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5th Annual Gathering of Gear Geeks 2013: Henry Coe State Park, California


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  • #1298515
    Tony Wong
    BPL Member

    @valshar

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    BPLers Gathering of Gear Geeks: Henry Coe State Park January 25-27th, 2013

    Corral Trail Head to Manzanita Point Group Campsites 2.7 Miles Approx.

    Manzanita Point Camptsite Elevation 2,270 Ft.

    Daytime Temps: 60F to 50F

    Evening Temps: 45 to 31F

    50-60 Came Out into the Cold

    Website: Henry Coe State Park

    Overflow Parking Lot

    Henry Coe Overflow Parking Lot
    The only place you want to hide 75 gear freaks and keep them away from the paying public. $8 per day to park. Parking lot is located below the Park Headquarters, which requires you to drive up to get your permit and then drive back down to the overflow parking lot.

    Show me a sign

    Show me a sign to put me on the path to Gear Geekdom
    Ken was great in thinking ahead and planning out this event.
    There is a short and relatively flat half a mile trail that takes you directly to the park's visitor trail. Thus avoiding taking the steep road back and avoiding the chance of becoming street pizza with the traffic.

    Short & Easy Walk

    Short and Easy Walk

    Visitor Center

    Visitor's Center
    The trail from the overflow parking lot conveniently takes you from the back of the building, right by the office's front door, and ends at the trail head.

    Trail Head

    Trail Head
    Upon arriving to the visitor's center we quickly spotted Ken's White VW Van at one of the car camping sites. There we met David Gardner of GOLD Gear who had been waiting for about an hour in the hopes of catching Ken to have a couple boxes of his products driven into the campsite with the two support vehicles that the park allowed to be driven into the campsites. We later found out from the Rangers that Ken had already gone to the group sites earlier in another vehicle.

    HIking In

    Hiking In 2

    Hiking In

    Heading over to the fire road

    Heading over to the fire road

    Lucky Rainbow and Weather

    Lucky Rainbow and Weather
    Despite weather forecast of a 20-30% chance of rain, we only had two moments of light sprinkles that lasted no more than 20 minutes, which did not even require rain gear to be pulled out.

    Bike Your Own Hike In

    Bike Your Own Hike In
    We had a number of people bike into camp this year. Was fun to see the variety of bikes used by people to get out on the trail.

    Almost There

    Almost There
    After an easy hike across open expanses of rolling hills and gnarled oak trees, we knew we were getting close to the group campsites.

    Another Sign from Ken

    Another Sign From Ken
    These signs were great because these sites were closer to the trail head than the ones we had used last year and had much better restrooms. However, next time it would be a good idea to hang a few glow sticks from the sign. Throughout the evening up til about 1:30 am we had people arriving. Rumor is that a few people accidentally ended up camping Friday night at the site we had used last year.

    Ken's Onsite GGG Visitor's Center

    Ken's Onsite GGG Visitor's Center
    Over the past two years, Ken really has figured out how to organized these events and to execute them smoothly, making them a joy to attend, and appealing to a wider and wider group of people.

    A Place for Everyone to Enjoy

    A Place for Everyone to Enjoy
    Thoughtful planning helps. However, given that people knew that this was going to be a family friendly event, there was very little need for the separation of groups. There were no problems at all with drinking or smoking. Frankly, I hardly saw much of either and what was there was discreet and respectful of others.

    Lee of Trail Designs, Coolest Campsite to Hang Out At

    Lee of Trail Designs, Coolest Campsite to Hang Out At
    Battery Operated LED lights giving off more light than a raging campfire, Handing Out Boiling Hot Water out to anyone wanting some from his Tri-Ti Inferno wood burning stove that he was running all night long, music from his iPhone and portable speakers, and friend and intelligent conversations to offer anyone passing by. What is not to love???

    Lee Demonstrating Alcohol Stove & Simmering Ring

    Lee Demonstrating Alcohol Stove & Simmering Ring
    Maybe the simmering ring was a new product that will be released or simply a prototype, I was not sure and I failed to get a photo of it while it was out briefly. A simple metal ring that is placed over their Aluminum 12-10 alcohol stove that covered the air intake holes on the side of the stove to create the ability to simmer food. Ingeniously simple and effective, like their Caldera Cone.

    Trail Designs Caldera Cone

    Lee Hold Court

    Lee Holding Court Through the Night
    Through out the night there was a steady stream of visitors to Lee's campsite. Some were merely curious to see the Caldera Cone for the first time, others asked questions about how their stoves worked, and most simply enjoyed the company and casual conversations he had to offer.

    Keegan Gets Some BushCraft Instruction

    Keegan Gets Some BushCraft Instruction from Justin

    Keegan, who is 10 yrs old, was having the time of his young life, all due to the efforts of Justin, who is to the right. He took the time to use an axe that was laying next to the pile of firewood that Marc E. had trucked for the GGG and chopped a bunch of logs into kindling wood so that Keegan could learn how to start up a fire. Keegan was a creative ball of energy and excitement to which Justin patiently and enthusiastically catered to.

    Keegan's Camp G.G.

    Keegan's Camp G.G.
    Keegan marveling at his personal campfire that had been made for him suddenly declared that this would be henceforth be called Camp G.G., in honor of his deceased great grandfather. Keegan asked Justin to cut him a flat slab of wood with the axe so that he could make a sign to let others know the name of his newly christened campsite, which he gladly did. (No small task to swing an axe in the dark with only a headlight to guide your blade). The woman in the blue jacket, Sharon, helped Keegan by burning a small stick, which became his charcoal pen to write the name of his campsite onto the flat slab of wood that Justin had cut. Well, in this case, Keegan dictated what he wanted his sign to say and Sharon wrote it out for him.

    Sharon by the Fire

    Sharon and Justin enjoying the warm glow of Camp G.G.
    Keegan's mug of water boils up a nice cup of hot chocolate at the edge of the fire, which he generously offered to share with those by the fire.

    The night continued on with perhaps 20-30 of us there that evening enjoying the warm glow of the fire and the pale light of a full moon overhead. Soft gust of winds blew white wispy clouds across the night sky and pushed us closer together around the fire as we made new friends and swapped stories of adventures past with old friends. Steadily over the hours there was a trickle of people arriving to camp having walked in the light of the full moon, which outlined the trail and the trees all around us.
    Long after the fire and conversations faded away, people drifted into camp til about 1:30 to 2:00 AM.

    Ken is Early to Rise to Make Coffee

    Ken and Coffee

    Ken is Early to Rise on Saturday Morning to Make Coffee

    Ken Filling Up Water Jugs for Everyone to Use

    Ken Filling Up Water Jugs for Everyone to Use
    After Ken, Marc E. is probably the second most important to the success of GGG being held at Henry Coe State Park. The campsites here are dry and require everyone to haul in their own water. However, this year and for years past, Marc has volunteered to bring in his truck with a 50 gallon water bladder and all the fire wood we can burn for the whole weekend. Despite Ken's best efforts to compensate Marc for his time and efforts, Marc has graciously refused anything in return for his contributions to the GGG.

