Sunrise on San Gorgonio, Highest in SoCal at 11,500 ft.

While I tend to write about my most recent trip, there is one that stands out from the recent past that I think needs to be shared. Not every hike is worth writing about, it is the one’s where you had to overcome adversity however that are worth telling.

Several months after my return from my second trip up Mt. Whitney I was in need of something memorable. While looking at the scheduled hikes for the several clubs I belong to I found one that peaked my interest with the SoCal Hikers and Peakbagers. The hike was titled “Full Moon Hike to San Gorgonio Peak” which by itself sounded quite interesting. I read on to learn that it was scheduled to depart at 1AM to reach the summit to watch the sunrise. Rather ambitious I thought given that we would be climbing up 5,500 ft. in less than 9 miles to the highest point in Southern California at 11,500 ft. but it sounded like something I had to do.

I talked a few other friends into joining me and we carpooled out together. We opted to get to the Vivian Creek trailhead around 9PM and sleep there rather than driving out in the middle of the night. We had checked the weather before going and it was going to be cold up top, near freezing, and the wind would be blowing. How much wind was not clear from the reports but around 30MPH was what we were hearing.

We arrived at the dark trailhead and as promised it was illuminated by a full moon. There was a slight breeze but nothing major. We all went to sleep rather quickly and planned on a 12:30AM wakeup. When we woke up we saw some activity in the parking area. This turned out to be the rest of our crew. We got our gear ready and headed out a little after 1AM with the full moon and our headlamps to guide us.

The morning temps were not too bad. I had a couple light layers on and was doing fine. Hiking under the full moon was a great experience. It is odd to see such prominent shadows cast by the moon. Very early into the hike our organizer took a break and said she was going to turn back as we were all too fast for her. We encouraged her to stay with us and that we could adjust our speed to accommodate. We later discovered she had never made it to the top despite 2 prior attempts. Both prior times the elevation had gotten to her as she had become sick and lost all energy to continue.

We pressed onward, briskly, as we were trying to reach the summit to watch the sunrise. My friends and I planned on cooking up a brunch up top and watching the event so the timing was critical. We made good time following the trail bathed in the light from the moon. Shortly after High Creek Camp, one of the trail camps along the way, the wind began to pick up. I put on my fleece and windproof shell and got out my warmer gloves. My fleece headgear and goggles were also put in my pockets so I was ready. We were climbing up to a ridgeline and I knew it would be colder once there as the wind would intensify.

Reaching the ridge brought the expected wind. It was actually a little more intense than we had anticipated. A little further and we had left the treeline and were now completely exposed to the winds and the cold. It was just getting light out, not yet sunrise but getting close. I stopped to take a few pictures and I put on my facemask, ski goggles and beanie to keep warm. I pretty much had everything I brought for clothing on me at this point and it was all zipped and buttoned up. Four layers on my top was doing a good job at keeping my core warm. The thin nylon pants left my legs a little cool but not that bad.

I had been drinking all the way up the mountain from my Camelback bladder but after adding the additional clothing at my last stop had been unable to get any more water through my drink tube. I figured I had kinked the hose when I got stuff out of my pack. We were close to the summit, just a mile or so more so I did not worry about it.

The final stretch to the summit was a little overwhelming. We had strung out a little as some of us were hurrying to make the top for the sunrise. The problem we were encountering, in addition to the cold temps, was that he wind was now blowing at about 40MPH sustained with gusts to over 50MPH! Walking was becoming difficult as the wind would push our legs and trekking poles in all different directions. We basically looked like a bunch of drunks staggering home from the bar.

We arrived on the summit to just catch the sunrise. The full moon was setting at our backs which was a really nice scene if we just had one eye on the back of our heads so we could see both simultaneously. The sunrise over the lunar landscape up top looked very surreal. We had hunkered down into a rock windbreak that was up top. We shopped for a better one and collected ourselves together. It was unclear where everyone in our party was since to poke your head above the windbreak meant a face full of wind and possibly being blown over! I got out my stove and so did my friend. In the intense wind even in the windbreak we could only get my 25 year old MSR XGK stove to light. My three friends were freezing and I was the only one who was moderately warm. We decided that brunch up top was a bad idea but all agreed that some warm beverages would be great. I got water ready and had some hot chocolate. I found out I was not the only one with an issue with their Camelback, all of us were suffering the same problem as the water had frozen solid in the drink tubes and bite valves. Sitting there was only getting us colder so after drinking a little it was time to pack up and get off the summit.

As we stepped out of the windbreak we were again greeted with the full force of the wind. The ladies with us were very cold and took off like sprinters to get down. My friend Jason and I kept a brisk but more appropriate pace. Shortly off the peak and along the ridgeline leading to the summit we came across our hike organizer heading back down as well. The ladies had gotten to her first and realized she was in need of help. Her insulated hat had blown off which was the first sign of a problem. She was nearly delirious, disoriented and was unable to coordinate movement and barely able to speak. She was also feeling rather sick and upset stomach was how it manifested itself. What was worse was that she did not seem to realize the trouble she was in!

As soon as Jason and I arrived on-scene our two ladies made sure we had it handled and dashed off to get out of the wind and into warmer weather below. Jason immediately offered up his fleece headcover and put that on her. We asked if she had anything warmer in her pack and she could barely reply but the answer was no. She wanted to stay put as she felt awful but we knew we had to get her down and out of this wind. Jason and I both worked at zipping her jacket up tight and getting her as warm as possible. I firmly put my arm around her and told her (nearly yelling to communicate over the wind) she needed to walk with me in my wind shadow. I escorted her off the ridge with Jason right next to us to also help block some of the fiercely cold wind that was striking us. Slowly the three of us progressed together.

