Backpacking | Marcus Hellberg

Colorado adventure trip with Andrew Skurka [Trip report]

By marcushellberg on 2019-09-292019-09-29

For me, the best way to learn new skills is to work with experts. Most of my backpacking has been on established trails until now. I wanted to learn the skills needed to safely and confidently start planning my own off-trail adventures. Andrew Skurka is one of the backpackers who I’ve followed online for several years. I’ve learned a lot from his insightful articles and videos, so when I saw that he’s arranging guided trips, I knew I wanted to go on one.

JMT: VVR to Senger Creek

By marcushellberg on 2019-08-032019-10-26

Day 8 – 20.3 miles, 4400 ft ascent.

I woke up at 6, so I would have enough time to get everything in order before the morning ferry back to the other side of the lake. I packed up my tent and waited for the restaurant to open.

JMT: Virginia Lake to VVR

By marcushellberg on 2019-08-022019-09-27

Day 7 – 15.2 miles, 1900 ft ascent.

Even though I camped well above the lake, I woke up to a wet tent and quilt. The sun wasn’t hitting my campsite yet, so I packed up everything wet and got going. I figured I’d stop later to dry out everything.

JMT: Red’s Meadow to Virginia Lake

By marcushellberg on 2019-08-012019-09-27

Day 6 – 16.4 miles, 3800 ft ascent.

I didn’t sleep as well as I thought I would in a real bed. The AC and fridge were making a lot of noise. Especially to someone that’s gotten used to the quiet of the forest.

JMT: Garnet Lake to Red’s Meadow and Mammoth

By marcushellberg on 2019-07-312019-09-27

Day 5 – 15 miles, 1830 ft ascent.

It was much warmer than the night before, but I still slept cold. I could feel the cold radiate through my sleeping pad. I think that the shady place I camped at must have held snow until very recently and that the ground was still cold.

JMT: Lyell Canyon to Garnet Lake

By marcushellberg on 2019-07-302019-09-27

Day 4 – 10.8 miles, 1120 ft ascent.

The night was cold. My watch showed 37F when I woke up. But on the upside, my tent and gear were dry, so a significant improvement over the previous night.

JMT: Upper Cathedral Lake to Lyell Canyon

By marcushellberg on 2019-07-292019-09-27

Day 3 – 16.4 miles, 909 ft ascent.

I woke up to a tent that was drenched from condensation. I had closed my tent’s upwind storm doors, and apparently, it led to a lot of moisture in the tent. I made breakfast and waited for a while for the sun to rise high enough to hit my campsite and dry the tent.

JMT: Little Yosemite Valley to Upper Cathedral Lake

By marcushellberg on 2019-07-282019-09-27

Day 2 – 13.4 miles, 4270 ft ascent.

The first night was warm, and I woke up as the sun was rising. I had a short day ahead of me, so I was in no hurry. I ate breakfast and packed up camp, and was on the trail after 7.

JMT: Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley

By marcushellberg on 2019-07-272019-09-27

Finally, after months of planning and training, I was heading up to Yosemite to start the John Muir Trail!

TRT Section: Van Sickle to Echo Summit

By marcushellberg on 2019-07-152019-09-28

I’m preparing to hike the John Muir Trail in just two weeks, and this was my last chance to dial in my gear and get some trail miles in. With the big snow year that we’ve had in 2019, I wanted to pick a section with a bit of snow so I could also verify that my gear worked well in that.