Archive for February, 2006
The idea is to get a good balance of protein, favorable carbohydrates and good fats. I rarely measure, so every batch is slightly different.
Begin with old fashioned rolled oats
5.9 version:
two eggs, one cup soy milk, half cup powdered milk, half cup protein powder, half cup brown sugar, a few almonds. Blend, then add to one cup of oats. Add a handful of raisins. Bake them like oatmeal cookies.
5.10 version
3 egg whites, one cup soy milk, half cup powdered milk, one third cup whey protein, one third cup soy protein, one third cup brown sugar, a few almonds and walnuts. Blend, add to one cup of oats. Add a few raisins. Bake them like oatmeal cookies.
5.11 version
4 egg whites, one cup soy milk, one half cup kiefer or plain yogurt, one third cup whey protein, one third cup soy protein, add almonds, a few walnuts, a few pecans, some pumpkin seeds, throw some dried apricots, mangoes into the blender and then blend.
Add to one cup of oats. Add raisins. For long treks in the snow, add chocolate chips.
Bake them like oatmeal cookies.
5.12 version
under development
February 28th, 2006
Picture: Ingalls North Peak as seen on the approach from camp. The south ridge is the left skyline.
This was the ultimate best trip(s) ever. It is such a fun trip to do. Iv’e done it 3 times now. Ingalls is located in the cascade mountains in Washington, right next to Mount Stuart, in the Stuart Range, which is a very prominent and well known peak in and of itself-TR to follow eventually. It can either be done in a relatively long day or better yet, a laid back overnight backpacking trip which I did all 3 times. It’s about a 6-7 mile relatively moderate hike into Headlight basin, where you camp and have a sweet view of Mount Stuart out your tent door.
Picture: Mount Stuart as seen from our campsite
The hike is easy enough that you still have energy to go to the lake and go swimming if you brave the cold water (especially in the summer when it can be dry and hot), or my personal favorite, sit around camp and play hearts (Iv’e had the most intense games of my life there). Top it all off with a nontypical backpacking dinner consisting of some sort of marinara sauce and spaggetti noodles to end a perfect day.
Day 2 comes the climb itself. The climb itself is very easy, ranging from 5.4 to 5.6 depending on which set of cracks you climb. I did it in mountaineering boots the first time, but it’s more enjoyable in rock shoes.
Picture: Overview of the South Ridge
The beginning begins as a short scramble with maybe a 5th class move to gain the prominent ledge where the real climbing begins. Many belay the lower scrambling part since a fall could be ugly and the rock is very polished and hence slippery in places. From there it is 2-3 pitches to the top depending on how long your rope is, with the biggest bolts you have ever seen at the belay stations. Protection is abundant, and only a small rack consisting of nuts and maybe a few cams/hexes/or tricams will suffice. From the summit, you can see practically the whole North Cascades, from Mount Rainier to Mount Baker and everything in between.
After it’s all over, in Rosyln is a no name pizza place that probably has the best pizza that I have ever had, thus ending the perfect trip.
February 28th, 2006
Over the weekend we tried to climb the Everest Ridge (emphasis on tried). In the end it turned out to be a poor imitation of a snowshoe trip (without snowshoes) with some mountaineering skills practice sessions in between. We turned around about at the saddle because of the terrible snow conditions. The snow was either thigh deep powder or it was a semi-hard breakable crust that went to somewhere between mid-shin to knee deep (it was rather obnoxious because sometimes it could support your weight, but most of the time it couldn’t).It was rather exhausting–a good analogy is trying to run with a large tire dragging behind you or trying to run through water. I heard that there was a boot pack so travel would be easy and snowshoes not needed, but it was just the opposite. It took us 7 hours to go from Battle Creek Trailhead to near the saddle (about 3 miles and 2500 feet of elevation gain), which shows how little progress was being made. Anybody considering doing it would be advised to start from Dry creek where there would more likely be a boot pack and bring snowshoes or wait a few more weeks until the snow becomes more firm around the end of March or even into April.
February 26th, 2006
I have heard some interesting things about Buckskin Gulch. I know that it starts from Kanab, Utah and is a “13-mile corridor of stone so deep you can barely see the sky and so narrow it sometimes forces you to remove your pack to get through….in the entire region, there’s no start to a hike as dramatic as Buckskin Gulch’s two-mile squeeze through the two-foot-wide passage of Wire Pass. (Adventure Magazine)” It sounds pretty cool. Peter Potterfield even rates is as one of the top ten classic hikes of the world for 2005 in Adventure Magazine. However, my dad told me about a part of it that is referred to as the “cesspool.” From what I understand, it is a section of the Gulch that is only washed out during the high water of a flash flood. During the rest of the time, the water is stagnating and bodies of animals caught in the flash floods rot in the water. That seems pretty gross to me. My wife said that if we were to go that I would have to give her a piggy-back ride across it. Does anyone reading this know if it is really that bad? Was my dad lying? Worse maybe? Is it bad but worth it for the cool hike? Let me know.
Also, in the same Adventure Magazine article, the John Muir Trail in California is rated in the top ten. That and Buckskin are the only two on the list in the lower forty-eight states. Go Utah! (and California)
February 25th, 2006
.jpg "Napali Coast")
We recently went to Hawaii, and wow what a trip. My wife and I relaxed on the island of Kauai where we stayed for a little over a week. We went snorkeling, surfing, crab hunting, hiking, waterfall swimming, luauing, and tons of other stuff. We hiked up the Napali Coast line where they filmed movies such as Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, South Pacific and other great films with tropical locations. The air was so fresh and the smells and sights of a tropical rain forest were amazing
We hiked for several miles to a lost waterfall. It was the most tranquil place I had ever been. Everything was so natural and everything was so peaceful. Upon reaching the waterfall, we took a dip and boy was it Refreshing!!! It was the BEST TRIP EVER!!!!!
February 25th, 2006
“Gatorade” is a good electrolyte replacing fluid, but is relatively expensive. The World Health Organization’s recommendation for electrolyte replacement fluid is:
- table salt ¾ teaspoon
- baking soda ½ teaspoon
- cream of tartar 4 teaspoons
- sugar or corn syrup 1 tablespoon to one liter of clean water.
- The salt contains sodium. The baking soda contains bicarbonate. The cream of tartar contains potassium. Since cream of tartar may not be a common household item, it may be left out of the fluid, and the potassium can be obtained by eating one or two bananas. (it doesn’t taste very good, but it is what the body needs)
- “Powerbars” are a great energy snack, but, like Gatorade, are relatively expensive. My scoutmaster taught us how to make this replacement. Use the strawberry flavored 6 oz of Jell-O (not sugar-free). Mix in ½ cup of peanut butter. Also mix in 3 teaspoons of honey. Mix until it is the right consistency. The gelatin is great for the joints. The Jell-O will also boost your blood sugar levels. The peanut butter is full of protein and calories which is exactly what you need after/during a hard workout. The honey has good sugars in it, but it is really just used to give the bar the correct consistency.
February 22nd, 2006
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