Hardwear Sessions

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By Brett Cassidy, MHW Customer Service

What better way to kick off the summer than with 90 degree heat and 90 degree granite? Honestly, there is none. To celebrate the official start of the long climbing season out here in the Mecca known as California, The Oakdale Rippers, and eclectic group of pagan lunatics who live for rock and snow (none of whom are actually from Oakdale) headed down to Joshua Tree National Park to slaughter some crack.

Friday morning we loaded up five cars with beers, raw meat, cams, chocks, beers, ropes, about a thousand Mountain Hardwear tents, carabineers, grills, beers, crash pads, climbing shoes that smelled like dead whales, a bottle of mescal with no less than two worms marinating in the bottom, and beers (dudes, it gets hot in the desert). After 10 hours of driving and only one ticket (public urination on the off-ramp), our greatest epiphany was that the funniest tattoo one could get would be a portrait of the character Frances from Pee Wee's Big Adventure with a caption reading "I Stole Your Bike". As we entered the park and bombed along Park Boulevard to claim some campsites, the bizarre outlines of Joshua trees popped out of the night like deranged ghosts flying past the car.

Ed Viesturs was recently featured in a computer game. Find out what he does in his latest endeavor - "Hidden Expedition: Everest."

Click here to find out more.

This article is our first installment in our ongoing series dedicated to outfitting you with the best gear possible. Check back regularly for more trail articles.

The Pacific Crest Trail (also known as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail) runs from the Mexican Border through California, Oregon, and Washington states and up to the Canadian border. The trail runs through almost every climate and ecosystem the West Coast has to offer including deserts, glaciers and mountains, as well as the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest. This American trail showcases many of the unique natural gems the West Coast has to offer.

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is 2,650 miles (4,240 km) long^[2], and follows many high points across the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges changing elevation from sea level up to 13,153 feet (4009 m)^[1] across Forester pass.

Terrain
The PCT tends to follow through wilderness instead of passing through civilization. Most of the trail stays on the mountain ranges of California, Oregon, and Washington states. Expect to cross over 60 mountain passes and ascend at least 300,000 vertical feet of elevation change. Gaiters help keep snow out of your boots. Below snowline even low gaiters over running shoes help keep out dirt and debris.

Weather
Due to elevation change and varying climates and ecosystems hiked through, expect a wide range of climate changes. Thunderstorms are known to be quite common across the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain ranges. Throughout summer months, most hikers are quire comfortable without jackets during the day, however during the night, temperatures can drop fairly low so plan to bring at least a +20° down or synthetic sleeping bag. You might choose to add a bivy-sack at Kennedy Meadows in early season as conditions get rather chilly. For most nights on the trail you can sleep confortably in a 32° F bag, however, durring chilly nights prepare to wear extra layers to stay warm.

Gear List

I'm preparing for a hike of the Pacific Crest Trail next season and I love the Mountain Hardware gear that I currently own, but I was wondering if anyone at Mountain Hardware has any recommendations on a clothing list that would be perfect for a Thru-hike of the PCT? I would really appreciate any advice you could give me. You guys make the best superlight gear around
—Bryan Kenton
Boise, Idaho

Mountain Hardwear Athlete, Kenton Cool, recently returned from an amazing climbing session in the Everest region.

Kenton's first summit of the season and fourth career summit was on the 17th of May. He then had two rest days at base camp before returning up the mountain for his fifth summit on May 24th. In just one week, Kenton Cool summited Everest two times.

As a result, Kenton currently holds the UK and European records for most times summitting Everest. As well as the only western double summit in a season. Not too shabby...

Kenton was guiding clients on both summits for his company Dream Guides. Kenton started back up the mountain for the second time on May 21st, moving quickly up to camp 2. The next day was a push to camp 3 and then onto the South Col (7950 meters) on May 23rd. Leaving the wind swept camp at night, Kenton summitted early, at 3:50 a.m. on the 24th. Congratulations to Kenton for an amazing Everest season. We hope to get more details from him soon.

By Willie Meinen

Why do I establish new routes? Most of the normal people around me seem to be perfectly content doing things to bring comfort and security into their lives. I, on the other hand, seem to be doing everything possible to put myself into the realms of the unknown. Ever since I was a young child I can recall looking for the next adventure. It seems my adventures keep getting bigger and bigger. Most of my old high school friends now have nice little houses and late model vehicles. I have none of that. In fact I usually sleep in my truck which is by no means a 'late model'. I started wondering what was wrong with me, so I did some research in hopes of diagnosing myself.

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By Brett Cassidy, MHW Customer Service

Dear Mountain Hardwear Dealers,
Here in Mountain Hardwear's Dealer Services department, we take safety very very seriously. Not only is each Mountain Hardwear employee issued a glow-stick and a 4 ounce packet of water upon employment in case of emergency (what emergency cannot be overcome with a glow-stick and 4 ounces of water?), but we also keep 2 way radios in our cubicles in case we need to get help choppered in. Therefore, it may come as no surprise to our loyal dealers that their dealer service representatives are ALWAYS on belay for each and every phone call. Don't worry, we got you, now all you have to concentrate on is sending this season and flashing some sales. We don't like to think about what would happen if we weren't on belay to receive your phone calls.

By Victor Ichioka, MHW Creative Services

It was a fine, bay-area-late-spring morning, the sun promising to break through the high fog, when we drove across the Richmond Bridge to Fairfax. The marketing department was on its way to the Sky Oaks office of the Marin Municipal Water District to engage in a day of trail maintenance on the northern slopes of Mount Tamalpais. After assembling and meeting our trail boss, John, we crowded into a shuttle van and rode by Lake Lagunitas and Bon Tempe Lake, through a locked gate, and up a fire road for a couple of miles. We unloaded, got a tool-safety lesson, signed the requisite liability forms, packed up our lunches, chose a couple of tools to carry (our choices: lopper, folding hand saw, shovel, McLeod tool—a combination rake-hoe firefighting implement, Pulaski tool—a hybrid axe-mattock) and headed up the trail.

Do you know what peak this is? Take a guess by leaving a comment below.
Maybe there'll be something in it for you...

Andrew McLean Writes
We just returned from a great trip up to the Wrangle St. Elias Mountains of Alaska where I witnessed one of the burliest close calls with a crevasse I could ever imagine. I interviewed the plummeteer afterwards and made a little video out of it.