Night 118

Hi and welcome back!

Last night I woke up cold in the 40 degree sleeping bag, so I moved to the 20 degree bag. Then an hour later I woke up sweating so I moved back to the 40 degree bag. I'll be happy when April is over.

???

Today my dad, my brother J-- and I hiked to the pond. When we got there we noticed a long, wormlike creature/plant in a big puddle by the pond. My dad and I estimated that if you stretched it out it would be 15-20 feet long. My dad put his hiking stick underneath it and picked part of it up. We noticed that there were tiny beadlike things inside it.

My dad and I plan to go back to the pond for the next few days to see if it has moved or changed at all. If you know what it might be, let us know!

Thanks for reading!

Nights 116 and 117

Hi and welcome back!

Yesterday, instead of hiking up the hill, we went to a boulder field with some of the people who went rock climbing with us a few weeks ago. My friend I.W. and I raced each other across the half-mile rock field and into the woods, where we hiked with T.S., C.S., C.B., and the others.

The Boulder Field

While we were hiking,  we found a stream with a bundle of frog eggs in it. At first no one knew what they were, but then B.B. recognized them and told us what they were.

Ouch

At one end of the field a few of my friends and I found a pit that was about 5 feet deep. I wasn't paying attention and fell into the pit, scraping my legs and forearm, and I cut my elbow. They all hurt this morning when I woke up, but they're better now. 

Today my dad and I went on a very wet hike. Dad wore a water-repellant soft shell instead of a regular shell. I'm not sure why he did that, and I laughed at him the whole time, because he wound up getting soaked. For some reason, we had a very slow time up (14:55).

Thanks for reading!

Nights 114 and 115

Hi and welcome back!

Yesterday when my dad and I hiked it was in the mid 50s. On our way up we saw the moon rising, so we stopped and tried to take a picture of it.  It was amazing, because the time it took for the whole moon to move above the horizon was only about two minutes!  We had a painfully slow time up of about 14:30.

A few days go my dad bought me a ThermaRest self inflating sleeping pad, which is more comfortable, more compact, and a little warmer than a RidgeRest, so last night I tried it out. I read that for extra warmth and comfort some people put a RidgeRest underneath their self inflating pad so I did it, and it worked really well. The only time that I woke up overnight was when Maisy rolled me off of the pads.

Today when my dad and I hiked it was in the mid 50s once again.  We had an OK time up of 12:50. On our way down we found a robin's egg that my dad was able to take a picture of.

Since I have had trivia questions on each of the 7 summits this week's is going to be related to them. Who was the first person to climb all seven of the 7 summits?  I'll give you a hint: he's the owner of Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah.

Thanks for reading!

Night 113

Hi and welcome back!

First I would like to wish my favorite teacher a happy birthday.  Also, hello to the new visitor from Israel!

On Tuesday night when I went out to the tent there were no ticks, but I saw a jumping spider on my sleeping bag. My dad was outside when I found it so he took a picture of it and helped me shake it off of my sleeping bag and get it safely out of the tent.

Yesterday Maisy and I hiked, and on our way up I noticed that there was a ton of poison ivy on the side of the trail. Thankfully Maisy stayed clear of it.

Last night when I went out to the tent It was just overcast, but by the time I woke up a little later it was POURING. My mom was yelling out to me to come in, but I refused to. While she was yelling Maisy escaped and came out to the tent with me. She was content all night long which was good.

Thanks for reading!

Nights 111 and 112

Hi and welcome back!

Yesterday when my dad and I hiked it was about 50 degrees out. When we reached the top we found out that we had a pretty good time of about 11:30 and that there was a second L made out of gum on the tree.

Last night when I went out to the tent I found a tick on my sleeping bag so I went outside, found a leaf, scooped the tick up with it, and set it outside. After that I squished it with my water bottle. Thankfully I didn't find any more ticks in or out of my sleeping bag.

Today just Maisy and I hiked. On our way up we saw a deer track that I think was made on Friday during the rain when the ground was wet because it was really deep. On our descent I saw a blue jay feather so I picked it up and brought it home.

Thanks for reading!

Night 110

Hi and welcome back!

The answer to last night's trivia question is Carstensz Pyramid. Carstensz Pyramid is 16,024 feet tall and is located in the Papua province of Indonesia.

