17 Days in the Heart of Darkness

[Dogwood]

and, whoa, the bamboo forest along warriors passage looks cool....

Yes, it's very cool---and unique to the area and unique in my travels. And it's just like a bamboo forest except it's little pine trees.

Have y'all walked through the bamboo forest in Cherokee in Oconaluftee Island Park?

If y'all ever get to Maui there's another neato bamboo forest near Hana on the Pipiwai Trail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpcKQrsOxCo

[Dogwood]

There's a neato bamboo forest near Hana on the Pipiwai Trail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpcKQrsOxCo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9-el3IHi8I

I've rarely seen so many guavas along the way. Some great overlooks of Oheo Gulch(Seven Sacred Pools). Came very close to dying around Makahiku Falls. Others have fallen to their death being swept over the falls that now the trail is no longer being maintained and filled with brush with signs to discourage visitation.

[Tipi Walter]

Warrior's Passage's bamboo forest is on the side of Waucheesi Mt and of course isn't bamboo but thousands of small pine trees---

[Dogwood]

Kinda neat going through tunnels or canyons like that, hey?

Yeah, walked that.

[Tipi Walter]

Tipi,

I always appreciate your trip reports -- I love being able to vicariously see, enjoy, and learn from your hikes. Would you mind describing more about your "Severe Cold Zeros"?

What kind of circumstances do you consider when deciding to hunker down -- "just"(!) the extreme low temps (i.e., do you risk damage packing your tent, etc.), or a forecast of wind precipitation, your route & terrain, or some stew of combined and variable factors?

How would you describe a typical Day in the Life of a Severe Cold Zero -- do you spend as much time as possible buried inside your -25 Puma to conserve heat & energy, or do you try to go out for small bits to explore and/or generate some heat through exercise?

What kind of other cold gear do you typically carry -- what would be your "sleeping clothes" on this trip? Do you carry down booties or other things to augment your "camp clothes"? Do you ever bring a candle lantern?

I'm guessing you bring a white gas stove -- have you had any times when your stove punked out on you? Any foods you would or would not recommend on a trip like this?

What kind of equipment failures have you had and learned from? What kind of personal mistakes have you made and [thankfully] learned from?

What other things do you experience or have to think about when zeroing in this kind of weather that most of us forget to consider?

I could go on and pester you with a hundred questions, and I know that the best teacher is personal experience -- but I also know that when teachers are around, you need to ask them questions.

Thanks again for posting your trips.

Last year on a January trip in 2018 I made a list in my trail journal of things that cause me to pull Zeros days in the tent---

HUNKERING IN
Here again are the reasons to hunker in and pull a zero---
** All day rainstorm with or without high winds.
** All day blizzards.
** Severe cold storm with severely cold temps. (10F down to -15F).
** Sick storm whereby illness stops movement.
** Sitting put to wait for someone or to wait for your evac or shuttle ride or to wait for a post office to open etc.
** Snowstorm producing too deep snow aka the Blizzard of '93.
** Exhaustion with a long trip day of rest zero---or you're at a great spot and just want to enjoy it longer.
** Honeymoon zero for in-tent nupitals with new girl/boy friend. Rare indeed.
** Fasting/vision quest spiritual zeros.
** Dog zeros to comfort a very sick or dying pet.
** High creek zero to wait for a creek to lower in order to cross.

Have I exhausted all the camp zero potentials? In my experience rainstorm zeros are my most common zeros as they shut me down especially in butt cold rains. The next would be winter storm zeros associated with either deep cold like today or a snow or sleet storm keeping the tent locked in ice and very difficult to take down and roll up as on Day 4. High winds and windstorms themselves should be associated with all these scenarios and encourage hunkering in, especially high winds with rainstorms, severe coldstorms and of course blizzards.

You'd think a terrible windstorm would cause you to pack up fast and bail but in reality unpegging and pulling down the tent is the last thing you want to do in a windstorm at an exposed spot like a bald or ridgeline or open meadow. If your 4 season tent is pegged and guyed out properly with rocks on the pegs it's best to hunker in and don't tempt Miss Nature by pulling up stakes and trying to remove tent poles and pack up unless of course the poles have already snapped and the tent has shredded, then a planned zero turns into an unplanned enduro, a planned hunker turns into an unplanned pucker. You're out of luck.

You get the idea.

Btw, my WM Puma bag was purchased in 2007 and then rated at -15F---and so I do not consider it a -25F bag even though the company pretends it is. Why they changed their rating on this bag is a confounding mystery. Plus, my -15F bag is excellent for me down to about -10F.

Day in the Life in Severe Cold? It's all about occupying your time in a constructive way.

** First off, the basic premise is you're ecstatic to be outdoors and motivated and happy to be dry and warm and alive in your tent during hunker mode. The alternative is to be stumbling around postholing at 0F in high windchills and curling up to die in some snow drift. Plus in deep snow the trail disappears.

