Backpacker- October 2014

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AMERICA’S GREATEST TRAILS BIG-VIEW PATHS CRAFTED BY MASTER BUILDERS 10 QUICK WEEKEND GETAWAYS TESTED WA R M AND TOUGH SLEEPING BAGS NO-MESS MEALS EAT BETTER, CLEAN LESS SURVIVAL SPECIAL 23 WAYS TO SAVE YOUR LIFE 27 FALL HIKES NEAR YOU FROM NEW YORK TO OREGON THE HIKER’S GUIDE 78 TIPS AND TRICKS TO FIRE

Transcript of Backpacker- October 2014

Page 1: Backpacker- October 2014

AMERICA’S GREATEST TRAILS

BIG-VIEW PATHSCRAFTED BY MASTER BUILDERS

10

QUICK WEEKEND GETAWAYS

T E S T E D WA R M

AN D TOUGH

S L E E P I N G BAGS

NO-MESS MEALS EAT BETTER, CLEAN LESS

SURVIVAL SPECIAL

23 WAYS TO SAVE

YOUR LIFE

27 FALL HIKES NEAR YOU FROM NEW YORK TO OREGON

THE HIKER’S

GUIDE

78 TIPS AND TRICKS

TO FIRE

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GREENLAND PANT | VIDDA PRO PANT | CANADA SHIRTApparel, packs, tents, sleeping bags and adventures, Since 1960

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www.fjallraven.us | www.fjallravencanada.com@fjallravenusa

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STEVEN GNAM

#Montana |

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John & Andy Stepped Out of Bounds in Montana!

See their full adventure at Backpacker.com/VisitMT

DAY 4: Finished up our exhilarating trek in GNP with our sights set on the town of Whitefish.

DAY 3: Wildflowers were in full bloom en route to Elizabeth Foot campground.

DAY 5: Passionate locals shared their love for SUPing on Whitefish Lake.

Mountain Biking! Enjoyed the robust trail system just 10 minutes from downtown Whitefish.

DAY 2: Headed out on our Glacier National Park backpacking trip. Experienced majestic mountain views and adventures along pristine lakes and rivers.

DAY 1: Spotted some wildlife on

curious friend with velvet antlers.

John Dale and Andy Zenz were selected as Montana’s 2014 Ambassadors to embark on a 7-day reader and fan-chosen adventure to explore Glacier National Park and nearby Whitefish, Montana, sharing their experiences along the way:

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DURANDFROM THE FIRST STEP TO THE MILLIONTH. With a compaction resistant midsole, integrated heel cushion and technical rubber outsole, the KEEN Durand Mid waterproof is dependable for the long haul.

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B A C K P A C K E R . C O M

trips

features

52Masterpiece TrailsThe best paths deliver way more than just a route from A to B. Here are the stories behind 10 of North America’s most impressive trails—and how to hike them. BY DOUGALD MCDONALD

62Trail EtiquetteTable manners in camp? No thanks. But from shelter snoring to skinny-dipping, here are the rules every con-siderate hiker should know. BY MAREN HORJUS

65 SKILLS + SURVIVAL SPECIALThe Complete Guide to FireIs there anything more primal than warming yourself by a campfi re deep in the wilder-ness? In this comprehensive guide, we cover every aspect of fi re making—from where and when to build one to how to put one out. Plus: 23 ways fi re can save your life.

go big08 Adirondack AutumnGet a full dose of fall colors on the Mt. Jo Trail.

10 The Experience: Canyoneering Rope up and rappel into a subterranean world of beauty.

14 Life List: Jökulsárgljúfur, Iceland Tour Iceland’s quiet northern corner—where volcanoes, glaciers, canyons, and, just maybe, trolls await.

16 Insider’s Guide: White Mountains, NH Find big views, private val-leys, and fall’s splendor in this alpine wonderland.

skills31 Scramble Safely When the going gets steep, here’s how to keep going. 32 Cheat Sheet: Take your dog hiking Just mind these canine rules.

33 Photo School: Tall trees Capture the for-est’s grandeur.

34 Pass/Fail: Cross a raging riverLesson #1: under-stand when it’s safe to try.

36 Trail Chef: No-mess mealsAll the yum, none of the cleanup

survival39 Out Alive: High and dry A hiker survives six days in Califor-nia’s desert on a pint of water.

42 Saved By: A paper clip8 uses for this everyday object

gear45 Field Test Tough sleeping bags

48 Roundup The best trail undies!

50 Field Notes A versatile tent, a bargain stove, and more.

the manual

go local20 To-Do ListGo on a Halloween hike, leaf-peep in the Smokies, soak in Colorado hot springs, visit a gear expo, spy whales in the Pacifi c, and plan for four more adventures near you. 22 WeekendsTag two summits on an easy trip through the Appalachians, check off a section of Wiscon-sin’s Ice Age Trail, and see a 500-foot cascade en route to an alpine lake in Oregon.

28 Done in a Day: Views and BrewsCelebrate glorious mountain hikes with local craft beer.

22 39

06 #trailchat 84 uncovered

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Cover Hite Primitive Camping Area in Glen Canyon, UT; by Justin Bailie. Beta: page 84.

The Krogerata, Telluride, CO

05

contentsOctober2014

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#trailchatYOUR OPINIONS, PHOTOS, AND FEATS

You Hiked It Each week, we challenge readers to capture a particular type of outdoor scene and share it with us on Instagram. The result? Frame-worthy memories from the prettiest backcountry spots around.

Join the conversation: backpacker.com/trailchat

Backtracking Overheard We counted 58 national parks

in our summer destinations survey [‘National Treasures,’ August 2014], but Doug Demers kindly reminded us that we missed Pin-nacles, which became the 59th last year.

“I am surprised and saddened to see a shot like this on your cover [August 2014],” writes Mark Hyams. “Setting up a tent in such a location, while a nice photo op, violates the most basic rules of Leave No Trace wilderness travel principles…Your magazine influences a lot of back-packers, especially new ones, so you have a responsibility to educate.”

BP: It’s true, the tent is in a spot that doesn’t follow standard LNT guide-lines to camp 200 feet from lakes and streams. But like most guidelines, this one doesn’t apply to every spot. In this case, because of specific terrain and use patterns, a local ranger who was with our photographer confirmed that this campsite was appropriate. Like-wise, the site on the cover of this issue is a ranger-approved location (read more on page 84). However, in neither case do we intend a blanket approval of pitching tents close to water.

Barbara Kennedy took issue with our suggestion of entertaining young backpackers with sparklers [‘The Kids Are Alright,’ August 2014]: “All fireworks, includ-ing sparklers, are prohibited in national parks, national forests, and all other federally-managed public lands...I am confident BACKPACKER does not want to en-courage anything that might start a wildland fire.”

BP: Fair point. Although we said that sparklers should only be used where safe and legal, not many backcountry locations fit that criteria.

Irving Dayton, meanwhile, dis-agreed with the author’s encourage-ment of bringing a six-month-old infant along on the trail. “This is idiotic. [Dennis] Lewon obviously never took a child in diapers...Our experience was that age 3 is about the right time to start.”

Lewon: I’ve done plenty of idiotic things, but taking my kids backpacking when they were two months old is not one of them. A few zip-top bags and plenty of wet wipes solve the diaper dilemma. Yes, you can!

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@ipp14 @stognasty @carolynmartens

Best Arch On his first-ever visit to California’s

Joshua Tree National Park, Stephen Ippolito used a 30-second exposure to capture the luminous Milky Way over Arch Rock. “It was my favorite location in the park,” he says. “We stayed to take pictures until 2 a.m.” Hike it From White Tank Campground, walk the .3-mile Nature Trail and marvel at 100-million-year-old rocks.

Best Tent Shot Insta-covet: Will Milford’s solitary

campsite atop Black Balsam Knob in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Bring layers, though: “It can get down-right cold up there any time of the year,” he says, due to the 6,214-foot elevation and lack of tree cover. Hike it Take the Flat Laurel Creek Trail to the Art Loeb Spur for a crowd-free, 10-mile roundtrip.

Best Reflection “We never tire of Mt. Hood,” says

Carolyn Martens, whose composition fills the frame top-to-bottom with an abundance of this Oregon mountain. The easy 3.2-mile loop around Lost Lake was “a perfect hike for our then-3-year-old daughter.” Hike it Challenge yourself on the steep 2.5-mile Huckleberry Mountain Trail, which links the lake with the PCT.

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ADVICE. WATCH AND LEARN WITH 25 COMPREHENSIVE HOW-TO VIDEOS AT BACKPACKER.COM/GEARSCHOOL

Want to join in? Follow @Backpackermag on Instagram and look for a new #BPChallenge every Friday. #BPMag #YouHikedIt

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Chase your dreams. This should help.

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trips

go local October’s trail agendaWeekend wilderness: Portland, OR Minneapolis, MN Washington, DCBeer and trail pairings

go big Into the slotsIceland’s mythical terrainWhite Mountains, NH

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Vivid fall foliage is no surprise in the Adiron-dack High Peaks (it usually climaxes the first week in October), but this view of the MacIntyre Mountains from 2,876-foot Mt. Jo struck even hard-to-impress photographers Pat and Chuck Black-ley. “After more than 20 years of seeking the

most spectacular fall vistas, it takes a lot to move us,” the Virginia residents say. “But it gives us goosebumps to remember this day.” Get there via a moder-ate, 2.4-mile loop that gains about 700 feet on the Mt. Jo Trail from the High Peaks trail-head at the Adirondack Loj. Want to extend the

trip? From the same trailhead, hike 7.4 miles on the Van Hoeven-berg Trail to summit 5,343-foot Mt. Marcy, New York’s highest; camp at Marcy Dam at mile 2.3 (bear canister required). Info adk.org

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B A C K P A C K E R . C O M

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Little rain,

stable weather—

fall is the

ideal time to

go deep.

BY STEVE HOWE

go big

010

A THIN STRIP OF LIGHT FILTERS down from above, framed by 400-foot cliffs that press inward to form this deep, narrow gorge. Nathan, my helmet-clad companion, squeezes through the rappel start, then glides down to land beside me in a puff of dust. He unclips, turns to me, and asks, “Pull ’em?” I nod yes. He hauls on the rope until it unthreads from the anchor and lands, with a slap, at our feet. That’s the sound of commitment. ¶ We’ve studied the route, we know our beta, I’ve even been here before, but as sure as gravity, we’re met with a heady realization:

Now there is no retreat. Our only way out is down this tight slot, hidden in the remote Robbers Roost country of south-ern Utah. The stone corridor winds seductively out of sight below us, ever deeper, darker, and more hushed.

Depth of

Field: Canyoneering

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The Great Cathedral rappel

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Zion National Park

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012the experience

G O B I G

Technical canyoneering routes are almost always one-way trips—down—due to the smooth, polished nature of water-carved cliffs. Simply put: There’s no going back. But while you have to finish, you can never be totally sure what that will entail. Rain cycles turn hallways into boulder-fields, beaches, or mud flats; logjams shift and vanish; rappels might suddenly end in deep pools, while potholes can change from an easy swim to a smooth-walled, test tube-shaped trap (called a “keeper”). Or you could get your rope stuck on a rap-pel pull and be stranded.

I guide canyon trips now, but I learned all this the hard way. By the early 90s, I already had a couple decades of rock climbing experience when a friend and I wanted to try canyoneering and decided on a 33-rappel, overnight canyon in Zion National Park. We thought we knew what we were in for, but didn’t realize that low water levels would create an endless series of keeper potholes. We floated for hours, shivering in 380F water despite being swaddled in neoprene and dry suits, trying to grapple-hook our way out using bent carabiners. Once I warmed up, I wanted to get back in a canyon, but stuck to the straightforward “easy” ones for a very long time.

Why did I work my way back to the tricky stuff? For my money, slot canyons are the most beautiful and alluring type of terrain around—the photo on the previous page alone will inspire some people to pack their bags and coil their ropes. From above, most slot canyons look like ho-hum ditches. But drop in and you enter a sculpted underworld of shape and color; cathedrals of golden light, dark, brooding hallways, shimmering pools, lush pocket jungles brimming with delicate flowers. Canyoneering is a poor man’s space shot: a way to travel through spectacular and exotic environments. Recognizing the beauty is easy enough. But you have to respect the beauty—or it can bite you.

Back in Robbers Roost, Nathan and I use cross-pressure between the walls, following bobsled twists carved into these petrified, Jurassic-era dunes. Sunlight bounces down into the gorge, getting redder with every volley until the slickrock ignites in a warm lava glow. It’s far too tight to wear our daypacks. So we drag them while chimneying, back against one wall, knees, toes, and elbows against the other.

The gorge shifts abruptly from squeezy to staircase-steep, plunging us down a series of rappels anchored by deadmen (rocks slung with webbing and buried in sand). When a massive boulder pile blocks our route, we crawl through the “birth canal” at its base and slither into an 18-inch-wide corridor.

The crack widens into a hangar-size cave. Yee-haw! Scouting info and personal experience say our challenges should be over. We peel harnesses, coil rope, and stroll around the corner to stumble upon—surprise!—a wall-to-wall pool of dark, skanky water. Beyond the first pool, another foul lake winds out of sight, rip-pling sluggishly in the gloom.

This canyon was my idea, so I go first. It’s dark, scary, absolutely frigid—and totally awesome. Once I get used to the stew-like consistency, it feels refreshing, almost. Here, up to my neck in it, I find the Zen-like ability to accept setbacks and surprises, that core requirement for happy canyoneering. The obstacles may be many, difficult, and even different from what you expected, but that’s the price of a return ticket through these hidden worlds.

And the fare is definitely worth it.

Contributing editor Steve Howe runs Red Rock Adventure Guides in southern Utah.

Hikers trace Bull Valley Gorge on a 17-mile, non-technical route in Utah.

NON-TECHNICAL

Willis Creek, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monu-ment, UT

This 4-mile (round-trip) hike follows a shallow watercourse be-neath sandstone walls that rise up to 300 feet.Time 4 hours Info ut.blm.gov/monu-ment

TECHNICAL

Easy Keyhole Canyon, Zion National Park, UT

Combine downclimbing, swimming, and four rappels up to 30 feet (two rap-pels are on fixed anchors) in this slot in the heart of canyon country. Go in late summer when water is warmest.Time 1-2 hours Info nps.gov/zion

Intermediate Oak Creek Can-yon, Ouray, CO

A handful of 80-foot rappels in the

middle canyon give way to a free, 170-foot drop be-neath a waterfall in the lower.Time 5-8 hours Info coloradocan-yons.org

Advanced Heaps Canyon, Zion National Park, UT

A series of nar-rows and rappels that end in swims lead to the finale: a 280-foot, free-hanging descent to the edge of Up-per Emerald Pool. Caution: Low water levels can result in keeper potholes. Time 12-20 hours Info nps.gov/zion

Expert 12 Gauge Canyon, Oahu, HI

The tallest of 15 drops is 400 feet down slick stone under a waterfall. The gnarly first descent wasn’t completed until 2013.Time 15 hours (first descent) Info unrealhawaii .com

–Ian Bagley and Katie Campisi P

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Five spots for aspiring canyoneers Play the slots

Peek-A-Boo Gulch in Utah’s

Grand Staircase-Escalante National

Monument

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014life list

G O B I G

us, the troll church is the only place to escape. Inside, our footsteps echo, and Isa begins to sing, her voice rising over the patter of rain outside the cave. And for maybe the tenth time on this two-day journey, we get that epic, humbling feel-ing: There’s magic here—maybe not in the form of mythical creatures, but certainly in the visceral power of standing within the raw workings of a still-evolving planet.

A million tourists—many of them hik-ers—will visit Iceland this year, drawn to the geological secrets of a place that strad-dles the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Most of these folks focus on the southern half of the island, home of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano that burst its top in 2010 and the easy-access,

Exploring the world’s most dynam-ic landscape puts you face to face with the raw forces that formed the planet. BY DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

Jökulsárgljúfur Iceland

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AFTER A DAY OF WALKING down the canyon of the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, my 9-year-old

daughter Isa is convinced that Iceland’s notorious huldufólk, or “hidden people,” inhabit these steep walls of igneous rock and glacial-melt cascades. She’s most worried about the trolls. If such creatures exist, the gaping, magma-formed cave in front of us—called a kirkjan, meaning “church”—seems like an ideal home.

When the June Arctic rain begins pelting

A

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50-mile, hut-to-hut Laugavegurinn trek.Looking to escape those crowds, we

instead chose this 20-mile trek on the quiet, northeast corner of the island, a seven-hour drive from Reykjavik. The mostly flat path through the narrow Jökulsárgljúfur (yuh-kul-soar-glyu-fur) section of Vatnajökull National Park is easy to navigate, ideal for taking photos and your time—both of which you’ll want to do as you follow the runoff of Europe’s biggest glacier through the canyon’s high-walled, honeycomb basalt corridor.

We began at Dettifoss, the most power-ful waterfall in Europe, a Niagara Falls-like torrent that spills from the bare, rocky tun-dra. By the time we reach the troll cathe-dral near mile 13, we’ve tented in a grassy,

DO IT The 20-mile trek takes two days (camping only allowed at Vesturdalur near mile 12 and at the finish at Ásbyrgi). You can do it either direction (shuttle info be-low). Get there The drive to Dettifoss from Reykjavik takes about seven hours, or you can fly into Iceland’s second biggest city, Akureyri, which is a two-hour drive from Dettifoss. Shuttle info Fjallasýn offers rides depending on road conditions; check booking rates and details (+354 464 3941; [email protected]). Season Go in the early season (May and June) when the road be-tween Dettifoss and Ásbyrgi is closed (so only trekkers can access the area). Con-tact bit.ly/JokulTrek

The gorge’s honeycomb basalt formed when the glacial river rapidly cooled magma from a shield volcano eruption 8,000 years ago.

Glacier-fed Dettifoss, where this hike begins, dumps water 144 feet into the canyon.

Home of the elves: End the hike atop Ásbyrgi, a super-lush canyon in north Iceland.

B A C K P A C K E R . C O M

bright green valley, navigated a series of fixed hand ropes across steep rock, passed a cluster of springs that burbled down viridescent tundra, and seen the chaos of whirlpools in the Jökulsá—only encounter-ing a few hikers on our first day.

We don’t find any trolls within the spooky puzzle of lava rock, but my daugh-ter hasn’t given up hope that other legends are true. Toward the end of the day, we emerge from red dirt hills atop the lip of Ásbyrgi, a horseshoe-shaped canyon said to be formed by the hoof of the Norse god Odin’s eight-legged steed Sleipnir. It’s filled with a tangle of white birch trees and hosts an emerald pool. It’s also said to be the capital city of the elves. Isa wonders if we can stay another day to look for them.

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G O B I G

W hite Mountains, New Hampshire

Secret perch: To reach this off-trail spot with a view of

the East Fork Pemigewasset Valley, head north along an

abandoned logging road near mile 4 of the Semi-Pemi Loop (see next page) until it peters

out, then bushwhack north-west about a mile to this cliff

near a spur labeled “2339” on the USGS topo.

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Explore New England’s biggest alpine zone.BY KELLY BASTONE

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Less is More.Every peanut butter chocolate chip LÄRABAR is made

with only dates, peanuts, chocolate chips and sea salt.

N o n - G M O • 1 9 D E L I C I O U S F L A V O R S

©2014 LÄRABAR

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G O B I G

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Your guide Steve Smith, 60, of Lincoln, New

Hampshire, owns The Mountain Wanderer (a specialty map and guidebook shop) and co-authored the AMC’s White Mountain Guide, which details 1,420 trail miles—all of which Smith has hiked, making him one of about 20 people to have “red-lined” the entire guide.

Let weather rule.The Whites’ summits are often

cloaked in clouds. So when seasoned hik-ers like Smith want to get up high, they scan the weather forecast (bit.ly/MWOBS offers detailed info) for high-pressure sys-tems that usher in the kind of clear, calm skies that let hikers see 100 miles to the Adirondacks. “We call that a Presi Day,” Smith says. And when rain won’t quit? “That’s a great time to visit waterfalls.”

