Necklace Valley to Jade Lake

The Trailhead at Necklace Valley

I decided to go backpacking with three athlete's. It was a great idea in regards to spending time in the woods with the boys, it was a bad idea to think that I could keep up with two runners and a young Jack Russel dog. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time hiking alone.

 We drove to the Necklace Valley Trailhead on Friday after work, hiked a mile in and set up camp for the night. The plan was to get up early and hike to Jade Lake on Saturday, once there, pitch camp and then day hike to Opal Lake with a stop at Emerald Lake and the Necklace Valley Cabin in between. It was to be an adventure in exploring and a hard enough trek that my athlete friends would feel challenged.

Dan starting out on the trail.

We hiked in a mile or so from the trailhead just before dark to set up camp for the night. I noticed right away that Dan's backpack was a day pack. He didn't record the weight of it prior to the trek, but it had to be super light. He is training to climb Mt. Rainier this September, so this was a supply test for him. He brought a sleeping bag, bivy sack, two trekking poles and food. That was it! No tent!

Our friend Stephen brought everything, it seemed! His bag was huge! It looked like he was going to be in the woods for weeks not just a weekend. But he killed it on the trail, and to be honest, I spent the entire weekend far behind him wishing his bag was even bigger and much heaver. He was impossible to keep up with!

Dan and Stephen, morning coffee.

The next morning, quick to rise, drink our coffee, eat and hit the trail in full push. The valley wasn't what I was expecting at all. I was expecting a valley with plush meadows and hardly any trees, But we were under a good growth of moss covered second generation trees in the valley mixed with  plush vegetation. We stopped many times along the valley trail taking pictures of the many things to look at as we hiked to the river crossing.

The old bridge crossing, with all of it's charm, is a fun place to stop and take pictures while cooling off. We stopped to take pictures of this old bridge and raging Foss River before starting our hike upstream the next morning. We camped above the river on our first night, listening to the sounds of the flowing water. A good night indeed. Actually, I had a nightmare that night. I dreamt my tent was sucked into the river and I was trying to escape before it sank, but that's beside the point.

The Skykomish River, according to Wiki, is 29 miles long including the head. It merges with the Snoqualmie River and continues to runs down to Monroe, WA. The name "Skykomish" comes from the Northern Lushootseed people, and means, "upstream people".

Along the valley trail there is an abundance of moss covered trees to inspect along with lush vegetation along the trail with spectacular views of the surrounding Cascade Mountains. There are a few snakes to watch out for but mostly it's the nettles that stick you, making your legs sting as you walk though. It's probably best to wear pants through this section of the trail, but if you're hiking early morning, such as we did, you're surely going to get wet. I went with shorts and found that if I left my legs alone they didn't sting or itch terribly long. (Keep in mind that I also just got over a severe case of Poison Ivy. I suppose nothing would seem as bad at this point.)

Another really cool place to stop and take pictures is at a large fallen tree just before the river camp. We stopped and took many pictures of and in front of the fallen tree, but Ruby was the only one willing to walk all the way to the end of the hollow tree.

After a quick stop at River Camp to eat and refill our water bottles, we crossed over the river foot bridge to start a full push up the mountain.
The River Camp is the last stop before crossing the river to climb the mountain to the Jewel Lakes. It is a beautiful camp, perfect for several people, includes a toilet, and easy river access for swimming, fishing or whatever your pleasure. The camp is covered by trees so mid-day spent in camp will be cool and out of the direct hot sun. This is a fun five mile hike with a clear trail for families with children or teens. Or for a relaxing stroll or day hike without all the grit that comes with most backpacking hikes.

The river crossing is another great spot to stop and
have lunch before starting the push up the mountain. And if you are short on time, it is a great base camp to do some hiking from. The first of the three lakes is only three miles from the river camp. It is a hard uphill push, so if you are out of shape, this is a great place to set down you bag and do a short but hard uphill hike to Jade Lake.

Follow the stacked rocks to get to the trail.

Look for the fallen log to cross to the rocks.

Once over the river bridge, we stayed to the right and continued to follow the trail to a fallen an unmarked tree covered in vegetation. After crossing it, we then had to hike up a field of boulders looking for cairn of rocks to indicate directions to reconnect with the trail. Once we were above the boulder field, and on the trail again, we begin the long and steep upward climb to the lakes and cabin. In fact, the climb is over 2400 ft in 2.7 miles, and is truly rough terrain. The worst I've experienced thus far. I highly recommend adequate ankle and knee support on this trek. I hurt my knee even with my very slow pace.

The trail. 

