Caps OutdoorsAdirondack Mountains - Pharaoh Lake Wilderness - Hunting Loons (with a camera) May 21st - 23rd, 2020 Total Mileage: 18.2mi
There is no doubt you will notice just how out of shape I was on this hike. Being off-trail since October 2019 and at home the last 2.5 months takes a toll. Heavy breathing, a few groans maybe, just another day in the life for this 47yo wanderer.
My main focus on this trip was to find the perfect pond or lake to camp on so that I could observe and film one of my favorite aspects of backpacking in this area, Loons! Over the years I figured out where I had my best chances so Clear Pond was my obvious choice for my day 1 camp. I scouted other ponds during my hike but nothing aligned with what I was looking for. There was one sneaky loon at Crab Pond that I couldn't get on camera and the pair I saw at Rock Pond in the past must have either left or were somewhere I couldn't see them.
I skipped Grizzle Ocean and headed to Pharaoh Lake #3 on the East shores (the Loons there seem to keep themselves in the small alcoves along the Western and Northern shores). I've never seen Loons close to that site so I had a feeling I wouldn't see anything very close. I got a few audios close to Sunset but the camera didn't pick it up. Still a gorgeous day and evening spent there. Took some time for myself and did a nice 2 mile hike down the East shore in the afternoon.
Day 3 only brought me near Glidden Marsh on the way out. I usually see loons here but nothing on this day. Crane Pond was too crowded to go check out. I bailed fast.
These being my first steps of many into this kind of filming I definitely see areas to improve. Getting my camera settings in check and a more stable tripod that I can adjust quickly is going to be a must. There were so many shots that didn't make it in because there were adjustment jiggles from me trying to line up the shots or refocus. I have definitely reached the limits of my existing tripod/head with the addition of the 75-300mm lens I'm using.
Let me know what you think of the new format I'm trying out. I'm doing my best to stop the amount of rambling I've bloated a lot of my videos with, concentrating more on smaller "cinematic" segments. I'm also being as thoughtful as I can to the overall runtime of the video, keeping it at around 20-30 minutes for every 3 days I'm on the trail. I'm going to try and stick with this format for the rest of the year and see how it plays out.
My main focus this year is to start shooting my trips in a way that follows the journey through mostly the visuals. From a creators point of view the content I really want to produce and how I edit it is what you'll start seeing in this video.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Equipment --------- Backpack: Osprey Atmos 65 AG Sleeping Bag: Sea-to-Summit Trek TK1 32° Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes Air Core 20x72x3.25 Tent: Alps Mountaineering Lynx-1 Black Diamond Spot Headlamp MSR Pocket Rocket / MSR Fuel GSI Minimalist Cup BearVault BV450
Shoes: Vasque Breeze 3.0 / Darn Tough socks Pants: Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Shirts: Mountain Hardwear T-shirt / Merino Wool long-sleeved shirt My cap: SB Outdoors Trek2 Wool Cap
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm | 75-300mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head
Track: The Day I Met You — Arvnd [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: youtu.be/0tq32HUIOu4 Free Download / Stream: alplus.io/day-i-met-you ----- Title: The Day I Met You by Arvnd Genre and Mood: Cinematic + Inspirational License: Royalty-free music for YouTube, Facebook and Instagram videos giving the appropriate credit. ----- Arvnd: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2LgqGLj Instagram: instagram.com/arvnd.mp3 SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/arvndmp3 Twitter: twitter.com/arvndmp3
Adirondack Mountains - Pharaoh Lake Wilderness - Hunting Loons (with a camera)Caps Outdoors2020-05-30 | Adirondack Mountains - Pharaoh Lake Wilderness - Hunting Loons (with a camera) May 21st - 23rd, 2020 Total Mileage: 18.2mi
There is no doubt you will notice just how out of shape I was on this hike. Being off-trail since October 2019 and at home the last 2.5 months takes a toll. Heavy breathing, a few groans maybe, just another day in the life for this 47yo wanderer.
My main focus on this trip was to find the perfect pond or lake to camp on so that I could observe and film one of my favorite aspects of backpacking in this area, Loons! Over the years I figured out where I had my best chances so Clear Pond was my obvious choice for my day 1 camp. I scouted other ponds during my hike but nothing aligned with what I was looking for. There was one sneaky loon at Crab Pond that I couldn't get on camera and the pair I saw at Rock Pond in the past must have either left or were somewhere I couldn't see them.
I skipped Grizzle Ocean and headed to Pharaoh Lake #3 on the East shores (the Loons there seem to keep themselves in the small alcoves along the Western and Northern shores). I've never seen Loons close to that site so I had a feeling I wouldn't see anything very close. I got a few audios close to Sunset but the camera didn't pick it up. Still a gorgeous day and evening spent there. Took some time for myself and did a nice 2 mile hike down the East shore in the afternoon.
Day 3 only brought me near Glidden Marsh on the way out. I usually see loons here but nothing on this day. Crane Pond was too crowded to go check out. I bailed fast.
These being my first steps of many into this kind of filming I definitely see areas to improve. Getting my camera settings in check and a more stable tripod that I can adjust quickly is going to be a must. There were so many shots that didn't make it in because there were adjustment jiggles from me trying to line up the shots or refocus. I have definitely reached the limits of my existing tripod/head with the addition of the 75-300mm lens I'm using.
Let me know what you think of the new format I'm trying out. I'm doing my best to stop the amount of rambling I've bloated a lot of my videos with, concentrating more on smaller "cinematic" segments. I'm also being as thoughtful as I can to the overall runtime of the video, keeping it at around 20-30 minutes for every 3 days I'm on the trail. I'm going to try and stick with this format for the rest of the year and see how it plays out.
My main focus this year is to start shooting my trips in a way that follows the journey through mostly the visuals. From a creators point of view the content I really want to produce and how I edit it is what you'll start seeing in this video.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Equipment --------- Backpack: Osprey Atmos 65 AG Sleeping Bag: Sea-to-Summit Trek TK1 32° Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes Air Core 20x72x3.25 Tent: Alps Mountaineering Lynx-1 Black Diamond Spot Headlamp MSR Pocket Rocket / MSR Fuel GSI Minimalist Cup BearVault BV450
Shoes: Vasque Breeze 3.0 / Darn Tough socks Pants: Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Shirts: Mountain Hardwear T-shirt / Merino Wool long-sleeved shirt My cap: SB Outdoors Trek2 Wool Cap
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm | 75-300mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head
Track: The Day I Met You — Arvnd [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: youtu.be/0tq32HUIOu4 Free Download / Stream: alplus.io/day-i-met-you ----- Title: The Day I Met You by Arvnd Genre and Mood: Cinematic + Inspirational License: Royalty-free music for YouTube, Facebook and Instagram videos giving the appropriate credit. ----- Arvnd: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2LgqGLj Instagram: instagram.com/arvnd.mp3 SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/arvndmp3 Twitter: twitter.com/arvndmp3
Track: Frame — KV [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: youtu.be/KkfvLLUtfhI Free Download / Stream: alplus.io/frame ----- Title: Frame by KV Genre and Mood: Dance & Electronic + Inspirational License: Royalty-free music for YouTube, Facebook and Instagram videos giving the appropriate credit. ----- KV: Email: kv_music@outlook.com Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2xSKQ77 iTunes: apple.co/2xUayIe SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/kvmusicprod YouTube: youtube.com/c/KVmusicprod Instagram: instagram.com/KVmusicprod Facebook: facebook.com/KVmusicprod -----Ward Pound Ridge Reservation - Westchester County ParksCaps Outdoors2023-08-07 | On a gorgeous Saturday morning, my failure to turn my alarm on lead to this absolutely fantastic 7.1 mile hike at a park not far from my apartment.
With miles of meandering, tree-lined, paths this park is the perfect place to really stretch your legs out and have a great day.
Thanks for checking the video out and I'll catch you all in the next one.
-Joe
Music provided by epidemicsound.comBreakneck Ridge to Beacon Fire Tower - Hudson Highlands State ParkCaps Outdoors2023-07-16 | On one of the hottest days of the season so far, I decided to do the Breakneck Ridge to Beacon Fire Tower hike.
Anyone looking for breathtaking views from a moderately challenging hike, this may be the one for you. Featuring 9 miles of out and back hiking with just a little over 3,300' of gain, this one will for sure give your legs a workout.
I do recommend not to hike this when it is 88°f with 90% humidity, the heat was brutal on this day.
Thanks for checking the video out, enjoy! -Joe
Music provided by epidemicsound.comCatskill Mountains - Wittenberg and Cornell Mountains Day HikeCaps Outdoors2023-06-24 | Wittenberg has been a mountain I've seen many climb and have always wanted to give the 3.9 mile approach a try. I had the day off from work so came up to the Catskills for a double-header, Wittenberg and Cornell. These will be #9 and #10 for me on my quest to climb all of the Catskill 3500 peaks.
The hike was phenomenal, cool and a bit cloudy, and I finally got to experience the "Cornell Crack", a unique rock feature on the hike between the two mountains.
All in all, it was a great way to spend the day. The hike came out to 9 miles with a total elevation gain of 3,127'.
Thanks for checking the video out and I'll see you all in the next one. -Joe
All music provided by epidemicsound.comPharaoh Lake Wilderness - Adirondack MountainsCaps Outdoors2023-06-17 | Here we are for a 3 day backpacking excursion into the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness in the Adirondack Mountains. I'm back once again to do the pond tour hike, an 19 mile loop (excluding Pharaoh Mountain) through some of the most beautiful landscapes I've had the pleasure to hike in.
