Tag Archives: hiking

Defiance made me weak.

By RonUlrich | Published April 29, 2013

That title could be filled with all kinds of juicy information about myself I’m sure, but it’s just Mt. Defiance.  At 4960 Ft in elevation it’s considered the highest point in the Columbia River Gorge and one of the toughest hikes in the area.  I heard of it a couple of months ago and knew it would have to be a training hike.  coZmo, who hiked half of the PCT in 2012 joined me for a day hike so I could go see what all the hype was about.  Holy Hell it kicked my butt…. as my friend Karen commented, it wasn’t my butt that was kicked, but my knees.

It’s a solid climb from the low elevation of the Columbia River, at 130 ft. I didn’t weigh my pack, but it was half full of the CDT gear and I carried 4 liters of water to weigh it down a bit more, thinking that I could drop some weight if I couldn’t handle the climb. Other than a VERY brief ridge walk which smoothed the trail out a bit, I’m confidant in saying this was the steepest trail I’ve been on, off the PCT.  The skies were partly cloudy, cool and beautiful as we set off from the parking lot for our 2+ mile ‘warm up’ (I went in the wrong direction…. :-(  Once back on track, there’s  a nice walk along the hwy past beautiful water falls, a subtle climb in elevation, then all hell breaks loose on your body.  We met two young electrical engineers, Brady and Gordon, enjoying the same hike as well as a few others that didn’t say much to us.  We met several Search and Rescue men who were wrapping up a search for a man who hiked the same trail yesterday, with nothing but a tank top for protection, and had been lost.  He was up and moving down another trail at this point.  One last S & R woman barreled down the trail on her radio then stopped long enough to tell us “don’t get lost!”

We were impressed by one man, up near snow line, he must have been in his 70′s, he put us to shame with his swift movements up trail.  I used the GAIA App on my iPhone to keep track of elevation and distance until we hit snow aprox 500 ft from the summit.  I watched my phone go from 45% battery to a blank screen, I assume it was the cold weather that quickly drained the battery.  I did have my battery pack with me, but the tracking app was negatively effected, so in the end, the digits didn’t make sense.  Sleet fell from the sky, so I contemplated catching up with coZmo and telling him I was done, but the trail continued on with a much nicer grade, although it was just as rough in the snow.  With a little route finding we finally reached a snow covered service road to the summit and headed that way.  From out of nowhere the communication towers appeared and our journey to the summit was nearly over.  We all congratulated each other, took photos, snacked, then headed on down the mountain.

The trip down the mountain was ROUGH.  We began quickly moving through the snow, but I post-holed up to my waste (post holing is when your foot breaks through the crust of the snow and you sink, like here, often deep in the snow).  When this happened again, I slowed down to a careful stepping crawl.  Such steep trail is hard on the knees, and with such a long distance to drop, I should have stopped to rest up more often, but here I was with coZmo haulin’ ass down the mtn, and these two young guys right on my tail, I couldn’t swallow my pride and rest.  Aprox one mile from the parking lot we crossed a stream with a bit of ascent to it, my feet slipped out from under me and my legs were too weak to get me easily up the embankment.  When I finally did, I plowed through the stream uninterested in trying to balance my way across rocks and logs to keep my feet dry.

Overall I’m very happy with the experience.  Had it not been for coZmo, I would not have made it to the top.  If I had remembered my headphones, the climb would have been eased so my mind would have been off my weakly limbs.  My feet were pretty cold once we trudged through the snow, but not remotely sore, my hands holding up well, and with just my bare legs under the Sport Kilt, I felt rather comfortable.  My Montrail shoes, once I stopped to tie them a bit tighter, handled the snow and rocks quite well. It was an all around gear test and I’m glad everything turned out comfortably.

 

Posted in April 2013 | Also tagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Bandon By the Sea….

