Dan's Outside

2004February

***February 1
– Only time for an “urban hike” on the Los Gatos Creek trail today, but at least I got out.

***February 8-9
– Two day trip to Tahoe for some tele’ skiing. Drove up on Friday night in a short but intense snow storm. Saturday dawned clear and cold and we spent the day at Squaw Valley. On Saturday we skied Heavenly Valley. I concentrated on “making my skis by friends” and getting relaxed on beginner downhills – a task on which I believe I largely succeeded.

***February 13
– Friday the Thirteenth hike at Almaden Quicksilver. Did the long loop out to Guadalupe Reservoir and then back via the ridge, following game trails instead of the road at first.

***February 15
– I had a couple hours this morning/afternoon so I took a quick AQCP hike. Went quickly up Deep Gulch, joined the English Camp trail, followed the footpath to the mill and the went down Woods Road, crossing the open meadow and then stopping at the next forested meadow, where I took some pictures before returning the same way.

***February 22
– After a fairly insane week I had to get out for a hike today – even if it means that I’ve left some work undone that I’ll have to do late tonight. I managed to get it a quick hike up Deep Gulch past English Camp along the ridge to where I could overlook the valley while I ate my bagel. I dropped down the ridge cross-country through some old mining areas, emerging near the last mine below the summit on the Mine Hill trail. I descended via English Camp and Deep Gulch.

***February 28
– Only time for an urban hike to Campbell on the Creek Trail today.

***February 29
– a long hike at Almaden Quicksilver – perhaps the longest there so far. I began at Mockingbird Hill and headed out on the trail toward the Prospect #3 junction. Instead of turning up the hill here, I continued straight ahead past the Webb Canyon junction to a left lateral (looks like an old road) that may be the Cinnabar trail – at least that is how it is marked on the map. This joined the Mine Hill Trail and headed back toward Guadalupe Reservoir and the junction with Randol Trail. At this point I wasn’t sure which way would get me back to the car by sunset, but I chanced it and headed up Mine Hill Trail to the summit. From there I passed through English Camp and descended Mine Hill to the junction with the trail back to Mockingbird Hill.

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January 1, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2004February

2004January

***January 10
– My first hike of the new year was at Almaden Quicksilver. (Report).

***January 17
– Hiked at Almaden today. I did the loop out to Prospect #3 and back.

***January 19
– For something different I drove up to Castle Rock State Park and had a great hike in the fog – via Castle Rock and Goat Rock out to the backpacker campground. (Report #1 and Report #2)

***January 25
– Yesterday I thought I’d be skiing at Soda Springs today, but instead I ended up back at Almaden Quicksilver for a really beautiful hike in cool, crisp conditions but with new grass coming up everywhere. Did the loop out to Prospect #3. (Report)

***January 31
– Did the loop from Mockingbird Hill at Almaden Quicksilver today – out to Prospect #3; up to the ridge and then to English Camp; then down Mine Hill and Hacienda back to my starting point. Report and photos here and here.

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January 1, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2004January

Outside Log 2004

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January 1, 2004 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Outside Log 2004

Back from the Sierra

We drove up to Royal Gorge for a day of cross-country skiing – and just arrived home a few minutes ago.

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December 31, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Back from the Sierra

Design update

I modified the design of this site a bit yesterday. I removed the left-side navigation bar and moved the links to the column on the right side of the page. Besides simplifying things a bit and making all links available throughout the site, this allows me to post somewhat wider photos.
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December 30, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Design update

Cross-country skiing

Looks like I’ll be making a quick one-day run up to Royal Gorge tomorrow for a day of cross-country skiing. Conditions look decent and we should be able to get on the road back home before the next Pacific front arrives tomorrow night.
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December 30, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Cross-country skiing

Beautiful post-Christmas hike at Almaden Quicksilver

I caught a brilliant sunny day on my hike today – between the Christmas rain storm and another that is likely to arrive tomorrow. The grass is really starting to come up now, though you can’t tell from my black and white picture… ;-)

One of the great things about winter at this coastal hills park is that much of the grass has died away and it is now possible to travel cross-country. The ridge where this photo was taken is between two trails that I frequently use. I happened to notice a subtle “use trail” while walking on one of them and decided to follow it. It turned out to be a faint trail that provided an alternative to the fire road that I normally follow.
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December 27, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Beautiful post-Christmas hike at Almaden Quicksilver

Disclaimer

Stories on this web site represent my personal experiences, opinions, and preferences only. I have no special training or certification in any of the subjects that I write about on this web site. If you are looking for advice from someone who claims offical certification and training, look somewhere else.

Equipment becomes outdated. Trails get rerouted. Changing weather turns benign trips into dangerous adventures. Rocks fall. People get lost. Trail descriptions differ from reality. Maps are inaccurate. Ankles twist. Bones break. Animals swipe food. Lightning strikes. Equipment breaks. Mistakes are made.

Outdoor activities involve risks including injury and death, and are inherently unsafe for those without essential equipment, experience and knowledge. These risks can never be completely eliminated, even for those with extensive experience and knowledge.

The bottom line is that you should not rely wholly on anything you read here. You should seek out and learn from a variety of people, programs, books, and other resources. You are individually responsible for learning about and understanding the risks inherent in outdoor activities and for deciding whether or not to accept these risks.
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December 26, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Disclaimer

Merry Christmas!

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December 25, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Merry Christmas!

Soft-shell hard-sell?

Soft-shell garments are supposed to combine insulation, wind resistance, and water repellancy (or even waterproofness). They are cool, but are they really better? The gear-lusting side of me wants to say yes, but the practical side keeps saying “hold on.”

Soft-shell jackets are not light. While my Arc-teryx Delta fleece jacket weighs about a pound and provides sufficient warmth for most uses, a similar soft-shell jacket may weigh close to twice as much. This is not good for backpacking.

On the other hand, a soft-shell jacket should let me dispense with a shell jacket that I carry for rain and wind protection. The combination of the Delta jacket and a light Goretex parka could well weigh the same as or more than the soft-shell. However, problems remain.

A soft-shell jacket is less versatile than the combination of fleece jacket and shell. In cold and dry conditions I don’t wear the shell if I’m moving and generating heat. If it is warm and rainy I may only want the shell without the extra warmth of the fleece jacket. I could not adapt to these circumstances with a single soft-shell jacket.

Product descriptions using terms like “water repellant” and “resists rain” feed another nagging worry, reinforced by product reviews that confirm that these jackets are not really waterproof in most cases. (The lack of a hood in most of these jackets is another tip-off that they are not designed to be serious rain gear.)

So, what are they good for? Ignoring the admitted collness factor, my hunch is that they are more abrasion resistant than light Goretex gear. They are likely pretty good for around-town use where you can get out of the weather quickly. They are probably also good for cold and damp weather when you are working hard enough to keep warm.

Bottom line? I’m going to resist the impulse to get a soft-shell jacket, at least until the prices come way down.

– Dan
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December 24, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Soft-shell hard-sell?