Category — Hiking

This list is what I tend to pack when going out for a weekend excursion. There are variations to the theme depending on location and weather expectations.

Feel free to copy it if you would like, but keep in mind this is what I have found works for me, be sure and adjust your list for your own needs.

I do try and keep the items in their own stuff sacks that are different colors for ease of finding them. For instance, I keep all of my survival gear in a light blue stuff sack and all of my clothing in a waterproof red stuff sack etc… [Read more →]

Yesterday I went on a hike with Uncle Travelin Matt just west of Denver and as we were walking down the trail we both were sharing information about the types of plants along the trail as well as the edibility of some. We found an abundance of Geyer’s Onion (Allium geyeri) that I was familiar with and I had UTM give it a taste.

Fortunately UTM and I know each other well enough to know that accurate knowledge of subject matter is paramount and never to pull any fast ones especially when health or safety is involved. Anyhow after UTM gave the onion a taste I thought of the Universal Edibility Test and figured it would aid you guys if you are out and about looking for edible plants. I implore you to carry a guide with pictures as a reference but also utilize EVERY step in the test remember your life depends on it! [Read more →]

Imagine a world so removed from what you have grown to understand that you are left mouth gaping, eyes tearing and mind wandering lost in awe of what your eyes have told you is a reality. That is the impression you will get when hiking deep in to the dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Rarely are there times when time stands still as it is usually while your mind tries desperately to rationalize the next step as you are heading towards some devastating result from a misstep or miscalculation during your adventurous life.

Think slow motion as the front tire sticks as you endo over the bars of your mountain bike, heading rapidly towards the rocky singletrack, you some how can see every jagged edge on every rock, you hear the birds songs and smell the fresh air. All the while careening rapidly toward the inevitable…the collarbone shattering crash.

That is the same experience you will find after the laborious hike up to the top of High Dune, the highest point in the park but not the highest dune. (The highest dune is the nearby Star Dune, which is taller due to the slope of the valley below the sand). From the top of High Dune you can see the entire San Luis Valley, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the beautiful sight as dunes meet Medano creek and transition to the grass lands on one side and the forest on the other. There is such great biodiversity of both in flora and fauna that no nature lover will leave disappointed. [Read more →]

A good friend of mine asked me to write about the steps I take when preparing for a trip. He was thinking that there are things I do subconsciously, that I might not ever mention because it has become routine.

Great Idea! It might also aid me in remembering things I have long over looked, here is my routine.

Really I start about a week prior to the trip by looking at the map and weather report to see where I will end up and what the conditions will be. Then I gather all of my gear and lay it out neatly on the floor, this includes clothing and food. Then I look over each item and determine if it will serve a purpose for the trip. Once I have whittled down my gear I do it all over and usually can ditch more stuff. As I do this I check all of my gear to make sure it is in working order and no repairs/replacement is necessary. All the while making a list of things I need to get. [Read more →]

After much debate and discussion we decided we would stay fairly close to home during this trip so we ended up in a meadow off of Horsethief trail just south of the Crags.

The hike started up a gradual incline through the forest on the fairly well traveled trail. After about .5 mile we changed direction from the easterly course we started on to a more northerly course that brought us into a valley along a creek dotted with few frozen beaver ponds. The views were magnificent as we had an unobstructed view of Sentinel in all of its rocky glory. After a short distance we found a great site just off of the main trial in an open area that was slightly blocked from the wind that was slowly creeping up on us. [Read more →]

Well my Winter Wilderness Survival class and I made it back with out a hitch. Yeah we survived! We all had a blast and spent some good quality time practicing shelter building and plain old “will” to survive. The days were beautiful and we were fortunate enough to have great visibility and most, if not all of us made it with nothing but smiles! I am pretty drained now and will post more tomorrow. Here is a picture of my class after a night in the cold.

They all did a great job and should be proud!