By RonUlrich | Published February 26, 2013
Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the wonderful little Oregon town known as ‘Bandon by the Sea’.  I could write a short story about the experience and beauty found there, not only in the scenery, but the wonderful people involved.  My great friend Helena,  known to many as my #1 fan, introduced me to her summer get-a-way where I met people that had heard of the wedding dress adventures for nearly two years now.  We danced in dresses in the salty ocean water, I made new friends, and was touched, once again, by how wonderful the people of this world can be….Sometimes the only way I can express myself is through long rambling messages.  But this moment in time can be wrapped up in an email I received from a wonderful couple that we literally met in passing and with a wave as Helena and I hauled our cold, wet wedding gown clad selves from the beach up the 150-some-odd stairs.  As I started to put on my gown, I looked up and saw the figure of a woman in a picture window staring down at me, so I waved…. Why not, right?  She’s about to see something strange, so let’s be friendly about it.   Helena mentioned there had been photographs taken, and we waved as we left the beach.  On the way up the stairs, we breezed past the man who writes this letter below, the husband of the woman in the window, as he commented there on the stairs about the fun we had on the beach.  A bit later, as I spread out the gowns to dry in the salty sea air, he passed by and asked what ‘that’ was all about.  A brief explanation, and he was on his way…  Once again, I was touched by the interest and kindness found in the brief encounters with people as I engage in this project, and I’m reminded that everyone has a story to tell….
“When we saw you, my wife and I were in a house we rented for the month of February.  We were just above you on the cliff.  At one point you looked up and waved at us.  We have come to Bandon for 25 years but due to our jobs and the responsibilities of children we came for only one week when we came.  We just retired and satisfied our dream of a long stay at a time when we could see the ocean in winter.  We were not disappointed.  
We admire your venture.  One of our sons did something similar but on a smaller scale by hiking throughout South America.  We have spent our 35 years of marriage believing in living life to the fullest as each day is never given back to us.  We had challenges of having to work full time while raising 5 children, but we still managed to squeeze in “adventures.” And in 1999, when they all left the nest, we used all disposable income and every vacation to visit all 50 states and 38 of the US National Parks.  We were teachers so we had many days off.  We have both turned 70 so the clock is ticking more quickly but we will continue to create as many adventures as we can within our new limitations (back problems, etc.)  Our motto is “As much as we can, as long as we can.”
And a bit of my reply….
“Hello again!

This is such a beautiful message to receive, Thank you.  I often feel awkward about not living life ‘responsibly’ by settling down, buying a house, and saving my money.  I tried this a decade ago, and when I left it behind my life changed dramatically.  I left the city, moved to a small town in Northeastern Washington State and (although it took a few years, still) the true explorer in me was born once i was free of the city distractions.  Now I’m back in a city but my view of it has all changed.  It’s so heart warming to hear of others that truly get out and enjoy all that nature and this country has to offer.  I know so many that are too busy with their unhappy lives that could use a good dose of travel and nature, but while the cure is right in front of them, they can’t seem to break away from what they feel they’re supposed to do.  
I used to dream of winning the lottery, not to have expensive things, but so that I could explore the United States.  Many people want to travel abroad, but I find so many interesting things just walking down my own street, that I could spend a lifetime happily discovering the beauty and history found in each little town found down a two-lane road. Bandon was such a whirlwind trip for us, that we didn’t get to explore much.  My ‘dream’ was to try to get dress photos on a beach, and Helena’s, I think, was to be a part of my wacky dressed up photo fun.  We were in Bandon less than 24 hours, but I hope to return again.  I understand there are very few people that visit that beach, and that’s the way I like it…If I might share, my friends and I mentioned you at breakfast the morning after we were on the beach.  While visiting with Helena’s friends, telling them about our fun time on the beach, I said that it was fun to have people curiously watching and that we’d waved up to you. (I, at the time, didn’t realize that the woman we’d waved to was with you.)  Then I spoke of the kind man that I met as we fled the beach cold and wet. “It looks like you were having fun down there” was such an unexpected comment.  It made me smile because that’s exactly what I want all of this to be.  There has never been a definition to what I’m doing, because with that, it might put limits on what people see in my photos and experiences.  I just want to have fun with it, and desperately hope that others feel the same.”
Thanks Bill & Ann for the support and heart warming email.  Here are a few photos that Bill took of Helena and I as we play around on the beach…
Posted in February 2013 | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Gear Review and Company Contact Reports

By RonUlrich | Published January 30, 2013

Hi there.  I have been sending out emails over the last few months inquiring about warranties, gear issues I had repeatedly, etc, and I thought I’d share some of their responses.

