ZPacks Carbon Fiber Staff Review

I've been using trekking poles for almost 30 years for lots of reasons, including stability for creek crossings, upper body use for ascending and descending, camera mount platform and general pace making. However, this year I decided to return to the venerable staff in the form of the ZPacks Carbon Fiber Staff. Why would I change a piece of equipment that has proven useful over and again for decades?

ANS: Off trail travel and scrambling where I need one hand free, and the ability to reach further and deeper during creek and river crossings. Although I've used the staff on a number of trips this year, including the Loowit and Wonderland trails, my latest excursion around Mt. Adams in Washington provided the ultimate test. I spent the better part of a day, almost 8 hours, negotiating the rugged eastern part of the mountain where there is no trail. What I did have to negotiate were steep scree slopes, mounds of rocks and boulders, wild creek and river crossings, thickets and dense trees and steep meadows. I was only able to stride normally in just a few places; otherwise I was scrambling over something, down something, or under something continuously. I used my free hand for scramble aid, veggie belays etc and used the staff not only for balance but as a battering ram when I encountered thick brush. I've used it as a mini pole vault for creek crossings, it's been slammed into the ground on numerous occasions during a scree slide or slip, including longitudinal forces that would have snapped my regular carbon trekking pole(s). It has taken enough abuse over these various trips that I keep wondering how long it's going to last before something gives, but aside from marring of the tape around the bottom and pitting of the copper piece, I've had no problems.

Another selling point for the staff is the ability to break it down into small sections, allowing me to carry it in a side pocket without it sticking up too far past the pack. This proved invaluable on a couple of trips where I biked for positioning and had to stow the staff. I've also mounted a camera on it. About the only thing I haven't used it for is fighting off a cougar or bear, but hopefully I won't have to do that any time soon. If I do I better have a camera mounted on it to capture the moment.

The following video shows how I used the staff to cross the Big Muddy on the east side of Adams. I found a place where the hydraulics looked just good enough for me to cross, and I was glad I had the extra reach of the staff for the center torrent. This sort of situation is where the robustness and extra length of the staff proved superior to trekking poles. One last comment about the staff's utility; the surface is conducive to gripping anywhere which is invaluable when negotiating steep slopes....I have easily adjusted the height of my grip to match the terrain, for instance gripping low when the staff is uphill, and gripping high when downstepping.

Am I giving up trekking poles? Certainly not, for well maintained trail I still like the two hand approach. But for off trail travel, I'll take the ZPacks Carbon Fiber Staff everytime. Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with ZPacks and purchased this item for full price;

Big Muddy Crossing with ZPacks Staff from Willis Wall on Vimeo.

Update

on 2015-11-18 07:41 by Steve

At the end of this fall season (2015) I found that I used this carbon staff on all but two hikes. Click these links to see the staff in action.

Eliot Creek Crossing, the off trail and "unofficial" part of Mt. Hood's Timberline Trail

Mt. Adams Round-The-Mountain off trail time lapse, mentioned in the original review

Willis Wall Year in Review video for 2015, where I also used it for some "selfie" shots. The length of the pole allowed for my entire body to fit in the frame.

Wonderland Trail: West 57 miles

just a ridiculous flower showWhat better way to really do a conditions report on the Wonderland Trail than actually hiking the better portion of it? My June 9/10 clockwise hike from Longmire to Sunrise can be summed up thusly: for snow and general conditions, it's like August. For trail maintenance, it's like June (iow, nada). This is probably the only time I would consider hiking the Wonderland a "wilderness experience" due to the fact that one of the major access points is not open until June 19 (Mowich Lake road) and both crossings over the Mowich Rivers are out. Throw in blowdown and a few eradicated sections of trail, schwacking and log crossing the Mowich rivers, and negotiating some snow at Skyscraper Pass, and the traditional backpackers that come to hike the Wonderland from all over might be discouraged at the moment. Every park I transited above 5000 feet was bursting at the seams with a riot of flowers. Unfortunately, those hiking the trail during the more "normal" season starting in July will probably not enjoy the spectacle I witnessed, but at least the trail crews should have fixed the problems I've mentioned. One thing's for sure, Wonderland hikers coming this summer will enjoy a snow free trail.

This link to a trip report I posted on NWHikers provides some details about the trip, including the difficulties enocountered, along with myriad photos. The photo album can also be viewed on the Willis Wall facebook page. The following video will give the reader a good idea of the August like conditions I experienced and perhaps an incentive for people with a date for the trail.