Visit Franconia.If you can do just one hike in the

Whites, make it Franconia Ridge, Smith

says. Sure, it’ll be crowded, but you’ll get the Whites’ finest vistas: From 5,260-foot Mt. Lafayette, hikers overlook some 30 peaks topping 4,000 feet. Smith loves the classic, 9-mile loop up the Falling Waters Trail and down the Greenleaf Trail (fewer crowds midweek; bit.ly/1014Franconia). For less company, leave a bike at the Greenleaf trailhead, then hike 4.6 miles south on the Skookumchuck Trail, which ascends Lafayette on a lovely, less-used path. Descend 3 miles via Greenleaf and cycle 2.9 miles on a paved bike trail back to your car.

Do the Semi-PemiThe 32-mile Pemigewasset (or

“Pemi”) Loop is the pride of the Whites, but Smith recommends this slightly shorter version (25.2 miles) for similar rewards—with a fraction of the traffic. Starting from the Lincoln Woods trail-head, follow the Wilderness and Bondcliff Trails to scale Mt. Bond, one of the Whites’ remotest peaks: No roads or buildings

That moment of glory when you emerge out of the forest to wide-open vistas? Multiply that euphoria by 8,320—the Whites’ above-treeline acreage—and you get the East’s most viewtastic hiking, across summits clustered close and ripe for the picking. Even the lowlands dazzle, with waterfalls and quiet ponds where moose wade among lily pads. And in fall, swamp maples and other hardwoods erupt into a sizzling display of fiery reds and yellows. Western mountains never throw confetti like this.

The Payoff

2

1

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B A C K P A C K E R . C O M

Trip Planner Go in October for fall color or June for alpine wildfl ow-ers. Get there From Boston, take I-93 N 130 miles to Lincoln. Permit USFS Recreation Pass required for parking at some trailheads ($3/day, $5/week, or $20/year; 603-536-6100). Camping prohibit-ed above treeline, and AMC huts require advance reservations (603-466-2727; outdoors.org). Guidebook AMC White Mountain Guide ($25; out-doors.org) Maps White Mountains Waterproof Trail Map ($10; mapad-ventures.com); AMC’s White Mountain Guide Online ($15/year, outdoors.org) includes GPS coordinates. Con-tact fs.usda.gov/whitemountain

1 On a clear day, you can see 100 miles from the summits of Mts. Clay and Jefferson in the Great Gulf Wilderness. 2 Fall colors decorate Hellgate Brook off the Franconia Brook Trail. 3 The Six Husbands Trail is so steep it uses wooden ladders.

mar the views from its 4,698-foot summit. Camp at 4,360 feet at Guyot Campsite ($8), an east-facing perch offering a reliable spring and superb sunrise views from one of the Whites’ few high-elevation tenting options . Next day, hike across Guyot and South Twin to overnight at Galehead Hut ($121) or Thirteen Falls tentsite ($8), one of Smith’s favorite hideaways. “It’s a beautiful spot deep in the Franconia Brook valley with several tiered cascades nearby,” he explains. Day three, follow the Franconia Brook Trail 8 mel-low miles back to your car.

Basecamp Great Gulf“It’s not shown on many

maps,” Smith says, “but there are two nice campsites off the Great Gulf Trail that set you up for several awesome day-trips into the Presidentials.” From the trailhead west of NH 16, hike 4.5 miles to two sites marked with wooden panels. From this crash pad, hike the Six Husbands Trail (which is so steep, it uses wooden ladders to scale 50-foot cliffs) to tag Jefferson, Clay, and Washington (4,300 feet of elevation gain over 8.8 miles). A shorter loop

(3,600 vertical feet, 7.6 miles) uses Six Husbands as a springboard for summitting Jefferson and Adams. Or for an easier trek (gaining 1,150 feet over 2 miles), continue up the Great Gulf Trail to Weetamoo Falls and tiny, evergreen-shaded Spaulding Lake: At 4,228 feet, it’s higher than many Eastern summits.

Savor fiery fall colorsIn any season, the 8.3-

mile Baldface Mountain Loop ranks among the Whites’ best dayhikes for its high-alpine views and scant crowds (it’s located on the range’s eastern edge, farther from the main highways’ city traffic). But in late September and early October, the payoff climaxes in a show of fiery colors. “I’ve hung out for a long time just admiring the view,” Smith says. From Baldface trailhead on NH 113 in Chatham, hike west following yellow blazes and turn left onto the Baldface Circle Trail. Once the trail leaves the trees (mile 2.5; camping option here), the route requires scrambling (see page 31) across chunky boulders before gaining 3,569-foot South Baldface, where views extend west to Mt. Washington. Turn right (north), following the ridgeline to 3,591-foot North Baldface, cruise northeast to Eagle Crag, then plunge steeply into the autumn col-ors to return to your car near the Maine state line.

READING LISTGET SMITH’S

BOOK PICKS & MORE AT BACKPACKER .COM/INSIDER.

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Catch the eagle migration.

Golden eagle alert: The raptors swing through Colonel Denning State Park on their south-ward migration this month (peaking mid-October). Take the 2.5-mile (one-way) Flat Rock Trail through a hemlock corridor to the sum-mit of 1,407-foot Blue Mountain for an open vista. Scan for the solo fl yers coasting on westward winds (most oft en following cold fronts). Info bit .ly/ColDenningSP

Embrace your inner gearhead.

Can’t wait for our spring Gear Guide? Check out next year’s equipment and apparel, buy this year’s goodies, or sell your retired pieces at the annual Midwest Outdoor Experience, an open-air festival, on October 3 and 4 (free entry). Aft er you get your wish-list in order through hands-on demos, try your hand at stand-up paddleboarding or grab a brew at the beer garden. And entertain-ment options abound: Watch tree climbers rappel down sycamores and super-pups have a go in the Ultimate Air Dog competition. Info metroparks.org/outdoorx

Lounge in a high-country hot spring.Soak tired muscles in natural mineral pools while the iconic, brick-red Elk Mountains pro-

vide eye candy. A 9.1-mile hike gaining 2,500 feet along the Conundrum Creek Trail (#1981) lands you at the 100°F spa (don’t expect to be the only one there). If you stay the night, fi nd a handful of established sites (fi rst-come, fi rst-serve) a quarter-mile back of the springs in the woods immediately off the trail. Go in October when the path is lined with yellow-gilded aspens and air temps drop into the 50s (ideal for hiking and soaking). Trip data bit.ly/1014Conundrum

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Show off your fi tness and survival prowess.

Trail running meets The Hunger Games in southern Texas on Octo-ber 4. In the Hunter Gatherer Rac-es, runners must fi lter their own water and pack in their own food on an undisclosed 25K or 50K course through Camp Eagle (no aid stations). More primal option: The 50K Survival Run includes secret obstacles (hint: know how to climb a tree and make a bow and arrow). Don’t bother bringing trail runners: Fashioning your own footwear is challenge number one. Info Register by Oct. 1 ($10); bit.ly/badassrace

Leaf-peep in the Smokies.

Above 4,000 feet, fall col-ors here peak mid-October: Find a foliage hot spot near you. Nashville See the red-blanketed Pigeon River Gorge from 4,928-foot Mt. Cammerer on an 11.2-miler (bit.ly/1014Cammerer). Charlotte Tag 5,842-foot Mt. Sterling on a 5.6-miler for a panorama of crim-son old-growth (bit.ly/SterlingInfo). Atlanta or Greenville Nab a fi re tower view (pictured) over golden trees on a 7.2-mile AT hike (bit.ly/1014Shuckstack).

pittsburgh dayton nash denver san antonio sa

Think Big: Thirteeners surround these springs.

Page 23: Backpacker- October 2014

B A C K P A C K E R . C O M

It’s officially autumn, which means hike-now foliage. Keep tabs on your local woods by calling the Forest Service’s fall color hotline at (800) 354-4595; extensions 1 through 9 redirect to specific regions.

Hike “alongside” whales. Glimpse some killer wildlife on

San Juan Island this month before the resident orcas follow the salmon west in November. Head out on the 1.3-mile path around Lime Kiln Point State Park to hit the best on-land viewing spots (overlooks at mile .2 and near the lighthouse at mile .4). Or, paddle north along the coast from Friday Harbor (learn more: sanjuankayak.com). Info bit.ly/LimeKiln

Go on a Halloween night hike.

Trick or treat? Take the kids to the Norskedalen Nature Center in Coon Valley on October 25 for the Great Pumpkin Walk, a half-mile nighttime hike through a jack-o’-lantern-lined cor-ridor. Braver souls can test their nerves with Ghoulees in the Coulees on October 24 and 25; pass spook stations hidden within the dark woods on the same path. Then, warm up and calm down with hot cider and storytelling at the Bekkum Homestead back at the nature center. Info Register online ($10) at bit.ly/halloweenhike14

Walk beneath yellow aspens.

Hit the slopes this month—before the first snow blankets them in white. The Wasatch Crest Trail links Big Cottonwood Canyon (home to Solitude and Brighton ski areas) and Mill Creek Canyon (home to Canyons Resort) via a 10-mile route through the Wasatch National Forest. Hike it in October, when the aspens gild the scene with their eye-popping golden leaves. From the Guardsman Road trailhead, head north for a 10-mile out-and-back to Desolation Lake, an aquamarine pool (rimmed with sandy beaches) at 9,000 feet. Or, go for the adrenaline junkie’s op-tion: Grab your mountain bike and link the Wasatch Crest and Mid-mountain Trails for a 26-mile loop through The Canyons and Park City. Info bit.ly/WasatchCrstTrl

Spy alligators.Gator Nation offers more than college sports. And now that temps are back in

the low 80s, it’s the perfect time to tackle an easy 3-mile out-and-back through literal gator country in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. Hit the La Chua Trail, a 1.5-mile boardwalk through marshes to an observation tower 50 feet above a karst sinkhole where the gators hang (look for the moving dark spots). Info bit.ly/PaynesSP

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Wasatch Guardians: 10,200-footers Mt.

Raymond and Gobblers Knob hog the view

to the west.

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Turn-by-turn From Hog Camp Gap

Leave night two’s dinner and day three’s meals in the car (the trailhead is the mid-point of a fi gure-eight, so you’ll pass through again before the second night) and follow the blue-blazed Hotel Trail 1.2 miles south through stands of hickory, oak, and mountain laurel to an open meadow .Continue 2.6 miles clockwise around the fl anks of 4,033-foot Cole Mountain to the Cow Camp Gap Shelter (sleeps eight; fi rst-come, fi rst-serve). Veer northeast, con-necting with the Ap-palachian Trail (white blazes) and summiting Cole at mile 5.2.Continue east across the ridge and descend to a fork at mile 6.1.Turn east onto FS 48, walking .3 mile to Hog Camp Gap, where this trip began. (Pick up your food cache if you left one.)Link up with the Henry Lanum Trail, follow-ing the second loop

clockwise (for a longer descent on the return). Hit the Mt. Pleasant Trail at mile 9.2. Go south on the Mt. Pleasant Trail .6 mile to the exposed twin summits of Mt. Pleasant . Return to the Henry Lanum Trail and trek 2.6 miles northwest to the trailhead.

Campsite 1Meadow (mile 1.2)

Camp under the shade of a majestic, 60-foot oak in a grassy meadow just 1.2 miles in. Ideal for late-starters who’d rather log a little distance before

nightfall rather than camp at the trailhead, these fi ve sites are fi rst-come, fi rst-serve and 100 feet from a small, year-round stream.

Campsite 2Mt. Pleasant (mile 9.8)

Nab the throne-like site on the west summit, which sits 2,000 feet above waves of Blue Ridge foothills. Enjoy a fi re ring and rock benches in this semi-protected site (fi rst-come, fi rst-serve), or, if taken, try the slightly smaller site atop the east summit. Ad-ditional established sites (and a seasonal spring) sit near the trail junction .6 mile back.

In full swing

Rest tired legs on the iconic wooden swing at the trailhead at Hog Camp Gap when you swing through mid-trip (mile 6.1). From the AT/FS 48 intersection, cross the road on the AT; the swing is another 20 yards on the left, suspended from a large, gnarled oak.

“This is awesome!” Miles proclaims. “Super-duper

awesome!” Isley echoes. My robust hiking partners—two second-graders—and I are stand-ing alone atop 4,070-foot Mt. Pleasant on the last day of an easy, three-day tour through the Appalachians. I wanted to introduce these first-time backpackers to the wilderness on a trip that packed memory-making grandeur into a compact package that wouldn’t destroy little legs. After a dozen mellow miles across open balds, along crystal-clear mountain streams, and through a hardwood forest teeming with white-tailed deer, we reached the highlight of our trip: A patchwork of red, orange, and yellow foliage floods the view in all directions, with rocky summits rising above, as if for air. A new generation of wilder-ness lovers is born. BY PETER RIVES

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Mt. Pleasant Virginia

See 50 shades of red and yellow from the summit of Mt. Pleasant between the fourth week of September and the third week of October (in typical years).

DO IT Trailhead 37.758910, -79.188760*; 14 miles east of Buena Vista on Wiggins Spring Rd. Gear up Walkabout Outfi tter in Lexington; walk-aboutoutfi tter.com Season Year-round: Fall brings radiant foliage and ideal air temps; winter for solitude, but be pre-pared for snow or ice on trails; spring for wildfl owers and reliable springs; late-summer for trail-side blueberries and blackberries. Permits None Custom-centered map bit.ly/BPmapPleasant ($15) Contact (540) 265-5100; fs.usda.gov/gwj Trip data www.trimbleout-doors.com/ViewTrip/2712961

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Page 25: Backpacker- October 2014

AS IN FIT

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joint for wearers with bunions.

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Turn-by-turn From Sailor Creek Road

Hike a few hundred feet north and turn east on the Ice Age Trail, tracing Jerry Lake, a 26-acre kettle lake (formed by re-treating glaciers), and proceeding through white birch and hemlock forests to a viewpoint overlooking the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest at mile 2.9.Continue 6.6 miles to a glacial esker; walk along the natural bridge and trek 4.3 more miles north and east to a campsite sign; veer east (hiker’s right) to fi nd the kettle lake camp .Hike 8 miles to the Mondeaux Dam and your shuttle car. (You’ll cross FS 106 at mile 19 and trace the mile-long Mondeaux Esker en route.)

CampsiteKettle Lake (mile 13.8)

Cap a long day in this glacial playground at this primo site, over-looking a little sapphire kettle. This established site is tucked amid 60-foot-tall white birches and pines and just 30 feet (via a steep footpath) uphill from clear water. If occupied, refi ll water and retrace your steps 200 yards to a pocket of dispersed spots in the forest.

Go with the fl ow

Trace the top of three giant eskers—50- to 100-foot-tall embank-ments of sand and gravel deposited by riv-ers that fl owed beneath glaciers—on this section

of the Ice Age Trail. Glacial eskers, like the 1.3-mile-long Mondeaux at mile 19, tend to run with the direction of the glacial movement, so you’re going with the glacial fl ow from between 10,000 and 60,000 years ago.

Rest break

Catwalk down Hemlock Esker and, at its high point near mile 8.2, grab a seat on a bench emblazoned with a quote from the grand-father of the Wilderness Act, Aldo Leopold (who lived in central Wiscon-sin when he wrote his famous A Sand County Almanac): “To those devoid of imagination, a blank place on the map is a useless waste; to others, the most valu-able part.”

It’s hard to believe from this cozy perch, but before the dazzling cobalt pool and the brilliant yellow aspens and

sugar maples 30 feet below me, there was only a sea of ice here. But the Ice Age did leave its mark, and I’ve experienced it on its namesake trail. Earlier in the day, midway along the 21.8-mile Jerry Lake segment of the Ice Age Trail, I catwalked an ancient, bridge-like glacial esker, skirted a swampy ravine of primordial ferns, and now I’m camped above a kettle lake that formed when the glaciers receded. Surrounding it, the trees spring from between milk crate-size erratics, oddball rocks dropped here by moving ice. Time—10,000 years, actually—has added the enchant-ing forest. Some things are better with age. BY KATY WELTER

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Jerry Lake Wisconsin

DO IT Shuttle car 45.333541, -90.451673; 47 miles northeast of Thorp off Park Rd. Trailhead 45.221808, -90.586845; 17 miles southwest on Sailor Creek Rd. Shuttle option Contact the trail associa-tion’s chapter coordina-tor and local historian Gerald “Buzz” Meyer at [email protected] for trail conditions, beta, and a drop-off (free, but tip recom-mended). Gear up Chip-pewa Hardware & Sporting Goods in Chippewa Falls; acehardware.com Season Mid-September through October for dry ground, turning leaves, and mos-quito-free camping; deep snow can persist through April; summer brings storms and bugs. Permits None Custom-centered map bit.ly/BPmapJerry ($15) Contact (715) 748-4875; fs.usda.gov/cnnf Trip data www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/2704290

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Page 27: Backpacker- October 2014

Our most brilliant touchscreen ever.See your maps, compass, and what you’re made of.

The new Oregon 650t features our super-vivid, super-bright display and an all-new responsivetouchscreen. So now, with built-in TOPO US 100K maps, a 3-axis compass with altimeter, GPS and GLONASS satellite positioning, and a powerful 8 MP fl ash camera, you’re completely in control, even in the most challenging conditions. With the Oregon 650t, a bright new world is in your hands.

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Page 28: Backpacker- October 2014

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Turn-by-turn From the Wallowa Lake trailhead

Head 100 feet south-east to a fork. Veer southwest (hiker’s right) onto the West Fork Wal-lowa River Trail and continue .3 mile to a T-junction. Turn south (hiker’s left ) and continue 2.6 miles to the West Fork Wallowa River Trail/Ice Lake Trail junction at 2.9 miles.Take the right-hand option to Ice Lake and descend 100 yards to a bridged crossing over the west fork of the Wallowa River. Cross and continue 4.8 miles to Ice Lake at 7.7 miles. (Pass Beauty Falls near mile 5.2 and the best entrance to Ice Falls near mile 6.4. See right.) Retrace your steps to the trailhead.

Campsite Ice Lake (7.7 miles)

This hot spot can be crowded on weekends, so aim for one of the established, fi rst-come, fi rst-serve spaces hidden on the east shore’s pen-insula for the best view of the Matterhorn. At the main trail’s terminus, pick up the faint footpath fol-lowing the shore .2 mile clockwise to the alcove.

Find the falls

At mile 5.8 on the main path, you’ll encounter a set of 13 switchbacks; leave the trail hiker’s left (south) at the joint between the fi ft h and sixth switchback aft er climbing about .6 mile. There will likely be a faint footpath, but, if not, fol-low your ears: Aft er about 50 feet, you’ll emerge from thick pine woods at the basin’s northern bank. Note: Stick to hard soil

when traveling off-trail to protect the vegetation.

Bag a peak

Summit the 9,836-foot Matterhorn via a non-tech-nical, 1.5-mile scramble over easy-to-negotiate limestone scree from Ice Lake’s northwest shore. A faint trail climbs about 2,000 feet to a panorama of the Wallowa Range and Eagle Cap Wilderness.

I could hear the waterfall before I could see it. There

wasn’t even a sign to indicate its whereabouts. Midway along the Pacific Northwest pilgrim-age to Ice Lake, an alpine pool surrounded by jagged granite peaks, I veered off-trail. Hidden behind the Wallowas—and Ice Lake’s widespread reputation—I stumbled upon what might be the state’s most-impressive cas-cade: a 500-footer that crashes into a wildflower-rimmed basin between green canyon walls. In a few hours, I would see the sun set over the Matterhorn from a lake-side site at the end of the trail. But that wouldn’t be the highlight of this trip. BY ADAM SAWYER

Ice Falls Oregon

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DO IT Trailhead 45.267470, -117.212161; 7 miles south of Joseph off Wallowa Lake Hwy. Gear up The Sports Corral in Joseph; bit.ly/sportscorralfb Season Mid-summer through mid-fall. Late August is best for flow-ers; bugs taper off in Septem-ber and October, but weather can be dicey. Ice Falls flows year-round. Permits None Custom-centered map bit.ly/BPmapIceFalls ($15) Con-tact (542) 426-5509; fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman Trip data www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/2714865

Trip stats

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This Fall, BACKPACKER is on the road with the 1ST annual Get Out More Tour—Women’s Edition—a one-of-a-kind mobile tour that brings BACKPACKER’S authoritative advice to life. The 50+ event Tour features in-depth retail workshops and presentations that inform and inspire active and aspiring outdoor women while covering the unique challenges women face while hiking, camping and backpacking, the specialized equipment designed specifically for women and the current state of fashion in the outdoor industry.

