Did you end up going?

Don't know how I missed this. Thanks! Definite potentially weird conditions, but if I can backpack later into the season here, I will!

KDE user here as well. Currently on fedora, but might go back to debian or some kind of *buntu. I've tried arch-based distros in the past but it's hard to break old habits, lol.

Thanks. I believe the salamanders burrow under mud and go into a sort of torpor. There are a ton of meadows and marshes. It seems like the area supports a large variety of wildlife.

My SO read about the wolf sighting. We weren't too far from Wyoming, which could explain it. I'm not sure of they've done it yet, but the state was planning on releasing some wolves as well.

Sad to hear about the fire but it’s all too common.

Yes, definitely. UC Boulder did a study and found that 84% of wildfires are human-caused. Nuts.

Definitely will do. Reading some trip reports and a cup of tea sound perfect right now.

Edit: That instance name is hilarious. TIL there are other Linux user/backpackers out there, huh

Got out for a few days. Originally planned for 4 days, but Monday's weather was nasty and Friday was supposed to get snow and 50 mph winds, so we cut out part of the route and did 3. We got snowed/sleeted on the first night and woke to a completely glazed over tent. Super fun to clean up before packing up.

The rest of the trip was mostly uneventful beside winds picking up as the trip went on. We saw plenty of wildlife. Moose, elk, owls, bats, pika, a salamander. Someone supposedly saw a wolf there recently. Below is a very fresh mtn goat kill we found up on the ridge line.

We didn't see more than a few people the whole time, but that didn't keep us from having to put out someone's still very alive bed of coals at their campsite. They could've easily taken the 5 minutes to do it as they were less than 100 feet from water. Extremely annoying.

Good trip otherwise. The fall colors were really starting to pop.

Cool, report. Very well written. I enjoyed this thoroughly. Not sure if you were keeping a journal or just wrote it that way, but it's narratively effective.

One could be bummed about having to bail due to weather, but you made the right decision in the moment. And it doesn't sound like a wasted trip at all. You saw some cool stuff, met cool people, got to hang out in/around SLC and got more hiking in where you could.

I know there wasn't much time, but are there any changes you made to your setup you were happy with or things you would've done differently in retrospect?

I definitely need to do some hiking in Idaho. The Sawtooths are there, correct?

The sound is really nice in this one. Headphones recommended!

Also, John Kricfalusi 2.0.

New John Zahorian video: hiking across oregon on the PCT [no music] [2023]

UPDATE: We found someone that knows where the dog came from and were informed that the owner abandoned the dog. My neighbor is keeping her.

Sucks the rain/snow came in so hard for your trip. The landscapes in the Uintas are so cool. I do want to get there some time soon. We had an experience like that a couple years ago where rain/snow came in a day earlier than the forecast said and had to turn a loop into an out-and-back. It rained on us for two days straight, our gear wetted out and we got to the brink of hypothermia.

We're expecting snow this week, but I'm not sure how much, so it might not mean anything for the remainder of the season. We might be able to still go to high elevation spots. If the high country is too snowy, we go to lower elevation mountains or maybe high plains canyons.

It's in the Collegiates.

Last week we went out for a few days. I injured my toe a couple days before it so we kept things low key. Managed to get some decent views in either way:

We're seeing the first snows in CO. Trying to plan something this week, but have to figure out where we can go.

P.S. Post some pics when you get a chance!

Potentially. You could engineer potatoes to produce more of certain starches and less moisture, so it would fry up crispier than normal.

I'll probably be up in the high country again in a few days. I can give you an update after that regarding bugs. I will say that every trip I've done this summer there have been mosquitoes, but the last one a week ago wasn't as bad and I assume it'll continue going that way.

As you know, pretty much all of that route is above treeline. It's been a weird season for weather and conditions can be unpredictable anyway. We're currently having stormy weather up in the mountains. Main thing is familiarizing yourself with the route, finding potential bail points, planning days with afternoon storms in mind, etc.

You may be able to get some cell reception up there and check the weather. I like the app with NOAA reports since you can pinpoint your location in the mountains. It's usually pretty reliable.

I'll definitely consider it, if I have the time of course. Gear analysis, etc, is definitely fun, but the point in all off this is getting out in woods after all. Seeing others' pics of cool places they've been is far more interesting to me.

That makes sense. My mom has been offering to teach me, so I definitely should.

I eventually want to make an FKT-style quilt for summer, that's maybe rated 50* with a 30* footbox. Something light that I could stretch slightly lower by layering clothes.

I've been cooking in my 20* quilt this summer.