Garabaldi Lake: Guest Post on Hiking Trip Reports

I wrote a guest post for Hiking Trip Reports suggesting a fantastic weekend backpacking trip to beautiful Garibaldi Lake here in British Columbia. This trip features a pristine glacier lake, 360 degree panoramic views, wildflower meadows, and all the hill climbing your little legs can handle.

Check out the gorgeous lake from high up on Panorama Ridge

It's one of my favorite low maintenance (as in takes little planning and prep) backpacking trips and one that I'd encourage anyone and everyone to consider if you plan to be in the area.

Head over to Hiking Trip Reports and check it out!

Tips for buying a touring bike

Since I just bought myself a new touring bike, I thought I'd share what I learned. Here are my tips for buying a touring bike.

My bike is a Trek FX 7.3.  It's a hybrid/city bike and I love it.  A lot.  If anyone is looking for a bike with a more upright geometry to reduce lower back strain you should check it out.

Cost vs. Quality vs. Time

Pick two. Want a bike that's great quality and low cost? Then you'll have to put your time in searching Craigslist and Ebay and checking out lots of bike sales. Want to get your bike quick but still want to get an awesome bike? Then your gonna have to pony up some cash. Or want to get a cheap bike fast? Then count on getting what you pay for and get a cheaper bike.

Any of those options are fine, just try to think about what you want in advance. In the end I decided that I didn't have the energy or know-how to scour Craigslist every day so I went for the Quality and Time combo. I was looking for something that's somewhat unusual and I knew that I could be easily duped since I am no bike expert (then...why am I giving tips on buying bikes?...hmm...) so after a few weeks of half-heartedly looking for a deal online I sucked it up and bought the perfect bike that I had serendipitously happened upon at a bike shop.

In fact, I chose to buy from a shop that was charging a higher rate than one of the others I'd found! Crazy right? Well, crazy to a cheap-o like me. But in the end it was a difference of about $50 and I felt that it was the right choice to support the shop that provided me with fantastic customer service. And, bonus, it's more convenient for me to get to that shop should anything go wrong.

Frame Material

When it comes to the frame you basically have four options: aluminum, steel, titanium, or carbon fiber. When you are looking at a touring bike specifically, this is how it boils down.

Aluminum gets the job done. That's what my bike is made from. It's strong enough for a touring bike and it is the most inexpensive material.

Steal is ideal. It absorbs more road vibrations which helps reduce your fatigue and it's strong. It can also be welded by pretty much anyone (a good thing if your bike frame breaks, especially if you are in a developing country) while aluminum can't. It's a little more expensive than aluminum. This is what Mountain Man's touring bike is made from.

Titanium touring bikes are rare. Titanium is expensive and it's main purpose in bike making is to maximize their strength to weight ratio, which really doesn't make sense for a touring bike. When your loading your bike with heavy panniers, a few ounces saved on the frame don't mean much. Maybe you should part with that six pack of beer instead (umm...no).

Carbon fiber is NOT for touring bikes. Carbon fiber is for speedy road bikes. The material is very light weight and not strong enough for heavy loads. You wont find attachment points for racks on these frames - for good reason.

Check out this cool article if you want to know more about bike frame materials.

Frame Features

In order to make a bike useful for touring it needs to have two things:

1. Mounting points for racks. Both front and back is ideal, although not everyone uses front racks.  Sometimes you'll hear these referred to as rack braze ons.


2. A wide wheel base. What I mean by this is that the two wheel hubs must be far apart. The idea here is that when you have panniers on your racks you wont be hitting them with your feet as you peddle.

Wheels and Tires

Have you ever heard the old piece of backpacking wisdom that says "One pound on your feet is worth five on your back"? The idea is that since your feet are the part of your body you actually have to move dropping one pound from your boot weight is equal to dropping five pounds of your pack weight.

The same idea works for your touring bike. Instead of trying to set yourself up with a racy frame your better off getting a solid frame and a speedier set of wheels.

The general ideas to keep in mind here are:

• Large wheels (in circumference) are faster than small wheels.
• Narrow tires are faster than fat tires.
• Slicks or inverted tread are faster than knobbies.
• Low spoke wheels may be fast and light, but they are not strong enough for touring.