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Page 30: Backpacker- October 2014

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Mt. Hunger’s bald summit of-fers a rare 360-degree view in

Vermont’s Worcester Range.

1 Hike: South Sister, Three Sisters Wilderness, OR

Beer: Deschutes Brewery Juniper Sour

Nab this Central Oregon volcano—the region’s tallest mountain at 10,358 feet—in early October, while fall colors peak and before the first snow buries the summit trail. The non-technical, 6-mile (one-way) route to South Sister from the Devils Lake trailhead gains 4,900 feet as it twists above the high desert to the rocky sum-mit. Set aside up to 10 hours for the strenu-ous out-and-back, and pass Lewis (mile 1.5) and Clark (mile 2) Glaciers en route to the shrub-dotted peak, where Cascades views stretch into the horizon and scents of juniper and sage hang in the air. Retrace your steps to the trailhead and drive a half-hour east to Deschutes Brewery in nearby Bend, where Juniper Sour picks up where the trail left off. Infused with foraged juni-per berries, this sour beer is tart, refresh-ing, and low-alcohol (great for the thirsty hiker). Brewery info deschutesbrewery.com Trip info bit.ly/SouthSister

2 Hike: Buford Mountain, Buford Mountain Conservation Area, MO

Beer: Perennial Artisan Ales Black

Walnut Dunkel

Enjoy the wild solitude and sweeping val-ley views of the Ozarks on a 10.5-mile loop that tags 1,740-foot Buford Mountain from the Buford Mountain trailhead. Prep for a six-hour hike and reach the wide, rocky summit at mile 7. Look 640 feet down to the Arcadian and Belleview Valleys, jam-packed with radiant, crimson hickory and oak trees in October. On the descent, spot native black walnut trees. These 50- to 90-foot-tall trees (identify them by their long, fern-like leaves) spit out golf ball-size walnuts that you can taste

in nearby Perennial Ales’ Black Walnut Dunkel. This St. Louis brewery’s inven-tive, robust brown ale is aged with 250 pounds of black walnuts sourced entirely from Missouri’s wilderness. Brewery info perennialbeer.com Trip info bit.ly/BufordMtn

3 Hike: Mt. Hunger, C.C. Putnam State Forest, VT

Beer: The Alchemist Heady Topper You can’t see Mt. Mansfield from Mt. Mansfield, or Camels Hump from Camels Hump. But, on a clear and crisp October day, you can see each of them—plus the Presidentials—from Mt. Hunger, 30 miles east of Burlington. Earn the tastiest view of the Green Mountains on a quick (three hours), 4.4-mile out-and-back from the Waterbury trailhead. Ascend Hunger’s western flank under short pines (pass a small waterfall at mile 1.5) to the apex, where you land views of the Greens—actually red and yellow in fall. Pick out Mansfield 20 miles to the northwest, Camels Hump 20 miles to the southwest, and the Presidentials nearly 100 miles to the east. Cap your summit bid with the Heady Topper, a double-IPA from The Alchemist in Waterbury, which, just like the fall foliage, blasts your senses before disappearing fast. This hoppy behemoth pairs well with outdoor adventures, exuding bold pine and citrus tones, but famously sells out within a few hours of its release. There isn’t a tasting room at the brewery, but the Prohibition Pig in Waterbury (15 miles south) is a good bet (prohibitionpig.com). Brewery info alche-mistbeer.com Trip info bit.ly/CCPutnam

Check out 10 more craft beers fit for adventure at backpacker.com/trailbeer.

Mountain adventures and cold beer go together like fresh-caught trout and lemon. Find a dayhike/pint pairing near you—cheers!

Views & Brews

Page 32: Backpacker- October 2014

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 7:00 PM Summit Hut 5045 E Speedway Blvd Tucson, AZ

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 6:00 PM Eddie Bauer 2240 Q Street 10H, Albuquerque, NM (Albuquerque Uptown)

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Scramble Safely

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1 Be sure you’ve packed heavy stuff closest to your body. Don’t tie anything outside—swinging water bottles and sleep-ing pads will throw off your center of gravity. 2 Put away your trekking poles. You’ll need your hands for the ascent. 3 Make sure the route is appropriate. Ask yourself these questions: If you encounter a tricky section, can you overcome it in just a move or two? Can you stop yourself from falling or tumbling more than a few feet if you slip? How hurt would you get if you fell? 4 When scrambling on unmarked terrain, take periodic checks of your surroundings. Consult your map

frequently or make sure to work toward a specific landmark. 5 Maintain three points of contact at all times on steep terrain. 6 Test each boulder before committing your full weight. 7 Trust your feet and maximize the friction between rubber and rock by keeping your center of gravity low, placing your foot flat with most of the rubber touching, and seeking bare, dry rock. 8 On a more vertical climb (75 degrees or greater), keep your weight on your feet but lean in toward the rock. 9 For the descent, take out one trekking pole to use for balance and, facing out, shift your weight back toward the slope to prevent tumbling forward. 10 When downclimbing tricky spots, turn and face the rock for better purchase (and to keep your pack from bumping the rock). 11 Going down is harder than going up. If you’re feeling maxed out on the ascent, you’re pushing your comfort level for the descent.

Going off-trail on steep,

rocky terrain? Follow these

tips from Climbing Editor

Shannon Davis.

PATITUCCIPHOTO

Negotiating the redrock maze of the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park, UT

For more tips on rock skills, go to climbing.com.

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THE EXPERT Linda B. Mullally is the author of BACK-PACKER’s Hiking and Backpacking with Dogs ($13;

falcon.com). She’s also written guidebooks about the best dog-friendly trails in California. “The out-doors expands young dogs’ worlds and sharpens their instincts, and it rejuvenates old dogs,” Mullally says.

B A C K P A C K E R . C O M 032

In or Out?

Backpacking with your best friend? Keep him—and others—safe with these tips.

Should your dog sleep in the tent or in the vesti-bule? Bring him inside if you’re concerned about warmth or wildlife (you don’t want him chasing deer in the middle of the night). For tent sharing: Use moistened wipes for a quick cleaning and lay a small towel at the tent’s entrance to use as a paw rug. Trim his claws beforehand to prevent tent damage.

OR DISTURB OTHER HIKERS.

Distance matters less than distractions and terrain. Avoid

crowded trails and places frequented by equestrians or mountain bikers. Dogs accustomed only to backyard play should stick to easy, dirt trails initially.

HEADING HIGH WITH A DOG ACCUSTOMED TO LOW-ELEVATION? PREVENT ALTI-TUDE SICKNESS THE WAY YOU DO: ASCEND SLOWLY.

Pack his usual amount of food plus an additional 30 percent. Feed smaller portions more frequently and supplement with protein-packed treats.+30%

Customize your first-aid kit. Duct tape and a spare sock make a good bootie to protect an injured paw. Typically, store-bought booties are only necessary for extremely hot, cold, or rough terrain. Dogs need bug/tick defense, too. Check with your vet for the best option.

3Harnesses with

handles are great

for lifting or lower-

ing dogs past

obstacles.

A harness (or

pack harness) is

your best bet for stream

crossings, since your dog

can slip through a collar.

Just like humans, dogs need to stay hydrated (about 8 ounces of water every hour), but don’t let him drink too much at once—large dogs are especially prone to bloating from filling up on

too much water while active. Dogs can get giardia, so have him drink the same stuff as you if you don’t want to risk it. Early signs of dehydration: a dry nose and mouth and sunken eyes.

2

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Plan for the tempera-ture. Cold: Make your pooch an insulated pad (cut one out of an old closed-cell foam mat).Heat: Choose a route with good stream or lake access for a cooling dip.

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Prep your pup1

Take Your Dog Hiking

Acclimate him to things like your backpack and trekking poles by using them around the house for a few days. Give him at least a week to ease into carrying a pack (make sure it sits snugly between the nape of his neck and just shy of his hips).

A DOG CAN CARRY UP TO A QUARTER OF HIS OWN WEIGHT.

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Typical DSLR kit lens, 18-55mm

DSLR wide-angle and fi sheye lenses

Smartphone cameraollocli p (wide and fi sheye)Photojojo (wide, fi sheye, super)Moment (wide)

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Capture tall treesYou know that feeling: the hush and sway of a forest towering stories above you. Now bring it home. By Photo Editor Genny Fullerton

SPOT: HUMBOLDT REDWOODS STATE PARK , CASPECS: F/2.8, 1/80 SEC, ISO 400, 15MM FOCAL LENGTH

TOOL: FISHEYE LENS

WAIT FOR CLOUDS

In any forest, overcast days are best for shooting because they offer more even lighting. But be sure the ground is sufficiently lit.

LOOK UP

This is the best way to cap-ture the forest’s height. Find trees that are close together and representative of the location (straight and tall red-woods; curvy, unpredictable oak branches; fall-colored maples or aspens). Focus and expose for your foreground.

USE A WIDE LENS

The wider your lens (see be-low), the more trees will fi t in the photo. Consider a fi sheye; it’ll cause distortion, curving even more trees into the frame and making them seem taller while adding energy.

ADD A PERSON

Not only will a human help viewers tell how tall and wide the trees are, he’ll also help people imagine themselves in your scene. Careful: With a wide lens and low angle, don’t get too close to the person, put them on the edge of the frame, or shoot their back-side—distortion isn’t fl attering.

pick your (wide) angle

JUSTIN BAILIE

Some things you can capture better with a wide lens: ridgelines, rainbows, redwoods. And they’re not just for DSLR users anymore. Several brands now offer accessories that attach to your smartphone: Check out olloclip’s 4-IN-1 Photo Lens ($70; iPhone/iPad; olloclip.com); Photojojo’s Wideangle, Fisheye, and Super Fisheye ($20-30 each; fi ts almost any phone with a lens; photojojo.com); or Moment’s Wide Lens ($80; some Apple and Android products; momentlens.co ). Here’s how the angles of each option compare.

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pass/fail

“OK, IF YOU INSIST,” the ranger at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ back-country office said skeptically, handing over our permit. “Just remember: The trail crosses

several creeks, and they’re go-ing to be running higher than normal because of the rain.”

He meant it as a warning, naturally, not a challenge. But when all that stands between you and backcountry paradise is a knee-deep river, it’s hard not to take the bait. Besides, it was no surprise that water levels were high during a period of late-fall rains. I knew the rules of river crossing (see right), and had packed a 50-foot rope, trekking poles, and sturdy sandals. So Jen and I thanked the ranger, took the permit, and drove to the trail-head. We planned to hike 15 miles, heading up the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River on a trail that starts low—making it a popular shoulder-season route—and gradually climbs to Redwood Meadow, one of the most remote sequoia groves in the park.

We set off through the downpour and warmed up quickly, arriving at Panther

Creek in less than two hours. The rain-fed current flowed fast but only calf-deep, and it was easy to rock-hop across. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a challenge after all.

Two hours—and what seemed like 2 inches of rain—later, we arrived at a wider creek crossing. The increasing runoff made this one deeper than Panther. I unbuckled my hipbelt, changed into sandals, grabbed my poles for support, and tested the footing. The current ran thigh-deep and pushy, but the rocky bottom didn’t feel too slippery. We dis-cussed crossing together, for added stability, but I decided to first go halfway, to see if it got much deeper. It did–almost waist-deep at the midpoint. Could we cross it? Probably. Should we? Just downstream from the trail crossing, the water flowed precipitously over a jumble of rocks, mak-ing a slip-and-swim here highly dangerous. Rule #1:

Always assess downstream hazards before attempting to cross a fast-flowing river. We made the obvious decision to turn around.

But that’s when we made our big mistake. Instead of hiking back to the trailhead, we opted to camp for a night. Why not enjoy the storm instead of getting right back in the car? It seemed like a fine idea—until we packed up the next morning and realized what had happened while we were sleeping.

The nonstop rain had, of course, continued to raise water levels, and when we arrived back at Panther Creek it was a raging river. What had been an easy crossing was now a whitewater torrent. Worse, Panther Creek Falls—and a 100-foot drop—waited just downstream.

Eventually the rain would stop and the creek would return to a safe level. But the forecast, as the ranger had

Cross a raging riverRunoff-swollen riv-ers pose one of the backcountry’s biggest threats. Do you know how to cross safely—and when it’s best not to cross at all? By Dennis Lewon

THE CHALLENGE

key skill

Assess danger Check depth: Is the water deeper than your knees? If yes, only cross if the current isn’t a hazard. Check speed: Throw a stick or leaf in the wa-ter and walk next to it. Is it moving much faster than you? Don’t cross unless the stream is extremely shallow. Think it’s safe to cross? See right for technique tips.

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pointed out, was bleak. We could be waiting for a week or more. Needless to say, we were motivated to find a way across.

Normally you should try to get downstream of any hazard like a waterfall, but that wasn’t possible, so we started bushwhacking upstream, looking for a place where the creek widened or braided, or where natural features might create a bridge. We scrambled over rain-slick rocks, pushed through dense underbrush, and found nothing. After an hour we were soaked, tired, and starting to inventory how much food we had left.

But we pushed farther upstream, and finally found a spot where the creek’s main channel narrowed to less than 20 feet. Two large boulders, on opposite banks, looked sturdy enough to brace a log, and it just so happened that a suf-ficiently long, fallen tree trunk lay alongside the creek. If we

could get the tree into the cur-rent and wedge it upstream of the boulders…

It was still a little dicey crossing the slippery log just inches above the whitewater, but we were far upstream from the waterfall now, so we deemed the risk reasonable. And I’ve paid closer attention to rising rivers ever since.

CROSS A RIVER SAFELY

Fall rains can raise water levels fast. Boost safety with these tips.

Look for a safer crossing if water is fast and knee-deep or more; scout downstream of hazards like rapids, waterfalls, or fallen trees.

Always ford a river at its widest point, where the water will be shal-lower and slower.

Check your map for forks or braids, which split the river, reducing the volume of water.

Wear sandals or water shoes to improve footing. It’s better to get

your boots wet than take a risk going barefoot in tricky terrain.

Unbuckle hip-belt and sternum strap before ford-ing fast-moving rivers, so you can easily shed your pack if needed.

Use trekking poles or sticks to improve balance and probe ahead.

In strong cur-rent, cross at a slight angle, head-ing downstream but facing up. Lean a little into the current and step sideways.

For a difficult crossing, ford as a group with arms locked. For three people, form a tripod (every-one facing in). Alternatively, tie a rope to a tree and send a strong hiker across to tie off the other end. The last member brings the rope.

If you fall and the current takes you, flip on your back with your feet downstream. Ditch your pack if neces-sary and swim to shore as quickly as possible.

PASSTHE VERDICT

We got lucky with that log, to be sure, but it was the result of doing the right thing: rejecting an unsafe crossing and putting in the time and effort to find a safer spot. Hik-ers often get into trouble be-cause they assume (wrongly) that the trail crosses a river at the best place, and so they forge ahead without looking for an alternative.

1 Lukaski HC. Magnesium, zinc, and chromium nutriture and physical activity. Am J Clin Nutr.2000;72(suppl):585S-93S. Available at: http://ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/72/2/585S#SEC6. Accessed April 1, 2014

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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Running. Aerobics. Cycling.

Slow-Mag® Tablets can help you finish what you start.

Page 38: Backpacker- October 2014

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Italian Country Pasta Al Fresco

“I’ve prepared this from-the-cabinet dinner—with variations—on just about every trip I’ve ever done,” says our Trail Chef Jennifer Bowen. 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp Italian herbs

2 Tbsp tomato paste (the kind in a tube) 8 oz. pasta (like bowtie) 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 1 ½ cup grape tomatoes ½ cup black olives cup diced shelf-stable sausage, like salami or chorizo

AT HOME In a small bowl, combine olive oil, herbs, and tomato paste and transfer

to a small zip-top bag. Put pasta (note cooking time) in a quart-size freezer bag; add an extra bag. Pack cheese in a snack bag. Line a snack bag with a paper towel and add tomatoes (seal this bag only 2/3 to maintain air circu-lation and prevent spoiling), and pack somewhere crush-proof (like in a pot). Option: Roast olives and sausage for 20 minutes in a 350°F oven, let cool, then pack.

ON THE TRAIL Bring a pot of water to boil. Add pasta (keep the bag) and cook ac-cording to instructions. With about a minute left, add tomatoes. Drain and divide between your two quart-size bags. Divvy up remaining ingredients between the two bags, stir well, and top with cheese.

Café Black Bean Stew

“This high-protein meal reminds me of my favorite bistro foods,” Bowen says. “Complete the menu with a big chunk of your favorite French loaf with butter.” Prep is dead-simple, and even though you won’t have to wash a single dish, we bet you’ll want to lick the bag. 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

7 oz. box Fantastic World Foods instant black beans ½ cup bacon bits 2 Tbsp sliced green onion or 1 tsp onion fl akes ½ cup shredded pepper j ack cheese ½ cup croutons

AT HOME Mix beans, bacon, and onions in a bowl. Divide mixture between two cook-in bags (see right). Put

Mess-Free Meals

trail chef

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Get more recipes and no-mess tips

in our iPad edition and at backpacker

.com/trailchef.

Great food doesn’t have to mean slaving away over the camp stove. Here are four delectable dishes that slash cleanup from the to-do list.

No dishes here: Plastic bags can substitute for bowls.

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croutons and cheese into separate snack-size bags.

ON THE TRAIL Boil 3 cups of water, then allow water to cool just slightly (about 90 seconds; too-hot water going into sealed bags may cause them to tear easily). Divide hot water evenly between bean-mixture bags, stirring to break up any lumps. Close and let sit for five minutes, stir again, then top with cheese and croutons.

Simple Shepherd’s Pie

Attention ultra-lazy cooks: This meal raises the bar on instant mashed potatoes. 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

½ cup freeze-dried veggie medley (peas, corn, carrots) cup chopped, dried mushrooms ¼ tsp dried rosemary ½ tsp dried thyme .8 oz. packet brown gravy (McCormick) 2 oz. instant potatoes 3 Tbsp butter 1 pinch black pepper 5 oz. can or packet ham

AT HOME Make three bag bowls (see below). Divide vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, and gravy packet between two of the bags (make sure gravy powder is well-blended as you divide it). Put mashed potatoes,

butter, and pepper into the third bag.

IN CAMP Bring 3½ cups water to a boil. Let water sit as you divide ham evenly between the veggie bags. Add 1 cup hot water to each of the three bags, stir well, and loosely close. Let sit for three minutes. Add a heap-ing spoonful of potatoes to each ham/veggie bag and stir to thicken sauce. Top with remaining potatoes.

Easy Cheese Fondue

Prep is more complicated than boiling water—barely. 2-3 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 oz. shredded soft cheese (like jack) ½ tsp garlic powder 3 Tbsp white wine 8 packets mayo 2 oz. cream cheese dippables like apple, pret- zels, celery, etc. AT HOME Without touching the cheese (this will help it keep longer), shake it into a quart-size freezer bag. Pack inside a second bag.

ON THE TRAIL Boil 5 cups water. Add all ingredients to cheese bag, knead to mix, seal, then seal inside second bag. Simmer in water five minutes, stir, then simmer six minutes. Stir carefully, then dip away.

