BPLers Gathering of Gear Geeks: Point Reyes, California January 24th & 25th 2010
Palomarin Trailhead 5.5 miles to Wild Cat Camp.
6.5 miles from Wild Cat Camp to Bear Valley Vistor’s Center
3 to 2 Days of Gear, Beer, and Banter
Night Time Temperatures: 40 Degrees F, little breeze, light and sporadic showers.
Day Time Temperatures: Cool at maybe 55 Degrees F, Rain, Cloudy, and Sunny.
Link for map: http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/maps.htm
The UL Backpacking Gods were smiling upon us. After a solid week of rain, we managed to get some great weather that fit in nicely from Saturday and Sunday. Despite some light rains on Saturday night, we could not have asked for better.
Late to the Show & Hitting the Trail Fast at Palomarin Trailhead.
Jay, Jeremy, Cameron, and Tony Carpooled together from the East Bay and arrived at 2:10 PM on Saturday the 23rd. Others had arrived as early as Friday the 22nd.
Full Parking Lot.
Moving Quickly on Muddy Trails.
It has been raining the entire week before this trip, so the trails were muddy in certain sections.
BPL Boy Cameron.
Cameron is sporting the BPL Thorofare Pants and BPL UL Marino Wool Hoody.
Trail Full of Day Hikers.
With the good weather, the hoards of unwashed masses descended from the nearby cities to enjoy the views.
Sunny View of the Hills and Waves.
Band of BPL Brothers Sharing the UL Sickness.
Most common response to telling people that we were going backpacking this weekend, “You are doing what in the rain?”
One of Two or Three Ponds on the Way In.
Its Not About the Man, it is What His Pack is Made Of.
Blue Pack is Cameron’s Gossamer Gear Mariposa.
In the Back is Jay with his Golite Jam.
Upfront and Left is Jeremy with his Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus.
Do I Smell Silnylon?
First View of the Campsite. We knew where the go simply by looking for the familiar gray of the silnylon shelters.
Casey with Handfuls of Ash from Clean out the BBQ.
Casey was generous enough to haul in 8 lbs of charcoal to help keep us warm tonight.
To Casey’s left is Emily, his wife. Ken T. is to the right of the grill and Katharina is sitting down, tending to her stove.
Lisa and her MSR Titan Kettle
Montbell Thermawrap Parka.
Katharina’s Swiss Army Gasoline Stove
Katharina is using a Montbell 600 mug
Left to right: Richard, Mark, Dave L. (background), Sheila, Cameron, Jay, Ken H.
Rob’s Cuben MLD Grace Solo Tarp & Soulite Bivy with Cuben Bottom and Momentum Top.
Ken H.’s Ken’s Tarptent Virga.
Golite Jam2 Pack, UrSack, and Platypus Water Bottle.
David’s Tarptent Contrail?
Lisa’s Tarp & Bivy.
Marmot Helium 15F Sleeping Bag 1 lb 13 oz.
Tyvek Ground Sheet.
Richard’s Coleman tent that Tim Marshall remade in lighter materials
Mark’s Shelter: What Everyone is Excited About.
Hexamid, made by Zpacks.
Neo Air, What Sleeping Bag, and Ground Sheet?
Hexamid, made by Zpacks.
Hexamid, made by Zpacks.
Hexamid, made by Zpacks.
Hexamid, made by Zpacks.
Kevin’s 5 Year Old Son, Ryan
Kevin wrote after getting home:
Just got home around 8 pm we left the trail head at 2 pm
and stopped in some highway town for dinner trip meter shows 310 miles from trail head to my front door well garage anyway. Total driving mileage was 627 miles round trip.
Josh’s Terra Nova Laser Photon.
Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid in Cuben.
Thermarest Neo Air Sleeping Air Mattress.
David L. borrowed this from Mark V.
Jack’s Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo with Cocoon pillow, Marmot Atom sleeping bag, Neo Air pad, and the new GooseFeet booties.
Ken’s Tarptent Double Rainbow & Home Make Hiking Poles.
Ken Thompson with his home make hiking poles, using carbon fiber golf club shafts and fishing pole handles.
Kevin’s Montbell Cresent 2 Tent
Provided Food Storage Boxes with Ken H. in Red Jacket.
Happiness is a Charcoal Fire.
With Casey, Jeremy, Cameron, and Tony Collectively Carrying in about 25 lbs of charcoal, we had warmth well past midnight. Many of us huddled around it in the dark to warm our hands and simply to cut the chill from the air.