New Leaves

Last night I fell asleep reading with my headlamp on. Once again, I woke up and was surprised that it was just as bright as it was 8 hours before. I poked my head out of the tent right after that and saw an amazing sunrise. It was dark red on the bottom with orange, yellow, and a little bit of green.

J-- Catches some Grass

Today my dad, my brother J--, and I went on a hike. We went to the pond which we noticed was at maximum capacity.

J-- had my hiking stick so he went ''fishing'' at the pond or a few minutes.  Maisy must have thought it was still frozen, because she tried to walk on the water.  It didn't work too well.

Thanks for reading!

Night 108 and 109

Hi and welcome back!

Welcome to the new viewer from Australia, and thanks to the people from Russia who keep coming back.  You've become the #2 country in just a few weeks!

Before I forget, I have to tell you about something cool.  On June 22, the National Wildlife Federation is sponsoring the Great American Backyard Campout. You can visit their website to learn about their ideas for camping out in your own backyard.  If you are interested in sleeping outside that night, tell me about your plans!

Thursday night was a normal night, but yesterday evening it POURED.  I went out to the tent last night  and saw that there was a puddle along the side of the tent, so I put the two ridge rests along the front of the tent (which is about 5.5 feet wide) and slept that way instead of the normal way.

Puncak Jaya

We didn't have much time to hike last night, because I was at C-Man's house.  So dad and I just went around the field at about 11:00 p.m.  The peepers were loud to start with, but once we got down to the pond they were REALLY loud.

My dad and I just hiked about 15 minutes ago.  We got to the top in 12:20 and down in about 11:00.  It's a really nice night with a bright moon.

It's time for trivia again.  The highest point in Oceania is C-------- P------.  Can you fill in the blanks?  I'll give you a hint--it's also known as Puncak Jaya.

Thanks for reading!

Nights 106 and 107

Hi and welcome back!

I had a pretty mild night in the tent on Tuesday, and I slept pretty well.  On Wednesday morning we got up and hiked before school.  Our time up was just under 12:00.  We kept Maisy on the leash, and it was a good thing, because we saw three deer in the field and two more in the woods on top of the hill.

Sun's Up!

Last night it was pretty warm when I went out.  I had some trouble sleeping, because there were two dogs barking across the valley, and the peepers were really loud down at the pond.

I was freezing at around 1:00 this morning, so I moved from the 40 degree Slumberjack bag to the thermostat lined 20 degree bag (which was out there in case my dad came out overnight).

I woke up around 5:00 today and went inside to wake up my dad. We then went on a surprisingly warm hike (mid 50s). We had a pretty good time of about 11:15 up and 12:00 down.

Thanks for reading!

Night 105

Hi and welcome back!

Last night my dad brought Maisy out around 12:30. Maisy was much more energetic than she usually is in the tent, which I think was because my dad was out there. She did not attempt to get out at all which surprised me, because she almost always does.

New Maple Leaves

I was able to wake my dad up to hike today because he wanted get out of the tent so Maisy would not annoy him any more.  She can sometimes be a pain when she licks your face when you are sleeping.

When we hiked today it felt like it was going to rain but thankfully it held out until after we returned. We put Maisy on the leash for a change today so she wouldn't run away. We had a decent time today of about 11:45 up and 12:00 down.

We took this picture of some of the new leaves on the maple tree out back.

Thanks for reading!

Nights 103 and 104

Hi and welcome back!

Mount Elbrus

The answer to the trivia question is Mount Elbrus.  It is a volcano located in the Caucasus Mountains, and it is 18,510' tall.

On Saturday evening it took me about 16 minutes to get my gear up to the top of the hill, which was pretty good, because my pack weighed around 25 pounds. Maisy had run away earlier in the day when she was hiking with my mom, but soon after I had the tent set up, she came running up to me.  I don't know how she knew I was there.

Hiking out Sunday Morning

Overnight it was in the high 40s. I fell asleep on my own without any problems, and my dad came up at about midnight to join me.  He woke me up and told me that my tent was on its side. I wondered how that could be until I remembered that I had not staked the tent down. My dad and I turned the tent right side up, and he got in to go to sleep.

Mom is Strange

When we woke up the tent was on its side yet again but instead of turning it we just took it down. We were able to pack up everything in a record breaking five minutes!

