Day Four
July 16, 2006
This was the last day in the backcountry. We breakfasted, had a meditation time, broke camp and repacked our packs as usual, but then we stored our packs in a secluded spot about 50 feet off the trail. Today we only carried water, rain jackets, snacks and lunch. In order to move along faster, we stopped pumping/filtering water and switched to a chemical disinfectant. This only required us to scoop up a bottle of water from the stream and add the chemical, but it did leave a taste (and some floaties) in the water.
We continued to the second lakes. The trail started climbing again, past tumbling waterfalls and a few very steep, boulder-covered climbs, but it was easier because we were not carrying packs. Also, most of us were used to the thin atmosphere by now and it seemed that people generally felt better. We reached the lakes, at about treeline, around lunchtime and split up with sons once again. It was a majestic spot – a blue alpine lake surrounded by flowering meadows and overshadowed by snowshields and bare rock climbing up to the ridge of the Continental Divide. There weren’t a lot of people this far back, and we were reminded to keep our voices down to avoid disturbing the solitude of the place.
After lunch we asked a passing hiker to take a group photograph. Then we headed back down the trail to our campsite of the night before. There we rested for a while, dismantled the dam, refilled water, and retrieved our packs for the final descent. This was faster than the day before because this trail was better maintained, but still took longer than expected – we didn’t realize how far we’d come over the last couple of days, even though part of it was backtracking. As we got lower (the trailhead was about 8500 ft) it got warmer and more humid, the mountain pines gave way to tall grasses and deciduous trees, especially willows along the creek, and the path became more gentle, rolling up and down over small hills. We started to see and hear signs of civilization, and finally the trailhead came into view. We found our vans in the parking lot, separated and stowed our gear and repacked what was needed into our overnight bags.
We drove down winding mountain roads to the city, found a gas station, bought snacks and jettisoned our trash from the trail. Then we went to a hotel, showered and went out to a pizza buffet. We had eaten well on the trial – there was always more than enough – but somehow we felt like we should be really hungry, so the buffet was a good choice.
After a swim in the hotel pool and a good night’s sleep, we returned to Lincoln, arriving late in the afternoon.
Day Three
July 15, 2006
Got up with the morning light, which came earlier up here than on the previous day when we were in the deep pines. We had breakfast, distributed letters to sons and split up for reflective time again. Then, before breaking camp we spent a while doctoring blisters and other minor ailments. It was also time to reapply bug spray and sunscreen – some of the guys had started to burn. Troy checked packs and had a few items traded around to try to get everybody with an appropriate weight – some people were just able to carry more than others and that was ok. Nobody grumbled or was embarrassed. Surprisingly, the total weight in our packs was not getting less. We were eating the food, but we had to carry out all litter and food waste (even toilet paper), so our pack weights stayed pretty much the same.
Today we headed back the way we had come up, stopping for another snowball fight as we passed the snow. We didn’t go all the way down, but turned and followed another trail around toward another set of lakes on the other side of the mountain. Going down is faster, and takes less energy, but it’s not easier on your body. Especially on the steeper slopes, there’s a lot of jarring as you step down and your heel takes the impact of your weight plus your pack.
This was a beautiful, sunny Saturday and there were a lot of day-hikers – many of them with large dogs. Since we were a relatively large group and moving slower than the day hikers, we usually stepped to the side of the trail and let them pass. The people we met were all very friendly and we greeted each other as we passed.
The path today was more varied. The gentle slopes were longer and the steeper parts were steeper, although generally not long. We spent most of this journey in forest with little sight of mountains. We crossed and re-crossed the creek several times. Sometimes there were bridges, but often the path led across larger stones or fallen trees. We ate a cold lunch on the trail (splitting up for discussion again) and reached our campsite in mid-afternoon. Today, some of the younger guys went on ahead to mark out the campsite. Then they came back to meet the main group and helped carry packs for others that were struggling. Again there was no complaining – just cooperation and care for one another.