I wanted to do something familiar this time around, which is why I chose to come back to a place I've already featured here on the channel. I didn't want to have to think about routes, maps, or where I was camping. I wanted to be able to cruise the trails and just soak in my surroundings...and I certainly got what I wanted.
I unfortunately had to hike through some of the worst air quality conditions that New York has seen in a very long time but it was still a great trip. My drive home down I-87 was surreal, I thought it would get better the further South I went but it just got progressively worse and worse. By the time I hit the Tappan Zee (yes, it will always be that name!) I was in utter shock.
Be good all, I'll see you on the next one! Hoping for the Catskills on Sunday the 18th and if not that, then I'm going to check out a fire tower in Beacon, NY.
-Joe
All music provided by epidemicsound.comCatskill Mountains - Table and Peekamoose Mountains Day HikeCaps Outdoors2023-06-02 | Join me on a 9.6 mile out and back hike to Table and Peekamoose mountains, #7 and #8 for me on the Catskill 3500 list. This hike is a very enjoyable mix of forest paths and rocky climbs, one I would recommend to anyone looking for a great day in the woods.
There are also a number of camping sites along the way that have the potential to set you up for a multi-day trip that could include an out and back to Slide mountain (reachable from the trail junction in the thumbnail).
All in all this was a fantastic day of hiking. I'll be in the Adirondacks the week of June 5th revisiting Pharaoh Lake and this time we are going up the mountain. Stay tuned for that one.
Be good everyone, thanks for stopping by. -Joe
Music by Epidemic Sound epidemicsound.comMt Hancock and South Hancock NH48 - Still Chasing the 48!Caps Outdoors2022-09-05 | With barely 24 hours of planning, I decided to head up to New Hampshire to redeem myself from last year's failed, 4 summit, overnight when I realized I had forgotten my sleeping bag.
Starting off at the famous hairpin curve on the Kancamagus Scenic Byway (route 112) the trail winds it's way gently for a few miles before starting a manegeable, but steep, ascent up either the North peak or South peak with an absolutely breathtaking stroll between the two.
Starting this one off very early was an easy call to make with it being Labor Day weekend so I only encountered a lot of traffic at North peak and on my descent back to the trailhead. With this hike being, overall, as easy as it was I can see this trailhead getting a lot of use regardless of the day of the week. If you are looking for solitude, keep this in mind.
WIth any luck I may try to get one more, early Fall, trip up here to bag a couple of more peaks but I also have some plans to head back to the Lake George area so we'll see how it goes.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Total Distance: 10.1mi / 16.25km Total Ascent: 3,013' / 918m
All music provided by: epidemicsound.comHarriman/Bear Mtn State Parks - Doodletown Revisit and the Bears are in Town!Caps Outdoors2022-08-29 | After weather closed out my days for the Adirondacks and Catskills, I found myself in Harriman State Park for yet another local adventure. This time around I heading back to the old town of Doodletown (in Bear Mtn State Park) to see how much it has changed in the past 5 years.
What started out as an ambitious goal to visit the entire town transformed into a short stay as a Mama bear and 2 cubs had pre-existing plans that did not include me being there.
All in all it was a fantastic few days of nothing but pure hiking, something I've been needing for a long time.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Total Mileage: 10.2
Music ---------- All music provided by: epidemicsound.comBehind the Scenes - A brief and crazy adventure into the movie industry!Caps Outdoors2022-07-28 | What would happen if a small YouTuber was given the opportunity to not only shoot a behind the scenes project but actually assist in the process of making a movie? I've often asked myself that question and last year, I was given the chance to do just that.
From long 14-hour days to bitter cold and creative differences, we fought through setback after setback to shoot a full 7 days worth of footage. It is an experience I will never be able to match.
Sit back and enjoy this cautionary tale, one that tries to answer the question "Is it ever a good idea to use your hobby to make money?"
(there are a couple of random spots where the audio cuts out. It is of my own doing and I attempted to fix it to no avail)Mt Osceola and Osceola East - White Mountain National Forest NH48 #24,25Caps Outdoors2021-09-09 | Mt Osceola and Osceola East - White Mountain National Forest August 31, 2021 My Total Mileage: 7.9m / 12.7km Total Elevation Gain: 3,081' / 939m Route Type: Strenuous Out and Back
Join me in bagging #24 and #25 on the NH48 list of mountains on a gorgeous late Summer hike in the Whites.
This stunning out and back hike in the Whites is exactly what the demanding hiker needs. Netting you two 4,000-footers, you'll hike a 7.6m / 12.2k trail of rocky, steep, sometimes wet, terrain with views galore and a challenging scramble up the Chimney. This is a unique, challenging hike with a great reward train throughout. (note: there is a bypass for the chimney if you don't want to climb up or down it)
Located on RT 112, the Greeley Ponds Trailhead is somewhat small so arrive early if you plan on launching from here. There is also parking up the road a bit (just less than a mile) that is a bit bigger but you have to pay for that one.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Equipment used this hike ------------------------ Backpack: Kelty Redwing 32 Headlamp: Black Diamond Spot Navigation: Garmin eTrex 30x GPS / Compass & Map as backup
Shoes: Vasque Breeze 3.0 / Darn Tough socks Pants: Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Shirts: DryTec T-shirt / Merino Wool long-sleeved shirt Jacket: REI something-or-other, but warm as heck! My cap: SB Outdoors Trek2 Wool Cap
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm | 75-300mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head
Sixteen Hours - Lasse Lyx Sun Fade - Of Water Loxely - Of Water The Light from Within - Howard Harper-Barnes
#nh48Giant Ledge & Panther Mountain / Catskill 3500 #4Caps Outdoors2021-08-03 | Total Mileage: 6.3mi/10.14km Total Elev Gain: 1,962'/598m
This is a hike I recommend 100% A great, rocky, climb in the beginning turns into a gentle stroll across a series of ledges overlooking the surrounding mountains. Take your time and walk the length of the ridge to check out all of the ledges, it is well worth it.
Most people stop at the ledges but for the hiker wanting more you can continue along the Blue trail for an impressive 700' climb on the last mile to the summit of Panther Mountain. There is another great view at the summit and it is a fantastic place to stop for lunch (or breakfast as was the case for my hike).
From the trailhead you'll stay on the Yellow trail until you reach the junction with the Blue trail. Go left at this junction to reach the ledges and ultimately Panther Mountain.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Equipment ----------------- Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm | 75-300mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head
INTRO SONG It Really Makes Me Wonder - Loving Caliber
MIDS Easy Now - Melanie Bell Gone Are the Days - Trevor Kowalski
OUTRO SONG The Light from Within - Howard Harper-BarnesAnthonys Nose Via Bear Mtn Bridge Toll House - Hudson Highlands Day Hike SeriesCaps Outdoors2021-07-19 | Total Distance: 6.49mi / 10.44km Total Elev Gained: 1,992' / 607m
For this hike we are on the Camp Smith trail which runs along the Hudson River from the historic Bear Mountain Bridge Toll House all the way up to the bridge itself. I mention in the beginning that there are two parking areas when in reality there are three. I don't advertise the road parking at the Northern terminus (the very short trail up) because I honestly feel it is a bit dangerous due to the traffic.
I started at 05:15 and it was 81°f/27°c already. It quickly climbed into the upper-80s and then the lower-90s when I finally finished up. To say it was a sweatfest would be an understatement! I went through 4 liters of water over this relatively short hike.
This is a hike that most people can complete. Although a good deal of stamina is recommended, the trail never gets very steep except for a couple of sections. It is rocky in spots so some good footwear is necessary. Water is also available just after the parking area at around the halfway point. Make sure you have a way to filter or purify it as it is a flowing creek and not clean.
Note - If you are looking for a peaceful stroll through the woods you may not get it on this hike. The trail follows the river so there are rail lines running up both sides as well as Route 6 which can get very noisy in the good weather. Additionally you are hiking on an active military reservation where the National Guard trains so expect to hear gunfire throughout the day. The camera didn't pick it up but there were times I could hear full auto gunfire in the distance.
All in all, it was a great way to spend 5 hours and I finally got to visit Anthony's Nose the proper way.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Camera Equipment ------------------------------- Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm | 75-300mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector One very broken Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head
INTRO SONG Western Call - Cody Francis MID SONG Rose in the Garden - Cody Francis OUTRO SONG The Light from Within - Howard Harper-BarnesWestkill Mountain and Diamond Notch Falls - Catskills Hiking (viewer suggested hike)Caps Outdoors2021-07-05 | Westkill Mountain and Diamond Notch Falls - Catskills Hiking June 28th, 2021 Total Mileage: 6.3 Total Elevation Gained: 1,945'
Disclaimer: distance and elev. take into consideration the walking back and forth to the camera, etc...actual numbers are a little less
THE TRIP -------- Born out of a recommendation from fellow Youtuber Jake the Urban Viking, I am back in the Catskills to do a little morning jaunt up Westkill Mountain. Big elevation changes, waterfalls, great views - this hike gives you a lot of the things you are looking for and then some.
There are 3 parking lots on Spruceton Road. The first one as you are driving up is on your left and is a great launch point if you were going to the fire tower on Hunter Mtn. The lot you want is the third one so keep going past #1 until the road ends further ahead. Lot 3 is on the right.
