EISPIRATEN

Any thoughts on this?
I was clearing the trash out of my pack, and there was a brochure left behind by a new site.... expandyourla.com which had left it on my windshield in the Big Tujunga canyon.

They have some "secret" hikes that they sell access to. None secret as a truth, as all of them have heavy internet info. If theory that website could be a "how well do you know your local outdoors?" guessing game...whats your score? Not sure if its sad, but I got all of em easily, but I did need more than one picture for some.

As hikers have more options than the Sierra Club, would you pay for access? And not by buying a book like John Robinson,etc.

I would certainly consider paying for some local spots...but I dont think they are going to be guided or published anytime in the near future. Myself, I dont withold info unless there is a prior use for the place or it needs to be protected(and even these places already have local use).
For non-local spots, it gets really luring.

Also, Im always initally curious as to the people behind ventures(the above website does not list the 'who' part of this or their background)..but the new trend seems to be that for a lot of people thats a non-factor.

This site is probably just some bum trying to make an easy buck. But, on that same token, if we look in almost any mountain region, there are guided trips for those who have both the money and lack of knowledge to do the trip themselves.

As an avid hiker, I know I can find resources for nearly any region I wish to hike and have the "know how" to hike in the area by myself or with small group of friends. I would not need a "guide". But, if I was learning something such as back country survival, ice climbing, mountaineering, canyoneering, etc, I might pay for one or two guided trips as a learning experience my first time or two out there.

Because the San Gabriels are in our backyards, we feel "guided trips" are more a scam for the area than anything else. But, playing the deveil's advocate, I can see how possibly visitors (from out of country?) to the LA area might pay for a small guided "picnic" trip in the local mountains. But, as I said before, I'm sure this is just some bafoon trying to make a quick and easy buck.

I would like to respond to his ad and see what he offers, maybe even go as far as taking one of his "guided" trips and see what kind of knwledge he has. See what kind of "disclaimers" he discloses.

As funny as this sounds, it happens everywhere. I'm an avid fisherman, and I've been on guided fly fishing trips in Canada, and Washington and guided saltwater trips in Cabo, La Paz, and other areas only because I am not familiar with those waters and type sof tckle to use to fish them. I also fish locally both fresh water and salt water and I've been fly fishing the West Fork of San Gabriel and along the southern California beaches for years and now I've recently found an explosion of guided fishing trips to these areas? I laugh, but only because I know these areas so well, I wonder how anyone could pay for a guy to take them fishing off Huntington Beach or the West Fork. Theres one guy I know who is making a killing offering guided trip to fish in Newport Harbor only.

It's rediculous, but where there's a demand, there's a guided trip.


EDIT - this site is rediculous. You have to register for a hike before you even know what or where the hike is. And it's $65 for 4 hr hike, actually no. It's a 2 hour hike with a 1 hour drive each way. How many miles is that? And whats up with the "On your own hike"? This site is selling trail locations and/or routes that have been published already by someone else. This place is an absolute joke.

Wait - maybe I can offer you all guided "conditioning walks" in my back yard for $25. No wait - I got one better. I will let you take a self guided interpretive stroll through my garden (8 plants) with live animals (1 cat) for $10. Stay as long as you wish.

EDIT EDIT - I'm going to contact them right now and see what they have to say about there obsurd service. I'll keep you posted.

EDIT EDIT EDIT - What would be super funny, is if this guide or site was people from this board. I wonder what Taco is doing for employment these days? Guided trips maybe?

Ask someone on here. BAM. Free guide. Been there done that, I accept beer or high fives as payments. Good thing about our setup here is that you have less of a chance of some douchebag asking you, AW, for example, as a sort of canyoneering guide, since you know the canyons in the SG's very well. People have to post here so you have less of a chance of getting some Fight-On-esque character.

Woo

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I emailed them and got a response via email.

Hilarious. I want to show you all, but am afraid this guy might actually be a part of this group and I actually don't want to embarrass him that bad. I can tell you however that he "supposedly" puts on clinics for REI and he also happens to be an actor and goes by the name of Mr Gray. There guided trips range from easy to tough with 3ft to 1,500ft of elevation gain. All in 2 hours. Wow, not sure if I can get to the 100ft elevation gain in two hours let alone the 1,500ft. I would have to be Superman.

hmmm, so maybe i should start charging?!

Zé wrote:hmmm, so maybe i should start charging?!

How much? See if you are guiding, I got a 50-80lb ice chest with glass bottles and everything for a picnic that I need taken up(and down) to Iron Mtn for the lunch break I also dont like too much sun, so be sure the umbrella stays over me 8)

That first example I actually experienced. Someone had hired a guide for Half Dome and the guide lugged 50+ pounds including wine bottles to be corked on top. He also had reserve waterbottles on ice, some of which were utilized. I estimated his backpack weight at 100+ pounds and he showed no signs of fatigue, even surpassing my pace. He said he was a former Yosemite ranger and the weight was no biggie...and then I saw of course the final ascent, and was like "You are going all the way?" and he was like "Of course"...yikes I only weighed 135 at the time. I recall the one guy paid ..less than $200 I think though...for about 12 hours of work?..hmm...

that site is a joke

wow, his calendar actually has days that are sold out

i'm training on the treadmill with 35 lbs at 25 % grade and 2.5 - 3 mph...50 lbs would make me keel over!

i hiked the inca trail and those porter were carrying over 25 kg....in sandals!!! doing like 5000 ft gain in a day. lol

weight is such a big factor in endurance activity. take

1 - [weight / (weight + bag weight)] * 100%

and you will go this much slower. or in other words, you will burn this % more calories.

when i carry 20 lbs on a hike, it's 1 -[190/(210)] *100% ~ 10%.

before i started weightlifting and all that, i weighed 155. let's take 160 compared to 190

1 -[160/(190)] *100% ~ 16%.

so I'm 16% slower (and burn 16% more calories) than i would be sans the extra mass.

anyways...way off topic

woah, cool beans, that's good to know!

where did you get that info?

AW wrote:

Zé wrote:hmmm, so maybe i should start charging?!

How much? See if you are guiding, I got a 50-80lb ice chest with glass bottles and everything for a picnic that I need taken up(and down) to Iron Mtn for the lunch break I also dont like too much sun, so be sure the umbrella stays over me 8)

That first example I actually experienced. Someone had hired a guide for Half Dome and the guide lugged 50+ pounds including wine bottles to be corked on top.

I had a fishing guide in Canada (Canmore near Banff) that did that. My brother-in-law and I got this guide named "Big Jim" This guy looked alot like Jerimiah Johnson (carried a bag that would make Tiger Woods caddy blush. )full of various rods and gear, as well as our lunch and drinks. We both felt guilty, but he would not let us help him or carry anything. He was a pretty good guide though, and he really put us on the fish. He got a well deserved tip.8)

Ok, EnFuego! Stop it! Those are my hikes!!!

The first hike I take customers to is the Aboretum in Arcadia. Then I really kick it up a notch and take them to the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens in Claremont... on there own (with a map, of course.) If my customers want an advanced hike and truly experience the wilderness (my highest priced guided hike) I take them from the Eaton Dam Nature Center to the base of the horse trail and back. HA! Try to top that!

First hike should be Glendora Mountain from Glendora Mountain Road.

Second hike should be Boulderdash on Baden Powell.

At least that's what I'd do.

Zach wrote:woah, cool beans, that's good to know!

where did you get that info?

Well I just calculated it basically...just based on some physics and energy expenditure, it's a gross and general estimation but works pretty well.

I'm not sure why you all are ragging on this guy. I lead noobs up into the wilderness who otherwise wouldn't go; so does Zé. All this guy is doing differently is charging for it. More power to him if he can get away with it.

Not everyone is as tough and adventurous and he-man like as the members of this board.