Camping – Page 6 – Richard Rathe's Reflections

Flashlight Thoughts

Some thoughts on camping flashlights…

There when you need it! (source:pinterest)

I’m not too fond of headlamps for a few reasons… they are generally too bright when you are working close, shine in peoples faces when you look up, and kill your night vision.
I’ve had at least a dozen flashlights over the years that have failed, about of half of those failed out in the woods when I needed them. Last trip I had two fail when we were caught out after dark with kayak problems, and a third failed the next day. So that’s three in 24 hours! Some were inexpensive, unknown brands, etc. Caveat Emptor applies obviously.
For the past several years I’ve relied on small cylindrical flashlights from recognized/trusted brands (Fenix, others…). They are simple machined aluminum tubes with threaded o-ring sealed caps, which makes them very resilient. They also have smart power management electronics so they don’t just go dark but fade out slowly as the battery dies (they “degrade gracefully” as we say in computer science).
Try to avoid on/off buttons (they get pushed in your pack and then you’ve got a dead light). Twist on/off is much less likely to fail!
I put my light on a lanyard that I wear around my neck so it is always ready even if I’m not using it. When turned on I let it hang down, which gives enough light to see where my feet are going and I can hold things near/in the beam to work on, read maps, etc. If I really need to point it at something while I work I put it between my lips.
When I’m camping I generally try to minimize flashlight use… I’ve learned to pitch my hammock in the dark for example. I might need 30 sec of light to see where to put a strap on a tree, that sort of thing.

Here are a few pictures to help illustrate the above…

Short lanyard so it hangs at my sternum. Note the knot, this is tied so it will breakaway if you pull on it hard. Better to lose the flashlight than be strangled by it!

Keep the barrel about 1/2 turn back from “on” when not in use to prevent accidental discharge in a purse/pack/etc. You can turn it to just before “on” and then use thumb pressure to turn it on/off as needed (like walking on a trail). Your thumb can also attenuate the amount of light coming out. Cover the light completely for a night vision-saving red filter.

I recently obtained little diffuser caps for this size flashlight. They turn the beam into an area light (for tent, picnic table, etc.)… Basically an electric candle. (Note that this flashlight stands upright on a level surface without support.)

And as a bonus… the caps glow in the dark!

Mountain Bike Trip to The Maze 2019

It would be hard to top our 4WD/bike trip to the White Rim in Canyonlands National Park last year, but entering the isolated subunit called The Maze was a strong contender! [Gallery]

This was not a loop trail, but a very challenging, out-and-back trek to the edge of the Colorado River Canyon. We spent most of the first day just getting to the trailhead on the extreme western edge of the park and establishing our first camp at Happy Canyon. I pitched my hammock between a juniper and a pinyon pine and was rocked to sleep by the wind all night.

The riding got serious the next day going down the face of the Orange Cliffs on the Flint Trail.

It was very steep and difficult even for the vehicles. I did a lot of walking. Things only got worse the rest of the day with loose rocks, sand and drop-offs. We met a county employee with a huge 6WD Grader who was actually maintaining the road (“every seven years whether it needs it our not”). When we told him where we were headed he laughed and said “We haven’t been back there in thirty years!”

The area around Teapot Rock was especially challenging, requiring spotters and backing up around impossible corners. Late in the day we finally made it to the Land of Standing Rocks, a windswept plain punctuated by fantastic rock formations receding into the distance. It was magical!

We camped about an hour before dusk at Chimney Rock. It was cold and windy but we made the best of it with G&Ts and hot food prepared in a Dutch Oven by Glen.

The next day we went for a long, meandering hike following the canyon rim.

We saw many strange and beautiful things including odd box-work erosion patterns in the stone. They looked like apartment complexes for tiny people!

On our return to camp we relaxed with a caprese salad, beer, & G&Ts before a multi-course dinner. Hard to beat! That night it got down in the 20s but fortunately the wind died down.

The next day we headed down the relatively easy road to The Doll House. Along the way we met at pair of hikers who had crossed the Colorado River from Spanish Bottom in Inflatable Kayaks (!) that they had in their packs! They planned to hike upriver and paddle back to their car on the other side. Amazing!

The Doll House is an area of huge striped rock towers with little doll-like figurines on top. The formation is an extension of The Needles region immediately across the river.

We camped at site #3 on the opposite side with spectacular views!

I found a perfect place to hang my hammock between a boulder and an old juniper tree. Room with a View indeed!

Moon Rising Over Colorado River Canyon & The Needles

Richard & Bill in the Valley of the Dolls

On the fifth day, alas, we had to turn homeward. I had a great time cycling several miles with Jeff as we retraced our route. We did not climb back up the Flint Trail however, exiting near the tiny town of Hite on the extreme upper end of Lake Powell. It was a spectacular trip!

Boundary Waters Canoe Trip 2019

This year we returned to the Gunflint Trail and entered via Poplar Lake. [Gallery] Our party of four became just Ross and I due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control. This was exacerbated by horrendous wind and cold rain on the drive up. Fortunately we had a place to stay (a family cabin) and waited an extra day for the weather to improve.

Crossing Poplar turned out to be the hardest part of the trip. We started with a cold headwind and couldn’t find the portage at first.

After that everything fell into place, the weather improved and we made good time by double-packing. We arrived on Gaskin Lake by mid-afternoon and snagged one of the best campsites located on a small island.

I found a great place to hang my hammock tent just above a short cliff.

There were several great viewpoints where we had happy hour and meals. The bugs were few and the weather mild.

The sunsets were spectacular, especially with a pair of loons to serenade us.

Our first day trip led us north to Allen Lake, which has a single campsite. It is long, thin and pretty shallow. On the western end it is surrounded by bog with many pitcher plants.

Since we were camped on a small island, we collected firewood on the way back.

And we both went swimming off a very convenient rock ledge.

Next day Ross cooked up one of his famous breakfasts.

And we headed out to Winchell Lake for the day. This is one of the best lakes in the BWCA. Its south shore is defined by the Misquah Hills, which rise up several hundred feet and even sport a few cliffs. The north shore is much lower and all the campsites are located along it. Some of the area has burned in the past few decades creating a mosaic of different forest types.

We revisited a campsite I stayed at in 2002. It looked even better! Nearby was a small waterfall draining out of the lake. It has a pool big enough to bathe in and a nice white cedar grove below.

The trip out was uneventful with lots of fall color showing along the portages.

Until next time…