WHO: Mike Lefrancois and Will Stelter

WHAT: Kirkwood Nine to Five Endurance Race

WHERE: Kirkwood Mountain Resort

WHEN: August 28, 2010

GEAR: ContourHD 1080p helmet cam, Jetboil stove for coffee to start the day, GU Energy Sports Gel and Cytomax to make it through the day

WHY IT WAS SO EPIC:

Inspiration came for this one probably after doing the Coolest 24-hour relay this past May down in Cool, CA.  I was on a team of four, and we each rode about 50 miles over the course of 24 hours.  Many others rode longer with fewer teammates or solo, something I had never tried.  Eight hours solo seemed within my ability as we often have long days in the saddle on the occasional epic ride, and I figured I could step up the pace and find my limit.  I’m sure those who don’t race think I’m crazy, but it’s something I’ve taking a liking to.  I figured this would be good learning experience too for future endeavors.

My buddy Will was an early partner in crime here; he is not one to race often but he also enjoys senselessly long bike rides.  We packed up my VW with provisions and bikes and set off to Kirkwood Friday afternoon to get a jump on setting up our pit, register and get all the easy work out of the way.  We arrived to frigid temperatures and gusty winds.  Not all surprising as this cold snap was forecast, but 40 degree temperatures were something we had not dealt with all summer.

I have a habit of not preparing in advance and haphazardly throwing things in the van with the hopes everything will be there in the end.  We were on solo missions and had no support.  I woke up that morning knowing my bike still needed some tuning, I had no pump and my front tire had a slow leak.  My derailleur hanger was bent.  My bottle cage screws were stripped and needed some rigging.  I dressed too light for the weather, fixed a few things with zip ties and scurried off to the pre-race meeting with a ContourHD helmet cam loaned to me by Tahoe Mountain Sports.

I was racing “expert,” and Will was racing “sport.” We arrived at the start/finish area to a crowd of 100 or so, and the usual race rules were rambled off.  Team Bigfoot has been sponsoring the race so we got a taste for the way they run things.  All races seem a little different, but this met my expectations of a low-key Kirkwood scene. There was a modest crowd of racers including the elite legend Tinker Juarez.  I couldn’t help but notice he chose the same bike as me (Cannondale Scalpel) so I knew I was in the right club.  I’m sure his mechanic is better than mine and his pit crew took care of him just fine.  Turns out he was using this as a warm-up race for the World Masters championship coming up in Brazil. The guy is 49 and crushes people half his age.

A dirt bike lead us out around the parking lot to string out the field before necking down to singletrack (see video 8 above).  I struggled to hang on to the front but was feeling strong.  It quickly set in that I had 8 hours of racing ahead and I should settle into a pace.  I never saw Tinker again.  I felt good and started to soak in the scenery and find my groove.  I always would tell new racers to ride your own race and don’t let the guy taking off in front get to you.  I was not competing with Tinker. There were a handful of others too that I couldn’t worry about so I let them go.

It didn’t take long to catch up to a few of the guys dropped off the front however, but likewise I met up with a few riders from behind. Turns out a few strong riders I’ve raced with on Thursdays at Northstar were here so I knew we had a race.  I spent the next few laps trying to keep pace with a single speeder who would drop me on every climb.  I made a point of putting down some calories every lap to keep pace with my efforts.  I rounded the final bend after my first three laps and the clock read 2:01, only ¼ of the way done.  It felt good however and I had consistent lap times.  Each lap was 6.5 miles and I recall doing the math in my head that I had already ridden nearly 20 miles.  That next lap is where it all began to change for me.

The early part of the course consisted of a short, steep paved road by tacky Kirkwood ski chalets terminating into some fun rolling singletrack and occasional dirt road.  We climbed along crossing chair lifts until we got into some of the higher alpine terrain at Kirkwood.  There were still snow piles up high feeding the occasional creek, and the wildflowers were still blooming. I managed to look around enough after several laps to appreciate the scenery.  It is hard to take your eyes off the trail when riding singletrack, let alone racing singletrack.

The latter part of the course got a tad bit rockier and dusty, with some loose descending switchbacks and knife-edge rocks.  One more short leg busting climb was thrown in the middle.  A screaming section of singletrack dumped us out near the start/finish back at the base area.  There was a mandatory dismount and walking area by the timing table.