Today’s campsite was fairly small, right next to a busy trail, so we didn’t pitch tents until late in the afternoon. Some of the guys waded in the stream and built a small dam, others explored the surrounding forest, and others enjoyed resting in the campsite. We had the usual supper experience, but tonight we stood and talked until it was almost pitch black before going to our tents. Several fathers were relatively new to the group, but by this time, they were starting to feel like they fit in and that we were becoming a team.
Day Two
July 14, 2006
We got up when it started getting light. Without our watches, all we knew was that it was “breakfast-time.” It was fairly cool (mid- to upper-40’s) and we all wore long pants, jackets and stocking caps. Some people got the bear bags out of the tree and others fired up the stoves for hot water and coffee. Breakfast was instant oatmeal out of the bag so there was almost no cleanup. Then we split up for some solitary time – the dad’s had each written a letter to their son on Troy’s topic of the day, and we gave them to the sons at this time. After a while, we re-collected, broke camp, and repacked our packs. This was mid-morning and most people changed to shorts, T-shirts and boots for the day’s hike.
The trail went generally upward now as we climbed into the mountains. There was a mixture of gentle upslopes separated by steeper grades – a combination of the bike path angling up behind Holmes Lake and going straight up the back of the dam. The trail was narrower and rougher, with lots of roots and rocks. In the steeper parts, these often made a sort of stairway which eased the climb. Some of the trail was across rocks in the creek, through shallow water and mud and, occasionally, across fallen logs. This required some balance, but nobody fell off.
We stopped every 10-15 minutes. The air was thinner and it was harder to catch your breath. Naturally, some of the hikers were in better shape than others. Troy tried to have the slower ones near the front where they could set the pace for the rest of the group. Some people were starting to feel the effects of the altitude – headaches and nausea – and we were reminded to keep pounding water. When somebody got tired or needed to catch their breath or just felt lousy, we stopped for a few minutes.
After a couple of miles, and a fairly long, steep ascent, we found ourselves on a large, sun-drenched rock overlooking the valley. We took a long break here, snacking from our bags, before heading on up the trail. It was generally shaded by towering lodgepole pines, but occasionally broke into flowered meadows or crossed tumbling creeks and small waterfalls. After another hour we found ourselves on flatter ground. Our next rest break was longer because we found a small shield of snow and the guys wanted to throw snowballs. Some of the dads joined in as well. Another half-mile of fairly gentle upslopes through open meadows brought us to our second campsite, between two lakes at about 10,500 ft. elevation.
We didn’t pitch tents yet, since it was only early afternoon. Instead, we had a cold lunch. Fathers and sons split up in pairs and talked together about the topic of the day over lunch. Then (always) we pumped more water.
This day had been more physically challenging. Some people had headaches or stomachaches from the thin air, some had developed some blisters and some were just exhausted and wanted to rest after the day’s hike. There were a lot of mosquitoes up here, and bug spray was a necessity. A few people put on long pants and shirts to ward off the bugs even though the temperature was in the low- to mid-80’s. Naturally, a few of the kids were still full of energy and they went rock climbing nearby.
Later in the afternoon, some of us climbed up to a higher lake. This route took us up a long, steep, boulder-strewn slope next to a waterfall. We climbed quite a while, reaching the upper lake at about treeline (11,200 ft at this location). It was beautiful and well worth the climb. At this point, most of us elected to sit on a rock, take in the view and enjoy the crisp mountain breeze, but a few of the guys wanted to keep climbing. Over the next 45 minutes or so, they worked their way up to a peak at about 12,500 ft. At this point, we started yelling at them to hurry down, because some clouds had developed and we didn’t want to get caught by a storm or darkness on the mountain. It took them quite a while to get back down to our level, and then it took all of us a while to get down to the base camp. By the time we arrived, it was dusk. The others had started setting up tents and cooking supper. The rest of the evening activities were pretty much the same.