Start off on the Blue trail which runs on a small path out of the lot in front of the house. Sign in at the register and then stay on blue for approximately 0.7 miles following the West Kill River all the way up. You will come to a junction and a bridge. This is the Diamond Notch Falls area. There are various places along the hike up that feature some amazing small waterfalls but the best ones (from what I saw) were right below this bridge.
Cross the bridge and turn right at the sign onto the Devil's Path (Red). From here get ready for a very moderate, almost consistent, 1,800' hike to the top. It is a fair mix of terrain types, from packed dirt sections to steep and rocky climbs. Things get easier once you hit the 3,500' mark so enjoy the easier hiking up to the Rock Cave, Buck Ridge Lookout and the summit of Westkill, you earned it!
Get back on Red and follow it all the way back to the falls. Enjoy the area and explore! Down on the rocks below the falls there are a ton of butterflies that fly around. It's almost magical being in there. They will land on anything so get your camera and be patient. You are bound to get a few curious ones to come check you out.
Cross the bridge and go left back down Blue to the register and the parking lot.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching and I'll see you all in the next one! -Caps (Joe)
Notable Equipment ----------------- Backpack: Kelty Redwing 32 Black Diamond Spot Headlamp Shoes: Vasque Grand Traverse Shirts: NorthFace T-shirt / Merino Wool long-sleeved shirt My cap: Outdoor Research
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm | 75-300mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head
Concussion - Nihoni Mountain Air - Cody Francis Elision - Jakob Ahlbom Them Highs and Lows - Bird of FigmentBull Hill and the old Cornish Estate - Hudson Highlands Day Hike SeriesCaps Outdoors2021-05-07 | Bull Hill-Mt Taurus Full Loop / Hudson Highlands State Park April 20, 2021 Total Mileage: 5.4mi Total Elevation Gain: 1,391' Skill: Moderate, it gets steep in spots but you never do any scrambling
For this hike I wanted to do something special, something that should have been on my radar a long time ago but went missed for whatever reasons.
I wanted to feature something new and unique for you all as well. I know I don't upload a ton and watching my subscriber numbers over the Winter months has told me one thing. You all are as loyal as any friend of mine would be and I owe it to you all. I lost a few, sure, but I've gained way more which is frankly a shock. For everyone that has recently subscribed, I can't thank you enough for the support. And just for everyone really, the support I've gotten over the years is immeasurable.
From the parking lot, you are going to make your way along the Washburn Trail (White). Follow the gravel path to the quarry at the top. As you arrive at the top, note the trail to the right which is where you will be heading. There is a loop trail that goes around the quarry which has a few interesting things to check out.
From the quarry follow the White markers until you reach the summit of Bull Hill. You will cross an intersection with the Undercliff Trail (Yellow) about halfway to the summit. Yellow is the short loop hike and White is the long loop (the one I did).
You'll stay on White after the summit until you reach the intersection with the Notch Trail (Blue) and the Nelsonville Trail (Green). You will want to go left on Blue.
Stay on Blue until you reach the intersection with the the Brook Trail (Red). At this junction you'll be going left, but as you have seen or will see...go exploring the area to the right (stay on Blue to get up there). It is a must see!!!!
All done? Jump on Red and get to hiking! Stay on this until you reach the junction with the Cornish Trail (Blue). Bear left at the fork and take the Blue trail. As you head down the trail you will pass an old cistern with some pretty huge frogs in it.
You will pass by the greenhouse next and at this point you are now in the area of the mansion ruins just a bit further down the trail. Explore, explore, explore!! There is a ton to check out, a lot of which didn't even make into this video (the gazebo and pool are missing).
Once you are done just stay on Blue until you reach the trailhead. Congrats, you're done!
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Backpack: Kelty Redwing 32 Boots: Vasque Breeze 3.0 (few more trips and I think I have a verdict on these) Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm | 75-300mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector
Walkin' on Dreams - Headlund Shade in the Sand - Cerulean Skies Giza - Ebb & Flod Miika's Journey - Lama House The Morning's on Fire - Isobelle WaltonHarriman State Park OvernightCaps Outdoors2021-04-26 | HARRIMAN STATE PARK - CLIFF CAMP CHECK-IN APRIL 18-19, 2021 Total Mileage: 11.2 Total Elev Gain: 2,332'
I'm back after a long Winter hiberation. For this small overnight trip I went to check on a site that I have been using for the better part of 15 years. I didn't bring anything with me to do a clean-up on this trip but now I know what I'll need since I've seen it. It is obvious more people are finding the site these days so I want to be sure it at least stays looking good and the impact remains low.
It was a good opportunity for me to pick up my cameras again as well and try to get back into the rythm of it all (and my rhythm is way off which is painfully obvious throughout the video).
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Equipment --------- Backpack: Osprey Exos 48 Sleeping Bag: Sea-to-Summit Trek TK1 32° (40° Comfort) Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes Air Core 20x72x3.25 Tent: Alps Mountaineering Lynx-1 Black Diamond Spot Headlamp MSR Pocket Rocket / Jetboil Fuel GSI Minimalist Cup
Shoes: Vasque Breeze 3.0 / Darn Tough socks Pants: Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Shirts: Mountain Hardwear T-shirt / Merino Wool long-sleeved shirt My cap: SB Outdoors Trek2 Wool Cap Some REI Synthetic Puffy (looking for recommendations on a new one)
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm | 75-300mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head
Walkin' on Dreams - Headlund In Pursuit of Happiness - Gavin LukeAdirondack Mountains - Lake George Wild Forest - The Lake George 12ster ChallengeCaps Outdoors2020-10-27 | Adirondack Mountains - Lake George Wild Forest - The Lake George 12ster Challenge
Boasting almost 50 miles of hiking and close to 11,000' of elevation gain, this is the Lake George 12ster, designed to get people exploring the areas surrounding Lake George. It consists of 12 mountains that you can climb in any way you like. Go at your own pace or go for the Ultra which is all 12 in less than 24 hours. There are even Winter variants for the arctic-loving people among us. It gets cold up there!
I've watched these mountains over the years from a boat, dreaming of one day coming to the area to hike instead of vacation. The Tongue Range in particular has always drawn me in as to what I imagined a Lake George hiking experience to be. I wasn't wrong.
Over the course of 6 weeks I took on this challenge. From crowded peaks to quiet ponds, dim forest paths to bright vistas, I got to experience it all! Ending the journey at the height of the Fall foliage season was the best decision I ever made, it was incredible.
With those distances and elevation, the sometimes rushed timelines, and lack of sleep (most of the time) my body took its punishment right up until the last summit. One misstep on a patch of acorns coming up First Peak twisted my knee up pretty good. In the end, after putting almost 7 miles on it, I was gifted a much needed ride from Clay Meadow trailhead back up to the lot I started in. This is the portion I was planning on road-walking but there was a slim chance I would have made it by dark and it is a very twisty road (55mph at times).
Hands-down this was the most incredible hiking experience I've every had and if you get a chance to take on the challenge, you owe it to yourself to do it! You can expect more trips coming out of this area from me, there is a lot more to explore.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Equipment --------- Backpack: Kelty Redwing 32 Black Diamond Spot Headlamp MSR Pocket Rocket Stove / JetBoil Fuel GSI Minimalist Cup
Shoes: Vasque Breeze 3.0 & Grand Traverse/ Darn Tough socks Pants: Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Shirts: Mountain Hardwear, OR, and North Face T-shirts / Merino Wool long-sleeved shirts & Base Layers Jacket: REI something-or-other, but warm as heck! Caps and more caps, I wore a lot of headgear in this one I wore my mask when needed, and sometimes when I didn't...it was warm
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm | 75-300mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head No drone this time...combination of winds and NYS laws
Music ----- –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Music provided by: epidemicsound.com
The Disappearance of the Unmoved Mover - So Vea Ancient Discoveries - Gabriel Lewis Not Yet The End - August Wilhelmsson You Have Done Well - They Dream By Day Mountain Spring High - Gabriel Lewis Circular Again - Alan Ellis Memories of Old - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen Hope Whispers - Joannes Bornlof –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Midsommar by Scott Buckley soundcloud.com/scottbuckley Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/al-midsommar Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/9R9t6FnHYwY ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Adirondack Mountains / West Canada Lake Wilderness - A day in the life of an Adirondack LakeCaps Outdoors2020-07-26 | West Canada Lake Wilderness - Spruce Lake - A day in the life of an Adirondack Lake
The West Canada Lake Wilderness in the Adirondacks is the second largest wilderness area in the park, encompassing 168,920 acres. For this trip I wanted to do something different. What kind of video could I make hiking to one site and spending 24 hours filming a day in the life of an Adirondack lake?
The trail starts off blazed with Yellow disks. Follow this up until you come to a right-turn with a sign pointing to Spruce Lake. Head up the trail until you intersect the Northville/Placid Trail which is blazed with Blue NPT disks. Go right at this intersection and follow the trail all the way to Spruce Lake.