** Keep an exhaustive trail journal---this kills alot of time.
** Look thru your trip pics on your camera.
** Read thru your books (and burn them afterwards).
** Do yoga meditation.
** Snack and eat and cook morning tea and evening meals.
** Study your maps.
** Light a stick of incense---this brightens the mood.
** Sleep and stay warm.
** Put on geese layers and do ranging dayhikes and/or water runs. You'll warm up fast if you dayhike up a hill in your goose down parka.

I don't mess with candle lanterns anymore---too hard to clean after it gets clogged with melted wax---but I do bring several 3-hour candles for in-tent finger warmth when needed. Last winter I started carrying Hot Hands warmth packets and these now accompany me on every winter trip.

My main in-camp warmth layers are my Feathered Friends Icefall parka and WM down pants. Go overkill with the geese.

I use only a white gas stove on all my trips. It's funny you should mention having stove problems as on this trip my MSR Simmerlite stove quit working because like an idiot I didn't clean it properly at home before the trip. So I had to field strip the thing---and pull out the fuel line cable to clean. Getting a simmerlite cable back into the stove is often impossible and so on this trip I went nuts getting it shoved back in. I finally had to use my pruners and cut the cable in half to make it work.

Regarding my winter experiences---I'd say you could read thru my trip reports for the month of January in the last several years---

January 2014---
http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/16351

January 2015---
http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/18147

January 2016---
http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/19886

http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/22511

ETC ETC

Reminds me of seeing these two BMT backpackers in January 2018 at around 8F---They are Green Leaf and Apple Pie---

[TwoSpirits]

Good stuff. Thanks, Tipi.

[John B]

Another awesome trip!

So roughly how many miles did you hike this trip?

[martinb]

I got to check out Patman's tent and it's very small---while my tent is very large.

Attachment 44569

Attachment 44570

Small is okay if your time is limited. Pat's set up looks a lot like mine, with a Notch Li. It's perfect for a day or two, or a week, in fair weather but not going to trust it if the typical SE storms are expected. I'll bring the palace (AKA Allak) instead.

BTW, I think Exped has solved the baffle problem with the 3D LW. well over 50 nights on it now and it's as good as new.


46423418362_67ccea4f31.jpg

[Dogwood]

"Day in the Life in Severe Cold? It's all about occupying your time in a constructive way."

Yeah, and that time can be spent constructively in Mrs Nature while outside a tent. Can it not?

** First off, the basic premise is you're ecstatic to be outdoors and motivated and happy to be dry and warm and alive in your tent during hunker mode.

How about also feeling alive by moving outside the tent exploring being connected with Mrs Nature rather than being hunkered down connected to being inside a tent connected with piles of gear and food? That can happen too!

"The alternative is to be stumbling around postholing at 0F in high windchills and curling up to die in some snow drift. Plus in deep snow the trail disappears."

That doesn't stop those in Alaska, Montana, the Upper Pensinsula, Wisconsin, all across the upper U.S., Icelandians, Canadians, Russians, Germans, Finns, Norwegians, Swiss, Mongolians, etc. Heck even the Japanese get up to the mountains into the snow during winter. You don't have to posthole. You could bring snowshoes or skis. You choose not to. It's because you want to be a camper hunkered down. To each their own by all means but you're painting a picture that suits your camping style. Some would say being outside we're more exposed to Mrs Nature than being enclosed in a Hilly tunnel of love surrounding ourselves with tons of man made stuff.

[Tipi Walter]

"Day in the Life in Severe Cold? It's all about occupying your time in a constructive way."

Yeah, and that time can be spent constructively in Mrs Nature while outside a tent. Can it not?

** First off, the basic premise is you're ecstatic to be outdoors and motivated and happy to be dry and warm and alive in your tent during hunker mode.

How about also feeling alive by moving outside the tent exploring being connected with Mrs Nature rather than being hunkered down connected to being inside a tent connected with piles of gear and food? That can happen too!

"The alternative is to be stumbling around postholing at 0F in high windchills and curling up to die in some snow drift. Plus in deep snow the trail disappears."

That doesn't stop those in Alaska, Montana, the Upper Pensinsula, Wisconsin, all across the upper U.S., Icelandians, Canadians, Russians, Germans, Finns, Norwegians, Swiss, Mongolians, etc. Heck even the Japanese get up to the mountains into the snow during winter. You don't have to posthole. You could bring snowshoes or skis. You choose not to. It's because you want to be a camper hunkered down. To each their own by all means but you're painting a picture that suits your camping style. Some would say being outside we're more exposed to Mrs Nature than being enclosed in a Hilly tunnel of love surrounding ourselves with tons of man made stuff.

Two Spirits didn't ask about the trails I hike on my trips or the boots I use on my hikes or the kind of pack I wear when backpacking or if I wear microspikes when hiking from camp to camp---or anything else about moving on foot in a wilderness.

The OP wanted to know about what I do during long zero days in storms and severe cold---that is when I'm not moving in these storms. Of course I hike in all kinds of weather if desired---as I personally dislike pulling zero days when the main desire is to pack and move every morning.

