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Any recommendations for an atlas of Oregon? This seems like as good a place as any to ask. We are taking a week long driving/camping trip around Oregon and I'd like a paper map with enough detail to show smaller roads and some of the more significant BLM/FS roads, campgrounds, etc. Hoping for a similar level of detail as the big foldout NFS maps but for the whole state. Also open to recommendations for hikes and other must-see stuff out in Eastern OR! We live in the Willamette Valley and have explored Central OR a ton but haven't really been any farther east than the Smith Rock area, so we're pushing farther east on this trip. Any recommendations are welcome for both hikes and travel/roadside cool things to see. I've heard lots of good things about the Wallowas but dunno where to start. We have a baby and a 4 year old so hikes will have to be 4 miles or less. I have Bill Sullivan's Eastern OR book but don't know where to start in it for planning a week long trip.
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May 22, 2023 21:56
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Oh yeah I have OnX, plus an inReach and the app that comes with that, I just like paper backups. Thanks for the ideas! Painted hills is def on the list! To be clear the trip is anywhere in eastern OR, I only mentioned the Wallowas because that's the main destination I always hear about that's farther east than Smith.
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May 22, 2023 23:13
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Also don't discount the possibility of drunk campmate looking for a good spot to pee without a headlamp
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May 30, 2023 16:28
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Well we were supposed to camp up at the Strawberry Mtn Wilderness this weekend, but due to a forecast of SNOW Monday morning and having a baby and a 4yo with us, we compromised by doing a day hike up there Sunday before the weather got sour, and staying in a nearby town. Strawberry lake is incredible!  Bummed to not be camping up there but it would be frigid, bailing was probably the right call with kids. From town I can definitely see fresh snow at the altitude of the campground. alnilam fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Jun 20, 2023 |
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Jun 20, 2023 23:13
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Wickerman posted:I pay for OnX Backcountry which I have come to really appreciate, but I'm curious if someone has experience with it and other apps and can provide a comparison (as I haven't tried anything else.) I pay for OnX hunt, which i imagine is similar, and it's great, but also Garmin Earthmate seems to have a lot of the info i value most from OnX, but in much smaller download package (because no satellite imagery). I get the Earthmate content with my Garmin inReach subscription, idk what you can get with it for free but I know it also gets your location just fine without the inReach. Things both have: Topo info Public land vs private Trails, most of the time Things that OnX has that Earthmate is missing: More comprehensive library of random fire and logging roads, gates, campsites, trailheads, landmarks, peak names More detail on land ownership (useful for dispersed camping and bushwacking in my area, tells you if it's BLM or FS or staye or else who owns it, and some timber companies allow recreation and some don't) Satellite imagery - useful sometimes
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Jun 25, 2023 21:24
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Recreation dot gov will do that for any federal campgrounds that allow reservations. Doesn't cover state, county, or private though. For non reservable / first-come sites, by their very nature I don't think there's any live resource about what's available.
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Jun 27, 2023 20:58
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inReach is also great for basic "I'm fine" or "I'm late but fine" updates to friends/family - whoever it was that you told roughly where you were going. Which hopefully is also something you're doing. e: or like "uh oh, I need you to come get me but it's not a helicopter-level emergency"
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Jun 29, 2023 17:30
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a_gelatinous_cube posted:and am going to check out Red River Gorge and Dolly Sods later this year. Yeah these were going to be my top two recommendations. A lot of your best options close to Ohio are going to be in KY and WV. Raccoon Creek SP, Ohiopyle/Laurel Highlands area, and Allegheny NF, in PA, are very nice also, imo. e: omg how could I forget, Quebec Run Wilderness, near Uniontown. I got married in there 
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Jul 13, 2023 14:20
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Sab669 posted:Admittedly I haven't explored much of Alleghany, but I was a little underwhelmed the few times I've been. Maybe I just didn't find "the cool spots", but it felt very much just like "Yep, walkin' around in a big flat forest". Allegheny*... Allegany is a different place I haven't explored Allegheny NF super extensively but the nicest spot I've found was the minister creek area. Also lots of beautiful creek spots along 666 / tionesta creek road.
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Jul 14, 2023 01:21
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I really think "SPF shirts" are a gimmick. I've never gotten so much as a light tan through a piece of clothing, let alone a burn. Sure a regular shirt has not been measured and confirmed how much sun it blocks, it might have a looser weave, but it still blocks plenty enough sun to protect the skin.
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Jul 14, 2023 17:33
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Sab669 posted:Isn't it all just more extreme at altitude because of the thinner air? Yes, the sun is typically more intense at elevation, in a drier column of air (i.e. the western half of the US), and at lower latitudes.
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Jul 14, 2023 18:34
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Fitzy Fitz posted:Reviewing trails is the funniest thing to me. Notes about trail conditions are great, but people will rate a trail 1 star like they want to speak to its manager. Yeah some of the 1 star reviews are funny, like with any product or business review a lot of the 1 stars are weird curmudgeons who tell their life story as a leadup to the review and use CAPS to emphasize how RUDE somebody was to them. But I do think in principle reviewing trails could make sense, I mean some trails are just more spectacular than others, right? If alltrails is really supposed to have all the trails, in theory it would be nice if one star meant a miserable slog, 3 stars meant a lovely walk in the woods, 4 stars meant some very nice views, and 5 starts meant mind blowing. Of course that's not how it ends up... but I bet at least if you sorted by rating, the top rated hikes in an area would probably indeed be pretty great. It's like, climbing guides have two ratings: difficulty (5.10b or V4 or whatever), and awesomeness, usually out of 4 stars. And there can be difficult climbs that just aren't that fun or cool, and easy ones that are awesome. I've climbed 4-star 5.6s (very easy) that even elite climbers will agree are just fun as hell, despite offering no significant challenge at all to an experienced climber.
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Jul 17, 2023 18:26
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waffle enthusiast posted:On the other hand, it does give rise to some fantastic art. https://ambersharedesign.com/products/subpar-parks-national-park-one-star-review-print Lol these are pretty good, I like the Tetons one best I think
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Jul 18, 2023 16:40
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How are you supposed to livepost to your Grams and your Toks without cell service, huh genious?
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Jul 18, 2023 21:42
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JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:i've been through old growth in the rockies. this is different. the cedar/hemlock forests of western glacier are close, and beautiful. but, the olympics are, in my personal experience, life-changing. I've just never been anywhere like that. Not to be cliche but if you want additional jaw dropping old growth trees that make you say "holy poo poo" out loud continually for hours, get ye to some redwood groves. My top recommendation is Humboldt for those although there are other very good ones.
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Jul 24, 2023 01:21
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Ugh, midges are possibly even worse than mosquitoes in terms of annoyance. Mosquitoes obviously win in terms of actual human misery and death caused.
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Jul 24, 2023 02:41
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Switzerland is just something else
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Jul 25, 2023 18:18
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euphronius posted:Anyone have any recommendations for central and western Pa. Those are gigantic areas but to throw a few things out there: In central PA, check out the 500 steps, although the start is hard to find so it might fail your clearly marked criterion. PA grand canyon is way the hell up north but it's good too. Western PA: A lot of stuff in the laurel highlands area esp Ohiopyle and Quebec Run Wilderness. Allegheny NF: Minister Creek loop is my fav but it's a huge place and I haven't explored it all Raccoon Creek: lots of good loops but I'm partial to the wildflower sub-area If you're in Pittsburgh and don't have long to explore very far, you can easily get lost for a while in the ravines of Frick and Schenley parks and forget you're in a city. In the nearby burbs but still in the county, Dead Man's Holler down along the yough, and Audobon Greenway in Sewickley, are both very nice and kind of lesser known spots. Can also recommend some great swimmin hole adventures if that's what you're looking for
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Jul 31, 2023 15:08
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alnilam posted:Those are gigantic areas but to throw a few things out there:
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Jul 31, 2023 15:56
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Humboldt redwoods is the best imo, after visiting several more famous ones i still think Humboldt is the best
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Aug 19, 2023 19:34
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Mercury Ballistic posted:Has anyone here done the Kalalau trail on Kauai? I have, on recommendation of this thread in fact, and it's amazing. This was uhh 11 years ago now? (  ) And i have heard the permit system changed drastically. So you're on your own on that front. But it's incredible, definitely a top 5 all timer for me. It's a pretty intense 11 miles with a lot of up and down. Poles are a must imo, there are a few sketchy could-die hillsides where poles to stabilize yourself are really good*, plus the more general thing about them being good for up and down.Also we brought too much food because there was endless guava, lilikoi, and even some mango along the way, plus a ton of people kind heartedly giving away excess food at kalalau beach before they hiked home. But again that could have changed, the fruit could be seasonal, and the sharing could have been lucky or the culture there could have changed. To answer your questions: Plenty of streams to filter (this was in October, idk if they ever run dry) I did tent, plenty of good space for a tent, but plenty of trees for hammocks too if you prefer Rain jacket *we apparently hiked it in its worst state as they were literally helicoptering people out to do trail widening. The part where we really thought we might die on the way in, was widened by the time we were on our way out, such that we kept wondering when we were going to get to the scary part.
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Aug 28, 2023 03:57
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Oh also depending on what else you're doing on that trip, do not discount the idea of hitchhiking there - at least 11 years ago it was very common and easy to hitchhike on that island, my gf at the time and I had some very nice experiences doing so. I will never forget walking to the road with our packs on and a pickup truck pulling over before we could even put our thumbs out, and an 8 year old local leaning out and shouting "get in the back, it's fun!" (as if I needed any encouragement to ride in a pickup bed) Plus cars left at the trailhead overnight apparently get broken into like crazy.
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Aug 28, 2023 05:39
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We backpacked the Sisters Green Lakes trail, after getting smoke/fired out for the same permit last year. It was amazing! 4 miles (and about 1k ft gain) through some of the nicest sub alpine forests and meadows I've been through with cool lava flow features, then up into the spectacular green lakes basin. Our 4 year old handled the hike like a champ and our 9 month old... is a big heavy boy, let's just say my load was well balanced between front and back and I am very sore today considering it was only 4 miles in and 4 miles out. We got fairly lucky with no smoke and mostly sun. The only bummer was up at the lakes it was very exposed and hella windy and cold - luckily 90% of the hike was sheltered and pleasant but the very last bit up at the lakes, oof. Also rain clouds were constantly pouring over south sister, but we were in the rain shadow and the rain never reached us, but it was raining a mile away and constantly felt like it was about to hit us. We did not get to enjoy the lakes that much as we hurried to find the most sheltered camping spot, cook dinner, and get warm and cozy in the tent. Anyway none of this is super surprising, i know those conditions certainly happen up there, but I've also been at similar alpine lakes in luckier weather and it's glorious. Ah well. Still an amazing hike and conditions were nicer in the morning.  
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Sep 5, 2023 18:27
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That moost be nice. Cow did you two meet?
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Sep 6, 2023 00:34
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sb hermit posted:I've never seen any animal more fearless around humans than a marmot. Probably because the hikers keep feeding them! One of my good friends has holes in her pack with exactly the same story, she was summiting mt whitney and she could actually see them biting into her pack from way above but couldn't do anything about it lol
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Sep 13, 2023 05:17
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Probably the weirdest food theft experience for me was car camping way the gently caress out in death valley, like hours of 5mph dirt road driving, and thinking it was good enough to stick the cooler under my brother in law's jeep such that the lid couldn't open... wild burros pushed it out in the night, got the lid open, and chomped all our cheese. They left the habañero cheese on the ground a few feet away with a very donkey tooth looking bite in it.
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Sep 13, 2023 06:02
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JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:What slave owner/Native American butcher was it named after Evans
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Sep 16, 2023 15:08
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If you have an extra night or two before the backpacking trip, spending them at 7k will be better than something intermediate. The bigger thing is not having a mega strenuous day on your first day at elevation. And 7k might hit you weird but it's not gonna be like people on everest struggling to breathe. You might get tired more easily, you might feel nauseous or like you're getting a cold, or if you're like me you might have a killer day and suddenly feel like poo poo as you settle down for dinner. It affects everyone differently. Drink lots of water! (Always good advice anyway)
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Oct 13, 2023 18:41
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xzzy posted:Gonna spend all night stamping out goatse in the mud flat A real american hero
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Oct 16, 2023 04:34
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Acebuckeye13 posted:That looks like an absolutely gorgeous trek. Thanks for sharing!
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Nov 19, 2023 05:36
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George H.W. oval office posted:non cork grip, I sprung the extra  for cork grips and I've been very happy with them for the past 11 years, is there a reason anyone doesn't like them? It's such a good material, nice grip in sun or raine: i believe i sprung for cork on the advice of this very thread (or its predecessor), possibly even Verman themself?? I had previously eschewed poles, thinking they were for old people, but this thread convinced me of their benefits. Those poles may have saved my life on the kalalau trail (the trip I originally bought them for) and have definitely saved my knees a hundred times over. They've also helped keep me stable on many steep sections and stream crossings with children on my back. Poles are extremely cool and good. alnilam fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Nov 20, 2023 |
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Nov 20, 2023 18:18
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Josh Lyman posted:I'll see if TSA lets me through with my aerosol cans of deet bug spray and sunscreen. If they confiscate it, I'll buy some once I land in Costa Rica. I'm pretty sure aerosol is a no go even in checked luggage. There are plenty of non aerosol versions of both things though (pump spray for bug, cream for sunscreen)
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Jan 8, 2024 18:53
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Josh Lyman posted:My preference is always for spray because the lotion tends to get into my eyes but I guess I'll just have to deal with it. General PSA to always close your eyes and hold your breath when using aerosol sunscreen. And don't spray your face, spray your hand and wipe it on your face (the directions say this but hardly anyone listens).
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Jan 8, 2024 20:09
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Are there hot springs on Hot Springs Mountain?
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Jan 30, 2024 20:34
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Not exactly there but pretty close, I've been in SE Oregon in mid June and it was downright cold, but I think it was a sort of unusual cold front situation. It also rained. But my understanding is: usually not crazy hot, but, highly variable so be prepared for anything.
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Feb 1, 2024 19:25
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Darn Toughs are amazing. The warranty is no joke, no questions asked and no funny business, just mail them in and get replacements. Even if there's just a thin spot that's going to become a hole soon. I think I'm at maximum darn tough saturation, and just in an everlasting period of occasional replacement... they're not likely to make any more money off of me unless i lose any, but hopefully they've gotten some business from me singing their praises alnilam fucked around with this message at 22:08 on Feb 13, 2024 |
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Feb 13, 2024 22:06
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numberoneposter posted:Darn Toughs are great. My fav birk socks, aesthetically speaking, are olive colored darn tough hikers. Looks nice with the leather. But if i ever buy any more socks they will probably be loud and ridiculous so i can really lean into the "yes i am rocking birkensocks" aesthetic
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Feb 21, 2024 00:55
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Cat rear end Trophy posted:Nevermind that poo poo. Is that an actual sword in the bottom-center of his gear pic? Looks like a machete, which is excessive but much less ridiculous than the giant HF-radio-sized power bank lol
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Apr 11, 2024 22:49
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The handles already on it are presumably strong enough to hold it so they're a good place to attach to. Tie two loops of sufficiently strong rope to each handle that each extend maybe 6" above the top Get two long, strong dowels, maybe garden tool handles or closet rod When it's time to carry, you thread dowel 1 through the left loop on each handle, thread dowel 2 through the right loop, each person gets the dowe on their shoulder and lifts. When it's time to drink, just pull the dowels out and set aside. If it tends to slide on you, you could cut small notches where the ropes go That's my idea, no idea if it'll work e: the main issue I foresee is the cooler's weight will tend to pull inward on the two dowels, pulling the adjacent pallbearers together... a horizontal brace of some kind would help but that complicates things quite a bit alnilam fucked around with this message at 19:11 on Apr 24, 2024 |
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Apr 24, 2024 19:09
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It highly depends on where in central Oregon. Parts of it are pretty deserty and not buggy at all, but also some of those placed have not enough trees for hammock camping. Higher elevations, incl the eastern slopes of the cascades, have more trees but will be really buggy for the 2-3 weeks after the snow melts out.
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Apr 29, 2024 17:55
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