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Really nice video of two guys hiking the CDT after 3 years of planning.

Had a great ride with Jane and Jeff today. Hopefully it cools down a bit so we can sleep. I think I figured out the image rotation thing too so I should not have any more upside down photos !

Finally, after many months of hibernating and waiting the hiking season has started. Jane, Jeff and I packed up our things and ripped over to Frontenac for a nice easy overnighter to kick off the hiking season.

For this weeks adventure we had to gamble on the first come first serve status that the park is running under as they don’t start taking reservations until the start of May. Luckily the weather had been forecasting rain and being so early we only saw a few other people during out hike.

We chose a direct route but to one of the farther sites in the park. Our route ended up being approximately 10Km each way through some beautifully rugged terrain.

Our site was up on a ridge with a beautiful view of a lake. We setup our tent and suck in a quick nap before waking to cook dinner and sit around the camp fire. Unfortunately the strong breeze kept the smoke blowing towards all of our gear and our seating on the picnic table so now everything smells like smoke.

Once the sun was down and the fire was out we crashed for the night. Overnight lows were around 10C so everyone slept well and woke rested and ready to go in the morning.

Day 2:

We packed up our gear to overcast skies and readied our rain gear at the tops of our packs in preparation for what we all knew was going to happen. GPSes started up, we headed out on a trail that none of us had hiked before. The south shore of Big Salmon Lake was more rugged than the north shore and as a result the trail meandered between rocky outcrops and dipped into the occasional gorge.

Later in the afternoon we stopped on the trail at a unused campsite to enjoy the view and get a bite to eat. Re-energized we made one last push to get back to the car. Tired and sore we all piled in and headed towards the nearest Wendy’s to get our reward for a hard day of hiking.

Overall we had a good time and it was nice to get out in the woods before the bugs got bad.

Here’s a an overview of the route we took:

The snow has melted and the sun is shining so naturally my thoughts have started to drift towards the summer. Camping is at the top of my list along with riding my motorcycle.

Jane and I are keeping an eye on the thermometer and and eye on the forecast looking for a good weekend where we can get out for some nights in a tent.  This time of year is always so unpredictable but I’m hoping that if things work out we’ll be able to make a last minute reservation and get out on the trails some day soon.

This year I have a few pieces of new gear I want to try out, in addition I am on a quest to find myself a nice pair of shoes that I can hike in. I have gone shoe shopping several times but I still haven’t had much luck in finding something that is light and comfortable that fits my flat feet and long toes. I found a new balance outlet in town and I’m looking to head there to check out what they might have.

I picked up a Golite Poncho tarp late last season that I seam-sealed and am waiting to pull out. The plan is that it would work as both a tarp to extend our tent’s vestibule as well as rain gear and pack cover for me. I can also use it as the cover for my hammock or as the tarp over a bivvy sack.

Another new piece of gear is my Mont Bell Super Spiral U.L. Down Hugger #5. This is a +5C bag that weighs in at 1lb helping to shave nearly a pound over my -3C MEC Merlin bag. Might not be my first choice at this time of year but when things warm up it will be the way to go.

As for places I have picked up some maps and guidebooks for the Adirondacks. I’m hoping that we can make an easy 2 hour drive down to upstate NY and hit up some trails down there. As long as the border doesn’t give us much trouble it should be a new and different place to go.
In other news I’ve managed to lose almost 20lbs over the past few months (nearly my entire pack weight) so I should be flying down the trails that much easier this season. Hopefully I can reach my goal of losing another 15lbs before the summer is over.

So here’s to 2012 and the adventures to come.