Uncategorized – ADVENTURE TOGETHER

Future Trail Home

As you should already know, part of the deal with being a Thru-Hike Syndicate ambassador is the gear we will utilizing on our thru-hike. Pieces have been showing up over the past couple weeks, but we’re really excited to share about a huge piece of equipment: our “house”. Nemo Equpiment has provided all THS ambassadors with a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad. All super important items if, you know, you like to be warm and dry. Neither of us have previously used any Nemo gear, so we really had no idea what to expect. Their website was helpful and reviews seemed promising, but you never really know what works specifically for you until you use it.

We’ll list what we are using from Nemo first, then elaborate next.

Tent: Dagger 2P
Bags: Nocturne 15L (his) & Rhapsody 15 (hers) Both down
Pads: Astro Insulated Lite 20R (both)

Nemo Equipment's Dagger 2 — Nemo Equipment’s Dagger 2

Tent: This tent is roomy! The online description of “ultralight roomy backpacking tent” wasn’t lying at 90×50 dimensions and 3lb 7oz weight. We previously were using the Big Agnes Copper Spur 2, and have been extremely happy with it, so we were glad to aquire a tent that seems to fit us both just as well. With a nice rectangular floor at 90 inches long, the Dagger is long enough to fit Quade and the lack of a tapered bottom prevents a squished feeling. Spacious vestibules on either side so neither of us have to wake the other to get something or to get out to use a facilitree. A nice surprise with this tent is that each side is a mirror image of each other. You know what that means? We don’t have to flip it around to find the head/foot end of the poles or fly, which will come in handy when every second counts as we’re trying to get out of the rain. On the inside there are snaps, which we figured out were to snap in a paw pad? For your dog to protect the bottom of your tent or just extra protection in general, we don’t have a use for that feature so we might just snip off those clips.

Nocturne 15 and Rhapsody 15 Down Sleeping Bags

Bags: Nemo makes these spoon-shaped bags that were…odd. But OMG, once we got in them they were like a dream! This “spoon” shape gives more wiggle room around your elbows and knees for those who curl up in a spoon position, or side sleeping, if you will. We zip our sleeping bags together, it feels more like a bed and the body heat helps make those cold night bearable. That extra room due to the spoon shape makes our combined bed humongous! No more claustrophobic sleeping because we can’t move in our tight mummy bags stuck together, with this system we can sprawl out and actually be more comfortable. The down is fluffy and the fabric is so soft to the touch. They also have this little neck blanket thing? I have no idea what to call it, but its this extra piece that can cover up your face hole, I find it cozy. We have opposite side zipped bags that make it possible to zip together, very important unless one of you like to have the hood over your face.
Pads: We both chose the same pad. We were given a choice of two different kinds and opted for the one that was a tad bit heavier because of it’s better temperature rating and built in pillow. (It’s the little things) Personally, I was hoping for an option that had the foot pump built into the bottom, but we can make due with a little inflator we already have. We
ordered, seperately, some straps to tie our pads together so that neither of us will have to sleep in that dreaded crack.
So far we are both extremely happy with the choices we made with Nemo and have already camped out in the backyard to test them out. Everything seems to be made with high quality and we can’t wait to get it all dirty!
Stef

CDT & Thru-Hike Syndicate

2016 Will be a big year for us! We have challenged ourselves to hike the Continental Divide Trail, in its entirety. This is no simple feat, up to 3,100 miles spanning across 5 states from the Mexico Border to the Canada Border. This will be, by far, our biggest adventure, both individually and together.

We are also excited to announce that we will be ambassadors for the Thru-Hike Syndicate program as two of their 28 hikers tackling a long thru-hike; AT, PCT, and CDT. This is the first year the program will have anyone on the CDT and we’re honored to be 2 of the 6 ambassadors helping to introduce the trail to their program.

A perk of being an ambassador for the Thru-Hike Syndicate is that you will be able to track us along our trek more often. As part of the deal, we will be checking in at least every two weeks and there will be an interactive map you can follow of our progress along with the other hikers. We will try to update our social media pages as regularly as possible, but, as you can imagine, there are limited power sources and internet connections on the trail. It’ll be a nice break from all the hustle and bustle of regular every day life.

Of course, another perk is that the program will be supplying us with most of our primary gear. The Thru-Hike Syndicate is comprised of five outdoor gear companies; Vasque will be taking care of our foot needs along with Darn Tough Socks; We’ll be keeping our balance with sets of Leki trekking poles; Nemo Equipment will be “home” with a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad; and Ospret will be supplying packs to carry all of it across the country.

Check out the Thru-Hike Syndicate Team announcement here: http://www.snewsnet.com/press-release/vasque-proudly-introduces-the-2016-thru-hike-syndicate-team/

https://instagram.com/p/BAkUZMCskK-/

You can also follow along via our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Adventuretogether/?ref=bookmarks

As well as our Instagram pages: @pnwginger @sryan87

Don’t forget to save the Thru-Hike Syndicate page so you have access to the map and follow along all the thru-hikers as we all take on this enormous challenge!
http://www.vasque.com/CAD/page/thru-hike <-- (It is not yet updated for 2016, keep checking back) Stef

Northwest Exposure Photo Contest

Last year we shared some pretty incredible adventures, traversing Olympic national parks Bailey range off trail, backpacking through lassen national park, climbing Mt. Saint Helens, rappelling numerous waterfalls and so many more. Through all of our excursions, we like to take photos and share them.
One adventure we shared with a couple of friends. Stefani and I started out on the KLR 650 and rode up hurricane ridge and made our way to obstruction point. Meeting our fellow travelers, we embarked toward grand pass. As we made our way into the alpine backcountry, we opted for a scenic scramble along the ridge to grand pass.

