Hiker Fashion (Part 1)

Winter is blogging time – the resort is closed down, buttoned up for snow, and our lives return to somewhat normal. At least there is time to sit down to the computer and write. Sorting through all the photos taken over the summer is a joy – it brings back warm days, big smiles, and the smell of pines and dirt.

And hikers.

You may already know that hiker fashion is a big interest of mine – I love watching people come in off the trail sporting their own style. It may be based on function, necessity, or thoughtful decision-making but it is always interesting.

So here goes – these are the photos I shot in June. Feel free to post more on our Facebook page (vvr.edisonlake) if I didn’t happen to be around when you came through. There will be additional posts with July, August, and September fashion so stay tuned.

I didn’t get names.  Well, sometimes I did but they are long gone now. We can see that this guy is a Hawkeye, apparently, from Iowa. For me, the bandana is the best part of this ensemble as it rises so high he must have quite a head of hair under there.

(Please add your trail name in the comments if you see yourself here.)

Who are these fabulous women? Happy, dirty, sweaty and fit women? I love the vibe of woman on the right – she’s got the pops of color going and the attitude.

I picked up a hiking tidbit from this woman about using stockings to help prevent blisters. I think black was a conscious choice – she wouldn’t have rocked the trail with a nude stocking. And where else can you keep wearing stockings even after they’ve developed the inevitable holes and runs?

Color – yes. And Dirty Girl gaiters – another invaluable hiking tip I picked up from this year.

Fashionable, yes. But also sort of a prize for the dirtiest shirt of the summer. This guy did not take advantage of our laundromat – as he so astutely stated, “Why should I? I’m just going back out to get dirty again.”

We were so very fortunate to lure this lovely hiker off the trail and to work at the VVR for the rest of the season. I do know her trail name and Snort continued to exhibit high fashion as well as a stellar attitude and the ability to bake some killer pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Personally I’m a big fan of hiking in skirts so I can completely understand why a guy would want to. And, in fact, this hiker and I own exactly the same Mountain Hardware skirt – so how could I not photograph him?

LOVE the hat. AND the overall color coordination. AND the smiles.

And finally, the variations on blue. The florals.

Why do we choose what we do to hike in? Comfort, function, price point, AND fashion? Or is fashion an afterthought for you? Let us know in the comments.

Capturing Hiker Fashion at the VVR

One of the primary drivers for starting a VVR blog has been the desire to capture and showcase some of the incredible hiker fashion that passes through the resort. Pacific Crest Trail hikers tend to have some of the best fashion, despite carrying the least amount of stuff – so how do they do it?

I managed to snap a few photos last year (the one above is of Navi) but until now I haven’t had a venue for posting them. THIS year, however, we WILL be seeing hiker fashion shoots at the VVR and we’re inviting you to submit your own on our facebook page (www.facebook.com/vvr.edisonlake) and/or  our google+ page (Vermilion Valley Resort). We’ll put up a couple of albums and if we miss you on the trail but you want your hiker fashion included – send us a photo!

We’d also like to know the details – how much of your hiking fashion is dictated by functionality and how much by style? Are you willing to carry a little extra weight in order to have the perfect ensemble for zero days? How much time did you put into choosing your hiking attire? Backcountry fashion fans want to know! (By the way, above is Ithica from 2012)

We know Crocs are popular camp shoes thanks to their light weight and comfyness but we see flip flops and other shoes as well – which ones are fashion forward and which ones qualify for “What Not To Wear”? What about Buffs? Love ’em or hate ’em? Sarongs, kilts, bathrobes, or your raingear – what do YOU wear while doing laundry?

Personally, as a woman who lives in the mountains but loves fashion, I am thrilled to see colorful, original outfits on hikers. And I love it that companies are making functional yet fashionable gear for women and men. Men come through with some dynamite fashion as well and we’ll be looking for you gents this summer.

The PCT hikers are on the trail, so be on the lookout for fashion posts any time here on out. Feel free to comment and to send along your own photos. After all, anyone can be a fashionable hiker!

How to open a backcountry resort (part 1)

Jim is gearing up for opening – accumulating supplies, ordering stock, packing his gear. Opening up the resort varies from year to year, snowfall to snowfall, project to project. This year we have our priorities – finishing the bathhouse, planning for hiker shuttles if the lake is low – but we always have certain chores. I revisited last year’s photo album and think that it’ll be a similar process this year.

Opening of 2010 was quite a different story – we had an big snowfall year and an entire crew went in to dig out the store, motel rooms, and yurt. Working in those conditions is a challenge because there’s no water except snowmelt until the crew can get to the lines, valves and tank. Roy, Jamie, and John were a big part of getting the resort dug out, keeping the fires burning and the food coming, and making it happen for 2010.  2011 was even more of a challenge as it kept snowing through the spring and it was only because the dam at Edison Lake needed some attention that Kaiser Pass Road opened as early as it did. Again the VVR crew rallied to wrestle the forces of nature in time to get the resort open by Memorial Day.

Well, we won’t see that this year. Instead of digging into buildings we’ll be able to focus on projects, improvements, and pretty things. Rooms will get a fresh coat of paint, the store may get a remodel, and perhaps I’ll get my boat planter completed before opening.

*Something along these lines anyway* as this is someone else’s work of art and I have a fishing boat to work with, not a canoe, but I use this photo as a source of inspiration. We’ll have to do native plants so my choices will be penstemon, columbine, and manzanita instead of lettuce and other veggies.

Last year we experienced the big Sierra ‘blow-down’, with hundreds to thousands of trees uprooted. Jim and I took our first hike in mid-May last year and had to clamber over more than a few large trees that blocked the Mono Creek trail early season, and more than one hiker told us tales of the trees down on the PCT and JMT. Trail crews had their hands full and the Backcountry Horsemen groups did an incredible job early in the summer getting the trees off the trails.

It is always wonderful to be out in the Sierra when the melt is happening and creeks are rushing. Mono Creek carries water from the high Sierra into Edison Lake and is beautiful any time of the year but especially in late spring and early summer when the water is high and fast.

We try to make a point of getting out before the resort opens and after it closes as it can be very difficult to walk away during the season. Only important events like grandbabies and other milestone family events pull us away when we’re open. And even when I do drag Jim out for a hike or a ride he’s got his phone glued to his hip and is often in this pose:

What can you do?

All signs point to early hikes this year. My advice is to get into the Sierra early and often. You’ll see wildlife you don’t see later in the season, have the mountains nearly all to yourself, and extend a season that is often fleeting. We can’t believe how quickly it goes by once it is here.

This summer promises to be a long one with an early start and we’re working on bringing in music on mid-summer weekends, setting up a volleyball court out on the lakebed sand, and perhaps even hosting open-mic and game nights. Bingo in the backcountry, anyone?