We got up when it started getting light. Without our watches, all we knew was that it was “breakfast-time.” It was fairly cool (mid- to upper-40’s) and we all wore long pants, jackets and stocking caps. Some people got the bear bags out of the tree and others fired up the stoves for hot water and coffee. Breakfast was instant oatmeal out of the bag so there was almost no cleanup. Then we split up for some solitary time – the dad’s had each written a letter to their son on Troy’s topic of the day, and we gave them to the sons at this time. After a while, we re-collected, broke camp, and repacked our packs. This was mid-morning and most people changed to shorts, T-shirts and boots for the day’s hike.
The trail went generally upward now as we climbed into the mountains. There was a mixture of gentle upslopes separated by steeper grades – a combination of the bike path angling up behind Holmes Lake and going straight up the back of the dam. The trail was narrower and rougher, with lots of roots and rocks. In the steeper parts, these often made a sort of stairway which eased the climb. Some of the trail was across rocks in the creek, through shallow water and mud and, occasionally, across fallen logs. This required some balance, but nobody fell off.
We stopped every 10-15 minutes. The air was thinner and it was harder to catch your breath. Naturally, some of the hikers were in better shape than others. Troy tried to have the slower ones near the front where they could set the pace for the rest of the group. Some people were starting to feel the effects of the altitude – headaches and nausea – and we were reminded to keep pounding water. When somebody got tired or needed to catch their breath or just felt lousy, we stopped for a few minutes.
After a couple of miles, and a fairly long, steep ascent, we found ourselves on a large, sun-drenched rock overlooking the valley. We took a long break here, snacking from our bags, before heading on up the trail. It was generally shaded by towering lodgepole pines, but occasionally broke into flowered meadows or crossed tumbling creeks and small waterfalls. After another hour we found ourselves on flatter ground. Our next rest break was longer because we found a small shield of snow and the guys wanted to throw snowballs. Some of the dads joined in as well. Another half-mile of fairly gentle upslopes through open meadows brought us to our second campsite, between two lakes at about 10,500 ft. elevation.
We didn’t pitch tents yet, since it was only early afternoon. Instead, we had a cold lunch. Fathers and sons split up in pairs and talked together about the topic of the day over lunch. Then (always) we pumped more water.
This day had been more physically challenging. Some people had headaches or stomachaches from the thin air, some had developed some blisters and some were just exhausted and wanted to rest after the day’s hike. There were a lot of mosquitoes up here, and bug spray was a necessity. A few people put on long pants and shirts to ward off the bugs even though the temperature was in the low- to mid-80’s. Naturally, a few of the kids were still full of energy and they went rock climbing nearby.
Later in the afternoon, some of us climbed up to a higher lake. This route took us up a long, steep, boulder-strewn slope next to a waterfall. We climbed quite a while, reaching the upper lake at about treeline (11,200 ft at this location). It was beautiful and well worth the climb. At this point, most of us elected to sit on a rock, take in the view and enjoy the crisp mountain breeze, but a few of the guys wanted to keep climbing. Over the next 45 minutes or so, they worked their way up to a peak at about 12,500 ft. At this point, we started yelling at them to hurry down, because some clouds had developed and we didn’t want to get caught by a storm or darkness on the mountain. It took them quite a while to get back down to our level, and then it took all of us a while to get down to the base camp. By the time we arrived, it was dusk. The others had started setting up tents and cooking supper. The rest of the evening activities were pretty much the same.
Day One
July 13, 2006
We met at the church building early in the morning to pack our packs. A few people had serious backpacking gear, but most did not. Troy had backpacks, tents, tarps, sleeping bags and pads laid out and everybody took what they needed. We had brought our clothes and personal gear in ziplock bags and put these in our packs along with the sleeping bags, tents, etc. (One person in each pair carried a tent and the other the poles and stakes). Troy also had ziplock bags of food for each meal and some community gear (pots, water pumps and stoves) that we split up so everybody carried something. Troy also had a bag of trail mix for each person.
We got in the vehicles with packed packs (and a small bag each for the hotel), and drove all day to the trailhead. The trip took longer than usual because we were all drinking lots of water and had to make frequent stops.
We arrived at the trailhead late in the afternoon. Since the packs were ready, all we had to do was change into our boots and put all our gear on. (We had stopped in town to refill our water bottles. Everybody had a couple of one-liter bottles – either the nalgene type or retail bottled-water bottles.) Then we discarded our watches and other electronic devices and headed up the trail. This was fairly flat and smooth at the start, changing to a gentle upslope with pines as we got further along.
We hiked about a mile and stopped near a mountain creek to set up camp for the night. The learning curve was fairly steep here: we learned to pump water (through a filter) from the creek, how to light a gas stove, and figured out how to set up our tents. Somebody dug a small latrine. A couple people cooked a one-pot meal for everybody. When it was ready, we all got a serving in our bowl or cup and ate it with a spoon – no other utensils were necessary. Afterwards, we cleaned the pots and our bowls – uneaten food was scraped into a plastic bag to be carried with us and ultimately out of the backcountry – and sterilized them in some chlorine water.
We’d hiked in shorts but, as darkness fell, people changed to long pants and put on jackets. (Most had already changed from hiking boots into sandals or some other lighter shoe.) Some people continued to pump water (to replace that used in cooking). After supper, the remaining food, food waste and snack bags were loaded in an empty pack and slung between a couple of trees to avoid attracting bears. (We never saw anything close to a bear, but it just takes once.)
As it got dark, we got in our tents and went to bed. No open campfires were allowed, so there wasn’t much to do after dark. We took clothes and other items into the tents with us, but the packs and other gear stayed outside. Some people put a plastic garbage bag or poncho over their pack to keep it from getting wet with rain or dew. The few flashlights that were in use were extinguished fairly quickly.
We met at the church building early in the morning to pack our packs. A few people had serious backpacking gear, but most did not. Troy had backpacks, tents, tarps, sleeping bags and pads laid out and everybody took what they needed. We had brought our clothes and personal gear in ziplock bags and put these in our packs along with the sleeping bags, tents, etc. (One person in each pair carried a tent and the other the poles and stakes). Troy also had ziplock bags of food for each meal and some community gear (pots, water pumps and stoves) that we split up so everybody carried something. Troy also had a bag of trail mix for each person.
We got in the vehicles with packed packs (and a small bag each for the hotel), and drove all day to the trailhead. The trip took longer than usual because we were all drinking lots of water and had to make frequent stops.
We arrived at the trailhead late in the afternoon. Since the packs were ready, all we had to do was change into our boots and put all our gear on. (We had stopped in town to refill our water bottles. Everybody had a couple of one-liter bottles – either the nalgene type or retail bottled-water bottles.) Then we discarded our watches and other electronic devices and headed up the trail. This was fairly flat and smooth at the start, changing to a gentle upslope with pines as we got further along.
We hiked about a mile and stopped near a mountain creek to set up camp for the night. The learning curve was fairly steep here: we learned to pump water (through a filter) from the creek, how to light a gas stove, and figured out how to set up our tents. Somebody dug a small latrine. A couple people cooked a one-pot meal for everybody. When it was ready, we all got a serving in our bowl or cup and ate it with a spoon – no other utensils were necessary. Afterwards, we cleaned the pots and our bowls – uneaten food was scraped into a plastic bag to be carried with us and ultimately out of the backcountry – and sterilized them in some chlorine water.
We’d hiked in shorts but, as darkness fell, people changed to long pants and put on jackets. (Most had already changed from hiking boots into sandals or some other lighter shoe.) Some people continued to pump water (to replace that used in cooking). After supper, the remaining food, food waste and snack bags were loaded in an empty pack and slung between a couple of trees to avoid attracting bears. (We never saw anything close to a bear, but it just takes once.)
As it got dark, we got in our tents and went to bed. No open campfires were allowed, so there wasn’t much to do after dark. We took clothes and other items into the tents with us, but the packs and other gear stayed outside. Some people put a plastic garbage bag or poncho over their pack to keep it from getting wet with rain or dew. The few flashlights that were in use were extinguished fairly quickly.
