Backpacking clinic at Nesika Lodge, Nov 1st

This was a great event planned by Linda from the Trails Club of Oregon which included people from TCO, our group and others. The idea was simple, hike up to Nesika Lodge in Multnomah falls, have a full afternoon with backpacking classes, tips and tricks, enjoy good food and good company, stay overnight and do a couple of hikes. I took a small group of five with me to the lodge on a very nice hike up the Multnomah trail, once at the lodge and after lunch, we started with the classes. First was Ron Moak, the owner and gear designer of Six Moon Designs, a company dedicated to ultralight backpacking gear. He showed us his line of tarptents and backpacks and talked about the materials he likes to use. After that, Laurie did a small presentation on Hypothermia and I followed first with proper clothing and then with sleeping bags. After a short break, we continued with some presentations on food and cooking tips on the trail which were very useful. Later in the afternoon we had a great dinner before calling the night and going to sleep. On Sunday I woke really early, in part because of the change in time and in part because it was my turn to cook breakfast. After that, Lisa and I took a small group on a hike to Cougar Rock and around where old houses use to be. We saw many areas where is easy to see some remnants of those. This short hike took us about two hours, just enough to get back to the lodge in time for lunch. Before heading out, we sat together and brought up ideas that we tried this year. The best ideas were awarded with prizes and all of us got a Tyvek suit that can be used in emergencies. All in all it was a great weekend. Did I mention it rained the whole time?

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