Yesterday I hiked with my mom instead of my dad. We had an O.K. time up of about 11:15. When we were on the top I noticed some gum in the shape of an L on the tree that marks the top. My mom then told me that it had been there for about a week. She also told me that she had put it there and was waiting to see how long it would take me to notice.

Thanks for reading!

Nights 101 and 102

Hi and welcome back!

On Thursday night my dad slept out with me. It was in the 50s, so I slept in the 40 degree bag and I was hot.  My dad came out and crawled into the 20 degree bag with the thermostat lining, and when he woke up he claimed he wasn't hot at all.

Looking for Bears

Yesterday when my dad and I hiked it felt like it could start raining at any moment so I wore a rain jacket over top of my baselayer, whereas my dad just wore a cotton t-shirt. Once we entered the woods it started to drizzle but after a while (in my dad's favor) it stopped. We had an OK time up of about 13 minutes.

Today my dad, my friend A.H., and I hiked on a ridge that is about 15 minutes away from our house. About half way up we remembered that my profile picture for this blog was taken on the same climb! It took us 16 minutes to get up on the ridge, which was a really good time because we gained 700 vertical feet, and almost all of the land that we went over was covered in rocks.  While we were on top I found a little cave under some rocks that I thought would make a great bivouac spot in an emergency.

AJH and LRC Scrambling Up

Tonight I am going to camp out alone on the top of the hill. I am a little worried that I will chicken out and come home, but I doubt that anything like that will happen. 

This week's trivia question is: what is the name of the highest mountain in Europe? I'll give you a hint--it is in Russia.

Thanks for reading!

Night 100!

Hi and welcome to the new reader from Russia!

Last night there was a really bad thunderstorm and it POURED along with it. I was woken up at about 9:00 by a loud boom. A few seconds later I heard another boom, and it was some of the loudest thunder that I've ever heard.

After about five minutes of thunder and some lightning that was within a mile (I could only count to two between the flash and the thunder), my mom yelled out and tried to convince me to come inside. I refused to, even though she didn't stop nagging, so I stopped listening to her and went to sleep.

100 Nights, No Washing!

This morning my dad and I hiked at about 6:00. We had a fairly good time up (about 12 minutes), but when we were on top Maisy started chasing what we think was probably a rabbit. She ran so far that we could barely hear her barking.  Thankfully after a while she came back.

As I mentioned in the title of this post, Wednesday was my 100th night in the tent!  I think I told you that my grandmother knitted me a hat for Christmas, and I've worn it to sleep every night so far this year. It has never been washed, but my mom said she is going to try to sneak it into the washing machine this weekend.

Thanks for reading!

Night 99

Hi and welcome back!

Last night was a little warmer than the previous night (high 60s). I was surprised, because unlike Monday night I wasn't hot at all. I slept well until my mom woke me up at 6:20, because my dad had overslept.

Since my dad didn't wake me up this morning I didn't hike until this afternoon. My dad was stuck in traffic on the way home from a meeting so, just Maisy and I hiked. Halfway up the hill it started to drizzle, which was bad because I had a cotton t-shirt on and I didn't have a rain jacket with me. Thankfully it stopped not too long after that. We had a pretty good time up of 11:30.

Thanks for reading!

Night 98

Hi and welcome back!

I would like to welcome the new viewer(s) from the country of Georgia.

Last night it was the warmest night yet. I slept without a RidgeRest beneath me, with the 40 degree bag unzipped and draped over me like a blanket and yet I was still hot. My dad came out at about 12:00 and slept in the 20 degree bag (that was zipped up) with the thermostat lining with a RidgeRest beneath him and he said that he wasn't hot at all.

This morning my dad and I tried to go as quickly as possible again today. We had an even better time today than yesterday of about 10 minutes. Thankfully Maisy stayed with us today because our neighbor warned us about seeing a coyote in the field right behind our house.

Thanks for reading!

Night 97

Hi and welcome back!

Even though it was pretty warm last night, I woke up freezing at about 2:00 a.m.  I moved from the 40 degree Slumberjack bag to the warmer, 20 degree North Face bag with the thermostat lining, and that was better.

Our Mouse Beagle

When my dad and I hiked today it was actually in the low 70s!  We were trying to go fast and light so I would have time to post, and as a result our time to the top was 10:40 and 21:45 round trip.

