Tag Archives: hiking

Red River Gorge Revisited – Kentucky Hiking, Hammock Camping & Backpacking

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Join the crew as we revisit the Red River Gorge for 3 days of hiking, hammock camping and backpacking in Kentucky.

The Red River Gorge a unique Geological Area within Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest.  This area hosts an impressive collection of natural arches (or natural bridges, as they’re often call), spread across some relatively young forest in the hills of eastern Kentucky, about 1 hour shy of Lexington. The Red River Gorge has the highest concentration of rock arches east of the Rock Mountains (over 100). This makes Red River Gorge a visually impressive hiking area, as well as one of the world’s top rock climbing destinations.

This is actually my second exploration of the RRG.  My first backpacking experience here was a solo hammock camping trip in October, a couple of years back.  On that trip, I covered more ground and saw a nice sampling of the area’s more well known arches, but helpful feedback from some of my viewers who were more versed in the area alerted me to the fact that I had missed out on some pretty cool unofficial trails and spots.  In fact, I had walk right by a few of them.  I made a mental note to get back down to the Red River Gorge some day and give it another go.

Finally, the opportunity arose for that trip, and to sweeten the deal, I managed to round up an outdoor posse for this renewed exploration the RRG. This time around, I’ll be joined by my wife as well as my friend Mike and his wife Danielle.  And while my last trip was a 2 day, higher mileage affair, we decided to extend this backpacking trip to 3 days and to drop the mileage back a bit to create a trip with more emphasis on time to relax at camp.  Actually, our night two camp site was one of the very areas that several viewers had suggested I check out on my next visit – an unofficial (but completely legal) camping spot called Hanson’s Point.  The actual point has an amazing view out into the gorge, and the nearby camping opportunities are large, flat, and nicely shaded.

The route we chose for this trip starts out at the same trailhead as my previous Red River Gorge trip video, but shortly after starting, it deviates onto an unofficial spur trail for another viewer suggested feature, called Indian Staircase.  This area offers an impressive view into the gorge as well.  It also boasts a pretty cool feature that gives it it’s name – a series of foot and hand holds carved into it’s sandstone face to assist with traversing it’s steep grade.  As the name would suggest, legend says that local Native Americans originally created these features, but who actually created these carvings remains a mystery and the source of some debate.  Regardless of the true history, it’s a very cool place and well worth checking out.  While I didn’t personally find the route overly steep or exposed, it should be pointed out that this trail could be a bit nerve wracking for some sensitive to heights.  Leaving you pack stashed at the base is certainly helpful and will save you a few ounces of sweat as well.

GPS track data along for each day’s hiking route, along with waypoints for campsites and other points of interest, can be downloaded on my Trip Data page.

Trails Used, in order (with Trail Numbers):

Park at Bison Way Trailhead 37.83685,-83.609546

Day 1
Bison Way Trail 210
Unofficial Spur Trail to Indian Staircase at GPS coordinates
Sheltowee Trace Trail 100
Cross State Road 715 and River via suspension bridge
Rough Trail 221
Set up camp along Chimney Top Creek
Stats for Day: 9.2 Miles ; 1,413 feet of elevation gain
RRGR Elevation Profile Day 1 - Sintax77

Day 2
Rough Trail 221
Hanson’s Point Spur Trail (unoffcial)
Set up near near Hanson’s Point
Stats for Day 2: 3.2 Miles ; 731 feet of elevation gain
RRGR Elevation Profile Day 2 - Sintax77

Day 3
Hanson’s Point Spur Trail (unoffcial)
Rough Trail 221 (short segment towards Sheltowee Tr )
Sheltowee Trace Trail 100
Road Hike along Red River back towards Bison Way parking area.
Stats for Day 3: 5.9 Miles ; 377 feet of elevation gain.
RRGR Elevation Profile Day 3 - Sintax77

Grand Totals for Trip: 18.3 Miles ; 2,521 feet of elevation gain

Renovo Trio – Filter Stages & Replacement Parts Identification

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I misidentified some parts in my Renovo Trio Final Thoughts video, so here’s a proper rundown of the three stages of water filtration.