After getting out of the wind and descending about 500 ft. we stopped to take a break. She still felt terrible but was beginning to come back to life. Her stomach was still upset and we insisted she drink some electrolytes. She thanked us and told us we could go ahead. Jason and I immediately informed her that she was stuck with us for awhile and in no way would we let her fall behind us. We gave her a little more time to collect herself and moved on. We let her take the lead as she was now feeling better after warming up once out of the wind and getting lower. This was her third attempt to summit and by her description, altitude sickness kept her from it the last two times. She made it this time, but at what price?

Jason and I discussed this at length while descending and we concluded it was a blend of AMS (acute mountain sickness) and the onset of hypothermia. We have studied both of these conditions in our wilderness first-aid courses and seen some of the symptoms before but never in combination. The conditions were certainly right for both.

We met back up with the ladies who were sunning themselves like lizards several miles off the peak. They had decided this would be a great place to have brunch. Our hike organizer opted to head on down at her own pace and let us catch her later as we were faster. She was doing much better now and had teamed up with another in our party so we let her go on her way. We prepared a wonderful meal of chicken sausage, peppers, onions, cheese and eggs. It might not have been while watching the sunrise but at least it was warm.

We made our way back down and caught up with our hike organizer. We finished out the hike together and she thanked us for all the help we had provided. It was hard to believe that this person before us now, bubbling personality and full of energy, was in such dire straights less than 4 hours prior.

The hike was fantastic. The additional drama made it all the more memorable. I finally got to put some of my first-aid training to use after years of study and practice scenarios. I got some of my favorite hiking photos that day as well. It pays to know those around you and what issues they have at elevation. Had we known before, we would have kept someone with her at all times. My next trip up this mountain will probably be even colder. I think a winter ascent will be next on the list. At least then I will be better prepared for the cold.

Additional trip photos are available here.

"Over the Hill" Birthday Spent on a VERY Big Hill: Mt. Shasta, 14,179 ft.

How do you celebrate your 40^th birthday in style? Vegas, big party with a band, or doing something worth remembering? I chose the later as I had been planning and preparing for a trip up Mt. Shasta with friends for several months to celebrate this milestone birthday event. As luck would have it, our itinerary happened to have our summit day exactly on my birthday. This was my kind of birthday party!

Mt. Shasta is one of California’s fourteeners, peaks exceeding 14,000 ft. I have already summited 2 others, Mt. Whitney, the highest in the 48 states and its nearby brother, Mt. Muir. Both of these have been summer trips not requiring any special equipment other than gear for a long day hike. Mt. Shasta is a dormant volcano and is covered in loose rock. For this reason, it is safer to climb the mountain in the winter with proper equipment as the snow and ice works like glue to hold the mountain together.

I needed some preparation and new skills for such a trip. I covered most of this in my blog under the heading My Foray into Snow, Ice and Mountaineering and in addition to that I purchased some avalanche protection gear such as an avalanche transceiver, avalanche probe and avalanche shovel. This of course was added to the collection of stuff I already had been using including mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axe, helmet and snow shoes.

As the day got near for our trip, the weather at Mt. Shasta had taken a turn. Our summit day was to be May 29^th and the weather leading up to that day included cold temps and snow. Our group of 5 whittled down to just two, my friend Jason, an experienced mountaineer with quite a bit of training under his belt, and me, the new guy at this.

We arrived on May 27^th in the town of Mt. Shasta with plans to begin our climb the following morning. We cruised the town and decided to visit the Forest Service office in town where we could get our climbing permits rather than use the self register system at the trailhead. This proved to be a VERY wise decision. While there, we were greeted and queried about our route. We informed them we would be taking the Avalanche Gulch route to the summit and that my friend Jason had done it before. They made us aware of the high avalanche danger due to the recent snowfall and the warming temps that were expected over the next several days. They also advised us on a slight variation of our route that would keep us out of the major avalanche runout areas and we were most appreciative. They then shared the wind data with us for our planned days. According to their data, our summit day had 40+MPH sustained winds along the ridgelines we would be travelling and gusts at the peak exceeding 50MPH. Jason and I had both climbed San Gorgonio Peak before under very similar conditions and did not wish to repeat that. They advised us that if our plans allowed for starting a day later that we would have much better weather for our summit.

We headed to dinner in town and discussed our options. Shifting a day meant I would not summit exactly on my birthday but I would rather make it to the top than have to turn back. We opted for the one day delay. We had brought a motorcycle and an ATV to play around on the day after the climb anyway so we just did that the day before instead. We both felt better about this decision and we both knew our families would be happier with our choice to delay.

The night of May 28^th we headed up to the Bunny Flat trailhead at 6,950 ft. where we found it to be covered in about 10 ft. of snow. As this was a Friday night, lots of others with the same idea were there as well. We set up our tent, prepped as much of our gear as possible and went to sleep. The morning came and it was my 40^th birthday! The skies were blue and there was no wind. One look up high on the mountain however told the story that we were warned about. Spindrift was blowing off every ridge rising hundreds of feet into the air. It was very windy up there and we were happy to be under sunny skies with zero wind down below.