During my thru-hike of the PCT I encountered a few gear issues.  Most of the companies were great to understand that I was only in town for a day and needed the issue fixed fast.  Some issues continued, but half way through the hike I realized some of my gear wasn’t such a necessity after all.

SOCKS !

Smartwool Outdoor Light Mini – These socks were fantastic BUT they didn’t last very long.  My feet generally stayed  warm on cold days, cool in the desert, and dry all the time (in part because of my very airy shoes. ).  But they would only last a couple of weeks on the trail before holes wore through the bottoms.  I swapped out socks often trying to avoid holes, but they were inevitable.  At $16/pair, the price of them added up quickly.  I often wore Injinji Toe Socks under, or instead of, they make great liners, and kept the area between my toes generally blister free.  But back to Smartwool, I contacted them about their life expectancy, and the reply came with a suggestion to try a heavier sock, which isn’t (personally) thru-hiking practical …

“ Our best guess depends on the fit of the sock and the fit of the shoe. So maybe 250 miles or so? The wear and tear would also depend on the cushioning of the sock, and how you walk and the conditions they are worn in. It would be unique for each person. I would personally recommend the Hiking Light or Medium crew as they are one of most durable socks we make! A heavier cushioned sock will allow more wear than a micro weight and cause less damage to the natural wool fibers, therefore lasting you longer. But still, you’re only going to get maybe 250-300 miles out of the socks. And thats with rotating them as well.” – Smartwool

After receiving a pair of ‘Darn Tough‘ socks for Christmas, I sent them an inquiry about their warranty.  Many people started talking about their wonderful warranty, if it has a hole in it, they’ll replace it…. I found that hard to believe.  Although this process could take weeks, I imagine, it seems it’s true!  Worst case scenario would be to continue buying them as I hike, as needed, ship the replacements to my resupply person, and have them thrown into the next food shipment.  So here’s exactly what Darn Tough had to say!

“Our socks are guaranteed to be the most comfortable, durable and best
fitting socks you can buy.  When you buy our socks you buy us.  We do have a
life-time guarantee on Darn Tough Vermont socks.  And, as you said, “the
further I hiked, the more I heard about your socks and their warranty.”
Yes, we have many, many people who love our socks and hike the Pacific Trail
Crest as well as other places all over the world in all kinds of elements.
And, yes, we do replace our socks if they get a hole in them as part of our
warranty.  We’d love to have you see for yourself and rave about our socks
as others do so join us all and make you and your feet happy too.  We don’t
want you to be disappointed – it is not a vocabulary word we use.  So take a
look at our website www.darntough.com and see what we have and if you click
in the upper right-hand corner on “Where Can I Get Em?” you will see the our
dealers we have out there near you as well as online dealers. ”

Thanks Darn Tough!

Solar Panel !

My Goal Zero Nomad 7 quit charging my phone and the accompanying battery pack/charger within 300 miles.  With one quick phone call and a few questions, my replacement was scheduled to meet me at the next town.  I sent back the old (I think it was even on their dime) and all was good.  2/3 of the way through the hike, long long after I sent back the useless battery pack that took forever to charge, (replaced by some energizer little, cute, lightweight battery packs with USB ports, rechargable via my solar panel or any outlet), the solar panel seemed to be charging slow again.  I was moving fast enough that I decided I didn’t need to use the solar panel, so it went un-used until I sent it home.

Post hike I contacted them again and asked them if they could test it for me.  So a few weeks ago I sent it to them, and I await the answer.  They were very friendly and all that used the goal zero chargers, that I talked to, were happy with their choice.