Despite what seemed like adequate food and hydration I began to bonk about half way through lap 4.  It is different than being worn out; my legs still felt strong.  It is the worst feeling when riding and leaves you no choice but to stop if left too long. I felt sleepy and uncoordinated.  For the most part I held it together through the most technical parts at the end of the course (crash included) and headed straight to my pit area.  It was not until then did I realize I was shivering uncontrollably. The cold weather must have been eating away at me, and the bonk was my body telling me something was wrong.  I had a nice mellow ½ hr pit stop, ate a ton of food, put on warmer clothes and set off again to continue the mission.  I felt WAY better now but lost good time.

Peter who was camped next to us had been checking times and said I was winning expert.  I shrugged this off as I knew the odds were stacked against me with the ½ hour I just lost, and I had to ride my own race no matter what the result.  I was just stoked to be feeling good again and riding in beautiful Kirkwood.  I’d survived my first test.

My second test came as a flat tire, 7 or so laps in.  Never race on new equipment you aren’t familiar with and always use plenty of Stan’s when running tubeless tires. I failed on both of these and could not fix the flat to save my life.  Furthermore, this was the leaky tire I started the race with.  I had just passed the pit but lost another 20 minutes or so walking back to camp to fix my tire.  I was cool with it, happy to be in Kirkwood now walking my own race.

I was having fun.  Early on the course there was dry creek they covered with plywood for some reason. But there was also shortcut route with a sketchy plywood gap jump that I warmed up to.  I’ll credit Northstar for forcing me into riding gap jumps in cross country races.  I rolled out of the pit with a fresh tube (baby powder and all) and sent it over the gap jump and continued on my way.

Another lap or two and I rolled through with 1 hour to go.  I felt like I had more in me but realistically could only squeeze in 1 more lap.  I thought I was on my 10^th lap but in reality it was only 9.  I felt content but carried on at a race pace not knowing who I was racing.  At this point I didn’t want my results to slip further so I kept pace with another singlespeeder who was hammering along.  I wanted to finish on an empty tank.  He impressed me as the only rider I saw clear a steep creek crossing all day.   In the end I inched my way ahead of him for the benefit of the doubt and sailed down the final decent to the finish line.  7:38 and 9 laps was my time, roughly 58 miles.  I knew my misfortune had cost me another lap or two but being the rookie I was stoked with my performance.

Despite our ill preparations, Will came in 2^nd place sport and I managed to hold on to a 3^rd place expert.  For our efforts we received some foamy beer, a couple bratwursts and a couple medals.  We also got a bunch of unlucky raffle tickets, but I figured after all we had been through we needed all the luck we had left to get the VW back up to Kings Beach.

Each week, Tahoe Mountain Sports takes a walk (or hike, bike, ski, surf, climb) in someone else’s shoes, from pro athletes to local Tahoe adventurers, in our Adventure of the Week blog series. Let us know if you’ve got an adventure to share.

One of the best places for a Labor Day celebration is none other than the Great Outdoors.

After tiring yourself out hiking, biking or whatever you choose to do in the woods this long weekend, we recommend setting up camp with these inexpensive items. Just imagine sitting by a campfire while you roast s’mores and sip hot chocolate out of this awesome Snow Peak cup… pure bliss! Of course, we’ve got the full monty, too, from tents to sleeping bags to backpacks to water filters and more if you need. So make Labor Day 2010 extra special and spend the night outside!

1) Fozzils Bowlz 2 Pack, $9.95

These bowls are ultralight and unfold completely flat to fit in the smallest of packs. We love their flexibility for getting every last bit of oatmeal, and their nonstick, BPA free material is super easy to clean. Plus, if you like your meals piping hot, these puppies can sustain temperatures up to 230 degrees Fahrenheit!

2) Platypus SoftBottle 1 Liter with HyperFlow Cap, $12.95

Speaking of flat… these ingenious water bottles pack thin and light when emptied, weighing 80 percent less than hard water bottles. Why didn’t we think of that? Platypus SoftBottles also fit in places some other bottles won’t, like drink holders and pockets. We like the HyperFlow cap version, which pairs the popular SoftBottle with a pop-up sports top for easy drinking.