We did our final packing up and made sure we each had our critical gear. I had debated the carrying of my big SLR camera as it weighs several pounds and was planning on just taking my wife’s point and shoot. It was so beautiful out and I wanted to be able to capture this with the best camera I had. When I consulted Jason on my dilemma he said I should take the big one. “Easy to say when you are not the one carrying it” I told him! I made a deal. If he would carry the point and shoot and take pictures of me then I would take the SLR camera. He was sold on the idea and the heavy camera got clipped to my pack.

We headed out, me on snow shoes and Jason on his split board. We were headed to Helen Lake, which due to the expected conditions, is nothing more than a place where a lake would be when not covered in 15 feet of snow and ice. It wasn’t long before we were shedding layers due to the heat. Now it may have only been in the 30’s but when hiking uphill with tons of reflected sunshine off the snow striking us it got hot. Before long we were both down to our t-shirts and were unzipping the legs of our pants for ventilation. It was a very long haul with heavy packs in snow that was becoming softer due to the heat. While the distance was only 3 ½ miles that day it sure felt like 15 or more. We could see where several small avalanches had released on both sides of the path we were taking but we followed the advice from the Forest Service and stayed on the higher ground up the middle. While plenty of people were headed up, they were all down in the avalanche danger area on the main route through Avalanche Gulch. Only one other person was on our route that day and it turned out to be a Forest Ranger who knew the dangers well.

I finally arrived at Helen Lake at 10,500 ft. Jason had been ahead of me most of the way as his split board appeared to be a faster method of travel under these conditions. It was 2PM and I was very hungry. I dropped my pack, got out my stove and proceeded to heat water for a hot meal. I gave Jason my half of the tent and he got started setting it up. Normally we would each have a tent but as I did not have a 4 season tent which can be needed to handle high winds and snow loading we opted to share and reduce the weight we each had to carry.

Once the tent was up and I had eaten and replenished lost fluids, Jason headed on up the hill to get in a good snowboard run on untracked fresh powder. I gladly stayed behind to melt snow for water and improve our camp. I took a stroll through the area to view all of the other tents and shelters and camp improvements. After surveying, I decided I was going to make a couch out of snow that would be the envy of everyone in camp. With my avalanche snow shovel in hand I went to work. Within about a half hour I had a real piece of snow furniture to be proud of. Our couch was complete with insulated foam pad to sit on and a tarp on the back to keep from getting wet when leaning back. It was big enough for three so we could invite a guest over and even had drink holders built into the arms. I made a snow table for the stove in front of it and proceeded to take of my boots and socks and laid down on the couch to watch for Jason’s snowboard descent.

Jason spent at least and hour if not longer making his way up the steep snow slope in front of us headed toward the Red Banks at the top of the bowl named for the reddish colored rock that remains exposed. As soon as I saw him I grabbed the point and shoot camera and took video of his run. He was down in less than a minute and had a huge smile etched on his bearded face. I think it was a combo of a phenomenal board run down and the view of my snow furniture masterpiece he was about to enjoy. We grabbed a seat on the sofa, brewed up some tea and enjoyed a little rest before starting our dinners.

About this time one of the Forest Rangers came by to check on our permits. He was full of great information including the avalanche conditions, routes to the summit, expected weather and average ascent and descent times. As expected, the avalanche danger would be greatest in the late afternoon as the snow softened and we were informed that we should plan to be back to camp no later than noon to avoid the greatest avalanche hazards. We were told the average ascent time is 4-6 hours to make the trip up almost 4,000 vertical ft and 3 ½ miles to the summit at 14,179ft. The descent time is typically half of that.

We worked out the math and decided we wanted to leave around 3AM in the morning which meant an early bedtime. We pre-packed our smaller summit packs and put our water in the tent to keep it from freezing overnight. We crawled into the tent before dark. I didn’t get to sleep until about 10PM and woke up at midnight. My mind was too busy thinking about what laid ahead of me and the full moon shining upon us probably did not help.

Jason’s alarm went off at 2AM and I basically sprang out of the tent as I had been awake for the last few hours. I got the stove started and began melting more snow for our breakfast. We needed to hydrate before leaving camp as we were only taking 2 liters of water each and no stove to make more. The full moon was an awesome sight as well as the string of headlamps already heading up the bowl towards the Red Banks. While waiting for the snow to melt in our pot, I grabbed my camera to take some photos in the near darkness. I had to keep the battery near my body that night to keep it from freezing. I got a few great pictures before starting in on breakfast. We knew we needed a good hot meal to get us going as we would burn energy like crazy on the ascent.

We rolled out of camp at 3:40AM. Later than the 3AM we had planned on but we had factored some extra time into our equation. We joined the long serpentine of headlamps climbing up the bowl towards the Red Banks. Enough people had headed out before us to kick in some rather nice steps in the snow. The climb from camp to the top of the Red Banks is like climbing the stairs up the Washington Monument just over 4 times! I took pictures of the line of climbers ahead and behind me along the way. I even got a shot of the shadow of Mt. Shasta cast across the valley behind us. By the time I reached the chute at the top of the Red Banks I had consumed half of my water and took the opportunity to eat some nuts as I was hungry.

Unfortunately once you make it above the Red Banks all you see is another big uphill climb. Jason and I made our way up that. Once you reach the top it flattens out for a very short stretch and you then reach Misery Hill. At this time the sun had nearly disappeared and the wind had picked up to about 20MPH. Jason who had summited before decided this was the end of the line for him. The snowboarding is no good above here due to exposed rock on these wind scoured ridgelines. He made sure I was OK with his decision and I was as there were many people heading up both ahead and behind me. We both added some extra layers at this time as the wind was sucking the heat right out of us. We said our farewell and agreed to meet back up in camp.

