Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself =)

[FrankPS]

I am hoping to do a few trips in the Eastern Sierra and/or Emigrant in late August/early-mid September. I am most keen to wait out mosquito season (worse for my wife than for me). Any condition reports about that (I've browsed some here but the info is incomplete, especially about Emigrant). I promise to post trip reports afterwards.

Here is a link to mosquito reports (don't know if there's anything about Emigrant):

viewtopic.php?t=23505

[goodcampsite]

Thanks @FrankPS, I did find the mosquito reports and the Emigrant conditions are quite variable. I am assuming that by late August it should be OK.

[100Peaks]

Why hello there,

I've had an account here since 2015, but only have posted a few times.

In the 80s, my scoutmaster loved the western Sierra around Courtright/Wishon and N Fork Kings and took us around there a few times. He also led us, in 1984, from Road's End to Whitney Portal. I was 12, and, man, that pack was heavy. A pretty challenging trip as my first "Sierra" trip.

Fast forward to modern times, I was able to take my daughter at age 13 back to Mount Whitney. However, she, like me, really enjoys exploring all over the Sierra, mostly from the 395, and away from the crowds. Her first backpacking trip was at age 4.

We also have backpacked in Greenland, Japan, Chile, and France. We have two Sierra trips planned this summer, a quick one to Kearsarge Lakes we snuck into her busy schedule, and a lovely trip planned to Humphrey's Basin with some incredible people.

Here is a side by side of my 1984 and 2021 trips (yes, that's me in yellow on the left, wearing oversized hand-me-downs):



I just wanted to say hello and thank you to everyone who have provided this lurker a ton of information over the years. The Sierra Nevada is always on my mind.

Cheers,

Derek
San Diego, CA
100peaks.com
Burger Bench

[maverick]

Hi Derek,

Welcome to HST! Thanks for the official introduction. We really enjoy TR’s with lots of pictures, including from Greenland and Chile in our Beyond the Sierra section.

[Harlen]

Yes please Derek,

Tell us about your Greenland trip-- I am really keen to get there! Thanks, Ian.

[shawnterustic]

Hey, Derek! Lovely to see you here! And so awesome to see that photo of little kid you!

[Eric Rose]

Howdy HST Family,

Been lurking as a member for years, benefiting immensely, but I’ve never been one to post much online. Time to make a change. Planning to post up trip reports for my two most recent east side trips as soon as I figure out how to add photos correctly. I’m a bit of a technophobe.

I mainly backpack in the high sierra and the Los Padres NF and almost always with my dog. Dog likes water so we’re usually near a river or lake…

Really appreciate all the years of experience that get shared on this forum and hopefully I can make a tiny contribution of my own to the wealth of knowledge that’s stored here.


Happy Trails,
Eric and Doug

[maverick]

Hi Eric & Doug,

Welcome aboard, officially! He looks like a swimmer.

[bald tires]

Joined a few days ago and have two threads running.

My first backpacking experience was 50 years ago. It was a disaster. A friend said lots go backpacking. I have plenty of gear for both of us. We were out two nights up Mcgee Creek. My pack was over 60 lbs. Scenery was beautiful but I thought to myself that if this is what backpacking is all about, no thanks. A few years later I met a nice lady who later became my wife who was into backpacking. Her gear was just as heavy as my friend's. No way was I going to suffer through another awful trip.

My conclusion after that first trip was you will always find more stuff to fill whatever size pack you have and then hang even more stuff strapped to the sides, top and bottom of your pack. I still didn't have any backpacking gear. So we went into a local sporting goods store to check stuff out, We bought the smallest packs that fit us. Jansports. We did a fair amount of trips to Yosemite until kids arrived and their activities took precedent over any backpacking. I still have and use the frame from that pack. The bag gave up the ghost after my JMT trip.

I took early retirement due to health issues caused by an extremely high stress job. The kids were grown and starting their lives. I was a single dad that had raised my kids through middle school and high school and got my daughter through college. My son was traveling the world on the pro surf tour. All the docs said find something to do that doesn't cause you stress. So I took off on my sailboat and ended up i Mexico. Spent winters in Mexico and summers backpacking in the sierras. Mostly in Yosemite. Did the JMT with a sailing buddy during this time period. That tiny Jansport pack carried everything I needed on the JMT.

Sailing and backpacking got put on the backburner for 10 years while I took care of my elderly mother and then bought a fixer house. Mom passed on just short of her 103rd birthday and the house remodel is nearing completion. Next summer I will be back to backpacking and spending more time on the sailboat

I recently made a new bag from silnylon that is the same size as the original. My base pack weight is around 16 lbs give or take. Trying to figure out if I should change the clothes I wear when hiking. The mid layer is giving me fits.

HST has been a great resource as a plan my trips and gear for next summer.

[maverick]

Hi Mickri,

Welcome to HST! Thank you for the introduction. Where do you usually dock in Mexico? What's your favorite port of call? Wow, 103 years old.