This is pretty much where my athlete friends I was hiking with showed their abilities and quickly passed me up and after several stops of waiting for me, completely left me behind. Even Ruby proved to be an athlete in her abilities and left me in the dust with the guys. I would see them periodically when I hiked up during one of their breaks, of which they had time to remove their backpacks and walk around taking pictures. Once I was able to catch up to them, they tossed on their bags and left me in the dust again! I tried to hike fast, but it was no use. They were just way to awesome! And I really needed to be going to the gym before hiking with them! Regardless, it was pretty amazing to watch them hike without having to stop and take small breathing breaks as I did. That was also pretty much about the same time that I started to wish they both had bigger and heaver packs on to slow them down.

Ruby climbing the boulder field. 

Ruby came into my life two months ago after my 14 year old dog, Abbey, passed away from cancer. When we brought Ruby home she was slightly afraid of us and our cat. She didn't know her name nor a single command. And she wouldn't walk around freely in our apartment.

We have been working non-stop to gain her trust in addition to teaching her how to live as a polite dog in our community. And while she is still working on being polite, she has developed an amazingly lovable and outgoing personality.

Ruby on the footbridge.

 I decided to take Ruby on this trek as her first outing with me. She did awesome! She instinctively understood to stay on or near the trail, and came right away when I or one of the guys called for her. When I watched her pass me and follow the guys up the mountain, I was happy to see that she was doing so good on her own. But I was super surprised and touched when she came back down the trail to check on me, and even more so when she didn't leave me to go back up the trail with the guys again. Instead she stayed back and slowly hiked up the mountain constantly turning around to check on me. She is a loyal dog. We defiantly bonded during this hike.
Ruby didn't sit down once during this hike, even when she was waiting for me to catch up to her, she was off looking in brush or under boulders for rodents to chase. I was thinking that she would have a hard recovery the next day, but the next day, she ran like she didn't hike nine miles the day before. She didn't skip a beat on the trail the entire weekend. She for sure will be joining me in every single trek I do from here on out.

Another view of the terrain and trail...

After Ruby and I crossed the footbridge, we were having to pass snow covered rough terrain, slowing us down even more. In the miles of hiking though snow, I only broke through once, and was unable to touch bottom. In a way, this was a good thing as I surely would have injured myself had I hit ground or a boulder. But this made getting up really hard. I had to unsnap my backpack and push myself up out of the hole and get back on top of the snow without breaking though again. Then I had to carry my backpack over to exposed ground to put it back on in order to continue the hike up the mountain. This was probably the first time I had ever thought about giving up during a trek, and if I wouldn't have been following behind two guys who were waiting on me, I probably would have. By the time Ruby and I had caught up to the guys again, they were planning their final push up the side of the mountain to reach Jade Lake. Ruby and I followed Dan up, stepping where he stepped so we wouldn't break though the snow again.

Jade Lake.

Back to the River Camp, dang!

Jade Lake was surrounded in snow, and we really couldn't pass on without having more equipment to keep us safe. We would have to stop here. Unfortunately for us, there was only one camping spot at Jade, and it had already been taken. Thankfully, the guy who set up camp there was away. We took advantage of his area and ate lunch, relax for a good long while as I completed a sketch of the area in watercolor. Then we decided that we would have to hike back down the mountain three miles to the River Camp where we had stopped at for a break to spend the night. I knew It would take me even longer to get down the mountain as my knee was giving me some serious pain at this point. Dan offered me one of his trekking poles and a knee brace to help me out a little. It was a relief. I tried to keep up with the guys as we hiked back down the snow covering in case I broke through and needed help. And I managed to pretty much clear it before they pushed on ahead of me again. On mine and Ruby's hike back, I stopped to take pictures of the mountains during the "golden hour" and admire the views trying to record things in my memory that I saw for later sketches and paintings at home.

Photographs taken during the "golden hour" of the hike back to the river camp.

During the hike back to the camp, I stopped many times to take pictures and to think about how beautiful Washington is. And how hard it is to hike here compared to some of the treks I have done in other states. The reward for being able to complete a Cascade hike is a personal one as not many people have a true understanding of just how hard it is to hike a trail that hasn't been maintained for hikers. It truly makes hiking a challenge. And being able to say I have hiked up to Jade Lake in early spring might not seem like much of an accomplishment to somebody who hasn't done the hike, and even less of one to somebody that has never hiked the Cascade Mountains at all, but to the person that has, they know just how taxing this trek is. And while I didn't get to make it to the cabin or the rest of the jewel lakes, I will be doing this hike again at the end of the season. Hopefully with the two guys I came up here with. And this time, hopefully, I'll be able to keep up with their asses!


This is a really hard hike, and much of the trail is not maintained pasted the Necklace Valley. Do this hike with a friend, especially if you are not an experienced hiker.

Mine and Ruby's condo on the Skykomish River... We never slept so good.

