EISPIRATEN

FYI - be safe out there everyone!

Trail & Snow Conditions: Avalanche Danger in Icehouse Canyon (Mt. Baldy Area), February 19, 2017

Thanks tekewin.

Hoping to get in the traverse sometime this summer.

For those that use them, what solar charger/powerbanks are you using? Any good or bad experiences with them? I just received my first "nice" solar charger. Looking at the box, I was a little surprised to read this on the box: " The less you use the solar panel to recharge the battery,...

Coyote Gulch via Red Well Trailhead Day 1, March 18 2016 I thought about this trip for months before I hit the trail. My wife and I had been preparing for our cross country move for over a year and the last couple of months preceding the move were very tiring and stressful. Planning the details of ...

Kids to Parks Day 2016, Lake Solitude Hike & Scavenger Hunt We had a great Kids to Parks Day! KTP Day is a nation-wide day of outdoor play organized by the National Park Trust (NPT) in cooperation with a host of local and national collaborators. Our group of 16 (9 adults, 7 kids) enjoyed a scav...

Photos: Bridge to Nowhere This hike had been on radar for a couple of years, but with the CA drought, we always decided to hike other areas. Luckily only a couple of weeks before I left CA, we had a nice day with some recent rainfall. I decided it was finally time to see the Bridge to Nowhere. It’s ...

Lol! I'm sure you'd want to tack a few more miles onto it to make it more worthwhile.

Moved to NH to be closer to my elderly parents. Hope to visit CA late summer for some hiking though.

Internal Frame vs. External Frame Packs When looking for a new pack, do you consider external frame packs, or do you feel that the technology outdated? Do the lighter loads carried by hikers today make external frames unnecessary? I hadn't really considered buying one until I saw a surprising number...

The area surrounding Devil’s Chair is known for it’s unique geology. Looking across the canyon (called the Devil’s Punchbowl) you can see how the San Andreas fault has changed the landscape. The area is very interesting and I wished I had spent more time exploring there before moving. Here are some ...

BabyBjörn has asked me to run a giveaway to help promote Kids to Parks Day (May 21 2016). The giveaway item is a baby carrier geared towards outdoorsy parents called the BabyBjörn Baby Carrier One Outdoors. My wife and I have been using our carrier for the last week and we have been impressed. More ...

Typically when I cross-post stuff from my blog, I like to type up a short summary and post some photos here. With my cross-country move, I am about 3 months behind on photos and trip reports. If I wait until I have the time write every trip report as well as a summary, I may never get this stuff pos...

Typically when I cross-post stuff from my blog, I like to type up a short summary and post some photos here. With my cross-country move, I am about 3 months behind on photos and trip reports. If I wait until I have the time write every trip report as well as a summary, I may never get this stuff pos...

Typically when I cross-post stuff from my blog, I like to type up a short summary and post some photos here. With my cross-country move, I am about 3 months behind on photos and trip reports. If I wait until I have the time write every trip report as well as a summary, I may never get this stuff pos...

Typically when I cross-post stuff from my blog, I like to type up a short summary and post some photos here. With my cross-country move, I am about 3 months behind on photos and trip reports. If I wait until I have the time write every trip report as well as a summary, I may never get this stuff pos...

Typically when I cross-post stuff from my blog, I like to type up a short summary and post some photos here. With my cross-country move, I am about 3 months behind on photos and trip reports. If I wait until I have the time write every trip report as well as a summary, I may never get this stuff pos...

Typically when I cross-post stuff from my blog, I like to type up a short summary and post some photos here. With my cross-country move, I am about 3 months behind on photos and trip reports. If I wait until I have the time write every trip report as well as a summary, I may never get this stuff pos...

My view yesterday morning from my co-workers balcony. I'm staying with him and his wife until I move to NH (start my cross-country trip next week ).

San Gabriel Mountains Sunrise Photos & Time-lapse, 2/8/16

Under Review: Katabatic Gear Helios 55 Backpack I've been working on reducing my pack for the last few years and I've finally gotten to the point that using a UL pack for overnight trips makes sense. When researching backpacks, I had some criteria in mind, based on what I thought my max weight woul...

Yup, their warranty is great. In posting my review on social media, people have told me they've done things like get their socks too close to a campfire, or left them out and had their dogs chew holes in them. DT has replaced them regardless.

Gear Review: Minus33 Merino Wool & Wool v. Down v. Synthetic After talking with Minus33 a few times about their products, I ended up with a Merino Wool Kodiak Expedition Full Zip Hoody and a set of their Merino Wool Day Hiker Socks . Here is a link to the review I wrote: https://eispiraten.com/i...

We didn't summit for sunrise as initially planned, but it was a good day and glad to finally summit this one. Here are some hightlights. Clicking on them will bring you to the full photo gallery and trip report: Hiking with Dogs: Mt. Baden-Powell, December 13 2015 Mt. Baden-Powell's shadow https://e...

I’m hoping to get out for another 50-60 mile backpacking trip in the Sierra this summer. I’ve been reviewing my notes from my HST hike, thinking about gear selection, and have started testing out a few items on training hikes and on my snowshoeing trips. Here are some photos from a quick hike in the...

Some friends and I joined some hikers going for their 3rd peak in the SoCal Hiker 6 Pack of Peaks Challenge. Here is our route: https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/hikinggeek.com/wp-content/hiking_photo_galleries/so_cal_hiking/2016_0123_San_Jactino_Sid_Davis/conditions/forum/2016_0123_tracks.jpg ...

Trail & Snow Conditions: Icehouse Canyon, Bighorn Peak, & Cucamonga Peak, January 16 2016 Saturday I loaded up my pack and headed up Icehouse Canyon to test some gear. It was a beautiful day. Here's a pic looking towards Baldy and Harwood, from the ridge I climb to get to Bighorn. https://e...

https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/hikinggeek.com/wp-content/hiking_photo_galleries/so_cal_hiking/2016_0109_Register_Ridge/forum/Register_Ridge_Conditions.jpg We only had enough time for a short hike, but still wanted to get out for a bit. We set a turnaround time and headed up Register Ridge. ...

I'm way behind on posting trip reports, but hoping it catch up over the next couple of weeks. In late November, a buddy and I headed up to Mammoth for some snowshoeing and it was amazing. Trip Report: Mammoth Lakes Basin Clicking the link above or any of the photos below will take you to my full rep...

Since the end of August, I've been using these socks on all of my hikes. I’ve also worn them 3+ days per week, wearing them to work, the gym and around the house over the last 3 months. One thing that really sets these socks apart from the competition is their warranty: "If you were able to wea...

The last year has been amazing. I spent more days on the trail than I ever have, took my first extended backpacking trip (High Sierra Trail) and I became an ambassador for 3 great companies. Out of my 50+ days on the trail, there are 5 that really stand out: 5. North Fork of Big Pine Creek 4. Banner...

Prior to this year, I had never used merino wool. The cost was prohibitive and since I was essentially 'just' a dayhiker, I didn't see the need for it. This past year, I took my first multi-night backpacking trip and also had the opportunity to review some merino products from several companies. It ...

What type of hats do you use, particularly when you'll be going into cooler temps? Have any of you used down hats? Any issues with wetting them out with sweat? I just received this down beanie from Black Rock Gear. https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/hikinggeek.com/wp-content/hiking_photo_galleri...