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  1. #1
    Senior Member E.A.Y.'s Avatar
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    Lassen National Forest, McClure trail, March 14/15 2015

    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!)

    -Liz -

  2. #2
    Herder of Cats OutandBack's Avatar
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    Nice report thank you.
    I never was a fan of Shepard Hooks.

  3. #3
    Senior Member JSH's Avatar
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    Very complete report. Thanks for the detail and narratives. Did you mix the Fritos with oatmeal for breakfast

  4. #4
    Senior Member E.A.Y.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OutandBack View Post
    Nice report thank you.
    I never was a fan of Shepard Hooks.
    You're welcome! I've already transfered the Groundhog stakes to the 'current gear' box!

    Quote Originally Posted by JSH View Post
    Very complete report. Thanks for the detail and narratives. Did you mix the Fritos with oatmeal for breakfast
    Naw, I wandered around camp munching Fritos and chatting.
    -Liz -

  5. #5
    Senior Member Bruciehi5's Avatar
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    Thanks for the great and detailed trip report, E.A.Y. I like to hang my pack off the hammock too. Mozzies are not welcome on my hiking trips. The backpacker soup dosn't look very appetizing. The Petzl emergency lamp is great. Thanks for the report! A trip well worth doing, by the sounds of it. Hope you don't throw your glasses overboard next trip! lol

  6. #6
    Senior Member E.A.Y.'s Avatar
    Join Date
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    Location
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bruciehi5 View Post
    Thanks for the great and detailed trip report, E.A.Y. ... Hope you don't throw your glasses overboard next trip! lol
    You are welcome! At least the glasses didn't land in any itchy plants!
    -Liz -

  7. #7
    Member Kriswithak's Avatar
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    Thanks for the report E.A.Y. I always find it interesting to read trip reports from other places. And I love it when people list what's in their pack; I'm always curious about what other people carry.
    So many trails, so little time...

    A Pessimist sees a dark tunnel. An Optimist see the light at the end of the tunnel. The Realist sees the train. But the Engineer just sees 3 idiots standing on the tracks.
    Which one are you?

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