I will be going backpacking in Joshua Tree for the weekend. It is expected to be very cold and rainy, even snowing. That would be the first time I have ever seen snow. We we will hike in about 5 miles, make camp, and sleep. The next day, hike another 10, then rest, and eat, then come back, make camp at dark, sleep. Then we hike the remainder back to the beginning. Much fun! Lots of pictures coming.

Thank God for gortext jackets and wool socks.

Anyone else do any outdoors activities?

What is this "outdoors" you speak of?

No.

I love backpacking. 10 miles isn't so far that it'll be dark when you get into camp. You just have to start out early. Layered clothing is a must, and make sure you don't set up your tent where the water will pool underneath it. Waking up in wet tents sucks.

Sounds cool. I need to get out into the wilderness more.

Pardon my ignorance, but where is Joshua Tree exactly?

At the music store.

South East California

I do the Duke Of Edinburgh thing through the school. There technically I hike a crapload at weekends.

I climbed the High Atlas Mountains in North Africa a few years ago and i'm in the university rowing team.

I also windsurf when I can, mostly during the summer as throughout the rest of the year I'm in london and I've got no where to store my board and sail

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BACKPACKING OWNS!!!
Yes, it is so cool. I like elevation.

YAY! U2 wins!

[QUOTE=Double Helix]
Yes, it is so cool. I like elevation.[/QUOTE]

lol, I live at 5000 feet above sea level.

Oh man, Backpacking is awesome.

I've always wanted to do it across Europe or somewhere warm, like Africa.

I backpack a lot and i have been to Joshua Tree. Sounds fun, but cold. Don't worry ten miles is not that long, i did 16 mile in a day once. God my legs hurt after that.

In the summer I have some great spots for anyone in cali to backpack. This summer i am going to go to the brooks mounatin range in alaska for two weeks with a sierra club expitition. I think it will e a little over 100 miles. I plan to loose 20 pounds. :p

That sounds like an awesome trip. I've done some 60 milers in Northern New Mexico that were really sweet. Been and over the Sierras too. Beautiful country.

Cold? Unless it differs from what Weather.com states, it's nothing short of balmy.. :p

Averages & Records
Mar. Average High: 75°F
Mar. Average Low: 43°F

Except it's really cold and rainy in Ca. right now. It snowed in Monterey (it's on the coast, at sea level) this morning.

Yeah, its wierd. When I am at like 7000 feet, I feel like I breath better. I know that this is not true, but when I come off the mountain back to our cars every time we go backpacking... I get stuffy and hot and I feel that way for a couple days. I have no problems making the transition up. I guess I have good lungs because I seem to have a lot of stamina up there still, while most people around me don't have as much. Its amazing, though, backpacking is. I absolutely love it. It sometime seems like it totally sucks while you're there, but then again, as the saying goes, adventures suck while you're having them. But putting the blisters and weariness aside my backpacking adventures have been some of the best times of my life.
EDIT: On the topic of walking far (he he), Its allways good to be planning 8 miles in a day, then missing the trail and going another four miles out of the way, coming back, and then continuing on to camp. At least it was a nice day and we had a nice view...

Yeah it's kind of cool, after awhile of living really high, I went to visit Disneyland, and I could just sprint and sprint and not get tired until after a much longer time than usuall.

I've never really backpacked much, but I love mountains. I go climbing (when I can) and skiing.

I love the outdoors.
I hike, climb, mountain bike and kayak.

Last November we had the bright idea of trying to do this walk in winter conditions in one day. We started at first light, but the conditions were horrible; loads of spindrift and low visibility. After I slipped in the snow and fell through the ice on a small lake and got soaked from the waist down we called it a day and came down in the dark. Still, we managed most of it!

Also went hiking in Snowdonia last weekend. Deep snow, a lot of ice and clear skies so it was a lot of fun. Even used an ice axe for the first time, needing it when sliding down some sketchy bits.

I'd love to go to some mountains abroad, both for the sense of wilderness (you're never far from a road in the UK) and because there's barely anything over 3000 feet here! Climbing wooded mountains would also be a pleasant change from windswept moor and rock too!

I went on a canoe trip once. Jumped off of stupidly high cliffs into water, swam and went through as stupid swap. There was no internet! Gah!


[QUOTE=Double Helix]Yeah, its wierd. When I am at like 7000 feet, I feel like I breath better. I know that this is not true, but when I come off the mountain back to our cars every time we go backpacking... I get stuffy and hot and I feel that way for a couple days. I have no problems making the transition up. I guess I have good lungs because I seem to have a lot of stamina up there still, while most people around me don't have as much. [/QUOTE]

High altitudes give me much more energy for shorter periods of time.

I'm a summer camp counselor, so thats being outside all summer long. The job truly rocks. I just leaned how to roll a kayack last summer, and am gonna try to do some more with that this summer. Also, hiking trips rock. Technology and the real world are okay, but you need some time out in the wilderness every once in a while to recharge your emotional batteries. There's no email or appointments or anything else, just moving, eating, sleeping, and enjoying yourself along the way.

Kinky, pleasure in the woods. Jess and I'll have to try that sometimes. <.<

In all seriousness, I'm a kayak lover also. I try to do it as often as I can in the summer, albeit last summer ended abruptly after an incident with me and a waterfall and a broken kayak. I shall buy a new one come spring.

[QUOTE=Double Helix]YAY! U2 wins![/QUOTE]


Too bad that was the only good album they did.

Well, our grand total for the 3 days was a whopping 22 miles :\

We arrived very late the first evening. It was quite cold (11F, don't know C, sorry but it is well below freezing). There was a very light snow falling, but it wasn't sticking. It's not a big deal to most people, but it was the very first time I had ever seen snow falling. It was very unusual. It is very unfortunate to have snow, though, when one has to sleep in it. We set up tents and things at dark, then cooked a quick "fire stew" meal. It consists of meat, potatoes, and carrots, onions and peppers rolled up in foil, then tossed into the embers of a fire for about 20 minutes. After dinner we had a bit of horseplay, then went to bed.

That night there was a lot of strong heavy wind, and a good bit of snow. When we woke up, the desert we fell asleep in turned into a snowfield. It was quite a graphic change. We had some oatmeal (porridge) for breakfast, then left camp on our adventures. We knew were going to come back the same way, so we just left everything--travel light, I say. Had some fun hiking in the snow, then came back for lunch. A bit of snow fun and some more minor hikes before nightfall, then some beans and chili and off to bed.

That night, the wind was extremely strong and loud--55mph+. It was so heavy, that when the wind whipped the rain fly, it sounded as if someone was outside hitting the tent with branches or sticks. One of our tents lost the fly, and I had to chase it about 30 yards in my skivvies. When we woke up, the sky was perfectly clear, and most of the snow was gone as quickly as it came. It was odd to see no snow, then tons of snow, then snow again, in two nights/three days. We broke camp, and cleaned up. We had a bit of fun climbing about on all the rock sturctures. Some where quite high, We jumped and climbed for while before getting tired and scraped up (and numb in our fingers), so we rested for a while and hiked back to our cars. A great time was had by all. We're going again when it's not freezing.

[Oh yeah, that weather.com prediction was bull****. 45F low my ***. It was 45F at warmest, maybe, during daylight on the warmest day inside the tents. I'd guess average was around 25F. The wind didn't help any, either. It's usually a hot desert, but this time it snowed. Then ranger said it snows every 8-10 years, and we got lucky we got to see it.]

I have lots of picture, but these are the better ones. Attempted to put them in chronological order.





Home sweet home:

Beautiful scenery.

Yeah. Nice shots.

It doesn't snow in Monterey, just on the hills around it.

Exactly what I thought when I saw them.

I haven't had time to do any backpacking trips since I started college but I had quite a few awesome trips back in high school. I backpacked a couple trips in the mountains and I took a kayaking trip in the floriad keys a couple years ago. I miss doing that...

that's awesome ]-[!! i can't stop thinking about camping this year.