Bag Night Challenge 2020

OwenM · Nov 6, 2020

Night 1: Walls of Jericho, AL
Night 2: Big South Fork, KY
Night 3-5: Canyonlands, UT
Night 6: Savage Gulf, TN
Night 7: DeSoto State Park, AL
Night 8: Big Frog Wilderness, TN
Night 9: Cheaha Wilderness, AL
Night 10: Dugger Mountain Wilderness, AL
Night 11: Big South Fork, KY
Night 12: Virgin Falls SNA, TN
Night 13: Cohutta Wilderness, GA
Night 14: Pickett State Park, TN
Night 15: Cohutta Wilderness, GA
Night 16: Savage Gulf, TN
Night 17: Tishomingo State Park, MS
Night 18: Cheaha Wilderness, AL
Night 19: Grandfather Mountain, NC
Night 20: Big Yellow Mountain, NC
Night 21: Mt. Rogers NRA, VA
Night 22: Buzzard Rock(Whitetop Mountain), VA
3 more from NC and VA

OwenM · Nov 19, 2020

Night 1: Walls of Jericho, AL
Night 2: Big South Fork, KY
Night 3-5: Canyonlands, UT
Night 6: Savage Gulf, TN
Night 7: DeSoto State Park, AL
Night 8: Big Frog Wilderness, TN
Night 9: Cheaha Wilderness, AL
Night 10: Dugger Mountain Wilderness, AL
Night 11: Big South Fork, KY
Night 12: Virgin Falls SNA, TN
Night 13: Cohutta Wilderness, GA
Night 14: Pickett State Park, TN
Night 15: Cohutta Wilderness, GA
Night 16: Savage Gulf, TN
Night 17: Tishomingo State Park, MS
Night 18: Cheaha Wilderness, AL
Night 19: Grandfather Mountain, NC
Night 20: Big Yellow Mountain, NC
Night 21-22: Mt. Rogers NRA, VA
Night 23: Savage Gulf, TN
I took what was suppoaed to be a 2hr nap, and woke up at home 15hrs later, instead of on a trail in South Carolina.
So...Savage Gulf in TN. Quickie of Big Creek Gulf plus a visit to the Greeter Falls Loop before heading home.
With the flow very low at all the falls, the most exciting part was missing a turn while daydreaming, and following a trail of use that put me down at Big Creek way ahead of time. Climbing through boulders that were all underwater in the spring for a mile was time consuming, but major fun!

balzaccom · Nov 27, 2020

30 nights now, after a trip to Death Valley for some canyon exploring

Sunrise at Stovepipe Wells.

Udink · Dec 6, 2020

I wasn't motivated enough to camp in November so I missed out on camping at least one night each month this year. I did camp Friday night at the Sand Wash Airstrip before hiking into lower Nine Mile Canyon yesterday. It was a chilly 17 degrees but with two sleeping bags on the cot it was comfortable enough.

There was some open water on the Green when I arrived Friday evening after sunset, but by morning parts of it were completely frozen between both banks. A SAR buddy of mine said there were several helicopter rescues in Desolation on Saturday of rafters who were frozen in and had to leave all their gear behind.

Total: 27 Nights

1/17/2020 - Cañon Largo, NM
1/18/2020 - Cañon Saladito, NM
1/19/2020 - Alamo Windmill, NM
1/20/2020 - Encino, NM
2/28/2020 - Hart's Draw, UT
2/29/2020 - Hatch Point, UT
3/27/2020 - The Gulch, UT (GSENM)
3/28/2020 - The Gulch, UT (GSENM)
4/23/2020 - Silver Island Mountains, UT
4/24/2020 - Devil's Playground, UT
4/25/2020 - Dove Creek, UT
5/29/2020 - Thousand Lake Mountain, UT
5/30/2020 - East Boulder Mountain, UT
6/26/2020 - Pine Creek, Boulder Mountain, UT
6/27/2020 - Bowns Point, Boulder Mountain, UT
7/17/2020 - Sevier Plateau, UT
7/18/2020 - Hilgard Mountain, UT
8/27/2020 - Beaver Creek, UT
9/16/2020 - Labyrinth Canyon near Hardscrabble Bottom, UT
9/17/2020 - Stillwater Canyon near Valentine Bottom, UT
9/18/2020 - Stillwater Canyon near Water Canyon, UT
9/19/2020 - Upper Spanish Bottom, UT
10/21/2020 - Spring Canyon Bottom, UT
10/22/2020 - Mouth of Horseshoe Canyon, UT
10/23/2020 - Cottonwood Bottom, UT
10/24/2020 - Big Flat, UT
12/4/2020 - Sand Wash Airstrip, UT

IntrepidXJ · Dec 7, 2020

There's always the possibility of another night or two this month, but if not, I'm good with 70.

Total: 70 Nights

Dec 5-6 | Dead Horse Point Yurt | 1
Nov 26-29 | Natural Bridges | 3
Nov 20-22 | Indian Creek | 2
Nov 6-7 | Road Draw | 1
Oct 30 - Nov 1 | Hatch Point | 2
Oct 23-25 | Polly Mesa | 2
Oct 17-19 | White Rim Trail | 2
Oct 9-10 | Circle Cliffs | 1
Oct 8-9 | Cottonwood Creek | 1
Oct 7-8 | Paria River | 1
Oct 6-7 | Fourmile Bench | 1
Oct 5-6 | Deer Spring Point | 1
Oct 3-5 | Paria River & Sheep Creek | 2
Oct 2-3 | Between The Creeks | 1
Sep 25-26 | Little Giant Basin | 1
Sep 17-20 | Meander Canyon | 3
Sep 11-12 | Saltado Creek | 1
Sep 4-5 | Mount Irish Range | 1
Sep 3-4 | Kennedy Saddle | 1
Sep 2-3 | White Mountains | 1
Sep 1-2 | Pole Canyon | 1
Aug 29-30 | Deer Park | 1
Aug 22-23 | Stony Pass | 1
Aug 21-22 | La Plata River | 1
Aug 16-17 | Conundrum Hot Springs | 1
Aug 14-15 | Rose Cabin | 1
Aug 8-9 | Middle Quartz Creek | 1
Aug 1-2 | Black Mesa | 1
Jul 31 - Aug 1 | The Meadows | 1
Jul 18-19 | Bolam Pass | 1
Jul 10-12 | Geyser Pass & La Sal Pass | 2
Jul 3-4 | Wall Lake | 1
Jun 13-14 | Hermits Rest | 1
May 15-18 | Woodenshoe Canyon | 3
May 8-10 | Silver Falls Creek | 2
May 1-2 | Tomsich Butte | 1
Apr 25-26 | Mee Canyon | 1
Apr 3-5 | The West End | 2
Mar 27-29 | Waterpocket Fold | 2
Mar 12-15 | The Needles | 3
Mar 6-8 | Trachyte Creek | 2
Feb 29 - Mar 1 | Jackass Benches | 1
Feb 14-15 | White Sands National Park | 1
Feb 11-12 | Aravaipa Canyon | 1
Jan 31 - Feb 2 | White Crack | 2
Jan 25-26 | Behind the Rocks | 1
Jan 17-20 | Mojave Desert | 3
Jan 3-5 | Mountain Belle | 2

Dead Horse Point Yurt Under the Stars by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

Natural Bridges Campsite by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

OwenM · Dec 23, 2020

Night 1: Walls of Jericho, AL
Night 2: Big South Fork, KY
Night 3-5: Canyonlands, UT
Night 6: Savage Gulf, TN
Night 7: DeSoto State Park, AL
Night 8: Big Frog Wilderness, TN
Night 9: Cheaha Wilderness, AL
Night 10: Dugger Mountain Wilderness, AL
Night 11: Big South Fork, KY
Night 12: Virgin Falls SNA, TN
Night 13: Cohutta Wilderness, GA
Night 14: Pickett State Park, TN
Night 15: Cohutta Wilderness, GA
Night 16: Savage Gulf, TN
Night 17: Tishomingo State Park, MS
Night 18: Cheaha Wilderness, AL
Night 19: Grandfather Mountain, NC
Night 20: Big Yellow Mountain, NC
Night 21-22: Mt. Rogers NRA, VA
Night 23: Savage Gulf, TN
Night 24: Big South Fork, KY
Night 25: Red River Gorge, KY
Night 26: Carter Caves State Park, KY
Night 27: Cheaha State Park, AL
Well, I'm adding 4 more, and am afraid that will do it for 2020.
Covering a lot of extra shifts due to coworkers being out from COVID, and just sold back the remaining vacation day that was supposed to give me 3 nights off next week(instead of 0!), and a 10th state hiked in for the year.
Since I started having worse trouble with my back in January, have been crippled up a lot-missing 2.5 months worth of hiking, and canceled 2 trips out West(one due to COVID, one for the back), I feel really blessed to have gotten in these 27.

Last night, I finally got around to using my new fair weather shelter that a friend gave me awhile back.
You know you're ultralight when your stake bag makes up 24% of your shelter weight!

John Morrow · Dec 29, 2020

John Morrow said:
June 17-18 1 night
June 26-29 3 nights
July 3-5 2 nights
July 11-16 5 nights
July 24-26 2 nights
August 1-3 2 nights
August 8-10 2 nights
August 14-15 1 night
August 21-24 3 nights
August 27-28 1 night

September 5-7 2 nights Rampart Ridge, Central Cascades
September 11-14 3 nights Waptus Lake area, Central Cascades in the smoke
TOTAL 27 Nights

Nov. 13th to Dec. 25th

Pahranagat NWR Campground
Desert National Wildlife Refuge Cow Camp Rd
Turtle Mountains Mopah Spring TH
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge King Road
Palomas Mountains by the Fisherman Intaglio
Lake Mead National Rec Area
-- Calville Bay Campground
-- Katherine Landing Campground
Valley of Fire State Park campground
Mojave National Preserve
-- Aiken Mine Road
-- Soda Lake at L. Cowhole Mtn.
Corn Springs Campground
Joshua Tree Natl Park quick backpack in Pleasant Valley Dry Lake
Death Valley Natl Park
--Dublin Hills Jeep trails
--Virgin Spring Road
--Hole in the Wall Road
Celebration County Park, ID (Snake River Gorge)

TOTAL 37 Nights

GRAND TOTAL for 2020: 64 Nights

definitely below avg a bit due to COVID spring lockdowns

Dreamer · Dec 31, 2020

LarryBoy · Dec 31, 2020

For the first time in a long time, I have no idea how many bag nights I got. Probably in the neighborhood of 160, far below my target, but 2020 was 2020, so there's that. For the first time in my life, I did zero cowboying - all my bag nights were in places with either heavy dew or mosquito issues.

(note - the photo from the church nursery would not qualify as a bag night, at least to me. But it was certainly unique!)

Mediocre campsite photos:

:

Dreamer · Dec 31, 2020

I don’t know @LarryBoy, but if you go to places with names like Suck Mtn, mediocre might be the best you can expect.

LarryBoy · Dec 31, 2020

Dreamer said:
I don’t know @LarryBoy, but if you go to places with names like Suck Mtn, mediocre might be the best you can expect.

I was wondering if someone would notice that! That mountain really earned its name - it'd been raining for about three days straight when I got there. I suppose that's when shelters really earn their keep!

Dreamer · Dec 31, 2020

LarryBoy said:
I was wondering if someone would notice that! That mountain really earned its name - it'd been raining for about three days straight when I got there. I suppose that's when shelters really earn their keep!

covered lounging chairs included! Nice!

Rockskipper · Dec 31, 2020

@LarryBoy you forgot the photo of the pit toilet.

LarryBoy · Dec 31, 2020

Dreamer said:
covered lounging chairs included! Nice!

Yeah those shelters on the Ouachita Trail are awesome. Almost brand-new, they all have tarps inside to string up in case rain starts blowing in, got the Adirondack chairs, and they're always vacant because nobody hikes the OT. What more could you want?

Rockskipper said:
@LarryBoy you forgot the photo of the pit toilet.

I didn't sleep in a pit toilet this year! One bathroom yes, but it had flushable toilets.

Come to think of it, I don't think I slept in any weird locations this year. Must be losing form.

LarryBoy · Dec 31, 2020

That is so many nights in the Winds @Dreamer. Terrific! Did that 30-day stretch include any trips to town, or did you cache food/have an outfitter pack it in for you?

Dreamer · Dec 31, 2020

LarryBoy said:
That is so many nights in the Winds @Dreamer. Terrific! Did that 30-day stretch include any trips to town, or did you cache food/have an outfitter pack it in for you?

No exit.

Titans · Jan 21, 2021

Titans said:
August 19 | Putnam Pond, NY | 1 Night

Beautiful bug free evening, ( @kwc again thank you !)
View attachment 91192

View attachment 91190

View attachment 91191

Sept 3, The Adirondacks

Sept 3 early evening: Plan A

Sept 3 later evening. Nobody says you have to stay at your campsite all evening, right....? So here's Plan B

Sept 15 evening, The Adirondacks. A bit of wildfire smoke from out West.

Sept 16 morning, The Adirondacks

Oct 19, morning San Rafael Desert. Love those peaceful mornings in the desert.

Oct 20 - evening. Relaxing in the desert

. More beer than food in the cooler.

Oct 21 evening, Cedar Mesa, some Wildfire smoke surprised us

Oct 22, Cedar Mesa. Surreal sunset, wow!

Oct 23, morning. Had to position the Jeep on slick rock to block the wind the previous night.

Oct 23 evening, just amazing! Fisheye view

Oct 24 morning. Got up early to watch Orion.

Oct 24 morning

Oct 29 morning, 3 nights with these views, didn't want to move, so instead Mr Desert Mouse moved into the Jeep, sigh....

Oct 30, almost full moon

Nov 1 morning

Nov 3 Election evening

Nov 4, beautiful star gazing that evening.

Nov 5 morning

Nov 6 morning, lots of color, quiet morning. The day didn't end so quiet.

Nov 6 evening- we tried to squeeze in an additional night before the arrival of a front the next day. The weather forecast looked just fine. Worried about rain here, but it was quiet, few sprinkles.... Luckily we packed chairs, etc inside the car before going to sleep.

It didn't look too bad we thought and we went to bed early. At 10 pm the wind picked up and the gusts were so intense, that we had to move the Jeep to block some wind and tie the tent to the Jeep. Didn't even think of taking any photos. We fell asleep, then woke up at midnight after being sandblasted inside the tent. Closed all windows even though it was very warm, we fell asleep again, kind of.... We could hear the wind come howling up the nearby canyon before it hit the tent, whoa..... During a few quiet minutes in the dark the next morning, we quickly took the tent down, tossed it all in the Jeep and got the heck out of there. Later that morning the wind gusts were intense, howling under the roof box, it was not a fun ride to Moab. We sat out the front in comfort in Moab.

Nov 11- evening, the Needles CG

Nov 12 - morning in The Needles CG, plenty of color again

Nov 13 morning

Nov 15 - We changed plans, didn't continue to AZ, but decided to head back for 1 week to the Needles CG and then drive back home. In an attempt to stay awake we ventured out that evening and discovered benches and lots of them, perfect for star gazing on an ice cold night. Winter Parka, many layers, extra winter pants, a little Titos, all good

Awesome evening.

Nov 16 evening

Nov 17 evening

Nov 18 morning. Such a colorful and spectacular morning

3 mins later!!!

Nov 18 evening

Nov 19 morning

Nov 21 evening, ropes again, bigger rocks, ha.... Guess we had more wind!

Nov 22 morning beautiful

Nov 22, morning.

kwc · Jan 21, 2021

@Titans .. wow, awesome photos! I am very jealous.

John Morrow · Jan 21, 2021

kwc said:
@Titans .. wow, awesome photos! I am very jealous.

Wow, indeed! So many great shots of sunrises and sunsets. And sweet camps!

Rockskipper · Jan 22, 2021

Fantastic - love the night shots!

Bag Night Challenge 2020

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