And in case you were worried, Maisy came home last night around 8:20.  She wandered off again today, and when mom, my sister E--- and my brother J-- found her, they said she was rolling in a dead mouse.  Mom wants dad to give her bath, but he's saying she doesn't need one.  I think she will probably win.

Thanks for reading!

Nights 95 and 96

Hello and welcome back!

First, welcome to the new reader from Malaysia! I've heard that Malaysia is really hot. We could have used that warmth here a few months ago...

Mt. Kilimanjaro

The answer to Friday's trivia question is Tanzania (dad insisted it was Kenya, but he was wrong). Mt. Kilimanjaro is 19,341 feet tall, and the youngest person to climb it was just 8 years old.

Yesterday my whole family hiked together, because it was in the 60s and sunny. We just went around the field to the pond where the tree frogs were at their loudest.

Last night it was in the low 50s. Because of the warm weather, I slept underneath the unzipped 40 degree bag and without a RidgeRest (which insulates you a tiny bit). Maisy slept with me again.  She went out to the tent with me around 10:00, and we slept in until about 7:00 this morning.

J-- Going the Hard Way

Dad, J, and I hiked down to the pond after dinner tonight. J especially had a lot of fun. Coming up out of the hollow where the creek flows to the pond, he insisted on climbing over a bunch of dead logs, even though there was a clear path just to his right.

Maisy wandered off while we were hiking, and as of this minute she still hasn't come home. I'm sure she will, though.  She knows where we live, and she has to come home if she wants dinner!

Thanks for reading!

Night 94

Hi and welcome back!

Last night I got out to the tent at about 10:15 exhausted. My dad said that he would come out but he never did which didn't necessarily surprise me. We did not hike this morning because I fell asleep so late and because my dad slept in.

My dad and I just hiked about an hour ago in the dark when it was about 50 degrees out. Our time was about 13:30 and because of the good time we opened a bag of Power Bar Energy Blasts which were very good. They are gummies with a tiny bit of energy gel in the middle.

This week's trivia question is: what country is Mt. Kilimanjaro (the highest peak in Africa) located?

Thanks for reading!

Nights 92 and 93

Hi and welcome back!

On Tuesday night, when it was about 30 degrees, my dad slept out with me, which he hasn’t done in quite a while.  When he came out I refused to give him the 20 degree sleeping bag that I was in (he usually hogs it), so he ended up in the only other bag we had out with us which was rated to 40 degrees.  He complained. A lot.

The Capitol from the Mall

Yesterday when my dad and I hiked at 5:50 in the morning it was about 5 degrees colder than it had been at midnight when he came out. Neither my dad nor I can remember exactly what our time was except that it was under 12:30.

Last night Maisy slept out yet again. She started out on the bed that she made but ended up in my sleeping bag with me. At about 2:00 I woke up and noticed my one sock was off and I couldn’t find it. My foot started to feel as if it had some frostnip on it but thankfully Maisy started licking it which made it feel much better. 

My dad and I had to wake up at 4:45 today so we could go down to Washington D.C. with his co-author. Unfortunately we did not have time to hike before leaving, and we were going to get home very late so we had to hike in D.C. We walked around for about 30 minutes checking out the outside of the Capitol building and some of the monuments before getting lunch.

Thanks for reading!

Nights 90 and 91

Hi and welcome back!

Maisy slept outside once again on Sunday night. Instead of sleeping in my sleeping bag and keeping me up while she chewed her bone she slept on top of the extra bag that I had at the foot of the tent, which she turned into a little bed.

Green Grass at the Pond

Yesterday my little brother hiked with my dad and me in the afternoon. We went around the field to the pond instead of going all of the way up. J-- carried my hiking stick to the pond, where he dropped it in the water, but thankfully my dad was able to fish it out with his stick.

This morning my dad's alarm didn't wake him up, so he never woke me up to hike.  We hiked about 5:30, and we hiked separately because he needed to take my brother to soccer practice. He left about ten minutes before me to just go around the field, while I went all of the way up the hill.

Halfway up the hill Maisy (who had been hiking with my dad) ran up to me and followed me the rest of the way up the hill. I had an especially good time of 10:53.

Thanks for reading!