The Dance

Now we can finally do the dance!

What dance do you speak of?

The summer dance of course! The grill-is-fired-up and I just-picked-up-some of-that-new-Lagunitas-seasonal-release type of dance. Sort of like funk, but better.

Don't have your summer dance down pat? Or do you feel unsure as to what I'm talking about? I'm sorry, but I can't help you. Summer is a wild time of year - done differently by everyone.

Alright,

So I've noticed in the last two weeks that we're getting an increased amount of inquiries with regards to backpacking in the Marble Mountains Wilderness and Trinity Alps Wilderness. It's definitely that time of year now, but we've got an interesting twist this season that I think everyone should be aware of!

I'd save packing through both Wilderness areas until August and September. Don't get me wrong - they're my favorite areas on almost the entire west coast, with the exception of the Sierra Nevada - but with 140% of normal snowpack this season, most of that extra falling very late, both the bugs and snow are going to be very thick for a while yet. Snow levels are still around 5,000 feet in some areas, meaning that the Forest Service trail crews still have some work to do. I don't know, has anyone else ever been to the Trinity Alps in July? The swarm of biting insects is enough to make it miserable in the evenings. With this much snow, we're not going to be able to climb high enough to escape the bugs until August!

If it were me, I'd pick the Rogue River trail or a Lost Coast trip to tide over the backpacking desire until August/September. The Kalmiopsis Wilderness is also a lovely choice, though the concentration of poison oak is very high. If anyone has any specific questions about any of these locations, come in to the store and pick our brains. They all pretty much allow easy access to water to beat the heat, but with no worries about full Gore-Tex boots and gaiters on a hot day!

Anyways, that's my two cents.

I was at the coast this weekend, as well as the Illinois river, and that water feels great. We're gonna have clear, hot weather all week, and great flow all-around - it's the perfect week for boating or some time at the beach, and also the best week for kicking back with friends on these late evenings. Longest day of the year was the 21st, so don't waste any time!

Have a nice week folks.