------------------------- From Speculator, NY head North out of town on Route 30. Perkins Clearing Tract turn-off: 43°32'3.88"N / 74°23'4.28"W
Once in the Tract, stay on Jessup River Road to the parking area. Parking Area / Trailhead: 43°31'25.04"N / 74°33'43.91"W
PLEASE READ
Perkins Clearing Tract is an active logging area so you may come across logging trucks, road closures due to logging activities, and your journey to the parking area is approximately 13 miles on a mix of hard-packed dirt and loose gravel. 4WD is highly recommended as is a fair bit of clearance. Also note, if you don't pay attention to the signs there is a good chance you will end up on roads that may get you lost, and in some cases, beyond what your vehicle can handle.
You may also notice that there are permanent camps throughout the area while driving on the road. DO NOT use these camp sites as they are leased properties and considered private. I'd highly recommend you read up on the Perkins Clearing Tract before you head out at dec.ny.gov/lands/49562.html -------------------------
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! I'll catch you all in the next one. -Caps (Joe)
Equipment --------- Backpack: Osprey Atmos 65 AG Sleeping Bag: Sea-to-Summit Trek TK1 32° Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes Air Core 20x72x3.25 Black Diamond Spot Headlamp MSR Pocket Rocket / Jetboil Fuel GSI Minimalist Cup Various Sea-to-Summit DrySil bags
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm | 75-300mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector Drone: DJI Mavic Mini Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head
Music ----- –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Filaments by Scott Buckley soundcloud.com/scottbuckley Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_filaments Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/hH_q2V2NnU4 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Skyward by Scott Buckley http://www.scottbuckley.com.au Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/2SFARdU Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/0VL_aMEfHic –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Track: Good Evening — Amine Maxwell [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: youtu.be/2BEJUXf_U38 Free Download / Stream: alplus.io/good-evening ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––DJI MAVIC MINI - First Impressions - Is it a $400.00 mistake to bring it backpacking?Caps Outdoors2020-07-04 | DJI MAVIC MINI - First Impressions - Is it a $400.00 mistake to bring it backpacking?
When I decided to buy the Mini a month and a half ago my initial plan was to start using it for backpacking. After placing the order and paying for it, I started the long process of doubting my reasons for doing it as most big purchases will make you do. Back and forth I went until I received it. That first launch and flight solidified my dreams. That was 2 weeks ago.
My plan for the day was to get some more practice in with the drone doing a few casual flights if the weather forecast looked good. I had good luck flying down at the beach so that was my first stop if everything went well. I also wanted to start making this video so it was an excellent time to try planning and shooting my first drone-shot montage (the first 2+ minutes).
I woke up at 4:00am and the wind, cloud cover, and precip forecasts were all excellent so I loaded up and went down to setup. The morning went great with a lot of good colors in the sky and a couple of well-timed wildlife encounters.
The afternoon brought thundershowers to the area but things cleared out by 7:30pm so I got my gear together again and walked down to a local park that borders a long-abandonded hospital to explore it a bit. Fun fact, I was born in this hospital 47 years ago! The skies, although not as colorful as the morning, weren't a total washout and I shot a lot of nice footage of the various buildings across the property.
All in all it was a great day of flying and I learned a lot. Happy 4th to all!
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Equipment --------- Backpack: Kelty Redwing 32
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm | 75-300mm / 1080p@60 Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector / 1080p@30 Drone: DJI Mavic Mini / 2.7k@30 Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head
Music ----- Track: Space Lullaby (feat. Clara Sorace) — Iaio [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: youtu.be/4a9eKBIvJfo Free Download / Stream: alplus.io/space-lullaby
Islands by Pyrosion soundcloud.com/pyrosion Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/ZEfG9OLP8IY
Post Date: 7-03-2020Breakneck Ridge - Hudson Highlands Day Hike SeriesCaps Outdoors2019-10-17 | Breakneck Ridge - Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve Cold Spring, NY
October 14th, 2019
TRIP STATS ----------
Total Mileage: 4.1mi (3.7 trail miles + the road walk) Total Elevation Gain: Approximately 1,500' Total Time: 4hr 21m
For my 25th summit of Breakneck Ridge I figured it was a good time to shoot the video again with the new cameras I've been using over the past 3 years. It's amazing to think I haven't been here to climb the ridge since 2016 and the last video I shot was in 2015 (when I was still using my Hero3).
I started out at 05:40 on Columbus Day to only one other car parked on the road so my plan of beating everyone to a prime parking spot worked great. This trailhead can get extremely busy on the weekends and the holidays so when you start is the deciding factor on what type of experience you will have while climbing the ridge. Metro-North also runs 12 trains on the weekends and holidays from Grand Central Station to the stop just up the road from the trailhead.
Taking the WHITE-blazed Breakneck Ridge trail you'll quickly start gaining elevation as the trail passes over the tunnel that Route 9D runs through. From here you will gain 530' of elevation in about 0.4 miles, arriving at the flag pole lookout with a fantastic view of the river and Storm King Mountain directly across from you.
The trail continues climbing from here, passing over 3 more distinct "humps", each with its own level of difficulty in ascending them. As you approach the last one, you will meet up with the RED-blazed Breakneck Ridge Bypass trail. Taking a left here will start you on the path back towards Route 9D. For this hike I chose to document only the basic loop hike so I went left.
After turning left you will quickly approach the high point of the hike at 1,240'. This also marks the final hump you have to go over so it is all downhill from here. Follow the RED blazes until you reach the junction with the YELLOW-blazed Wilkinson Memorial Trail. Going left brings you back to Route 9D.
Follow the YELLOW blazes until you eventually end up back on Route 9D. The train station is directly across the road from you when you exit the trail so if you came via train you are done. If you drove then note this is a different trailhead from where you started so go left and follow the road back up to where you parked. It is around 0.4 miles back to where you started.
While just about anyone can climb the route there are definitely sections where people afraid of heights will have some issues. As an additional note, climbing the route is not recommended to do at night. I've been hiking here for years and there are still times I find myself asking why I'm climbing in the dark. Good shoes are a must and bring plenty of water. Less conditioned hikers can easily go through 2 liters of water on this hike.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to be 100% certain of every hand and foot hold you make while enjoying this challenging trail. Numerous people have been injured attempting it and a few have paid with their lives.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Equipment --------- Backpack: Kelty Redwing 32 Black Diamond Spot Headlamp
Shoes: Vasque Grand Traverse Hiking Shoes / Darn Tough socks Pants: Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Shirts: Mountain Hardwear T-shirt / Merino Wool long-sleeved shirt Jacket: REI Synthetic 35° My famous green cap: SB Outdoors Trek2 Wool Cap (custom, can't buy them)
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head Enough batteries to make Elon Musk jealous! Small army of memory cards
Second Nature by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Artist: http://audionautix.com Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/y_EYDGCa5f4
Title: Pressure by Riot Genre and Mood: Country & Folk + Inspirational License: You're free to use this song and monetize your videos.
ambient by strange day soundcloud.com/strange-day Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music found on Music for Creators youtu.be/_CxScpf_Dds Music provided by Strange Day (song purchased) Support the artist: strange-day.bandcamp.com/releasesAdirondack Mountains - High Peaks Wilderness / Aspiring ADK 46er - Gothics, Armstrong, Upper WolfjawCaps Outdoors2019-09-22 | Adirondack Mountains - High Peaks Wilderness ADK 46er - Gothics, Armstrong, Upper Wolfjaw
September 15th, 2019
TRIP STATS ----------
Total Mileage: 13.9 mi (13.3 + the misdirection) Total Elevation Gain: 4,767'
Thus begins another quest of sorts with my first 3 ADK 46er climbs in the High Peaks Wilderness. Gothics, Armstrong, and Upper Wolfjaw. As I'm already working on the NE111 I had to climb these eventually and what better time to get started than early Fall.
Not exactly in my backyard but a short 4 hour drive from my apartment, the Adirondacks is the place most of my early backpacking was done. It feels good to be back after over a year away.
I actually started thinking about this trip when I was up in New Hampshire after talking to a woman on the trail about the High Peaks. Initially I wanted to head a bit north of Spruce Lake for my annual ADK trip but decided my thirst for climbing some big mountains wasn't quite satisfied.
Shoes: Vasque Grand Traverse Hiking Shoes / Darn Tough socks Pants: Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Shirts: North Face T-shirt / Merino Wool long-sleeved shirt Jacket: REI Synthetic 35° My famous green cap: SB Outdoors Trek2 Wool Cap (custom, can't buy them)
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head Enough batteries to make Elon Musk jealous! Small army of memory cards
Title: Pressure by Riot Genre and Mood: Country & Folk + Inspirational License: You're free to use this song and monetize your videos.
ambient by strange day soundcloud.com/strange-day Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music found on Music for Creators youtu.be/_CxScpf_Dds Music provided by Strange Day (song purchased) Support the artist: strange-day.bandcamp.com/releasesWhite Mountain National Forest - Pemigewasset Wilderness / NH48 #19-23 / 3-Days BackpackingCaps Outdoors2019-09-03 | Pemigewasset Wilderness / White Mountain National Forest Galehead, South Twin, West Bond, Mt Bond, Bondcliff
August 26th-29th, 2019
TRIP STATS ---------- Day 1 - 12.7mi Day 2 - 9.3mi Day 3 - 7.3mi Total Mileage: 29.3mi Total Elevation Gain: 5,755'
This trip completes the NH48 #19-23 peaks that I missed out on last year when I had to bail a day early on my Pemi-Loop attempt.
Once again I was treated to weather you couldn't design better in a simulation and the entire 3 days I was out I never saw a hint of rain in the sky (until that last half-mile or so). Ran into a bunch of great people and was treated to a 25 minute solo-experience on Bondcliff during a Sunset.
Highly recommended hike for people of moderate physical ability. A few of the climbs are very long and rocky (especially the one out of 13-Falls to Galehead Hut on Twinway). The AT runs for a little bit through this area so you'll be sharing the trail with thru-hikers depending on the time of year you do this (I saw plenty). They always have some great stories - if you can keep up with them to hear it.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Equipment --------- Backpack: Osprey Exos 48 (the old one with pockets) Sleeping Bag: Sea-to-Summit Trek TK1 32° Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes Air Core 20x72x3.25 Tent: Alps Mountaineering Lynx-1 Black Diamond Spot Headlamp MSR Pocket Rocket / MSR Fuel GSI Minimalist Cup Lots of Sea-to-Summit DrySil bags Enough Mountain House to feed a trail crew!
Shoes: Vasque Grand Traverse Hiking Shoes / Darn Tough socks Pants: Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Shirt: Some Kohls Tek T-shirt (no idea on the long sleeved insulation layer and these Ts are great) Jacket: REI Synthetic 35° My famous green cap: SB Outdoors Trek2 Wool Cap (custom, can't buy them) And a bunch of other stuff
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 w/AKA-MCP1 Lens Protector Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head Enough batteries to make Elon Musk jealous! Small army of memory cards
The Things That Keep Us Here by Scott Buckley soundcloud.com/scottbuckley Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/things-that-keep-us Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/SUkUjsr1FqMCatskill Mountains, NY - Slide and Hunter Mountains Peak Bagging Day Hikes NE-111 #19 & #20Caps Outdoors2019-08-09 | Catskill Mountains, NY - Slide and Hunter Mountain Peak Bagging Day Hikes NE-111 #19 & #20 July 27th / August 3rd
Slide Mountain 4,180' - 6.9 miles / 1,768' Gained Hunter Mountain 4,040' - 9.2 miles / 2,156' Gained
I wanted to do each ascent in a single day, door to door, from my apartment over 2 hours away from the Catskills. Although both hikes went off without a hitch, the SONY camera that I use to film most of the clips is on its last leg. The lens scratches got worse between Slide and Hunter and the audio is a mess by time I started leaving the summit of Hunter.
I plan on replacing it before I go to New Hampshire. At this point it is going to cost close to the price of a new one to fix as the lens assembly alone will be at least $160. I can't imagine what labor costs will be and if the mic is broke that will just add to it.
Hopefully you all can get past these couple of annoyances. These were the last 2 trips this camera will see... RIP good buddy!
Safe travels all and thanks for stopping by to check out the video!
Kind of a weird opener, I know, but it gave me a chance to show off a little of my (very amateur) photography.
EQUIPMENT --------------------
On my back: Outdoor Research Levitator 13L (Slide) / Kelty Redwing 32L (Hunter) On my feet: Vasque Grand Traverse Hiking Shoes / Darn Tough socks Jacket: REI Pertex Quantum Eco Primaloft Rain Jacket: Marmot PreCip Eco Pants: Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Shirts: North Face & Mountain Hardwear (no idea on the long sleeved insulation layer) My famous green cap: SB Outdoors Trek2 Wool Cap (custom, can't buy them) Judy the Jeep And a bunch of other stuff
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head
MUSIC CREDITS --------------------------
Piano Rock Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/AlAxo66T11w
ambient by strange day soundcloud.com/strange-day Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music found on Music for Creators youtu.be/_CxScpf_Dds Music provided by Strange Day (song purchased) Support the artist: strange-day.bandcamp.com/releasesBig Indian Wilderness Tent Camping - Catskill Mountains NY Solo Backpacking TripCaps Outdoors2019-07-07 | Catskill Mountains, NY - Big Indian Wilderness June 2019
TRIP STATS ----------
Day 1 - 8.4 miles / 2,094' Gained Day 2 - 14.9 miles / 3,286' Gained Trip Total 23.30 miles / 5,380' Gained
This trip is an overnight in the Big Indian Wilderness area of the Catskills in New York. My initial plan was to head towards Mongaup Pond to setup camp and get used to shooting with my new camera. All was going according to plan until I decided to head out on day 2.
On my GPS there was a 4x4 road that didn't appear on my paper map. 0.4 miles away, however, was a road that looked very similar to the 4x4 road showing on my GPS, even terminating further North of my position in the same fashion. I thought I had gone 0.4 miles to far and it turned out that I was 0.4 miles short of the junction. Unfortunately I made the decision to switch backpacks 2 hours before I got on the road so the compass I could have used to help out wasn't with me. The best course of action was to backtrack to the pond and head out the same way I came in.
Even with the extra miles this added the trip was still fantastic and the pond was absolutely beautiful. It doesn't appear in the video but the pond continues from the area I was in so there is still a lot of exploration to be done here. Now that I've learned the area better I can eventually do the loop I wanted. There are plenty of other trails in the area so there is no doubt I'll be returning in the future.
Safe travels all and thanks for stopping by to check out the video!
Equipment --------- On my back: Osprey Atmos 65ag On my feet: Vasque Grand Traverse Hiking Shoes / Darn Tough socks Sleeping Bag: Sea To Summit Trek TK1 32° Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes Air Core 20x72x3.25 Tent: Alps Mountaineering Lynx-1 BearVault BV450 And a bunch of other stuff
Main camera: CANON EOS Rebel SL2 200D / 18-55mm (yup, I got a new toy!) Hiking camera: SONY HDR AS-300 (it got busted up pretty bad on this trip, but fixable) Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head
Piano Rock Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/AlAxo66T11wSea 2 Summit - Anthem of the Seas Bermuda sailing (and a little backpacking thrown in)Caps Outdoors2019-06-10 | Anthem of the Seas Bermuda Sailing May 19th - May 23rd, 2019
Itinerary --------- 19th - Cape Liberty - Bayonne, NJ 20th - At Sea 21st - Bermuda 22nd - At Sea 23rd - Cape Liberty - Bayonne, NJ
Harriman trip was May 25th - 26th (8ish miles hiked) Stealth camp trip was May 26th - May 27th (5 miles hiked)
--------- Shot over 8 days, from the shores of Bermuda to the gorgeous Springtime forests of New York, this is the fourth sailing of the Motley Crew of the Seas (MCOTS). This time we are aboard the Anthem of the Seas, a 1,139' Quantum-class cruising ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet.
This trip didn't go as planned on many levels but in the end everything worked out and it was an overall good cruise. Everyone that cruises a lot knows you are bound to get a hiccup here and there and this was definitely ours.
Thanks for watching and please give it a like or leave a comment if you enjoyed it!
To my backpacking buddies here on the channel, I promise a full-on wilderness experience coming very soon. I'm eyeing the Big Indian Wilderness in the Catskills either the weekend of June 14th or 21st. I didn't put much of any backpacking in this one as I've been to Harriman a lot and the trails I hiked I've filmed before.
Equipment --------- (My main camera) SONY HDR AS-300 / 1080p-60fps Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear Fluid Head
Hot Coffee by Ghostrifter Official https://soundcloud.com/ghostrifter-of... Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/Y30VQPGtxOs
Oh La La by Dyalla soundcloud.com/dyallas Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/5mr0NM9OqOoBackpacking Harriman State Park - Long Path Loop RevisitCaps Outdoors2018-10-09 | Harriman State Park - Backpacker Magazine's Long-Path Loop September 2018
TRIP STATS ------------------- Day 1 - 10.1 miles County Road 106 to Silver Mine Lake
Day 2 - 10.9 miles Silver Mine Lake to County Road 106
Total Ascent/Descent: 4,199'/4,270'
Seeing as my New Hampshire trip didn't work out, and I had a fully loaded backpack with supplies for 3-days, I decided to get out and enjoy one of my favorite hikes in Southern NY. Crisp Fall weather, no rain, what else could I have asked for?
This is the same hike I did back in April of 2017 and it is my 4th time doing it overall. A great blend of moderate climbs and rolling forest trails, this loop hike offers you the best of everything. It can be done as a 2-day or even a 3-day. There are numerous shelters and tent sites that can be utilized to break it up any way you want. If you are a trail-runner, try it in 1-day!
I did a couple of things different this time, modifying the original loop a bit to explore some alternative routes. One being a very nice half-mile road walk along Lake Askoti which you would not get following my original route and I explored a small shortcut back up to the Bald Rocks shelter that I always see but never took before (cuts 0.1 or so off).
