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- Jan 24, 2011
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Well to tell you the truth, this one was weird. The plan was to hike into a canyon (that we'd done before) but we ran into something we weren't considering. Still had ice on the rocks and the melting runoff made it slick as snot.
Started off easy enough with temp in the 50s and sunny.
When we got to the "chute" that leads down in the canyon it got dicey as hell. You can't tell much from the picture, but that is steep and there are some twenty foot sheer drops that have to be downclimbed. With the water flowing and patches of ice on the rocks it was fun.
Looking back up the chute you can kind of tell what I'm talking about here.
We shortened up the poles and were taking our time and picking our route when three guys passed us just flying down the chute. "Be careful guys, it's slick as hell in spots" was about all I got out and one of them wiped out. Busted his ass bigtime. Sooooo.....we got him patched up as good as we could and helped them get him out. He was just skinned and scraped up, but had a nasty gash on his knee.
So much for hiking the canyon. I knew of another spot so we headed over to a pretty neat natural bridge.
The boss down at the bottom.
And the bridge. Pretty cool eh?
We had a great time and all, but it got me thinking. The only people we saw all day were those three guys and they had nothing at all with them. No water even. Nothing. We NEVER go on a dayhike without having the stuff to signal for help or (worse case scenario) spend a semi-comfortable night in the woods regardless of what the weather does. Recently a man and his two young kids died of exposure on a dayhike in Missouri. They started off on a trail they knew in 60 degree weather. The weather turned bad with freezing rain and they got turned around on the trail. That's it. Game over.
Anyway, here's what we carry each and every time we get in the woods.
My pack first.
.
It's pretty self explanatory and you probably can identify everything there with the exception of the alcohol stove kit and the little orange bag that is an emergency bivvy bag made by Sol. All this and the North Face Ion 20 comes to 8 3/4 pounds dry. Not pictured is my shemagh and that went with the guy wrapped around his knee.
Mrs. Trade's pack.
Some stuff is redundant but with a few differences. For example she carries drum liners and the first aid gear. Her load comes in at 7 1/2 pounds dry.
Not much weight really, but it could save your ass. Have fun, but have a few things with you when you head out.
Started off easy enough with temp in the 50s and sunny.
When we got to the "chute" that leads down in the canyon it got dicey as hell. You can't tell much from the picture, but that is steep and there are some twenty foot sheer drops that have to be downclimbed. With the water flowing and patches of ice on the rocks it was fun.
Looking back up the chute you can kind of tell what I'm talking about here.
We shortened up the poles and were taking our time and picking our route when three guys passed us just flying down the chute. "Be careful guys, it's slick as hell in spots" was about all I got out and one of them wiped out. Busted his ass bigtime. Sooooo.....we got him patched up as good as we could and helped them get him out. He was just skinned and scraped up, but had a nasty gash on his knee.
So much for hiking the canyon. I knew of another spot so we headed over to a pretty neat natural bridge.
The boss down at the bottom.
And the bridge. Pretty cool eh?
We had a great time and all, but it got me thinking. The only people we saw all day were those three guys and they had nothing at all with them. No water even. Nothing. We NEVER go on a dayhike without having the stuff to signal for help or (worse case scenario) spend a semi-comfortable night in the woods regardless of what the weather does. Recently a man and his two young kids died of exposure on a dayhike in Missouri. They started off on a trail they knew in 60 degree weather. The weather turned bad with freezing rain and they got turned around on the trail. That's it. Game over.
Anyway, here's what we carry each and every time we get in the woods.
My pack first.
It's pretty self explanatory and you probably can identify everything there with the exception of the alcohol stove kit and the little orange bag that is an emergency bivvy bag made by Sol. All this and the North Face Ion 20 comes to 8 3/4 pounds dry. Not pictured is my shemagh and that went with the guy wrapped around his knee.
Mrs. Trade's pack.
Some stuff is redundant but with a few differences. For example she carries drum liners and the first aid gear. Her load comes in at 7 1/2 pounds dry.
Not much weight really, but it could save your ass. Have fun, but have a few things with you when you head out.