Backpack!

I love my Osprey Atmos.  I started with an Osprey Atmos, several people on trail had issues with them, mine was replaced, then, I admit, I over loaded it, and it was replaced again.  Right off,  had issues with Osprey Customer Service.  Calling me back two days later when I haven’t any service wasn’t going to work.  Repeated calls ended up in voicemail.  I blogged about it, I received great service from then on…. Osprey went above and beyond to keep me happily in a pack (do I get to whine and say I wanted the black one? – Really it’s my fault, it was either wait for a black pack in Independance, CA or swap my old pack for a shiny new blue one in Bishop).  It seemed on the trail, while wearing a wedding gown, that I fully needed the air cushion that these packs offer, to stay cool.  The Atmos is in rough condition after 1800 or so miles on the PCT, but they’ve offered to repair it via their Almighty Guarantee.

Sleeping Bag Liner

Sea To Summit Silk Liner, which, like some of my other gear, was toast a few hundred miles in.  I didn’t use it that often, but when I did, the seams started pulling apart.  The liner keeps things wonderfully warm, or serves as a ‘sheet’ when it’s too hot for the sleeping bag.  Sea To Summit replaced the liner quick and easy.  The same happened to the replacement.  holes in the seams.  Upon contacting them, they are aware of the issue, and hope to have it fixed by end of 2013.  In the mean time, I guess I can use the holey one, or the heavier synthetic version by the same company, which I had long before the PCT.

“Every now and again, we experience an issue with a fabric or a component which does not reflect this extremely high standard – the seams on the silk liner would be one such issue. When we first received reports of seams failing on silk liners, we forwarded the information straight to our design and development staff in Perth, Western Australia. The ‘solution’ seemed clear – reinforce the seams (or in fact, use a different seam construction altogether). However, in practice, it transpired that this merely transferred the stress to the surrounding fabric, again resulting in failure.

In fairness, this has still affected a very low percentage of the total number of liners sold, although PCT Hikers tend to be pretty hard on their gear and meet often to discuss the equipment they are using, which skews the sample somewhat.

But – to be clear, it is not a matter of weak seams as much as stress being transmitted through the seam into the surrounding fabric. We do have an innovative solution to this issue, which will become available towards the end of 2013″ – Barry – SeaToSummit

All in all everything gear related went well.  I think I did good with my decisions, but probably should have started with a heavier duty pack.  One dreams of being Ultralight when they begin, but many of us, I think, quickly realized that we were just glutton for punishment, carrying more gear than we needed.  I used the Mountain Hardware Compressor, a synthetic thermal jacket instead of a down jacket, and I loved it.  My down jacket of the same brand name gets soaked on day hikes, so I’m glad I decided to endure the extra weight.  I used a synthetic REI sleeping bag that I will be replacing for the CDT hike.  I want a down bag, and hope I don’t regret it.  They’re lighter, and compress far more than the synthetic bags, so my pack won’t be so over stuffed…. then again, i did carry a petti-coat the entire distance… for photos, you know… :-)  Strange, I know.

So, for the CDT, I plan on a new bag, but everything else worked quite well for me.  I’ll likely reduce my load by one camera and make better use of the Iphone I now have.  For Christmas I received a Garmen Etrex 20 to help me work my way from border to border, the CDT is not nearly as clear as the PCT was, so I’ll need the extra electronic weight.

Once more, Rutalocua.com sponsored me with Yana Trekking poles on the PCT – I LOVED THEM, so incredibly light!  I intend to use them every step of the way on the CDT.

If anyone has any questions about my gear or wants to discuss, please contact me, I enjoy it!

Posted in Gear, January 2013 | Also tagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Movie Making

By RonUlrich | Published January 16, 2013

If you’ve read just about anything on my blog, you know I do everything the hard way, because I lack the know-how to do most anything.  I don’t learn easily, I’m totally hands-on, and therefore, I turn nearly everything, even simple tasks, into something far more complicated than it needs to be.

Using simple software, I’m putting together a movie of my hike.  I have more than NINE hours of VIDEO not to mention thousands of photos, and if you want pre-hike photos and footage, we’re pushing many more hours… ugh..  Every year someone ends up compiling a class video that includes all of the submissions from hikers, and it’s rounded into a movie less than two hours long.  HOW am I supposed to minimize my hike into something that’s not going to leave everyone yawning?  Is this a movie about a hike? about a wedding gowned adventure? about others I met on the trail who indeed are part of the experience? How am I to know?…. so i’m going at it a little at a time trying to minimize what I can, delete what you don’t need to see… there’s a lot of me walking down the trail… Whoooppeeeee….  :-/

Today I decided to get some work done on it, now that I have all the submissions for the class video in the mail… But wait ! I changed the names of many many video clips in my file, added descriptions for the creator, and what happened?…. Well I guess I wasn’t supposed to do that, because my movie-making software now can’t locate the video clips I’ve been working on…. Ooooops.  So hours later, I’m back on track, feeling like it could take years to get this done. Which I suppose is problematic if I plan to hike the CDT this year and add MORE photos and MORE video of MORE miles on the trails…. Some day, when my back is out for good, and my knees are shot, I guess I’ll have the time, right???

Posted in January 2012 | Also tagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Sponsorship

By RonUlrich | Published January 14, 2013

It’s not an easy thing to ask people for money or gear.  Early on in my quest for sponsorship for the PCT, I quit pushing for free stuff, that in turn I would have to ‘promote’, because I didn’t want to push goods on other hikers and fans of my hike that I didn’t believe in for any other reason that it was free.  I decided to set my sights on a few specific companies that I liked and believed in to sponsor me, which seemed the moral thing to do.  Mountain Gear in Spokane, where I kicked off the photography of hiking26 by climbing their indoor ‘rock-wall’ wearing an 11 lb Wedding Gown while the lovely Peyton photographed me, was fantastic in letting me come in and play touchy-feely with their gear, most of which I DID BUY at their store or on-line, yet even at the urging of store employees, the man in charge failed to return calls or emails requesting sponsorship.  Other companies, such as ExPed, and Sportiva replied to my requests with surprisingly personal denial.  Not just commenting on the strange nature of my attire planned for the PCT, but their own dreams of thru-hiking the PCT.

The few companies that did follow through with sponsorship, I was and am, very proud to say that I used and LOVED their product.  Bumble Bars of Spokane donated a few boxes of snack bars, and  Josh Leavitt of RutaLocra.com replied to my request with a humorous “Some of my customers are big, burly, redneck, hunter types, and having a picture of you in a dress, holding my poles, might make them very squeamish and insecure” Yet followed through with service that repeatedly went above and beyond my expectations.  Yana Trekking poles were on my list of items I wanted, to be fair, there were two companies and poles I was looking at, for Christmas I received the others.  I decided they weren’t what I wanted and contacted RutaLocura.  They are so incredibly lightweight and comfortable, that I intend to continue using them on every future hike, sponsorship or not.

So here I am again, 5 months shy of the date I plan to leave the Canadian border and head south on the CDT, and I’m back to begging, selling, and asking for more.  I don’t like it, but it’s the only way I’ll be able to continue thru-hiking and collecting stories for a book or more some day…  I don’t trust my body to be able to thru hike years from now, I’d rather do this now while I know I can.  If I don’t do this now, I don’t want to regret it later if I can’t…
Today I wrote the one and only sponsor I plan to ask for CDT assistance.  Utilikilt  of Seattle has the perfect item for my CDT, keeping with the theme, Tuxedo clad hike.  My dresses were so often compared to kilts, and Utilikilts are the only way to go in my book.  There’s a handsome black wool tuxedo kilt that would rock my hike.  So now I wait for a response.  It’s awkward sending a company that suggests that ‘real men can wear a kilt’ a message with a link to me in dresses….. But let me tell you… it takes a REAL man to hike the PCT in 26 wedding gowns…

 

Posted in January 2013 | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment