UL Summer Weekends in yellowstone

Miles,

Looks like a great list. Your base weight is less than half of mine.

I’ve only gotten into the backcountry in Yellowstone twice via canoe–across Lewis Lake, up Lewis River, into Shoshone Lake. There’s not a lot of soft ground because of the altitude constrains both the growing season (thus the production of vegetation) and the weathering of soil (unless you’re in Hayden Valley or few other broad stream valleys, you won’t find much soil that anyone — ignoring the climate — would consider tilling).

With hard ground and my advanced age, I need a thicker sleeping pad. Also, I cringe whenever I use those 0.25-oz Ti stakes in such ground — talk about hand ache, and stomping or hammering them with a rock tends to bend them. Someone here recently offered a brilliant solution — carry one of those 0.5-oz Ti nail stakes to pre-drill holes for the lighter, flimsier stakes. I don’t know if it will be any easier to insert by hand, but it looks to be far more amenable to hammering with a rock.

It’s something close to a mortal sin to visit Yellowstone without fly fishing gear.

Have fun and let us know how your kit works.

Bill

Bill,
Thanks for the comments!

I’m a youngin’ (21), so hard ground isn’t so much of a problem for me. Then again, I am a side sleeper, have no natural padding, and have never dealt with ground as hard as Yellowstone’s, so I’ll make sure to keep your comment in mind when packing. I have a BigAgnes Insulated AirCore 72″ mummy inflatable pad that I usually leave home because of the weight, but I’ll be sure to put it in the car in case that ground is just too damn hard and I need to switch it into my kit.

As for driving the stakes, this is something that I hadn’t thought of, and I’m very glad that you mentioned it. Two of the stakes I’ll be bringing are 6″ aluminum nails (Easton brand) — do you think those would work pretty well for pre-drilling?

I’ve never fly fished and don’t have any gear, but your comment has gotten me thinking about how fun it would be to give it a try. My girlfriend’s Dad is an avid fly fisherman, so maybe he can give me some lessons and extra gear he has laying around before I drive up to Gardiner.

Miles,

I reckoned you were a young buck.

I would assume that an Al nail would work just as well as a Ti nail. I haven’t laid my hands on either one and tried it yet, but the last time I pitched my tarp last fall I found myself (sacriligiously) pondering whether it would be worthwhile to start carrying a tent stake mallet. The fellow who recommended the Ti nail made it sound like it works well. I sure hope it does.

If your girlfriend is a keeper, it wouldn’t hurt to bond with her dad. If he’s a typical fly fisherman, he understands that God invented the art. There’s no better way to bond than through a shared spiritual experience. Warning–if you get into it, fly fishing could intrude upon your backpacking plans. But, you can always combine the two activities.

Bill

Bill,
She is definitely a keeper (we’ll have been together 4 years in just a few weeks), and I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with her dad learning a new art. Thanks for the encouragement.

I added an Outdoor Research Headnet at 2.2oz. I won’t bring it on every trip, but when the bugs are full force, I think I’ll be very glad to have it.

I also changed out the Tyvek jacket for a Gossamer Gear Micropore jacket for a 1.5oz increase. It’s more reliably waterproof and has a hood, so it’ll be a potentially warmer windshirt, and I’ll be able to count on it if I need to get out in the rain once my Gatewood is already set up.