This will be my third trip backpacking. I'm going back to Carlsbad, hitting the same trail. I guess I'm figuring that as I am learning all the ins and outs, maybe I should keep something constant...LOL.
Anyway, I will try a few things different this time. Still not sure about carrying all my water with me at once. I have a 6 litre and a 10 litre MSR dromedary bag. Last trip I took the 6 with me and it would have run out the second night so I didn't stay. Might try carrying the 10 and leave the 6. Or if I am feeling up to it, maybe carrying both. I do have a new sleeping bag that packs down small so I will have a little bit of extra room.
I am not planning to hike to the end this time. I have decided to camp among the junipers and do all my exploring from there. Think I had been setting my standards a bit high for myself as I am still new to the whole backpacking side of this.
I'm sure I'll see the mule deer again and really hoping to see the barbary sheep again. I have a way better camera and want much better pictures of them. Also hoping to find the double canyon that I had been trying to get to the last two trips. Hoping that with a daypack and a start from the top of the reef, I might have a better chance at finding it.
Also got me a GPS unit so I will know better where I am at. I am still have some problems with the topo maps. Here at home everything is flat so there are no features to pinpoint my position and practice. I get out there and there are too many features and have trouble figuring which is which on the map. Still plan on using the map and using the GPS to see if I am correct. Maybe that will help me learn the topo maps better.
That is about all I can think of for the trip right now. If ya'll have any suggestions, please let me know. As I said, this is still only my third trip like this and it is a slow deal learning this on my own.
WT
Anyway, I will try a few things different this time. Still not sure about carrying all my water with me at once. I have a 6 litre and a 10 litre MSR dromedary bag. Last trip I took the 6 with me and it would have run out the second night so I didn't stay. Might try carrying the 10 and leave the 6. Or if I am feeling up to it, maybe carrying both. I do have a new sleeping bag that packs down small so I will have a little bit of extra room.
I am not planning to hike to the end this time. I have decided to camp among the junipers and do all my exploring from there. Think I had been setting my standards a bit high for myself as I am still new to the whole backpacking side of this.
I'm sure I'll see the mule deer again and really hoping to see the barbary sheep again. I have a way better camera and want much better pictures of them. Also hoping to find the double canyon that I had been trying to get to the last two trips. Hoping that with a daypack and a start from the top of the reef, I might have a better chance at finding it.
Also got me a GPS unit so I will know better where I am at. I am still have some problems with the topo maps. Here at home everything is flat so there are no features to pinpoint my position and practice. I get out there and there are too many features and have trouble figuring which is which on the map. Still plan on using the map and using the GPS to see if I am correct. Maybe that will help me learn the topo maps better.
That is about all I can think of for the trip right now. If ya'll have any suggestions, please let me know. As I said, this is still only my third trip like this and it is a slow deal learning this on my own.
WT
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