    Blue Water Jugs for Everyone

    Blue Water Jugs for Everyone
    Jacob D of Hike It. Like it and Linda V. having breakfast

    Ken has purchased a number of these blue water jugs, which he has placed all around the campsites so that people have easy access to water for drinking, cooking, and washing. He has also provided the water jugs to refill the blue water tanks, when they go dry.

    Rise and Shine

    Rise and Shine, Kevin pokes his head out to greet the morning

    Lovely Morning Sun

    Love Morning Sun with Breakfast

    UL Bandits

    UL Bandits Jack and George- Here to Rob You of Your Cuben Fiber Goods
    George is wearing a JacksRBetter Sierra Sniveler, which he has modified to allow for a tighter and neater fit around his body. See the white stitching on the front of the quilt, which he has added.

    Jane Hiking in the Fog

    Jane Hiking in the Fog
    After a leisurely Breakfast and start to the morning, Ken and I headed out to the parking lot to shuttle people and any gear or supplies that people wanted to be driven into camp in Ken's van. We detoured over to the campsites that we used last year to see if anyone had spent the night there and needed to be directed to the current site. Luckily no one was there and we turned around to hike out to the parking lot. Along the way, David Gardener from GOLD Gear caught up with us for the hike out. As we hiked into the fog, down a hill we saw the familiar sight of Jane making her way towards us. Jane is always a pleasure to be around with her enthusiastic smile and warm demeanor. We have had the pleasure her to see her Lightweight evolution over the past few years. To think that she had never been backpacking before making it out to the GGG and look where she is now! Truly an inspiration for us all to strive to be out on the trail as we gracefully get older and wiser.

    Ghostly World

    Ghostly World

    Ken and David Walking Out To The Parking Lot

    Ken and David Walking Out To The Parking Lot
    As we made it to the end of the fire road, a large black Mercedes van had just been let through the locked gate and was slowly driving towards us. At the wheel was Ron Moak from Six Moon Designs making his way to the group campsite. Ken said hello to Ron and thanked him for taking the time to come out to visit with everyone. A few more words were exchanged and we headed out the parking lot and Ron headed down the fire road to the campsites. Ken had collected a few car keys from people in camp in the morning and we drove down to the overflow parking lot to load up on gear and supplies. David Gardner had a few boxes of products that he wanted bought in, Hikin Jim had one or two boxes of stoves, and we managed to pick up Josh and his friend on the ride back.

    Ron and Brian

    Ron Moak from Six Moon Designs and Brian Frankle, founder of ULA Backpacks, in Blue Jacket

    Making a Major Announcement

    Making a Major Announcement to the World of Gear Geeks
    Brian Frankle comes out of retirement to join Ron at Six Moon Designs to Develop a New and Innovative line of Backpacks for the Lightweight Market

    In a very casual and informal manner Ron recounted the story about how he approached Brian, the retired and formal owner of ULA, five months ago to "come out of deep retirement to take a fresh new look and a different angle to light weight packs to produce something people had not seen before." Over the past five months they had worked together to come up with some new ideas for backpacks, but were quite a long way from production and bringing out a new product.

    Ron then announced that they would like to take groups of about five people into the van to participate in a 30-40 presentation that outlined their ideas and concepts of what they wanted to achieve, to explain where they are now, and to show their prototype packs to get feedback from them. A non disclosure form that participants were required to sign was a prerequisite for being allow into the van.

    Brian then interjected that they were especially interested in getting feedback from women who were "notoriously" difficult to be properly fit in a backpack.

    Brian then recounted a conversation that he had with a friend who felt that the light weight pack market had stagnated. Brian stated that he had not been keeping up with what was going on in the light weight market and that he had been burnt out due to the demands of manufacturing and "the business". Brian's friend said it would be great if he came back out of retirement. To which Brian replied, "The only way he would come back is if Ron Moak from Six Moons Design would talk to him."

    Brian explained his reason for this, "Six Moon Designs is also willing to take risk, to try new stuff, and not be scared of consequences." This was exciting to him from a design perspective. Knowing that "Ron is willing to try something new and knowing that his contribution will have immediate impact."

    Brian then commented with no disrespect to other manufactures that he felt that we in the lightweight community were being under served and that he was not seeing innovation in the market (for backpacks).

    I asked him if he was talking about the use of exotic or newer light weight materials, to which is replied no. It was not about the materials, but simply about the design of the packs. He commented that packs are still basically a bag with shoulder straps.

    They ended the conversation by saying that they look forward to our input and that what they do is driven by all of us and that their ears are open and to please talk to them.

    Six Moon Designs

    Box of Goodies

    Box of Goodies in the Back of the Van

    Trying on New Products to Be Released Shortly

    Grant Sible the president of Gossamer Gear showing New Products to be Released Shortly

    Sharon Backpack Model & Wearer of the Hoodie

    Sharon Model 2

    Sharon Model 3

    Sharon Model 4

    Sharon Backpack Model & Wearer of the Hoodie
    Sharon is modeling a women's prototype.

    New Pack

    Grant in the background sporting a hat.
    As I was standing around watching people try on the packs, I was refraining from taking photos of all the packs to be respectful of the fact that many of them were prototypes. When I commented about not wanting to take pictures to respect their privacy, Grant warmly welcomed me to take all the photos that I wanted and proudly proclaimed that many of the packs where coming to market soon.

    Front Side of the Pack

    Doug Showing Off a New Pack

    Inflatable Frame

    Doug Shows Off a New Pack with Inflatable Frame
    This pack caught my attention because it is only the second pack that I have come across that uses an inflatable pad to provide support for heavier loads. Hoping BPL does an in depth review of this innovative application of technology to packs.

    Kat of Mountain Goat Hats and Goods With Debbie the Brownie Goddess

    Kat of Mountain Goat Hats and Goods With Debbie the Brownie Goddess

    Debbie and Chocolate Goodness

    Debbie and Chocolate Goodness
    Debbie was going to haul in this huge box of chocolate brownies 2.5 or so miles into camp after we had arrived a little late for the Saturday morning support vehicle shuttle. After having left a written note on Ken's van, she hit the trail with box in hand. Fortunately, Ron from Six Moon Designs came by in his van and generously offered to drive in her box of goodies. The unwashed masses of light weight backpackers made quick work of her sweet labors and left us all smiling for the little joys in life.

    Women and Unicorns

    Women and Unicorns on the Trail, Rare Sights Indeed
    Okay, I commented to Sharon that seeing women on the trail was about as likely for me to see a unicorn. Sharon simply coughed to clear her throat, which I think was a subtle suggestion that I was headed for a beating within an inch of my little life.
    Left to Right: Sharon, Linda, Kat, and Debbie.

