Hiked up to Deadmans Canyon in Kings Canyon from Jenny Lakes Wilderness over 4th of July weekend.
The hike was tough, with many downed trees along the climb. The waterfalls and surprisingly large meadows were worth it, though.
This trip was part of a training hike, dialing in my gear for a nine day trek in August while upping mileage to nearly fifteen miles a day.
My goal was to find ways to drop my pack weight two full pounds, which is getting tougher to do as I’ve replaced lots of old gear with ultralight versions over the last five years.
This will likely be my last trip with my venerable @durstongear X-Mid, which I bought as part of his original MassDrop crowdfunded in 2018-2019. It’s been an amazing tent, and it’s seen many beautiful places over the last seven years.
I’m replacing it with Durston’s latest X-Mid Pro, which is nearly an impossible pound and a half lighter than my original MassDrop version.
Insane how light gear has become over the last few years. My pack now, including camera gear, is around 20 pounds. Ten years ago my pack was 42 pounds