Kathmandu

Every Himalayan trek begins with an obligatory transfer through the bustling smog filled metropolis of Kathmandu.  Namesake for at least two known pop songs and every traveler's iconic dream.  The reality is almost too much of a whirlwind to handle.  The quaint trekker's hippie town has grown into a tourist shopping mecca with every imaginable north face and marmot knock-off one might need.  That said, Kathmandu is still a melting pot of migrating people and religious ideas and contains one of the greatest concentrations of temples, idols, and shrines anywhere in the world.  For these gems, I was glad to have a couple of days to explore the rich and diverse sites.

Chhahari Lodge

For our pre-trek lodging, we stayed at the Chhahari Lodge located in the foothills overlooking Kathmandu.  Chhahari Lodge is about a 45 minute drive from the airport (with traffic), but it was nice to be above the hustle and bustle of the city.  The lodge is owned and operated by Mingma and his two sons.  They also own and operate Last Frontiers Trekking which operates the Annapurna Sanctuary Trek for REI.  We met our other traveling partners and had a wonderful dinner sharing our excitement for the trip.

Training Log

In order to get ready for this trip, we did quite a bit of hiking.  We started out in the spring doing lower elevation hikes between 2-4 miles (mainly in the foothills).  Early summer we focused on higher elevation hikes between 3-6 mile with more elevation gain (lower mountain hikes).  By the end of summer we focused on high elevation and steep hikes between 4-7 miles (above 10,000').  We did most of our hiking on the weekends.  To get some more aerobic exercise in during the week I biked a couple times a week during August and September.  Once fall rolled around, it was hard to get the exercise in and stay focused through October as the days got shorter.  Overall, we hiked about 342 miles training for the trip.  We feel pretty ready.

BMI

As with each trip, I am reporting my travel ready body mass index and stats after a summer of training.  It seems harder each year to stay in shape and to keep the weight off.  But the Nepal trip has certainly been a great motivator.

Weight:  123 lbs
Body Fat Percentage:  18.6%
Body Water Percentage:  59.4%
Bone Mass Percentage:  5.3%
Body Mass Index:  19.3
BP Systolic/Diastolic:  121/84
Heart Rat:  60/min

Up and Over

This is the last weekend before the trip.  All our bags are packed and we are ready to go.  We just have to make it through a few more days of work and we are on our way.  We got in a few more hikes this weekend to keep the training alive.  Looking forward to getting on our way and trade the training in for real hiking in Nepal.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,982 feet
Highest Elevation:  6,247 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,453 feet
Total Distance:  4.59 miles
Total Time:  2:43 hours

Yellow Pine Creek

For our third hike of the weekend, we went for the Yellow Pine Creek hill climb.  This is always a tough hike and for our third day of hiking it showed no mercy.  We usually do this as an early season hike since it is at lower elevation.  It was fun to see the trail during the fall.  It was completely different with the leaves off the trees. 

Trailhead Elevation:  7,071 feet
Highest Elevation:  8,707 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,598 feet
Total Distance:  6.8 miles
Total Time:  3:38 hours

Grandaddy Lake

For our big hike of the weekend we did Grandaddy Lake.  This is on the other side of the Uintas from the Mirror Lake Highway hikes we usually do.  The trailhead for Grandaddy is up near Hanna and requires a pretty steep six mile drive up a dirt road.  We sucked up our fear of drop offs and made it to the trailhead.  There were only two other cars at the trailhead.  I think this high country hike is about done for the season, but we were glad to get out one more time for some elevation training.

Trailhead Elevation:  9,656 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,624 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,444 feet
Total Distance:  8.67 miles
Total Time:  5 hours

Lofty Lakes Loop

We took advantage of the Columbus Day holiday weekend to do some higher elevation hikes in the Uintas.  It was a beautiful weekend with clear skies during the day and cool temps at night.  This is our last real camping weekend before we leave for Nepal. 