Adding hot water to a food bag? Try PackIt Gourmet’s Cook-In-Bags (from $0.60; 0.3 oz.; packitgourmet .com), which stand on their own and are designed not to leach harmful chemicals. The jury’s still out on the plas-tic risk, but if you’re OK with it, use our chef’s technique to make your own “bag bowl.” 1 At home Line a quart-size freezer bag (we like Ziploc) with a paper towel (this helps insulate). 2 Fill a second quart-size bag with your ingredients, seal, and place inside the first bag so the towel wraps around inner bag. 3 In camp Open bags and fold tops down together, then spread bottom so bags stand on their own. 4 Add hot water, then loosely close to retain heat (sealing ruins the bowl shape).

Technique: DIY bag bowls

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Page 41: Backpacker- October 2014

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out alive: lost in the desert

MICHAEL DARTER

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Ed Rosenthal,

68, spent six days

lost in Joshua

Tree National

Park in Septem-

ber, 2010.

As told to Joshua Prestin

The sun beat down, drying out my nose and mouth until they felt like rubber. Exhausted and panting, I stumbled to a lone evergreen set on a tall hill and crawled under its branches for relief and shade.

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I had set out solo four days earlier, on Friday morning, for a celebratory hike up to 4,900-foot Warren View, a peak in Joshua Tree National Park—my longstanding ritual after closing big real estate deals. I knew it was only an hour and a half—less than 3 miles—to the top, so I didn’t bother to top off the half-quart of water left in my hydration pack or bring maps. I grabbed my daypack, which had most of the 10 essentials, but left my jacket and layers in the car, and soaked in the cleansing 90°F September sun as I climbed.

To the southwest, 10,834-foot San Jacinto peak dominated the hori-zon as I ate lunch at Warren View, and I scanned the contours of the San Andreas Fault to absorb wide desert vistas and the feeling of being on top of my game. But then, when I turned to head back, something wasn’t right.

I couldn’t make out the little-used, rocky trail. I had passed a sign on my way up that read West Trail, but when I descended I missed it. I couldn’t clearly recall the landmarks I’d used to navigate back before. Everywhere I looked appeared unfamiliar. I scurried the quarter-mile between Warren View and Warren Peak and finally spotted what looked like a terraced ravine that ran toward where I thought the trail-head was. I went for it, thinking it would inter-sect the main trail.

I wove downhill between cacti, leaning hard on my hiking pole on the 40-degree slope. Three times I had to jump down rock faces, each time realizing the climb back up would be impossible. After the last 15-foot downclimb I admitted that I was following a dry creekbed—no trail in sight—and I had no clue where I was going.

But the answer had to be downhill. I stum-bled along for another half mile, when suddenly, miraculously, I stepped out onto a real trail. It’s going downhill, I thought. Out of the mountains! I followed it for three hours, charging ahead in pursuit of fuchsia and yellow prickly pear blooms that I mistook for hikers’ shirts. Each time I turned a corner my hope was swallowed by the vastness of the folded terrain. I could see the desert changing form ahead, flattening out into a sea of dust and scrub brush shimmering in waves of heat. I knew I’d transitioned from the Mojave into the Colorado Desert—a hotter, more hostile land.

I turned around and worked my way off-trail to a sandy depression where, six hours after I started my dayhike, I hunkered down for the night. I could see airplane lights blinking rhyth-mically overhead and I signaled to them by flash-ing my headlamp against my emergency blanket, but it was no use. No one even knew I was lost; I wasn’t supposed to check in with my wife until Monday (I was on a dayhike, but planned to be away longer), and that was two days away.

Dawn prodded me awake and I tried eat-ing some dates I had in my pack. I chewed and chewed, but without saliva, they stuck to the roof

I COULD SEE THE LIGHTS OF CIVILIZATION 10 MILES IN THE DISTANCE, PROMISING SALVATION. BUT I WAS TOO THIRSTY AND TIRED AND SUN-BAKED TO ANSWER THE CALL. I COULD BARELY MOVE. NO ONE KNEW WHERE I WAS. THE LIGHTS GLIMMERED LIKE A CRUEL MIRAGE.

of my mouth like peanut butter, gagging me. I was already dehydrated and I’d finished my water the afternoon before. I tried sucking on pebbles to cre-ate saliva, but nothing happened. I tried to drink my urine, but spat it out.

I retraced my route back down to the trail, and stood at the mouth of a red-hued canyon, trying to discern where to go. Thirty or more trails spun into the desert. I picked a path that looked like it was made by humans. I knew I could backtrack and try another trail if this one led nowhere, but wasn’t sure I could stand much trial-and-error—I was thirsty, tired, and depleted. (I later learned I’d hiked 18 miles.)

The sun beat down, drying out my nose and mouth until they felt like rubber. Exhausted and panting, I stumbled to a lone evergreen set on a tall

hill and crawled under its branches for relief and shade. I fell asleep immediately. Every hour or so the sun shifted enough to burn my legs. I crawled back into the safety of the shade and collapsed again.

Rosenthal wrote goodbye notes and poems to his friends and family on his sun hat.

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When the heat of the day relented, I knew I had to find water. I’d been without it for more than 24 hours, and knew I wouldn’t make it much longer. I thought I could squeeze water from a yucca plant, and I pried at its pistachio-colored flesh with my knife to no avail. I couldn’t get it to produce a single drop.

As the sun set, I found myself hun-dreds of feet higher than the lone pine tree, and the air cooled fast. I tried to start a fire with my survival matches, but my hands were shaky and I couldn’t find enough fuel. No combination of flame and tinder could keep my pile of twigs lit, so I pulled a roll of toilet paper (I didn’t think to try it as tinder) from my pack and wrapped it around my arms and legs to substitute for the warm layers I’d left at the trailhead.

When the first shiver hit me I felt truly afraid. I didn’t think I was strong enough to fight hypothermia. I’d survived a heart attack several years before, and vowed to never get worked up again. It took all I had to calm myself through the night, and I spent hours watching Orion and Vega spin overhead.

The next morning brought me two goals: stay in the shade, and find a warmer place to sleep. I’d given up on self-rescue. I rose, weakly, and moved downhill. I attacked the yucca fronds again to no avail. (I’d later learn that yucca don’t pro-duce drinkable water; neither do most cacti.) Within a mile I was too hot to carry on—each time I sat down I struggled to get up. I crawled under a rock and repeated my dance with the midday sun. Sleep, burn, crawl. Sleep, burn, crawl. I awoke once to notice a small canyon 50 yards away. I stumbled into it and collapsed in the shade, only moving when the sliver of sun at the bottom touched my skin.

Each time I moved I felt my strength leave me. I thought about my wife and 20-year-old daughter at home and how I missed them, and I scribbled messages to each of them on my hat in case some-one found my body. I said the Shema Yisrael—a Jewish end-of-life prayer—and prepared my mind for the possibility that I might die soon.

When the stars faded above my can-yon, I was too weak to move far. All I could do was crawl after the shade as it eluded me along the vertical wall. A fly buzzed around my head. It was the only living thing I saw, but it brought me com-fort to know I wasn’t alone.

Tuesday I awoke to the sight of Orion

in the morning sky, and I felt strong enough to try signaling rescuers again. I limped 40 yards to a clump of tall, dead grass against the canyon wall and lit it. I struggled back to the shade and watched it emit smoke for 15 minutes before the fuel was gone. I sat and waited for what felt like ages, but nothing happened. I was still all alone. I crawled back to my shade and fitfully slept. I was out of firestarters. I was out of options. I was spent.

When I awoke on Wednesday I couldn’t move at all. I lay on a rock and stared at the sky, praying for rain. Miraculously, it came. Intermittent showers doused me with cool drops and soothed my parched mouth. I dozed between showers, thank-ful for a respite from the heat and sun. I didn’t have the energy to try to gather rain. I didn’t even try. All I could do was lay still, mouth open, at nature’s mercy.

The next morning I didn’t wake up with the light. My body resisted attempts to move. My eyelids felt glued shut.

It all ended suddenly when I heard the metallic whirring of a helicopter above my canyon, and a man’s voice ask, “Hey, are you that Rosenthal that’s out here?” He carried me out of there.

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Properly alerting rescuers is critical. Here, John Gookin, a SAR veteran and NOLS curriculum manager, explains the best methods to get found.

Short range (200 yards) Headlamps and whistles are best applied once search and rescue is close and you can either see people or hear them nearby.

Medium range (up to 15 miles) Use a mirror or

any shiny surface (watch, spoon, or emergency blanket folded into hand-held size, etc.). Hold it with one hand, and outstretch the other in front of you, opening your fingers in a V shape. With your target between the V, flash back and forth.

Long range (up to 25 miles) Prepare one or more signal fires. See page 76 for complete instructions.

key skills

Signaling

©2014 BENCHMADE KNIFE CO.OREGON CITY, OR, USA

USA PROUD

K N I F E C O M P A N Y

BENCHMADE.COM

531 AXIS®

G10 HANDLE

AXIS® LOCK

154CM STAINLESS STEEL

Page 44: Backpacker- October 2014

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CATCH A FISH Using pliers or your fingers, shape the clip into a simple hook with a small loop at the top (like an ornament hook). Fold over a quarter-inch of metal on the hook end to make a barb on the outside (pre-vents the fish from slipping off). Go for small fish only.

RELIEVE NAIL PRESSUREBlood blisters under toenails are extremely painful and can cause the nail to fall off. Unfold and straighten the clip’s outermost joint. Sterilize the end with fire and place the pointy end on your affected nail. Slowly and with light pressure, corkscrew the clip, boring it into the nail. Stop as soon as you see blood; pres-sure will reduce right away. Cover the wound with a sterile bandage.

POP A BLISTERSevere blisters can hamper your ability to walk. Sterilize the clip’s end and use it as a lance. First, study the blister: How does your foot apply pressure to the area as you step? Target the first area the boot touches and make your hole there. Massage out the fluid. Cover with a sterile ban-dage and some duct tape.

FIND NORTHGather your materials: as small a leaf as will float your clip, a non-metallic vessel, and some water (or a still puddle). Straighten the clip, then break it in half by folding it repeatedly (it’ll float easier). Now, magnetize the metal by rubbing it quickly against your clothes, hair, or some fur (about 50 swipes does it). Carefully place it on the leaf. The paper clip will rotate until it’s aligned north-south.

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Even the dullest of pocket debris can become a survival implement. Use a paper clip to catch dinner, treat wounds, and even start a fire.

Paper clip

REMOVE A SPLINTERStraighten the clip, then bend it around a stick to form twee-zers. Caution: Never remove objects from the eyes; cover with gauze or a piece of cloth and seek medical attention.

SNAG AN ANIMALUnfold the clip into a U-shape and fold over the tops to cre-ate barbs (as for fishing). Lash this, prongs out, to a thumb-thick stick and use it to stab at small rodents, frogs, and birds.

START A FIREIf all else fails, rub a paper clip between the two terminals of a 9-volt battery, touching them simultaneously and producing sparks. Alternately, use the clip to connect the positive and negative terminals on a AA or AAA battery (but never any-thing larger; even in a survival situation, the risk of explosion isn’t worth the reward). Touch the center of the wire (hottest part) to your tinder pile until it forms an ember. Be sure to disconnect the short circuit immediately, or else you risk an explosion, even with small batteries.

Page 45: Backpacker- October 2014

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Page 46: Backpacker- October 2014

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Page 47: Backpacker- October 2014

g e a r

It’s autumn—that special time between skeeters and snowfall, ideal conditions for cowboy camping. But not all bags are up to the extra wear and tear that comes with sleeping tentless. So we went looking for super-rugged, three-season bags that are warm, comfortable, and ready for abuse. Our testers ranged from AT thru-hikers to Grand Canyon rangers to wilderness therapy professionals, but they all have one thing in common: They typically spend as many nights per year in their sleeping bags as they do in their beds at home. So rest assured, whether you live all season under the stars or are simply hard on your gear, these bags can take it. BY WILL ROCHFORT

Made to take a punch: The Mountain Equipment Glacier 500 didn’t flinch during 49 straight nights of tentless testing.

BEN FULLERTON 1 0 . 2 0 1 4 04 5

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Tough Bags STATS: 308 test nights (173 tentless) 102 nights of precip (80 tentless)2,625 bag hours8°F to 56°F nighttime temps

Criteria: Three-season (rated from 15°F to 25°F); less than 4 lbs.; minimum 30-denier shell; less than $400D

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field test

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field test built-to-last bags

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The rectangular shape, combined with a little stretch, makes this the most comfortable bag in the test.

5 The 70-denier ripstop nylon shell includes a zippered pad sleeve (there’s no insulation on the bottom of the bag) that protects your pad on rough surfaces. “Aft er nearly 100 nights in Utah’s desert, I couldn’t fi nd any damage,” one tester says. Our abrasion test rein-forced this: No sign of breakdown aft er 400 swipes.

4 Stuffed with 700-fi ll water-resistant (DownTek) duck down, the Strato has a 9-inch blanket fl ap under the chin that amps up the cozy factor. “I tuck it in on cold nights and snuggle it like my comforter at home,” one tester says. “The waterproof/breath-able footbox kept my feet dry and warm, even when sideways rain blew under my tarp during 40-mph winds,” says another.

5 “Going back to a traditional mummy bag will be brutal,” says our tester of the luxurious rect-angular fi t (it tapers slightly from 38 to 36 inches). Yet thermal effi -ciency didn’t suffer because elastic stitching pulls the bag close to your body to reduce dead air space.

4 Dual side zips let you hinge open the bag’s top; you can sit up and stay covered without bringing the pad with you (unlike other bags with sleeves). Ding: It’s pricey and heavy for a down bag, but it still packs smaller than all the synthetics here.

It has the best warmth-to-weight ratio here; testers pushed it 10 degrees below its 23°F rating.

4 “Aft er 49 straight days in Utah’s backcountry, this bag was in better shape than I was. Not a scratch!” says one tester, a guide. The 30-denier nylon shell showed only slight pilling aft er our abrasion test. (Note: All other things being equal, 30-denier nylon is about the equivalent of 40-denier polyester. )

5 Vertical chambers (better at keeping the 725-fi ll duck down on top of you) cover the core, and horizontal baffl es (which use less material, reducing weight) wrap the legs and feet. The seven-baffl e hood “fi ts my noggin better than any other I’ve tried,” says a tester. The water-resistant nylon shell never wet out during a rainy week of tarp- camping in Utah’s Wasatch range.

3 The sharply tapered shape (30 to 21 inches from torso to footbox) produced mixed feelings. One tester sums it up: “I was comfort-able below the temp rating thanks to the narrow fi t, but it felt too snug in warmer conditions.”

4 Overlapping draft tubes protect the full-length zipper and merge into the collar, creating an unbroken seal from head to toe. “Zero cold spots during nearly two months of bivvying in southwest Utah,” our tester says.

Through four months of nonstop use—oft en in miserably damp conditions—the Ascent loft ed up like new every night.

4 “Aft er 115 straight nights on theAT—and lots of humidity—this bag still looks and feels like I got it yesterday,” one tester says. Credit the Nikwax hydrophobic down treatment, which kept feathers fl uffy though the most challenging conditions of the test. The Pertex Microlight 30-denier nylon shell also emerged relatively unscathed.

3.5 Rab uses 650-fi ll duck down stuffed into horizontal trapezoidal baffl es. This design uses a little more material than traditional box construction, but the staggered seam lines mean no cold spots. “The 24°F temp rating is accurate,” our tester says.

2.5 The trim, semi-rectangular shape leaves plenty of room in the footbox (or extra space to store gear). But most testers wished for more volume through the shoul-ders (it’s the narrowest here at 29.5 inches) and hip area.

3 The Ascent is the most com-pressible in the test (10 by 8 inches in the included compression sack). Nitpick: The ¾-length zipper is snag-prone and limits venting on mild nights.

Why we like it

Durability*

Warmth

Fit

Features

Overall

NEMO Strato Loft 25Mountain Equipment Glacier 500 Rab Ascent 500

4.0 3.43.9*To further gauge durability, we performed a controlled abrasion test. Using a sharp

rock, we swiped each sh ell 400 times to check for pilling, snagging, or tearing.

$370; 3 lbs. 4 oz.; 25°F; nemo-equipment.com

$320; 2 lbs. 9 oz.; 23°F; mountain-equipment.co.uk

$245; 2 lbs. 5 oz.; 24°F; us.rab.uk.com

Page 49: Backpacker- October 2014

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Thanks to its unique welded con-struction, it’s the most packable (15 by 7 inches) synthetic bag in the test.

3.5 The DWR-coated, 40-denier ripstop nylon shell is immune to sticks, stones, and moderate pre-cipitation. “We issue this bag to stu-dents,” says one tester who leads lengthy wilderness therapy courses. “It sees 70-plus straight nights of use four times a year, and holds up to this abuse for about two years before losing any loft.”

3.5 Instead of traditional baffles and seams, this bag has welded shingles of synthetic insulation, which eliminate cold spots. “I got stuck tentless in a surprise May snowstorm,” says a Utah tester. “But even under a layer of snow and frost, my legs and core stayed warm and dry.” Gripe: The shallow, smallish hood was insufficient on nights below the mid-20s.

2.5 The 31.5-inch shoulder width is slightly north of average, but the thermally efficient legs and foot-box may be too narrow for some. “My feet stayed warm, but there isn’t much space to stretch my legs or fit extra gear,” one tester says.

3 The full-length zipper allows venting on warmer nights, but it constantly snagged, making late-night escapes frustrating.

It’s a solid synthetic bag at a great price, with a classic mummy cut that pleased everyone.

3 A Grand Canyon backcountry ranger says, “I snagged the shell several times on thorns around camp, but it didn’t tear.” However, the 40-denier, DWR-treated poly-ester sustained the most pilling in our abrasion test.

3.5 The proprietary synthetic fill is a blend of different fiber lengths. According to the company, the long fibers boost durability, while short fibers are better at trapping warmth. “We had multiple nights of subfreezing temps combined with steady 20-mph winds in the Grand Canyon, but I slept like a baby, even though I was tentless,” a tester says.

3.5 Our tester praised the sculpted hood, which fit snugly and held his fleece jacket-pillow in place throughout the night. “I also liked the trapezoidal footbox, which naturally draped over my feet,” he says.

3 Testers lauded the smooth-running zippers and anti-snag tape, but lamented the bulky (8 by 18 inches) packed size. The bottom has no insulation, but elastic straps keep a pad securely attached.

You can drag this burly bag around camp, using it for everything from a blanket for stargazing to a make-shift “sofa” by the fire.

5 The 75-denier ripstop nylon shell is the test’s hardiest. “After months of bivvying all over Wyoming, the bag doesn’t have a scuff.” Nor was it fazed in our abrasion test. And the Encampment’s unique Insotect Tu-bic construction (synthetic sheets are nested together and folded) keeps it lofting better and longer than most other synthetics.

3 “I was warm down to the upper teens,” states our cold-sleeping (large-framed) Wyoming tester. But average-size campers had trouble heating the bag up in temps below freezing. Like many Big Agnes bags, there’s no fill on the bottom, so choose a pad with good insulation. Eco cred: The fill is 97 percent recycled PET from plastic bottles.

3 The whopping 35 inches of width in the shoulders—most bags in this test are around 30—make this a good choice for big folks or restless thrashers.

2 “The large zipper runs like butter,” our tester says. The pillow pocket—a smart feature that won over testers—fits a fleece or puffy. But the Encampment lost points for bulkiness: It compresses to 9 by 19 inches, the largest in this lineup.

This venerable bag earned an Editors’

Choice Award in 1993 and an Editors’ Choice

Gold Award in 2006. This

year, the Cat’s Meow gets a facelift with more rugged

fabric in the footbox

and hood, and Heat-

seeker Pro, a synthetic fill

that improves compressibil-ity (to soccer

ball-size). “It’s my go-to bag for nasty,

wet Alaska conditions,”

says our Juneau-based tester. “It’s so tough I’ll pass

it down to my daugh-ter in a few

years.” Weight remains

competitive for the cat-

egory and the value reigns unbeatable. $170; 2 lbs. 11 oz.; 20°F;

thenorthface .com

Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20 Therm-a-Rest Saros 20 Big Agnes Encampment 15

3.3 3.2 3.0All weights are for size regular on BACKPACKER scales, including stuffsack. Testers: Kevin Buckley, Eric Hanson, Brittany Neal, Eric Retterbush, Will Rochfort, Kristie Salzmann

GOLD STANDARD THE NORTH FACE CAT’S

MEOW

1=save your money / 5=perfect gearOverall score is not an average of others scores; it’s a gut-level assessment of performance and value.

$190; 2 lbs. 15 oz.; 20°F; thermar-est.com

$200; 2 lbs. 14 oz.; 20°F; mountain-hardwear.com

$180; 3 lbs. 7 oz.; 15°F; bigagnes .com

The Scale

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Trail UndiesCheap cotton skivvies don’t cut it for multiple days of hard wear. These wicking, quick-dry britches will keep you much, much happier. By Billy Brown

Page 51: Backpacker- October 2014

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1KILLER VALUEJockey Modern Sport Boxer Briefs

Not ready to throw down $30 or more for undies? You can still get quick-dry performance that beats cotton. These poly/spandex (80/20) boxer briefs offer a sup-portive fit and mesh venting in key spots. “I could buy a whole stack for the price of some merino models,” says a tester who wore them dayhi-king in Ireland. Tradeoffs: The tight weave in the non-vented areas lim-its breathability, and they ripen after a day. $10; 2.7 oz.; target.com

2BEST ALL-AROUNDSuper.Natural Base Boxer 175

It’s a little creepy how much our testers gushed about these

boxer briefs, made of equal parts merino/poly with 4 percent Lycra. “They didn’t bag out during my four-day spring backpacking trip through California’s Castle Crags Wilderness,” says one tester. “And they’ve proven ideal through 10 months of myriad conditions.” The wool helps them resist stink, breathe well, and stay warm when wet, while the poly makes them fast-wicking, quick-drying, and cottony-soft. “Worth every penny,” says one tester of the mid-range price. $40; 2.9 oz.; sn-supernatural.com

3FEMALE FAVEExOfficio Give ’n Go Lacy Low-Rise Bikini Cut Brief

On a weeklong trip in California’s Trinity Alps, one tester packed just a single pair of these deceptively high-performance bikinis. The

stretchy and soft nylon/Lycra blend wicks sweat immediately and is immune to wear and tear (one tester has had an older ver-sion in rotation for three years). “They’re dry 20 minutes after a lake dip,” she says. Gravy: The price. $20; .8 oz.; exofficio.com

4LOOSE FITIbex D-Lux Boxers

You: want lots of freedom, but aren’t willing to go commando on the trail. Your drawers: the super-soft, 100-percent merino jersey D-lux boxers. “The relaxed cut really lets air circulate during hot hikes,” said one tester after a multiday backpacking trip in Northern California. “Plus, they stayed stink-free for several days and wicked well enough that I never felt hot or clammy.” Ouch: the price. $60; 3.2 oz.; ibex.com

5HOT WEATHER PICKHelly Hansen H/H Dry Stripe Boxer Like most of the undies in this test, these boxer briefs are very effective at wicking moisture. But more so than any others, these prevent sweat buildup in the first place, thanks to the breezy weave of the 100-percent polypropylene fabric. “They never felt stifling, even when I was hik-ing in triple-digit temps,” says a California tester. Polypropylene is hydrophobic—it absorbs no moisture—giving these undies the fastest dry time in the test (from soaking to dry in 15 minutes). But the fabric proved prone to pilling in high-friction areas; we saw it after just a week of testing, but months later performance has not suffered. $35; 1.7 oz.; helly-hansen.com

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Nbargain

Kovea Spider

The Spider isn’t just one of the lightest, most packable stoves in its class—it’s also the cheapest. The

remote-canister design let testers safely use a 360-degree wind-screen, while wide, low-to-the-ground legs supported big pots. A preheat loop near the burner head extends the cold-weather performance down to about 15°F by letting you safely invert the canister to burn the fuel as liquid—“perfect for melting snow on cold New Hampshire mornings,” says one tester. $65; 5.9 oz.; kovea.com

splurge

Fjällräven Akka View 2

Headed to high, windy peaks? Or a muggy, oceanside campsite? Pack this versatile, double-walled dome, which delivers comfort in a wide range of climates. Durable 30- and 70-denier nylon and a wind-shedding design make it sturdy enough for gusty alpine zones. Despite the all-mesh walls, the interior stayed warmer than expected in subfreezing temps thanks to a fl y that extends right to the ground. Yet the peel-away fl y also makes it

ideal for humid, 70°F nights, when testers pinned back both vestibules (situated along the long sides) to enjoy cooling breezes as they watched the stars. “Through two nights of constant rain in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, I stayed dry while my neighbor got soaked from condensa-tion,” one reports (fl y vents provide good airfl ow when the tent is fully battened). A 32-square-foot fl oor provides ample space for two sopping camp-ers and gear (a built-in clothesline helps dry wet clothes). The attached canopy and fl y make pitching easy, especially in a storm. Rain pools on the roof; it doesn’t leak, but expect to periodically slap it off. $600; 6 lbs. 10 oz.; fj allraven.us

multitasker

Mountain Khakis Peaks Flannel Shirt

“If I could get away with it socially, I’d wear this shirt every single day,” raves a female Colorado tester. “It’s the only button-down I’ve ever slept in.” The roomy-but-fl attering cut layers well over tees and under puffi es, but the real secret is the fabric: a cozy, poly/wool/Lycra blend. Lambs-wool (10 percent) adds the perfect amount of warmth for cool evenings and helped keep stink at bay on a weeklong fall trip in

The latest word from our testers

AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD nationalgeographic.com/books Like us on Facebook: NatGeoBooks Follow us on Twitter: @NatGeoBooks © 2014 National Geographic Society

THOMAS M. KOSTIGENCoauthor of the best-selling The Green Book

EXTREMESURVIVAL GUIDEUnderstand • Prepare • Survive • Recover

Don’t Be Caught Unprepared!

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Extreme weather events devastate our communities, businesses, and ecosystems like never-seen-before. Learn how to prepare with checklist and gear information from FEMA and the Red Cross, how to survive these events, and how to recover from the destruction they can leave behind. Filled with expert advices and real-life stories, this guide is a must-have for any family who wants to be prepared when extreme weather strikes.

Also available for kids!

Page 53: Backpacker- October 2014

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Utah’s Canyonlands; poly (88 percent) feels soft and wicks sweat; and Lycra (2 percent) increases stretch, so even when testers were climbing the shirt didn’t feel constricting. Only gripe: It’s slow to dry. $90; 5.7 oz.; mountain-khakis.com

footwear upgrade

Salewa Firetail EVO Mid GTX

“An approach shoe, a midcut trail runner, and a fastpacking boot all in one package—what’s not to love?” asked one tester. We were nuts about the low-cut

version of this shoe, and this midcut design is even more versatile. “I prefer trail runners in the backcountry—they’re comfortable, grippy, breathable—but if I’m schlepping 35 pounds, I’ll bang up my ankles in low-cuts,” says one tester. “The Firetails performed well in Colorado mud, on Utah slickrock, and even on icy paths in the Rockies.” Ripstop nylon uppers, a Kevlar rand, and a rubber toe bumper enhance protection, while an EVA midsole supported packs stuffed with overnight and climbing gear. “They’re stiffer than a typical ap-proach shoe or runner, so I could even wear them on some low-fi ft h-class climbs,” an editor says. $189; 2 lbs.; salewa.us

cool tool

Smith’s Pocket Pal Knife Sharpener

Want a quick, fool-proof way to hone your blade in the fi eld? This pack-of-gum size tool makes it easy. Two V-shaped guides give you a perfect grind every time. Use the carbide slot fi rst to set the edge, then pass it through the ceramic side to fi ne-tune. A rod even lets you sharpen a serrated blade. “I brought my old knife back to life in three minutes,” says one tester. $10; 1.5 oz.; smithproducts.com

Q: I’m determined to keep up my running regimen this winter. What do you recom-mend for icy, snowy trails? A: If you love your cur-rent shoes and don’t want to shell out for winter-specifi c run-ners, add a strap-on cleat like the STA-BILicers Run ($40; 32north.com) and a pair of running gaiters, like the Outdoor Re-search Stamina ($35;

outdoorresearch.com),which will keep snow and slush from penetrating the upper or sneaking in over the top.

If you’re ready to in-vest in shoe specifi cally made for winter, check out these models, both of which tested well with our die-hard run-ners: The Scott eRide Ice Runner ($140; scott-sports.com) and the Salomon Spike-cross 3CS ($170; salo-mon.com). The Scott uses a special Vibram rubber sole compound that remains pliable and sticky in deep cold, while the lighter weight (by about half a pound per pair) Salomon employs embedded carbide spikes for added grip.

Ask your own equip-ment questions at backpacker.com/gear.

Tips from the gear editor

Ask Kristin

Page 54: Backpacker- October 2014

What could be simpler than a path through the woods? Deer forge them without thinking, and man-made trails often are hardly more sophisticated. But

among the many paths we follow are a few works of art: improbable routes that ease the way through

arduous terrain; trails built to last for decades instead of degrading into rock-studded, ankle-twist-

ing chutes; trails that not only lead to spectacular sights but also evoke delight and admiration.

Here are the stories behind 10 of

North America’s most impressive

trail-building feats—and how to see

them yourself.

BY DOUGALD MACDONALD

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Page 55: Backpacker- October 2014

B A C K P A C K E R . C O M 053

GOING UP: WALTER’S WIGGLES IN ZION NATIONAL PARK HELP HIKERS ASCEND A 60-DEGREE SLOPE.

Page 56: Backpacker- October 2014

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On a map, the maze of trails on the north slope of the Presidential Range looks like a kid has gone crazy with an Etch-a-Sketch. More than 20 named paths crisscross a swath of mountainside less than 5 miles across. Many of them were built or backed by one man: an MIT-trained employee of the Harvard College Observatory named J. Rayner Edmands.

Starting in the 1880s, Edmands devoted more than two decades of summer vacations to trail work, linking the tiny community of Randolph (where he usually stayed during visits to the White Mountains) to the high peaks of the Presidentials. The one-time president of the Appalachian Mountain Club abhorred the typi-cal Northeast rock-and-root clamber, favoring broad paths with few obstacles, modeled after the miners’ burro paths he’d seen in the Rocky Mountains. In laying out his gently graded paths, Edmands said he depended more on a barometer—to gauge elevation—than his compass. He believed a trail should be navi-gable without stumbles, even in the dark. The result? Paths that help you enjoy the views of New England’s highest peaks—with less punishment for your body.

THE HIKETake a two-day, 14-mile tour of Edmands’s work through dense spruce and fir forest, past stunted krummholz, across jumbles of talus, to some of the region’s loftiest summits. Follow the Air Line, Short Line, and Randolph Path Trails to the Perch, a Randolph Mountain Club shelter near treeline on the same spot Edmands built a (long-gone) birch-bark cabin in 1892. Next day, continue up the Randolph Path to Edmands Col, where a plaque is dedicated to the man and his trails: always rising, never steeply. After bagging 5,712-foot Mt. Jefferson, head north along the Gulfside Trail, following 4-foot-tall cairns (Edmands’s system was to build two cairns 10 feet apart that could, in a whiteout, point the way to the next cairn cluster, about 50 feet away). Climb 5,794-foot Mt. Adams and then head down the Valley Way, thankful that Edmands relocated the original trail to find the gentlest possible route—though it still descends 3,550 feet in just 3.8 miles.

Trailhead Appalachia parking lot on US 2, 6 miles west of Gorham, NH; 44.371564, -71.288841* Season May to October; expect bugs and lingering snow in early season. The Perch $10/night ($8 for Randolph Mountain Club members) Contact randolphmountainclub.org

*Plug these lat/long coordinates into Google Maps for turn-by-turn driving directions.

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ANGELS LANDING,

ZION NATIONAL

PARK, UTAH

Workers constructed the sinuous, vertiginous, simply outra-geous trail to the top of Angels Landing—a showpiece of early national parks trail building—in just two seasons, starting in 1925. Walter Ruesch, Zion’s first superintendent, planned and supervised construction of the 2.7-mile, 1,500-vertical-foot trek up the sand-stone fin—he’s immortalized in the 21 tight switchbacks of Walter’s Wiggles (previous page), his solution for the steep passage above Refrigerator Canyon. Climb them, and your only obstacle is a series of chains to hold onto while scrambling across a knife-edge ridge with 1,000-foot drops (right). Your reward? Some of the best views in the park on one of the country’s most spectacular trails. Trip data bit.ly/1014Angels Contact (435) 772-3256; nps.gov/zion

switchbacks to

heaven

HIKER’S DELIGHT: SCORE PANORAMIC VIEWS OF THE WHITE MOUNTAINS FROM

PATHS THAT WON’T LEAVE YOU PANTING.the edmands tourPRESIDENTIAL RANGE, WHITE MOUNTAINS, NEW HAMPSHIRE

making the grade

Page 57: Backpacker- October 2014

B A C K P A C K E R . C O M 055

WATCH YOUR STEP: THE FINAL HALF-MILE OF THE ANGELS LANDING TRAIL OFFERS SWEEPING VIEWS—AND BIG EXPOSURE.

Page 58: Backpacker- October 2014

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When the PCT was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1968, planners agreed to move the existing hiking route north of Snoqualmie Pass closer to the Cascades’s crest. But how to cross the rugged spine of 5,784-foot Kendall Peak without creating a route too difficult for heavily laden thru-hikers and horsepackers? The answer: dynamite. Crews blasted a sidewalk in the sky straight across Kendall’s east face. Elmo Warren, the Idaho-based lead contractor for the project, called it “the hard-est piece of trail ever built.”

Though Kendall was located in a wilderness study area (now the Alpine Lakes Wilderness), the local authorities decided there was no alternative to using machinery and explosives to complete the route. After building the trail up to the ridge, Warren and his crew installed camp in the summer of 1976 at Gravel Lake, just north of what would become the Katwalk. They mule-packed in 1,000 feet of steel cables to secure workers and equipment on the precipitous job site, then marked the route along the cliff face by dropping beer bottles full of red paint from a helicopter. Workers rappelled off the ridge and bored holes for dynamite with an 80-pound gas drill. By the end of the summer, a 4-foot-wide trail cut straight

across the 50-degree cliff, with an 800-foot drop below—and no guardrail. In today’s dollars, the Katwalk cost about $42,000 per foot; at 600 feet long, that’s $25.2 million you’re walking on.

THE HIKEFrom the trailhead by Snoqualmie Pass, the route to the Katwalk ascends through old-growth fir and hemlock forest for about 4 miles to steep meadows, known as the Kendall Gardens for the profusion of trailside Indian paintbrush, columbine, penste-mon, and other alpine blooms (peaking in July). After crossing the ridgeline to the east side, the trail reaches Warren’s exposed traverse—a simple stroll if it’s snow-free and you’re not afraid of heights. Like a mountaintop fire tower, this manmade attraction is a destination in itself, and most who do the popular 5.5-mile, 2,700-vertical-foot hike to the Katwalk simply admire the views and turn around. Make it an overnight by continuing another 1.5 miles to designated campsites near Gravel or Ridge Lakes (no permits). In the morning, you’ll have the Katwalk all to yourself.

MT. ISLIP LOOP, ANGELES NATIONAL

FOREST, CALIFORNIA

Trail aficionados cheered 20 years ago for two new calf-pleasing routes up 8,250-foot Mt. Islip, designed and built by the all-volunteer San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders. After a 2002 fire, it took nine years to reopen the trails. Now see some of SoCal’s best views from the 8-mile loop on the Windy Gap, Islip Ridge, and Big Cienega Trails from Crystal Lake Campground. Contact fs.usda.gov/angeles

back from the burn

Trailhead 51 miles east of Seattle on I-90 (Snoqualmie Pass West exit); 47.428251, -121.413651; Northwest Forest Pass required ($5/day; $30/annual) Season Wait until mid-July for a snow-free Katwalk and peak wildflowers. Contact (425) 783-6000; fs.usda.gov/mbs

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BLASTED: CREWS USED DYNAMITE TO CREATE THIS NARROW WALKWAY

ACROSS A 900-FOOT -TALL CLIFF.

the kendall katwalkPACIFIC CREST TRAIL, WASHINGTON

sky walk

Page 59: Backpacker- October 2014

B A C K P A C K E R . C O M 057

Looking up at 12,785-foot Ajax Peak, it’s nearly impossible to imagine a route traversing the vertical cliffs along the flanks of this Telluride landmark. That didn’t faze Chuck Kroger, the mastermind who pioneered one of the first climbing routes up El Capitan in Yosemite, and who built a bicycle-powered rail car to pedal deep into the San Juan Mountains on abandoned mining tracks. Kroger had a history of converting mining routes around Telluride into hiking trails. On Ajax Peak, Kroger and his friends imagined a Dolomites-style via ferrata, or “iron way.”

Working in secret (because they weren’t sure the Forest Service would approve), the builder and his crew pieced together a horizontal route that links narrow ledges partway up a 1,000-foot-high cliff band via exposed hiking, scrambling, and a few stretches of playground-style monkey bars. For these passages, Kroger drilled steel rungs into the sandstone cliff to create hand- and footholds. Steel cables bolted to the wall protect the most dangerous

sections: Hikers wear climbing harnesses and clip special shock-absorbing tethers to the cables in case of a slip. At the crux passage called the Main Event (pictured), you’ll be swing-ing from rung to rung with more than 300 feet of air below you.

Telluride locals kept the Krogerata quiet for about five years after it was built, but today, the Forest Service accepts the doz-ens of people who traverse the via ferrata daily in summer.

THE HIKEThe out-and-back route travels a little over a mile and takes four to six hours round-trip, with plenty of exposure the whole way. Go with a guide if you’re not a confident scrambler. About half-way, there’s a bench and plaque dedicated to Kroger, who died of cancer in 2007. It’s a safe spot to catch your breath and ogle 365-foot Bridal Veil Falls before braving the Main Event.

BOONE FORK TRAIL, BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, NC

What do mountain bikers know about hiking? A lot, it turns out. Peter Mills and Andrew Mueller, best known for designing fat tire trails, reconstructed 1.5 miles of this loop out of Julian Price Memorial Park, and their bike chops show in the flowing curves of the hiker-only path. They crushed local stone for gravel and built stairs from native locust trees to maintain the 5-mile trail’s rustic appeal. Contact (828) 271-4779; nps.gov/blri

bike to hike

Trailhead 3 miles east of Telluride at the fourth switchback on the Black Bear Pass Rd. (4WD or 1.5-mile walk required); 37.922468, -107.766825 Season June to September Guide San Juan Outdoor School (970-728-4101; tellurideadventures.com); $150 to $300/person for a full-day, depending on group size Contact telluridemountainclub.org

HANG ON: YOU’LL NEED THE RIGHT GEAR—AND NERVES OF STEEL—TO TRAVERSE THIS

VIA FERRATA.

the krogerataUNCOMPAHGRE NATIONAL FOREST, COLORADO

vertical limits

Page 60: Backpacker- October 2014

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Lake Oesa, a sky-blue tarn tucked into a glacial cirque in the Canadian Rockies, would be a worthy destination even if you had to bushwhack for miles to see it. But thanks to a retired coal miner named Lawrence Grassi, the 2-mile stone trail to Oesa is nearly as beautiful as the lake itself.

In 1946, at age 56, the Italian immigrant and mountaineer began volunteering as a warden at Lake O’Hara, the center-piece of what is now Yoho National Park. Over the next two decades, Grassi, only 5’4”, singlehandedly improved the rough climbers’ trails in the area, manhandling 200-pound slabs of pink-orange quartzite to create stable steps across marshy

meadows and talus fields. He filled in rough spots with wheel-barrow-loads of hand-quarried stones, and built staircases up small cliff bands. Asked about the enormity of this task, he responded, somewhat ungallantly, that “it was easier to build the trail than to have to carry the ladies down when they were wearing high heels and fell.”

THE HIKESee Grassi’s handiwork on a 5-mile day trip: Hike around Lake O’Hara, hop stones across Oesa’s outlet, and join the Yukness Ledges, the easiest part of the Alpine Circuit above O’Hara. The

PHOTO OP: SNAG THIS VIEW OF HUNGABEE LAKE AND 8,050-FOOT VANGUARD PEAK (CENTER) FROM JUST WEST OF OPABIN LAKE.

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step by steplake oesa-opabin lake loopYOHO NATIONAL PARK, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Page 61: Backpacker- October 2014

B A C K P A C K E R . C O M 059

Water management1. Grade If the trail descends too steeply, water will pour down the tread like it’s a streambed. Average grade should be less than 10 per-cent (meaning the trail gains 10 feet for every 100 feet of horizontal distance).

2. Switchbacks These pre-vent erosion by keeping the grade low as the trail climbs. Design tricks: Build them out of sight from one another; site the turns at natural rest stops or viewpoints; make sure it’s actually easier to use them.

3. Grade reversals When a trail crosses a hill, it should

roll up and down so water sheds from the low spots.

Hiker experience4. Edges The most fun-to-hike trails “play” with lines (like the rim of a canyon or the border between forest and meadow) by approaching and then dipping away.

5. Gateways Arches, close-set trees and boulders—the best trails pass through natural gaps, adding a sense of sur-prise or wonder.

6. Drama A sudden “reveal” of a spectacular view is more exciting than continuous minor views.

route contours around 9,340-foot Mt. Yukness in such a way that the scrambling is always easy and the exposure mild. A short uphill leads to tiny Opabin Lake. Take the West Circuit Trail back down through graceful larch forests toward Lake O’Hara.

Trailhead Private cars aren’t allowed on the 7-mile road to Lake O’Hara, and a daily quota is often filled for the shuttle bus ($15 CAN/person round-trip) in summer. Reserve up to three months ahead. Season Mid-June to early October Overnight Lake O’Hara Campground ($12 CAN/site, plus $10 CAN/person wilderness pass). Contact (250) 343-6783; pc.gc.ca/yoho

TRAILS BY DESIGNA builder’s big task: Make it fun for hikers, and deal with water’s destructive force. Look for these key elements.

10% grade

rise

(10

ft)

run (100 ft.)

Page 62: Backpacker- October 2014

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There’s no more impres-

sive trail building in the national parks than the work of the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps, a publicly funded work program. Along this 8.5-mile counterclock-wise loop, where California condors perch atop spires like gargoyles, CCC workers carved rock steps like those cut by Ancestral Puebloans, but installed steel railings for the faint of heart. At the Balconies Caves, the trail threads under enormous volcanic boulders—don’t forget your headlamp. Contact (831) 389-4427; nps.gov/pinn

This 5.7-mile (one-way)

route, the newest segment of a 1,000-mile National Scenic Trail (see page 24), meanders past Ice Age remnants such as boulder trains (lines of glacially deposited rocks) and along the placid Plover River in central Wisconsin. Despite mostly flat terrain, builders faced big challenges, from unearthing half-buried boulders to anchoring the support posts for 1,200 feet of boardwalks in 30 feet of primordial muck. More than 18,000 volunteer hours went into the effort. Start off Highland Drive, .7 mile south of WI 52, and head north for a half-day out-and-back. Contact (800) 227-0046; ice-agetrail.org

PLOVER RIVER SEGMENT, ICE AGE TRAIL, WISCONSIN

boardwalk empire

Just an hour’s drive from Manhattan, the Bear Mountain Trail climbs around 1,000 feet in less than 2 miles to views over the green Hudson Highlands. With so much beauty so close to a megalopolis, this trail takes a beating: First laid out in 1923, the route was relocated seven times, most recently in 1979. Each time, narrow steps and a ball-bearing-like footpath tempted hikers to forge their own routes over the forest

floor and through trailside grasses, leaving a denuded swath 40 to 50 feet wide.

In 2006, a team led by trail designer Peter Jensen and builder Eddie Walsh, who grew up 10 miles away from Bear Mountain, crafted a carrot-and-stick solution: Broad granite steps and a steady grade pleased the casual hik-ers flocking from the city, and a new align-ment through a boulderfield and across steep slopes meant staying on the trail was the easi-est option. Quarrying and crushing more than a million pounds of granite required an army of volunteers—more than 700 labored on the project before the trail opened in 2010.

THE HIKEFor a full day in 101-year-old Bear Mountain State Park, tackle this 8-mile loop that hits all the park highlights. Start along the Appalachian Trail toward Bear Mountain, then head south after .3 mile, following the yellow blazes of the Suffern–Bear Mountain Trail to 1,257-foot West Mountain. At a junction with the blue-blazed Timp-Torne Trail, walk a couple of minutes south to the West Mountain Shelter for expansive views over the Hudson River. Follow the Timp-Torne Trail and then rejoin the AT to follow West Mountain’s bare ridgeline down to a road crossing and then back up 1,283-foot Bear Mountain. Now descend the smooth stone steps installed by Eddie Walsh and his legion of volunteers, a trail at once bla-tantly artificial yet completely in harmony with the Northeast’s granite landscape.

ONLINE EXTRASee a video of major rock-work in action in our iPad edition and at backpacker .com/mastertrails.

Trailhead 45 miles north of New York City ($8/car for parking); 41.31294, -73.98895 Season Year-round; fall colors are spectacular starting in early October. Contact (845) 786-2701; nysparks .com/parks/13/

BALCONIES CAVES

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appalachian trailBEAR MOUNTAIN STATE PARK, NEW YORK

kings of rock

HIGH PEAKS–BALCONIES CAVES LOOP, PINNACLES

NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA

ccc showcase

Page 64: Backpacker- October 2014

SKINNY-

DIPPING

Trail THE UNWRITTEN

RULES OF BACKCOUNTRY

TRAVEL ARE NOW WRITTEN.

RIGHT-OF-WAY STICK WITH THE GROUP AND YOU WON’T BE SUBJECT TO LOST COMPANIONS OR, WORSE, THE WRATH OF A FORMERLY LOST FRIEND. NO GOING ROGUE UNLESS THE GROUP HAS DISCUSSED IT AHEAD OF TIME AND EVERYONE IS SELF-SUFFICIENT AND CARRYING EMERGENCY GEAR.

1 0 . 2 0 1 4062

PACK MENTALITY

ARE THE OTHER VISITORS AT THIS LAKE AT LEAST A FOOTBALL FIELD AWAY?

YOUR AGE IS

YES

65+

GO FOR IT—BUT COVER UP

IF THEY GET CLOSER.

IF YOU’RE STILL CRUSH-

ING BACK-COUNTRY AT THIS AGE, DO

WHAT YOU WANT.

KEEP YOUR NETHER REGIONS

UNDER WRAPS WITH A PAIR OF QUICK-DRYING

DRAWERS (P. 48).

NO

<65

by MAREN HORJUS

Downhillers yield to uphillers.If you’re descending, you’ll prob-ably notice the uphiller before he sees you, so find a good place a pull

over. It’s also easier to resume hiking if you’re going downhill. Slower hikers yield to faster hikers. Don’t cause a traffic jam. Mountain bik-ers yield to hikers. Cyclists: Practice the “Fruita Lean.” Come to a stop at the right-hand edge of the trail and brace your outside (right) foot on the ground. A friendly hello can’t hurt. Everyone yields to horses. You probably shouldn’t test this one.

Backcountry in the buff? We’ve heard the arguments for going au naturale in nature. After all, what’s more natural than bare skin in the wilderness? But don’t be the guy who lets it all hang out at the wrong time. Sometimes what separates the OK from the no way is subtle. Here’s how to figure it out.

SURE. IT DEPENDS. ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Page 65: Backpacker- October 2014

In the woods and in the mood: Go for it. Just don’t scandalize your-selves or others. Use this handy sexy-time LNT rule of thumb: at least 200 feet from other camp-ers, trails, and roads, and be a good neighbor—fi nd some white noise, like a running river. And always pack out all trash.

Sorry thru-hikers, fi rst-come, fi rst-serve. No saving spaces, no unoffi cial hierar-chy. Quiet time starts at 10 p.m. Alarms are OK, but snooze-button abuse is not.

No dogs. If you snore, bring cheapo earplugs to offer others. Elbowing is an ac-ceptable way to curb snoring.

Smothering is not. If it’s raining, there’s always room for one more.

FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS

CAN’T QUIT? MAKE SURE YOU’RE DOWNWIND OF CAMP, AND ALWAYS PACK OUT YOUR BUTTS. GREEN STUFF? IF IT’S LEGAL WHERE YOU’RE AT, REFER TO “SHARING.”

SMOKING

Shelters

THE MANNERS MANUALOf course, etiquette is worthless unless we all agree on the rules.

Here’s how 1,230 readers solved common trail conundrums.

You think Fido is cute, but no one else does when he goes into prey hyperdrive, unleashed, and scares all the wildlife away. And if you’re unwilling to pick up aft er him when he craps on the trail, leave him at home. See page 32 for more tips on hiking with dogs.

Y ES NO

Tech-NO-logyACCEPTED FORMS OF CELL PHONE USE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Emergency use Navigation Camera functionMusic (with

earphones)Nature apps

NO EXCEPTIONS

May I hammock-camp closer than

100 feet to water?

May I ask someone if they’re carrying a

gun?

May I bathe with biodegradable soap

in a lake?

May I bury my toilet paper? (Note: Check

local rules.)

May I give myself a trail name?

May I listen to (audible) music at

camp?

But, if you’re play-ing it with real

instruments, then...

May I let my dog swim in the lake?

BOTTOM LINE: SHARING IS A CORNERSTONE OF GROUP CAMPING. JUST LIKE YOU SPLIT THE SCHLEP AND DIVVY CAMPSITE DUTIES, YOU SHARE YOUR CHOCOLATE. AND YOU ALWAYS SHARE THE SCOTCH.

Sharing

No 95%

Yes 52%

Yes 61%

Yes 68%

No 87%

No 53% No

62% Yes 70%

Romance

Page 66: Backpacker- October 2014

advertisement

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For more information please visit BACKPACKER.COM/WINTEREDITION.

GET OUT MORE WINTER TOUR

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Page 67: Backpacker- October 2014

THE

COMPLETE

GUIDE TO

F I R EFROM THE DAWN OF HISTORY TO DUSK LAST NIGHT,

FIRE IS MANKIND’S OLDEST

AND MOST USEFUL TOOL.

LEARN HOW TO HARNESS ITS STRENGTH TO

COOK, SURVIVE, AND CONNECT TO A PRIMAL FORCE

AS OLD AND POWERFUL AS TIME ITSELF.

EDITED BY C A S E Y LYO N S ILLUSTRATIONS BY D AV I D D A N Z

065 B A C K P A C K E R . C O M

Page 68: Backpacker- October 2014

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Fire’s energy breaks down carbohydrates and proteins in foods, saving our guts the task, and diverting our energy to brain- and bodybuilding. Scholars connect early evi-

dence of cooking with the rise of Homo erectus, a few evolutionary steps back from Homo sapiens. With the forti-fying benefit of cooked food, he became bigger, stronger, and smarter, a precursor to modern humans.

For eons, fire sat at the center of our worldview. The ancient Greeks credited Prometheus for delivering

fire to humans, an act of selflessness that elevated people above animals and earned Prometheus the wrath of Zeus.

In pre-Columbian North America, fire-wood was as important as oil is today; the Narragansett tribe (of what would become Rhode Island) believed Anglo settlers had

FIRE | SITING | Fuel | Architecture | Lighting | Feeding | Uses | Extinguishing

T H E H I STORY

OF F I R E

It was the flicker that first caught our primate eyes, tuned as they were to detect motion. But it was the heat that lured us out of the trees. Here was power, safety, and comfort in one dazzling package.

Some scholars believe we owe our evolution to it. ¶ For millennia, our ances-tors used fire for warmth and light, but when an experimental caveman pierced a chunk of meat with a stick and hung it over the flames—around 790,000 years ago, writes Harvard anthropol-ogist Richard Wrangham in his book, Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human—it set our species on a new path: world domination.

NOTHING REKINDLES OUR PRIMAL CONNECTION TO THE OPEN FLAME LIKE A BACKCOUNTRY CAMPFIRE.

B Y L O R E N M O O N E Y

sailed across the ocean to seize their fuel source, says fire scholar Stephen Pyne of Arizona State University.

Then, life grew easier and longer. Humans began to view fire as less precious and to treat it carelessly. “Early tourists in Yellowstone had a habit of setting a log on fire then leaving,” Pyne says. The act led the park to designate campsites in 1889—the first in the country—in order to reduce the hazard of left-behind logs.

Today, wood fires are a nostalgia kick—even our barbecues are mostly propane bars now. These days, we only see that original flicker—the kind that speaks to something deep inside us—in its full, natural glory and context when we’re sitting outside by a campfire.

So next time you’re hanging out around the fire pit, embrace that primal pull. Understand that you’re sharing a direct connection to our ancestors in a way few people do. And while you’re at it, go ahead and roast up a big chunk of meat—or at least a marshmallow.

SHOULD I HAVE A FIRE TONIGHT?

DOES YOUR LIFE DEPEND ON IT?

IS THERE A FIRE BAN?

IS THERE PLENTY OF DOWNED, DRY WOOD?

FEEL LIKE LABORING FOR THE NEXT HOUR?

YES! NO

YES NO

YES NO

YES NO

YES NO

YES NO

NO FIRE

FIRE

DID YOUR STOVE BREAK?

IS THE WIND WHIPPING?

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067 B A C K P A C K E R . C O M

Wind makes fires hard to start and control. Site yours on the lee side of a natural windbreak, like a large boulder or fallen stump. If it’s slightly breezy, protect your nascent flame with a cupped hand or your body or pack. If the wind is blowing up to 10 mph (saplings are swaying), drive an inch-thick green stick into the ground at a 30-degree angle. Point the end of the stick with the wind, and place your tinder where the stick meets the ground. Lean kindling onto the angled stick, creating walls. In wind faster than 10 mph, forgo the fire.

L O C AT ION,

L O C AT ION, L O C AT ION

1. Choose a sheltered spot beneath an opening in the tree canopy or where limbs are at least 12 feet high. 2. If the ground is already dirt or sand, clear away any flammable debris in a 5-foot circle. If the ground is grassy or thick with duff, lay down a tarp or space blanket (folded

to the size of your fire).3. Collect dirt, sand, or gravel and stones from an area where they’re loose.4. Build a circular, flat mound 3 to 5 inches thick and as wide as a car tire on the cleared ground or your tarp. This protects against leaving behind a burn mark or letting

embers spread. Never site a fire in a ditch, which will hinder the flames’ ability to draw in air at the base.5. Use fist-size or larger stones to build a fire ring, forming a physical barrier.6. Have a few liters of water handy to use for emergency extinguishment.

12%ALWAYS

Beginners are the most likely to have fires every time they go out

(16 percent).

54%USUALLY

Less than half of hikers with 10 to 15 years of ex-perience usually

make them.

25%SOMETIMES

Regardless of experience level, about one in four

hikers light up from time to time.

10%RARELY

Campers with 20+ years of ex-

perience forgo the flames most often

(14 percent).

READER

POLL

HOW

OFTEN

DO YOUBUILDFIRES

ON

CAMPING

TRIPS?

THERE’S A SAYING FOR WHEN AN IDEA PROLIFERATES REALLY FAST: “IT SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE.” REMEMBER THAT. USE AN ESTABLISHED FIRE RING,

IF AVAILABLE. IF NOT, HERE’S HOW TO PREP A SUITABLE AREA.

TROUBLESHOOT THIS

IT’S WINDY

Page 70: Backpacker- October 2014

1. TINDER This fine, flammable mate-rial easily takes a tiny spark or flame and accelerates and spreads it. Many hikers bring tinder from home, but if you’re foraging for it (see far right), nab at least a handful.

2. KINDLING Gather enough finger-thick sticks that you need two hands to hold it all. Kindling transitions your fire from a flicker to a roaring blaze and quickly creates coals, which raises the temperature and brings wood closer to its combustion point. Your fire isn’t assured until you start seeing coals. Pine and other softwoods (such as cedar, spruce, and aspen) light fastest. Pinecones can add a flammable punch.

3. THIN FUEL Thumb- to inch-thick wood is best for perking up the fi re if

it begins to wane and for pro-ducing good cooking coals. Collect about three times as much fuel wood as kindling for 45 minutes of fi re.

4. WRIST-THICK WOOD Look for slow-burning hard-woods (such as oak, hickory, ash, and birch), which will throw out heat for hours.

5. BIG LOGS Downed behemoths com-bust for hours, rarely burn completely, and are diffi cult to extinguish; skip them ex-cept in survival situations.

6. PREP YOUR WOOD Break all your collected wood into uniform, 12- to 18-inch sections away from your fi re to avoid hitting others. Ar-range sticks by type and keep them close at hand, so you don’t have to hunt around or divert your attention from your fl edgling fl ame.

PICK UP STICKS

FIRE | Siting | FUEL | Architecture | Lighting | Feeding | Uses | Extinguishing

Where do I begin? I’d like to say that all my conjura-

tions of flame in the backcountry have been noble,

leave-no-trace efforts—small, controlled teepees

within designated fire rings, used solely to warm

the bluish toes of sodden, hypothermic orphans. ¶But I am a pyromaniac. I confess it, for

my sins are beyond count. My troubles

began in youth, when I used a micro-

wave to interrogate a tight-lipped G.I.

Joe. Like artistic talent or psychosis,

my fire lust flowered in adolescence:

I tipped arrows with acetone and

bottle rockets. Errant blazes inspired

neighbors to update shopworn idioms:

“Where there’s smoke, there’s Ted driv-

ing down property values.” ¶ Camping

and backpacking saved me from a

remedial stint in the volunteer fire department.

I learned to cloak my addiction in the responsi-

bility and language of backcountry survival. “It’s

important to keep your core warm, especially at

night,” I told a shivering hiker in the Wind Rivers

as I exhaled into a crackling, 5-foot-tall ziggurat

of burning pine. “Now stand back.” ¶ I’ve made

punky torches to “keep mosquitoes away.” My fire-

starting potions—flint, Fritos, Vaseline, olive oil,

alcohol, feathersticks, Wet Ones, magnifying lens,

batteries—practically require a pack of their own. ¶But addiction isn’t all glowing eyes and smoky

highs. Wilderness fire withdrawal can be

embarrassing (my neighbors once caught

me roasting a Nalgene over barbecue coals

in an attempt to boil water), and there’s

nothing more pathetic than a pyro strug-

gling in vain for a fix. I hit rock bottom in

the Canadian Rockies a few summers back,

striking dim sparks into a nest of soaked

newspaper hours after everyone went to

bed. The pouring rain hid my tears. ¶ I have

found no cure. But I take solace in knowing

that I’m not alone. My kind abounds, hiding

our lights inside backpacks and tinderboxes.

Say, won’t you join me by the fire?

CONFESSIONS

OF A

BACKCOUNTRY

PYRO

FORGIVE ME, SMOKEY, FOR I HAVE SINNED.

B Y T E D A LVA R E Z

TROUBLESHOOT

THIS

I CAN’T FIND

DRY WOOD

Look for dead twigs, branches, or boughs high and dry, says Tim MacWelch, founder of Earth Connection School of Wilderness Survival. Wood snagged in the forest canopy will be drier than stuff resting on the ground with the damp leaves and soil.

remedial stint in the

GAT H E R T H E R IG H T T Y PE S A N D T H E R IG H T

A MOU N TS OF F U E L .

PH

OT

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Y C

OU

RT

ES

Y O

F T

HE

LIB

RA

RY

OF

CO

NG

RE

SS

LC

-DIG

-FS

A-8

D2

35

51

Page 71: Backpacker- October 2014

069 B A C K P A C K E R . C O M

If your life’s on the line, you do what you have to do. Find dead, dry twigs hanging off a pine trunk? Take ’em. See sheets of white birch bark still clinging to the trunk? They’re yours. All of them. There are no environmental ethics in survival—there are stories and there are obituaries.

Dead, dry leaves and grasses Gather and arrange loosely.

