Grandeur Peak - Partial

Well, this is what spring hiking looks like this year around Salt Lake City, Utah.  We have been hiking all winter and are counting the days to warmer weather and hard pack trails.  We did two hikes up Millcreek Canyon this weekend and the snow level for late-March is ridiculous.  This is a picture of me at the overlook on the way to Grandeur Peak.  We didn't make it to the top of the peak since the trail had not been broken in yet.  It would have been tough going in deep snow. 

Trailhead Elevation:  5,960 ft
Peak Elevation:  8,299 ft
Total Elevation Gain:  2,340 ft
Total Distance:  6 miles
Total Time:  3 hours

Zamberlan Skill GT Women's Boot

The most important piece of gear for this trip has to be the boots.  I spent 3 months trying to find the right boot.  I tried on dozens of boots and thought I might not ever find a comfortable boot to fit my narrow high-arched foot.  I currently have a pair of Vasque old-school full leather sundowner boots that I love, but wanted to find something with a little more padding.  I think I found the match made in heaven with the Zamberlan Skill GT boot.  These guys are a piece of art.  Handmade tooled leather from Italy.  I hardly want to get them dirty.  But, they are also a top-notch working boot with some high-tech innovations that make these a lightweight full-grain leather boot  that is amazingly comfortable, breathable and durable. 


Specifications on the boots:

One-piece hydrobloc full-grain leather
Padded and gusseted tongues
Gortex and nylon linings
2 lbs 10 oz

OutdoorGearJunction Review:

A classic Italian made mid-height boot, the women’s 310 SKILL GT is a full-grain water-resistant leather boot with a waterproof breathable GORE-TEX.liner to keep your feet dry and comfortable on those rainy days. The breathable liner and moisture wicking anatomic footbeds also help maintain an comfortable environment for your feet on those hot and humid days. Built on a women’s specific last and constructed with the Zamberlan Full-Wrap technology, this boot will hug your feet and over time, will only get better as the leather upper molds to the shape of your foot. Don’t be fooled, however, despite the durable leather Upper, this boot comes in at well under 3 lbs making this an ideal lightweight boot for both short hikes and longer backpacking trips. The exclusively developed VIBRAM L.H.07 outsole with an EVA wedge absorbs the impact of the foot on hard terrain while providing great traction and stability on a variety of terrain.

Links:

Zamberlan
REI boot description

Sleeping Bag - REI Expedition -20

I debated long and hard about whether to buy a sleeping bag for the trip or to just rent one from Team Kilimanjaro.  I decided to rent one since I don't really camp much and a good bag is expensive.  That said, I found a used expedition bag on sale at the REI garage sale this weekend and bought it!!  It is the REI Expedition -20 bag and it is gorgeous.  This bag has gotten some great reviews on backpacker.com and other sites. 


Specifications on the bag:

800 fill power goose down on top (700 fill on bottom)
DWR ripstop nylon shell
3 lbs 10 oz

Backpacker.com review: 

It goes without saying that on a high-mountain trip, a warm bag is the difference between sleeping and shivering. Yet many climbers continue to lose precious zzzzs because they want to save weight or money–or both–on a cold-weather bag. If that's you, get the Kilo Expedition and say goodnight. The 800-fill down bag is conservatively rated, and has a cut that's efficient but roomy enough for layering clothes. The nylon shell's DWR coating easily repelled tent-floor condensation and canopy frost. The Kilo closes with dual parallel zippers rather than a standard zipper and flap. The design eliminates cold spots, and also allows you to mircomanage fit and warmth (open or close the inner zipper). There was minor down leakage, and the zippers occasionally stuck, but neither problem is unusual in ultra-poofy winter bags. Bonus: It comes with a silnylon compression stuffsack. $359; 3 lbs. 12 oz. (regular); 3 sizes (short, regular, long).

Links:

REI Expedition -20 
Backpacker Gear Review