As I previously wrote here http://faint-traces.blogspot.com/2015/02/first-attempt-at-quinzhee-winter1-ed0.html, I have been looking to sharpen my winter hiking skills. The first attempt consisted of piling up snow, letting it sinter, then hollowing it out. The results were positive, although I learned that a) you get soaked and b) to do it right you need a big pile and…
Category: PlanAheadAndPrepare
Sometimes properly planning for a trip means to skip the trip
You can know and trust your equipment as well as possible, but there are limits to human endurance and capabilities. Kate activated a GPS tracker beacon when she got into trouble, but it’s not a sure thing. In this kind of weather, maybe bring a buddy. When it’s 30 below out, maybe stay indoors. “Unfortunately,…
First attempt at a quinzhee; Winter:1, Ed:0
With all the snow on the ground I thought I’d practice some winter skills, so I decided to build a quinzhee. Yesterday I shoveled fresh snow into an approx 5′ high pile, maybe 8′ around. Today I began excavation. It’s a good idea to let the snow sit, as it sinters together. I began with…
“Wild” movie review
Meh. First off, it’s not a hiking movie. There’s some scenery, and a few legit interactions between the main character and other hikers, and some might-not-have-happened-but-definitely-could-have scary scenes with some hunters, but it’s not a hiking movie. It’s a movie about a woman who grew up out of control, in a house that was out…
Sorry to sound like a broken record, but Plan Ahead And Prepare!
http://gawker.com/brooklyn-man-vanishes-while-on-yoga-retreat-in-mexico-1677123622http://www.ny1.com/content/news/221277/brooklyn-man-who-went-missing-in-mexico-found-dead/ Terribly prepared man dies while hiking in Mexico. RIP Hari. Lowlights from the article: accidentally summitted another mountain “I’m not exactly sure how to get down” the phone company released all the information from Khalsa’s phone but said the GPS had been turned off before his disappearance was reportedly carrying with him only a…