Conifer needles Target pine, spruce, cedar, cypress, larch, and hemlock. Look for ones that are at-tached to the node.

Inner bark Scrape or shred into a pile and then rub together with your hands to fl uff it up. Best bets: cedar, mulberry, juniper, aspen, cot-tonwood, black and yellow poplar, and oak.

Wood shavings Look for dead, dry branch-es under trees or use your knife to whittle away wet layers.

Cattail fl uff This “fl ash tinder” goes up quick; have slower-burning tin-

der handy. Collect it in marshy and grassy areas from late sum-mer to early spring.

Dandelion fl uff Find it in the spring and early fall. Like cattail fl uff, this stuff goes up fast.

T I N DE R F I N DE RNO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, THERE’S NATURAL MATERIAL FOR THE TAKING.

B Y J A S O N S C H WA R T Z , R O C K Y M O U N TA I N B U S H C R A F T

1. LOOK FOR DRY

WOOD WITH LITTLE OR LOOSE

BARK. A good, seasoned

piece will give a sharp crack when

snapped.

2. COLLECT A DI-

VERSITY. Soft woods ignite

easily but burn out fast. Hardwoods produce better

coals for cooking and are a good bet

for a long fi re.

3. ALLOW TIME TO

SEARCH FAR AND WIDE.

Scavenge for deadfall away from camp to

minimize environ-mental impacts.

4. GET ENOUGH

SO YOU’RE NOT HUNTING FOR WOOD IN THE

DARK. An armful of

wood equals 45 minutes of fi re.

5. BURN NOTHING

THICKER THAN AN ADULT’S WRIST.

To break a big branch, wedge

one end in a forked tree and lever it toward

you until the piece snaps.

MUST KNOW

SURVIVALAND LNT

5 RULES

FOR

FORAGING

FIREWOOD

EVERYWHERE

SOUTHWEST/PLAINSDead sagebrush bark Scrape the bark into a pile and then rub it between your hands to

fl uff it up.

WESTERN STATESPitchwood Find this orange- to red-colored

wood at the base of dead branches on yellow pine trees (ponderosa and lodgepole, Western larch, and Douglas fi r). Use your knife to create

shavings. They’ll burn in the rain.

MID-ATLANTIC/SOUTHFatwood Pitchwood by a

different name, it’s found here in longleaf, pitch, and loblolly

pines.

GULF COAST/SOUTH ATLANTIC

Palm tree bark The fl uffy, fi brous bark found at the base

of the palm frond (branch) makes exceptional tinder, but

watch out for spiders.

NORTHERN STATESBirch bark The oils in this easy-to-ID bark are highly flammable, even when wet. Remove or forage bark and use your knife to scrape a pile

of fine shavings.

Page 72: Backpacker- October 2014

FIRE | Siting | Fuel | ARCHITECTURE | Lighting | Feeding | Uses | Extinguishing

TROUBLESHOOT

THIS

Stamp down a 4-foot square area in the snow. Next, build a square platform of green logs, arranged flat, to keep the fire off the wet surface and prevent it from sinking.

THERE’S SNOW EVERYWHERE!

1. Drive a forked, finger-thick stick into the ground at a 45-degree angle over your tin-der pile. Lean another same-width stick into the crook of the forked end.2. Add slightly thinner sticks, maintaining a balanced structure by adding like-size pieces at the same time on either side of your teepee.3. Leave an opening all the way to the center on the lee side so you can deliver a spark or flame to your tinder pile.4. After lighting, add more kindling to the outside of the teepee. When a good bed of coals forms, add fuel, starting small so as not to smother your flame.

1. Place inch-thick pieces of fuel wood on either side of your tinder pile, parallel to each other. 2. The next layer of fuel wood should be slightly thinner (thumb-thick), placed across the bottom two to form a square base (think: Lincoln Logs). 3. Starting with the third layer, place thin, well-spaced pieces of kindling flat across the center. Starting here leaves space to insert your match.4. Continue with this overlaying pattern until you’ve made a square structure about seven levels tall.

1. Lay an arm-thick log in your fire area. This is the support and windbreak. Put your tinder pile directly beside the log and on the lee side of any wind.2. Lean kindling and thin fuel wood against the log at a right angle, directly over the tinder pile. 3. Alternate between thin and thick pieces for easier fire uptake, and make sure to leave plenty of space between sticks so the fire can breathe.4. To light, reach under the lean-to with your match or lighter.

BUILD TO SUIT

TEEPEE

Teepee Log cabin Lean-to A big ol’ pile of wood with some white gas on it

51% 31% 16% 2%

LOG CABIN LEAN-TOTHIS TECHNIQUE IS THE TOP

CHOICE OF EXPERTS AND READ-ERS. IT’S EASY TO MAKE AND PRO-

DUCES TALL FLAMES QUICKLY.

DAMP LOGS, SLIGHTLY GREEN WOOD, AND HARDER-TO-IGNITE

HARDWOODS DRY IN PLACE WITH THIS TECHNIQUE.

IF YOU CAN’T SPLIT LARGER LOGS, OR IT’S SLIM PICKINGS FOR SMALLER FUEL

WOOD, CHOOSE THIS FIRE DESIGN, WHICH GETS A LOG BURNING FAST.

1 0 . 2 0 1 4070

R E A D E R P O L L W H A T ’ S Y O U R P R E F E R R E D F I R E A R C H I T E C T U R E ?

Page 73: Backpacker- October 2014

At some point, my sixth grade English teacher peered over her desk at the simple, unformed minds

entrusted to her and thought: “I must destroy them.” This is the only way I can reconcile assigning

Jack London’s short story To Build a Fire to students then steeped in a reading curriculum designed

to reinforce a certainty that the world was a just and magical place. We had a long way to fall. ¶ I started to read about a hiker crossing the Yukon wild in temperatures so low his spit crackled

frozen in midair. He’ll surely be warm and happy, I thought, when he builds the fire in the title.

There was a dog, probably loyal. Should be fun. ¶ Maybe it was my naiveté that helped me identify

with the hiker, because neither of us were prepared for what was coming. He was think-

ing more about the bacon he was going to fry than the thickness of ice on that creek.

And after a few thousand words of trial and error, but mostly error, he faced grave

consequences I’d never imagined. By the end of the story, I was a twitching wreck,

wondering whether I would try to bear hug my dog to death to warm myself should

my hands ever become frostbitten slabs. I spent a sleepless night, a meaningless

speck in the indifferent void of eternity. The next morning’s Scooby-Doo was cold

comfort, indeed. ¶ I hear teachers don’t assign Jack London to young students as

much anymore. That’s a shame. Maybe I was a little young to receive it, but at least

someone told me the truth: The world is chaos and hostility. But skill and a steady

hand can keep the chaos at bay. How could I be anything but grateful?

1. ENSURE SIDE

FLOW When combustion

happens, sur-rounding air heats

up and rises. Air rushes in from

the sides to take its place, pushing equally from each direction. “This is why fl ames lick upward,” says

Jason Forthofer, a mechani-

cal engineer at the U.S. Forest

Service’s Fire Lab in Montana. Leave

½ to ¾ inch of space between kindling sticks

(more space for larger pieces).

2. KEEP KINDLING

DRY Use a slab of bark

or a few green logs on the ground

to protect your kindling from

moisture.

3. MINIMIZE THE

SIZE This isn’t a home-

coming bonfi re. “Keep it small,

maybe only a foot high,” says survival expert Tom Brown, Jr. “Anything more is just a waste of

resources and your energy. A large,

open fl ame is hard to control and

maintain.”

3RULES

FOR

HEALTHY

FIRESTHE BEST FIRE STORY EVER TOLD

JACK LONDON’S TO BUILD A FIRE SCARED ME INTO ADOLESCENCE.B Y P E T E R RU G G

If you didn’t bring your own tinder (see next page), scavenge for dry grass or bark near the roots of downed trees, which act as a weather shield. Find a large piece of bark (dry on the inside) to use as a plat-form to keep the wood off the wet ground. If you can set up beneath a tree without risking setting it ablaze, do it. Otherwise, lay a large piece of bark across your fi re pit to shield your nascent fl ame.

TROUBLESHOOT THIS

IT’S RAINING! HARD!

LESSON 1: POKE IT.You can’t let the fi re just sit there, mesmerizing the adults. Grab a stick; go ahead, prod the coals. Flip over a piece of wood and watch fl ames leap onto the unburned part. Stir the coals, unleashing a fl urry of sparks. Plunge the tip of the stick into the fi re’s hot center. It caught! Wave it around, lighting the

darkness with your magic wand until your parents scream PUT THAT BURNING STICK DOWN NOW!

LESSON 2: THROW THINGS IN.The fi re is hungry. You decide what it eats. Little things. A piece of bark. A twig. A pinecone. Just to see how they burn. Start over, throwing the same things fi rst in the yellow-fl aming

center, then the gray-warm edges.

LESSON 3: MAKE IT MULTIPLY. Move some coals onto a separate patch of dirt. Now, throw things on them. More little things. Watch them catch. You’ve made your own fi re!

LESSON 4: MAKE A SNACK. Cook with your fi re.

S’mores are a good start. Sharpen a stick and fi x a marshmal-low to the end. Hold the marshmallow close to the fl ames so it starts turning golden brown. Hold it a little closer; don’t resist. Now it’s on fi re! Hold it there un-til the marshmallow bubbles and falls off your stick like a fl am-ing cannonball. Cool! Eat s’mores until your mom stops you.

B Y D E N N I S L E W O N

THINGS WE’VE LEARNEDWHAT KIDS CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT ENJOYING A CAMPFIRE.*

*Parental guidance required

PH

OT

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AC

K L

ON

DO

N: P

HO

TO

BY

TH

E W

OR

LD

’S W

OR

K, 1

90

3

Page 74: Backpacker- October 2014

072 1 0 . 2 0 1 4

FIRE | Siting | Fuel | Architecture | LIGHTING | Feeding | Uses | Extinguishing

1. Gather twigs of similar lengths, and no thicker than a pencil. 2. Hold the wider ends in one hand as you would a bouquet, with the wire-thin tips where the blooms would be. 3. Once your bundle fi lls one hand, pack the twig-ends (the “blooms”) with tinder. 4. Invert the bouquet and place it in your fi re pit, so it forms a teepee. Wiggle it, if necessary, so it stands. 5. Light from the bottom.

39%I ALWAYS BRING IT

FROM HOME.

4%I ONLY

FORAGE FOR IT IN NATURE.

57%LIKE A GOOD BOY SCOUT, I’M ALWAYS PREPARED;

I BRING SOME ALONG

AND LOOK FOR IT IN

NATURE.

READER

POLL

WHERE DO YOU

USUALLY

SOURCEYOUR

TINDER?

DOWN TO YOUR LAST MATCH? THIS FAST-TO-MAKE KINDLING “BOUQUET” WILL LIGHT THE FIRST

TIME, EVERY TIME.

ON E

M ATC H ,

ON E

F I R E

W H IC H OF T H E SE HOM E M A DE OR STOR E-B OUG H T ACC E L E R A N TS I S R IG H T FOR YOU?

TINDER MATRIX

BURNS LONG (MINS)0 10

LIG

HTS

EA

SILY

•DRYER LINT

Decent fl ame, but quick to

burn out. Water defeats it.

•CHAR CLOTH

An ember fl ash-es through it.

Lights easily with sparks. (Make it;

see right.) •LITTLE MAGIC FIRESTARTER (1/2 BLOCK) ($13 for 50;

cabelas.com)

•WETFIRE (1/2

BLOCK) ($8 for 8;

reveresupply.com)

•WEBER

LIGHTER CUBES (1/2

BLOCK) ($5 for 24;

weber.com)

STEEL WOOL 0000-gauge

wool takes a spark, but burns worse

than its reputa-tion suggests.

FRITOS1-inch fl ames

•NEWSPAPER DIPPED IN SOY CANDLE WAX Tip: Roll paper to cig-arette size and leave a corner uncovered

for easy lighting.

MAKE CHAR CLOTH Poke a hole in the top of a tight-sealing candy tin (our pick: an Altoids container) and layer 1 inch-square pieces of 100-percent cotton inside (a good use for old t-shirts and bandanas). Put the tin on the stove and let it sit until the smoke stops (10 to 15 seconds). Use one or more to catch a spark.

VASELINE-SOAKED COTTON BALLS

Large, aggressive fl ames with black

smoke; works when wet. But can be

messy.

INST

AN

T7

SEC

Find more DIY tinder tips at backpacker.com/tinder.

Page 75: Backpacker- October 2014

Next time you enjoy a stroll through a Western conifer forest, or take in a long sunset

view over the Midwestern prairie, you’d best thank fire, which made those things pos-

sible. ¶ We’re used to thinking of wildfires as natural disasters, the enemy. But in truth,

they’re hyper-efficient recyclers, reverting organic material back into its building blocks

so new plants can reuse them. Without wildfire, our planet would rely on decompo-

sition—a three-part stew of sunlight, microbes, and fungi. That would take ages, and in

the meantime, the ground would become thick with debris and rotten plant matter—as if

Mother Nature kept a hoarder home. Seeds wouldn’t root as easily and large trees would

choke off saplings from light, causing new growth to sputter out, as has occurred in many

Rocky Mountain forests. ¶ While it’s true that intensely hot fire kills plants and can dam-

age soil, some plants make a good living off flame: The lodgepole pine has cones that

remain on the tree, seeds encased in resin, until heat from an understory fire melts and

frees them. Then there are lots of seeds available at once, ready to embed in the cleared

forest floor with little competition for light and nutrient-rich soil. Other trees (sequoias

and ponderosa, loblolly, and longleaf pines) have thick bark that acts as

a fire shield, letting those species withstand small blazes. Meanwhile,

flames wipe out insects that live in the top layer of soil and damage

trees. After a few years of sunlight and water, the forest begins to

regenerate, refreshed and renewed. ¶ Today, fire agencies suppress all

human-caused fires, as well as those that threaten human life and prop-

erty. But in some carefully considered circumstances, they’ll monitor

and manage natural wildfires, rather than fight them. And every year

there are another 2 or so million acres of public land that forest manag-

ers set ablaze in controlled burns to prevent excessive fuel buildup that

could lead to large, devastating fires. ¶ When you think of it that way, natural wildfires—

of moderate size and heat—are actually pretty good firefighters themselves.

T H E E S SE N T I A L BU R NIN A MATTER OF MINUTES, WILDFIRE CAN UNDO CENTURIES OF PLANT

GROWTH—AND THAT’S A GOOD THING.B Y L O R E N M O O N E Y

. . . I S A FAVOR I T E SAY I NG A MONG S U RV I VA L E X PE RTS. A LWAY S

C A R RY T H R E E WAY S TO L IG H T A F I R E . H E R E’S W H AT WOR K S.

“ONE IS NONE”

FIRE STEEL Technique: With the

steel on your tinder pile, put the scraper (or your

knife) against it at a 45-degree angle. Pull

the steel.

SUPE

R RE

LIA

BLE SUPER SKETCHY

WATERPROOF MATCHES

Strike any-where

SOTO POCKET TORCH XT

Fill with left overs from a fuel canis-

ter. $25; 1.9 oz; sotooutdoors

.com

LIGHTER Bic

LIGHTER Cheapo

MAGNIFYING GLASS

FIREBOW Learn how at backpacker

.com/fi rebow.

FLINT Technique: Find or

make a sharp-edged fl int. Strike down-ward onto an iron-rich rock, such as

fool’s gold (pyrite).

WATER Technique: Fill a

round-top water bottle with a cup of clear liq-uid; invert it and hold it low to concentrate the

sun onto your tinder.

ICE LENS Technique: Find the clearest

piece of inch-thick ice possible. Shape it into a convex lens and use it to focus the sun. Reality check: Even with practice, it’s

more parlor trick than practical.

remain on the tree, seeds encased in resin

PH

OT

O B

Y S

TE

VE

HU

RS

T, H

OS

TE

D B

Y T

HE

US

DA

-NR

CS

PL

AN

TS

DA

TAB

AS

E (

RIG

HT

)

1.

FIRE 101 THE BASICS

2. MASTER THE

ONE-MATCH FIRE3.

8 THINGS THAT BURN BETTER THAN YOU’D THINK

4. FIRE FROM WHISKEY (3 WAYS!)

5. WINDPROOF YOUR FIRE

6. MAKE A

FEATHERSTICK

ALL NEW VIDEO

SERIES!

FIRE SKILLS

WATCH AND LEARN KEY SKILLS IN OUR IPAD

EDITION AND AT BACKPACKER.COM/

FIREVIDEO.

Page 76: Backpacker- October 2014

FIRE | Siting | Fuel | Architecture | Lighting | FEEDING | Uses | Extinguishing

WARMTH FOR HOURSOnce your fi re is well estab-lished, add wrist-thick logs around the base. By placing logs in the fi re’s coolest part, the fuel burns slower, the heat spreads out over time, and the fl ames last longer without as much attention.

PLACE YOUR FUEL WOOD IN THE RIGHT PLACES TO CREATE A FIRE THAT BEHAVES EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT.

T H E G O OD K I N D OF HOT SP OT

36%TALK

The simple act of hanging out, shar-ing beta, reliving the day’s adven-

ture, and perhaps even bonding

33%STARE INTO IT

They don’t call it Caveman TV for

nothing.

19%PASS A BOTTLE

But to whom do you pass it? See

page 62.

7%TELL STORIES

Scaring kids with campfi re-lit ghost

stories is as old as camping itself.

Improve your technique: see

next page.

5%ROAST

MARSHMALLOWSThey’re more

wholesome than a bottle of whiskey,

but marshmal-lows are prob-

ably burned over campfi res* more

than any other type of food.

*total conjecture

QUICK HEAT To make your fi re roar, add fi nger- to thumb-thick sticks directly to the top of your blaze. This boosts convection, the movement of superheat-ed gasses from the bottom to the top, which means the top is the hottest part of the fi re.

COOKING COALSFeed larger fuel wood onto the sides of the fi re. This cre-ates coals that can be raked between two pot-supporting rocks. The sides of a fi re radiate heat, which is good for warming hands without burning them.

1 2 3

READER

POLL

WHAT’S

YOUR

FAVORITE

ACTIVITYAROUND

THE

CAMPFIRE?

MUST KNOW

GREEN WOOD

Green wood will burn, just not as hot as the seasoned stuff. When green logs are on the fi re, heat energy goes toward drying out the branch rather than keeping you warm. You can oft en hear them sizzling. Still, this is useful for marsh-mallow sticks, and making skewers, spits, and signal fi res.

1 0 . 2 0 1 4074

Page 77: Backpacker- October 2014

HOW TO TELL

A G O ODC A M PF I R E

STORYONE OF OUR FAVORITES FROM THE VAULT: A MASTER ENTERTAINER

SPILLS HIS SECRETS FOR SPINNING UNFORGETTABLE YARNS. B Y S T E V E F R I E D M A N

FOR L ONG-

L A ST I NG

F L A M E S, USE

H A R DWO OD.

BURNTHIS,NOT

THAT

PICK A GOOD TALEDoes it creep you out? Would your friends

object if you told it to their 11-year-old kid? Yes?

Then you’ve got a winner.

TELL A TRUE STORY “This is a true story” is OK. “This is a true story

and the person who it happened to is in the

Maine Hospital for the Criminally Insane now,

a total vegetable” is better. “Cable news hadn’t

been invented then, but you can look it up on

microfilm at the Mendocino Public Library”

is the best. When’s the last time anyone actu-

ally looked up something on microfilm?

KEEP IT SUBTLEWhen the story gets to the really, really, really

scary part, clam up. You don’t want to go on.

Your voice gets softer. You’d prefer not to talk

about what happened next. You don’t even

want to think about it. But you will. You owe it

to your audience.

USE VISUAL AIDSYour appendectomy scar? Who’s to say Neville

Flange, the machete-wielding marauder of the

Smoky Mountains, didn’t cut

you there? Hold on to bandanas

emblazoned with camp names.

BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHO YOU’RE TALKING TOScary stories are fun and

thrilling, but told to the wrong

person, at the wrong time—

well, sometimes that can have

tragic consequences.