Delighted by the clear skies, we found camp on the western flank of an unnamed peak at the south end of the Grand Valley. After taking a dip in a nearby glacial tarn, the day’s end drew nearer. Card games, simmering pots and the beautiful glow of an evening summer sun cast through the mountains. Truly a moment to be captured. As I tried a few different angles, I found that the frame provided by our tent was the perfect compliment. With the help of our friend Jason, the shutter was tripped and the moment forever immortalized. Of all of the photos I took this year of all the amazing places we’ve been. I chose this one to enter into Washington Trails Association’s Northwest Exposure photo contest.

IMG_2714 (1)

After months had passed, I received an email from their communications associate informing me that my photo had won the grand prize. I was absolutely astounded and honored that they chose one of my favorite pictures of us together as the winner.

As the shock has worn off and we actually get to make the announcement public, There’s a few things that I’ve learned through participating in this contest. Not only do I love pictures of us together doing what we love, but also there’s not a moment in life that isn’t important. Every second we live, we have the opportunity for greatness. And just because We don’t have an expensive camera (until now) doesn’t mean that we can’t capture great shots.

Click here to see all of the winners!

http://www.wta.org/signpost/2015-northwest-exposure-photo-contest-winners

Through this next year, we will be wandering through so many incredible places as we embark on the Continental Divide Trail. Stay tuned so we can share some of our many amazing moments!

Quade

We made a rug!

Do you ever feel like there is something missing from your home décor? Something that could liven up the living space, make it feel more inviting and warm? Well…as awesome as the Wonderbus is, we found something that completed it. We made a rug.

But not just any ol’ rug! Together, we handmade this statement piece out of Pendleton wool strips on a loom. A loom! Never did I think I’d find myself “looming”, or weaving if you will, but there we were, chatting it up with Elsie as she taught us some magic.

What a great experience to do together when I went to visit Quade while he was stationed down on the Oregon Coast for a month. He heard about Elsie’s from some new van friends he made so of course we went to check it out. We pulled up to her shop, Elsie’s Discount Roving, and made our way upstairs to the loom weaving room. Four big looms and countless bags of Pendleton wool filled the room, how were we ever going to narrow it down to one pattern!? Luckily, Elsie is probably one of the nicest ladies you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. Besides being the best weaver I know (and I now know three, which might include Quade and I) she is the most accommodating, helpful and friendliest hostess. She let us bring some material and rugs down to get an idea of how the pattern might look in the van. This is a big decision, after all it is the statement rug.

We settled on a striped pattern full of reds, blues, browns, whites, greys, yellows…you know, something crazy and fitting! 😉 After some practice rows Elsie pushed her little weaving chicks out of the nest and we slid our first row of our marvelous wool. Back and forth we wove, making sure to step on the correct peddle after each pass through. It’s tricky business if you don’t pay attention!

All the while Elsie entertained us with stories of past customers, her experiences at the fair, how her late husband tolerated her hobby and her praise of how well we were doing. There wasn’t a dull moment during the entire experience. In fact, it all went quite quickly! Who knew weaving was our calling!? Now we have this fabulous Pendleton rug, it’s warm and thick and makes for a great lounge spot when we want to kick back and enjoy the view out of the side door. Come check it out sometime!!

Who is Elsie and where can you make your own rad rug? You can find her at Elsie’s Discount Roving near Depoe Bay on the Oregon Coast, right off of HWY 101. It is only $60 for not only a rug, but an entire experience; it is definitely worth it and we both highly recommend it!

*Stef*

Mount Rainier, Mowich Lake Overnighter

It’s been tougher than expected sharing our adventures as we rarely find ourselves parked in front of a computer long enough! We are also currently at a stage in our lives that we are balancing between two jobs and school averaging a 4 hour commute apart. Finding the time to get outside together has become an art. Luckily, we were able to get out on a quick overnighter last weekend.

Neither of us have spent significant time in Mount Rainier National Park. Quade has climbed it and Stefani has day hiked a few times, so it was a bit special to spend some time around the big mountain together for the first time.

We loaded up the dual sport and squeezed on for the ride down to Rainier. Two people and loaded backpacks made the bike ride…cozy. 😉

After checking in with a super friendly and helpful ranger at the Carbon River Ranger Station, we made our way to Mowich Lake. A crowded spot between multiple trailheads along with the WT passing through, we got there late enough in the day that some of the crowds were already starting to head home.

The trail is gradual, with steps built in steeper sections. A short side trip a few miles in to Spray Falls is a must. It adds less than a quarter mile to your hike, but the reward of this powerful waterfall is beyond worth it. Just a couple miles farther is Spray Park. The fall colors have already started moving in, framing the mountain in soft reds and oranges.

We continued along the trail, admiring a ridgeline off towards the mountain. Choosing to venture off to a secluded area near Seattle Park was worth it. We followed an old forgotten path littered with fresh goat and bear tracks, although we were never graced with their presence.

Camp for the night was perfect. An unobstructed view of the mountain on one side, picture perfect sunset on the other and a crystal clear tarn at our disposal. Best of all, we were secluded from anyone else, something we didn’t think was possible at such a popular park.

After some unfortunate snafus (burning Quade with scalding mash potatoes) we enjoyed a marvelous sunset. With clear skies we opted to go fly-less and star gazed until sleep overtook us.

With some injuries to attend to we did not complete our intended loop, but returned back through Spray Park. Once back at the bike, a bear moseyed down the trail along the lake shore. Savoring our last minute wildlife encounter we loaded up the bike for our journey home.

Although it wasn’t the longest or most intense trip we’ve had, it was truly special to spend time together under the glow of Mount Rainier. Until next time, when we get the chance to explore more of what MRNP has to offer!