Trailhead Elevation:  9,995 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,878 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,056 feet
Total Distance:  4.82 miles
Total Time:  3 hours

Lambs Canyon

We decided to stay local again and ventured up Lambs Canyon.  It was a great hike with some good elevation gain, but not too steep.  The fall colors were amazing.  Some people on the trail said they saw a moose, but unfortunately he did not come out for us.  It was still a great day out in the colors and the light.

Trailhead Elevation:  6,560 feet
Highest Elevation:  8,134 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,473 feet
Total Distance:  4.0 miles
Total Time:  2:40 hours

Up and Over

We did our old standard utility hike up Red Butte.  The Up and Over is a great hike for some steep uphill climbing and reasonable downhill retreat.  It was a gorgeous fall day in Salt Lake and we were happy to be out in the sun.  The wind really cleared up the valley for some spectacular views.  We could see Grantsville clear as day.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,934 feet
Highest Elevation:  6,254 feet
Total Elevation Gain: 1,496 feet
Total Distance:  4.10 miles
Total Time:  2:30 hours

Physical Exam

 Along with the blood work up, I had a physical exam to get ready for the trip.  Everything looks great and I have been cleared to pursue ABC!  This was really just a formality as the blood work already looked good.

Round Mountain

We managed to get out a couple times for a quick hike around Round Mountain.  This is our go to hike when we don't want to have to drive out of the valley.  I love the quiet out on this hike.  A great wind-down from our hectic weekdays.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,848 feet
Highest Elevation:  5,172 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  151 feet
Total Distance:  2.10 miles
Total Time:  48 minutes

Parriott Mesa

We were in Castle Valley for the weekend with my folks.  It was a great visit with a trip to the dinosaur tracks in the La Sals, dinner with Aunt Barbara and Turiya at the Bistro, and a couple hikes smattered in here and there.  We didn't make it too far up Parriott Mesa this visit, but as always, the views were great.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,587 feet
Highest Elevation:  5,315 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  748 feet
Total Distance:  2.88 miles
Total Time:  1:45 hours

Kamas Lake - Partial

For the second hike of the weekend, we needed something easy.  We started at Pass Lake Trailhead and hiked out a little ways to the meadow.  It was a gorgeous fall day and the leaves were turning.  We didn't quite make it to Kamas Lake, but it was nice to get out and stretch out legs before heading home.

Trailhead Elevation:  10,077 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,077 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  100 feet
Total Miles:  2 miles
Total Time:  1:15 hours

Ibantik Lake

Ibantik Lake is a gorgeous lake in the upper Uintas near Notch Mountain.  We hiked to Ibantik as a loop (and spur) from the Crystal Lakes Trailhead.  We hiked in a clockwise direction heading out on the Long Lake Trail, past Twin Lakes, with the spur up and over the Notch, down to Ibantik.  For the return, we climbed back up to the Notch and then continued on the Notch Mountain Trail, past Wall Lake, and back to the Crystal Lakes Trailhead.  This was the first time this year we were able to get a parking spot in the trailhead lot instead of hoofing it from the overflow parking area.  Heading up and over the Notch and down to Ibantik Lake was the highlight of the hike.

Trailhead Elevation:  10,008 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,600 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,148 feet
Total Miles:  8 miles
Total Time:  4:30 hours

Immunizations

I hate getting shots (almost as much as giving blood), but it has to be done if you plan to travel. Luckily, we had a number of shots already taken care of from our 2011 trip to Tanzania.  There were still a few we needed.  In addition to the typhoid tablets (I still need to take), here is a list of the shots I got for Nepal at the Salt Lake County Travel Clinic:

9/13/16   Hepatitis A (Twinrix combined with Hep B) - painful!
9/13/16   Hepatitis B (Twinrix combined with Hep A)
9/13/16   Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis (every 5 years)
9/13/16   Influenza (every year)
9/17/16   Typhoid (tablets)

Mount Sneffels

Mount Sneffels is a short, steep and rugged climb with some technical scrambling at the top.  The drive to the trailhead is a pretty difficult task in itself.  We ended up hiring a guide with Peak Mountain Guides out of Ouray to drive us to the trailhead and get us to the top of this challenging fourteener.  I am really glad we had a guide with us for this one.  It was a cold and windy hike through interminable talus slopes. He roped us up for the short 30' of Class 2+ scrambling near the top.  We were super happy to make it to the top.

