Bag Night Challenge 2019

[Outdoor_Fool]

Starting a couple months ago, my 15 y.o. son began to mention how much he wanted to go camping & hiking this spring/summer. Then more recently he started talking about going camping this winter. A couple weeks ago, he said that we are going camping soon. So we did. As our winter remains mild, we loaded up, met up with a buddy, and headed out Saturday evening to the Wickersham Dome area north of Fairbanks. We were equipped to snowshoe in but the trail was packed down solid.

First bag night of 2019.

Morning view from camp.


Breaking camp.


Hiking out.


The camp mates.


On the way home, my son was talking about the next trip (in 3 weeks if the schedule allows!) with excitement.

 

[Tipi Walter]

Cool pics Outdoor Fool. Is that one of the Trango type tents??

My 2019 count so far is 17 days as I just returned from a January trip in the mountains of Tennessee.


I start the trip in the Bald River Gorge wilderness and balance my 90 lb pack on the rock overlooking Bald River.


Old Dog Falls on the upper stretches of Bald River.


I leave Bald River and climb 2,000 feet on Brookshire Creek trail to Sled Runner Gap and Rocky Top Mt. Yes, there's a Rocky Top in TN.


I reach this gap on State Line Ridge and get hit with a 8F cold snap and the fun begins on the night of Day 8 of the trip.


Pulling a zero blizzard and cold snap day in Hazel Gap.


How to stuff a frozen ice-varnished tent into its stuff sack? YOU DON'T. You wrap it up in your ground cloth instead and strap it on the pack.


A cold day of backpacking to Six Mile Gap.


I leave Six Mile Gap and pass over Waucheesi Mt and reach Warrior's Passage trail. I'm out of the snow!!


After pulling 15 days I finally see another backpacker and it happens to be my old friend Patman---so he hikes me on Warrior's Passage to Wildcat Creek and we prepare for the butt cold crossing.


It's my turn to pull the tough crossing of Wildcat Creek.


I hike Patman out on Warrior's Passage and we say our goodbyes. I leave to meet my shuttle ride the next day.

 

[Outdoor_Fool]

Cool pics Outdoor Fool. Is that one of the Trango type tents??

It is, Walter. The Trango 2. Bombproof. Should have brought the 3 though, as our 100-pound dog, Willow, eventually had to move outside due to lack of space.

 

[Stephanie B]

I'm going to a concert in Phoenix at the end of April and was hoping to visit some of those monuments on the way there. Sure hope the government shutdown is long done by then!

You might be interested in checking out Bloody Basin north of Phoenix. I’ll send you some links later.

 

[LarryBoy]

You might be interested in checking out Bloody Basin north of Phoenix. I’ll send you some links later.

Got that info? I'll be in the area tomorrow!

 

[balzaccom]

Man, you guys are nuts! We left the desert early because of a little rain. (Admittedly, it was a major storm and they were warning about flash floods, but still...)

Five nights on this trip. A good start!

 

[Artemus]

Starting a couple months ago, my 15 y.o. son began to mention how much he wanted to go camping & hiking this spring/summer. Then more recently he started talking about going camping this winter. A couple weeks ago, he said that we are going camping soon. So we did. As our winter remains mild, we loaded up, met up with a buddy, and headed out Saturday evening to the Wickersham Dome area north of Fairbanks. We were equipped to snowshoe in but the trail was packed down solid.

First bag night of 2019.

Morning view from camp.
View attachment 75053

Breaking camp.
View attachment 75054

Hiking out.
View attachment 75055

The camp mates.
View attachment 75056

On the way home, my son was talking about the next trip (in 3 weeks if the schedule allows!) with excitement.

Good one, O'Fool! Love to see you out there with the fam.

 

[LarryBoy]

January 5-6 | Western Nebraska | 1 night (car camping)
January 8-9 | Poverty Flats | 1 night (car camping)
January 9-10 | Mojave National Preserve | 1 night (car camping)
January 12-21 | San Diego Trans-county Trail | 6 nights (backpacking)
January 22-23 | Near Mojave, CA | 1 night (car camping}
January 23-25 | California Riding & Hiking Trail, Joshua Tree NP | 2 nights (backpacking)
January 25-26 | Middle of nowhere CA | 1 night (car camping)
January 26-27 | Organ Mountains National Monument, NM | 1 night (car camping)
January 27-28 | Near White Sands National Monument, NM | 1 night (car camping)
January 28-29 | Black Gap WMA, TX | 1 night (car camping)
January 29-31 | Outer Mountain Loop, Big Bend NP | 2 nights (backpacking)
January 31-February 1 | River Road East, Big Bend NP | 1 night (car camping)
February 1-2 | Davis Mountains near Ft Davis, TX | 1 night (car camping)
February 2-5 | Near Carlsbad Caverns NP | 3 night (car camping)
February 5-6 | Fort Bowie National Historic Site, AZ | 1 night (car camping)
February 6-7 | Near Chiricahua National Monument, AZ | 1 night (car camping)
February 7-8 | Willcox, AZ | 1 night (car camping)
February 8-9 | Near Superior, AZ | 1 night (car camping)
February 9-11 | Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness | 2 nights (backpacking)
February 11-12 | Near Chiricahua National Monument | 1 night (car camping)
February 12-14 | Dragoon Mountains, AZ | 2 nights (car camping)
February 15-16 | Near Thoreau, NM | 1 night (car camping)
February 19-20 | Chaco Canyon | 1 night (car camping)
February 20-21 | McHood Park, Winslow AZ | 1 night (car camping)
February 22-23 | Winslow, AZ | 1 night (car camping)

Backpacking: 12
Car Camping: 24

 

[Udink]

I suppose I could count this as a bag night. My flight leaving Manila for the U.S. was five hours late due to mechanical issues on the plane, so I missed my next flight and had to spend the night in the airport in Shanghai, on the floor. I managed to find something to eat and drink (jerky and beer) despite the labels all being in Chinese. If this had really been a camping trip, however, I would have had more beer and been much more comfortable.

Dinner


View from "camp"

 

[Bob]

Nah....to count you would have to sleep on the tarmack....not under roof

 

[Bob]

Does it count as bag nights if my house is completely covered by snow? I could call it a igloo.... My 6ft measure stick is gone....... And we still have another storm day tomorrow.... Hwy 20 has been closed for 2 days

 

[Carcass]

Does it count as bag nights if my house is completely covered by snow? I could call it a igloo.... My 6ft measure stick is gone....... And we still have another storm day tomorrow.... Hwy 20 has been closed for 2 daysView attachment 75289View attachment 75290View attachment 75291View attachment 75292View attachment 75293

Where is this at?

 

[Bob]

Where is this at?

Island park Idaho......day 3 hwy 20 still closed this morning.... 6 ft drifts across road

 

[piper01]

4 nights so far this year:

1/18-19 (2 nights)- Oxford Ranch Campground outside Enchanted Rock State Park, TX
2/15-16 (2 nights)- Lost Maples State Park, TX

Enchanted Rock:
morning at the campground (aka the ranch's spare pasture)


the Rock:



Lost Maples:

 

[LarryBoy]

Does it count as bag nights if my house is completely covered by snow? I could call it a igloo.... My 6ft measure stick is gone....... And we still have another storm day tomorrow.... Hwy 20 has been closed for 2 daysView attachment 75289View attachment 75290View attachment 75291View attachment 75292View attachment 75293

Goodness gracious.

 

[swmalone]

Lagging behind, but for us this is a great start to the year.

3/6 - 1 Night GSENM

 

[IntrepidXJ]

These were probably the coldest overnight temperatures I have backpacked in, but the daytime temps were very nice in the The Needles. All the creeks were flowing and water was plentiful.

Total: 9 Nights

Mar 14-17 | The Needles | 3
Jan 24-27 | Paria Plateau | 3
Jan 18-21 | Squaw Flat | 3


Lost Canyon Camp by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

 

[Titans]

These were probably the coldest overnight temperatures I have backpacked in, but the daytime temps were very nice in the The Needles. All the creeks were flowing and water was plentiful.

Total: 9 Nights

Mar 14-17 | The Needles | 3
Jan 24-27 | Paria Plateau | 3
Jan 18-21 | Squaw Flat | 3


Lost Canyon Camp by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Nice! How cold over night / early morning @IntrepidXJ ?

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Nice! How cold over night / early morning @IntrepidXJ ?

Low 20's

 

[Rockskipper]

Does being aboard an icebreaker in Montana for five weeks count? Not as much snow as Bob, but set the month record low at minus 32. Fortunately, the place is well heated.