3) Thermarest Ridge Rest Solar, $39.95

Rest in peace and warmness with this sleeping pad designed with a heat-reflecting aluminized surface to keep you toasty. If you’re camping around Lake Tahoe this weekend (we recommend backpacking into Desolation Wilderness), you’ll be happy with the extra warmth this provides as Tahoe temps are forecasted to dip into the low 40s at night.

4) Black Diamond Orbit LED Lantern, $23.96 on sale

This pocket-sized camping lantern is such a great deal that we have to spread the word. LED adjustable brightness in a light compact package, it makes our tents feel super homey. We also use it as a cooking light to get that broad coverage lighting a headlamp can’t match.

5) Snow Peak 450 Colored Titanium Cup, $25.51 on sale

Give your camp kitchen a shot of color with these colored, ultralight titanium cups. If you could care less about the feng shui and aesthetics of your camp, think about it this way: You’ll never mistake your cup for another’s when you can color code with Snow Peaks four options, Fresh Water Blue, Ocean Green, Purple and Clear Coat.

5 Under $50 is a Tahoe Mountain Sports monthly blog series dedicated to showcasing some of our more affordable products. Each month we pick a theme, then show you the gear. Suggest a topic in our comments if you need some shopping help!

How to deal with creating potable water in the backcountry is about as debatable as purchasing used climbing gear. Some will tell you ‘always use a chemical purifier, after filtering through a media with a pore size of no less than 0.2 microns and from a moving water source… yadda, yadda, etc.’ Others can simply be seen dipping their sierra cups into stagnant ponds along the trail whenever they get thirsty. There are many factors that come into play when you are trying to stay hydrated, and healthy. In this post, I’ll try to break it down in the simplest way possible, so that you can make a decision on how you should treat your water.

Why treat your water? Water from your tap goes through a series of processes to ensure that it is safe to drink, and tastes as good as possible. The raw stuff from a lake or creek in the backcountry contains a plethora of microorganisms, many of which are harmless and will get digested with the rest of your food. There are a few, however, that will make your life back home very unpleasant if you down enough of them. Bacteria and protozoa make up the major concerns, while viruses are much less common in American backcountry water sources.

Filtration versus purification: Filtration and purification render different results when treating water. Unfortunately the terms quite often get used interchangeably. Filtration processes, such as pump or gravity style filters, use a media made up of porous material, or fibers, which catch waterborne bugs. The holes in this material allow for the water to travel through but are too small for most protozoa and bacteria. Viruses are usually small enough to make their way through, and this is where purification comes in handy. When you purify your water, you are killing all life forms that reside in it. Usually purification is done through chemical means, or by heating the water to a boil.

Product options for treatment: Pump filters like the MSR Mini Works use a pumping action to draw water through a filter media. Alternatively, the Platypus Cleanstream (pictured in lake above) uses two reservoirs, a filter unit and gravity to filter the water. With no moving parts, you don’t have to worry about a breakdown! Purification options include Potable Aqua iodine tablets, which must be left in the water for at least 30 minutes to kill all viral, bacterial and protozoan life. Iodine does not destroy cryptosporidium cysts, however. These cysts are a phase in the life cycle of protozoa (such as cryptosporidium or giardia) where they have a cell wall that is too tough for iodine to work. The water must be filtered to remove them, or instead treated with a chemical like chlorine dioxide. Katadyn Micropur tablets and Aquamira Water Treatment Drops will destroy cysts with a four-hour treatment, in addition to all other waterborne microorganisms.

Other factors to consider: I don’t want to scare you, with all of this talk about unpronounceable organisms like bacteria such as Campylobacter Jejuni. More frequently than not, you’ll be okay consuming untreated water. There are many factors such as location, quantity of water consumed, human traffic, known animal activity, proximity to the water source, stagnation or movement of the water and so on. Just as any risk management situation requires, when consuming water you need to take into account all the facets of each individual water source. If you know that you tend to have stomach issues when eating unusual things, you may decide to always filter; the guy with an iron gut can choose to lap it up from the source.

When camping in Yosemite, I am much more concerned about the water I’m drinking, because of the number of people traveling through the area and coming in contact with the water. I have no clue what the guy before me was doing upstream, so I prefer to purify my water. Please note that until now I’ve been covering water sources in the American backcountry. When traveling outside the United States, you may encounter riskier water sources. This is especially true in developing countries. Plus, someone traveling well outside of their homeland has never been exposed to anything remotely similar to the organisms in a foreign area. This makes getting sick much more likely. You must decide, based upon the information you are able to collect, if your situation requires completely pure H20 or if the convenience of not treating outweighs the risk.

