Posts from August 2009

Hiking Half Dome in Yosemite National Park

Over the weekend, Robin and I traveled with a group of friends (most of whom I know through Krav Maga) to Yosemite National Park here in California to hike Half Dome. I had done some research so I knew it was going to be a tough hike, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. What follows is as much detail as I can remember from the trip, for my information as well as yours. It looks like this guy hiked the exact same route that we took (updated Half Dome guide from EveryTrail!), although he did it while there was still some snow around.

Total distance: Approx 16 miles, Elevation gain: 4,796 feet, Round trip: 13.5 hours

Half Dome, Yosemite

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My Review of The North Face Megamouth Hydration Pack

Simple and lightweight, The North Face Megamouth hydration pack ensures you won’t be parched by the end of the day. There’s also room for lunch and the 10 essentials.

Perfect for Half Dome

Beau L. San Francisco, CA 8/4/2009

5 5

Pros: Good Water Flow, Easy To Refill, Highly Adjustable, Stable, Comfortable

Best Uses: Mountain biking, Day Trips

Describe Yourself: Casual Adventurer

What Is Your Gear Style: Minimalist

I got this day pack because I was going with some friends to hike Half Dome here in Yosemite (California). It turned out to be an absolutely perfect pack for the trip (which ended up being a 16 mile, 13 hour round trip).

I bought it online, so didn’t have a chance to try it on or anything, which I knew was a gamble. I’m tall (6’4″) and so when I tried the pack on (with no load) and it stopped half way down my back, I was really concerned that the base of the back frame would dig into my lower back and make it completely unwearable. That all changed as soon as I loaded it up, and it settled down to be a very comfortable pack.

It’s a good size for day hikes with plenty of space internally (and LOTS of small pockets for bits and pieces). The built in bladder is a good size, and I really liked the magnetic mouthpiece that’s easy to grab-drink-release.

The “external” pocket was nice for cramming dirty/wet bits in (e.g jacket/socks) that I didn’t want in amongst my other items, and the reflector strip at the bottom doubled as a good place to hang my gloves from a carabiner.

All in all, I’m very happy with this day pack and am looking forward to taking it on some more short hikes around the Bay Area and beyond.

I’m Speaking at WordCamp Los Angeles


wordcampla-2009_125x125I’ll be speaking at WordCamp Los Angeles, which is being held at Loyola Marymount University on September 12th.

I’m going to do a talked called “Meet the Family”, where I’ll introduce some of the other WordPress powered (and related) projects that you might not have heard of, but which are likely to be interesting to WordPress folks.

Come by and check it out if you’re interested in WordPress!