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
Equipment ----------------- On my back: Osprey Exos 48 On my feet: Vasque Grand Traverse shoes / Darn Tough socks Sleeping Bag: Sea To Summit Trek TK1 32° Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes Air Core 20x72x3.25 Tent: Alps Mountaineering Lynx-1 And a bunch of other stuff
Main camera: SONY HDR AS-300 / 1080p-60fps Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head Editing in Premiere Pro VFX done in After Effects Editing Rig - Intel i7-3770k / 32gb RAM / GeForce GTX 1060 6gb / SSD all around Render Rig - Intel Core2Quad Q6600 / 12gb RAM / GeForce GTX 660 2gb / SSD all around
Music Credits ---------------------- INTRO SONG ON AND ON by Nicolai Heidlas Music soundcloud.com/nicolai-heidlas Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw
OUTRO SONG Piano Rock Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/AlAxo66T11w
BLOOPERS SONG NoWay by PeriTune soundcloud.com/sei_peridot Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators youtu.be/pcua2EPYr6Y
ADDITIONAL SONGS Peaceful reflection by HookSounds http://www.hooksounds.com Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... hooksounds.com Music by HookSounds Music provided by Music for Creators youtu.be/AlFqm0ah5us
Fun Facts & Thoughts ----------------------------------- It took 12 hours to edit this video Total render time was 4 hours, 10 minutes I saw 3 turkeys in almost the same exact spot when I was driving home An even bigger spider hitched a ride home with me My cat found the spider, it didn't end wellPemigewasset Wilderness - New Hampshire The Semi-PemiCaps Outdoors2018-09-09 | Pemigewasset Wilderness - New Hampshire "The Semi-Pemi" August 26th - 28th, 2018
TRIP STATS ------------------- 8,054' of total elevation gain
Day 1 - 11.4 miles (includes the 2.8 mile mistake and the 0.9 mile climb in, out, and back into Liberty Spring) Summit over Mt Flume and Mt Liberty (17/48)
Day 2 - 7.2 miles (includes the 0.3 mile climb out of Liberty Spring) Traversed the Franconia Ridge from Liberty Spring, ended at Garfield Pond
Day 3 - 12.2 miles Summit over Mt Garfield (18/48), ended with a hell of a flat walk out on Franconia Brook Trail and Lincoln Woods Trail Met the caretaker at 13 Falls, she needs a vacation!
This hike is known as the Pemi Loop, a 32-mile trek through the Western portion of the Pemigewasset Wilderness in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It features over 9,000' of elevation gain, traversing the Franconia and Garfield Ridges with a gorgeous finish across the Bonds. It is technically not a loop trail but a series of trails linked to form the loop.
I've attempted this hike twice before in 2015 and 2016. The first time I suffered a knee injury on my ascent of Mt Liberty so had to make camp and limp 6-miles back out the next day. The second attempt was met with a bunch of anxiety over reinjury and I instead camped up at Franconia Falls and did the loop around Owl's Head (not summiting).
This time around a costly 2.8 mile mistake lead me to lose almost an hour and a half before I even left Lincoln Woods Trail. Combined with my slower pace, afternoon storms on Franconia Ridge, and being careful on my knee all added up to me losing close to 5 miles on day one. Night hiking wasn't an option as I was here for the scenery as much as the hike.
All in all I still covered 30.8 miles and ascended 8,054' while being treated to some of the best scenery the Northeast has to offer. I met a ton of awesome people and really soaked up the experience of trail socialization for once. I also tagged #17 and #18 in my quest to climb all 48 4,000-footers. That is a success in my book and I'm not disappointed in the slightest.
Safe travels my friends, thanks for watching! -Caps (Joe)
P.S. - I'm heading back to NH in 2 weeks for Galehead, South Twin, and the Bonds!
Equipment ----------------- On my back: Osprey Atmos 65 AG On my feet: Vasque Grand Traverse shoes / Darn Tough socks Sleeping Bag: Sea To Summit Trek TK1 32° Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes Air Core 20x72x3.25 Tent: Alps Mountaineering Lynx-1 BearVault BV450 And a bunch of other stuff
Main camera: SONY HDR AS-300 / 1080p-60fps Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head Editing in Premiere Pro VFX done in After Effects
Music Credits ----------------------
INTRO SONG Blue Boi by LAKEY INSPIRED soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators youtu.be/HsoKy3ecY7E
OUTRO SONG Piano Rock Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/AlAxo66T11w
Second Nature by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Artist: http://audionautix.com Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/y_EYDGCa5f4
Smile by LAKEY INSPIRED soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators youtu.be/ey4l9Zo-C20
Fun Facts & Thoughts ----------------------------------- 1 It is time to invest in a quality microphone, the audio was so hard to work with on this one.
2 It took 26 hours to edit this video.
3 I finished the first draft with a run-time of 1hr 5mins, wasn't happy with it, and started over (from the intro)
4 I did the second edit from start to finish in 9 hours over ONE editing session.
5 Total render time was 5 hours, 36 minutes - no failures
6 I really didn't want to use a sock to wipe my ass, kind of needed those!
7 I seriously though of doing a work-for-stay at Galehead but was informed by a hiker there were no slots.
8 I, thankfully, never saw any naked people at Garfield Pond.
9 I was not harassing the squirrels, they started it!!
10 If you read this before watching the video, the last 4 thoughts should make no sense to you :)Pharaoh Lake Wilderness - Outta gas and my fly is downCaps Outdoors2018-08-10 | Pharaoh Lake Wilderness - Adirondacks, NY July 27th - 30th, 2018
Itinerary --------- Thursday - Trailhead to Oxshoe Pond Friday - Oxshoe Pond to Clear Pond Saturday - Clear Pond to Pharaoh Lake (either #3 or #5) Sunday - Pharaoh Lake to Trailhead
Located on the line between Essex County and Warren County in the towns of Schroon, Ticonderoga, Hague and Horicon NY, it is a 45,883 acre wilderness area in the Adirondack Park. It features over 60 miles of trails, 14 lean-tos, and 39 bodies of water.
As a disclaimer, where I parked isn't technically legal. Crane Pond Road is a very controversial 2 mile stretch of dirt road that passes through Forest Preserve land and a wetland. Over the years it has fallen into disrepair but is always rebuilt by someone. Some say it is locals, some say it is the DEC doing it but keeping it quiet. Regardless of which, as of filming, the road is still open and there were plenty of trucks up at the end of the road.
Also note that a 4x4 is recommended with a good deal of clearance. If you try to go back there in a small car just remember I warned you. There is a parking area just before the road turns right sharply. You can't miss it. It'll add some distance to your hike but as an alternative you can come in at Putnam Pond and still build a great multi-day trip back there. The Putnam Pond entry point brings you very close to my day 1 camp at Clear Pond.
Other than that, please leave no trace anywhere around the area. The more we can keep a place like this pristine the more inclined the powers that be will keep the road open.
Thanks for checking out the video, share it around if you enjoyed it.
-Caps (Joe)
Equipment --------- On my back: Osprey Atmos 65 AG On my feet: Vasque Grand Traverse shoes / Darn Tough socks Sleeping Bag: Sea To Summit Trek TK1 32° Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes Air Core 20x72x3.25 Tent: Alps Mountaineering Lynx-1 And a bunch of other stuff
Main camera: SONY HDR AS-300 / 1080p-60fps Secondary camera: GoPro HERO3 White / 1080p-30fps Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head Editing in Premiere Pro VFX done in After Effects I held the camera with my hand at one point and it made popping noises :) I also used an older than dirt JVC Picsio to shoot the rain on the lake scene, and I regret it. I also also left vivid mode on while shooting in XAVC S 50Mbps and the sky is blinding! Sorry.
Music Credits ------------- Acoustic/Folk Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/YKdXVnaHfo8
SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jas... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 United States— CC BY 3.0 US http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/4M9Puanhdac
Acoustically driven instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators youtu.be/2iWw0kJ6V4U
Piano Rock Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/AlAxo66T11w
Fun Facts --------- -There is close to 155gb of footage that makes up this video -It took 19 hours to edit, spread out over 11 days, and 5 hours to render -The final render didn't bomb once (with full adjustment layers) -I'm keeping the bottoms of my old pants for some reason -I now have new pants :) -Leave a comment if you made it this far -You have every right to give this video a thumbs down but it might upset my cat!Ward Pound Ridge ReservationCaps Outdoors2018-07-20 | Ward Pound Ridge Reservation - Lewisboro, NY July 15th, 2018
This is a maintenance hike I did this past Sunday, totalling 7.6 miles (10.2 initially). Real-feel temperatures were in the mid-90s leading to an increase in the amount of water I was drinking. Not having my water filter with me, I decided on cutting the loop a little short.
I usually don't film while I'm here because I try to keep a high-3mph pace (hard to film and talk going that fast) but decided this was a good time to introduce you all to one of the best places for easy/moderate hiking in Westchester County. There is huffing and puffing but I tried to keep my normal pace so it was inevitable. In a given year, I put in around 300-325 miles in the park.
It features over 800' of elevation at it highest point, 30+ miles of trails, it has ridges, rivers, fishing, plenty of camping options (for a fee)...just talking about it makes me want to go right now!
I'll be in the Adirondacks 7/27-30 so keep an eye out for that one!
Equipment --------- On my back: Outdoor Research 13L Levitator Daypack w/1.8L Platypus Hydration Bladder On my feet: Vasque Grand Traverse Main camera: SONY HDR AS-300 / 1080p-60fps Secondary camera: GoPro HERO3 White / 1080p-30fps Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head Editing in Premiere Pro VFX done in After Effects
Opening Music Credits ---------------------
Going Up by LAKEY INSPIRED soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/J0P_6hsnuIIAdventure of the Seas - Bahamas CruiseCaps Outdoors2018-06-21 | Adventure of the Seas Sailing May 25th - June 1st, 2018
The third sailing of the Motley Crew of the Seas (MCOTS). This time we are aboard the Adventure of the Seas, A 1,020' Voyager-class ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet.
There are a lot of shenanigans as always along with some cool scenery and great experiences. We also didn't lock ourselves out of the room, not even once.
Being this is the first project I ever completed after switching over to Premiere Pro, forgive the editing in places (especially the audio). It's a powerful tool but takes time to learn.
Thanks for watching and please give it a like or leave a comment if you enjoyed it!
Itinerary --------- 25th - Cape Liberty - Bayonne, NJ 26th - At Sea 27th - Kennedy Space Center - Port Canaveral, FL 28th - (RC Private Island) Coco Cay, Bahamas 29th - Nassau, Bahamas 30th - At Sea 31st - At Sea 1st - Cape Liberty - Bayonne, NJ
Equipment --------- (My main camera) SONY HDR AS-300 / 1080p-60fps (My secondary) GoPro HERO3 White / 1080p-30fps (Nephew's camera) GoPro HERO5 Black / 1080p-60fps Vanguard Tripod with a Pergear TH3 Fluid Head Various mounts, wires, a microphone at one point, and sand everywhere!
Acoustic/Folk Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/YKdXVnaHfo8
Piano Rock Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/AlAxo66T11w
Piano & Sax by Joakim Karud soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/wtnLH5HzGdQHiking Acadia National Park - MaineCaps Outdoors2018-04-29 | After a 10-month absence from Youtube, and 20 years since I last visited, join me on a 3 day trip to Maine's Acadia National Park.
For this trip I concentrated on the Atlantic Coast area of the Eastern portion of the park, visiting areas such as Cadillac Mountain, Otter Cliffs, and Sand Beach.
My day 1 plan was to leave Blackwoods Campground after setting up and hiking the Ocean Path up to Sand Beach but the 8-hour drive was enough to call it a day once I arrived. The cliffs at the end of the campground path were definitely enough to keep my busy until well after Sunset.
Day 2 I visited Cadillac Mountain, going over Eagles Crag and Dike Peak on my out-and-back hike.
Day 3 started with a brisk road walk to the Ocean Path, which winds 2 miles up the coast to Sand Beach and passes both Otter Cliffs and Thunder Hole on the way. I ended the day with an excellent climb up and over Gorham Mountain to close the loop back to Otter Cove (with a great shortcut!)
Words can't explain the inescapable beauty of this place, I just hope I did it some justice here.
Thanks for watching and pass this along to anyone you feel would be interested.
-Caps
April 22nd - 24th, 2018 Total hiking distance for all days: 23.6 miles Elevation gained: 3,570'
The first few minutes might seem like they are shot on a potato phone but it will clear up. I didn't realize I was zoomed in on my camera until the next morning.
Second Nature by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Artist: http://audionautix.com Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/y_EYDGCa5f47/16/17 - Kayaking the SoundCaps Outdoors2017-07-18 | This was a quick trip I took yesterday with my buddy Mike to do some kayaking on Long Island Sound. It was definitely a great way to spend a couple of hours.
Launched from the Edith Reed Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye, NY (back behind Playland Amusement Park).
Music ---------- [Sunshine - feat. P.SUS] Credit: Panthurr
Total Trip Mileage: 21.58mi Elevation Gained: 3,002'
This is a trip I've been wanting to take for the past 9 years but have stayed away from it for one reason or another. Choosing to finally go one day after the region received two days of heavy rains maybe wasn't the best idea but it all worked out in the end.
I first came here in 1995 on my first solo trip ever. I had done some backpacking up to this point but it was all with the Boy Scouts years earlier and other than day hiking I wasn't exposed to what a 10-mile day was really like with weight on my back.
Suffice to say, I was hurting when I first arrived and it took me the entire next day to prepare myself to hike back out the following morning. I could't even walk around camp for a good 2 hours.
Located in the West Canada Lake Wilderness area of the Adirondacks, Spruce Lake is by all standards a gem of a place to spend a few days. The fishing is decent (Brook Trout makes the perfect lunch) and the water is cool. You are truly in an isolated place out here.
Lean-to #1 has always had a flooding issue and this trip was no exception. Lean-to #2 is a great site but the access to the lake is limited, forcing you to walk up and down a pretty good slope to get access to it. Lean-to #3 is the prize, set back about 60' from the lake and rising about 3-4' above it, the expansive view down the lake is incredible. The Sun sets directly in front of it as well giving you great afternoon warmth and extended light in the evening.
There is an overflow camp spot near #3 as well that can accomodate 2 or 3 tents.
Next time I come up here, I'm going to come in on the alternate trail I talk about in the video and make my way up to West Canada Lake. I'll most likely do 3 days, camping at Spruce on day 1, West Canada on 2, and the full push back on day 3.
Thanks for watching and feel free to share this video around, every little bit helps.
-Caps
Music Credits ----------------------
Moldy Lotion by Light-foot soundcloud.com/light-foot Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/GSSdXximD7c
Warm by Joey Pecoraro soundcloud.com/joeypecoraro Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/uFZ9rvvrpHc
Total Trip Mileage: 13.52mi Elevation Gained: 3,343'
The second trip in the Harriman series, this was a hike I threw together when I saw a picture of one of the foundations in Historic Doodletown a few days before leaving. I also enjoy still photography so this was a good opportunity to do some long-overdue shooting.
I didn't have a route in mind, I only knew I wanted to end up in the town by 1:30-2:00pm on Saturday to give myself enough light and time to spend a few hours exploring.
The route I eventually picked took a path that summited 2 mountains (Bald and Dunderberg) on Saturday and gave me close to 4 hours to go explore the town thanks to a well-placed shelter at the South end of town. West Mountain was the final summit to push over to get back home on Sunday.
Part 3 is filming this weekend (6/2-6/4) for National Trails Day.
Infinite Perspective Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0A Weekend in Upstate NYCaps Outdoors2017-05-12 | 30+ years I've known these two guys, from BMX bikes and RC cars to a near death experience on Mt Washington. Grade school, High school, marriages and...well you get the picture.
Join us for a much needed weekend of unwinding in a secret little corner of Upstate NY where the drinks flow freely, the laughs are plentiful, and there are always plenty of shenanigans going on (as long as everyone stays awake).
Total Trip Mileage: 22.63 Loop Mileage: 18.4 Elevation Gained: 4,862'
To start, I know I butchered the pronunciation of Lichen but was pressed for time so didn't re-record the segment.
This is a loop that was featured in Backpacker Magazine back in 2011, bringing its followers into some of the most remote portions of the park. I did this loop last year in September but never posted the video because I wasn't happy with how most of the footage came out. I was only using a GoPro at the time and there were parts where purple lines would appear in the footage, or it was so shaky I couldn't stabilize it enough to be useful. I then went back on a day hike to try and get some better footage but that also was plagued by similar problems so I've been trying to document this loop for awhile now.
In my opinion this loop gives you the best of everything. Moderate climbs, tons of unique landscapes to explore, and various shelters along the way if you prefer to go light. I can see this loop also being a great "quick hit" hike, starting early in the morning and finishing up in the evening.
I prefer to do it as an overnight because I can't pass up being out here, nor a perfect camp site (as you'll see). I finally burned through the last of my Mountain House stash too so I can finally start looking into some other options.
"Phase IV" by Lo-Fi Is Sci-Fi. Check out more of there music here: http://freemusicarchive.org/search/?sort=track_date_published&d=1&page=9&quicksearch=lo+fi+is+sci+fiThe Great Winter Escape - Bahamas and Haiti Caribbean CruiseCaps Outdoors2017-01-14 | Get the popcorn out and sit back for a sort of follow-along on a 5-day Caribbean cruise. Chill music, great memories made, and wind that is inescapable! (take that as a warning, I had a new camera with no wind screen)
The Motley Crew of the Seas returns with two new additions, Darlene and Bill, as we set sail aboard Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas. It's been almost 3 years since our Alaskan cruise so we were overdue for a big trip, and we needed some warm weather as well.
With ports in Nassau, Bahamas and Labadee, Haiti, we go from dolphin encounters and belly flops to riding the world's longest over-water zip line (2,600' long) and my Nephew doing the worm in front of a hundred people. We had a nice fly-by courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard too.
Thanks for watching and please subscribe for more to come in 2017! I'll be back on the trail soon enough.
Give this video a like too if you enjoyed the show.
-Joe (Caps)
Itinerary ====== December 17th - Day 1 New York JFK to Miami International
December 18th - Day 2 Miami to Nassau, Bahamas
December 19th - Day 3 Nassau, Bahamas
December 20th - Day 4 At Sea
December 21st - Day 5 Labadee, Haiti
December 22nd - Day 6 At Sea
December 23rd - Day 7 Miami to New York JFK and HOME to see my cat!
MUSIC Credits (there are lot) =======================
[Water Lily] Discover all the songs in the official playlist: http://goo.gl/D9V5W6
[That Day] That Day by Joakim Karud soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/YDT00lBAG2g
[Keep On Going] Keep on Going by Joakim Karud soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/4PResyle7QA
[Dreams] Dreams by Joakim Karud soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/VF9_dCo6JT4
[Stories] Stories by A Himitsu soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/oA9txZtAUaI
[Reminisce] Reminisce by A Himitsu soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/box8pXWc5cg
[Cold Funk - Funkorama] Cold Funk - Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100499 Artist: http://incompetech.comCaps Outdoors - After 5 months away...Caps Outdoors2016-11-27 | I have done a lot of soul searching over the past 5 months on whether I wanted to continue creating videos for this channel or not. I never felt anything I uploaded was even close to what I envisioned nor comparable in quality to anything else I was drawing inspiration from.
