The most difficult backpacking in Ohio is the Shawnee Backpack Trail within Shawnee State Forest outside of Portsmouth, Ohio, near the southernmost part of the state located in the Appalachian Foothills, which some people refer to as “The Little Smokies of Ohio”. I have looked into this option before, but the reputation of the trail …
Continue reading Shawnee Backpack Trail (Shawnee State Forest)
My first true “wilderness” experience happened in 2005 when my buddy Ken talked me into trying out a Llama Trek in the Southern Winds. Prior to this, my outdoor experience consisted of numerous day hikes (including many out West) and some car camping. I consider that Llama Trek trip as the launching pad to my …
Dolly Sods was my first “effort” solo backpacking trip back in May 2011 after a couple mild Ohio backpacking trips and supported, guided Llama Treks in Wyoming. For my first backpack fix in three years, I decided to revisit The Sods in this year of COVID. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50424869177_964a969aaf_z.jpg Dolly Sods Wilderness (https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mnf/recarea/?recid=12366) is a really neat …
I drove early from Granville to Shawnee State Park, arriving shortly after 9am. After a visit to the Lodge, I headed to the empty Backpacker Parking Lot at the Trailhead and headed out at 9:40am. It was crisp, clear and 45 degrees. At the Trailhead, veer to the left for the start of the Backpack …
The night wasn’t too cold (stayed above freezing). I am testing a quilt from my Wind River Range backpacking partner and it worked great. I am contemplating switching from my almost 15 year old synthetic sleeping bag to this new down quilt. It rained in the early morning and was dripping when I woke up. …
It was a very cold night, with temperatures below freezing based on the water droplets on my tent fly frosting over when I laid it out to dry! The quilt did great, finalizing my decision to purchase it from Jim. Given it was the last day, my breakdown from camp was a speedy 75 minutes …
We had discussed the night before the possibility of hiking out the entire 15 miles this day instead of trying to find a camp between Seneca Lake and Elkhart Park. Given that spending another night camping (with a hole in my air mattress) with limited views/benefits during that part of the trail was not worth …
Continue reading Northern WRR Day 6: Upper Jean Lake to Pole Creek TH
It was a crisp night, waking up to frost and signs of ice along the trail. On the trail just after 8am and treated to an absolutely gorgeous morning, proving more stunning views as we hiked out of Indian Basin. A straightforward hike down the Basin to Island Lake, taking a break after a few …
Continue reading Northern WRR Day 5: Titcomb Basin to Upper Jean Lake (and Shannon Pass)
Woke up to some clouds, however, by the time we hit the trail at 8am it was crystal clear, foreshadowing another gorgeous day in the Winds! One of the challenges in this area, the recent increase in traffic and lack of trees/soil is seeing more signs of human activity than normal. Unfortunately, near my camp, …
We woke up to a brisk morning in Titcomb Basin with no smoke in sight! However, the wind remained, reminding us why it is named the “Wind” River Range! The plan today was altered to spend a day exploring the Basin and resting our legs for the rest of the journey. After breakfast we got …
MOOSE! While brushing my teeth in camp this morning, I noticed some rustling on the other side of the shrub from me and saw a moose! No more than 20’ away! I was a bit away from my tent where my bear spray was, I didn’t feel I should venture off into the open for …
Continue reading Northern WRR Day 2: Lower Cook Lake to Titcomb Basin
One of the benefits of hiking out of Pinedale is the proximity to the Pole Creek Trailhead. The drive is less than 30 minutes on a completely paved road to Elkhart Park. Another plus is that the trailhead is already at 9300’ elevation. The parking lot was busy (150 vehicles?), but not full. We were …
Continue reading Northern WRR Day 1: Pole Creek TH to Lower Cook Lake
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