My first UL solo overnighter

Awesome Matthew. I can't believe you made that quilt before your first solo trip! The duomid looks very cool too. Thanks for the great pics…. =-)

Thanks Ashley. Here's the thread to the quilt in case you haven't seen it yet.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=21087&skip_to_post=169191#169191

Wow! Really nice trip report and I particularly enjoyed the goat set. This is your first UL trip? Crazy. You had me fooled, it appears you are a seasoned ULer. Thanks for sharing.

Duomid, quilt, long handled ti spoon…great gear choices. If that is a bag of peanut m&m's I see, I'd swear we have the same kit!
Nice pics by the way, you've got to be an animal lover to take all those goat shots. Sometimes, when I'm in camp and something stops by for a visit, I just sit and watch it for hours, even if it's a squirrel!
You know, if you had the TiGoat poles, you could have probably sold one of those photos to them. ;)

Looks like a great trip.

Thanks guys. Nope no peanut m&m's just some trail mix with fruit added.

LOL. I guess it is a lot of goat pics. Photos never do wide open areas justice but throw a mountain goat in their and you've got a winner.

Almost wish they were TiGoat poles in the pic. Maybe a trade for a Ti-Tri would be in order.

Nice Trip. I really like the running goat picture too. The gear pics are nice and informative too. It's one thing to look at a spreadsheet, another to see how it looks all laid out. I'll have to start including a 'gear layout' in my trip reports.

How did the LT4's perform? What kind of winds were you shedding in the Duomid? It's under serious consideration for my winter tent.

Matthew,

Great trip report. Like the others I really like the goat pics, too. Also, great choice for a camp site… Really beautiful.

Thanks,

Kendall

Thanks Kendall. I see your from Southern California. I'm getting stationed in Camp Pendleton this December so I'll have to get some trip suggestions from you when the time comes.

Marmot pass in the north cascades is snow free? That's good news, I'll have to find out where it's at in a guidebook somewhere. You going to Camp Pendelton as a corpsman, marine or for the navy landing crew down there?

Being a Corpsman I had a hard time putting together a first aid kit that would fit inside my Ion. I did make a special pocket for it under the lid to make it quickly accessible tho. I can't wait to go down there. Sometimes this PNW weather is a little frustrating.

Hey Matthew,

There's lots of great trails here in California. BTW, I was on the USS Roanoke from 1981-1982 and then at NavFac CVB in Northern California from 1982-1985. Let's keep in touch. I'm planning my first solo UL trip for July maybe, but hopefully not as late as August. Send me a PM anytime.

Also keep in mind Matt, that alot of us meet up for hikes within California too. Sometimes our Southern CA friends come up and join us

I think this particular Marmot Pass is in the Olympics.

Still, I was up there 2 years ago at the same time of year, and where Matt was camped was a snowfield, so that is good news

Sounds good Kendall. I plan on exploring most of California from lake tahoe down. On the drive down I-5 I want to check out Redwood NP. Are there any other must see areas of California north of tahoe because after I come down through that area I probably won't ever go back?

Ha. I just got a FB update from Gossamer Gear with your picture of the LT4s & goat. Nice.

Matthew,

I'm pretty new to this sport. Most of the hikes I've found are on Backpacker Magazine's website and a couple of books I got off Amazon. The other people on THIS site know alot cooler hikes than I do. And, Ken is right. Lots of times the Northern California hikers will post a trip announcement when they're looking for hiking partners. We could definitely go on a hike when you get down here.

Ken,

I've been tempted to go with you guys sometime, but my schedule always seems to get in the way. Is that an open invitation? I'd like to go with you guys sometime.

I sent some pics to GG and MLD. Hopefully I'll see them on their sites.

Cool hike. That is some serious vertical for an overnight. Oh, to be young again. Or in shape. Or both.

>> I plan on exploring most of California from lake tahoe down.

Tne state is bigger than you think! :)

Its nice and steady most of the way except the 35-40 degree climb at base of buckhorn mtn. It was slow going for both me and the goat.

It is a huge state. I guess I mean most of the NP and NF.

I enjoyed your pics. Always amazing to connect with some wildlife, especially on solo trips.

Redwood NP is not on I-5. It's on the coast. If you take I-5, you could go through Lassen. A lot less steep than the Sierra, but many pretty lakes and lots of good day hikes if you don't have time to backpack on the way down. Try the hikes out of the Summit Lake trailhead down toward Snag Lake and/or up to Cinder Cone through the painted desert for some cool volcanic views. Cinder Cone is accessible from Butte Lake I think also (that is probably the closest trailhead.)

I used to live in Southern California (now in Nor Cal). There are lots of great hikes in So Cal. Places for you to check out: Mt. San Gorgonio area of San Bernardino Mountains, Mt. San Jacinto area, San Gabriel Mountains (Angeles National Forest) – lots of great day hikes plus some pretty solid backpacks that can be more remote than you would expect so close to a metropolis, Joshua Tree (mostly day hikes, but I've done some backpacking there too), and best of all is that you are not that far from the South Eastern High Sierra. Head up to Lone Pine and up to the Golden Trout Wilderness or points north for all the passes that access some of the most beautiful hiking I know.

Edit: I should mention that if you have not seen Redwoods and you are thinking of taking the coast for that experience, by all means go for it.

Thanks for the suggestions Jeremy. 11,000 foot mountains only a couple hours from where I'll probably be living. Nice.

Mr. Goat is now the featured picture on gossamergear.com