Brakes

Disk breaks vs. V Brakes. The Great Debate! If your shopping experience was anything like mine you probably had sales people breathing the virtues of disk brakes down your neck (not at Kulshan though, thanks Zac!).

The deal is that disk brakes are more expensive, so shop owners would like you to buy them. Does this mean they are a bad product? No, of course not. But does it mean that you really need them? Maybe not. Let's look at how disk brakes hold up against the older fashioned V breaks.

• Stopping power: disk brakes have greater stopping power. A lot of weight puts extra stress on brakes so if you plan to load your bike down like crazy, disk brakes are a good call. Furthermore, if you are heading out into the mountains and are planning looong unrelenting descents disk brakes wont heat up your rims, so again they are a good call.
• Maintenance: it's a toss up. Disk brakes have longer intervals between maintenance but V breaks are easier and cheaper to fix in a pinch. I'll take the V brakes when I'm on the road, potentially miles from the nearest town.
• Price: V brakes are much cheaper.

So decide for yourself. There is certainly nothing wrong with disk brakes, but don't let the sales person convince you that they are essential.

I decided on V brakes, because if it's good enough for Lance it's good enough for me.*


Does anyone else have touring adventures planned for this spring? Are you using a bike meant for touring, a hybrid (like mine), a road bike, a cycle cross bike, a mountain bike, or something in between? What helpful hints have you picked up while setting up your rig?

*Yes, I realize that this is a ridiculous statement.

50 miles and counting

On Friday morning I bought a new bike. 30 minutes later I embarked on a 50 mile bike ride.

Umm, whoa.

If you've read my "About me/AMTH" post you'll know that I'm new to biking. This was quite a feat for me. And not to mention, how funny is it to buy a bike and take it straight from the store onto a full day's bike trip? I think it's hilarious.

For anyone who's wondering - it's a hybrid that I plan to use for bike touring this spring and summer (and beyond of course). A Trek FX 7.3 in a 22.5 inch frame. Yes, that's monstrous. I love it. Mountain Man says it's because I'm leggy. But really it's because I love an upright stance on a bike (bad back - word is I'm getting old).

And 50 miles later, I love-ity-love-love my new bike. I could hug it.

I usually try to make this blog about sharing info helping people out, rather than chronicling my journeys. Clearly this is just me bragging about my awesome day on the road. So in the spirit of being useful, here's a tid-bit that can help you out next time you're on a really long bike ride. This comes direct from the most awesome spin instructor ever (I miss SDSU spin classes).

If your cycling partners are getting tired climbing a hill you can just turn to them and say, "Ride my road monsters, RIDE!" It's very motivating. Some people like to channel the Wicked Witch of the West (you know the scene when she's sending out her winged monkey legions?) to get the voice right.

Alternatively, if you're trying to go fast you can cheer, "Knees knees, pretty please, I want knees, gimme knees!"

Shout out to Kulshan Cycles in Bellingham.

How to Poop in the Woods

Relieving myself is my absolute least favorite part of camping. As a female, I can tell you how jealous I am of a male's ability to pee at the drop of a zipper with no issues about privacy, cleanliness, or - most of all - toilet paper. But the infamous outdoor poop effects us all equally.

So today I'll tackle the task of making the outdoors just a little more approachable by bringing you a tutorial of how to poop in the woods.

METHOD 1: THE OUTHOUSE

Many backcountry campsites have outhouses. While these facilities are usually not pleasant, they are the best place for both your number 1's and number 2's. They are built to contain the refuse and therefore protect the surrounding environment (especially bodies of water) from pollution. Other than being a great leave no trace option, they also usually provide privacy and sometimes even toilet paper. The main drawback is the gnarly smell and dirty interior (although I'll admit I've used some fabulous outhouses).

My outhouse tip is to streamline the process of getting in and out - prep your toilet paper (TP) in advance (no fumbling for me!) and don't bother closing the door. While it's not exactly awesome etiquette to do your business with the door open, the outhouse is not the most popular hangout and I haven't been caught yet.