  • Stage 1: Pre-Filter (paper disc)
  • Stage 2: Renovo Trio UF hollow fiber membrane
  • Stage 3: Renovo Trio Activated carbon tip (replace after 12 months or 1,000 liters)

Renovo Trio Water Filter – Final Thoughts & Detailed Review

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My final thoughts and a detailed look at the pros and cons of the Renovo Trio water filtration system for backpacking and survival situations.

As discussed in the video, the Renovo Trio water filter is a solid and capable system for water filtration while in the field.  Whether or not it’s the best filter for you depends on your personal needs and environment, which we discuss in the video.

It should be noted that this video wasn’t intended to be a “versus” between the Renovo Trio and the Sawyer Squeeze / Sawyer Mini water filter systems, but it would leave a pretty big void if those systems where ignored.  As you’ll see, the Sawyer filters are the most similar, and yet different in many ways, systems to the Renovo Trio.  Ultimately, I would say that if your in the market for either, you’d be cheating yourself not to investigate the merits of both and choose which is right for you.  Hopefully, this video helps make that decision at least a little bit easier for someone out there who’s on the fence.

But hey, even if you could care less about these particular water filters, this video makes for a perfect excuse to nerd out about microns, viruses and bacteria along the way, so at the very least, we’ve got that going for us.

Specs and Water Filter Description as per Manufacturer:

UF Filter Pore Size: .05 Microns
Dimensions: 7.1″ x 1.4″
Weight: 3.5 oz.
Capacity: 1000L
Flow rate:= 200 ml/min

1. Pre-filter:

Similar to a coffee filter, the purpose of the pre-filter is to remove large particulates in the water. This enables the Trio to be used in turbid water sources. This filter element is rated at 5 microns. The Trio comes with 4 replacements of the pre-filter.

2. Renovo Trio UF hollow fiber membrane

The Ultra Filtration (UF) hollow fiber membrane is unique in a couple ways. First, it has a large surface area that enables a high flow rate. Second, the membrane has a smaller pore size than most other hollow fiber membrane filters. When the hollow fiber membrane has reduced flow, simply back flush the filter with clean water and continue use. It is recommended to back flush this element before putting in storage.

3. Renovo Trio Activated carbon tip

The last filter element is a carbon impregnated fiber. To be effective, water must be in contact with the carbon so the carbon can absorb the contaminates. Many water filters use a granular carbon that can develop pathways or channels through the medium which reduces exposure. Block carbon is by far the best method of exposing water to the medium but has a significantly low flow rate. Using a carbon impregnated fiber, the Trio is able to maximize exposure while minimizing the pathways or channels that can develop in other filters.

A note on the Packaging

The innovation does not stop with the filter technology. The Renovo Trio is packaged in a hermetically sealed bag that extends the life of the filter. Activated carbon, when exposed to air can begin the degrade and lose the effectiveness of the medium. Because of the unique packaging of the Trio, it can be stored for many years and retain the effectiveness of the filter. Each replacement filter elements come in a hermetically sealed bag as well.

 

A Taste of the Appalachian Trail – Hiking, Hammock Camping, & Amok Draumr 3.0 Hammock Testing

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Join Sara &  for some backpacking, hiking and hammock camping along the Appalachian Trail in Virginia’s James River Face Wilderness Area.

For this fall backpacking trip we’ll be dipping into the world of the Appalachian Trail while testing out some new hammock camping gear – most notably, the Amok Draumr 3.0 Hammock system.  The Draumr is a rather unique flat hammock that I touched on in a previous blog post and video, ‘Amok Draumr 3.0 – A Super Flat Hammock? – First Look‘.  As discussed in that video, the Draumr works in conjunction with an inflatable sleeping pad to create what is essentially a floating bed.  It can also be used in a chair configuration for lounging at camp.  In addition to testing out the Draumr, I’ll be trying out some whoopie slings rigged up with some Dutch Whoopie Hooks.  The hooks allowed for a really quick and simple way to attach and detach the whoopie slings to my trusty Darien Dream Hammock.

