|
|
Northern Virginia Hiking Club
(NVHC) - Backpacking Trip:
|
| Day | Date | Activity |
| Prêt rip | - | Ship empty stoves & fuel bottles to hotel if necessary (see notes about stoves & fuel), allow 10 days for ground shipping |
| Saturday | Aug 25 | Fly from BWI to LA, pick up rental car(s), drive to Bishop, CA, buy fuel for stoves, get permit if possible, check into hotel |
| Sunday | Aug 26 | Leave one car at South Lake TH, Drive to North Lake TH, start backpack |
| Monday | Aug 27 | On trail |
| Tuesday | Aug 28 | On trail |
| Wednesday | Aug 29 | On trail |
| Thursday | Aug 30 | Layover day in Evolution Basin (the 30th is just an estimate) |
| Friday | Aug 31 | On trail |
| Saturday | Sep 1 | End backpack at South Lake TH (with one layover day on trail) |
| Sunday | Sep 2 | End backpack at
South Lake TH (with two layover days on trail), or open day if we end on Sep
1 Drive to motel in LA, ship stoves and fuel bottles home if necessary |
| Monday | Sep 3 | Fly from LA to BWI, Labor Day |
351 Pacu Lane, Suite 200
Bishop, CA 93514
760-873-2400
While most of our trail will be in Kings
Canyon NP and the John Muir Wilderness, the starting and ending trailhead's are in Inyo National Forest and
that is the organization we get the permits from.
Common Items
If people want to share: tents, stoves & fuel, water purifiers/filters, first aid kits, or meals, you can work that out for yourselves from the trip roster. At a minimum we need one stove, fuel, purifier/filter, and first aid kit for every two to three people. I will coordinate this with participants. We would like to use stoves that accept the same fuel in case one fails.
In addition to the above items there may be some other common gear that we will have to split up - probably not much. Some common gear that I will carry myself includes an altimeter, and a large detailed topographic map. Other items might include the 40' of 1/8" nylon rope - one or two would be enough for the whole group.
Guidebook & Maps
"Backpacking California", Paul Backhurst, Ed., Wilderness Press, 2001, Trip # 33, South Lake to North Lake, Kathy Morey
National Geographic Topographic Maps, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
I will also provide a custom printed topographic map for our route.
Bears
Bear Canisters are legally required for Backpackers in much of the Sierra Nevada mountains including the route we will be taking through Dusy Basin. In addition to food we also have to put garbage, and any toiletries in the Bear Canister. Bears are attracted to anything with an odor and their noses are 1,000's of times more sensitive than ours. Do not bring toiletries that have an odor. Bring unscented biodegradable soap, toothpaste, sun block, lip balm, and insect repellent. Bear canisters can be rented from some National Parks. Bears can be a problem along this entire route, that's why we have to use Bear Canisters.
Food Storage & Bear Canisters
Wilderness Food Storage - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
A great website for bear information
Information about bears sense of smell
http://bearinfo.blogspot.com/2007/08/grizzlies-are-sniffing-champs-of-wild.html
Horses, Mules, Burros, Llamas
We may meet horses, or other pack animals on some portions of trail, they have the right of way. Step off the trail 10' on the downhill side and wait quietly until they pass.
Deer, Marmots, Rodents
Deer, marmots, and other animals are attracted to urine and sweat to eat salt and other minerals. Do not leave sweaty clothing or boots unattended, they may be chewed and destroyed. Marmots can be a problem for stealing food. The good news is that every Bear Canister, by definition, is also a Marmot Canister. Or as a buddy at work calls them, the "Little" Bears.
Weather
While the weather in the Sierra Nevada Range is usually pretty good, it could be anything from warm, sunny conditions to high winds and a snow storm. You must be prepared with gear and clothing to deal with either extreme. From AccuWeather.com, the historical average daily highs and lows for Bishop, CA (4000') in August are 95°F and 52°F. At 8000' we have to subtract 12°F, at 12,000' we have to subtract 24°F which gives us highs of 83-71°F and lows of 40-28°F.
Food
Everyone is responsible for providing their own backpacking food for meals and energy snacks. This is not a commissary based trip, they are way too inefficient. Bring more food than you would normally eat at home, but don't over do it - many people lose their appetite somewhat at altitude. As a backpacker, you will appreciate the concept of food as fuel. Bring things that are lightweight, tasty, and nutritious but easy to prepare, cook, and clean up after. Extra points for meals that pass the "Lick Test". If you don't know what the lick test is you should buy the late Colin Fletcher's "The Complete Walker" and read about it. This book is the Old Testament of Backpacking, Backpacker Magazine is the New Testament.