I began heading up Misery Hill. At this point the altitude was beginning to take a toll on me. I had energy but the thought of eating seemed unappealing despite my need to replenish the energy I had already used. I opened a Cliff Bar and took a bite and shoved it back in my pocket. I even tried to drink but just a sip or two was all I could handle. Up Misery Hill I went, wind blasting me and stomach not feeling so good. As I neared the top of Misery Hill I observed something very strange. Nearly ¾ of the people in front of me turned to head back. I was not sure if they saw something ahead that made them turn or what. I did notice that as they were heading down they seemed very happy and quite talkative. I however was not sharing those feelings at this point. I continued to climb onward. I did notice that those who were continuing on all seemed to be wearing helmets, had avalanche shovels, probes and beacons, and all appeared to be well prepared for the weather we were currently facing. I was proud to be equipped just like the others heading up the hill. Nearing the top I suddenly was overcome in pain as my left leg cramped very badly. I thought to myself, "is this really what is going to keep me from the summit?" I stretched it out as best I could and hobbled onward.

At the top of Misery Hill it flattens out again for quite some distance. This was a welcome sight. Just a little further ahead two wonderful things happened almost simultaneously; the summit came into view and the wind stopped. This was a great feeling. I could see people on the summit and by their size I judged the summit was not as far off as it first appeared. Just a little further and I would be there!

The final climb takes you up the rather icy spire to reach the summit. Along the way the smell of sulfer is rather noticeable as there is a fumarole very near the peak. John Muir writes of spending a horrible night on the mountain being frozen on one side and baked by the fumaroles on the other. I thought of his words as I passed. I paused for one of my emotional moments, saying a prayer and thanking all of those who helped me make it this far. I rounded the corner on the spire and finally the peak was before me! There were about a dozen people up there and the sun was beginning to shine upon us once again as the clouds cleared out. Everyone up there had the same feelings as we cheered for each other. We shared cameras so everyone got just the picture they wanted. I signed the log book making sure to thank everyone who supports me through these journeys. My time from the bottom to the top, 5 hours on the nose.

After 20 minutes on top, it was time to head down. It is amazing how easy it is to go down and the joy that overcomes you after reaching the peak. Euphoria is the best word I can use to describe it. As the sun was now shining it made for much better pictures. I took a few on the descent, still having to pull the battery from pocket each time as 10 minutes was about all it would last in the cold. I ran across a group that had camped next to us the night before and I gave them some words of encouragement. I rather quickly descended to the bottom of Misery Hill where I needed to adjust my layers and take a sit down break and eat as my appetite was back. I finished the Cliff Bar started several hours earlier and consumed some electrolyte before putting on my ski pants for the glissade below the Red Banks.

Upon reaching the Red Banks I was happy to see a glissade path that started at the top. I removed my crampons and tucked them away. I was ready to see how far I could slide on my rear back to camp. I hopped in the glissade track and picked up speed. Due to the soft snow conditions and the fact that the path had only been made at most a few hours ago it was not all that fast. Instead of using my ice axe as a brake I found I was using it more as a paddle. What had taken several hours to ascend that morning was clocked off in minutes. The glissade path gave out about ¾ of the way back to camp so I just plunge stepped my way down from there and returned to camp at 11AM, a 2 hour descent from the summit. (Update: We later learned that a natural avalanche was triggered that afternoon and nearly reached camp at Helen Lake. Good thing we planned on getting out of there on the early side to avoid just such a problem!)

I met Jason who was enjoying a rest on the couch. We had planned on having a hot lunch but neither of us were that hungry. We quickly took down the tent, replenished our water supplies and ate a quick snack. I was ready to be done as I was now back to baking in the sun. Jason let me get a head start as I was heading down on foot where he would be able to snowboard all the way back. I left at noon and never stopped until I got to the parking lot. I returned at 1:30PM and Jason had gotten there about a half hour ahead of me as he stopped to rest once he returned to the tree line in the shade. We both cracked open some beers I had packed in snow back at the truck. I was thrilled to have made the top and equally happy to have reached my truck. The beer you drink after reaching the summit of a fourteener is the best beer in the world!

I learned plenty on this trip. Jason was a great resource for information on snow travel. I learned first hand that you can sunburn the underside of your nose and inside your nostrils. I discovered a day later that you can also sunburn your tongue! Don’t ask me how, I just know you can. Since I am a skier I am thinking that the next trip like this will probably be done on backcountry skis as hiking down something I could have skied makes no sense to me.

Once again I have been asked what’s next. How do I top this 40^th birthday trip? Well I am not sure what is next but I do have a Rim to Rim Grand Canyon trip planned for Sept. 2011 already. I will surely do plenty in between now and then so check back here for my future reports.

The full photo journal of this trip is available here.

Fabricating Your Own Alcohol Stove System

So you want to build an alcohol stove do you? Well I was faced with this same question a little over a year ago after my son won a Pepsi can alcohol stove at a Scout Fair. I was impressed with the weight but it lacked what looked like any type of self contained useable system so I began to research the topic. For a great resource I would suggest Zen Stoves.

