Outdoor Resolutions for 2017

Each year I try to make resolutions for various aspects of my life. As part of that, I always resolve to get out in nature more. 2016 wasn't the most adventurous year in the recent past. With a transition to a new job and a new location gave limited time to spend outdoors. Most of my time in 2016 spent outside was short day hikes with family and single night car camping trips. below are a few photos from 2016 outside.

Turkey fork recreation area, Desoto National Forest in Mississippi.

The Sun setting over turkey fork reservoir. 

"Emerald Coast" between Navarre and Fort Walton Beach, FL.

One of my favorite activities with the little ones is hiking when they can still ride on my back. It is also a favorite nap time for Layton. (I am incapable of taking a selfie while smiling because I am so focused on pushing the button)

Short Hike at a Mt. St. Helens visitor center in Washington state.

Was able to spend some time around several campfires as a family on various camping trips.

In 2017 my hope is to get outside and enjoy the unique area we live in more! Below are a few resolutions I have for this year.

1. Make at least once a month day hike with the family. (We have many short trails in the area that are perfect for a short outing with the family.)

2. Visit a state park we haven't been to in the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. 

3. Take two multi-day backpacking trips. 

4. Take my son and daughter on their first overnight backpacking trip. 

5. Run an ultra-marathon trail race.

6. Go on my first multi-day kayaking trip.

This should keep me busy for a while! What are your goals and plans for 2017 to get out and enjoy nature more?

Happy Hiking,

Jeremy

Emory Peak Day Hike Big Bend National Park (Texas)

Trip Destination: Emory Peak Chisos Mountains Big Bend National Park
Trip Date: Mid November 2014
Trip Distance: 10.4 miles round trip

Big Bend National park boasts diversity in three different ecosystems. The Rio Grande forms the southern border of the park as well as the US/Mexico border. The Big Bend of the Rio Grande shares towering canyons, abundant birding opportunity, and interesting border culture. The Chihuahan Desert offers it's own beauty. With unique desert plants, animals and terrain there is great opportunity for adventure, especially in the winter months. Probably my favorite part of the diverse ecosystem is the High Chisos Mountains. The Chisos mountains form an "Island in the Sky" sticking out of the desert. The mountain range is completely contained within the park's boarders. This is the only mountain range in the country that is entirely inside a national park.

In an effort to get some of the men of our church together, I planned a camping and hiking trip to Big Bend National Park in mid November. It turned out that west Texas would receive our first freeze the week the trip was scheduled. I thought there might be some fall out with a group of "Texans" who aren't as accustomed to cold weather, but it turned out to be a beautiful weekend with highs in the  70s. Personally, if it had been a little warmer it would have been too warm. We loaded up in the pickups and drove the twenty miles from Rio Grande village to the trail head.

The whole group in the Chisos Basin Lodge
Before heading up the trail.

The trail head starts just behind the store in the Chisos Basin Lodge Parking Lot. We separated with two in the group who weren't up for the strenuous hike up a peak. This left me with the three "young bucks," all of which were or are collegiate athletes. Let's just say, I assumed my position in the back as we headed up the trail.

Starting up Pinnacles trail.

The trail begins through desert plants and exposure to the sun. The more you climb, the taller the trees are and the more shade on the trail.Remember any time you are hiking in this climate to bring plenty of water. The National Park suggests one gallon per person for each day you are hiking.

Shortly after the trail begins you come to a fork where you can go left or right. Both directions form the South Rim loop. This is another great trip for a long day or a single night backpacking trip (I will be doing a report from an overnight trip on the south rim). Follow the sign for Pinnacles trail. This will take you to emory peak.

Taking my position in the back.

The hike begins to go up pretty quickly. There are many switchbacks that help to gain a more gradual elevation. This part of the hike can be very taxing. However, it is also rewarding as you move up and see the environment change. The desert plants begin to diminish and the vegetation thickens. The cacti turn to large shady pines.