Make sure to use an outhouse whenever it's available.

METHOD 2: BURIAL

Of course, outhouses are not always available. And occasionally they are so incredibly disgusting that they cannot be used. I've only come across an unusable outhouse once but - ugh, I don't even want to think about it.

When traveling in a wooded area burial is a common and effective method of poop management. While there is some debate on the topic, it is fairly accepted that burying your poop promotes quick composting, prevents the spread of disease, and preserves the illusion that others aren't pooping all over the forest. While it is considered acceptable by leave no trace campers, it isn't as good as using an outhouse or packing out your waste (for serious. We'll talk about that later).
A) Choose a Location
Select a site that is 200 feet away from a water source, trail, or campsite. No one wants to see you poop, step in your poop, or contract a waterborne disease from your poop.
B) Dig a Hole
Use a trowel, stick, or rock to dig a cat-hole 6-8 inches deep. This depth is generally considered to promote proper decomposition (go deeper and you'll bypass the most active part of the soil) while keeping your feces out of the reach of animals and other nature enthusiasts.
If you miss the hole while doing your business use a stick (not the trowel that going to go back in your pack) to poke your log into the cat-hole. Of course, if the trowel is going to be stored in your hiking buddy's pack then it is perfectly acceptable to touch the poop with the trowel. Just kidding.
Once you've done your business and made sure everything has hit the target use a stick to knock a little dirt onto the poop and mix it around a bit. This expedites the composting process. Then cover the hole with dirt and you are good to go.
C) Assume the Position

There are several pooping positions for you to try. BUT, there is only ONE position for your pants. In order to poop (or pee, ladies) without worrying about getting any business on your shorts roll your pants and undies down to you knees (that's knees, not ankles). Then, for extra credit, roll your pant legs up to your knees as well. At this point it is pretty much impossible to get turd on your trousers! (Note: this position is also perfect for squat toilets on your adventures abroad.)
There are all sorts of positions that people like to employ when they take a poop in the woods. From simple to elaborate, some common options are:
i) Simple Squat
This position is simple but takes a little balance. Put one foot on either side of your cat-hole. Squat down so that your feet are flat on the ground and your bum is down near your heels. You can hang on to you knees for support.
ii) Hold a Tree
Very similar to the simple squat position but with a little added support. Find a small but sturdy tree (let's say 4-5 inches in diameter). Assume the squat position facing the tree and holding the trunk for support.
iii) Sitting on a log
Find a sturdy log laying on the ground. Sit on the log and scootch your butt back until it hangs well over the side of the log. Do your business as if you are sitting on a toilet. Luxurious but sometimes a little more exposed that you'd like to be.
iv) Back to Tree
Brace your back up against a tree with knees and hips at a 90 degree angel. Take your poop into a cat-hole waiting at the bottom of the tree. This one seems risky to me but many people swear by it.
D) Wiping Clean
There are three main ways to clean up after doing your business.
i) The natural method: use leaves, pine cones (go WITH the grain), a rock, stick, or moss to clean up. Just drop the used item into the cat-hole before you bury it. This is very acceptable from a leave no trace perspective.*
ii) Packed out TP: use toilet paper and pack it out with you. You can store your used TP in a Ziploc baggie. To disguise the unappealing site of used toilet paper you can cover the baggie in duct tape or even put a brown paper bag inside the Ziploc. This is a great leave no trace method, but a little intense for some beginners.
iii) Bury TP: Burying your toilet paper is less acceptable from a leave no trace perspective but it still a common practice. To do this just use a modest amount of organic, unscented, biodegradable toilet paper, toss it in the cat-hole, pee on it, and bury it. Peeing on your toilet paper is recommended because it compacts it down and reduces the chances it will resurface later. Rather than pee on it you could also pour a little water from your canteen (I hear you ladies).
After you've finished with your cat-hole its a great idea to clean up with some hand sanitizer.
METHOD 3: PACK IT OUT, OR, THE POOP BURRITO
I spend most of my time camping and hiking in the temperate rain forests of BC and Washington. Here the ground is wet, fertile, and teaming with lovely things like earthworms and bugs and microbes that will make quick work of composting your doo-doo. However, for people camping in arid, dry, rocky, sandy, dessert, etc conditions I'm sorry to tell you the burial is not a responsible method. Like your other waste materials, you're going to have to pack it out.
The first backcountry camping trip I ever did was a canoe trip to Black Canyon with Aztec Adventures while I attended San Diego State University. The trip was fabulous, one of my all time favorites, and creates a lot of lasting memories. One thing that I will NEVER forget from this trip is the phrase "poop burrito."
Allow me to explain. Before each Aztec Adventure trip, participants attend a planning meeting. At these meetings the group leaders set expectations, go over packing lists, distribute gear, etc. However, because this trip takes place in the desert and is home the the completely unusable outhouse I mentioned earlier, they also included a fairly graphic demonstration of what they've dubbed the poop burrito.
Materials needed for a poop burrito

