Decided that since my daughter is spending the weekend at her aunts place to play with her cousins, that I should head outdoors and try out some new gear. Most notably on the list is my warbonnet outdoors XLC hammock in multicam. Many already know that I am a multicam gear snob. My man cave is decorate in either multicam or starwars.. odd combo, I know. But seriously, I will buy multicam when ever possible. Warbonnet guy make a multicam tarp, but weighing over 2.5 times the standard cami pattern has made me stay with that, why would one carry 50 oz when 19 does the same???
I decided an overnighter to desolation lake up Big Cottonwood Canyons Utah would be ideal, it is just 20 minutes from my house and one of the few trails I have yet take. Dont know why, but just never have. so I loaded up my Kifaru KU3700, no pockets or pods. Everything must fit the pack (will take that back, I have carried my HPG gear bag since I have got it, that contained my Ruger 357 GP100 4", 20rds 180gr buffalo bore ammo, my fire kit, water kit, toilet kit a few snacks, and yes... head bowed in same, my kindle). Sunset is @5PM locally so I need something to do when the sun is down and it is dark out. Read a bit of a book and watched a bit of the avengers. Anyways, made decent time to camp, on the way up passed a few local trail runners on their way down (human mountain goats they are). That was the only human contact for the night. Made the lake in decent time, starting elevation was 7350ft, 3.9 miles, ending at @9500 ft. Around home temps (4216ft) are expected @40, 0% precip. A few shots up....
First, to rub it in that I have no real money, cabins line the way on the other side or the valley. One day... just one, I will have a pad like this.
One of the many meadows up
Finally above the mud line and into shallow snow
This reminds me of a halloween book I read my daughter
Finally to the lake
Setting up of the hammock.. Warbonnet XLC in Multicam
Then with Hammock gear 0* quilting.... MMM lofty down goodness, first one shows the gear shelf on the hammock great
Okay, need to tell everyone, I am not easily scared. Watch horror movies, Marine, etc. But about midnight I get awoken by coyote howling. No biggie, however, for the next 2 hours, I keep hearing them, getting closer, as in about 2AM I hear something walking, grab my Zebra SC600 and flip it on and see them scurry off.... Lets just say, I slept with my GP100 at hand, half tempted to break camp as it was. Got some decent audio from them that my daughter is liking to listen to right now.
I awake again without worry (thank god) about 0730 to see the sun lighting the lake. Start the stove for some oatmeal and coffee and snap this pic, sorry but a warm camera and 20* temps cause the lens to fog. But you can see the lake in the background, being a watershed, local laws apply to camping.
Walk down and watch the sun come up
My girlfriend is going to meet me at the trailhead at 1 so I decide to break camp and try to make it to another lake prior to calling it a day. Pack up and head off back down the trail to a fork to Dog Lake. On the way out I break my own trail... yes the snow is deep off trail.
On the way down I fall TWICE, once a good one since the snow pack is now an ice sheet, and manged to slide face first down about 30ft of the trail, mental note to take my kahtoola spikes next time. Get to the fork and head west. 0.6 miles and 900ft accent. Again on ice. Reach the next lake and a bit behind me are 2 ladies, who upon talking to said if a guy with a pack can do it, why shouldn't they. They were half tempted to turn around until they see me take it. But they were glad they made it up, not many did, seen a fair share turn around on my way down.
Some little critter could walk across the frozen lake, it would not hold 210lbs of me and 30lb pack, didn't try it, but could tell
Talked to the ladies a bit then headed out, the great warm mud maker was out in full force the last mile of the hike turning everything to mud.
Towards the trail head however was great passed many families and warned them of the mud then snow ahead. One couple I wish I got a photo of, the girl had bright white north face boots on, I know they were not that way just a half mile up the trail. Snapped this last photo of a road to the cabins on the way to doughnut falls, again, wishing I hit the lottery or something.
Overall, hammock was great, I like how the lay of the quilting on this hammock covered the foot box and head end just perfect where as on the Hennessy (still a good hammock) I need to tug it all into place. But the Hennessy feels bigger inside. But this XLC is still large. No tarp was used since 0 chance of precip and no clouds in the sky, but I had my supertarp if needed. I never got a chance to use my new Arcteryx Leaf RHO tops and bottoms, lows were in the mid teens, and I was in down heaven so after waking the smartwool set was just fine. So no review there, sorry. just never seen a temp when needed yet.
I decided an overnighter to desolation lake up Big Cottonwood Canyons Utah would be ideal, it is just 20 minutes from my house and one of the few trails I have yet take. Dont know why, but just never have. so I loaded up my Kifaru KU3700, no pockets or pods. Everything must fit the pack (will take that back, I have carried my HPG gear bag since I have got it, that contained my Ruger 357 GP100 4", 20rds 180gr buffalo bore ammo, my fire kit, water kit, toilet kit a few snacks, and yes... head bowed in same, my kindle). Sunset is @5PM locally so I need something to do when the sun is down and it is dark out. Read a bit of a book and watched a bit of the avengers. Anyways, made decent time to camp, on the way up passed a few local trail runners on their way down (human mountain goats they are). That was the only human contact for the night. Made the lake in decent time, starting elevation was 7350ft, 3.9 miles, ending at @9500 ft. Around home temps (4216ft) are expected @40, 0% precip. A few shots up....
First, to rub it in that I have no real money, cabins line the way on the other side or the valley. One day... just one, I will have a pad like this.
One of the many meadows up
Finally above the mud line and into shallow snow
This reminds me of a halloween book I read my daughter
Finally to the lake
Setting up of the hammock.. Warbonnet XLC in Multicam
Then with Hammock gear 0* quilting.... MMM lofty down goodness, first one shows the gear shelf on the hammock great
Okay, need to tell everyone, I am not easily scared. Watch horror movies, Marine, etc. But about midnight I get awoken by coyote howling. No biggie, however, for the next 2 hours, I keep hearing them, getting closer, as in about 2AM I hear something walking, grab my Zebra SC600 and flip it on and see them scurry off.... Lets just say, I slept with my GP100 at hand, half tempted to break camp as it was. Got some decent audio from them that my daughter is liking to listen to right now.
I awake again without worry (thank god) about 0730 to see the sun lighting the lake. Start the stove for some oatmeal and coffee and snap this pic, sorry but a warm camera and 20* temps cause the lens to fog. But you can see the lake in the background, being a watershed, local laws apply to camping.
Walk down and watch the sun come up
My girlfriend is going to meet me at the trailhead at 1 so I decide to break camp and try to make it to another lake prior to calling it a day. Pack up and head off back down the trail to a fork to Dog Lake. On the way out I break my own trail... yes the snow is deep off trail.
On the way down I fall TWICE, once a good one since the snow pack is now an ice sheet, and manged to slide face first down about 30ft of the trail, mental note to take my kahtoola spikes next time. Get to the fork and head west. 0.6 miles and 900ft accent. Again on ice. Reach the next lake and a bit behind me are 2 ladies, who upon talking to said if a guy with a pack can do it, why shouldn't they. They were half tempted to turn around until they see me take it. But they were glad they made it up, not many did, seen a fair share turn around on my way down.
Some little critter could walk across the frozen lake, it would not hold 210lbs of me and 30lb pack, didn't try it, but could tell
Talked to the ladies a bit then headed out, the great warm mud maker was out in full force the last mile of the hike turning everything to mud.
Towards the trail head however was great passed many families and warned them of the mud then snow ahead. One couple I wish I got a photo of, the girl had bright white north face boots on, I know they were not that way just a half mile up the trail. Snapped this last photo of a road to the cabins on the way to doughnut falls, again, wishing I hit the lottery or something.
Overall, hammock was great, I like how the lay of the quilting on this hammock covered the foot box and head end just perfect where as on the Hennessy (still a good hammock) I need to tug it all into place. But the Hennessy feels bigger inside. But this XLC is still large. No tarp was used since 0 chance of precip and no clouds in the sky, but I had my supertarp if needed. I never got a chance to use my new Arcteryx Leaf RHO tops and bottoms, lows were in the mid teens, and I was in down heaven so after waking the smartwool set was just fine. So no review there, sorry. just never seen a temp when needed yet.