Trailhead Elevation:  11,350 feet
Highest Elevation:  14,150 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  2,800 feet
Total Distance:  5 miles
Total Time:  7:20 hrs

Spirit Gulch

Spirit Gulch is a great hike up an old mining road.  The trail starts right off of Highway 550 just beyond the Red Mountain Pass Overlook.  The road climbs moderately in the first mile or so and crosses three creeks and a couple mine sites along the way.  Once you enter the gulch, the trail gets a little steeper as it traverses the mountainside.  The trail does not actually go to the top of the mountain (that we could readily see).  Though the rain was rolling in and we decided to call it good.

Trailhead Elevation:  10,346 feet
Highest Elevation:  12,054 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,700 feet
Total Distance:  6 miles
Total Time:  3:45 hrs

Blood Work Results

I had some blood work done to make sure everything is in order for the trip.  Looks like our high elevation training has been working well as my red blood cell count looked great.  Just slightly high on potassium.  Everything else is great. 

Blood Glucose: 80 mg/dL (normal is 65-99)
Red Blood Cell Count:  4.99 10*6/uL (normal is 4.00-5.20)
White Blood Cell Count:  4.7 10*3/mm3 (normal is 3.6-10.6)

Butler Fork

We left the dogs home today to do the Butler Fork Trail up Big Cottonwood Canyon.  They don't allow dogs up Big or Little Cottonwood Canyons so it is a rare occasion we ever get up these canyons.  We took the Butler Fork Trail up Mill A and did the left fork up to All Circle Peak topping out at 8,707'.  It was a gorgeous day and a bit hotter than we expected.  This used to be one of my favorite hikes.  Although I will admit it was steeper than I remember.  We explored the trail out to Bakers Pass for a ways but decided we couldn't make it to the pass and turned around.  My Garmin was on the fritz, so I just had to estimate the data.

Trailhead Elevation:  7,107 feet
Highest Elevation:  8,707 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,600 feet
Total Distance:  5 miles
Total Time:  3 hours

Meadow Lake

The hike to Meadow Lake from the Pass Lake Trailhead is a long slog on a rocky, boggy, game trail.  It starts out with 3.5 miles of fairly gentle downhill.  Then turns off on an uphill cut off to the Notch Mountain trail.  The cut off is marked pretty well at the start, but requires some route finding with cairns along the rocky climb.  Meadow Lake is a big lake with gorgeous views making the hike almost worth it.  It would have been better if we hadn't missed the cut off on the way back (which added a couple extra miles to an already long hike). 

Trailhead Elevation:  10,087 feet
Highest Elevation:  10, 344 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  2,480 feet
Total Distance:  12 miles
Total Time:  7:15 hours

Ruth Lake

For our second hike of the weekend, we opted for the nice and easy hike out to Ruth Lake.  It was a crowded day on the trail, but it was gorgeous.  We did the entire hike around the lake and then explored a spur trail that ended a very popular climbing wall.  We all did pretty well (including the dogs) after our really long day yesterday.

Trailhead Elevation:  10,059 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,367 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  390 feet
Total Distance:  3.63 miles
Total Time:  1:45 hours

Bench Lake

For our second hike of the weekend we hiked out to Bench Lake from the Bald Mountain Trailhead.  The Trailhead starts at 10,720' and the trail goes downhill first, which isn't optimal, but we decided some days in Nepal we will start out going downhill.  The hike is just gorgeous.  We passed Clegg Lake (about 1.5 miles in) and then Notch Lake (about 2.3 miles in) and finally Bench Lake (at 3.4 miles in).  Notch Lake was the listed hike in the book, but we thought Bench Lake was prettier and worth the extra mile.