Don't plan on buying backpacking food out there, it's too time consuming and we won't have time to do that. All of your food for the entire trip should be packed before we get on the plane. If you see some fresh food out there that looks good, add it to your pack but don't plan on it. Plan for food, energy snacks and drinks, from lunch on the first day to lunch on the last day for 8 days. We will eat breakfast on the starting day and dinner on the ending day in a restaurant.
Getting 7 days worth of food into a Bear Canister is difficult, but not impossible. If you have a big appetite you may have to carry a large and small Bear Canister. The first days lunch, dinner, and snacks do not go in the canister.
Water
We will have to treat all drinking water either with a purifier, filter, or tablets. I want each person to have at least two quart / liter bottles or bladders, bring the cap for the bladder.
Leave No Trace
We will practice "Leave No Trace" backcountry ethics. This means that we pack out all of our trash and garbage. It also means that we do not use soap or shampoo to wash in lakes or streams. Just swimming in the water without using soap works pretty well all by itself for getting your body fairly clean. Use a folding canvas basin and/or wash cloth and soap 100' away from lakes or streams to wash more thoroughly. It's okay to use a tiny amount (couple of drops) of biodegradable soap in the lake or stream just to wash your hands and face.
Stove Fuel
Vapor Fuel Canisters (the simple plan):
Carry the stove in your luggage, buy a vapor gas canister out there. This is what I normally use for three season flight backpacking trips. I will estimate how many canisters we will need for 8 days.
Liquid Fuel (the complicated plan):
We will be shipping our empty stoves and empty fuel bottles to the starting motel. We cannot carry our stoves or fuel bottles with us on the airplane unless they are brand new and have NEVER been used. Once used they will contain fuel residue and cannot be taken onboard the plane. Although this policy varies from airline to airline. NO AIRLINE WILL ALLOW FUEL OF ANY KIND ON THE AIRPLANE! We will ship the stoves via Parcel Plus, or Mail Boxes Etc. they have been trained to deal with empty fuel containers (so they say). We will have to buy fuel out there before the trip, and ship the empty stoves and empty fuel bottles back home the same way in the same boxes. We need to ship the stoves about 10 days prior to our trip departure to ensure that they are there IN TIME as THEY must BE SHIPPED ground. This is what I use for ALL winter trips.
Estimated Trip Cost
The trip cost includes: NPS per person per night permit fees, your share of a rental car, your share of a shuttle if necessary, and the first and last night in a motel. Not included: everything else, such as airfare, park entrance fee, meals, drinks, necessary backpacking food and gear, rental car gas, tips, personal expenses, and any other necessary but excluded expenses.
It is important that each participant bring sufficient cash/credit cards for incidental personal expenses. If the trip plans should change for any reason such as injuries, or the backpack being shortened or extended by a few days due to circumstances beyond our control such as: weather, fire, high water, snowstorm, bear closure, etc - it could have an impact on your individual cost.
Make checks payable to: Ted Fryberger and mail to me at the address below, do not send any money until you have been approved for the trip.
Estimated per person costs
$5.60 NPS permit fee
$56.00 / 10 people
133.33 Rental car
$400.00 / 3 people per car
40.00 Shuttle
$400.00 / 10 people
180.00 Motel
first & last night in motel
___________________________________________
$358.93 Total
estimated per person cost, the actual cost could be higher or lower
Participant - To Do
Make Airline reservation from BWI,
or some other airport, to Los Angeles (LAX) for Sat 8/25
Participants must pay for the airfare themselves, it's not included in the trip
price
My direct BWI Southwest flight arrives at 11:05 am in LAX
It's very important that we all get there as close to this time as possible so
we can all use the minimum number of rental cars. If you schedule a flight that
comes in several hours later you will have to rent your own car. There are
several airports around LA, we all need to use LAX. If you fly into a different
airport you will have to rent your own car.
Trip Leader:
Ted Fryberger
6259 Deep River Canyon
Columbia, MD 21045
Phone: 443-917-2902(W/H)
Copyright 2000 - 2023 by Ted Fryberger & DeepSoft, LLC, All Rights Reserved |