I will save you hours of searching for a stove design and all accompanying items that make the stove a useful tool. It is not just the stove but also the pot, pot stand, windscreen and other pieces that make the system I will describe into a complete cook system. I have used it many times on day hikes as I got tired of eating a sandwich at the summits and wanted more. I have taken it on 4 day backpack trip as my sole cooking setup and been very pleased. When combined with freezer bag cooking you have an ultra reliable and ultra simple system. Best of all, your complete stove and cooking set will weigh in at about 5 oz!

I want to stress that I did not invent any of this. I have taken many peoples different ideas and refined them into this stove system. I have spent hours in my garage on rainy days testing different ideas and concepts to develop this system. There are plenty of ideas out there that sound good and even look impressive but when tested fail miserably.

The Stove and Fuel:

After much research I chose the Super Cat alcohol stove for my design. Please view this link as it provides everything you would want to know about the stove, how it works and excellent instructions on making one. I have used them with holes made from a hole puncher at ¼ inch as well as ones with holes at 3/16 inch from a Whitney punch as described. Both work just fine but I prefer the 3/16 holes as my testing proved a faster boil and less wind interference. While several variants are discussed I just use the basic supercat. I chose it because it was simple to make, does not require a pot stand or priming pan and you can easily see how much fuel you have added to it. Make sure to use the 3 oz. Fancy Feast or potted meat can as the flare fits the pot I recommend perfectly. He also provides lots of great information on fuels. I just stick with SLX Denatured Alcohol from Home Depot but I have used the Ace Hardware house brand and had identical results.

The Cookpot:

There is plenty of info out there to overwhelm you. While you can spent over $60 for a lightweight titanium mug to cook in I have found that a $3 25oz. can of Heineken works perfectly, and you get to drink the contents as well! This can is better than the large Fosters can as it is more sturdy due to the shape and the bottom fits the supercat stove better when built with the Fancy Feast cat food can. All you need to do is use a side cutting or safety can opener and remove the top of the can. It can be a little tricky and some openers work better than others. Save the top you removed for a lid or a little heavier but a great fitting lid is the top from an Altoids Citrus Sours can.

One of the reasons this pot/stove combo works so well is that the thin wall pot absorbs heat all the way up the sides giving a much larger surface area to conduct heat through. There are many people out there that like to wrap their pot with fiberglass wick or other non flammable material to keep from burning their hand when grabbing the pot. I have wrapped one with a fireproof blanket I trimmed down to cover a 2 inch wide section of the middle of the pot and as I had expected, my boil times went way up. While the fireproof material is cooler to touch, it takes away pot surface area that was transferring heat. My suggestion is to either wear a glove or use a handkerchief to keep from burning your hand on the hot pot.

Windscreen:

The alcohol stove has a drawback in that it performs very poorly with any type of wind. To counter this you need a good windscreen. For lots of background on windscreens and other wind devices visit here. One can be easily fabricated from thin aluminum roof flashing available at your local home repair store. I use some stuff I picked up at Home Depot although I had to buy a 25 ft. roll. I get the 8 inch wide roll as it covers both the stove and pot. To fabricate, simply cut enough off the roll to form a 4 ½ diameter circle with about a ¾ inch overlap (about 16 inches of material). A good pair of scissors will cut this just fine. Slightly round the corners once cut.

Along one of the long sides of the flashing you will need to punch some holes so your stove can get air to keep burning. Get out your hole punch with ¼ holes and proceed to punch holes on ½  inch centers all along one side about ¾ inch up from the edge. I tested many different openings in calm and wind conditions and found this to be the best based on shortest time to produce a boil.

Now you need a way to hold this in its circle shape as it wants to spring flat. To make this easier you need to remove the temper in the metal itself. Use some old wire (with no insulation) and make a circle with a 4 ½ inch diameter, twist the ends so it holds shape and slide it over your rolled windscreen. Place this in your oven in your home and heat to 400 degrees F. for 45 minutes and then turn off the oven and let it cool with the oven closed. When done it should keep its new curved shape fairly well.

To finish off the windscreen you need a way to hold it together to maintain the proper shape. The wire worked for the oven but needs to be improved upon for field use. I tried combinations of hardware and special slots and folds when I stumbled across a write up for the windscreen beltbuckle. This rather simple device solves the problem and weighs nearly nothing. Cut a strip of flashing about 9 inches long and ¾ inches wide. Slightly round the corners and lay it along the side of your circular windscreen from top to bottom where the windscreen overlaps. You should have about a ½ inch of overlap on top and bottom. Simply fold over the top and bottom to form a clamp and squeeze to pinch the windscreen and hold its shape. Holes can be punched in the buckle to reduce the weight if desired.

The first few times you use the windscreen it will give off a little smoke and smell funny as a coating on the flashing burns off so don’t be alarmed. It will also discolor a little and look burnt. This is normal.

Cozy:

The final item to manufacture is the pot cozy. This is the item that will help your pot retain heat once you have heated your water and keep you from burning your hand when you drink hot beverage from it. This is made from a material called Reflectix and is held together with aluminum tape or duct tape. The aluminum tape is more durable and looks more professional but duct tape can be used. For the background I have provided additional information here under Mods for your Mug, see Mod 3.

Fabrication of the cozy is explained fairly well under Mods for your Mug. You will need an 18” long piece of the 16” wide Reflectix product. Cut a 13” long piece of the aluminum tape and apply half of it to the thin, non bubble section along one edge as shown. Fold the non bubble section over and tape down. Measuring from the folded tape edge, come down 5 ¾” and cut out a piece that is 5 ¾” by 13”. You should now have a rectangular piece with the tape along one side. Fit this to your pot and trim as needed so that the edges just touch, there is no overlap and the pot can easily slide out. The pot will expand slightly with heat so a slightly looser fit is OK. Follow the same instructions to make a second one to go around the first but this time use a 14 1/2” strip of tape and cut a piece that is 14 1/2” by 5 ¾”. Complete the bottoms as shown in the link. Make sure you make the bottom on the end of your circular cozy that does not already have tape on it.