Trailhead Elevation:  10,720 feet
Lowest Elevation:  9,945 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  775 feet
Total Distance:  7 miles
Total Time:  3:30 hours

Cuberant Lake

We went camping in the Uintas this weekend along with everyone else.  The campgrounds were packed! We had a great time though.  For our first hike of the weekend we hiked out to Cuberant Lake from the Pass Lake Trailhead. Cuberant Lake is a good hike for some uphill climbing.  The hike goes past a number of lakes and ponds.  Near the end you have to climb up over a pass and then down to a pond and back up to Cuberant Lake.  But the effort is worth it as the lake is just gorgeous with flowering lily pads.  

Trailhead Elevation:  9,320 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,420 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,100 feet
Total Distance:  6.22 miles
Total Time:  3:50 hours

Broads Fork

We did a short but steep hike today. The book says it is only 2 miles up to the meadow at Broads Fork, but it seemed a lot closer to the 3 miles clocked on my Garmin.  Either way, it was about 2,000' of elevation gain in a short distance and pretty darn steep.  Another good day out on the trail.  And this trail was pretty empty compared to the Lake Blanche hike that starts at the same trailhead. Great view of Twin Peaks and Dromedary Peak.

Trailhead Elevation:  6,200 feet
Hightest Elevation:  8,300 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  2,100 feet
Total Distance:  5.86 miles
Total Time:  3:30 hours

Lofty Lakes Loop

Lofty Lakes Loop starts at the Pass Lake Trailhead.  It has been a busy summer in the Uintas and today was no exception, as we had to park in the overflow parking area.  It was a beautiful day out on the trail though.  This is a great hike with moderate elevation gain and great vistas of the surrounding mountains.  We did the loop counter-clockwise for no reason other than habit.  On this trail, we passed Scout Lake, Lofty Lake, and Kamas Lake.  Not too shabby.

Trailhead Elevation:  9,951 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,802 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,043 feet
Total Distance:  4.75 miles
Total Time:  2:40 hours

Ice Park Loop

For our last day in Ouray, we did the quick Ice Park Loop.  This loop is a short part of the longer Ouray Perimeter Trail that circumnavigates the entire town.  It was a nice little outing to stretch our legs before the long drive home.  Ouray has an amazing trail network and plenty of places to access the trails around the town.  And after long days on the trail, the mineral hot springs provide a nice way to relax and enjoy the view of the towering cliffs.  I can't wait to get back to this place.

Trailhead Elevation: 8,094 feet
Highest Elevation:  8,323 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  417 feet
Total Distance:  2.44 miles
Total Time:  1:15 hours

West Lime Creek

For our third day of hiking, we planned to do a high elevation hike outside of Silverton.  Unfortunately, we woke up to rain, so we had to improvise.  We drove up and over the Million Dollar Highwaay with staggering views of Red Mountain and dizzying drop offs to the Uncompaghre river gorge.  We tried three different trailheads until we found one at lower altitude where it wasn't raining.  We had a gorgeous hike in the sunshine for most of the way.  The rain and hail didn't hit us until the last mile on our way back.  Another good day to test out our rain gear.  And to test our nerves with the howling and crackling Colorado thunder.

Trailhead Elevation:  9,857 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,652 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,115 feet
Total Distance:  6.42 miles
Total Time:  3 hours

Upper Cascades

For our second hike of the weekend we hauled ourselves and our packs to the Upper Cascades waterfall which sits high above Ouray.  We had to change campsites (which took most of the morning) so we didn't get an early start, but the weather held out and was actually downright hot on this south facing hike.  We were able to do this hike right from the Amphitheater Campground.  This hike was a really good comparable for hiking in Nepal with an average gain of 1,000' per mile.  It was slow going on the uphill, but slow and steady worked for the day.  We didn't make it over to Chief Ouray's Mine due to some steep drop offs that I wasn't willing to cross.

Trailhead Elevation:  8,639 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,151 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,663 feet
Total Distance:  6.10 miles
Total Time:  3:30 hours

Blue Lakes

We spent the Pioneer Day holiday weekend in Ouray, Colorado for some spectacular hiking in the San Juans.  We are trying to focus on short and steep (not necessarily sweet) hikes to best match conditions for Nepal.  Our first hike of the weekend was to Blue Lakes outside of Ridgway in the Mount Sneffels area. While the lake wasn't all that blue, it was a gorgeous cirque around the lower lake.  Although we got an early start, the rain came earlier than expected, so we spent the last hour hiking down in the rain.  It wasn't too bad for us with our rain gear, but the dogs were thoroughly disgusted with the wet and mud.