Kevin is Tahoe Mountain Sports‘ hard goods manager and gear reviewer extraordinaire. He’s often the first face you see in our brick and mortar shop in Kings Beach, California, and one of the friendly voices on our customer service line.

WHO: Myself, and a big group of my best friends

WHAT: Full moon whitewater rafting trip

WHERE: Truckee River in California, from Boca Reservoir to Floriston, CA

WHEN: Tuesday August 24, 2010, 8:00 pm to midnight

WHY IT WAS SO EPIC:

Morgan fell out, while playing ‘hood ornament,’ nothing unusual. However, it was probably due to the fact that we decided to run all of the larger rapids backwards. We did this under moonlight, and frequently our commands were called in Chinese. How’s that for exciting and unusual whitewater? Additionally, my good friend Chris was our guide, I brought my friends Lauren and Eric along, and hanging out with the Tahoe Whitewater staff always ensures a good time! I couldn’t have asked for a more awesome night.

GEAR: Icebreaker Tech T. This short-sleeve shirt was the perfect top under my PFD! The Merino wool kept me warm, even when it got wet.

Each week, Tahoe Mountain Sports takes a walk (or hike, bike, ski, surf, climb) in someone else’s shoes, from pro athletes to local Tahoe adventurers, in our Adventure of the Week blog series. Let us know if you’ve got an adventure to share.

Burning Man 2010 is just around the corner and we want to make it easy for burners to get last minute supplies before venturing off to the Black Rock Desert. NOTE that this list is not all-inclusive and will not contain everything you need out on the playa, just a few things we carry at the store that will make your stay in Black Rock City more comfortable.

Hydration

Burning Man is a lot of things to a lot of people, but first and foremost it is desert survival. Water is the single most important thing you can bring out on the playa. The rule of thumb is 1.5 gallons per person per day. Bring more if you are using a solar shower, mist sprayers or anything else that uses additional water. For in-camp water storage, check out 5 Gallon Foldable Water Carriers, 10 Liter MSR Dromedary Bag or the 6 Liter Platypus Water Tank. All of these water carriers can be folded up to save space on the way back. For hydration out on the playa, we carry a variety of hydration backpacks, hydration reservoirs and water bottles. Last year I took the 40 oz. Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle with a sling through the top, and it was plenty of water for long escapades. For electrolyte-enhanced water add Elete, Cytomax Recovery or Nuun drink mixes.

Bike Accessories

Bikes are an indispensable mode of transportation on the playa. You will be able to see and do more on a bicycle than you will traveling on foot and hopping on art cars or mutant vehicles. Need to carry some cargo? Check out our selection of bike bags and bike baskets. For nighttime riding, bike lights are a must. At the very least you will need a front light and blinky rear light, like the Planet Bike Beamer 1 Front and Rear Light Set. I also recommend some SpokeLites for some extra flair.

Sun Protection

The sun’s rays are very powerful in the high desert, and the reflection off the light-colored alkali ground amplifies the sun’s effects. Protect your skin with Sol Sunguard Altitude SPF 40 or Alpine SPF 25 sunscreen for non-greasy, sweatproof sun protection. Lip Balm is also one of the best things to have with you after a couple days in the desert. Sunglasses are a good idea as well, but will not protect your eyes against dust storms. Snow goggles, work well for keeping dust out of your eyes. A big hat like the Kavu Chillba Fisherman’s Hat is another great way to keep the sun off your face.

Camp

Your camping list will vary quite a bit depending on whether you are camping in an RV or in a tent. I will just point out a few things that will be useful in any camp in Black Rock City. Visit our camping page for tents and other camping gear. For starters, no camp should be without a first aid kit. A fairly basic one should suffice, since there are emergency medical services available. Nite Ize Knotbone Adjustable Bungee is tremendously useful for tying things around camp down or to secure a shade structure. If you have cameras or other small electronics that might need to be re-charged throughout the week, check out Solio Universal Solar Charger and grab a Seal Line dry bag to protect them from dust.