• A sturdy container to keep poop in (I'll expand on this later)
• Toilet paper
• Sheets of wax paper (about 20" square)
• Sheets of brown butcher paper (about 20" square)
• Paper bags

Method to create a poop burrito

• Find a private spot. Lay the brown paper on the ground and lay the wax paper on top of the brown paper.
• Cop a squat and do your business onto the wax paper.
• Wipe with TP and drop TP onto poop.
• Roll your poop up like a burrito first with the wax paper then with the brown paper.
• Put your steaming burrito inside a paper bag and roll the paper bag closed. You can even use tape if you wish.
• Deposit your neat little poop packet into your poop container and seal the container shut.

You have plenty of options for a poop container. Just choose something appropriate for the size of your group/length of your trip.
For the Aztec Adventure trip (12 people, 5 days) we used a 5 gallon bucket with a solid screw on lid and double lined the bucket with garbage bags. The bucket was bright orange so that we didn't accidentally mix it up with other buckets. Bulk was not an issue since we were traveling by canoe.
For a backpacking trip a popular option is a length of PVC piping with screw on end caps. You can find something like this at a hardware store. You could also buy yourself an opaque Tupperware with a snap on lid and clearly mark it so that it doesn't accidentally end up in the kitchen later. If you can't find an appropriate container that's opaque you could always line it with a garbage bag or cover the outside with duct tape.

Hopefully this backwoods pooping tutorial will help to make the outdoors just a little more approachable. How about you? Do you have any special tips on how to poop in the woods?

*Update: I did a post dedicated to using nature as TP specifically.  Check that out here for more info. 

Better Snapshots for Beginners: Flashing (part 3)

I'm back with my series on photo tips for beginners. In previous posts I've talked about blurry photos and focus, and today I'll talk about flash settings.

*Repeat disclaimer: I am a photo novice with only a point and shoot to my name. Someone gave me a compliment on my photos so I decided to be audacious enough to share what I've learned about taking better pictures. If you are an expert, you will laugh at my basic advice. But if you are an average person you might find it useful!*

First I have to apologize that none of the pictures in this post are from outdoor adventures. But there is a good reason for that! When taking pictures in the natural, daytime light of the outdoors you rarely need to deviate from your camera's automatic flash settings. Good news, right?

So here is a gratuitous outdoor shot that has nothing to do with flash settings.

Mountain Man taking a break part way up the Chief in Squamish, BC

Flash Range

Have you ever been at a concert and seen people trying to take flash photographs of the stage with their point and shoot? Unless these people were in the first couple of rows, I'll bet that their picture turned out poorly.

That's because of the flash range. On your average point and shoot the range of the flash is minimal - only about 20 feet (check your manual for your specific flash's range). If the subject you are trying to illuminate is outside of the range the flash isn't doing you any good.

Suppressing the Flash

In the example above having the flash on is not only doing no good. In fact, it might actually be doing your picture harm.

Why would this do the picture harm? Because when the flash is on your camera's automatic settings choose a faster shutter speed. I wont get into the details (because I only have a foggy understanding of them myself) but essentially what that means is that the shutter is open for a shorter amount of time and that it lets less light in.