Trailhead Elevation:  9,029 feet
Highest Elevation:  10, 871 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,644 feet
Total Distance:  8.4 miles
Total Time:  4 hours

Alexander Basin

Alexander Basin is a pretty steep hike up to a gorgeous cirque below Gobblers Knob.  I made it to the basin and the wildflowers were just about in peak bloom (though not quite).  I made it to the basin in about an hour and twenty minutes. There were a good number of people on the trail considering it is no easy task.  No snakes, but there were flies galore.  They were everywhere from beginning to end with no relenting. Other than the flies, it was a great hike for steeper trail training.

Trailhead Elevation:  6,928 feet
Highest Elevation:  8,925 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,729 feet
Total Distance:  4.5 miles
Total Time:  2:40 hrs

Lake Blanche - Partial

Lake Blanche is a beautiful lake shadowed by Sundial Peak up Big Cottonwood Canyon.  I got a late start, so had to turn around after just 2 miles in, but it was a good scoping mission. This trail provides some steep terrain that should be great training for the steeps of Nepal.  I still had another mile and about 1,500' of elevation gain to go when I had to turn around.  We'll definitely have to come back and do the entire hike.

Trailhead Elevation:  6,131 feet
Highest Elevation:  7,343 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,200 feet
Total Distance:  4 miles
Total Time:  2:15 hrs

Salt Lake Overlook

The Salt Lake Overlook is a nice hike up Millcreek Canyon.  This hike is the first part of the Desolation Trail that starts just past Millcreek Inn.  It was a crowded day on the trial for the holiday weekend, but a nice outing nonetheless.  The trailhead sign and hiking books say the Salt Lake Overlook is 2 miles up, but it is really more like 3 miles with lots of switchbacks.  It is a consistent uphill climb, but never too steep.  This is a good summer hike as the trail goes up a north facing drainage and there is lots of shade along the way.

Trailhead Elevation:  5,740 feet
Highest Elevation: 7,000 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,260 feet
Total Distance:  6 miles
Total Time:  3 hours

East Shingle Creek Lake

The trailhead for East Shingle Creek and North Erickson Lake is at the top of Upper Setting Road off of UT 150.  The total drive up is about 6.5 miles.  We parked about 2.5 miles from the top (which makes for a long hike just to the trailhead). With the long hike to the trailhead, we only made it about 1.5 miles into the hike.  Shingle Creek Lake is only about 1 mile into the hike.  We turned around at the creek crossing .  The Erickson Lakes were only another mile, but we were too tired to make it.  There were lots of biting mosquitos out.  Bring your bug spray.  Poor Riley was nearly eaten alive by the mosquitos and had plenty of bumps to show for it.

Trailhead Elevation:  8,993 feet
Highest Elevation:  9,580 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  968 feet
Total Miles:  8 miles
Total Time:  4 hours

Haystack Lake

Haystack Lake is one of our favorite hikes.  There is not a lot of elevation gain, so it is a nice second hike for the weekend.  The lakes are gorgeous.  The trail starts out at the Washington Lake Group Campground and winds its way along Washington Lake, Tail Lake, Shadow Lake, and finally, to Haystack Lake.  Most books say this hike is 4 miles, but it is more like 5 miles.

Trailhead Elevation:  9,920 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,092 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  558
Total Distance:  5.23 miles
Total Time:  2.5 hours 

Clyde Lake Loop

We spent another gorgeous day in the Uintas.  There are two trails that start from the Crystal Lakes Trailhead.  Last week we did the Lakes Country Trail to Long Lake.  Today, we took the Notch Mountain Trail.  We did a loop out past Wall Lake, then to the Notch Mountain cutoff, over to Twin Lakes, around Clyde Lake, to Cliff Lake, and back to the Crystal Lakes Trailhead.