The Window through some trees on the way up

The views along the trail are amazing! Several places open up to spectacular views of the window down below. On the ascent I look for every excuse to stop and take a break! Great views are my favorite excuses.

Some fall color

We were on the trail at the end of peak for fall colors, but we still found several places like the one above that had some beautiful fall foliage. Having been to Big Bend now in every season except summer, fall is definitely the best.

About a mile from the summit you will come to a fork in the trail with a sign to the right for Emory Peak. There are a couple of bear boxes where you can stash your packs so you don't have to carry them up the steep final ascent to the top. This was especially helpful on my first summit a year before when we were backpacking the south loop. It would have been very difficult to climb the peak with our heavy overnight packs. The final mile is a pretty steady uphill climb, but there are many rewarding views of boot canyon like this one above.

The summit of emory is on the group of rocks to the right. The summit has a couple of towers on the top. In my opinion this takes away from the aesthetic appeal and natural environment, but the views are spectacular nonetheless. The final stretch is a class 2-3 scramble up the rocks on top. There are a few route options that will determine the difficulty of the scramble. An easier route than the one shown in the picture below is found just around the rock to the right of my buddy. I have done both but the older I get, the easier the route I choose.

Final Scramble to the Summit

View from the summit of Emory Peak

When we reached the summit there was one other couple from east Texas who was celebrating their hike with a bottle of wine. We visited with them for a few minutes and they snapped a picture of us and we returned the favor. Then they headed back down, leaving the summit all to us. We enjoyed the views, took pictures, took advantage of the cell service and called our families to let them know we were having a good time and ate a snack. The others decided they needed to flex and do some fitness exercises on the summit, so i thought I would get a little head-start back down. When I got down the scramble there were about ten people planning their routes up (I'm glad we timed it the way we did). We decided to run the trails back down, which made for an exciting, fast trip back to the car.

The group enjoying the summit

When we reached the parking lot, the other two in our party were no where to be found. After waiting about 30 minutes we decided to head over to the hot-springs for a nice soak. Later we found out they had taken the trail down to the window.

Emory Peak is a great day-hike. Be sure to start early in the morning as the desert can get pretty brutal in the heat of the day. Follow the recommended amount of water suggested by the park as well. Now that I have moved to Alabama, who knows when or if I will make it back to Big Bend. I hope one day I will, it is definitely an amazing place to visit!

Kelty Salida 2 Tent

Kelty Salida 2 

When I got back into backpacking, I needed an affordable tent that wouldn't break my back or the bank. I diligently searched the internet to find the perfect tent in those two categories. What I found? the Kelty Salida 2. For the budget-minded backpacker, you can't hardly beat this tent. It provides adequate 3 season shelter for two adults plus a vestibule for gear. I bought mine for $139 on sale from an msrp of $159. Even at full price the quality is well worth every dime.

I have now had this tent for over 3 years and have spent nearly 40 nights in it and hauled it over 250 miles on my back. During those trips I have seen most common 3 season weather variations including; rain, snow, and temperatures in the single digits.  This tent has performed at high levels in all conditions. As with all tents, I would recommend sealing the seams. Although I used it in the rain before doing so and had no leakage.

Set up is very quick and easy. One person can easily set it up. The other night my three year old and I took it camping and I set it up in the dark by myself in less than ten minutes.

An upgrade I made and strongly recommend is to replace the provided stakes with ultralight titanium stakes. Not only will you appreciate the weight savings, the cheap ones provided bend real easily and are more difficult to pound into the ground.

One of the biggest complaints in internet reviews, on this tent is the amount of condensation that collects on the inside of the tent. After having used this tent in temperatures as low as 8 degrees on the snow, I cannot say I had the same issues others experienced. However, it is important that you guy out the back of the fly as far as possible to create adequate airflow. 

Kelty Salida 2 Dimensions

The demensions are (in my opinion) spacious considering it is a two person backpacking tent. The design with a single door/vestibule on the side provides some inconvenience for the inside hiker. You cannot find a double door design for the weight and price. I just always position the hiker with the smaller bladder next to the door.