I was telling the story

of the Mendocino

Moaner a few years ago

to friends on a week-

end trip in Yosemite.

Everyone was pretty

freaked out—especially

because it was a true

story—but nothing hap-

pened that night, and we all woke up the next

day refreshed and ready to hike. All except for

my friend Jack. Who knows how it affected

him, or why? All I know is that Jack wouldn’t

say a word that morning. All he would do

was hum and shake his head and wave his

arms, which was really a drag, because we

had to drive all the way to Reno, where we

had a plane to catch. They wouldn’t let Jack

board the plane back to New York City, though.

We had to take him to the Washoe County

Hospital. Eventually they transferred him. To

the Nevada State Hospital for the Criminally

Insane. It’s been five years and he’s still there.

I don’t like to talk about it. I don’t even like

to think about it.

When it’s time to cook, you’ll want to know how hot your coals are. Here’s how to tell: Lower your open hand (palm facing up) until it’s about 3 inches above the coals and count how long you can hold it.

MUST KNOW

GAUGEHEAT

1-2 seconds 450-500°F4-5 seconds 350-400°F7-9 seconds 250-300°F

HOT

NOT

HICKORY

OAK

ASH

BIRCH

ELM

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WILLOW

STORY

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Page 78: Backpacker- October 2014

4 3T H I NG S

YOU C A N D O

W I T H F I R E

FIRE | Siting | Fuel | Architecture | Lighting | Feeding | USES | Extinguishing

14.

TREAT

HYPOTHERMIA

Remove wet clothing. Prepare warm drinks

and food. Heat up water (don’t boil), fi ll a bottle, and apply to

the chest and armpits. Wrap patient in sleep-

ing bags.

15. & 16.

SIGNAL FOR

RESCUESituate your signal fi re in an open area,

but make sure it’s pro-tected enough from

weather that you’ll be able to light it quickly.

One fi re is good, but three fi res positioned

in a triangle or a straight line are an

international distress signal.

Daytime It’s all about smoke. Collect green

branches and pine boughs and set them near your fi re. When

you hear the helicop-ter or search plane, put the boughs on.

Nighttime It’s all about light. Layer on

lots of soft woods.

17.

INCINERATE

TRASH

Burn cardboard and paper products, but

never plastic, foil-lined wrappers, or TP.

06.& 07.

DRY WET

GEAR

Clothes Drive 2-foot-long, forked sticks

into the ground next to your fi re ring so

your clothes can hang beside (never above)

the fi re. Drape over the sticks and check regu-larly (especially melt-

prone synthetics).Boots Never dry your

boots by the fi re; they’ll melt or shrink. Next best thing: Add a handful of pea-size

stones to a pot of boil-ing water. Drain, then scoop pebbles into a

thick wool sock. Place in your boot.

08.

MAKE A

GREASE

BOMBWe can’t, in good

conscience, give you directions for pulling

off this dangerous river-rat trick. But

should you Google it, we recommend stand-

ing waaaay back.

09.

GRILL TROUT

Wrap in foil and cover with coals. Gauge the

temperature (previous page) then let it cook. 350°F 15-20 mins400°F 10-15 mins

450°F 10 mins

01.

MAKE FRIENDS

You’ll have the most popular campsite

around.

02.

ABATE

PANIC

11. & 12.

BOIL WATER

WITH A POT

Easy Plop it directly on the coals.

Medium Build support out of three fl at rocks,

start a fi re between them, and place the

pot on top.Hard Suspend your

pot from a tripod posi-tioned over the fi re.

WITHOUT A POT

Easy Hang a plastic or glass bottle from a tripod about 6 inches

above your coals. Medium Line your

receptacle (Nalgene, plastic bag, paper cup

or bowl) with pea-size stones (protects

against melting) and fill halfway with water. Heat walnut-

size rocks in a fire and place them in your

receptacle one by one until bubbles form.

Hard Find a large leaf. Dig a small, bowl-shaped hole in the

ground. Line with the leaf then pea-size

stones and add hot rocks (as above).

13.

THAW FROZEN

BOTTLES

Bring a pot of water to a boil and dunk your frozen-shut bottle in

upside down.

05. GO ON A V IS ION QUESTIf your tent has a fast-pitch option (fl y only, no fl oor), create a backcountry

sweat lodge. Put rocks in your fi re’s coals (NOT RIVER STONES, AS THOSE COULD EXPLODE) and wait 1 to 2 hours for them to heat up. Pile the rocks in

the center of your shelter, then close the door. Add water to create steam.

03.

SAVE BATTERIES

Cook, eat, pack, and play cards by fi relight.

04.

CHARGE BATTERIES

Fill Power Practical’s PowerPot V with cold water or snow and put it on the fi re. The pot converts heat energy

to electricity. $149; 1 lb. 2 oz.; powerprac-

tical.com

10. CREATE COOL PHOTOS

15. & 16.

SIGNAL FOR

RESCUESituate your signal

WITHOUT A POT

Hang a plastic

02.

ABATE

PANIC

14.

TREAT

HYPOTHERMIA

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Page 79: Backpacker- October 2014

OVER COALS

Place a steak directly on the coals. Flip aft er 4 to 6 minutes. Wipe

away any lingering ash.

OVER FLAMES

Use hardwoods in a broad fi re pit. Place a

grill rack—or con-struct one with green wood—6 inches over

your low fl ames.

DUTCH OVEN-STYLE

Bake in the backcoun-try: Put your cook pot

on your stove and turn it on low heat. Use palm-length twigs to build a pyramid-shaped fi re on your

cook pot’s lid. Rotate the pot to ensure even

baking.

ON A SPIT

Find two 2-foot-long, forked sticks and drive them into the ground

next to your fi re. Fash-ion a skewer out of

green wood and lay it across the supports, a foot above the fl ames.

30.

ENTERTAIN

FRIENDSThrow a few tea-

spoons of table salt on your fi re. It’ll briefl y

burn bright orange.

26.-29.

COOKING

20.

MELT SNOW

Pour an inch of water into your cook pot,

cover, and place on the fi re. Spoon in snow.

21.

FILTER WATER

Crush cooled charcoal into small chunks.

Drape a piece of fabric over your pot

and cover with a thick layer of charcoal. Pour in the unfi ltered water.

Repeat.

22. SURVIVE

A COLD NIGHT

Dig a trench 6 to 8 inches deep and

wide, as long as your survival lean-to, and

a few feet away. Build a fi re end to end.

“Adding a knee-high mound opposite the

opening cuts down on wood consumption by half,” says Tony Nester

of Ancient Pathways survival school.

23.

THWART

BUGS

If insects are tor-menting you and nor-

mal strategies (sit-ting downwind of a

fire; smoking a cigar) aren’t working, build

a smudge fire. Pile moss, spongy wood,

and wet bark from evergreens, hemlock, spruce, or balsam on your good, hot coals. As long as you stand in the smoke, you’ll

have an insect-proof force field.

18.

BUILD A

TORCHPartially split a 2-foot-

long, 2-inch-thick stick lengthwise into

quarters (aim for a foot-long split). Jam a kindling stick into the crack about 6 inches

down (halfway), forming a cross. Add

tinder and kindling loosely above it. Light the tinder. The fi re will slowly advance down

the torch.

19. SET THE MOOD

39. ROAST THE PERFECT

MARSHMALLOWHold your marshmallow to the side of the fi re (not the top, it’ll burn) and rotate until it turns golden brown. Smoosh it between two graham crackers and a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (big upgrade).

24.

HEAT STONES

TO USE AS

BED WARMERS

Find a large, smooth-sided stone. Place it along the inside

edge of your fire ring. Once heated (but not too hot), wrap it in a spare sock and place

it in your sleeping bag.

25.

PRESERVE

MEAT

Use green wood to make a drying rack that lets the meat hang about 4 feet above the fl ames.

32.

SLEEPLESS

You need a better excuse than a fi re and a fl ask to stay up past

midnight?

33. & 34.

BAKE A POTATO

Dirtbag Poke your po-tato with a fork, wrap it in foil, and chuck it on the coals for an hour.

Gourmet Chop a potato, onion, squash,

and root veggies. Wrap in a foil pouch with a pat of butter

and some French onion soup mix, and place it on the coals

for about 30 minutes, flipping once.

35.

CREATE A

BACKBURNIf you can’t escape a

wildfi re, set a preemp-tive blaze to burn up all the fuel. Take ref-

uge in the burned area. Emergency use only.

36.

MAKE ART

Place a glass bottle (carefully!) on the

coals and let it sit. The heated glass turns

viscous; shape it with a stick. Be moderate:

Worked glass gets brittle and shattered

bottles are hard to pack out.

37.

MAKE A

SPEARFire-hardened wood

is strong and durable. Scrape or carve a

thumb-thick stick into a point. Heat the sharp

end over the fi re, but don’t let it light or char.

38.

STERILIZE INSTRUMENTS

Dirty metal can infect wounds. Submerge the working end in

boiling water for a few seconds or hold the

end over a fl ame (then wipe away soot).

31. SLEEP ON TOP OF BURIED

FIRE FOR WARMTH

Build your fi re on a layer of rocks. Aft er 2 to 3 hours, spread coals over the rocks and cover with 4 inches of dirt. Wait 10 minutes, then make a bed of brush.

40. IMPROVISE EYE BLACK. 41. MAKE SHADOW PUPPETS. 42. FLAMING ARROWS! 43. START THE OLYMPICS.

USE THESE TECHNIQUES TO STAY ALIVE IN A SURVIVAL EMERGENCY.

18.

BUILD A

TORCHPartially split a 2-foot-

long, 2-inch-thick

22. SURVIVE

A COLD NIGHT

35.

CREATE A

BACKBURNIf you can’t escape a

away any lingering ash.

OVER FLAMES

Use hardwoods in a

37.

MAKE A

SPEARFire-hardened wood

is strong and durable. Scrape or carve a

31. SLEEP ON TOP OF BURIED

FIRE FOR WARMTH

Build your fi re on a layer of rocks. Aft er 2 to 3 hours, spread coals over the rocks and cover with 4 inches

Page 80: Backpacker- October 2014

078 1 0 . 2 0 1 4

FIRE | Siting | Fuel | Architecture | Lighting | Feeding | Uses | EXTINGUISHING

1. Let your fire burn all the way down to ash: no half-burnt sticks or chunky coals. 2. Douse the flames with a few liters of water spread around. 3. Grab a stick and stir, working the water into the ashes and sand from your plat-form. 4. Using the back of your hand, gauge the temperature of the ashes. If you don’t feel any heat 3 inches above, go closer, and closer, until you find them cool to the touch. If you do feel heat, pour on more water and stir. 5. If you’re using an established fire ring, your work is done. If not, when the ashes are cool to the touch, gather them and sand from your platform and disperse them widely (at least 200 feet from any water sources). 6. Finally, scatter the rocks from your fire ring and collect the tarp or space blanket you laid down. If done properly, the former site of your fire should be invisible.

FIRST DEGREE (SUPERFICIAL) These burns result from quick expo-sure to flame, coals, or a still-hot stove. Our reflexes typical-ly save us from se-vere tissue damage. Superficial burns manifest as pink, tender skin. Quickly dip the affected area in a stream or apply a cold-water compress (avoid ice or snow; they can cause tissue damage), and keep it there for 10 minutes. Dab a skin moisturizer on the area around the burn.

SECOND DEGREE (PARTIAL THICKNESS)When exposure to heat sources lasts a few seconds, blisters can occur right away, or they may not show up for hours. Cool, as above, then cover the wound with a nonstick dressing. If the blister pops, peel back the skin, clean the wound, and cover with a clean, nonstick bandage.

THIRD DEGREE (FULL THICKNESS) The worst burns can leave skin charred, with extreme pain radiating outward. (Sometimes the wound itself can be painless due to nerve damage.) Im-mediately cool the wound and adminis-ter ibuprofen to help with swelling and pain. Carefully wash the affected area and keep it covered with a nonstick gauze bandage. See a doctor for burns larger than a quarter, but if you’re able to keep the wound clean, there’s no rush to immediately evacuate.

SEEK HELP Many burns will remain stable if kept clean and sterile bandages are changed frequently. However, if second- or third-degree burns cover more than 15 percent of the victim’s body (measure it: the area of your palm equals about 1 percent), evacuate right away.

BURN OUT,THEN

FADE AWAYDON’T SKIP THE FINAL STEP OF FIRE-MAKING—OR ELSE.

CAMPFIRES-GONE-AMOK ARE THE MOST COMMON SOURCE OF HUMAN-CAUSED WILDFIRES. MAKE SURE YOURS IS

OUT COLD.

The best advice if you or a buddy is engulfed in flames? Just what your kindergarten teacher said: Stop, drop, and roll. Synthetic fabrics are more flammable than natural fibers, and can fuse to skin. Keep them secured (zipped, tucked in, etc.) when you’re tending a fire.

TROUBLESHOOT

THIS

HELP! I’MON FIRE!

FIRST AID FOR BURNS

CO OL , C L E A N, A N D T R E AT W I T H

A DV IC E F ROM BUC K T I LTON,

BAC K PAC K E R’S M E DIC I N E M A N.

Page 81: Backpacker- October 2014

NOW I CAN MAKE FIRE. BUT SHOULD I?

I don’t remember where I heard that peeing on a fire is a reasonable way to put it out.

It certainly seemed reasonable before I tried it: Here’s an on-board supply of waste

liquid, I’d thought. Waste liquid I’d made from beer, because my body is a temple. I

remember holding “it” until I figured I’d have plenty for the task, and then, less than a

minute into it, thinking, Dang, my bladder’s not big enough. Then, shortly thereafter,

uttering a phrase I’m not likely to forget: “Dude, can you help me piss on this fire?”

Steam and the acrid smell of warm, pee-scented fumes worked into our clothes and

hair and nostrils—and long-term memories. Never try to extinguish a fire with pee;

there’s not enough beer in the world for the task. –Casey Lyons

39%FROM TIME TO

TIME.

36%NOT EVER.

18%OF COURSE! HOW ELSE WILL I GET IT GOING IN THE

MORNING?

7%I THINK ONCE,

MAYBE, BY MIS-TAKE!

Really? The majority of

you—48 percent with 20+ years’ of experience, no less—leave fires burning?

Things are drier now than they were a genera-

tion ago, so let’s make a deal: You douse your fires and we’ll go on

telling everyone how responsible

you are.–The Editors

READER

POLL

DO YOU EVER

LEAVE THE FIRE

BURNING

OR

SMOLDERING

WHEN

YOU GO TO

SLEEP?

NEVER PEE ON THE FIRE

YOU’LL BE VERY SORRY—AND VERY, VERY SMELLY.

STILLTRUE

There’s a reason “hearth” is some-times a synonym for “home”: Fires aren’t just a useful way to cook or make light or stay warm, they’re a way to build community. In fact, that’s the best reason to have one. Bring your stove, your head-lamp, your puffy; if conditions aren’t right for a safe, low-impact burn, skip

it. But on those magical nights when time and circumstance are in your favor, there’s no better way to rally the crew. Watch as everyone scampers to find fuel, gathers back together. Time decelerates as your wood pile flickers into ash. Indeed, life’s too short to skip the fire.–Rachel Zurer

There’s nothing like sitting by a fi re... when your life depends on it. The rest of the time, well, it’s just an exercise—usually in poor planning. Forget your stove? Unprepared for the cold? By all means, have a fi re. But for the camper who’s equipped and skilled, campfi res are unnecessary for backcountry

enjoyment. I’ve had plenty of good con-versations around the headlamp and made s’mores over a candle. Plus, I’d rather arrive at (and leave) a campsite that looks like I’m the fi rst one there, maybe ever. I’ve done this favor for you, too, even if you don’t know it. In fact, that’s exactly the point. –C.L.

YES NOF I R E S A R E FOR S U RV I VA L . M A K E C A M PI NG M E MOR A B L E .

ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES.A few millennia of evolution, from cavemen to city folk, and we’re taking orders from a 70-year-old bear in a hat. Yet it works—95 percent of adults recognize this fellow, doing his thing, enlisting us all in the effort.P

HO

TO

BY

IS

TO

CK

PH

OT

O.C

OM

/ T

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Page 82: Backpacker- October 2014

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Page 86: Backpacker- October 2014

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GET HERE You don’t have to wander through the desert for days to land at this oasis: Just a 10-min-ute walk from the trailhead at Hite Crossing on UT 95, the Hite Camp-ground offers primitive beach camp-ing (inaccessible to houseboaters) near the confluence of the Colorado and Dirty Devil Rivers on northern Lake Powell. Set up a basecamp and explore White Canyon (6 miles south via car; bit.ly/WhiteCan) or bring a kayak and paddle the liquid paradise. Trail-head 37.890282, -110.369511*; 150 miles southwest of Moab on UT 95. Permit No reservations; $6/person per night Custom-centered map bit.ly/BPmapLkPwl ($15) Contact (928) 608-6404; nps.gov/glca

HIKE TO THIS MONTH’S COVER SHOT.

BACKPACKER (ISSN 0277-867X USPS 509-490) is published nine times a year (January, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, and November) by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., an Active Interest Media company. The known office of publication is 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301. Subscriptions are $19.98 per year in the U.S., $29.98 in Canada, $41.98 elsewhere (surface mail). Periodicals postage paid at Boulder CO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BACKPACKER, PO Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. GST #R122988611. BACKPACKER publications, including GearFinder®, Waypoints®, and Adventure Travel®, are registered trademarks of Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. © 2014 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Volume 42, Issue 316 Number 8, October 2014. Subscribers: If the postal authorities alert us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within 2 years.

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Glen Canyon

U N C O V E R E D

HIGH AND DRYLong-term drought conditions have revealed once-submerged wonders.1 Discover a lost slot: Explore newly

emerged Twilight Canyon on a 25-mile out-and-back (backpacker .com/twilightcanyon).2 Find an arch: Visit Broken Bow Arch and several waterfalls on an 11-miler through Willow Gulch (backpacker.com/willowgulch).3 Choose your own adventure: Cre-ate a day trip, overnight, or multiday epic in the web of Ticaboo Creek (bit.ly/1014Ticaboo).

CAMP as close as you want to the lake on the slickrock, according to

park regulations, but be mindful of fluctuat-ing water levels (which

can rise a few feet in a day). The lake rises during spring runoff,

typically peaking in July before dropping 10

feet in late fall.

IF THERE ARE NO seasonal bans in this part of the park, campfires are allowed below the current high water line (which could be as far as 25 feet from the water’s edge).

Wander through a watery maze in this national recreation area’s vast slickrock sanctuary on the Utah/Arizona border.

LAKE POWELL BY THE

NUMBERS

561 FEET Deepest point

(at Glen Canyon Dam)

160,000+ ACRES

Area covered by the reservoir

1,960 MILES

Shoreline around the lake (Florida

sports 1,350 miles of coastline; Cali-

fornia has 840)

96Known side

canyons

101 FEET Average amount

the water has dropped since

1999, exposing new hiking

terrain

Grand Canyon NP

Canyonlands NP

Capitol Reef NP

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Grand Staircase-Escalante NM

*Plug these lat/long coordinates into Google Maps for turn-by-turn driving directions.

Page 87: Backpacker- October 2014

THERMOBALLTM

CENTRALThermoBallTM insulation from The North Face. Unbelievablycompressible yet incredibly warm. Weighs next to nothing.And with more styles and colors, REI is ThermoBallTM Central.

Page 88: Backpacker- October 2014

4Runner is one of the last holdouts of body-on-frame, keeping true to a heritage of off-road excellence. It’s the perfect companion for those brave few who still venture into the wild.

0 2J O I N T H E O F F - R O A D M O V E M E N T A T F A C E B O O K . C O M / 4 R U N N E R 37° 45' 48" N / 119° 00' 36" W

Prototype shown with options. Production model may vary. Payload includes the weight of occupants, cargo and options; limited by weight distribution. for weight limits and restrictions. ©2014 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.Don’t overload your vehicle. See Owner’s Manual

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