Personal Playa Gear

There are a few things one should never leave camp without. Water for one. Another thing to bring along is a cup to use at any of the hundreds of free bars in Black Rock City (come find me serving up cocktails at the Barfly Bar around 3:30 and Florence). I recommend one with a handle that can be attached either by a lanyard or a carabiner. If you smoke, a windproof lighter is essential, as is a container for ashes and butts. I also highly recommend carrying around a headlamp, even in the middle of the day just in case you don’t make it back to camp before dark. Bring along a compass as well, since BRC is very difficult to navigate after Saturday night when the man has burned and all the street signs have been taken down.

Todd, our resident tech geek, is headed to Burning Man 2010, his second Burning Man festival to date, in just over a week. He penned this special Burning Man checklist for us in lieu of his regular monthly Tech Talk blog series.

WHO: TMS Owner Dave Polivy with Mike and Pam Lefrancois

WHAT: Mountain biking up to Armstrong Pass and down Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

WHERE: Trails near South Lake Tahoe

WHEN: August 2010

GEAR: ContourHD 1080P Helmet Cam for capturing all the sick footage for later viewing, Zoic Ether Bike Shorts for comfort in the saddle, Deuter Hydration Pack for keeping my energy up and Smith Trace Sunglasses for the perfect optical clarity in all light conditions

WHY IT WAS SO EPIC:

Every year I try to get in one long epic ride somewhere in Tahoe. We wanted to ride from the Stagecoach area of Heavenly, across the Tahoe Rim Trail and over to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride for the epic downhill. Because there were only three of us and it would have made a car shuttle a little annoying, we decided to try an alternative on this route. So, we parked at the Oneidas Road trailhead and road up that paved road pretty much up until the end. There is a short singletrack that connects from this paved road from the Corral trail and then meets back up again with the paved road at the end. Once at the end of the pavement, take a right and start up that singletrack until you reach Armstrong Pass. This will take about 1-2 hours depending on your climbing ability and is a fairly mellow, rolly climb that is quite enjoyable and not quite the torture as some other uphills around the Basin. Once you get to Armstrong Pass, you are not done climbing yet. There is about another mile or so climb up to the high point of this ride, but again, pretty mellow and not too steep. Once on the top, take a break and enjoy the views to the South of the Carson Pass area and to the north of Lake Tahoe.

After this, you are in for what I think is the best downhill mountain biking in the whole Lake Tahoe Basin. Start out riding the Tahoe Rim Trail down, through some amazing wildflower ridges and then in and out of small, well-spaced alpine trees and bushes. This section is fast and not too bumpy. After a few miles you will get to the intersection with Mr. Toad’s, which has the most awesome variety of riding you can ask for. It starts out with some fairly technical sections with big rocks and solid drops. After the first 20 minutes or so, the technical sections give way to open, fast curves that get you leaning into every turn and pedaling in between to really get the thrill and speed this ride can offer. All in all, if you are looking for the best ride in Tahoe, here it is, but make sure you are well prepared.

For now, enjoy the virtual ride from my ContourHD 1080p Helmet Cam footage:

Each week, Tahoe Mountain Sports takes a walk (or hike, bike, ski, surf, climb) in someone else’s shoes, from pro athletes to local Tahoe adventurers, in our Adventure of the Week blog series. Let us know if you’ve got an adventure to share.

The Dakine Sequence is a photo-specific backpack which can be put to work in many ways. I have personally used this pack as my go-to bag for over a year. What first attracted me was the bag’s ability to carry both my photographic equipment and my technical backcountry gear. What has kept it in service is that it is simply a great photo bag. It has now helped me shoot through nearly two wedding seasons, and a full winter photographing skiers at Squaw Valley. It has made my job easier, both during the rush and hustle of shooting a wedding, and the extreme environment on the mountain.

The Dakine Sequence makes it super easy to access my gear. The back panel zips open while the bag is lying on the ground (or the snow), which provides a great platform for changing and storing lenses and accessories without having to pull them out of the bag or set them on the ground to get wet or dirty. The shovel pocket also has organizers for your other avalanche gear, as well as water-resistant pockets to store photo accessories such as filters, memory cards and batteries.  I’ve used the deployable tripod carry numerous times to help capture low-light shots, and the ski carry works great for those steep ascents (there’s a snowboard carry too, for you single-stick riders). Perhaps one of the best features of the bag is the removable camera block. This makes it easy to put the block in a Pelican case for aquatic gigs. It also serves to create a second bag, making your backpack more versatile (i.e. main pack as a carry on backpack and camera block as a personal item).

