AdventuresHiking

Desolation Wilderness: Bayview Trail and Cascade Falls

by Paulina Dao
written by Paulina Dao

Hike: Bayview Trail and Cascade Falls
Where: Desolation Wilderness
Trailhead: Bayview Trailhead
Level: Moderate
Duration: 3 hours
Length: 4.9 miles
Gear: Icebreaker Oasis Crewe long-sleeve, Camelbak Aventura Pack, Arcteryx Women’s Alpha SL Hybrid Jacket, Triple Aught Design Artemis Hoodie, REI Sahara Convertible Pants, Black Diamond Ultra Distance Trekking Poles, and Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Boot
Cost of Parking: Free

Headed up to South Lake Tahoe this past weekend to spend some much needed time in the mountains. First stop was up the Bayview trail. Originally intended to head to Fontanillis and Dick’s Lake but got a late start. With snow up on the ridge of the Bayview trail and dark clouds rolling in over Eagle Lake combined with unpreparedness for that weather, we decided to head back down and over to Cascade Falls instead. Snapped a few photos looking out into Desolation Wilderness and down into Eagle Lake. The beauty of the Sierras never fails to blow me away. I’ll come back for you, Fontanillis, yes, I will.

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Gear

Toren Apparel Fundamental Shell

by Paulina Dao
written by Paulina Dao

Toren Apparel the Fundamental ShellToren Apparel the Fundamental ShellToren Apparel the Fundamental ShellToren Apparel the Fundamental Shell

Toren Apparel is a pretty neat technical-meets-street startup for adventure clothing. Their online-only presence sets them apart from other brands, allowing them to focus on providing high quality, outdoor apparel at affordable price points.

They offered to send me their new Fundamental Shell to test out, and I couldn’t say no.

The Fundamental Shell is basically combination of the Arc’teryx Alpha SL hardshell and the Outdoor Research Valhalla softshell in terms of form and function. Made of Toray 3-layer mini ripstop polyester with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish, it has the waterproof protection of a hardshell, and the movability, breathability, and swishiness of a softshell.

The sizing runs fairly large. As a 5 feet tall, 100ish pound person, the XS shell is very roomy. I highly recommend sizing down.

This jacket is all about the little details that make it street-wearable and trail friendly. First and foremost, the pit zips! The jacket has pit zips, but they are covered in little flaps of fabric to conceal the zipper. This prevents the zipper teeth from scraping the fabric and pilling it, while concealing the technical details. The zipper pulls are fairly small, and are difficult to grasp. Keep this in mind if you’re considering this jacket for alpine activities.

The jacket has two standard hip pockets, situated above a pack hip belt or harness for easy access to items. The Fundamental Shell also has a left-hand sleeve pocket, though it is well concealed in the seam of the sleeve. One inner left chest pocket allows for easy access to your smartphone without needing to remove it from your pocket. The idea is cool, but I am not sure about the implementation. I’m not too inclined to open up my jacket in inclement weather and have a little waterproof bag case for my phone.

The hood is roomy and helmet-compatible with three cinches to make it fully adjustable.

All in all, this is a solid first piece for the Toren Apparel line. If you’re looking for something that’s technical and street wearable, this is for you. If you’ve already got a softshell and a hardshell and you love both, this is something you can pass on. If you’re a hoarder who likes all the latest and greatest, you’ll probably want it.

Pre-order the Fundamental Shell now for $195. The jacket is set to arrive in Fall 2014.

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Gear

Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Boot Review

by Paulina Dao
written by Paulina Dao

Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Boot

I’m a big fan of my Ahnu Montara boots. Just when I thought the company couldn’t release anything better than those, they came out with the Sugarpine line consisting of a waterproof boot, waterproof shoe, and air-mesh trail runners.

I’ve been spending the last couple of weeks testing the Sugarpine Waterproof Boot. Let me tell ya, they are awesome and versatile. These are the best lightweight, waterproof boots for a not-so-steep price.

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Gear

Outlier Daily Riding Pant

by Paulina Dao
written by Paulina Dao

Outlier Daily Riding Pants Outlier Daily Riding Pants Outlier Daily Riding Pants Outlier Daily Riding Pants Outlier Daily Riding Pants

If you’re a regular Little Grunts visitor, you know that I love when gear is versatile enough for my office and for outdoor adventures. Cue Outlier, a Brooklyn-based company that makes tailored performance clothing. I got my hands on a pair of the Outlier Daily Riding Pants to test out.

Made of Schoeller DrySkin, these are an incredibly breathable pair of pants that allow for tons of stretch and movement. These are designed for biking, but I’m disastrous with anything requiring wheels and balance, so I did what I do best and hit the trails instead!

These do a great job of repelling light rain. Water just beads up and rolls right off. They won’t fare so well during torrential downpours. But if you’re getting caught in some inclement weather on your way in to work, these ensure that you don’t roll up looking like you just peed your pants.

These also shed dirt and debris quite easily. I always end up rolling around in dirt and climbing in trees while detouring. Give the pants a quick brush and they’re looking like new.

A couple cons? You might want to go a size up from your regular size. These are skin-tight, like, put something in your pocket and everyone-can-really-see-the-bulge tight. This also leads to occasional camel-toe that needs adjusting. These also have a pretty stiff waistband. If you’re prone to eating too many cookies like me, you might also want to size up for a bit more comfort.

Overall, these are a great pair of pants. At $198, they’re a little pricey but the best part is you can wear them all the time and get your money’s worth. The office, the streets, the trails, all are viable playgrounds for the Outlier Daily Riding Pants.

Buy through Outlier via their website!

Pictured above with the Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Hiking Boots, REI Flash 18 Pack, Outdoor Research Enchainment Jacket, and NW Alpine Black Spider Hoody.

This was sent to me for review.

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AdventuresHiking

Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop

by Paulina Dao
written by Paulina Dao

Hike: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop
Where: Mt. Tamalpais State Park
Trailhead: Belvedere Ave, behind the Stinson Beach Fire Station
Level: Moderate
Duration: 4 hours
Length: 6.5 miles
Gear: Icebreaker Women’s Tech T Lite T-Shirt, Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Socks – Women’s, REI Flash 18 Pack, Arc’teryx Delta LT, and Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Hiking Boots
Cost of Parking: Free

Stopped by Stinson Beach this past weekend with the boyfriend where we had our first not-date, and decided to cheesily celebrate our year and a half anniversary with a hike, mini picnic and wine.

We opted to take the Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop and actually finish it this time with no detours to find the ocean. We followed this hike on EveryTrail, starting with Steep Ravine and redwoods and waterfalls and crossed green hills dotted with wildflowers, and ended on Matt Davis next to the fire station.

Photos are worth a thousand words, so I’ll let those do the talking.

Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Matt Davis-Steep Ravine Loop

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