Left to Right: Emily, Ken T., Casey, and Ken H.
Good People, Food, and Drink to Share.
Human Females on the Trail are a Reality, not a UL Myth.
On the Table is a Caldera Cone and Jet Boil Canister Stove.
Left to Right: Jesse H, Jeremy, Cameron, Lisa, Josh, Jay, Marsha(Plus-one), Sheila(Details), and Mark V in Brown
Trekking Pole Tripod
Jesse H Using a Real Camera
Home Made Wood Burning Stoves.
Left: David L’s Home Make Wood Burning Stove Using an Ikea Candle Holder with holes cut into the side to allow for feeding in wood.
Scott’s home made bushbuddy
What is Cooking on the BBQ?
Emily & Casey Brought Shrimp, which they generously shared.
Think the hot dogs were Katharine’s.
Charcoal, it is UL- Dual Usage: Cooking and Keeping Warm.
Houston We Have Ignition!
Caldera Volcano
When You Cry Over Spilled Alcohol
Partially Melted Caldera Cone
Emily Roasting a Marshmallow By Jack’s Headlamp
Tony Putting Rain Gear on Under His MLD Poncho Tarp
Mountain Laurel Design Soul Side Zip Bivy with eVent Top.
Sheila & Marsha Making a Hot Drink
Jeremy- Yellow Teletubby sporting 10 oz. O2 Rain Suit
Left in Blue, Ken H. and Lane with Black Jacket.
Kevin in Red (???), Jesse H. in Black, and Josh in Yellow.
Master of Ceremony, Ken H.
Jesse, Ken T., and Josh
An Array of Colors in the Darkness
Left to Right: Jeremy, Jack, Kevin, & Richard.
Another Shot of the Hexamid
Rob’s Cuben Tarp Handles the Rain Fine with a Low End Pitch
Rob: Alternative Way to Pitch the Back End from Ron at MLD
Accidentally Disturbing Lisa
Cuben MLD DuoMid in the Rain
Rain, it’s All Good
Richard G. & Jesse H.
EJ Gives A Token of Gratitude to Ken H. & Ken T.
Who is This???
The Gathering 1
The Gathering 2
Celebrating Ken H.
The Gathering 3
EJ, Lane, Josh, & Jack
Finding Shelter Where You Can
Pair of Umbrellas
Richard, Jesse, & Ken
Cameron’s MLD DuoMid
MLD Poncho Tarps and MLD Bivies
Lisa Packing it Up
Her First Night Using the GG Torso Pad and 1/4 Inch Thinlight Pad
UL Tent City
Morning Rob
Hilleberg Tent
Jay’s GoLite Hex
Mark & His Hexamid & GG Gorilla Pack
Marcia & Sheila in the Morning
Katharina Packing it Up
Lisa & Her Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus
David Staying Warm in the Morning
Cooking Breakfast on a Cool, Gray Morning.
People Headed Out Fairly Quick on Sunday Morning in an attempt to beat the rain that threatened to come in. In fact, for our group hiking out, shortly after getting to Jay’s truck, it started to rain.
Rob with the Lightest Pack
I believe that Rob had a 5 lbs SUL Base Weight
Lisa Heads Out
Ken H with Golite Jam2
Rob & Lisa Moving Out
Back View of Lisa’s GG Mariposa Plus
Katharina & Tony
Morning Chatter Before Heading Out
Grey Morning Along the Coast
Sharing Lunch Outside of Pointe Reyes
It Always Ends with a Beer
An Amazing Turn Out this Year.
More than Double the People from 2009.
This year we had a co-ed group, couples, a father with his 5 year old son!
They came from as far as the Northern Boarder of California near Oregon and 310 Miles away to the Southern part of California.
Special Thanks to Ken H. & Ken T. for making this happen this year and to everyone who came out to brave the bad weather. Looking forward to the next trip together!
-Tony
Other photo essays by Tony:
BPLer’s GGG: Point Reyes, CA. 2nd Annual Trip
BPLer’s GGG: San Francisco Bay Area, CA.; Mt. Diablo
BPLer’s GGG: Yosemite: Hetch Hetchy Resevior to Rancheria Falls
High Sierra trail to Mt. Whitney
Yosemite: Glacier Point to Red Peak Pass to Lake Merced
Yosemite in Winter: Crocker Point & Dewey Point
Josh taking a photo at the arch
Jesse and Richard powering up a climb
Lane taking in the view
Arrived at campsite!
