Planspost 001

Around last April, I started hiking (almost) every single Thursday. Even when the weather was a little crappy. Even when I didn't feel like it. So the past year has been all about exploring all the parks in the region, planning fun routes, building up my endurance (I hiked 23 miles in a day!), and committing to spending a solid few hours a week outside. I also did my first true solo backpacking trip: I spent a night at a hike-in campsite on Point Reyes, a truly unforgettable experience that I will have to do a post about sometime.

This year, I want to try some longer backpacking trips, work on perfecting my gear setup (or at least fixing some of the parts that suck), and begin to learn some backcountry skills.

But first, before I do any of this fun stuff, I need to fix my backpacking tent. On my Point Reyes trip, I camped by a stream, and got eaten alive by mosquitoes. And my the polyurethane waterproofing on the floor of my tent got eaten alive by the bug spray I'd coated myself in. Luckily I have this man's guide, which is very thorough and kind of just a joy to read.

Resurrection: My Chouinard Pyramid Rises From the Dead - PopUpBackpacker

How to renew the polyurethane coating on a tent.

PopUpBackpackerNick Gatel

Henry Coe State Park/Orestimba Wilderness

I've been itching to do my first multi-night backpacking trip for a while now, and I've also been intrigued by the idea of dispersed camping, as it seems like the logical next step in building up my backcountry skills. It's only 70 miles south from here, so it doesn't feel entirely intimidating. The landscape looks like typical East Bay hills, but it's supposed to be beautiful during wildflower season. I've been reading this post for inspiration and helpful info.

Backpacking in Henry Coe and Orestimba Wilderness

Henry W. Coe State Park is rugged and Orestimba Wilderness feels remote; outside the heat of summer it’s a great destination for a short backpacking trip.

Hiking in CaliforniaPaul Sowden

Point Reyes Coast Camp/Wildcat Camp

I've hiked some overwhelming percentage of the trails on Point Reyes, many of them several times. But it is still a magical place, and the further reaches of it feel truly wild and remote. Last year I camped at Glen Camp, up the hill in the forest. It was a lovely site and there was only one other person at the campground. This year I'd like to try one or both of the campgrounds that overlook the ocean: Coast Camp and Wildcat Camp. Going on beach walks at night sounds like a lot of fun, and I would also like to spend some time on the trails deep in the interior that are harder to reach for a day trip.

Tomales Bay/I Should Buy A Boat

Oh man, this one has been on my list for a while. Tomales Bay, in West Marin along the eastern edge of Point Reyes, has several kayak-in-only campsites on the Western shore. It's somewhat famous for its bioluminescent algae, which is especially visible on dark nights in the late summer/early fall on dark nights.

Which brings me to the "I should buy a boat" part of all this. Looking into kayak rentals (plus the car I'd have to rent for a couple of days), this was all feeling annoyingly expensive. Luckily, Inverness, the tiny two store town on the southwest end of Tomales Bay, is accessible by bus(es). So that just leaves the kayak part. I started to become interested in the idea of buying an inflatable boat I could bring with me on backpacking trips. And it turns out this is a thing. And it turns out there's a goofy looking inflatable kayak that folds into an even goofier looking backpack, for only $140 on Amazon. It has shockingly good reviews, including people who took it out to the ocean, in whitewater, and through the Grand Canyon on the Rio Grande. So yeah, I've got to at least try it out, right?

Ventana Cone Zone

Ventana Wilderness is another one of those places I found and became inexplicably fascinated with just from looking at it on a map. I think I spend enough time in the barely-wilderness, surrounded at all times by multi-million dollar homes, leaf blower symphonies, and dog shit bags. So when I see a large area on the map shaded green, and there aren't any roads connecting through the middle of it, my interest is piqued. This one seems intimidating, and may end up being a next year thing. (Plus, Hwy 1 just fell into the ocean again, so it may be awhile before it's accessible anyway). But this person's blog post is incredibly inspiring and makes me feel motivated to build up the requisite skills and comfort level to have a fun time on this trip.

North Coast Ridge to Cone Peak: Epic Ventana Wilderness Ridge Hike

If you’ve already hiked to Cone Peak in the Ventana Wilderness and want something bigger, this burly multi-day trek along North Coast Ridge might be just the thing.

Exploring WildAlissa Bell

Mt Whitney

This wasn't on my radar until recently. As I started to do longer, tougher hikes, I noticed people in the reviews on Alltrails mentioning that so and so hike would be great if you were training for something like Mt Whitney. After a while I was like fine, what's Mt Whitney. Oh! The tallest peak in the lower 48. I probably knew that at some point but I don't typically seek out over-hyped and over-crowded outdoor destinations. And this one in particular sounds like a nearly unmitigated disaster of almost comical proportions.

Mount Whitney Has Turned Into an Overcrowded Catastrophe

Summit fever, a lack of mountaineering skills, and the allure of social media are leading to serious accidents on the lower 48’s highest peak. Can anything be done to stop the injuries and deaths?

Outside OnlineMegan Michelson

Not to mention the daunting permitting process required to hike the summit during the non-ice-axe months. It's such a "thing" that there are even websites showing the probabilities of getting a permit on each calendar day. It sounds like Burning Man tickets but maybe somehow even worse.

This will definitely be a trip for another year or two down the road, but it's fun to dream big, and nice to have a long-term goal to work towards. Since I'm already training for it, apparently.