To round it all out, the Sequence also includes an ice axe loop, daisy chains and a deployable rain cover. It is able to carry a lot of gear quite well. I’ve had it loaded down with 20 lbs of sand bags, plus a full camera block, a tripod and three light stands. The hipbelt took all the weight like a champ, and the pack stayed rigid. To check out how well the bag performs, take a look at some of the shots I’ve gotten with it:

The second bag that recently arrived is the Dakine Campus. This backpack makes a great daypack for quick hikes or touring a new city! It also functions like the name suggests: perfect for toting your Biochemistry and Advanced Quantum Mechanics textbooks and organizing miscellaneous pens, sunglasses, notebooks, your MP3 player, etc. The cooler pocket is great at stashing energy drinks for late studying in the student union, or keeping your lunch cold when you hit the beach. This is also a great bag if you prefer a backpack to a shoulder bag for biking your laptop and presentation material to work. There’s a padded laptop sleeve inside that fits most 15-inch laptops. How many laptop backpacks can lay claim to a cooler compartment?

Finally, the Dakine Wonder is a great pack that I have been using for 7 or 8 years. It is small and simple. It makes for a great beach bag, or running errands on your bike. For me, it is perfect for taking my lunch, water and a jacket to work. A lined sunglasses pocket up top keeps your shades protected, and the board carry straps work well for a quick hike inbounds at your favorite ski resort or to carry a skateboard in summer. The elastic cord is great for stashing your fleece on the mountain during that hike. For the ladies (we currently only carry the women’s color palette),  it has been a popular pack because it is the perfect size to work instead of a purse! It will shuttle home a pint of ice cream and a copy of “The Jerk” on your bike ride from the video store.

Kevin is Tahoe Mountain Sports‘ hard goods manager. He’s often the first face you see in our shop, and one of the friendly voices on our customer service line.

WHO: TMS web editor Lis Korb and her boyfriend, Chris

WHAT: Hike to Half Moon Lake and Jacks Peak

WHERE: Desolation Wilderness, CA

WHEN: August 2009

GEAR: 2-person tent, Chaco Flip EcoTread Sandals for hanging out at camp, Snow Peak GigaPower Stove and Snow Peak Trek 1400 Cookset for cooking our oatmeal and coffee for breakfast and pasta dinner

WHY IT WAS SO EPIC:

When we set off from the Glen Alpine trailhead at Fallen Leaf Lake, we weren’t even sure where we’d end up. Lake Aloha was an obvious choice, but we wanted to really feel alone so we headed for the less-beaten path to Half Moon Lake (about 5.5 miles in from the trailhead). It’s a dead-end trail, so most thru-hikers pass right on by it. There was one other solitary camper that night, but that was it. And we had a whole lake to spread ourselves out on. We picked a lakeside spot on the south end and set up camp.

The next morning, we decided to stay put at our desolate oasis and just headed up the closest mountain cross-country. It wasn’t the cleanest hike, but it sure is fun to go where not many have gone before! We summited Jacks Peak (9856 elevation) via some crazy talus and were treated to some stellar views of sprawling Lake Aloha and Heather Lake to the south and our campsite to the east.

Me on the last leg of Jacks Peak, with Lake Aloha and Heather Lake in background

Half Moon Lake and Alta Morris Lake

We hiked down between Jacks and Dick’s Peak alongside a trickling stream and then cooked up a good meal alongside our new squirrel camp friend. Can’t wait to go back soon!

Each week, Tahoe Mountain Sports takes a walk (or hike, bike, ski, surf, climb) in someone else’s shoes, from pro athletes to local Tahoe adventurers. Let us know if you’ve got an adventure to share.

At Tahoe Meadows trailhead, where I joined the official TRT after hiking up from my house in Incline Village.

Two weeks ago, our Adventure of the Week featured Jim Hammerel, who was about to set out on an epic 5-day thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail. Here he gives us the details of his trip, torn meniscus and all.

Coming into my 5-day Tahoe Rim Trail attempt, I knew one thing… it was going to be more a mental challenge than a physical one.  That was the only thing I got right.