When complete, the smaller cozy will fit the pot and larger one can be either doubled up on the bottom cozy or used like a cover to slide over the top of the pot and smaller cozy to make an insulated chamber.

Accessories:

You now need a few little items to complete the whole package. You need a fuel bottle to store your fuel in. I use a flip top 4 oz. bottle from REI or Sport Chalet but any bottle with a flip top that will fit inside your pot will work. A silicone wrist band (like the Lance Armstrong yellow bands) is another item you need. This is used to place around the mouth of the pot to prevent you from burning your lip when drinking from it. You need a way to light this thing so either matches or a flint and steel (my preference) goes in the pot. Lastly, you need an eating utensil. A plastic spoon is OK but I have broken and melted a few so I now carry an aluminum spork.

That sums up the making of the ideal cook kit. I have provided instructions for the packing and use of your new stove system below. I hope you enjoy it and get as much use out of yours as I have mine. I have had my Cub Scout Webelos Den make these and the kids were very excited. You have never seen a child so excited to boil water! They also make great gifts for your backcountry friends.

I am considering offering the materials in a kit. Please contact me if you are interested.

Alcohol Stove Operating Instructions: 

This stove is a complete cookset if used as described below. No additional pots, pans or other cooking items other than your preferred eating utensil are required ( I use an aluminum spork).

Fuel:

Use denatured alcohol from the hardware store. There are other alcohol based fuels out there and you can read up on those but denatured alcohol is the most consistent from my tests. NEVER USE WHITE GAS OR GASOLINE!!!

Setup:

Remove all items from the complete stove set. Set the stove (the small catfood can with the two rows of holes) on a non flammable flat surface. You may want to carry a piece of aluminum foil to place under the stove to protect the ground but that is optional. Next you need to get the windscreen ready so open it up to form a 4 ½ circle. You should just have about ¾ inch of overlap when formed correctly. Use the long metal strip to pinch the windscreen at the overlap to maintain the correct shape.  Add an appropriate amount of water to heat in the Heineken pot and place lid on pot.

Getting it started:

Add alcohol to the stove. The appropriate amount depends on many factors including water temp, air temp, wind, quantity of water and desired finish temp. When boiling 2 cups of water in cool weather I would add fuel right up to the lower set of holes in the stove. You may be able to use less but this is a good start point and will let you see how long your stove will run for. If only boiling a cup of water with no wind you may be able to get away with half as much fuel or even less. You will need to experiment to work this out as each stove is a little different.

With the fuel added, light it and observe. The flame is nearly invisible during the day so use your hand to determine if it is lit by feeling above the stove for heat. You need to let the stove burn until you start to see little bubbles in the alcohol forming near the edges of the stove. This priming phase takes less than 30 seconds typically but may take longer in cold conditions.

Add your pot with water and lid on it to the top of the stove and make sure the silicone lip guard is removed. I would suggest wearing a glove when doing this as some flame does come up the side of the pot as you place it on the stove. With the pot in place slide the windscreen over the pot to protect everything. Make sure the row of holes around the windscreen is at the bottom. Sit back and wait for steam to come out around the lid. If you are going to heat a foil packet of meat or a can of chicken you can place it directly on top of the lid for the stove unopened. It will get warm but not too hot to damage the packaging.

Finishing up:

As this stove is very hot while running, it is suggested you let it burn out before removing your windscreen and pot. Remove the windscreen when the stove has run out of fuel and remove the pot and place in the smaller cozy (the metalized bubble wrap) that snuggly fits the pot preferably with a glove on. Once in the cozy, you no longer need a glove as the pot will be well insulated. If you are making a hot beverage, mix it directly in the pot and place the silicone wrist band around the lip of the pot to make a lip guard so you do not burn your lip on the metal pot while drinking. To keep the fluid warm for a longer period of time, add the larger cozy over the top to seal the pot inside.

Storing:

When finished and it is time to pack it up, make sure the pot is dry. You will first roll up your windscreen and slide it into the pot. Next you need to put the stove into the pot, open end up, and slide it to the bottom of the pot with the windscreen touching the outside of the stove as you slide it down into the pot. Then place your fuel bottle, matches, spork and silicone wrist band into the pot. Place the lid for your pot on top of the windscreen that extends out of the pot. Place the pot lid on the top of the windscreen extending from the pot with the lip of the lid facing down to cover the top edge of the windscreen. Place the smaller cozy over the bottom of the pot and the larger one on the top covering the windscreen and you are all set.

Tips:

 My typical use of this setup includes boiling water, pouring some into a freezer bag meal I have created (adding a can of chicken I heated on top of the pot) and sealing it and placing in the bottom of the large cozy. I will then place the pot with small cozy on top of my meal to trap it between the two. I will them make a hot beverage in the pot while I am waiting on the meal to rehydrate and warm. I will add the lip guard and drink with the whole setup in my hand. Check out freezer bag cooking or FBC as this method is particularly well suited to this type of stove.