Trailhead Elevation:  9,429 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,429 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  700 feet
Total Distance:  6 miles
Total Time:  3.5 hours

Long Lake

 

We finally made it to the upper Upper Uintas.  The hike to Long Lake starts at the Crystal Lake Trailhead.  We got a late start and the trailhead parking lot was already full, so we had to park at the overflow parking lot a mile down the road.  The hike was great.  There were still patches of snow on the trail, but not enough to worry about.  The upper rocky area by Long Lake is gorgeous.  You can also continue on the trail for another couple miles to Island Lake.  We didn't have time this weekend to make it to Island Lake, but it was great to be out in the pine trees for a few hours.

Trailhead Elevation:  10,030 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,100 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  350 feet
Total Distance:  4 miles (plus 2 miles to parking)
Total Time:  2.5 hours (3 hours to parking)

North Fork

We managed to get out for a mid-week hike in the Uintas this week.  We did the North Fork trail which is our favorite go-to hike in the lowlands.  We didn't see anyone else on the trail and the temp was in the mid-70s.  We are looking to get to the upper elevation trails this weekend.

Trailhead Elevation:  7,560 feet
Highest Elevation:  7,710 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  320 feet
Total Miles:  4 miles
Total Time:  2 hours



Yellow Pine Creek

We decided to do the  Yellow Pine Creek Trail again.  It was such a nice hike last weekend and we wanted to get to the end of the trail.  We made it up 4.5 miles to a great meadow where a number of creeks flow into Yellow Pine Creek.  A faint trail kept going in a northeasterly direction, but we decided to call it good.  Still managed to get caught in a thunder and rain storm on the way down.  Should have started earlier in the day.  But it was still a gorgeous hike.  And a nice time to try out our rain gear.

Trailhead Elevation:  7,070 feet
Highest Elevation:  9,235 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  2,444 feet
Total Distance:  9 miles
Total Time:  5 hours

Yellow Pine Creek

It was a hot day in the valley and still pretty hot in the Uintas.  We had a nice time hiking up the Yellow Pine Creek Trail which follows the creek most of the way.  We made it a little past the fourth bridge which was about 3 miles up.  The trails map indicates the trail goes as far as 4 miles in, but we figured 6 miles roundtrip was enough for this early in the season.  Beautiful day and plenty of water flowing in the creek.  Lots of horses and other hikers, but still a great day on the trail.  The dogs loved it.

Trailhead Elevation:   7,028 feet

Highest Elevation:   8,443 feet

Total Elevation Gain:   1,407 feet

Total Distance:   6 miles

Total Time:  3:15 hours

Gear: Marmot Isotherm Hoody

When we went climbing in Colorado, our guide for the Mount Sneffels hike had on a bright blue Isotherm Hoody.  He said it is his go-to jacket for all seasons.  He wore it most of the day as his outer jacket for our chilly ascent of Sneffels.  He said it is also great in the winter for ice climbing.  With such rave reviews from a professional guide, I decided I better try this jacket out for myself.  I managed to get it on sale in Team Red color.  This jacket is super soft and provides plenty of room for active movement.  The Isotherm uses synthetic fill similar to the Patagonia Nano. The Isotherm (16 oz) is warmer than the Nano (7.6 oz) but also weighs about twice as much.

Gear: Montbell Peak Rain Jacket

I liked the Montbell down jacket so much, I decided to go with their Peak Rain Jacket as well.  While it doesn't rain that often in the Annapurna region in October, it is still worth getting some good rain gear.  I always like to be prepared when it comes to rain gear, as I know first-hand how unpleasant it is to hike in wet gear.  I probably struggled the most in finding a good rain jacket for the trip than any other piece of gear.  I tried out the super light Patagonia Stretch Torrentshell first.  We tested it out over a rainy weekend in Colorado.  Unfortunately, the Patagonia Stretch Torrentshell did not stand up to a sustained rain and eventually soaked through (mainly in the forearm area as it may not have been designed for hiking with trekking poles where your arms are straight out).  The next jacket I tried was the Mountain Hardware Plasmic Ion.  I didn't take this one out for a field test as it felt too stiff and rubbery.

Gear: Montbell Alpine Light Down Parka

It was hard to decide how warm of a jacket we need for Annapurna.  Fall treks in Nepal can be cooler at night in the upper elevations.  But I decided my two pound Mountain Hardware expedition down parka we took for Kilimanjaro was a bit overkill.  So, I decided to go with the Alpine Light Down Parka from Montbell.  This jacket has 800 fill down with a 20-denier ballistic nylon shell and DWR treatment.  I consider this a light to midweight down jacket.  It only weights 13.3 ounces, but with the hi-loft down, it feels cozy and warm.

Gear: Black Diamond Orbit Lantern

  The Black Diamond Orbit Lantern is the smaller version of the Voyager.  It is super cute and has been surprisingly handy on recent camping trips.  The Orbit doesn't have the extending legs like the Voyager, but it does site nicely on the counter or can be hung from the top with collapsible hooks.  The lantern is surprisingly bright at 105 lumens and has a nice dimmer function.  The flashlight provides 50 lumens.  With the batteries installed, the Orbit only weighs 4.5 oz.  Definitely worth putting in the duffel.

Gear: Anker Portable Charger - PowerCore 10000

I'm a little worried about keeping my camera and Garmin GPS watch charged up for the entire 10 day trek.  On Kilimanjaro, I brought two batteries for my camera and tried to keep them with me most of the time, but with the cold weather they both gave out on by Day 6.  I bought this Anker ultra-portable charger and have been really happy with this product.  It is super small and weighs only 6 oz.  It is not advertised as one of their fastest chargers, but it does a great job on my iphone and watch.  With the USB cord, it can also charge my point-and-shot camera.  It does take a few hours to fully charge the portable charger, but once it is charged, it seems to charge small gadgets pretty well.  Power IQ determines the connected device and provides the fastest charge.

Gear: Garmin GPS Watch - Fenix 2

I bought the Garmin Fenix 2 watch to track our hikes with more precision this year.  With a built in GPS system, barometer, altimeter, heart rate monitor, and more, this watch has it all.  It is too big to wear on my wrist, but I bought the Garmin carabiner to hook it on my pack which should work just fine.  The Fenix 2 is a bit bulkier than the Fenix 3, but as last year's model, I was able to pick it up for 1/2 the price of the new model.  They shaved some weight off the watch with the newer model, but the watch and carabiner still weigh in at less than 3.5 ounces.

Pritchett Canyon

While Darrell rode the famous Slickrock bike trail for the first time, Karla, Mary and I did some exploring in Pritchett Canyon.  Mary and I have hiked and biked this canyon a number of times, but neither one of us remembered how pretty it is.  We must have been pushing our bikes and cursing to notice the scenery. 

Trailhead Elevation:   feet

Highest Elevation:   feet

Total Elevation Gain:   feet

Total Distance:   5 miles

Total Time:  2.5 hours

Jeep Arch

 

We finally convinced Karla and Darrell to come down to Moab for some hiking.  It was fun to talk about our plans for Nepal and to do some training hikes (even though Darrell would have rather been on his bike:). 

Trailhead Elevation:   feet

Highest Elevation:   feet

Total Elevation Gain:   feet

Total Distance:   5 miles

Total Time:  2.5 hours

Bench Creek

We opted for less crowds today with the Bench Creek Trail.  Didn't see anyone out on the trail so it was a good choice.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,097 feet

Highest Elevation:  4,442 feet

Total Elevation Gain:  315 feet

Total Distance:   3.5 miles

Total Time:  2 hours

Negro Bill Canyon

We did some hiking this weekend in Moab with our friends Marsha and Reed.  It was a gorgeous weekend.  The trail was busy with lots of people and dogs, but we were happy to be out enjoying the sites.

 

Trailhead Elevation:  3,992 feet

Highest Elevation:  4,177 feet

Total Elevation Gain:  400 feet

Total Distance:   5.87 miles

Total Time:  2:15 hours