On the first day, I knew I had to make my goal to hike from my home in Incline Village to the Kingsbury North trailhead in Stateline. That equated to around 42 miles, the longest segment I had planned for any of my five days.  If I couldn’t hack it on the first day, I knew I wouldn’t have the mental fortitude to make it the remaining four. I’d be playing catch-up with no margin for error. Luckily, I made it to my goal that night. Despite the early onset of blistered feet, dry camping with no water and a horrible night’s sleep, I made it. I awoke on day two ready to tackle another 40-mile trek.

About halfway through the second day, somewhere below Star Lake, I crouched down to splash some water on my hot face from a stream that crossed the trail and couldn’t get back up. I felt the fabled burning, I felt the sharp pain radiating from my knee. I knew immediately something was wrong. I popped a couple anti-inflammatories to counteract the pain that was heading my way. My leg stiffened up like a board. I knew I had to get down to camp fast…

The last glimpse of the Lake that I got as I descended down from Armstrong Pass on my way to the Big Meadows trailhead after hurting my knee.

I hobbled 11 miles downhill to the Big Meadows trailhead off of Highway 89, south of South Lake Tahoe. It took around 6 hours to get down, and I knew my trip was over before I got to the road.

The next morning a doctor gave me the diagnosis of a torn right meniscus and a strained lateral collateral ligament. Ice, wrap, elevate for a week or more.  My 5-day thru-hike attempt was cut short by a knee injury. I had covered around 70 miles in two days, making it almost halfway around Lake Tahoe. It was hard knowing that I had planned so long for this, but never got to complete my voyage.

However, the hardest part of the trip was staying motivated and staying hydrated. Hiking solo is a lot different than hiking with family or friends. My mind began to wander, I questioned what I was  doing, I wasn’t focused. Keeping it together and staying on track was really a challenge for me. There were plenty of times throughout the trip that I wanted to call it quits.  Finding and locating water was also difficult. Sometimes I’d show up to a “guaranteed” water source, only to find it was dry. Sometimes this meant hiking for hours with no water to get to the next possible spot.

As far as gear goes, I was really happy with my selection. My ultralight sleeping bag was almost too much for the warm Sierra night. My backpack was light and adequate. My Icebreaker shirt was always dry and didn’t smell. My Spot GPS Beacon allowed my friends, family and supports to follow my movement throughout the day.  My freeze-dried meals were light and tasty.

The only gear comment I have is about my hammock. It’s a great way to save on weight and provides an alternative to sleeping on the ground, but setting up the hammock properly is infinitely important. It MUST be hung taught. A hammock that droops in the middle means that all the blood races to your stomach, leaving your head and feet icy cold. Ensuring your hammock is strung tight so there’s no sag in the middle can make or break your night. Let’s just say, I learned this lesson the hard way.

Looking back now, I’m still disappointed that I couldn’t finish what I started. I’m happy that I raised over $750 for the Tahoe Rim Trail Association. As my first fastpacking experience, I learned a lot: what to expect, meal planning, dealing with blisters, etc. I hope to get back on the trail next summer and try the Tahoe Rim Trail again. Thanks to all the people and businesses, like Tahoe Mountain Sports, that supported my attempt.

On June 28, a team whitewater kayakers set off from Seattle on an expedition to explore the Siberian mountain landscapes of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. They called their mission the Kamchatka Project, and partnered with scientists, the fly-fishing community and National Geographic to expose the complex relationships between Kamchatka, its people and its fisheries.

Lucky for you Tahoe Mountain Sports Blog readers, on the team was Jay Gifford (second from left in the above photo), a college buddy of mine, who took the time to answer a few questions for our Adventure of the Week series, just days before he returned home to Hood River, Oregon, in late July.

As part of the project, the team filmed an adventure documentary, collected valuable scientific data for researchers and are organizing a speaking tour. So look for big things from these guys coming soon!

Tell us about your travels…

We departed Seattle on the 28th of June and traveled for three days through 19 time zones via Moscow eventually landing in PKC (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatkiy).

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen/done so far?

Where to start? Two things that pop in my mind first are our return from the Semiylicheck River and day four fishing on the Zhuponova River (seen from a helicopter in the photo above).

