A simple overnight in Lassen National Forest: McClure trail from the High Trestle trailhead, then to the north fork of Antelope Creek. High 70, low 40. 2000 feet above sea level. I did this same trip 5 years ago.
Canyon by elizabethyoung2, on Flickr
Gear outline at end of report.
Picture taken by JG, not me
Everybody was set up and loafing or hiking/exploring by 1:30pm. I found a short but pleasant hang between two trees, probably just properly far enough from the North Fork Antelope Creek in the green, but dryish Lassen National Forest.
Some of this trip report will be in a different tense, as I am pre-composing it on my phone as I loaf in the shade of my tarp.
Deal.
Some trick of acoustics brings an out-of-time echo of the creek to my hammock. It sounds like a tiny, distant electric weed whacker from behind my hammock. The creek is in front, you see. I keep popping out of my hammock to try and find the flapping, rubbing thing. I can't find it. I wonder if it will go all night?
My empty pack, my DIY G4, is hanging from my suspension. The shelf of my Warbonnet Blackbird is a bit crowded with clothes. The last time I came down here, it had recently rained, the stream crossing was roaring, and the overnight low was 30 under my closed up winter tarp. Much milder temps this trip. An almost dry crossing. I might not need all the clothes I brought. But I do wish I had my head net. Mosquitoes, the first of the season. Oh, well.
The trip down to our camping spot is down from the trailhead to McClure Place, a long defunct farm still decorated with one rusting horse drawn gadget.
another pic by JG
Then into the abyss, a 200ft descent down to Antelope Creek, across a series of benches separated by steep, short descents. Total elevation lost about 800 feet over 3 miles.
We had a variety of packs and shelters in our group. Small conventional one man tents, a single wall tent, another hammock(!). A Gossamer Gear pack, several generic REI packs. Our hammock setups generated interest (2 hammockers in a group generate more than twice the interest as 1 hammocker in a group.)
The other hammocker stopped at the second to the last bench, I continued on, hoping for an equally nice pair of trees.
We are a little bit downstream of the camping spot from a few years ago. More open, less poison oak to avoid. I'm still on a slope. I'm always on a slope. I wonder if my shoes will stay put all night? I might tether them with a stake. (I didn't)
Huh. If I lean forward in my hammock (I'm sitting sideways now) the weed whacker (electric shaver?) noise is gone. Lean back so my head is aligned with the trees, and it is back.
This was a Meetup organized trip, originally full up at 12, the final body count was 6. The weather looked and felt like rain, and there were a few tiny droplets as we were setting up. Mid 60s and humid (for Northern California). No real rain developed.
For the first time ever, groping in the dark, I missed the shelf on the WBBB and chucked my glasses overboard. They slid out the end of the partially deployed sock and I heard them hit the ground. I managed to get my feet into my shoes, even sans glasses (bats are jealous) where I came within a hair of stepping on the glasses. All was well, but I had to get settled in my wonderful, warm nest all over again! The injustice!
The breeze picked up just before dawn, accompanied by some extra loud flapping from my tarp. Sure enough, one stake had pulled loose. I stuck it back in. I may go back to triangular profile stakes instead of the simple hooks.
My DIY sock (Argon67) performed wonderfully. I had it mostly cinched up and there was very little condensation. That may be because I opened it up every few hours and stuck my head out (hot flashes!)
Photo By Mr. A
The hike out was all uphill but not too bad because there was a nice breeze blowing through the canyon, and the sun was not too high in the sky. The drive home was 3 hours.
When I got home I decided to make backpacker soup and wash all my gear in a solution of Tecnu in a big tub. If I get a lot of rash patches, I will wash my quilts and my hammock. However, I don't want to wash them unless I absolutely have to. The contamination will come from the soles of my shoes and the tips of the poles as there was some poison oak on as well as beside the trail.
Gear run down
My Warbonnet Blackbird performed beautifully even with a super short hang. My quilts were good although perhaps over-warm for the temperatures combined with the sock. I love my sock!
I have a new headlamp, a little Petzl, with a whole lot of modes: red, red flashing, white flashing, bright white and less bright white. I'm not used to this light yet, so half the time I would turn it on and blind myself (it had an 'off' position at both ends of the selector, and I was not consistent in how I put it on each time, so I did not know which mode I would encounter first). I'm sure I'll get used to it. It's an LED light and very bright and theoretically long lasting on a battery.
On the downside I tried using my camera for a phone and a night time reading device, and a text recorder and and and... . That was a total bust, the batteries were flat by Sunday morning. A paperback book and bring a real camera next time: my Canon point and shoot.
I succumbed to the lure of LED lighting and picked up a pair of Nite Ize light up zipper pulls. One of those on the end of my tarp was a nice "sleep here" beacon.
So far today (Monday) I have one small itchy patch on my inside left forearm. From my shoe? Who knows. I hope no more develop.
Gear list
Exactly 20 pounds, base weight + food and water.
Pack
G4 (diy)
Ursack and 2 liners
Sleep
MacCat deluxe tarp
Warbonnet Blackbird
sock (diy)
down top quilt, ¾ underquilt (pre Hammock Gear gear)
Themarest Prolite pad
scrap of plastic sheet
Clothes
fleece vest
windshirt
rain chaps and poncho
wrist warmers
balaclava, fleece
socks (sleeping)
lycra exercise shorts
midweight longjohn set
Clothes (worn in and out)
short sleeved wicking shirt
kilt, lycra exercise shorts
trail runners
toe socks
spandex gaiters
wide brim hat
sun sleeves
sports bra
glove liners, fingertips cut off
hiking poles
Water
filter
bucket, folding
hard bottle
soft bottle
Cooking
Esbit stove
Esbit tab (1)
BIC and matches
small pot, mug, lid set
pot cozy (diy)
plastic spoon
tupperware box
Hygiene
sunscreen stick
lip balm
FAK
dropper bottle of soap
toilet paper
Wisp brush
Tools
map and compass
pocket knife
headlamp
potty trowel (snowstake)
cotton bandana
Dutchware plastic utility hook
ID
phone
Food
asst nut bars, jerky (snacks)
spicy black bean hummus and fritos (dinner)
salmon jerky, crackers, avocado (also dinner)
oatmeal (breakfast)
more Fritos (breakfast!)
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