    Debbie Tries on a Pack

    Debbie Tries on a Pack 2

    Debbie Tries on a Pack with looks like a Gossamer Gear Minimalist Ultralight Daypack at 8.85 oz

    Kat Gives the Sternum Strap a Try

    Kat Gives the Sternum Strap a Try
    Grant was definitely seeking out women's feedback with the packs that were being tried out. He was making a point of snapping photos to see how the packs fit well or not so well on the women and men who tried the packs on. Hopefully a sign of the lightweight cottage manufactures addressing the specific concerns of women with obtaining a proper and comfortable fit with a pack.

    Kat Gives the Sternum Strap a Try 2

    Another View of the Front of the New Pack

    Sister Hood of the Trail Runner

    Sister Hood of the Trail Runner 2

    Sisterhood of the Trail Runner- Montrail AT Plus Trail Shoes
    Funny thing was noticed while they were standing around, waiting to try out the various packs from Six Moon Designs…they were all wearing the same trail runner!

    Enjoying the Gift of Brownies and Cookies

    Enjoying the Gift of Brownies from Debbie and Cookies from Ellen, who is in the blue jacket

    George, Eric, and Michael

    George, Eric, and Michael, who is Keegan's father

    Jane giving her thoughts to Brian or Picking His brain for Information

    Jane giving her thoughts to Brian or Picking His brain for Information

    Mark, Debbie, and Amy

    Mark, Debbie, and Amy

    Hikin Jim Holding the Court of Flaming Stoves

    Hikin Jim Holding the Court of Flaming Stoves
    Hikin Jim's Adventures in Stoving

    Sharing His Thoughts and Passing the Wisdom Along

    Sharing His Thoughts and Passing the Wisdom Along
    This is the second year that Jim has trekked out with boxes of his stoves to setup and to share with everyone. We are lucky to have his extensive knowledge and passion for stoves to share with all of us. He never fails to amaze at the size of his collection and the unique stoves in his possession.

    Something Unique

    Something Unique and Special

    Military Grade Stove

    Military Grade Stove- Prototype

    The Manual

    The Manual

    A Look Inside

    A Look Inside

    We Have Ignition

    We Have Ignition
    Jim explained that this was a "failed" prototype that he had received about a year ago. The idea was to have a stove that did not require pressurization of the fuel, which could be dangerous under certain situations. A stove that could use readily available military fuel found in all of their vehicles, which is similar to kerosine. The problem with the stove is that it was easily blown out by the wind. Perhaps an inadequate wind screen? In fact, the stove blew out twice while he was demonstrating its operation. It was easy to relight, but the fact that it blew out so easily in a light breeze was a clear sign of a design flaw.

    Feather Fire Stove

    Feather Fire Stove– adjustable simmering alcohol stove

    White UrSack

    White Ursack- Bear Resistant Bag, Light weight alternative to bear canister

    Taking it all in

    Taking it all in

    Hammock and Bike

    Hammock and Bike 2

    George's DIY hammock and Under-quilt. The tarp is HammockGear Cuben Tarp. And the bike is Bike Friday, NWT model. Eric L, comments on George's setup, "That's George Maung's setup with his MYOG hammock based on a Warbonnet Traveler and Bike Friday folding bicycle, Hammock Gear 4-Season Cuben Fiber Tarp, Dynaglide Whoopie Slings and Zing-It Ridgeline all with Dutch suspension hardware."

    Bike above is a folding bike for compact storage and commuting to work
    This year we saw a lot more bike packers and hammocks.
    Great thing is that these group sites have plenty of trees around for hammocks

    Unknown Silnylon Tarp

    Unknown Tarp 2

    Ken T. says, "That gray tarp is one I made and had at the first GGG. I gave it to Matt Black as he proved he was not ready for a 5×7 when he got soaked on the Lost Coast. I see you've been busy adding on."

    Creative Tarp Pitch

    #10 Creative Tarp Pitch (What tarp is this and who is in the pic?)

    Yellow DuoMid

    Yellow DuoMid by Mountain Laurel Designs 17 oz.
    Left to Right: Josh, Cameron, Ken, and Frank Heide

    Another View of the DuoMid

    Cameron's Bomber DuoMid Survived 13 hours or rain at a base camp just below the summit of Mt. Whitney on a trip that we took together with Linda V. I was envious of his shelter because Cameron was able to sit up in his shelter to move around and stretch out and even cook. I was "stuck" under my tarp laying on my back and side, wishing I could sit up and stretch my sore muscles. I am thinking of getting a DuoMid or SoloMid for trips where I expect hours of bad weather.

    Mt Whitney Summit Hike: A photo essay by Linda

    A Peek Underneath

    A Peek Underneath

    Gatewood Cape

    Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape Rain Poncho and Shelter 11 oz.

    Six Moon Designs Wild Oasis 13 oz

    Six Moon Designs Wild Oasis 13 oz.
    This shelter looks very much like the Gatewood Cape, minus the hood and head opening with bug netting added.

    Debbie's Modified Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid

    Debbie's Modified Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid with Some Sort of Bath Tub Flooring
    The Added Insert is between the two poles and extends up to the beak like a pie slice wedge of fabric and creates the ability to make this pitch

    Deb comments on her shelter: "Yes – the insert was made by Zimmer and used to belong to Doug Ide who commissioned it (see Doug's "the duomid that wanted to be a trailstar" post), I believe PIF'd by Doug to Ike Jutkowitz, then Ike PIF'd it to me. For some reason the buckles didn't snap onto my sil duomid like they did on Doug's cuben one, but I managed to jury-rig it for the GGG (Ron Bell @ MLD is now sending me another set of buckles I can sew on to the insert that should match).

    Another View of Debbie's Sheler

    Another View of Debbie's Sheler

    Gossamer Gear Tarp

    Gossamer Gear Tarp

    Fat Tires

    Fat Tires 2

    #12 Fat Tires….who's bike is this and what bike is this????

    Another Bike

    Another Bike

    Zpacks Shelter

    Zpacks Shelter 2

    John Abela's 15 oz. Cuben SMD Skyscape X with heat sheet ground sheet

    Unknown Zpacks Pack

    Another Zpack

    John Abela comments, "The first one is an alpha version of a front panel loader I am developing in cooperation with ZPacks. The second is a default ZPacks Arc Blast."

    Hammock Setup 1

    Hammock Setup 2

    #16 Hammock Setup
    One big difference this year from prior years was the large number of hammocks that people brought out

    GoLite Tarp 1

    GoLite Tarp 2

    #17 GoLite Shaped Tarp

    Kelty Tent

    #18 Kelty Tent

    BPL Cuben Tarp

    #19 BPL Cuben Nano Tarp????

    Blue Tarp & Hammock

    Blue Tarp and Hammock 2

    Cuben Haven 10 oz

    Another Trap and Hammock

    Another Trap and Hammock 2

    #21 Another Trap and Hammock

    Showing Hammock Attachment to Tree

    #22 Showing Hammock Attachment to Tree
    Admittedly, I know nothing about hammock camping, but I wanted to show how the hammocks are tied to the tree. If anyone can provide me more information to talk about this photo…please PM me!

    Lee Stocked Up for Boiling Water All Day & Night

    Lee Stocked Up for Boiling Water All Day & Night

    Trio of Caldera Cones

    Trio of Caldera Cones

    Lee Shows Off A Prototype of an Amazing Wood Cutting Saw

    Lee Shows Off A Prototype of an Amazing Wood Cutting Saw that may be less than 2 oz.
    A Japanese pull blade that is very thin/narrow that only cuts when you draw back on the blade. The knife cut through wood with ease and speed. Lee simply cut about half way through many of the sticks and broke them in half with ease. Lee commented that they have been so busy with making and selling Caldera Cones, there just has not been anytime to develop this unique saw into a refined product. Lee mentioned that a while back, they had purchased a large number of blades with the hope of making something like the ultralight saw that he was using. We can only hope that they get an opportunity to develop this product for those of us who love a wood burning stove.

    Cutting it up

    Cutting It Up

    Making Quick Work of the Wood

    Loading Up the Inferno

    Loading Up the Inferno

    Unique Fire Starter Sticks

    Unique Fire Starter Sticks
    Maybe a plastic type product? Very lightweight and seemed completely waterproof. Lee lite it up pretty quickly with a lighter and the material crackled a bit as it burned. They may have been giving these out to people who came by to visit.

    Let it Burn

    Let It Burn, Burn, Burn

    Pots On

    Pots On, Let the Boiling Begin

    Kicking Back

    Kicking Back and Letting the Fire Do All the Work

    Business Card

    Trail Designs Website

    Jack Representing Borah Gear

    Jack Representing Borah Gear: Ultralight Backpack, Bivies, and Tarps

    Stealth Backpacking

    Stealth Backpack : Weight: 13.9oz in 140D Dyneema, 15.5oz in Dyneema X

    Stealth Backpack 2

    Volumes: 2,500 cu (41L) main pack, 200 cu (3L) extension collar/roll top, 250 cu (4L) front mesh pocket, 125 (2L) cu side pockets (each). This brings the total volume of the pack to 3,200cu (52L)

    Stealth Backpack 3

    Stealth Backpack Website Link

    Stealth Backpack Hip Belt

    View of the hip belt and fit

    Jack Model of Last Resort

    Jack of All Trades…making tarps for Borah Gear, Company Representative, and Stylist Backpack Model

    Borah Gear Tarp and Bivy Setup

    Borah Gear Tarp and Bivy Setup

    Cuben LED Lantern

    Cuben LED Lantern

    Lantern for Use Under a Tarp or In Your Bivy

    Lantern for Use Under a Tarp or In Your Bivy

    Standard Bivy 1

    Borah Gear Standard Bivy 5.6 to 6.7 oz depending on choice of top fabric

    Standard Bivy 2

    Another View of the Bivy

    Cuben Floored Bivy

    Cuben Floored Bivy with Momentum 50 Top 4.2 oz

    Close Up View of the Head Net Portion of the Bivy

    Close up view of the head net portion of the bivy

    Tarp with Built In Ability to Close Both Ends in a Storm

    Tarp with Built in Ability to Close Both Ends in a Storm

    Back View

    Another View of the Front Flap

    Another View of the Flap

    View of the Back End of the Tarp Closed Up

    Reinfocerment

    Reinforcement to the Silnylon

    Showing how the secure the back end closed

    Showing how the secure the back end closed with a stake

    Showing the Interior

    Showing the Interior

    I believe that this is a prototype product that may go into production in the near future

    Borah Gear Tarp

    Borah Gear Silnylon Tarp

    Checking Out the Cut

    Checking Out the Cut

    Bias Taped Edges

    Bias Taped Edges

    Manfred & Phoebe

    Manfred & Pheobe….unrelated
    Manfred really was fantastic this year in organizing a great Geo Caching Event for all the kids this year. He provided GPS units for the kids to use and had gone out previously to create up to a five mile loop for the kids to explore. Manfred graciously provided little goodies and gifts for the kids to find along their exploration.

    This is Pheobe's third time out. According to her father, Rick, "She made him take her out to the GGG three years ago." It has been wonderful to see both of them coming out each year and to see Pheobe growing up. This year she is sporting streaks of red in her hair. (I was lucky to get this photo of her…she did her best the rest of the trip to prevent me from snapping any photos of her, which was sort of a game between us).

    Justin's 2nd Time Out

    Justin's 2nd Time Out
    And he is my unofficial minion….who is just crazy enough to listen to my rants and throw back equally absurd ideas back at me. Usually regarding the hunting and capturing of evil squirrels….or how to add to the population of the yellow headed squirrels. (You will have to ask Justin about the yellow headed squirrels next time you see him at the GGG).

    Manfred's Girls

    Manfred's Girls….note the name tag on the girl to the right: Poo Poo, Pee Pee

    Stuffing Girls in a Tent

    How many girls can you stuff in a tent?

    Quite a Few Girls

    Quite a Few Girls

    Just before the Geo Caching Trip

    Just before the Geo Caching Trip

    Rounding Up the Kids

    Rounding Up the Kids

    Manfred Volunteers to Carry Water and Snacks for the Kids

    Manfred Volunteers to Carry Water and Snacks for the Kids

    A Time for Family

    A Time and Place for Family

    Six Moons Design Lunar Duo in Cuben

    #20 ??? Six Moons Design Lunar Duo in Cuben

    Side View

    Side View

    Traditional Shelters

    Traditional Shelter

    Circus Tent

    #21 Black Diamond Beta Light Tent 1 lb 3.0 oz ???

    More Free Standing Shelters

    More Free Standing Shelters 2

    More Free Standing Shelters 3

    More Free Standing Shelters

    Plenty of Good Trees Around for Hammocking

    Plenty of Good Trees Around for Hammocking

    Borah Tarp???

    #22 Borah Tarp??? (Based on the black edges on the tarp???)

    A Peek Underneath the Tarp

    A Peek Underneath the Tarp

    Flying Diamond Tarp Pitch?

    Reverse View of the Tarp Pitch

    #23 Flying Diamond Tarp Pitch?

    Double Hoop Shelter

    #24 Double Hoop Shelter…think this is Sharon's Shelter

    Rick & Phoebe's Double Rainbow

    Rick & Phoebe's Double Rainbow 2

    Rick & Phoebe's Double Rainbow with light weight chairs
    I was pretty envious that they had these cool little chairs to sit on.

    Apparently, Henry Shire came to the event for a short while, but I managed to miss him. Wish I had caught a chance to meet him and snap a picture to share with you all. Love his tarptents. My first step on my lightweight journey away from traditional gear was his Contrail. I have his Rainshadow 2 for my three person family shelter for when I go out with the family.

    Tarptent Ultralight Shelters by Henry Shire

    Tiny Tarp

    Tony's Crazy Small Tarp

    Tony's Crazy Tiny Tarp
    Mountain Laurel Designs Cuben Solo Tarp at 3.5 oz, modified with metal grommets for ease of pitching as holes for hiking pole tips for a total weight of 4.0 oz. This tarp borderlines "stupid light", but given that my MLD Soul Side Zip has an eVent waterproof top, I decided to go for the smallest, lightest tarp that Ron makes. I don't believe that Ron sells this tarp anymore.

    Mountain Laurel Designs Website

    The Chain Mail Food Storage Bag is by Outsak….may the squirrel break all their teeth trying to get in….evil little creatures.

    Outsak Product Website

    Tarptent Squall 2

    Jeremy's Squall 2

    Jeremy's Squall 2
    This serves as Jeremy's family tent….having survived many a rain storm and the occasional Sierra hailstorm

    Henry Shire Squall 2 Tarptent

    Contrail

    Rear View Contrail

    Henry Shire Contrail Tarptent

    I believe that this is David W.'s Contrail…based on seeing the orange backpack.
    Funny thing, the first time I met David was on a hiking trip at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite with a bunch of fellow BPLers. He was a traditional backpacking on a solo trip and spent time with us at our campsite well into the night, sharing casual conversations over a night time fire. Seems we have infected him with our UL sickness. Always great to see him at these events.

    David

    David with the puffy down jacket and chair
    I finally decided to follow David's lead and got myself a puffy down jacket, which I took for the first time to the GGG. What a wonderful difference it makes when you are toasty warm. Maybe next year I will be smart like David and bring myself a chair!

    GoLIte Hexamid

    GoLite Shangri-La

    Zpack Hexamid 1

    Zpacks Hexamid 2

    Zpacks Hexamid 10.7 oz

    Six Moons Design Lunar Duo 1

    Interior View

    Six Moons Design Lunar Duo

    MLD Trailstar

    #27 Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar ????

    Gardner Outdoor Lightweight Designs 1

    Gardner Outdoor Lightweight Designs Polycro 5.4 oz Solo Tarp

    Gold Gear 2

    Review View of the Tarp

    Gold Gear 3

    Close Up of the Entrance

    Gold Gear 4

    Tarp Tie Out with Washer Reinforcement

    Gold Gear 5

    Top of Ridgeline Tie Out and Reinforcement

    Gold Gear 6

    Full View of the Shelter

    Each year we usually see something different or new at the GGG. This year, David Gardner's Polycro Tarp was the stand out for me, as I have never seen a polycro shelter before.

    David Gardner

    David Gardner 2

    David Gardner showing his 946 ml/32 oz cook pot with Ram Jet Alcohol Stove on Top

    David Alcohol Stove 1

    David Cone Setup

    Gardner Outdoor Lightweight Designs Cook Kits

    Ram Jet

    Ram Jet Close Up

    Gardner Outdoor Lightweight Designs Ramjet Eco & UL Alcohol Stoves

    David Hiking Poles 1

    Close Up of Poles

    Gardner Outdoor Lightweight Designs Carbon Fiber Hiking Poles
    Note: available: 10' Tenkara Japanese fly fishing pole adapted to fit on the tip of trekking poles, making a 14' fishing pole.

    Jack at the Gear Swap

    Jack at the Gear Swap

    Close up of what Jack was trying to unload

    Close up of what Jack was trying to unload

    Aaron Looking to Upload Some Gear Too

    Aaron Looking to Upload Some Gear Too

    Ron and Brian Hanging Out

    Ron and Brian Hanging Out

    Linda and Jane

    Linda and Jane

    Sharon & Mark

    Sharon & Mark

    Family Time

    #29 Family Time
    This Family Hiked in Just for the Day

    Every Kids Loves of Bottle of Bubbles

    Every Kids Loves of Bottle of Bubbles
    Phoebe gives a bottle of bubbles to the little one to entice her to come back to her parents after exploring the campsite for herself

    Cutie Pie

    Cutie Pie

    Reporting Back to Mom

    Reporting Back to Mom

    Time to Meet New People

    Time to Meet New People

    Cameron 2013

    Cameron

    U.L.K. Sleeping Bag for Kids

    U.L.K. Sleeping Bag for Kids
    This is a prototype that Aaron Sorensen brought out to get some feed back and to look for a young volunteer to tryout for the night. Looks like a very promising sleeping bag for parents looking for a lightweight UL sleeping bag made to order that will cover the little ones before they can move to 5 ft bag.

    Aaron comments on his upcoming bags:

    The sleeping bags will be for some up to 4' 8" or 56".
    This length is based off the average 11 year old before they hit that growth spurt. 2 years later they are 8 inches taller, so this is a good bag to go from birth to the point you will go to an adult bag.

    Two temps rated at 25* and 40*.
    The 25* will be 20-21 ounces with 14 ounces of 800 fill and 5" of loft.
    The 40* will be hoodless and have a small draft tube on each side of the zipper (as a cover) so you can also unzip it for use as a quilt.

    Both bags will have a full YKK locking zipper.
    Bags will be available in 2 colors and the liner will be dark grey.
    The material is my own stuff that is 20d and 1 ounce per yard. It has an excellent feel and is a very strong fabric with good breathability and water resistance. I did about 20 hours of searching for this fabric and found a winner the first time (very rare from what I've heard).

    I will also have a 900 fill option and sell the 800, 900 down and fabric once I get everything rolling.

    Kids Bag 1

    Kids Bag 2

    Head Space 1

    Head Space 2

    ULK Card 1

    ULK Card 2

    Kat's Hats

    Kat's Hats
    Mountain Goat Hats and Goods
    Over the years, Kat has been knitting these wonderfully warm, soft, and light hats and has developed a following. Here is just few of the people who are sporting her creations. (Kat is wearing the burgundy hat, front row, 2nd from the right)

    EJ, Justin, and Jeremy

    EJ, Justin, and Jeremy

    Close to Dinner Time

    Close to Dinner Time: Jay in Blue on the Right

    Bundling Up as the Sunsets

    Bundling Up as the Sunsets

    Linda Cooking Up with MYOG Cone & Esbit

    Linda Cooking Up with MYOG Cone & Esbit

    Mark & Grant

    Mark & Grant

    Kat Enjoying a Meal Before the Wood Stove Burn Off

    Kat Enjoying a Meal Before the Wood Stove Burn Off

    Josh Prepring Wood for Caldera Cone Inferno

    Josh Preparing Wood for Caldera Cone Inferno
    The wood for this contest was provided by Ken as was the water that was used for the burn off to see who get a boil the fastest. I believe that the volume of water was one liter.

    Hiking Jim with the BioLite Stove

    Hiking Jim with the BioLite Stove
    BioLite Wood Burning with electric fan powered by the heat of the fire and the ability to charge your portable gadgets

    Closer View of the BioLite

    Closer View of the BioLite 2

    Closer View of the BioLite 3

    Closer View of the BioLite

    Ken Measuring Out Water for the Contest

    Ken measuring out water for the contestants

    Jack Loads Up His Home Made Stove

    Jack Loads Up His Home Made Stove

    Rick's Home Made Stove with Cone Windscreen

    Rick's Home Made Stove with Cone Windscreen

    The Crowd Gathers

    The Crowd Gathers 2

    The Crowd Gathers

    Marc with his Backcountry Boiler

    Marc with his 8.0 oz Backcountry Boiler
    The first lightweight chimney kettle Holds 23 ounce of water. 4.25 Inch Diameter.

    Huge Windscreen

    Huge Windscreen for Rick's Stove

    Marc Preps His Wood By Slicing Kindling

    Marc Preps His Wood By Slicing Kindling

    Close Up of Rick

    Close Up of Jack's Stove

    Close Up of Rick's Stove 2

    Close Up of Rick's Stove

    Beer and Fire, Two Great Combos

    Beer and Fire, Two Great Combos- to put you in the Emergency Room

    Josh Starting His Fire

    Josh Gets His Fire Going

    Rick Getting the Flame to His Kindling

    Rick Getting the Flame to His Kindling

    Marc Gets the Boiler Going

    Marc Gets the Boiler Going

    Jack's Got a Fire Going

    Jack's Got a Fire Going

    Marc's Secret Weapon

    Marc's Secret Weapon: Microbusrt Electric Blower (For inflating air mattresses)

    Rick's Way to Feed the Fiery Beast

    Rick's Way to Feed the Fiery Beast

    Josh Tends to his Caldera Cone

    Josh Tends to his Caldera Cone

    Puff The Magic Dragon

    Puff the Magic Electric Dragon
    Marc's fan was turbo charging the Backcountry Boiler, sending a jet powered blow torch of flames out the top of the stove

    Jack has a nice fire going

    Jack has a nice fire going

    Nice Glow from the Caldera Cone Inferno

    Nice Glow from the Caldera Cone Inferno

    Biolite or Bio Hazzard???

    Biolite or Bio-Hazard???
    The internal fan on the BioLite worked really well to get the flames going. The hotter the fire, the more power for the fan to push the fire even faster and hotter.

    33 oz Wood Burning Goodness

    33 oz of Wood Burning Goodness

    Raging Fires

    Raging Fires

    Ken's Commentary on the Burn Off:

    This year I used standardized fuel. Everyone got a shim pack and half a petroleum jelly cotton ball. I doled out the water from the same container for everyone.

    We found out that if you use a Backcountry Boiler with a Microburst blowing air into it you can boil 2 cups in 3 minutes. Like a mini forge. Hot!

    The steel can and the Biolite were next to boil. The Caldera cones, one a 900ml pot and the other was a 600ml pot both came to a boil in less than 7 minutes. They were seconds apart.

    The steel can was the only setup that used a windscreen. The Biolite has a fan.

    Plans for next time will be a contest for all 3 "alternative" fuels. Multiple heats…

    I'll take suggestions and requests. We love to burn stuff. Still waiting for someone to enter a ground fire to win.

    Jack's Tikki Torch Banner Setup

    Jack's Tikki Torch Banner Setup

    Night Lights

    Night Lights of a Different Sort

    Hanging Out in the Van

    Hanging Out in the Van

    Father and Daughter

    Father and Daughter Fireside Glow

    Phoebe's Camera Shy

    Phoebe's Camera Shy

    Now We Are Cooking

    Now We Are Cooking

    Aaron Bundled Up By the Fir

    Aaron Bundled Up By the Fire

    Fire Side Grilling

    Fire Side Grilling

    Trying to Sneak A Picture

    Trying Again

    Blurry Night Shot

    Trying to Sneak A Picture
    This became a bit of silly game between Phoebe and I. She would feebly protest at my attempts to snap a photo of her with a playful grin upon her face. My pocket camera was hardly up to the task, being too slow and capturing mostly blurry shots. She retaliated by grabbing a camera of her own and snapping a few pictures of me.

    The night marches on and stories are swapped, laughs are shared, and the logs are piled up high on the fire to keep the gathering around the fire together. The orange flames licking the heavens

    #1947944
    James Castleberry
    Member

    @winterland76

    Special shout out to Manfred for organizing the geocaching event for the young people, including pre-stocking the geocaches with souvenirs! The kids had a great time and learned how to operate a GPS. Here Manfred (back to camera) explains how to configure and use the GPS units.Manfred (back to camera) explains how to operate a GPS

    #1947995
    Amy Lauterbach
    BPL Member

    @drongobird

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    Ken really has figured out how to organized these events and to execute them smoothly, making them a joy to attend to a wider and wider group of people.

    I took no photos to contribute, but I second Tony's comment. It was an exceptionally well run event. Fantastic.

    #1948009
    Ken Thompson
    BPL Member

    @here

    Locale: Right there

    Aw Shucks. Twern't nothin'.

    I really appreciated the behavior of this years' crowd. Even though the group has grown to a size that prevents me from speaking to everyone, I do try.

    If I did not thank you for coming in person. I would like to do so now.

    It is such a diverse group. That in itself makes interesting and fairly unique. That everyone plays well together is just fantastic.

    So a big thank you to all of you who come out. You all make me want to continue doing these and I am glad to.

    Thanks to to all our cottage folk who came out this year too. Unbelievable to me that i would be seeing some of you this year.

    A great time had by a great group of people. I call that a successful GGG.Thanks everyone.

    Super special thanks to Marc Eldrige for going way above and beyond, again.

    And to Tony Wong. He does more than people realize. Great guy. Thank You.

    Can't forget Manfred and all his hard work with the geocaching. Plus Manfred and the Mrs. are some of the coolest parents ever, Great job. Thanks again for everything.

    Thanks to John Abela for being an entertaining guest and travel companion. Great drive.

    To all the repeat offenders and those of you I have hiked with. You've all become like family. Thanks for coming time and again.

    See you all next time!

    To all those who were MIA, sorry you missed a great one.

    Matthew Edwards ???

    #1948138
    Manfred
    BPL Member

    @orienteering

    Thank you to everyone who brought their kids to Henry Coe!

    It was very refreshing to see so many kids at GGG 5.0.
    UL techniques that I mostly learnt on BPL have helped my children tremendously in backpacking. At Henry Coe they could see many other kids in their age range who also enjoy backpacking with their parents. That helps a lot in making backpacking a "normal" activity like many others. There are not many children in our area – not even within their Girl Scout troops – who would go backpacking.

    11 children participated in the geocaching activities. It was great to see 4th, 5th and 6th graders go happily on a 5 mile hike with over 1250 ft of climb and come back excited about their adventure.

    Best Regards,

    Manfred

    #1948140
    rowan !
    Member

    @romonster

    Locale: SF Bay Area

    That was so much fun! Thanks again to Ken and to everyone else who contributed to making it a marvelous event (not entirely sure who was responsible for all the amenities, so I can't say thanks individually). It was fascinating to chat with the gear manufacturers and learn more about the process that these products go through before we even see them on the market. And I really appreciated the chance to see and ask questions about gear that I might not otherwise get to see, except in pictures. Thanks to all of you for coming to see us! Great meeting all the new people and seeing the few I had met before, too!

    Sharon and I had a little adventure on the way home too. We found a loose dog with an injured leg by the road, and after a considerable runaround, located a vet that would take him in for care and transfer him to a shelter.

    PS…If anyone ended up with a light green Granite Gear cuben fiber dry bag, I lost that.

    #1948155
    Tony Wong
    BPL Member

    @valshar

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    Rowan,

    You might want to PM Marc Eldridge.

    He had posted some photos of things that people may have left behind.

    See this thread:

    http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=72686

    Glad that you had a great time at the event….you definitely looked like you were soaking in everything.

    Sure you enjoyed talking to Lee at Trail Designs and seeing how their stoves worked.

    Hope you can make the next one.

    Under Ken's guidance, I can just see this getting bigger and better each year.

    Hopefully, we will have even more manufactures out.

    I missed seeing Henry Shire from Tarptent…bummer as I wanted to get a photo of him to include in the photo essay.

    Anyway, check with Marc….maybe he has your dry bag.

    P.S. Lucky that the dog was found by the both of you.

    -Tony

    #1948194
    Jay Wilkerson
    BPL Member

    @creachen

    Locale: East Bay

    Rowan, I found that Green CF bag. I snatch it out of the wind. PM your address and I will send it to you.

    012 Mississippi Lake

    #1948243
    USA Duane Hall
    BPL Member

    @hikerduane

    Locale: Extreme northern Sierra Nevada

    Really enjoyed the photos, great to see some youth coming too. How many people made it? It didn't look too crowded, maybe I can show up sometime. Can you say whose stove and woodstove "smoked" the others? :)
    I was shoveling fresh snow up in Plumas County Sunday AM. Kinda tough to leave in the winter for some place as I work out of town and the weekend is for catching up.
    Duane

    #1948244
    Matthew Black
    Spectator

    @mtblack

    I'll just chime in with thanks to Ken and everyone else who made it possible. I'm glad I could finally make it to a GGG and look forward to VI as well as getting out more this year with hiking partners new and old.Ken, wearing his official uniform tucks into a hearty breakfast before another day of cat herding.

    #1948262
    David W.
    BPL Member

    @davidpcvsamoa

    Locale: East Bay, CA

    Thank you Ken for putting together another memorable gathering of wonderful people. Lightweight backpacking draws a special group of people. I look forward to more trips in the backcountry with freinds.1

    <7

    #1948683
    Ethan A.
    BPL Member

    @mountainwalker

    Locale: SF Bay Area & New England

    Copying these pics over from another thread by Tony's request. Tony, always a pleasure to see you and have always enjoyed your trip reports.

    Thank you Ken, Ranger Jen, all the volunteers, cottage makers/reps Ron and crew from Six Moon Designs, Henry from TarpTent, Grant and crew from Gossamer Gear, Kat P. from Mountaingoat Hats and Goods, David Gardner from G.O.L.D. Gear, Lee and crew from Trail Designs and Jack Elliot from Borah Gear for another AWESOME GGG. Debbie thanks again for the delicious brownies! It was great to see old friends and meet new ones, and check out a huge variety of lightweight gear up close.

    Compared to two years ago, noticed more variety in shelters, and more hammocks and tarps, including a bunch of Gatewood Capes.

    Already looking forward to the next one!

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    Coe is a great place to set yourself up for a kiss – parasitic Mistletoe grows all over the trees:

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    The SMD Mobile with secret new SMD backpack concept, viewable only under NDA:

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    Organizer and MC Ken presides proudly over camp:

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    Jack's gear swap:

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    John Abela's cuben SMD Skyscape X with heat sheet ground sheet:

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    Some came by foot, others by pedal:

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    Ken's Swedish palace:

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    G.O.L.D. Gear new polycro shelter:

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    G.O.L.D. Gear ultralight cook systems and poles. The largest ultralight cook systems have a whopping (for a can) 1.3L capacity, stove, cozy, windscreen, etc.

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    Mark's orange Focus LT jacket brightened up camp:

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    The Wood Stove Contest Begins – where there's smoke there's fire:

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    Ron and Brian warming up in the SMD Mobile:

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    Older generation clothing, cook systems and shelter used at Henry Coe:

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    #1948697
    Eric Lundquist
    BPL Member

    @cobberman

    Locale: Northern Colorado

    This was my second GGG and the event keeps getting better. There were a lot of familiar faces and some new ones as well. Thanks to Ken for keeping this event going. Thanks also, to Marc for bringing in enough water and firewood to keep us happy and for extending the campsite checkout time so we could keep the conversations going. It was great to see more gear manufacturers and to talk with them about their products and everyday things as well. Hopefully they're getting the extra business from us seing their gear first hand to make their trips worthwhile. I'd love to see even more next year! Thanks to the veteran hammockers who helped me out with my hang.

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    #1949250
    Jacob D
    BPL Member

    @jacobd

    Locale: North Bay

    Nice photos everyone. I spent 90% of my time catching up with everyone I missed last year and didn't take many photos, I didn't talk to many of the manufacturers, heck I didn't even drink that much beer. Time slipped by really fast.

    Foggy Night Arrival
    David and I arrived around 11PM on Friday

    Cuben Haven
    Manfred's Cuben Haven

    Geocaching Primer a la Manfred
    Geocaching Primer a la Manfred

    Hai! Ready for a run...
    Hai! David and I went for a trail run

    Usual Suspects
    Some of the usual suspects

    Lotta Stoves from Jim
    Jim, Grant, George (I think), and a lotta stoves!

    Dinner
    Dinner Time

    Wood Stove Burn-Off
    Watching Wood Burn

    #1949274
    Jacob D
    BPL Member

    @jacobd

    Locale: North Bay

    David had the great idea to swing by the Lick Observatory on the way home from the GGG. I thought I'd include those photos as well. It's a great place to visit and not too far from Coe. For those coming long distances to hit the GGG, I'd say it's worthwhile taking to the time to go check it out. It was really cold up there though!

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    #1949399
    Justin Baker
    BPL Member

    @justin_baker

    Locale: Santa Rosa, CA

    Some cell phone pics from China Hole.
    aa

    #1949440
    Linda Vassallo
    Member

    @eastbayhiker

    Locale: Eastbay

    Thank you Ken for putting the GGG together. It was my first year to attend and was as much fun as I anticipated. I enjoyed meeting everyone, sharing stories, drooling over gear, meeting vendors, and exploring the park (my first time at Coe also). Looking forward to next year.

    Really enjoy seeing the photos posted of the event. All are great and show what GGG is all about-camaraderie and friendship, gear and more gear, getting out in nature.

    I humbly submit some of the photos I took. Tony and others have covered the GGG so thoroughly that l will post photos of the park. I took a short hike on Saturday, a loop down to Coyote Creek and back up China Hole Trail. Such a beautiful park-I will back in April.