After spending four days paddling the Semaliyach from its source to the sea, we finally hit the north pacific where we met our sailboat and Russian crew sitting in the bay. After dinner we began our 24-hour ride back to PKC. Our captain explained that we would have wind to sail but no one was prepared for the next day ahead of us. We quickly had our sails filled with 40 knots as we were tossed in the 15-foot seas. Gear came crashing out the kitchen as the crew and captain continually looked for a place to dispose of their dinner. Being tossed through out the night made me feel as if I was stuck in a pin ball machine as we weathered the storm… 19 hours later we emerged and completed our voyage back to PKC.

We had been invited to film a segment of “Monster Fish”  TV show with IFA, a production company working for National Geographic TV, on arguably the most coveted fly-fishing rivers in the world, the Zhuponova. On day four of the Zhuponova we had ventured as far into the canyon as our veteran guide had ever been… As our group staged in the final canyon and peered downstream we could see nothing more than crashing whitewater with a small calm pool sitting several hundred yards below. Our crew of kayakers set off into the canyon planning to radio up to our guide and film crew providing them with information and hopefully a line through the first rapid. The rapid was straight forward, but in the middle of the rapid we encountered a massive brown bear fishing with her two cubs… At this point we had seen a handful of bears on the trip, which had all quickly scurried off (to our relief) as soon as they saw us. But, this mother walked away for a second and then quickly returned to her rock and continued to fish for Sockeye salmon on the edge of this rapid. We sat in amazement as this Kamchatka brown bear continued to fish as her three cubs waited patiently. After a few minutes we called down the rafts, and the mother continued to fish and provide course after course for her family. Sitting at one of the narrowest points of the river with steep walls on both sides watching this brown bear fish for her family is the most amazing scene I have ever witnessed. We remained on the bank for almost three hours watching her family fish, eat, fight and play. I still can not articulate the experience, but feel privileged to have had that time there.

How does it feel to be the first group on such unexplored waters?

Once we are on the water and are working our way down the river as a team it feels very natural and everything seems to flow. But, the moment the helicopter lifts off and the sound of the rotors disappear it becomes very lonely and you realize just how remote you are. In terms of exploration, it is very exciting to paddle up to a horizon line and begin working the problem for the first time. Whether it be scouting a line down the rapid or figuring out how to portage our boats through the head high, ash-covered Puski. So, to answer your question, it’s a mixed emotion of fear and excitement that seems to equalize into some form of focus. I really don’t know how to describe that feeling, but I love it and seem to pursue it : )

What is the whitewater like? How does it compare to others rivers you’ve navigated?

The first two source-to-sea descents that we completed were incredible! In Russia, the term would be “Классный” which translates to “classy.” Mainly a lot of great class 4-5 with the second river having a series of massive waterfalls, which would all be runnable depending on the water level. We are the first group to really dig into the whitewater of Kamchatka and have only scratched the surface of what this place has to offer. One thing is for sure, it is certainly a lot tougher to access than any river I have ever been to. The most amazing aspect of the rivers that we are traveling to is just how wild they are. I have never been to a zone that is so uninhabited!

How exactly are you gathering scientific data? Any easy/quick way to describe?

Outdoor Research is putting out a few podcasts on the science we are doing, which is the easiest way to explain. You can listen here:

http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/kamchatka/

What are you looking forward to most about the rest of the trip?

This afternoon we are flying into Kuril Lake, which is the largest Sockeye spawning ground in the world (most in one place). After our trip on the Zhuponova, I am pretty excited about fishing these two areas and the adventure that goes along with being in these incredible places… There are also a few creeks that flow into Kuril Lake, so there is also the chance that we might get to go kayaking.

Are there 1-3 items of gear that you are really stoked on right now on your trip?

With almost 19 hours of daylight I have been wearing my Costa Del Mar sunglasses more than I have been using my headlamp (which I did not turn on for the first 2 weeks). Outdoor Research has been very supportive of this project, and everyone has been stoked on ALL of their clothes (especially the mosquito repellent shirts) and dry bags. The gear that speaks the loudest to me is the gear that I never think about so, EVERYTHING from Pyranha Kayaks, Werner Paddles and Kokatat paddling gear.

Each week, Tahoe Mountain Sports takes a walk (or hike, bike, ski, surf, climb) in someone else’s shoes, from pro athletes to local Tahoe adventurers. Let us know if you’ve got an adventure to share.