I guess to Dogwood and others if I pull three or four zero days during a trip that means I don't hike whatsoever and all I do is camp. But I always post the trails I hike on a trip and here's a repeated list of my route for this trip---( The ** means overnight camps)---

TRAILS
Entrance at Baby Falls Parking Area
Bald River Trail
**Rock Ledge Camp**
Bald River Trail
**Big Pine Camp**
Bald River Trail
**Cascade Winter Camp**
Bald River Trail
Holly Flats Roadwalk
Brookshire Creek Trail Up
**Horse Camp**
Brookshire Creek Up
**Iron Ring Camp aka Little Sled Camp**
Brookshire Up
**Sled Runner Gap**
State Line Ridge Going West
**Hazel Gap (3)**
State Line Ridge West
Sandy Gap
Kirkland Creek Trail Down
**Kirk False Sandy Gap (2)**
Kirkland Trail Backtrack to Sandy Gap
Up BMT North 160 Feet
**Sandy Gap Camp**
Up BMT North
**Six Mile Gap**
Waucheesi Mt Manway Up
Waucheesi Mt Roadwalk Down
Warrior's Passage Trail Down
**Wildcat Creek Camp**
Warrior's Passage
**Scout 1965 Camp**
Warrior's Passage to Old Furnace Roadwalk and OUT

[Zalman]

Huh, I hang out in camp for days at a time just to chill, meditate, watch wildlife etc. No visionquest, no extreme fatigue. Just quietly doing a lot of nothing. I would never call it a "zero" day, I guess because my backpacking isn't typically very goal-oriented.

This is an awesome trip Walter, thanks for the account!

[Tipi Walter]

Huh, I hang out in camp for days at a time just to chill, meditate, watch wildlife etc. No visionquest, no extreme fatigue. Just quietly doing a lot of nothing. I would never call it a "zero" day, I guess because my backpacking isn't typically very goal-oriented.

This is an awesome trip Walter, thanks for the account!

Thanks for the input.

[Tipi Walter]

Great seeing you Tipi, and great report! So, our friend Dan and I had a good conversation as he shuttled me back to Bald River. He had mentioned that he was a backpacker and so friendly to our sort. What I didn't guess and was surprised to learn: he thru-hiked the AT in 1985 and the PCT sometime in the 90ies! You just never know.....

It was great seeing you too as after 15 days I gave up hope of seeing any backpackers especially after I left the BMT. I'm glad you got to check out Warrior's Passage as it's a sweet trail. Too bad Dan didn't come down into our camp that night on Wildcat Creek.

[Hosh]

Another awesome trip!

So roughly how many miles did you hike this trip?

Well, how many miles was the ole Quadruple Crowner?

[Recalc]

Is it a problem keeping water filters, batteries and things like warm in these cold temperatures?

[RangerZ]

Is it a problem keeping water filters, batteries and things like warm in those cold temperatures?

Sleeping bag and inside jacket pockets do get crowded.

[Midwest Mike]

Man, what a trip! And great pix. Thanks for the report.

[Tipi Walter]

Is it a problem keeping water filters, batteries and things like warm in these cold temperatures?

Sleeping bag and inside jacket pockets do get crowded.

I don't baby electronics in the cold on my trips---but then I bring two cellphone batteries and 6 total camera batteries. My old PUR Hiker water filter is allowed to freeze solid and the solution is simple---I place it inside my down parka against my chest in an inside water bottle pocket and let it thaw out for 30 minutes before using it to filter water. The inner cartridge handles the freezing--thaw cycles with no problem. (It's a paper cartridge).

I don't carry a smartphone or an anker style battery pack and rarely use my old 2005 walmart nokia phone except when I find an infrequent sweet spot. My Petzl headlamp uses 3 AAA batts and I bring two sets---with one set going about 12 days in deep cold. Never keep it in any pocket for warmth. My little Sangean radio uses 2 AA batts and 3 sets last about 20 days no matter how cold.

Trip 192 (82)-XL.jpg
Here's my vintage cellphone with its spare battery. It's all that's needed, folks. No live streaming, no internet connection, no camera---just call and text. Costs about $15 a month.

Man, what a trip! And great pix. Thanks for the report.

Thanks for the positive input.

[Hosh]

Another awesome trip!

So roughly how many miles did you hike this trip?

ttt,
Inquizitive minds must know, just exactly how many miles was this bodacious thru hike

[Tipi Walter]

ttt,
Inquizitive minds must know, just exactly how many miles was this bodacious thru hike

To all the "It's Not About The Smiles, It's About The Miles" crowd---especially to Hosh---Please direct me to a link showing your backpacking trip reports---so we can judge if you're a genuine backpacker or just a cyber hiker. And please post your vital daily mileage numbers. If the numbers are too low we may have to describe your trips as "Inauthentic".

Getting outdoors on a backpacking trip---and achieving bag nights---is the goal. The drooling fascination with daily mileage might be exciting for some fringe Whiteblazers---but not for all. The questioning plea "exactly how many miles?" might excite statisticians and lawyers---if verified with the proper affidavits---but holds little interest to me.

And yes, the trails I backpacked---Bald River, Brookshire Creek, State Line Ridge, Warrior's Passage---could not have been "thruhiked" by sitting in squat mode in basecamp style and not moving. If really interested, google these trails and come up with some rough draft mileages.