The NEW Post Your Campsite/gear/knife/hiking/anything Outdoorsy Pic Thread!

[OwenM]

Oh, and while I was at the shop, the manager let me use the 20% off coupon they had mailed out to customers for a sale that doesn't actually start 'til tomorrow, so I got bicycle person stuff:

Stand, pumps for home, backpack, and one that works with the air shock on the bike, multitool, chain lube, and a free blinky light
I am fired up..and out almost another $200

 

[HikingMano]

Whoop! :thumbup:

Didn't see your edit in the last post. Nice to have the bike still under warranty for things like this.

Get your back fixed up and have fun! :thumbup:

 

[DxAxN]

Some great pics, I like the pics from Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP. I used to live in Visalia and made it up a few times. Now Im gonna have to make it a point to get up there more. I think Big Meadows was the name of the place I had gone to.


Heres a pic from Reyes Creek up in Los Padres NP

 

[HikingMano]

DxAxN, welcome! :thumbup:

 

[HikingMano]

Here are pics from my overnighter this past weekend in Henry Coe State Park. I didn't see another soul for nearly the entire weekend... my kinda trip.

I got lazy in editing, sorry Dialup beware...

Day 1

NW morning views on the drive up.

Behold, dawn approacheth!

Pastel morning.

Quick breakfast and last minute prepping at the car while watching the sun come up.

This is how they get you. Even though I saw this one not 10 min on the trail, this was the only one I saw all weekend. I did treat my clothes with Permethrin the night before though, despite it not being tick season. Ticks abound in Coe in spring.

Sun rising and burning off the results of katabatic action.

The easily day-hiked trails close to HQ are relatively well-trodden. But still pretty in the morning light.

A little fall color changing. Nothing like what you more eastern folks see, of course.

Cool variety.

Rather interesting belt of green.

Pic doesn't do this tree justice. There was a cool throne-ish area right in that nook.

Acorn woodpeckers hard at work on this lil snag.

Probably a boar cage trap. The park has a problem with feral pigs they're working on.

Gotta love Manzanita.

View east as I work my way out of the Western Zone of Coe.

I liked the digital sort of peeling.

Too cool to not shoot.

Southern view.

I'm going to pass through the dark gorge in this pic, still got a little ways down to go.

View east overlooking another trail I'll hit up instead on the return to headquarters. It follows the (now dry) creek.

Zoom for dope colors

Love morning light.

Valley oaks, I think. I like the way they spread themselves out.

Still heading down.

Still some water in this creek swimming spot called China Hole. Not that I'd want to swim in it at this time of year.

Even some fish! They've managed to survive the summer... I hope they can hold out until the rains return.

The rest of the creek looks like this.

Lunch time!

Heading off to the right at this fork, entering "The Narrows" (cue dramatic music).

Continued in next post

 

[HikingMano]

Continued from above.

The Narrows, when dry and the creek bed itself is walkable, is quite spectacular.

Another little surviving pool, complete with grimly determined fish.

So visually interesting.

Cool.

Moss survives in the pretty much constantly shaded narrow gorge.

Nice contrasts.

Leaving the Narrows and continuing on. After winter rains, this is probably all under at least a little water.

Impressive oaks.

Makes me think of Tarzan for some reason.

Big ole boy.

My water source for the weekend. Pretty decently flowing spring. No critter stick when I got there, but I didn't see anything in the trough - good to go. Pretty clean and cool water.

Filter fun. Tanked up and took 5L along with me as I headed off to camp. Hot weekend, and I didn't want to have to come back to refill before I stopped by again on my way out and home.

Good thing I loaded up, because when I got to the Pond I'd be camping near, it was ugly, as I expected.

Cool antler I found while searching for a suitable campsite.

Set up camp on a nearby ridge in a nice sheltered little area. Off-trail and out of sight, flat, no widow-makers above, some natural wind buffering... right on. View West.

South.

East.

North.

Hung food and toiletries. Ended up just hanging my whole pack later. I need to pick up a 3/4 pad and try using my pack under my legs at some point.

Home sweet home for the night. Gorgeous weather this past weekend. 0% rain forecast, but N-NE slight wind predicted for the night, thus lean-to and its orientation.

Pulled out hood on poncho tarp to prevent bowing in under wind and to add space under tarp.

Some gear. Antler worked out nicely as a gear prop

Dinner time! Packit Gourmet Chili - delicious!

Love my pop can stoves for short trips. Want to try Esbit one of these days.

View from my sleeping bag. Tons of shooting stars. A few planes and satellites too, oh well. It was dark until the moon rose (sometime after 10 I think). Even though it was waning gibbous, still a good bit of light.

Long exposure, west view from my bag.

Day 2 pics in next post

 

[HikingMano]

Continued from above

I was up with the dawn the next day. I wanted to day-hike out to scout a lake for future visits before heading back out and home.

