Hoping to get out and camp this weekend but my wife is pregnant, so I want to stay within cell range and within an hour or two of Spokane. I was thinking about kayak camping on Bartoo Island - anyone know how the Verizon reception is on the lower half of Priest Lake?
Hey all. Doming the Devil this weekend.
The most recent trail reports I can find are from two weeks ago (on WTA), and both reports indicate enough snow on the NW face of South Jackita to merit spikes. But obviously I would prefer to not bring them just for 100 yards of trail... has anybody been up there in the last two weeks that can comment on that section?
I'll have a single hiking staff, no axe. Never hiked this particular stretch so I don't know how significant the fall / slide exposure is.
You'll be shocked to learn that neither Marblemount nor Winthrop are picking up the phone...
For someone just getting into backpacking, what are the things I will absolutely need, and what can I do without. Is it overkill to pack a tent, sleeping bag, and sleep mat? Or am I better off swapping the mat for an extra towel or blanket?
I have a good list so far but want to see if there’s anything I’m missing out of inexperience. Also any tips on how you like to pack your bag would be helpful as well
Hiked the Chewuch / Cathedral / Tungsten loop on Wednesday via the Cathedral Driveway TH. Road is great, Driveway trail is great, Boundary trail is great, Tungsten Trail is great, first few miles of Chewuch trail are great. There is one creek crossing which required taking my shoes off. However after the Tungsten merger, Chewuch trail becomes an absolute nightmare of downed trees. I’ve hiked 1,000+ miles in the Cascades, and this was the most difficult few miles of trail I’ve ever hiked (was at mile 12 by 10 AM, and only mile 15 by noon). As the trail rises out of the burn zone it improves. On the approach to Cathedral Lakes there is a somewhat exposed snowfield crossing, which I was able to avoid by hiking around it to the North and climbing up a dry scree field instead. Nothing to note on the way back via Tunsgsten. Finished at 10 PM, 34 miles total. No bugs, no bears, no other people. Weather was cold and overcast, it even snowed for about 10 minutes.