinks we should start at Springer Mtn in Georgia.

The Priest Shelter

8/4
Started at US 60
Ended at The Priest Shelter
20.9 miles

Battery really low so the summary is:

Kids continue to tell make believe stories. Today they talked about going to restaurants and what they would order. It was funny when I had to say "stop arguing over make believe donuts".

The trail was very flat with very few rocks. We made very fast time. Lots of open areas and at one spot we saw tractors mowing to keep trees from growing up.

We love Hammer Nutrition products. Today we fueled primarily with Hammer and I noticed at the end of the day we all had more energy than when we are not fueling with Hammer. I think Sydney notices the difference because she wants Hammer at our breaks.

Met Pac Man and Mystery Man on the last mile to the shelter. The 6 of us are the only ones in the shelter.

US 60; roadside camping

8/3
Started at Big Rocky Row
Ended at US 60
17 miles

Battery low so summary for today is:

Swam in a creek for a bit. Lots of flat walking and few rocks, made for fast hiking.

Kids on day 3 of a make believe adventure about a castle that Obla lives in and the trips to Hawaii and Grand Cayman that they take. Sometimes by plane, sometimes boat. They go out to eat and use credit cards to pay. Ice cream and candy are favorite fantasy foods. They play a game to see how many flavors of ice cream they can name. They also have make believe phones and talk about the games they have on them (Sombrero Man is a favorite).

S'mores the dog was with us all day. When we got to US 60 we found some picnic tables and while we were sitting a truck pulled up and the guy starts calling him. He said a lot of people dump dogs and he got the dog into his truck and put a collar on him. He said we could camp on a grassy spot across the road from the picnic tables, it belonged to a friend of his.

Passed another gravestone on the trail, this time for a 4 year old that wondered off and went 7 miles in the woods before he died.

S'mores

8/2
This is S'mores, he is white and brown. The kids said he looked like a gram-cracker and that is how he got his name. Never barks and stayed with us for about 5 miles (he may still be with us, I'm not sure). When we had food breaks he kept a respectable distance but then looked for anything we may have left.

Big Rocky Row Tent Site

8/2
This is our spot for the night, awesome and really a blessing after our big uphill climb.

James River Footbridge

8/2
Today we crossed the James River Footbridge. It is the longest foot traffic only bridge on the AT. It is a very nice bridge. Before we made it to the bridge we saw Kansas City and Seabiscit crossing. The kids were really excited to see them and took off running. We spent a few minutes with them in the parking lot next to the bridge. Ken dropped off two boxes and an Amazon order for me. Great guy, helps hikers for the fun of it and would only take $5 from me (and I offered him &10).