I do not claim to be the inventor of any of this stuff, I just came up with a slick way of incorporating several peoples different ideas into one handy setup. If you like it, share it with a friend. For instructions on building one of these please see my blog at http://hikingandscouting.blogspot.com

 

Taking Your Child on Their First Backpacking Trip

I still remember my first backpacking trip. My Boy Scout Troop headed to the back hills of Malibu to a place called Circle X. My Dad was on the trip as well so this was our first Father/Son backpacking experience. The weather was hot, my cheap backpack did not fit well and was heavy and it was 5 miles into camp, uphill! Needless to say, I was not very excited about backpacking and it was quite a few years before I did it again.

I love day hiking and have just recently started to backpack. My boys don’t necessarily like to hike but they do enjoy going to remote waterfalls or lakes to fish in. It is all about the destination for them, not the means by which we get there. Being a Scout leader myself and having attended every training course available for a Cub Scout Leader and even some Boy Scout ones, I think I have good platform on how to put on a fun first backpacking trip.

Planning this great day started over a year ago. The family knew I wanted to get my 9 year old son a good backpack. They gave him a gift card for REI for his birthday and said it was for he and Dad to use to pick out the perfect pack. Now his name is Gregory and I happen to really like the backpacks made by…..Gregory. What kid would not appreciate a pack with his name all over it! I selected one of appropriate size for him for a big daypack or light overnighter, about 35L capacity. Now he had a pack just like Dad, although his was a little smaller.

Over the next year, we went on some day hikes and he was proud to wear his pack. The family always talked it up at how impressive it was when he wore his backpack. He did a 7 mile day hike up in Mammoth to Rainbow Falls which was really impressive. He really liked it when we went about a mile to arrive at an alpine lake we had all to ourselves. He carried his own fishing pole and gear and was rewarded with a fish. This made for a perfect day hike and really showed him the fun that could be had on the trail.

We camp all the time so the outdoors are nothing new to him. He has camped in rain, wind and cold, fortunately never all three at the same time. The Spring seemed like the right time of year for our trip as the weather would be mild. I wanted to find a place for our first backpack trip that was a short hike, a mile or two at most but still remote. I needed a place with a water source nearby so we did not have to carry much water and if this place had something fun to do once we arrived it would be even better.

My coworker Clark and his wife Michelle told me about a first backpacking trip they were going to do to Tenaja Falls and Fisherman’s Camp in the San Mateo Wilderness of the Cleveland National Forest. They would do a longer hike than what I wanted but would be visiting the falls and a wilderness camp area that sounded appropriate. I would have joined them but I was in Mammoth that weekend for a snow and ice class.

They gave me their report on the trip and the conditions at the office the following Monday. I looked at the map and figured out how I could combine a short 1.4 mile roundtrip day hike to the Tenaja Falls with a 4 mile roundtrip backpack to Fisherman’s Camp. The whole trip would be following a flowing creek and the waterfall had a great swimming hole. I faxed off my application for an overnight permit and got it back approved. The trip was on!

I invited some friends and Gregory’s Uncle Jeff. They both have dogs and my son enjoys being around dogs, just not picking up after them which is a reason we don’t have one. Our friends would join us for the first part of our trip, the day hike to the falls and back. Gregory and I were on our own after that.

Two nights before the trip I had Gregory sit with me as we both loaded our packs. He got out his clothes. Before putting them in his pack I explained to him that we are not out there to smell good or impress the girls with our good smells and clean clothes. We ditched about half of the clothes he had selected. We would be doing freezer bag cooking so both headed to the kitchen to assemble our meals, some of which we created ourselves and others from some recipes I had recently used myself.  He carried his sleeping bag, clothes, ten essentials, alcohol stove he had made, snacks, a deck of cards and mini chess set. I carried the rest. His pack was around 15 lbs. and mine was, well……more.

After a very scenic drive we arrived at the trailhead to the falls. We all headed up the short trail and enjoyed the falls. The dogs played in the water, I jumped off the rocks into the swimming hole and Gregory enjoyed wading and laying on the rocks. We packed in a hearty lunch and enjoyed about 3 hours goofing off. We headed back to the car and said goodbye to our friends. As they drove off, Gregory and I put on our packs as it was time to start our first backpack adventure. It was about 3:00PM and I figured we could cover the two miles in about 1 ½ hours tops, at kid speed with plenty of breaks.

The hike to Fisherman’s Camp was gently downhill. The trail alternated between sun and shade and several creek crossings needed to be done. We even came across a family we had camped with before on the trail, the only other people we saw on the way into Fisherman’s Camp. We took frequent rest breaks and drank plenty of water. Since I had all the water, I was happy to drink it as it meant a lighter pack for me. We had great Father/Son chat and enjoyed our hike together.

We arrived at Fisherman’s Camp a little after 4:00PM. Other than another father/son group about a ¼ mile away, we had the whole camp to ourselves. As the following day was Mother’s Day I guess this was not a popular weekend. We saw what looked like the perfect camp site. Before pitching our tent we evaluated it under the Leave No Trace principles and deemed it to be an appropriate location. Camped out under a nice oak tree with a log for sitting on and a couple of flat rocks to use as a table with a small meadow surrounding us, we were ready for the evening.

We headed to the nearby creek (100 ft. away of course) and pumped water with our water filter to purify it. We headed back to camp and began our dinner prep. We figured out how much hot water we needed for our meals. We were trying a new experimental recipe we developed, stuffing with chicken. We also had another favorite, chicken gravy rice. We boiled our water in homemade alcohol stoves. I have been using one for sometime now but Gregory made his when I had his Webelos Den make them as a project to earn their Craftsman Activity Pin. We boiled our water and poured it into the freezer bags with our dinner. We waited for them to hydrate properly and dug into them. We both agreed that our new chicken stuffing creation was the best of the two and that with some dried apples tossed in it would be even better the next time.

