Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself =)

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
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irrfin
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Re: Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself

Post by irrfin »

Howdy HST group,

Andrew from San Jose. I've been doing outdoor activity since I was 14 years old when I spent a summer tripping from Pine Island Camp in Belgrade Lakes ME. Following this I was a trip leader, camp counselor, kayaking instructor through my 20's at the same organization. After college I did NOLS fall semester in the Rockie 2003 which included 3 weeks backcountry rock climbing in the southern Wind River Range, WY, 2 weeks caving in Vernal UT, 3 weeks traveling via raft, kayak and canoe on the Green River UT and 3 weeks backpacking grand gulch in SE UT.

I moved to CA in 2006 and have been backpacking the west coast ever since. As a teacher I use my vacation time to backpack, kayak and spend time with my family. I am lucky to get 14 weeks of sort of PTO a year and I use much of this to do outdoors trips. I love getting off trail and getting away from the crowds. More recently my adventures have included kayaking black canyon south of Hoover Dam, Havasu Falls, the Kalalau Trail Kauai, cross-country in the Hetch Hetchy area. My current obsession is the high route and I've been exploring sections through week long trips. I have a 2 week trip planned for my wife and me this August which will include cross-country from Mono Creek to Evolution Lake area. Another recent obsession is Vermillion Cliffs National Monument and Paria Canyon (I was looking for an August trip to this slot canyon but decided dying from a flash flood wasn't the best way to end the summer vacation). I also want to get to the Grand Canyon in the beginning of 2016 before the Escalante project builds their mega-mall on the cliff side.

I did my first solo backpacking trip in 2013 from Bear Creek Dam up to Lake Italy through Bear Lakes Basin to Vee Lake and back down to Bear Creek Dam. The bugs were horrible but once I got above the tree line they went away.

My favorite local stomping ground and training area is Henry Coe State Park, CA. If you live in the area and haven't been, spring is the time to enjoy the wildflowers as they'll distract you from all the hill you're climbing. I'm also a competitive kayak polo player in the SF bay area; we are always looking for experienced kayaker who want to expand their skill set.

I look forward to contributing.
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maverick
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Re: Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself

Post by maverick »

Thanks for the intro Andrew! Henry Coe is fun in the Spring, especially if we have rain, otherwise my training
ground is mostly Mission Peak on the weekends.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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NoboHikerRick
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Re: Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself

Post by NoboHikerRick »

Hi HST,

new member Rick here, aka Section Hiker Rick as I am section hking the PCT (I am at Mile 369) spending quite a few weekends in the Sierrras, preferably Yosemite but also do some local hikes in the bay area, Henry Coe, Black Mountain, Castele Rock and sometimes in other rangs.
Most of time I am out by myself especially since I like to hike at least 14 to 16 hours a day and not too many folks I know are into long days unfortunately.

Anyways, I have not yet spend a lot of time lurking but I definitively like what I have seen so fare, a nice group! Have there been any meetups or trips? I will spend some time on the board.

Cheers,

Rick
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maverick
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Re: Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself

Post by maverick »

Hi Rick,

Welcome to HST! Thank you for the intro.
Have there been any meetups or trips?
Yes, we will have our annual Meet-up in July: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12006
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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lmelendez77
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Re: Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself

Post by lmelendez77 »

Sorry I don't have a fancy handle. I'm just simply Lawrence. My first dedicated trip to the Sierras (I've been visiting Yosemite, King's Canyon, and Tahoe since I was a kid as a traditional car camper) was summer of last year. I took my son on a weekend backpacking trip to Cottonwood Lakes with a summit of Langley thrown in for good measure. It was for the both of us our first backpacking trip and first 14er. I'm fairly certain neither of us will forget the first clearing where Langley comes into view with Lake #1 below. I've been back to summit Whitney (normal route?) and plan to head back several times over the coming months. I have Kearsarge Pass with Rixford and Gould on the itinerary for perhaps June and the Rae Lakes loop in July. If a permit comes up I'm sure I'll be summiting Whitney again this year as well. And, even though it is a few years away, my 40th birthday gift to myself will be a JMT thru-hike.

As is obvious I have been sticking to traditional routes and have little to no experience with proper "climbing" (some class 2?, no class 3+ for sure) and only some minor cross-country travel with groups. I also have no winter experience other than throwing on some microspikes to get through some icy situations in my local mountains (more on "local" later). I'm hoping to change all that in the coming years.

But I'm here typing away since I've used this forum several times for my own benefit, seen the "Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself" thread each time, and have "some" experience to speak of now so I figured what the heck. I'm from SoCal (Whittier if you know the area) and spend most weekends roaming the San Gabriel/San Bernardino mountains. If I have a "skill" in regards to hiking/climbing it is distance. I tend to cover a lot of ground and quickly (I enjoy a good mountainous run 4-6 days a week). I'm not sure of what help I can be to others, but when and if I can I shall do so. Thanks for the forum.
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maverick
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Re: Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself

Post by maverick »

Hi Lawrence,

Welcome to HST! Thank you for the intro. :thumbsup: A lot of fun climbs on your tick list! Congrats on
taking your son on his and your first backpacking trip, that must have been a great experience, and
hopefully it opens the flood gates to many more trips together.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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firstTimeBackpacker
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Re: Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself

Post by firstTimeBackpacker »

Hello!
I'm a 32 year old soon to be backpacker:) I live in Santa Monica but grew up in Michigan. My husband and I went to Yosemite for the first time in 2006 and of course, fell in love with it! I grew up camping all the time but he had never camped a day in his life before he met me. We've done the usual Yosemite Valley features- climbing half dome in a day, the upper falls many times, 1 overnight out of the valley to glacier point with my parents, we've hiked hetch hetchy and clouds rest, and lots of camp curry nights. Now we're excited to do 5-6 nights out on the high sierra camp loop by ourselves in June. My Dad did the JMT back in 1976 and I have plans to work up to that as well.
I really appreciate reading this thread- there's so much we have to learn!
firstTimeBackpacker
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martinb
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Re: Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself

Post by martinb »

Hi.
48 yr old here from Louisiana.
Hiked the jmt last yr, smitten by the sierra and eager for more.
Other hiking has been mostly about 25% of appalachian trail, some of Ozark higlands trail.

Was going to hike CT this summer, but really cant spare that much vacation, my mom is in nursing home and i need to save some in case she gets hospitalized, etc. So, looking for a shorter hike, and the sierra is mighty tempting again.

Im a OK hiker, usually carry UL baseweights, stay lean and fairly fit year-round so i can do trips with minimal difficulties and reasonable to high mpd. I like to go places, and see stuff, the more i can squeeze in on a trip in my limited time off, the better.
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rlown
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Re: Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself

Post by rlown »

Welcome aboard, Martinb! Thanks for the intro!
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austex
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Re: Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself

Post by austex »

How do y'all stay lean when it's mudbug season? Just pigged out in Austin. An annual affair... :rock: Bugs.potaoes mushooms corn and sausage... Yaaahhhee!
Going to Sierra this Wed-Tuesday. Dunno WHERE as the recent storm.
Austex
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