Jump to content


TrailGroove Blog

A Blog by the TrailGroove Team

  • entries
    539
  • comments
    635
  • views
    398,066

Contributors to this blog

  • Aaron Zagrodnick 239
  • Mark Wetherington 76
  • PaulMags 27
  • Susan Dragoo 26
  • Steve Ancik 17
  • tmountainnut 12
  • David Cobb 11
  • Eric 10
  • HappyHour 9
  • jansenjournals 8
  • DustyD 7
  • HikerBox 6
  • Cinny Green 6
  • Karen Garmire 6
  • michaelswanbeck 5
  • AndreaL 5
  • Daniel Anderson Jr 5
  • SparbaniePhoto 5
  • George Graybill 5
  • Kevin DeVries 4
  • mgraw 4
  • Wired 4
  • eliburakian 3
  • JimG 3
  • JimR 3
  • Steven Genise 3
  • sarahtied 2
  • Jen 2
  • Adrienne Marshall 2
  • Jessica Smith 2
  • Doug Emory 2
  • seano 2
  • MattS 2
  • Claire Murdough 1
  • Curry Caputo 1
  • Isak Kvam 1
  • Greg Jansky 1
  • Grace Bowie 1
  • SarahLynne 1
  • Allison Johnson 1
  • BSuess 1
  • Peter 1
  • DKim and PatriciaV 1
  • Tucker Ballister 1
  • Madeline Salocks 1
  • J. Parascandola 1
  • Adel 1
  • Rob Newton 1
  • Barbara 1
  • Ben Libbey 1
  • Tephanie H. 1

Gear | Trips | Food | Technique | Reading

Entries in this blog

Technique

Tips for Photographing Mushrooms: The Flowers of Fall

Mushrooms are the flowers of fall, and photographing them may look easy but it’s not. Here are a few helpful tips to use when photographing them. First, you’ll want to correctly identify the mushrooms you shoot, so pick up a good mushroom book to help with identification. My favorite book on fungi is Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora. I also recommend his mushroom field-pocket guide. When I photograph mushrooms, I often begin with a document photograph. This helps me identify the m
David Cobb

David Cobb in Technique

0
Technique

Trail Tip: Biking Access Roads & Self-Shuttle by Bicycle

Roads that lead to trailheads, particularly in the West, can vary greatly in their suitability for passenger vehicles. Some roads are passable by sedans with minimal clearance, while others are more suited for 4WD and high-clearance. Many fall somewhere in between – a carefully driven car can make it, but a small SUV would make the experience less nerve-wracking. Information about road conditions can usually be found online, in guidebooks or by calling a nearby ranger station and can
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Technique

0
Technique

Backpacking and Hiking Jargon: Mud Season

Spring comes slowly to the high country of the Rockies and other mountain ranges in the western United States. As the days get longer and temperatures rise, summer backpacking season seems tantalizingly close. But between the snow melting and the summer wildflowers blooming is a period of time colloquially referred to as "mud season". Depending on elevation and latitude, mud season might last from mid-March to late May, give or take a few weeks. With snow melting and spring rains mixed in, many
Mark Wetherington

Mark Wetherington in Technique

0
Technique

Anatomy of a Mountain: Backpacking and Hiking Jargon

Mountains rarely conform to the version a child might draw of a simple inverted cone. Instead, they often sprawl in many directions and are rumpled with lumps and divots, like an unmade bed. The very highest of the lumps is the summit, which may be part of the humped or domed mass of mountain, or it may rest at the tip of a sharp point, in which case it's also a peak. A single mountain may have multiple peaks, but only one summit. From summits to spurs and buttresses, a mountain is ma
AndreaL

AndreaL in Technique

0
Technique

Winter Hiking Clothing & Backpacking Gear Considerations

Whether you’ve decided to take your first winter trip, or you’re just trying to extend your summer camping in the shoulder months, staying warm during the winter months requires some additional thought when compared to 3-season conditions. Winter and shoulder season adventures are great because areas that are normally very busy in the summer will be empty, and you can experience a new season of adventure. The following is the way I keep warm on my winter adventures in the mountain west, as well
tmountainnut

tmountainnut in Technique

0
Technique

Backpacking and Hiking Jargon: Compass Declination

Declination refers to magnetic declination – the difference between true north and magnetic north. This poses a conundrum when navigating and utilizing maps, as maps are oriented to true north, but your compass needle points to magnetic north. This difference between true north and magnetic north will be listed on any decent map and can be looked up online. Magnetic declination will vary by location, and many compasses allow you to adjust for the exact declination of an area to make n
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

