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

[Mikel_24]

I usually don't like summits because 90% of the accidents take place while down climbing on the way back.

PIC 11: Seems like the Police was also worried about this and we had this helicopter from the Guardia Civil (rescue team I guess) flying above us for a few minutes.

Now we were going to use one of the usual routes up here to go back down.

PIC 12: This is called "Mahoma Passage". It is not difficult, but if you screw up, trip over or whatever... you are going down like 100m. Sure death. It is narrow and you can only cross it one at a time. As you can imagine there is usually a waiting line on both ends. This time there was none. French guys usually make the biggest trouble here crossing all roped up.

PIC 13-14: Going down from the summit. The snow was already soft in some spots but once we went back to the shade (north face) it was frozen hard again.

PIC 15-17: Some pictures taken on the way down. We came across the army who was doing some exercices there. All the guys there seemed pretty pissed off... lol. They where packing not so heavy packs but the gear didn't seem well suited for mountain climbing. I really felt sorry for the one carrying the radio!

PIC 18: This is the view on my left rear view mirror. It was taken on our way back along the dirt road.

It took us like 5 hours to go up and 3 to come back down. Then I had to drive 6 hours back to Bilbao.

As far as the knives go, we used a Canadian Camp in the van for food prep, Iñaki and Manu carried an Spyderco Rescue clipped to their pack straps (secured with a lanyard) and since we were not carrying any ropes, I switched my Spyderco Rescue for an Spyderco Endura combo edge and I carried it in my pocket (inside, not clipped). I always carry a Vic Rucksack in my pack, but it rarely sees any use.

I hope you enjoyed them. Maybe some of you expected better quality pictures of the mountains and stuff but my camera can't do much better. We usually focus on the action pictures. My pal Iñaki was pretty pissed off because his expensive reflex camera refused to work on Saturday. He didn't even bother to haul it up the mountain.

Mikel

 

[texastonydobbs]

 

[lambertiana]

In contrast to the big scenery pics that I usually post, here are two with a little more personal feeling.

This is typical low elevation oak woodland in the Sierras

And this is a typical view in a Sequoia grove. Nothing very large, probably only 15-20' diameter, but still a nice place.

And for some larger examples, here's one over 30' diameter (see if you can spot my Bark River Canadian Special):

And another nice example, with my daypack sitting on it:

 

[Mikel_24]

Lambertiana, seriously, I think you are going to need something a bit more substantial than your Canadian Special to chop that thing off. I have never seen such a big tree... wow!
Mikel

 

[Stekman]

That is a big piece of lumber. Really
iImpressive. I need to get over to the other side of the nation. That side looks like it's got all the good stuff...

In that last pic, I am assuming that's your day pack. That tree dwarfs your pack.

 

[lambertiana]

Giant Forest is a great place. It takes me 1.5 hours to driver there from my house. To give you an idea of scale (pictures just don't do them justice), look at the fresh scar at the top of the Sherman tree, where a branch broke off, and visualize how big you think that branch was:

Now here's the branch:

That branch fell over 200', I wouldn't want to be around when something like that comes down. Sometimes when I am up there after a heavy snowstorm, huge slabs of snow slough off the branches 200+ feet above the ground, and you have to be alert to avoid getting buried.

And this is what happens when you park in the wrong place:

http://www.kaweahcommonwealth.com/08-03/giant/fallen_giant.htm

 

[tonym]

and

 

[Brian Jones]

One of the most weird amazing experiences was driving my car THROUGH a tunnel that had been bored through the trunk of a California Redwood. I mean, dudes: I drove THROUGH it!

 

[tknife]

 

[North]

Here are some pictures from a Florida Keys trip this month.

Bill

 

[lambertiana]

TKnife - Where were those picture taken? It looks like it was around 7000-7500'.

North - That last picture is a keeper.

 

[tknife]

TKnife - Where were those picture taken? It looks like it was around 7000-7500'.

North - That last picture is a keeper.

You are about dead on :thumbup: Heading back down the Lakes Trail in Sequioa, probably right around 7500'.

 

[baldtaco-II]

 

[baldtaco-II]

 

[Mountainman38]

Kaweahs from the summit of Sawtooth Peak, Sequoia NP. Forest fire somewhere in the distance.

Good old Sawtooth. Up until about 10 years ago, my grandparents lived east of Exeter, so I spent a lot of time in that area. It was a hike my parents took to the top of Sawtooth in about 1971 that got me interested in survival and being prepared when going hiking.

They took off one summer day about noon for the summit, and were on top about sundown. The long trip back was made in the dark, with no lights, and out of food. My Dad's a diabetic, and started having an insulin reaction shortly after they left the summit. They had very little with them, and the only thing for insulin shock they had was a jar with a little honey in it. That honey lasted them all the way down, and despite repeated use never ran out. My family and I firmly believe it was a miracle that they made it down in pitch dark (got out about midnight) with no injuries, and without my Dad passing out or dying from insulin shock.

I thank God for His watchcare, but I also carry a very well-stocked pack most anywhere I go, and ESPECIALLY when hiking! There's such a thing as adventure, and then there's being foolish and not preparing.

Thanks for all the great footage of the Sierras! It's been awhile since I was down there, but that shot you put up of the cables in Half Dome really brought back some memories. I've had the chance to hike it 6 times now, and plan to do it a few more times when my kids get older.

I also appreciated the shot from the top of Whitney -- I thought that looked familiar! Some friends and I saw that view just about sunset, too, but we had lights and food for our trip back down.

Have you hiked up to the Temple Crag area on the east side? Those lakes are beautiful, the glacier is a sight, and the climb up to the crag is fun. At 12,999 ft you just have to stand up at the top to break 13,000 ft!

 

[lambertiana]

Mountainman38 - The descent from the summit of Sawtooth would have been quite interesting if they did it all in the dark. The summit is Class 3, and all the way down to Sawtooth Pass it is Class 2 with a lot of loose gravel and sand. I have done the trail from Mineral King to Monarch Lake in the dark several times, but I had a headlamp.

I took this picture today on my way home from our shooting trip. This is one of the last views looking down on the San Joaquin Valley from the lower part of the foothills. It's pretty dry - the last real rain was in February, and it has been staying steady at 95-109 for the last month, with low humidity. In contrast, the valley is 400 miles of peach, nectarine, plum, grape, citrus, walnut, almond, pistachio, grape, tomatoes, etc, etc.

 

[Bushman5]

Spanish Banks, vancouver BC me thinks........

 

[baldtaco-II]

Spanish Banks, vancouver BC me thinks........

Nope, but pretty fair guess. That's actually a bit of the coast of England. I looked up Spanish Banks and came across Crescent Beach at White Rock city. The description is very similar. Mine is one I use when I'm working in the city. If I go east it gives way to chalk cliffs and a famous last exist for the lost, and if I follow it west it yields to slate rock and coves. Because the tide goes out such a long way and the beach is so shallow most of the year one only bumps into bait diggers there.

 

[Mack]

Thistle Pond near Alsea Oregon. Great way to spend Independence Day which is also She Who Must Be Obeyed's b'day.
Only problem was when I stepped down expecting a 3 foot step and it was really 4 feet. My right foot was stuck on the dock and my left never hit the ground. My hip lower back and shoulder sure did though. Luckily my phone broke my fall, you can imagine how good that felt on my hip!

 

[Mack]

How do you say breakfast? Can you say bacon?