We played some cards and Gregory did some whittling. I taught him how to tie some new knots. We decided to brew up some hot cocoa for dessert. Out came the alcohol stove for more hot water. We enjoyed our hot beverage consumed from our Heineken beer can we use for a pot with a silicone wrist band at the top to keep from burning our lips. I asked him if he was having a great time and he enthusiastically replied “Yes!” It was now about 8:30PM and time for bed as we had an early morning start ahead of us. We had promised Mom we would be home as soon as possible on Sunday and should be home for lunch.  

Upon crawling in the tent I discovered that the old insulated air mattress from 20+ years ago had a hole and provided about nothing for comfort. Gregory had a ½" closed cell foam mat that I had been using lately but I decided to carry the heavier “more comfortable” air mattress that now did little for comfort or insulation. It was a cool night and Gregory got a little cold but I had him put on his fleece jacket and we snuggled a little closer and went back to sleep.

By just before 7:00AM we were both up and I was getting water going for our quick oatmeal breakfast. By 8:00AM we had camp packed up and checked to make sure we left only footprints behind. We headed out on our 2 mile trip back to the truck. We took some pictures and talked about the fun we have had on this trip. The time passed quickly and I could tell he was ready for this. We got back to the truck at 9:15AM and took our packs off. I asked him if he would like to do more backpacking similar to this in the future. I was full of joy when again he replied with an enthusiastic, “Yes!”

My master plan had paid off! It was nearly a year in the making but I now have a child who is happy to go backpacking with me. We discussed possible locations for future trips and instead of the usual frown when I mention hiking I was seeing a smile. Now I just have to repeat this in a few years with his younger brother and I am set! We even made it home by 10:45AM for Mother’s Day and all went out to lunch together and off to my Sister’s for a family gathering that evening. If anyone knows how to get Mom to join us in all the fun let me know as I have not figured that one out yet?

Please click here for our pictures of the whole trip.

My Foray into Snow, Ice and Mountaineering

As my day hiking adventures continue, I have discovered there is a whole new world out there awaiting me, snow and ice. I made my New Years resolution for 2010 to get more involved in snow and ice adventures other than skiing. I celebrated this by ringing in the new year by climbing San Jacinto Peak on snowshoes on New Years Day. Unable to stop at just that, I needed a new goal.

Over the winter I did plenty of local skiing and even got in a trip to Mammoth. While there I found a few opportunities to cruise the local golf courses in my snowshoes to get more familiar with them. I made a few trips into the local mountains of Orange County during our cold winter and found some snow up there but nothing that required anything special.

I had added new gear to my collection over the past year to prepare for what was ahead of me. I picked up mountaineering boots, crampons (spikes for your boots), snowshoes, mountaineering helmet and lastly, the icon of mountaineering, my ice axe. With all this gear comes plenty of learning. I did not want to be the guy who bought all this stuff only to die on his first trip out as he had no idea of how to use it. I needed some experience and some professional training.

A good friend of mine, Edd, who I met through the Orange County Hiking and Backpacking Club, was already a regular in the winter sports. Edd is an instructor for the Sierra Club’s Wilderness Travel Course and was willing to invite me to join him and some other mutual friends on a trip up the Mt. Baldy Bowl. After reading up on winter mountaineering skills and bringing my mountaineering boots, crampons, helmet and newly acquired ice axe we headed up for one of Edd’s famous “Brunch on Baldy” hikes which he tends to host year round. I learned a lot of the basics that day. The glissade down the Baldy Bowl was incredible (sliding on your rear using your ice axe as a brake) and I practiced self arrest, the act of stopping your fall through the proper use of your ice axe and body position. It was a great introduction but I realized I wanted….and needed more.

The beginning of May I attended my first professional instruction. I headed up to Mammoth to attend a course put on by Sierra Mountaineering International, or SMI, headed by two-time Everest summiter and worldwide mountaineering guide Kurt Wedberg. On day one, seven of us were joined by one of SMI’s experienced instructors for the Snow Travel course. This gave us instruction and lots of practice with using our ice axe in self arrest, ice axe travel across snow and ice covered slopes, roped travel with and without running belays and other general topics relating to travel in snow conditions. I chose to stay on for the second day which covered snow anchors and crevasse rescue techniques. When I asked how many other students would be staying for day two I heard nothing but silence. I was informed that it was just me and that Kurt himself would be teaching the class.

Day two was incredible. It is not every day that you get private instruction from a mountaineer as recognized as Kurt. We built different snow anchors all morning and set up crevasse rescue systems all afternoon. I learned a lot. I can comprehend plenty when I am interested in the topic and Kurt crammed in all the information I could hold. He was nice enough to take a few photos to help me remember but we were so busy with just the two of us that pictures were again not a priority.

You must be thinking by now, “Glenn must have something up his sleeve to put in all this training and effort”, and you would be correct. My plan is to summit Mt. Shasta, the northern most fourteener in California on my 40^th birthday. I have made such a transformation in my lifestyle over the past 3 years. If I am going to have my “over the hill” birthday then it had better be a hill with a 14 at the beginning of it!

Keep an eye out for my future report on a first timers trip up Mt. Shasta.