0
Technique

How to Make a Quick & Easy Backcountry Snow Shelter

When hiking and backpacking in the winter, having the knowledge and preparation to easily build a snow shelter is an essential skill. Some people even prefer snow shelters over tents during the winter because they are quieter and warmer than even the best 4 season tents on the market, which can be very pricey too. Even for people that do not plan on spending any overnights in the backcountry during the winter, knowing how to quickly construct a solid snow shelter is a good skill to have in case
tmountainnut

tmountainnut in Technique

0
Technique

Backpacking and Hiking Jargon: Postholing (Snow)

One of the least enjoyable methods of snow travel, postholing is the usually unplanned effect of your foot falling through the outer surface of the snow and sinking to the knee or farther. The result is a deep hole in the snow as if it had been dug by a posthole digger prior to placing a post in the ground. Travel in this manner is quite difficult, requiring large amounts of energy while testing a hiker’s patience. Postholing in deep snow makes for difficult and strenuous travel.
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

0
Technique

Backpacking and Hiking Jargon: Terrain Association

Terrain association is a backcountry navigation process by which one can navigate and determine their position using a map, by evaluating terrain features seen on the map, and matching up what you’re seeing in the field to the map. The method when used alone can be described as “approximately precise”. By orienting yourself and the map to a specific direction – north for example – that jagged peak directly to the west, the river in the valley below, combined with the small hill on your right for
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

0
Technique

Backpacking and Hiking Jargon: Navigation Handrail

When navigating in the backcountry and especially when navigating offtrail, a handrail refers to a feature you can follow towards your intended destination while maintaining accurate knowledge of your location, at least along one axis. Examples of handrails include rivers and streams (the most classic example), a fence or power line, a specific altitude in mountainous terrain, the shoreline of a large body of water, a linear canyon, or even other man-made features such as roads. Combi
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

0
Technique

Backpacking Jargon: Lapse Rate, Temperature, & Altitude

Lapse rate can be used to describe several atmospheric variables, but for hikers lapse rate is generally observed as the tendency for temperature to predictably fall with altitude. In general, backpackers and hikers can expect a temperature decrease / lapse rate of several degrees Fahrenheit for every 1000 feet of elevation gain. Lapse rate occurs in concert with and due to the lower air pressure found at altitude. When planning a mountain trip, lapse rate is important to consider so that you ca
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

0
Technique

Hiking Blister Prevention, Treatment, and Care

Blisters are a very common hiking injury. Blisters can cause a trip to become very uncomfortable, and in worse case scenarios they can slow you down significantly causing unintended consequences. I find a small first aid kit with a few specific items and some practice will eliminate most foot issues, and will quickly alleviate small problems before the blisters and related problems get big. Preventing blisters from happening is the first step when it comes to backpacking and hiking bl
tmountainnut

tmountainnut in Technique

0
Technique

Backpacking and Fly Fishing: An Introduction

An argument can be made for keeping backpacking as simple as possible. Stuff your pack with warm clothes, a tent, your sleeping bag, and any other luxury items you wish to carry. Grab a map, hit a trail, and set off through your local woods, the red rocks and canyons of the southwest, or hike towards high alpine cirques. Unbothered by the distraction of the world back at home, you’ll have nothing but the sounds of nature to rock you to sleep wherever you decide to set up your tent. Ho
jansenjournals

jansenjournals in Technique

0
Technique

How to Pack Food for a Backpacking Trip

Food for any backpacking trip is all about balance: a balance of meals that are lightweight yet still offer a sufficient amount of calories and nutrition, food that will likely not be of the fresh variety but will still bring flavor to the table, and finding that delicate balance between bringing enough food without bringing too much. Once you get the balances right however, planning out food for a multiday backpacking trip can be a simple process while still keeping us well fed and in good spir
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

0
Technique

Backpacking in the Rain: Dealing with the Deluge

While we can hope that a good forecast holds or we luck out and enjoy blue sunny skies on our next backpacking trip, inevitably a trip will fall during a stretch of rainy weather – and we all know that good forecasts don’t always work out quite as planned. Rainy weather adds a new set of challenges a hiker must prepare for, and when chilly weather is added to the equation you have some of the most challenging weather conditions a backpacker will face. But whether it’s afternoon mountain showers
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

0
Technique

How to Keep Your Backpacking Gear Dry

While backpacking during an all-day rain presents its own challenges when it comes to staying dry – or as dry as possible – protecting your gear and the items in your pack that must stay dry comes with its own set of considerations. Having a dry jacket, clothes, and a dry sleep system at the end of a long rainy day is not only backpacking luxury, it’s also critical to our safety on the trail. And whether rain is in the forecast or not, in most backpacking locations we still need a strategy to ke
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