Taking some time off has been good, allowing me to get back to my roots of pure backpacking with no intrusion and also giving me time to refocus on how I wanted to go about producing videos in the future.
Enjoy, and stay tuned for something a bit different in 2017.
J Harrison (Caps)
Travel well...
-------------------- Music credit -------------------- Acoustically driven instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators youtu.be/2iWw0kJ6V4UCarter Dome and Wildcat ACaps Outdoors2016-07-01 | In my continued quest for all 48 of the 4,000-footers in New Hampshire, I took another trip up on the 25th to complete Carter Dome (#15) and Wildcat A (#16).
I was up the weekend before to do the entire Wildcat range from E to the Hut, but I only got through E, D, and C then took the polecat ski trail back to the base. My head just wasn't in it which slowed my pace considerably so when I arrived at Wildcat C I realized I wasn't making the full run before dark. Was a great hike and a bucket list item (to hike a ski trail with no snow on it) but I didn't get to summit Wildcat A.
Starting at the 19-mile Brook trailhead on 16 around 5:15am, I was planning on making a full day of it. Loiter at the summits and views, shoot some video, talk to people, take some pictures. What would have taken about 7 hours (with breaks) turned into 11h 9m, I'd say it was a success!
I headed up to Zeta Pass then on to Mt Hight, which afforded fantastic 360-degree views. Proceeding to Carter Dome, the trail conditions were stellar the entire time from start up to summit.
From Carter Dome, I headed down into Carter Notch to visit the hut and refill my water. Had a great lunch on the shores of the bigger pond then set my sights on the Wildcat range. Trail conditions going down to the Hut were, again, very good. There are a few muddy spots around the ponds.
Heading up the Wildcat Ridge trail I thought to myself that these trails are made to break the less ambitious. It is only 0.7 miles from the Notch to the summit but you will be climbing the entire time. Not to be outdone, I pressed on to the summit. There was a great view back into the Notch and just beyond the view sign is the path leading up to the actual summit. It is wooded, with just a small cairn at the top.
Took a week but I got her!
While there I met up with quite a few packers and lo-and-behold, 2 that posted their upcoming trip on the Hike the 4,000 footers of NH! Facebook group (Jason Robinson and Laura Beth). The odds of them showing up within minutes of me arriving there have to be fairly large.
I headed back down to the 19-mile Brook junction and started my 3.5 mile descent back to the trailhead, and a 6.5 hour drive back to NY.
Total miles: 11.74 Elevation gained: 4,781' Hiking time: 6h 32min Stopped time: almost as much! Total: 11h 09min
I'm using a Steadicam Curve now with the GoPro which is why some of the footage has that feeling of floating. This thing is only designed to balance correctly with one type of GoPro, of which I do not own. I thought I had it balanced good enough but it definitely shows in spots how off it really was. Carrying it for 11+ miles doesn't help the balance either. This is the first time I've used it on a trip so I'll have to come up with a good system of stashing it...and I need to practice!
I've added additional weight to the top and in the few trial walks I've done it feels so much more stable. My solution is only temporary and I do plan on buying the weight kit that is sold for it.
Thanks for watching!
-Caps
Credit Song ------------------- Acoustically driven instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators youtu.be/2iWw0kJ6V4UPharaoh Lake Wilderness - The Pond TourCaps Outdoors2016-06-07 | PLEASE READ BEFORE WATCHING, Thanks!
New York Adirondacks - Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
Crane Pond Trailhead =================
Day 1 - Crane Pond to Clear Pond Day 2 - Clear Pond to Pharaoh Lake #3 Day 3 - Pharaoh Lake #3 to Crane Pond
Pack weight (w/food and camera gear - no water) - 25/lbs
Elevation gained total - 3,606' Total mileage - 23.04
I apologize for something right from the start...
There is an audible "beep beep" and scratching noise in some of the clips. I tried to edit the video in a certain way, attempting to minimize the impact with music and by dropping the audio where it wasn't needed, but it still comes through in places.
After some tests I conducted it was determined that the noise was being caused by the memory card my GoPro had in it (Sandisk Ultra 64gb XC1) in combination with the stock housing. The feedback is caused by the top microphone being covered while in the case. I am attempting to correct this by moving to a Lexar 633x 32gb HC1. I'm still doing testing but the couple of practice shots I did are very promising while using it.
If you can get past that, then I really hope you enjoy what I've put together. This was no doubt one of those unforgettable, and hard to match, experiences. I'm hoping to do it again in the fall if time allows. Lots of other trips being planned as well...
New Hampshire here I come!
Music Credits =============
SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jas... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 United States— CC BY 3.0 US http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/4M9Puanhdac
Acoustically driven instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators youtu.be/2iWw0kJ6V4U
Mumford & Sons Inspired by Hyde - Free Instrumentals soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators youtu.be/5shSBRjyeiIPemi Loop - Attempt #1Caps Outdoors2015-08-31 | The Pemi Loop, 31.5 miles encompassing the Western portion of the Pemigewasset Wilderness in New Hampshire's White Mountains.
I debated uploading this video for 2 days but ultimately decided it would be a good PSA of sorts for anyone attempting to do the loop, or any hike for that matter.
A valuable lesson was learned this weekend, one I had already ingrained into my outdoor experience but failed to recognize this time...when your body is telling you something, listen to it!
This is an injury I've had for years from a skiing accident in my teens, one that was further aggravated by the years of bike riding and hiking/backpacking I did afterwards.
Starting in Lincoln Woods I proceeded up and over Mt Flume and began my summit of Mt Liberty. About 300 yards off the summit my knee locked and popped 3 times making it almost impossible to put any more weight other than my own on it.
6.7 miles into the hike a decision had to be made, risk injury by continuing or turn back and live to fight another day.
Determination and ambition tells you to continue, experience tells you to turn back. Experience won.
------------------------------------------------
Shot with a GoPro Hero3 and edited in Sony Movie Studio 13 Platinum.
(I tried something new with stabilizing some of the video but the effect didn't turn out exactly how I thought it would, apologies ahead of time...may be time to look into a better camera for this style of shooting)
Music credit: Spencer Lewis / Mountain AirFranconia Ridge LoopCaps Outdoors2015-08-17 | Cloudy, bit windy, but a fantastic day of hiking nonetheless.
Franconia Ridge Loop, 8.9 miles, is located in the Franconia Range. It is the second highest range in the White Mountains and also includes Mt Liberty and Mt Flume (not part of the loop shown here, that's coming soon).
Bagged Lincoln and Lafayette in my quest to hike all 48 Four-Thousand footers and got to explore a bit of the area. Little Haystack and Greenleaf Hut were nice additions to the trip.
This was #11 and #12 on the list, 36 to go.
---------------------- Shot with a GoPro Hero3 and edited in Sony Movie Studio 13 Platinum.Breakneck Ridge - My local hauntCaps Outdoors2015-08-05 | Everyone has their favorite local trail or climb that they return to time and time again. With a 1,200'+ elevation gain in 3/4 of a mile, this is mine.
I make an effort to get to the ridge every weekend I'm in town so 20-30 minutes before Sunrise I can usually be found at the trailhead getting ready to head up.
I opted for the short loop on this hike to keep the video time down but I usually loop to Sugarloaf Mtn, Bull Hill, or head to the fire tower.
Total time for this hike was 2 hours 20 minutes - 2.8 miles
NY/NJ Trail Conference write-up: http://www.nynjtc.org/hike/breakneck-ridge-trail ----------------------- Shot with a GoPro Hero3 White and edited in Sony Movie Studio 13 Platinum4000+, a soul-inspiring journey.Caps Outdoors2015-07-31 | Beginning in 2012 I started hiking all the four-thousand footers in the White Mountains. My goal was to hike them as fast as I could so I started with the biggest of them all, Mt Washington. Honestly, I was more trying to impress someone by doing this climb than actually realizing what I was accomplishing.
I took off 2013 to contemplate those decisions, realizing I was allowing my emotions to dictate my success and that I'd never complete it under those conditions.
Coming back in 2014 I climbed Monroe, Eisenhower, Jefferson, and Adams with a new found respect for the journey I had chosen and decided I wanted to not just hike them but live in the experience of it and let it fill my soul.
With the death of Greg Larson on my Mt Jefferson/Adams trip - http://www.bridgton.com/fallen-hiker-gregory-larson-remembered (I was at the scene for close to 2 hours) I knew I had to finish what I started. That single event impacted me in ways I can't ever explain to people listening to the story.
This is a small part of my adventure, covering Mt Tom, Field, Willey, Pierce, and Jackson.
38 still to climb, this story has just begun... -------------------------------------
Shot on a GoPro Hero3 white, edited in Sony Movie Studio 13 Platinum.
(I own no rights to the music)Lake George Pontoon CruisingCaps Outdoors2015-07-17 | Tales from the S.S. Poop, a few hours cruising around Lake George with the family in a Pontoon boat.
(I own no rights to any of the music)Alaska 2014 - The JourneyCaps Outdoors2014-08-18 | From home to the best vacation ever. Wouldn't have been possible without Mom's doing! Shot entirely with a GoPro Hero3 with no image stabilization and a tripod for an arm...get your barf bags ready (actually turned it on through Youtube)
(there is actually a lot more video I could have put in this but the run time was over 20 minutes on final edit...couldn't find enough good songs to fill it and except for a few people who is going to watch my family bounce around a cruise ship for 20 minutes...)