With our shelter and sleeping methods squared away, we were ready for some exploration of the east coast’s most fabled long distance hiking path – the Appalachian Trail, the “AT” as it’s affectionately called by those of us who prefer a nice acronym now and the.  While I’ve incorporated pieces of the AT into many of my trips before, this particular hike seemed to really capture the spirit and flavor of the Appalachian Trail.

James River Face Wilderness - Route Overview - Sintax77

James River Face Wilderness – Route Overview – Sintax77

Along the way, we bumped into and chatted with some friendly southbound Thru-hikers (or “SoBo’s” as they’re commonly called), checked out a classic example of an Appalachian Trail Shelter  (Matt’s Creek Shelter), got some great laughs and stories out of the shelter’s trail journal, and got a healthy dose of rolling ridge line views.  While it was obviously no comparison to the experience of actually being out on the AT for five to seven months over the course of it’s roughly 2,200 miles, it was a great little 2 day crash course of what life might be like for the some of the 12,000 or so alumni who have hiked the Appalachian Trail since it’s inception back in 1937.

Who knows, maybe some day Sara and I will be among those dedicated hikers as well, but for now, the occasional appetizer version is quite tasty too!  Below is are some details on the section that we did.  GPS track data, along with waypoints for our campsite and other points of interest are available for download on our Trip Data Page as well.

Trailhead and Parking: James River Footbridge  N37° 35.819′ W79° 23.474′

The James River Face Wilderness Area is a protected area located within the Jefferson National Forest, about 1 hour north of Roanoke, Virginia.

Route Taken and Trails Used, Day One

  • Access the James River Foot Bridge by heading out of parking lot and passing under the railroad trestle.  SinFact: This is the longest pedestrian ridge on the entire Appalachian Trail
  • Leaving the foot bridge, turn left to continue following the AT along the banks of the river for a while.
  • The trail will eventually turn away from the river and and head deeper into the woods,following along Matt’s Creek.
  • Arrive at Matt’s Creek Shelter for a snack break at the picnic bench, and an entertaining peek at the shelter log.
  • Leaving the shelter, head up the ridge to continue on the Appalachian Trail and get some views of James River, flowing below.
  • 5 miles into the hike there will be a decent lunch spot (marked in my GPS data) with a nice, flat sunny area for lounging before ascending further up the the ridge. This spot was also the last flowing water source we encountered for the rest of the day.  If you plan to camp up on the ridge in the same area that we did, make sure to stock up on enough water for the rest of the day, as well as tomorrow for breakfast and the hike out, to be safe.
  • Continue on the AT until arriving at the three way junction with Balcony Falls Trail and Sulphur Springs Trail.  This is where we departed the AT and headed down the Sulphur Springs trail in search of a campsite for the night.
    • Note: Sulphur Springs trail does not appear to be officially maintained and may be quite grown in and harder to navigate in the summer.
    • Trip variation Option: If you continue on the Appalachian Trail for another half mile you will reach a junction with the Belfast Trail. About a half mile or less down the Belfast Trail is a possible campsite near the intersection with the Gunter Ridge Trail. It’s important to note that I haven’t personally been to this site, so I’m not sure how legit it may be. It’s location is approximated based on comments I’ve seen posted online, combined with topo map data and may not actually be a suitable site. We chose not to venture that way, but from looking at a photo I found online, it looks like a rather flat, alternate site for camping. Approximately a mile beyond Gunter Ridge campsite is the Devil’s Marble yard, a potential side trip that I hear has very nice views.  Nearby is another possible site, marked in my GPS data as well.
  • Continue along the Sulphur Springs trail for a little less than a mile.
  • Camp at either of the site’s listed in my GPS Data.  We chose the smaller spot labeled “JRF CS Night 1” for it’s better views off the ridge for sunset.  On the other side of the trail there is also a larger potential camping area labeled “JRF Hickory Stand CS”.  This spot lacks the views down the ridge, but is larger and offers potentially better wind protection, depending on conditions.

Day 1 Total Mileage:  6.8 Miles
Day 1 Total Elevation Gain:  2,297′

James River Face Wilderness - Day 1 Elevation Profile - Sintax77

Sintax77 – James River Face Wilderness Loop – Day 1 Elevation Profile

Route Taken and Trails Used, Day Two

  • After packing up camp, you have two options. While it’s possible to continue down the meandering Sulphur Springs Trail for a couple until it runs into the AT, we chose instead to immediately start our day back on our old friend, the AT.  This was possible by doing a very small “bushwack” west from the campsite until you run into the adjacent campsite then head south on the AT by turning left.  The campsite is literally right smack between the two trails, so the AT should be super easy to spot.
  • Continue along the AT until you hit the triple junction with Sulphur Springs, the AT and Piney Ridge Trail.
  • Head down the Piney Ridge Trail, towards Hunt Club Road, which will eventually bring you to Rt 501 Lee Jackson Highway.
  • Turn left (north) to do a road hike along Lee Jackson Hwy for a short bit, at which point you have two options:
    • After a mile or so, the Highwater Trailhead (the old AT) will appear on the left side of the road.  The sign will actually be for Matt’s Creek, where we were the day before.  You can take this trail all the way back to the shelter, then backtrack to the parking lot on the AT, the same way you came in on day one.  From trailhead to car looks to be about 4 miles.
    • We chose to make a more expedient route back to the car, by continuing to walk along the road, over the auto bridge’s pedestrian sidewalk.  This route gave us a pretty cool view of the man made waterfall, as well as an alternate view of the rail trestle and footbridge that we had traveled over the previous day.
    • Arrive back at the Jame River Foot Bridge Parking lot and prepare yourself for cheeseburger time.

 Day 2 Total Mileage:  8 Miles
 Day 2 Total Elevation Gain:  486′

James River Face Wilderness - Day 2 Elevation Profile - Sintax77

James River Face Wilderness – Day 2 Elevation Profile – Sintax77

 

Trip Mileage Grand Total:  14.8 Miles
Trip Elevation Gain Grand Total: 2,783′

Notable Gear Used for Sara:
Dream Hammock Darien Ultralight Hammock (see my video on it here) w/ Whoopie Slings Dutch Whoopie Hooks
Hammock Gear Cuben Hex Tarp
Hammock Gear Burrow 20° Top Quilt
Hammock Gear Phoenix 30° Underquilt (3/4 length)
ULA Ohm 2.0 Backpack (See our discussion video on this pack here)
Thorfire BD04 USB rechargeable LED Flashlight
Princeton Tech Byte Headlamp
ThruNight Titanium Keychain LED Flashlight
EMS Knitted Hat

Notable Gear Used for Shawn:
Amok Draumr 3.0 Hammock – See my first look video on it here.
Amok Stock Tarp for use with Draumr Hammock (30D Double Silicone Coated Ripstop Nylon, Fully taped seams, Reflective guy lines)
Hammock Gear Burrow 40° Top Quilt
Hammock Gear Incubator 40° Underquilt w/ Epsilon 1.5 Multicam Fabric (see my video on it here)
EMS Longtrail 70 Backpack (older 2011 model)
4Sevens Preon 2 LED Flashlight
Fenix HL21 Headlamp (watch my review video here)
Generic Canister Stove (watch my review video here)

Sara Goes Hammock Camping …Again! – Hiking & Pancakes in Virginia

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Join Sara and I for some hiking, trail cooking, and backpacking on  a hammock camping trip in Shenandoah National Park.

For this hiking adventure, Sara and I will be revisiting Shenandoah National park for Sara’s second dose of hammock camping out in the wild along with a healthy dose of backcountry cooking and camp food. We did a previous backpacking trip not too far from here in Shenandoah a mere two weeks before, and it went quite well.  It wasn’t, however, exactly the experience that we had set out to do.

You see, for that particular trip, I may have sold it as a rather relaxed excursion.  And depending on your perspective, it very well may have been just that.  But for Sara, who’s most recent backpacking memories prior to that trip were that of a grueling elevation-fest through the White Mountains, it wasn’t quite the reprieve we were looking for.

The required prescription was a high dose of low mileage, potent lounging, and dense pancakes.  Thankfully, the trip seen in this video hit the spot.  Below are some details and trip data for the trip, although there isn’t much of it.  But that’s exactly what we were going for.  Check out my Trip Data Page to get full GPS data for this trip.

Parking:  Meadow Spring Trailhead (Mile 34 on Skyline Drive)
N38° 38.304′ W78° 18.823′

Day 1 Trails Used (in order):
Hazel Mountain Trail
Turn Left on White Rocks Trail
Camp along White Rocks Trail (see my GPS Data for potential campsites on either side of trail)
After setting up camp, take a half mile round trip down to Hazel Falls, for happy hour.

Hazel Falls Day 1 Elevation Profile - Sintax77

Day 1 Stats:
Mileage: 3.2 miles (includes half mile excursion from camp down to Hazel Falls and back)
Gross Elevation Gain: 390′
Gross Elevation Loss: 1,175′

Day 2 Trails Used (in order):
Wake Up, Eat Pancakes (this is important – trip will not work properly without this step!)
White Rocks Trail
Right on Hazel Creek Trail

Hazel Falls Day 2 Elevation Profile - Sintax77

Day 2 Stats:
Mileage: 2.5 miles (not nearly enough to burn off those pancakes, you’re gonna have to go to the gym tomorrow…)
Gross Elevation Gain: 699′
Gross Elevation Loss: 75′

Total Mileage for Trip: 5.7 Miles

Hazel Falls 2 Day Trip Route Overview- Sintax77

Notable Gear Used for Sara:
Dutchware NylonD Hammock with Aluminum Cinch Buckles & Nylon Tree Straps
Hennessy Deluxe Tarp (10′ x 12′ 70D Polyester)
Hammock Gear Burrow 20° Top Quilt
Hammock Gear Incubator 0° Underquilt
Osprey Hornet 46 Backpack (See my Gear List using this pack here)
Thorfire BD04 USB rechargable LED Flashlight
Princeton Tech Byte Headlamp
ThruNight Titanium Keychain LED Flashlight
EMS Knitted Hat

Notable Gear Used for Shawn:
Dream Hammock Darien Ultralight Hammock (see my video on it here)
Hammock Gear Cuben Hex Tarp
Hammock Gear Burrow 40° Top Quilt
Hammock Gear Incubator 40° Underquilt w/ Epsilon 1.5 Multicam Fabric (see my video on it here)
EMS Longtrail 70 Backpack
4Sevens Preon 2 LED Flashlight
Fenix HL21 Headlamp (watch my review video here)
Generic Canister Stove (watch my review video here)
MSR Flex Skillet w/ cheap dollar store utensils for cooking

Notable Backpacking Food for this Trip:
Bisquick Shake ‘n Pour Pancake Mix
Packit Gourmet Dehydrated Maple Syrup and Blueberries
Packit Gourmet Queso Dip with a regular ol’ bag of Tostito’s Scoops (wheat, because we’re obviously healthy and stuff)
Packit Gourmet Texas State Fair Chili (I lost my mind eating this stuff on this winter video, after climbing Mt Washington)

 

Hiking the High Desert – Backpacking in Canyonlands NP

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Join Sara and I in Utah for a little high desert camping, hiking, and backpacking in Canyonlands National Park.

For this adventure, we did a 2 day, 1 night backpacking trip through the Needles District of Utah’s Canyonlands National Park, followed by a little day hike visit to Arches National Park on the way back to Salt Lake City to catch our flight back home.  In fact, this was actually the first trip we’ve ever done via flight instead our usual road warrior routine.  That being said, we still got at least a moderate dose of driving during this trip, as the drive from SLC airport to Moab and Arches NP is about 4 hours.  From there it was another 1.5 hour drive south to the Needles District, the southernmost district in Canyonlands.

Full GPS track data and waypoints for this trip can be found on the Trip Data page.

Canyonlands Lost Canyon Loop Route Overview Sintax77

Here’s an overview of the route, highlighted in pink, that we took clockwise.  As you can see, there are several other trails accessible from Squaw Flat parking lot, creating the potential for larger loop options.

Parking Location:  Squaw Flat Trailhead ‘A’ 38.143017,-109.803700

Day 1 Trails Used (In Order) 

Squaw Canyon Trail
Lost Canyon Trail
Camp at Lost Canyon Campsite 2 (LC2)

Total Mileage: 6 miles
Gross Elevation Gain: 768′
Gross Elevation Loss: 682′

Day 1 Elevation Profile - Lost Canyon Loop

Day 1 Elevation Profile – Lost Canyon Loop

It should be pointed out that campsites in the Needles district are restricted to designated areas only, and must be registered in advance.  This can can be done either online or in person at the visitor’s center and costs $30.  Since I live about 2,000 miles away, and spots tend fill up well in advance, I went the online route.  I reserved my spot about a month in advance and still managed to get the spot I was after, but I could see other areas that were already booked up pretty solid.  When stopped in the visitor’s center on the day of our hike in, we caught a glimpse of the availability board and I was hard pressed to see any open spots, so reserving on the same day in person probably isn’t the best game plan.  The nice thing is, the spots seem to be nicely spread out.  For instance, there were three campsites in the entire Lost Canyon area that we chose to visit, with about a mile of trail in between them.  So, while we did have to be a bit more rigid in our planning than usual, and the $30 fee was definitely the highest I’ve ever paid for backcountry permit, we really did feel like we had a whole canyon to ourselves to call home for the afternoon and night.  The site was also tucked back a decent way off the main trail and situated with an amazing view.  I’m sure all the spots are awesome, but I would highly recommend LC2 to anyone on the fence about where to camp in Canyonlands.  It was a great spot.

Speaking of things that make a campsite great, Lost canyon was one of the few areas in Canyonlands NP I could find in my research that had a high probability of reliable water.  We crossed over several water sources within less that a mile of the campsite, due to the fact that the sites are located in the bottom of a relatively lush canyon within close proximity to the brook that runs though it.  It’s quite a stark contrast to the treeless universe or rock, sand and sun lying only a few hundred feet above.  It also didn’t hurt that the area experience some decent rains and flash flooding several days before.  I tagged a couple of these spots in a GPS file for this trip using my trusty Garmin Oregon 650, but keep in mind that water flow conditions could be much different depending on time of year and amount of recent rainfall.  If you’re planning your own adventure, I would definitely suggest more recent reports and / or just bringing enough water for the duration of your stay.

Day 2 Trails Used (In Order) 

Lost CanyonTrail
Peekaboo Trail
Squaw Canyon Trail
Return to Squaw Flat Trailhead A and parking lot.

Total Mileage: 3.8 miles
Gross Elevation Gain: 427′
Gross Elevation Loss: 440′

Day 2 Elevation Profile - Lost Canyon Loop

Day 2 Elevation Profile – Lost Canyon Loop

I’ll save the full story for the video, but this was truly an amazing trip!  I’ll tell you what though, southern Utah may bitten me and infected me with the desert bug.  Hmmmm, where to next…

Stat Totals for the Full 2 Day Loop

Total Mileage: 9.8 miles
Gross Elevation Gain: 1,195′

Post Hike Burger Joint of Choice
Moab Brewery
686 S Main St, Moab, UT 84532

Annnnnd, for good measure, here’s a gallery of some of Sara’s “VR Panorama” and and regular panorama shots that she had fun playing with using her phone’s camera app.