Who Am I?

by adam noto, posted in About

I’m Adam, aka “Bigfoot”. Thanks for checking out my blog! I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, and now reside near Santa Cruz. Ca. My fascination with the mountains is strange, because I did not grow up camping. Although I was raised 3 hours from the sierra’s, I never saw Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, or the Giant Sequoia ‘s until I sought them out on my own in college. I was an athlete, playing any sport I could. Football, basketball, track, tennis, beach volleyball, boogie boarding, ,golf, etc. but it was baseball that got me into college and 4 years later, a criminal justice degree.

As a lifelong northern Californian, attending college in Southern California, I gradually learned to despise the “LA scene” and I looked for excuses to leave. So I began exploring. I was introduced to such places as Devils Postpile, The Alabama Hills, and Joshua Tree. It was the summer of my sophomore year of college where I applied for a seasonal park ranger job in Woodside, Ca. I was hired and really got to spend time hiking, building and maintaining trails, and learning to love the mountains.

I’ve been enamored and inspired by the Sierra Nevada Mountains ever since my first camping trip in college to Mammoth Lakes in 1992. I read an article about the place from one of my favorite writers, Tom Stientra. It was during that trip that I saw my first “backpackers” and although I knew nothing about it, I knew I had to do it. Because this was pre-internet, I became a regular at REI, reading books, looking at topographic maps, and asking questions, educating myself on the sport. I was a regular at the monthly seminars at the REI in San Carlos when I was home and the one in Irvine when I was in college. I culminated that fateful 1992 summer with my first ever backpacking trip, and because I was young, dumb, and naive, I figured, why not climb Mt. Whitney (this trip will make a great comical blog entry at some point). So that’s exactly what me and two friends from college did, and yes, we summited Whitney. Exhausted, battered and hungry, I swore I’d never backpack ever again. But something strange happened. After a few weeks, the itch to get back to the mountains started. And right then I knew I was hooked.

Fast forward 33 years. (I turn 52 next week), I am committed to staying healthy and strong so I can continue to visit this sacred mountain range. Backpacking is work! Carrying everything you need on your back for miles on end, often climbing unrelenting climbs, crossing freezing cold rivers, scrambling over uneven rocks, and battling rain, thunderstorms, and sometimes snow? HELL YEA! SIGN ME UP!!

Why a blog now?

For a few years, I’ve been posting diaries on my Instagram as a way for my family and friends to keep track of my adventures. I often times get questions about my trips from those that are either looking for advice or others that are intrigued or just curious. I also like to jot down notes on my phone of things I’ve seen or feelings I’ve had when I’m out. I then forget about them until I’m cleaning up my phone. So I think by creating this blog, it will also turn into a personal online journal for me to relive my trips both in the past as well as all future trips.

168 Steps? The Long Road?

Where did the name of the blog come from? It’s quite simple really. On that fateful Mt. Whitney trip in 1992, as I was climbing up to trail camp the first day, and struggling up, I started counting steps. At my lowest point, I counted 168 steps between breaks. For whatever reason, that has stuck. And to this day, when I’m grinding up a steep pitch, I have to take 168 steps before I can take a break.

and The Long Road? That’s quite simply the greatest song I’ve ever known, and I always make sure to add it to any playlist I’m listening too as I go.

My Love Affair With Gear

I am a gear junkie. Flat out. No other way to describe me. I love researching equipment; looking for better technology or lighter materials. I watch YouTube gear reviews all the time. I have a shed I refer to as the dungeon that stores all my gear, and in the downtime, or off season, I often go down and reorganize it, or just tinker because I miss using my gear. I have a lot of stuff I’ve bought over the years and to this day have never actually used yet. I love the cottage companies and try to support them as much as I can.

Facts About Me

  • I have a few tattoos.
  • Soon to be retired after 27 1/2 years of law enforcement.
  • I worked undercover for 8 years. During that time I grew my hair long, which is when I met my wife. Although I’d cut my hair off in a second if I could, she likes it long, so I keep it.
  • I am addicted to Boise State Football. Go Broncos
  • Love American history and biographies. I’m a huge fan of Audible and listen to books in my tent before I fall asleep.
  • I go back and forth on having my wife spread my ashes in The Merced River in Yosemite Valley, or our favorite campsite in the trees of Thousand Island Lake, overlooking Banner Peak.

2024 Trips and Future GoalS

  • Continue to section hike the JMT. Mammoth Pass to Purple Lake.
  • Grand Canyon of The Tuolumne
  • Silver Pass loop
  • Sunrise to Yosemite Valley via Echo Valley
  • Nelson Lake cross Country Loop
  • Still planning my October Fall Color Trip
  • Future Goals.: Yellowstone, the Sawtooth’s, ,The Canadian Rockies, the High Sierra Trail and explore the Sierra High Route

Follow My Latest

You can find me on Instagram . I love taking photos and Instagram is a great way for me to share where I am and what I am doing in real time before I can get back and update the blog. Just go to my profile page and click follow.

My Gear

by adam noto, posted in Gear and Backpacking Resources, Gear List

Gear has come such a long way since my REI Wonderland external frame pack, iodine tablets, and endless Turkey Tettrazzini dinners! I am constantly amazed at the evolution of all things backpacking. Over the years I’ve played with different gear lists, downloaded templates, etc. However, what works best is the spreadsheet I’ve created. And as complicated as it looks, it’s really easy for me, and I’ve yet to forget a piece of gear on a trip.

During a storm one night, I pulled out my gear, weighed it with my scale and documented it on the spreadsheet so I can keep track of weight as well.

The spreadsheet is broken down for my gear, my wife’s gear, gear for when we backpack together, and gear for when I go solo. When I’m planning a trip, I create a copy of this spreadsheet, and delete everything I won’t need. When it’s done, I print out the gear that made the cut and cross off each item as I pack it.

If you’d like a copy of my spreadsheet, shoot me an email and I’ll forward it to you.