Woke up as the sky started lightening.

Watched the shifting colors of the mural that was the western sky as I brushed my teeth.

Sunlight breaking over the hills and through to camp.

Beautiful start to the day.

Ate a quick breakfast, broke camp, and cached non-day-hike gear. Headed out on 9mi RT to check out the lake.

So California.

Views ENE.

Cat track. I'm thinking bobcat.

View west.

More views east.

More views west.

I just enjoyed the way the grass sat on this hill.

Ridgeline views.

More.

Dropping down towards lake now, sharper ridges and deeper canyons in this area.

View south.

Liked the lines.

Destination in view.

Not too shabby of a lake. Might be cool to spend a night near next time. Incidentally, met a couple of ULers there who were dayhiking the park; we had a nice little chat.

Moon hadn't set yet.

I like the Coe oaks.

After retuning to campsite for quick lunch and retrieving cached gear, I headed back down through The Narrows.

Cool little rock garden.

I didn't mind having to come back through The Narrows on this part of the return trip; it's a pretty interesting area.

Back to China Hole.

Took different trails back to HQ to maximize area covered and scenery. Not many pics from this segment, but it was nice. Shaded canyon trail next to a creek (dry creek bed this time of year). And it was definitely one of the lesser-traveled trails in Coe.

Some bird met its doom. Maybe a scrub jay.

An old stone cooler from a resort built (back in 1879) to take advantage of mineral springs that once were in the area. Only a few stone artifacts like this remain since the place died in the 1940s.

Inside.

Alligator Lizard to happened to cross my path.

That lovely light just before sunset...

Hiked from just after sunrise to sunset - a nice chill day. Covered some 17 or 18 miles this day, 9 or 10 the first day. Looking forward to getting deeper on future trips.

Beautiful sunset to cap a truly excellent lil overnighter weekend.

Hope you enjoyed the pics

 

[OwenM]

Great pics! Nice variety of terrain and scenery, and I love that veined rock you posted again.
I like your filter setup, too
Those dang Evernews have still been eluding me.

 

[HikingMano]

Haha, thanks for the help getting it together! Your tip about trimming the connector was especially helpful :thumbup:

I have a backup 2L Evernew, if you can't find them anywhere. Just shoot me your address They're great! Durable bags, at least judging by my limited use so far.

 

[HikingMano]

Owen, see above post :thumbup:

I forgot to post the two vids from the weekend:

[video=youtube;RsfL3QC1eUI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsfL3QC1eUI[/video]

[video=youtube;DnF5A8vl39o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnF5A8vl39o[/video]

As always, it's smidge better in 720p.

 

[OwenM]

Thanks for the offer!:thumbup: The bags that came with it are working fine for the time being, so it's not an emergency. I carry the 1L in addition to the 2L just in case.

Besides, I'm not jealous...and your red water tornado looks cool, but my blue one matches the filter better

 

[HikingMano]

Well, if your stock bags crap out sooner rather than later, just let me know :thumbup:

Haha, "so there!"

 

[DxAxN]

Some great pics from your Henry Coe State Park trip

 

[OwenM]

Well, if your stock bags crap out sooner rather than later, just let me know :thumbup:

Haha, "so there!"

No. I will not tell you. Then you might gloat

Somewhere around here, I've got pics from a trip with the same friend two years ago, when I accompanied her on a mapping project that this trip finished(she moved away, but was still determined to finish it). Soon the 15yr old Pinhoti maps will be replaced with modern ones with GPS coordinates for prominent features, road crossings, and water sources, along with elevation profiles, and more durable, water-resistant construction:thumbup:

Found them searching for something else in threads I'd started:

Now I kinda want to go back up there.

 

[HikingMano]

Thanks, Dan!

Owen, do it!! Nice shots, I like the one with the snake and the 2nd from last of the creek :thumbup:

 

[DxAxN]

HikingMano, what are you using as a wind shield for you stove?

 

[HikingMano]

Dan, I use a simple 4"x20" aluminum windscreen made by the same guy who made the stove. It's about soda can can thickness or a little more. I'm betting it's aluminum flashing or some thin aluminum sheet the guy used - mechanic_mike69 on ebay. Nothing fancy, but it does the job well at a light weight. I like that it folds easily; I can nest it in my mug easily with the stove, fuel, and lighter. I'm guessing a top burner would be more efficient for use with my mug, but the side jet works well enough, and I can use it on larger pots with good flame distribution.

 

[lambertiana]

Lakes just north of Pinchot Pass, Kings Canyon NP

Looking at Pinchot Pass from the north

Looking west from the top of Pinchot Pass

Looking south from Pinchot Pass

 

[OwenM]

Love it:thumbup:

 

[HikingMano]

I especially like the shots looking west and south from Pinchot Pass :thumbup: