Album The members of backcountrypost.com

[TheMountainRabbit]

Looks like he is a chip off the old block @TheMountainRabbit, before you know it, he will be accompanying you on your backpacking adventures.

He's off to a good start! We're planning our first multi-campsite (2!) trip in the Black Hills this summer. Won't be long until he's sprinting well ahead of me!

A couple pictures below from his first Rocky Mountain backpacking trip back in 2017. (Unrelated, but we had a small-ish moose trip over one of our tent tie-outs and scare the hell out of me on this trip. He slept right through it.)

 

[scatman]

He's off to a good start! We're planning our first multi-campsite (2!) trip in the Black Hills this summer. Won't be long until he's sprinting well ahead of me!

A couple pictures below from his first Rocky Mountain backpacking trip back in 2017. (Unrelated, but we had a small-ish moose trip over one of our tent tie-outs and scare the hell out of me on this trip. He slept right through it.)
View attachment 120042
View attachment 120043

Great shots @TheMountainRabbit ! You know, I looked a lot like your son when I was that age - long, blond, curly locks.

 

[TheMountainRabbit]

You know, I looked a lot like your son when I was that age - long, blond, curly locks.

Uh oh... do I have a next-gen @scatman on my hands?

 

[Rockskipper]

Uh oh... do I have a next-gen @scatman on my hands?

You'll be OK IF you do the following (start ASAP):

Never let him wear a kilt,

Don't let him experiment in the kitchen,

Teach him that mud bogs can be very dangerous, NOT FUN,

Teach him that mules are NOT to be admired,

No circus peanuts under ANY circumstances,

Discourage him from making strange hand gestures that involve putting his thumb to his nose,

He can own only one camera at a time.

No climbing radio towers,

No lounging around on railroad tracks,

ETC. (You get the picture.)

 

[scatman]

Uh oh... do I have a next-gen @scatman on my hands?

Well, you know if you do that he'll absolutely love Yellowstone! And of course, you'll never have a dull moment on your hands.

 

[scatman]

You'll be OK IF you do the following (start ASAP):

Never let him wear a kilt,

Don't let him experiment in the kitchen,

Teach him that mud bogs can be very dangerous, NOT FUN,

Teach him that mules are NOT to be admired,

No circus peanuts under ANY circumstances,

Discourage him from making strange hand gestures that involve putting his thumb to his nose,

He can own only one camera at a time.

No climbing radio towers,

No lounging around on railroad tracks,

ETC. (You get the picture.)

I can't believe you didn't list wearing a bikini in the front yard! You're slipping Skipper.

 

[Rockskipper]

I can't believe you didn't list wearing a bikini in the front yard! You're slipping Skipper.

I didn’t want to traumatize anybody. I suspect there are people here who have never seen that photo and trying to imagine it in their mind could be pretty devastating. On the other hand, having actually seen it is pretty devastating too Lol.

 

[kwc]

I didn’t want to traumatize anybody. I suspect there are people here who have never seen that photo and trying to imagine it in their mind could be pretty devastating. On the other hand, having actually seen it is pretty devastating too Lol.

Ummmm … let’s not give @scatman an incentive to take another bikini photo. He could traumatize not only new BCP members but his entire neighborhood!

 

[Yvonne]

on my way to Mauna Ulu in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes NP:

I finally made it to the summit of Mauna Ulu. I tried three times, but nasty weather with torrential rain and thick fog moved in each time.
You don't want to be on the crumbly summit crater in zero visibility.
Iʻm glad I could go this time.

see the crumbly crater edge behind me with lots of cracks

Mauna Ulu

 

[SteveR]

NIce, Yvonne! We've been to Kauai 3 times (as in profile photo) but never to the other islands. Might have to change that for our potential return next spring.

 

[SteveR]

I didn’t want to traumatize anybody. I suspect there are people here who have never seen that photo and trying to imagine it in their mind could be pretty devastating. On the other hand, having actually seen it is pretty devastating too Lol.

Thanks, the mental image is more than enough!

 

[Yvonne]

NIce, Yvonne! We've been to Kauai 3 times (as in profile photo) but never to the other islands. Might have to change that for our potential return next spring.

BIg Island has a lot of great hikes

 

[Yvonne]

I checked out a new trail combination in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes NP and enjoyed the beautiful rainforest with Ōhia trees and Hapuʻu Tree ferns

 

[TractorDoc]

Today's training hike was supposed to focus on some Ohio spring flowers.

I did not get a picture of every blooming flower, but came across several nice patches of:

Wild Hyacinth. Also known as Atlantic Camas.





Blue Phlox.



Wood Geranium.



May Apple. (and some poison ivy!)



Tiny leaves of an Oak Tree -- and I'm thinking what will eventually become acorns.



Buckeye Tree.



Obligatory picture of "Member of BCP" taking picture of a Buckeye Tree.



My legs were starting to feel the burn as I added in another 10lb. brick to today's pack.

Flowers would have to be the second most exciting thing that happened on today's walk because out of the corner of my eye I noticed something moving across the edge of the field.

Foxes! At this point I was wishing I had the 300mm lens on the camera. The parent fox is on the right, carrying a groundhog I think, and several young foxes can be seen bouncing in the grass at the left. Of course, I had to crop/zoom in on these images from my 70mm focal length.



Because it is Mother's Day I'm going to say this parent was the Mom.



In total I was able to count five kits, but could only catch four of them at a time with the camera.



After awhile the mom noticed me and ran off to the spot where I found the den a couple weeks ago. I found it interesting that the kits were in a different area by themselves and that mom was bringing food to them.

So you get flowers and a little bit of wildlife too. Not bad for an Ohio afternoon.

 

[Yvonne]

I crossed another great hike off my bucket list.
Since the collapse of Puʻu Oʻo in 2018 and the Leilani eruption, the trail to the base of Puʻu Oʻo was closed.
Finally, a few weeks ago, they opened it up again.
There are two approaches to getting there: the longer 18 miles round-trip hike or, the shorter 15.5-mile hike.
I opted for the shorter one because it included a trail section I havenʻt done.
It was definitely a trail for lava lovers like me
About 70% of the trail was across old lava fields

great hiking conditions across old lava field, I definitely loved it

At Nāpau Crater viewpoint with Puʻu Oʻo in the background

getting closer to Puʻu Oʻo

Young Amaʻu fern and the extinct cinder cone in the back

end of the trail: beyond the massive Aʻa flow the entire area is unstable so you can't go any further

hiking stats: I really need to post the trip reports of all my excursions soon

 

[Yvonne]

I hiked down Hilina Pali to the coast in Hawai'i Volcanoes NP
2,200 ft elevation loss across loose A'a lava and the coastal plains.
And, of course, later you climb the 2,200 ft back up.
10.6 miles total distance, mauka to makai.
And you never see another person out there.

the top of the Pali: I needed to hike all the way down to the coast

halfway down

I found an old lava tube and climbed into it

inside the lava tube

beach campsite: definitely one of these days!!!

my private beach for the day

 

[scatman]

The art of tying one's shoes.

 

[Rockskipper]

I just nail mine on and no worries.

 

[scatman]

I just nail mine on and no worries.

Smart of you.

 

[Yvonne]

Another Hawai'i Volcanoes hiking trip:
This time I went up the slopes of Mauna Loa to Pu'u Ula'ula, a nice 4,000 ft elevation gain in 7 miles
14 miles roundtrip, near whiteout conditions in thick fog, a few minutes of sunshine, and then torrential rain on the hike back down.
You definitely get it all and always need to pack for every weather.