    As we hiked in to the camp we noticed a beautiful large rainbow through the trees which lasted about 10 minutes.
    Rainbow, an auspicious beginning

    Rainbow

    Rainbow

    Oak Tree

    HIking Into Camp GGG

    Hiking Into Camp GGG

    The first night was cool and foggy. We enjoyed the light of a full moon. Saturday morning brought a beautiful sunrise over the distant ridges and lingering fog in the canyons below our camp.

    Saturday Morning Sunrise

    Saturday Morning Sunrise

    Saturday Morning Sunrise

    I have always enjoyed the color shifts of dawn and dusk. The sun cast a soft golden glow upon the camp. The camp began to stir to life and the smells of fresh coffee and eggs filled the air.

    Early Risers

    Early Risers

    Early Risers

    As I wandered the camp I came across Keegan's Camp Sign.

    Keegan's Camp

    Later that morning I decided to explore Coe Park, this being my first visit. I chose to hike down the Madrone/Soda Spring Trail to Soda Springs Canyon and Madrone Soda Springs. From Soda Springs the trail followed a creek to the Creekside Trail which followed the course of Middle Fork of Coyote Creek. The trail brought me to China Hole where I enjoyed a quick snack to the sounds of birds and the creek. From China Hole I took the China Hole Trail back up to camp.

    There were several flowers to be seen as well as fungi of bright colors. I also encountered several California Newts crossing the trails. In some areas the tress were covered in mosses of various types.

    Manzanita
    Manzanita

    Shooting Stars aka Mosquito Bills
    Mosquito Bills

    Mosquito Bills

    California Newt
    California Newt

    Moss Covered Trees

    Along the trail at Madrone Soda Springs I came upon the remains of a rock cooler built into the hillside. It once provided insulation for storing perishable foods for the resort nearby. The resort operated from the late 1800s to the 1920s.
    Rock Cooler

    Fungi

    Turkey Tail Fungi

    Mossy Trail

    fungi

    Moss-covered Tree

    fungi

    fungi

    Leaves

    Coyote Creek

    At Manzanita Point I came upon a forest of Manzanitas which lined and hung over the trail.
    Manzanita Point

    Milk Maids
    Milk Maids

    Milk Maids

    Manzanita

    fungi

    Sunday morning was chilly, the sky clear and again we were treated to a beautiful sunrise
    Sunday Sunrise

    Sunday Sunrise

    On the hike back to our cars we spotted these Woodpeckers storing acorns in the trunk of an old Oak tree
    Woodpecker

    Woodpecker

    The weekend passed too quickly for me and I would have liked to have stayed longer. Next year cannot come soon enough for me. Thank you all for making it so memorable.
    Linda

    #1949472
    Ken Thompson
    BPL Member

    @here

    Locale: Right there

    Hey thanks for sharing those. I'll check out the observatory next time certainly. Beautiful.

    #1949480
    Jay Wilkerson
    BPL Member

    @creachen

    Locale: East Bay

    Linda only if BPL had LIKE button? Excellent photos!
    024

    #1949537
    Linda Vassallo
    Member

    @eastbayhiker

    Locale: Eastbay

    Thank you Jay for the kind words. I was in the right places at the right time. The park presented many photo ops for me. I'm so happy you like them and that I can share the beauty of the park thru them.

    #1949551
    rowan !
    Member

    @romonster

    Locale: SF Bay Area

    Tony,

    I think (although I'm not *absolutely* sure) that the pink pack Sharon is modeling is a Gossamer Gear prototype, not Six Moon Designs.

    The black bike in photo number 8 is a Bike Friday. They're made in Eugene, Oregon. I'm not sure what model, though; possibly a New World Tourist?

    The purple bike in photo number 12 is a Surly Pugsley. I hear they're lots of fun to ride on sand or snow!

    #1949573
    Tony Wong
    BPL Member

    @valshar

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    Rowan,

    Thanks for pointing that out….I confirmed it with Ken.

    I made a big mistake that I need to clean up in the photos and captions.

    I looked back at the photos that I posted and realized that the Grey pack that Doug was holding was a Gossamer Gear pack…for whatever reason, I thought that everything around the van was Six Moon Designs "stuff".

    Sorry about that….huge mistake on my part.

    Anything you see that is wrong or if you would like me to add additional information into the captions, please PM me!

    Way too much happening at these things for my tiny mind to remember.

    Won't be posting tonight…three late nights in a row working on this stuff after late nights at work or after martial arts class.

    Getting to bed early tonight….will continue on Friday night or Saturday for sure.

    Appreciate your patience.

    -Tony

    #1949730
    Sharon J.
    BPL Member

    @squark

    Locale: SF Bay area

    Want to add my thanks to everyone for a great experience. I'm pretty new to backpacking of any weight, so I really appreciate everyone taking the time to talk to me, show my their gear, and generally make me feel welcome. Really enjoyed chatting with John, Amy, Doug, Tony, Hiking Jim, Mark, Debbie…. (apologies to anyone I'm forgetting!) Extra thanks to Ken for putting this together, Marc for bringing the firewood and water, and Rowan for good company on the road and patience with all the delays.

    #1950441
    Rick Horne
    BPL Member

    @rick778

    Locale: NorCal - South Bay - Campbell

    I wish I would have discovered this thread before I added pictures elsewhere. I will repost here for continuity.

    My daughter took most of these pictures. Thought we would share.

    Getting ready to head out from the overflow parking lot.
    Parking Lot

    Double rainbow we watched on the hike in.
    Double Rainbow

    On the way to Manzanita Point.
    Rainbow

    Wild Pig Traps
    Wild Pig Traps

    Home away from home – Double rainbow.
    Home Away From Home

    Preparing dinner.
    Dinner

    Friday Night Sunset
    Sunset

    Forest Jungle Gym
    Jungle Gym

    Manfred was kind enough to bring several GPS's, teach the kids to use them and place a bunch of geocaches for them to find.
    GPS

    Along with Manfred's our small group, Jeremy, his son Justin, my daughter and I found 3 "official geocaches".
    Geocache

    One of Manfred's many geocaches.
    Geocache

    Jeremy and Justin taking a little break at China Hole.
    Jeremy & Justin

    It would be interesting to find out the history of this old cabin.
    Cabin

    Found a little friend on the trail.
    Salamander

    Hiking up out of the valley, don't want to be late for the "burn off".
    Almost there

    Tony being Tony around Saturday nights fire. Something about squirrels with cameras


    Tony

    Heading out Sunday morning.
    Heading Out

    Mount Doom.
    Mount Doom

    Almost there.
    Heading Out

    Park Headquarters
    Headquarters

    Back where we started
    Parking Lot

    #1950936
    rowan !
    Member

    @romonster

    Locale: SF Bay Area

    The pink pack was a prototype that was designed to fit women, and they wanted to see how it fit on as many different women as possible. The conclusion was that some areas needed a bit of adjustment. But one of the coolest things is that the new fabric used in the pack is both lighter and stronger than their standard fabric. Apparently the color just happened to be what was available for the sample. Of course I loved the color, but I think my opinion was in the minority there!

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