The Kelty Salida 2 on a trip in New Mexico

Bottom line, this tent has been beyond adequate as a great backpacking tent for the beginning hiker and experienced backpackers alike. Obviously if I had the money I would upgrade to a lighter tent but this tent is perfect for the budget -conscious. I would buy it again. In fact, I saw it on sale for $99 in gander mountain a few days ago and I really wanted to buy another. Being that I didn't have an extra 100 bucks to spend, I reluctantly had to pass it up.

Hike to Devil's Hall in the Guadalupe Mountain National Park (Texas)

Deatination: Devil's Hall Trail GMNP
Date: March, 2013
Distance: 3.8 miles round trip
More information: Guadalupe Mountains National Park Website


Over Easter every year my wife and I spend the weekend taking the youth group to a large conference in dallas (not exactly relaxing). So a couple of years ago  when we got home we decided to take our day off and enjoy some time hiking as a family.

35 Pound wiggling pack

We drove the three and a half hours over to the park and arrived in the early afternoon. The biggest attraction in the park is guadalupe peak (the tallest point in texas). With 3000 feet of elevation gain in 4 miles and a 30 pound wiggling pack on my back, we opted for the less dramatic devils hall.

The trailhead begins in the parking lot just past pine springs visitor center. There is a bathroom and water spigot to fill up water bottles. Be sure to carry plenty of water as the entire hike is in desert like conditions. The park system reccomends one gallon per person per day.

We started up the trail with mama hauling the 9 month old on the front in the ergo and I had the three year old in the kelty kid carrier on my back. Less than five minutes in both kids were knocked out (that's the way to hike, take an hour nap and get to enjoy the end result)!

Devil's Staircase 

The last half of the hike follows the dried creek bed with some scrambling over rocks and a natural staircase before arriving at the natural hallway cut out of the rocks. Some places on the trail took some caution with the unevenly distributed weight and some narrow passages with toddler clobberers hanging in the pathway.

Jackson Checking out the Rocks

Once we reached the hallway we dropped the packs (not literally we gently placed them down) and let the kiddos run around. Rylee and I walked to the official end of the trail, conveniently marked with a sign reading "end of trail". Then we sat and ate a few snacks and drank some Gatorade and the baby found some tasty rocks to crunch on.

After 45 minutes we strapped on the kids and headed back down. On our way back through the staircase the uneven pack and footing got the best of me and landed me on my "bottom"! After mama got done laughing we dusted off and carried on.

The Family eating a snack

On the way back we were busy talking and enjoying time as a family and the one leading (me) made a wrong turn and got us back down in the creek bottom. Knowing that it would turn out near the car, we decided to follow it until it got too overgrown forcing us to backtrack.

Mama and Jackson checking out a Cave 

Devil's hall is one of the most popular trails in the park due to its significantly less elevation gain to other areas. On the way we saw several other hikers making the trek. Every time we passed someone they would make a comment about how amazingly strong and strapping (no exaggeration at all) I was to be hauling the 35 pounder. I always took the compliments and strutted down the path, and never mentioned my two blunders (surprisingly mama didn't either)!

When we made it back to the car we finished off the granola bars and hit the potty. On the ride home we got to listen to Rylee tell us how much fun she had until we heard her snoring. It was a wonderful relaxing day in the outdoors with the people I love most. These are the moments in life I will cherish forever.

Tips for introducing someone to backpacking!

Living in West Texas gives a bit of a drive to good backpacking, naturally there aren't a lot of avid backpackers. In fact, many who would enjoy it have never had the opportunity to go. This makes it difficult to find hikers to share the trails with. I have come to the conclusion; if you can't find a hiker, make one! How do you turn someone into an outdoor adventurer who's never gone? I'd like to share some tips I have used to create a love for the outdoors in others. Invite someone on their first trip and use these tips to help break em in!

A Buddy and I trying on Packs before his first trip.

1. Change Your Mindset!

The main focus should be helping them to get a feel for backpacking. This should become your goal of the trip. Once they're hooked then you have your partner to get into extreme adventures with. For this trip, make it fun!

2. Help Them Find Gear

Better yet, provide them with gear they can borrow on that first trip or two. Backpacking isn't for everyone, you shouldn't expect them to have to shell out a bunch of dough so you can have a buddy. I have scoured the web for deals to build a "buddy pack" so I have an extra set of gear for someone to borrow.

3. Give Guidance On Packing

we've all read of some of the crazy mistakes first timers make, the Unthinkable items brought and essentials left behind. This can make for an uncomfortable or dangerous trip. Give them a packing list and go over gear together.

4. Haul the Heavier Load

Don't split the load evenly. Take a little bit extra on the stuff you'll share such as tent and cookware. If they weren't with you, you'd be carrying it all. Once they love it you can break it to them that they have to carry their weight (literally).

5. Hike to a Reward

There should be some incentive on that first trip. For seasoned hikers, being in the wilderness away from the man made world is plenty of motivation. However a first-timer has not (yet) developed that relationship with Mother Nature. It's good to have a destination worth working for. There are many rewarding trips out there. Hike to a waterfall or bag a nearby peak. Soon enough they will be
Calling you "just to get out there" again!


6. Take the Opportunity to Teach

None of us were natural in all areas of backpacking. There are a lot of skills involved in order to be successful and safe on the trail. We all can point to the people that shared their knowledge with us.

7. Be Flexible  

If you are hiking with someone else at all it is important to be flexible. If you like things to go exactly your way and don't want to give for anyone else then you are probably better suited for solo hiking. Most of us like to have some company out there. We must learn to be flexible especially with someone who has never gone before.

If your in a position where all of your hiking pals are unable to go or your like me and its not a common hobby in your area, take someone and share your love for the outdoors with them. At worst you have someone to get you out in the woods for one trip. At best, you may have found a new hiking partner to share many adventures with.

Snake Bight Trail Everglades National Park (Florida)

Trip Date: January 2012

My sister and her husband decided to take a trip to Florida last January and they really wanted us to come too. We are more mountain people but we had a blast. One of my favorite parts was when we went to Everglades National Park. While there, we were able to hit a little trail.

Several People in our group were not in shape for very strenuous hiking and we were not prepared to carry our 1 and a half year old daughter so the trail had to be flat and smooth enough for a stroller and "papa". We chose Snake Bight Trail. This is more of an easy walk through a canopy of trees than a hike.

The trail had a very nice serene feel as we walked. The trees encircle you in a sort of tunnel. There were many varieties of tropical trees and plants that were quite different than the mesquite trees and cactus in West Texas. We went in the middle of winter so bugs were not an issue and the weather was perfect. I don't imagine it would be so pleasant in the summer. We went at an easy relaxing pace and really enjoyed this beautiful ecosystem. Having never been to Florida we did nervously check the water that ran near the trail just in case there were certain creatures lurking about.

The trail is pretty much a straight shot without any up and downs. It is 1.6 miles to the bay. With about 0.3 miles to go the canopy of trees opens up to the sky. At the very end of the trail there is a boardwalk going out to the bay. Rylee saw this as the perfect opportunity to jump out of the stroller and stretch her legs. Being there at low tide, we didn't get the privilege of seeing birds feeding in the bay. It was neat nonetheless. The view was a nice ending of a very pleasant walk. It was well worth the effort.

After sitting on the benches at the end of the trail for a few minutes and catching our breath, we headed back to the car. The walk back was more tiring since Rylee wasn't having the stroller anymore. Instead, she decided to alternate between papa's and my shoulders.

We made it back to the car in about an hour and a half having gone a total distance of 3.2 miles. All in all it was a very nice hike in one of our country's fine national parks.