5
Technique

Bear Country Backpacking & Hiking: In Camp & on the Trail

Whether it’s a trip along a National Scenic Trail or a quick weekend backpacking excursion into an obscure wilderness area – when the mountains are calling, our trips to many backpacking and hiking destinations will also take us into bear country. When hiking and camping in these areas an extra set of considerations will be added to our pre-trip planning process and a few extra gear items will need to be added to our gear list to approach bear country backpacking in the proper manner.
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

2
Technique

How to Wash a Down Backpacking Jacket or Sleeping Bag

After a season of hiking, sleeping and sweating in your down jacket or sleeping bag things can get a little stinky. You might even notice a slight loss of loft as body oils compromise the fluffiness of the down feathers. Or, as in my case, the jacket is just grubby. Fortunately washing your jacket or sleeping bag is a lot easier than you may fear. In this article I’ll go step by step through washing one of my down jackets but the same process can be used for nearly all down sleeping bags. The on
HikerBox

HikerBox in Technique

0
Technique

Tips for Hiking in Mosquito and Tick Season

Every hiking season offers up its own set of challenges, and when it comes to the seasons of spring and summer the presence of flying and biting insects and other related concerns will need to be addressed in many locales. Dealing with insects such as mosquitoes, black flies, and ants along with other concerns like ticks to name a few is a top priority for any warmer weather outdoor excursion. These pests can be anything from just that – a simple pest, or they can even ruin a trip in short
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

2
Technique

Choosing the Best Wilderness Backpacking Campsite

If your next trip is taking you to a popular trail in a National Park or areas where campsites are available by obtaining a permit and making a backcountry reservation, often times there will be little to decide upon when it comes to choosing a campsite; if designated sites are all that’s available most of the deciding has already been done for you. When exploring more remote wilderness areas and in all areas where dispersed or zone camping is allowed or all that’s available however, when choosi
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

1
Technique

10 Ways to Sleep Warmer on Your Next Backpacking Trip

It's always hard to enjoy a backpacking trip when you don't sleep well, and sleeplessly shivering throughout the night is one way to guarantee a rough next day. Here's a list of 10 tips, ideas, and considerations that should help the next time your backcountry trip coincides with those colder nights. On this frigid morning, my coffee froze in my cup before I could finish it. Luckily with the right gear I slept warm the night before. A Nalgene Bottle Trapping your heat utiliz
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

15
Technique

Lacing Tips for Backpacking, Hiking, & Outdoor Footwear

Spring has sprung and in Colorado that means drying trails and couloirs packed with stable, hard snow. In go the ski boots and from the closet come trail shoes and mountaineering boots. Sadly, my last pair of shoes died a grizzly death at the hands (feet?) of my extra-wide pinky knuckle because I was too lazy to lace them correctly. Below are my tips on funny looking lacing for funny looking feet. My 2016 Lone Peak 2.5's – ready for the trash bin thanks to a 2" long hole. F
HikerBox

HikerBox in Technique

1
Technique

Hiking & Backpacking During the Fall Hunting Season

Fall – a time of the year when the crisp air is enjoyed and the greens of summer are replaced with hues of orange and yellow. And, it’s also the time that we as hikers contend with hunting season. Strategies for hiking during this time range from doing nothing different at all to simply staying home, and while hunting season is a worthy pre-hike consideration, by taking a few steps and modifying our gear and routine just a bit, we can continue hiking during hunting season with a few changes to o
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

0
Technique

Hot Weather Backpacking: Not Too Hot to Handle

In an ideal world that seems to only exist in outdoor gear catalogs, all our backpacking would take place in temperatures that are 65F during the day. Our nights would be a cool and crisp 45F or so. A few delightful sprinkles of rain would occur to add some atmosphere and perhaps a change of scenery to delight photographers. Otherwise there would be perpetually sunny skies with only a few clouds. Clouds to form interesting shapes that materialize as movie characters, castles, or butterflies in o
PaulMags

PaulMags in Technique

0
Technique

Backpacking and Hiking Jargon: Down Fill Power (FP)

Fill Power is a grading system for goose / duck down. Often abbreviated as FP. Higher fill power will add more loft and warmth to an outdoor garment or sleeping bag at the same given amount of weight. Measured using a cubic inch per oz system. 500 fill power down will fill 500 cubic inches of space per ounce used. 900 will fill 900 cubic inches of space per ounce. A high fill power down cluster. What Fill Power is Best? It all depends on the application. For use off the trai
Aaron Zagrodnick

Aaron Zagrodnick in Technique

0



×
×
  • Create New...