Gold Butte Lookout Rental

One of my favorite activities is finding a place to watch the sun set in the mountains. This is an experience unlike any you get on a day hike. The forest typically gets very calm, wildlife may appear for a final snack and drink of water. Things just generally slow down and I find it to be very peaceful.

Unfortunately backpacking into a camp and setting up for a night on the ground with no bathroom facilities is not an option that everyone can do or even wants to. How you could not want to do that is beyond me but I'll leave that for another post. ;-) Well if you are one of the former there is good news for you. By renting a Forest Service Lookout you can sleep indoors on a cot or bed, have a nice warm fire and your very own outhouse. All for $65 a night with a two day minimum on weekends.

There are several of these options throughout the state but the one described above is called the Gold Butte Lookout. It is 65 miles SE of Salem and has great views of the Cascade Range, including nearby Mt. Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Hood, the Three Sisters, and Bull of the Woods Wilderness Area.

To find out how to reserve the Gold Butte Lookout visit the Willamette National Forest website. More information on lookouts in the Willamette National Forest can be found here. Traveling to other parts of the Northwest? Information on other lookout rentals can be found here.

Recreation Passes

It's time to start thinking about spring and summer. In case you don't already know many federal lands require parking passes for your car or motorcycle. In most cases you can purchase a day-pass for $5 at the trailhead parking lots. However if your are planning to visit more then six trails this year it would make sense to buy the $30 annual pass. If you are going to be visiting the Oregon Coast this summer then it would be a good idea to pick up a 5-day pass for the Oregon Coast.

There are several kinds of passes and because it can get a little confusing the US Forest Service has created a web-tool that helps you determine what recreational pass is best for you. If you are planning on taking a trip west that includes visits to national parks you might want to consider the interagency annual pass that covers everything.

A Pacific Crest Hiker's Journal

I've backpacked somewhere in the neighborhood of 160 miles of the Oregon portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. At one time I had thoughts of hiking a section a year with the goal of covering all 2,650 miles. I doubt that will happen now though as I suffered an accident that resulted in five broken bones and a dislocated ankle. After 6 hours of surgery, 1+ years of rehab and healing I'm confident that I'll be able to hit the trail again this year. 15-20 mile days are probably now out of the question.

However, one of the things that I enjoy is reading about the experiences of others who have hiked. One of the better journals is A long Summers Walk, by Ron "Fallingwater" Moak. I've been enjoying reading about his experience. If you want to know what long disatnce hiking is like you should check it out. Fallingwater does a good job of capturing the subleties of life on the trail.

Black Diamond Spot LED Headlamp

I'm a gadget guy. I admit it. Finding the lightest, strongest, brightest is not that hard. But that is not what interests me. I'm always looking for items that give you the best bang for the buck. Why spend three times as much for a product that might only be 5% lighter then the less expensive solution? I like most all of my gear. I have a down bag, a relatively light Gregory backpack, A cooking kit I love that weighs a couple ounces more then a titanium set but coast a fifth as much. Well you get the idea.

I thought I would review the Black Diamond Spot Headlamp. It is what I currently use and I haven't found anything that is more compelling for my uses. It is light, very bright when you need it to be but has options for power-saving reading modes.

See when I'm out for a few days the important criteria for me are:

1. Could I walk out in the dark if I needed to?
2. Does is work well around camp for setting up and cooking?
3. Does it have a low power mode that will allow me to read without worrying about using up the battery?
   
4. Can I easily resupply the power?
5. Is it going to coast me an arm and a leg for batteries?
6. Is the size and weight reasonable?

I think the Black Diamond Spot is almost a perfect solution. It weighs a mere 3 ounces with batteries. The Spot uses 3 AAA batteries so it is easy to carry a spare set and cost is reasonable. The batteries are inserted just behind the lamps so everything is contained in one module.

The Spot has a 1-watt led that works with a specially designed reflector to project 70 meters. At least according to the company. I have my doubts about how much you are going to see at that distance but no doubt there is plenty of light. You would have no trouble at all walking out in the dark with this headlamp. For activities like setting up camp or cooking your meal you can use the three 5mm leds which use up less battery power and also give you a wider beam of light.

In both modes there are options to dim the light which allows you to use just as much light as you need. This, of course, help extend the life of your batteries. The head band is comfortable and adjustable. For those of you that like getting out in cold weather the large button for changing modes and turning the lamp on and off is doable with gloves. Something that the headlamps I've owned before wouldn't allow.

Cost for this bad-boy is $39.95 but if you use your REI 20% off coupon you can save $8.

Superfeet Insoles

I love Superfeet Insoles and wouldn't be caught without them. I have 'difficult' feet and have battled sore feet all my life when hiking. I've tried the cushy sorbathane insoles, and pretty much everything else out there. Finally I bought a pair of these out of desperation. They cost more and look like the flimsiest things. They don't even appear to have any cushioning. Prepared for disappointment I was rather surprised to find these work better, by far, than anything else I have tried. I know they have several patents along with some other kind of magic. All I can say is that if you have sore feet ignore the look and feel of these and just buy them. They work.