Mt. St. Helens: Loowit Trail

Volcanoes dominate some skylines in the Pacific Northwest. Just witness how many photos are published of the Seattle area with Mt. Rainier in the background. We climb them, ski them, and hike around them. Which brings me to Mt. St. Helens, the show stopper of 1980 when the summit collapsed and produced the Earth's largest recorded landslide in an eruption that displaced 3.7 billion cubic yards of material from the mountain. Lahars, mud flows, ash deposits and blown over denuded trees made the landscape surreal. Now, 35 years later, my daughter and I decided to hike the Loowit Trail which circumnavigates the mountain and takes the hiker through the impact area in a transit that sees the lingering effects and amazing recovery of the ecosystems.We took two days to make the 32 mile trip, sleeping in on the first day and driving the 3.5 hour trip to our hop on point at Climber's Bivouac on the south side of the mountain. A 2 mile trail took us to the intersection with the Loowit Trail for us to start our Counter Clockwise transit. Sticking to our plan, we hiked approximately 12 miles the first day and bivied on the Plains of Abraham, an area just before entering the restricted zone, where camping is not allowed. (Full set of photos here)

How does one adequately describe this hike in a few paragraphs? The south side sees trail crossing boulder fields with adequately spaced wooden posts placed to guide the hiker as there is no real trail in these sections. Gradually we entered the impact zone where trees were mown over like toothpicks, all pointing away from the blast direction, but some half covered in deposits, some still standing, and some being surrounded by meadow and flowers and new trees. The impact zone itself can be characterized by ravines, gullies and an occasional chasm. The deposit of this vast amount of ejected material is easily cut by creeks and rivers, with near vertical walls to contend with. At the South Fork Toutle River crossing, there are ropes to assist the hiker in ascending and descending into the ravine because of the loose and steep material one must try to find purchase on. And don't expect any bridges either, making for a few feet wet crossings. Did I mention the heat? Miles of hiking with no shade and the sun heating up the lava rocks all around you. Better carry enough water too, as sources are scarce. But I don't mean to complain about the various challenges on this hike, as the geologic interest, vastness of the area, expansive views and hidden surprises (like our visit from a Northern Pygmy Owl during a rest break back in old growth) more than compensate for the conditions. Prepare for a little grit in your socks and be amazed at the power of nature, both in its destructive capabilities and in its amazing ability to recover and rebuild.

Transiting the south side of the Loowit trail, Mt. Adams in the distance

Ghosts begin to appear as we enter the transition to the impact zone on Mt. St. Helens' east side

Ghosts slipping away, blast zone Mt. St. Helens

Mt. St. Helens dome in 2004

descending to the South Fork Toutle River, Mt. St. Helens

Mt. St. Helens dome in 2007

Wonderland Trail Snow Outlook 2015

Glacier lillies already at Indian HenrysOne to two months ahead. Pretty much sums it up when it comes to this year's snow levels in most parts of the Cascades. Usually I take a trip up to Panhandle Gap in June or July and report on the snow conditions, but this year it hardly seems necessary. Yesterday my daughter and I took a jaunt to Indian Henry's Hunting Ground on the Wonderland trail, nestled in a picturesque area at 5400 feet. There were no snow patches until above 5000 feet and what remains is patchy and sparse, with depths of no more than a foot. If current warm weather trends continue, this snow will be gone in a matter of days. I dare say one could hike the Wonderland beginning in June and experience the same kind of conditions normally seen in late July (in fact this is what I did, see report here). Problem areas may occur due to the lack of park personnel this early, as in facilities are not open and trail maintenance has not begun. Expect blow downs and possible river/creek crossings where the bridges have been washed out, although these will be high priority as soon as the crews get out. There is always a problematic area on the Wonderland below Martha Falls in the Stevens Canyon area that sees erosion and washout every year. Additionally, the steep areas on the trail between the North Puyallup camp and Klapatche park may be difficult to navigate if snow is still present. However, this can be bypassed if necessary by taking the St Andrews trail out of Klapatche Park and circumventing via the West Side Road to the North Puyallup camp. And of course the park service always issues navigation warnings concerning snow over Panhandle Gap. In a nutshell, anyone hiking the trail during the "usual" season starting in late June should enjoy snow free steps.

sparse snow at Indian Henrys and melting fast