Normally that's good - if you're illuminating your subject with the flash you don't want to let too much light in or the photo will be all washed out. But if the flash is doing nothing to illuminate your subject (i.e. if your subject is outside of the flash range) letting less light in is bad.

The fix? Turn off your flash. On most cameras you do this by finding a symbol that looks like a lightning bolt and pressing it until a no-lightning bolt (bolt in a circle with a strike though) appears. Check your manual for the specifics for your camera.

The other time you might want to suppress the flash is when it is just plain ruining your picture. The flash on a point and shoot camera is less than ideal. It is situated centemeters away from the lens and falls directly onto your subject which often results in harsh lighting. But since we're just your average point and shooters here (and not professional photographers with separate flashes and light umbrellas) we've got to make do with what we have. A few times that the flash might ruin your picture are

• When it washes out your subject (ever taken a picture of someone only to have their face look unattractively stark white?).
  
• When it ruins the natural lighting you were trying to capture.
• When it erases all the details from your subject.

The quick fixes for these situations are to turn off your flash and/or move to somewhere that has better lighting. Natural light is pretty much considered the best, so open the curtains or step outside.

When I took my first shot of these hanging lanterns in Mexico (left) the flash ruined the natural lighting that I liked so much. By simply turning off the flash I was able to capture the picture on the left that showed the lanterns as the eye saw them.

While I'll admit that neither of these are great pictures, you can see in the shot on the left (flash on) that the detail from the white flowers disappeared (click to enlarge). By turning the flash off (right) you can see the detail again. I probably would have been better off moving outside to get a shot that had fewer distracting shadows.

One caution for turnign off the flash: when your shutter speed is slower your camera is more suseptible to shake. So make sure to hold it steady and you'll be set to go.

Night Snapshot Mode

This is my FAVORITE special mode on my camera and probably the only one that I use all the time (as I said in my first post, automatic gets the job done right most of the time). It's not exactly a flash mode but to me it kind of fits in the category so I'm covering it anyway.

Have you ever tried to capture of a photograph of city lights only to be disappointed? What you need is the Night Snapshot mode. The idea with this mode is that it sets a super slow shutter speed. This lets in lots of light which means that more background light makes it into your picture.

This mode is useful for city lights, sunsets, fireworks (if you like the streaky look), and even stars.

Beautiful downtown Copenhagen.

On my camera it's called Night Snapshot and the symbol looks like a little person in front of a moon and the Eiffel Tower. Your camera might be different so consult your manual.

When you use the night snapshot mode you have to be super careful of camera shake. But in certain situations you can use that to your advantage to create an interesting effect.

The Bellingham Marina. I created this picture by moving the camera around in a circle while I took the shot. Kind of fun, right?

Play around with the night snapshot mode and I'll bet you'll find a ton of times to use it.

Also note that on many cameras you can still force the flash to be on or off (or leave it in auto mode) while using night snapshot. So You can get a picture of both the neon lights of Las Vegas and of your sweetheart standing in front of them.

Forcing the Flash

Just like you sometimes want to suppress the flash, sometimes it's useful to force the flash to be on.

Have you ever tried to take a photo of someone in front of a bright background like a sunny sky? You may have had the experience of your subject coming out in silouette. Sometimes that's great, but other times it's no so desirable.

The solution? Turn the flash on! It seems weird I know. The conditions are bright yet you need to use the flash. But try it out! It's all part of that flash range thing we talked about earlier.

Prospect Point in Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC. The picture on the left has no flash, the picture on the right has flash.

Another time to force the flash is when a bright sunny day is casting shadows on your subject's face. This is a pretty common problem for people wearing sun hats.

Forcing the flash on is similar to supressing it. Just find the lightning bolt symbol and click it until the lightning bolt comes up (not the one with the A beside it, that means auto flash).


Are you laughing yet at the simplicity of my tips yet? (I told you they are for beginners!) Then head on over to hear what someone who really knows what's up is talking about. Pioneer Woman has a great Photography blog (actually, all her blogs are pretty great) and creates free sets of actions for all your PhotoShop users. And if you are into real life romance stories you have to check out her Black Heals to Tractor Wheels serial.