Pine Ridge Trail to Sykes Hot Springs

In California where the Santa Lucia Mountains Rise from the Pacific Ocean, there is Big Sur. It's peak is the highest coastal mountain in the lower 48 states. It ascends nearly a mile above sea level within three miles of the ocean. With the many Micro-Climates in the area, it offers several different variables to experience. It's no wonder this destination is a favorite for hikers and backpackers alike.  Even the great writer, Jack Kerouac retreated to a cabin in Big Sur in search of solitude from fame and wrote a book about his fictional alter-ego Jack Duluoz in 1963 which included a poem about the sounds of Big Sur.

Although we would not be in view of this beautiful coast, this trek would take us high up into the Ventana Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forrest in the San Lucia Mountains, where the vista views are sure to take the very breath you're trying to catch right back out of your mouth. We would be hiking to the head of Big Sur River, which runs roughly 15 miles through the forest and eventually drops out as a waterfall into the Pacific Ocean known as the Pfeiffer Falls. This trek is rated extreme, but who pays attention to that anyway?

John and I at the Trailhead

This would be a special trek for a couple reasons. First, it's Big Sur, my favorite place to backpack thus far. Second, I would be hiking with one of my best friends, whom I don't get to see that often, my Brother In Law, John. This is his very first introduction to backpacking, so I'm honored that he chose to go with me. And my comrade Shaun, who moved back to Sacramento and I hadn't seen since before winter would be joining us.

After a three hour drive west we pulled into the Ranger Station to collect our permit to burn our stoves. Then headed to the trailhead to park and fill out our camping and car information. I asked a girl in the car parking lot who had just pulled in if she had a pen I could borrow, and she found me one to use while she went to get her permit. When she returned I told her that I added the two of them to our group so she wouldn't have to get a burn permit from the Ranger Station. She said thanks and we headed down the Pine Ridge Trail on or way to the Sykes Hot Springs! 

Stopping along the trail to catch our breath and take pictures of each other and the views from the ledge as we climbed. The wildflowers were in full bloom and little lizards were keeping us on our toes as the darted out in front of us while we anticipated a rattlesnake encounter. We were in "full push," as John called it, heading up to the Redwoods!

In the early morning, the first person on the trail has to, "break the webs." There are a couple ways you can do this.  You can hold your hands in a, "stick em up," position in front of your face and allow the webs to collect on your hands and arms, wiping them off between bushes. This can become hard when your arms start to burn, but sometimes it's necessary to take your mind off of your legs burning when climbing a terrain.
A simpler way though is to use a thin medium length stick, hold up in front of your face, chest and arms with your wrist relaxed at your waist. The webs collect on the stick. Once you're done breaking, toss the stick.

During our hike the three of us pretty much stuck together for the first few hours, stopping to take water breaks and pictures of each other in front of the vista's before continuing on the push. To keep our mind off of the climb we talked about our philosophies for backpacking. My concept for backpacking light so I can enjoy the actual hiking part of the experience. And Shaun mentioned being able to push yourself despite being outside of your threshold for comfort. Which I totally agree with. We all have to experience this while backpacking, otherwise everybody would do it...

John on one of the many vista's.

Before the hike, I gave my brother the spill about trying to keep his backpack as light as possible and offered him my extra packs as a starter so he would already be packing light. But he informed me that he already had everything, and not to worry. 
The day before the hike, I mentioned getting a couple of canned beers. One for each night, and he said he was going to get canned stew too. I warned him against it, as ounces turn to pounds so every ounce counts! Canned stew would be too heavy for the trail, in my opinion. But as all men do, he did it his way.
On the trail, while struggling to get to the start of the wilderness, I asked him how much his pack weighed. And he replied about 40 or more pounds. And that he had those two BOTTLES of beer, and that stew!  My brother did what all beginning backpacker do, he over-packed! 40 lbs may not seem like a lot, until you are hiking uphill on a ledge, in the wilderness, with another eight miles to go! That's when your 40 pound pack feels like 60 and you want to give up before you even get started!  But I give him this, despite his bag weighing more than both mine and Shaun's put together, and hiking an extreme trail, he didn't complain, not even once! And he did his best to keep up with us. I bet those beers were the best tasting beers ever! 

Shaun at the start of the Wilderness.

We stopped at Ventana Camp for lunch and decided that we would not push on for Sykes until morning, but instead hike a couple miles more to Barlow Flat Camp and spend the night there. After a little exploring and lunch at Ventana Camp we pulled back on our backpacks and started hiking again. This time we hiked separately, giving each other time to do what you do on the trail, reflect. And watch for snakes!

John's camp. His bag is not even empty!

Once we arrived in camp, we scoped out our places and started setting up right away. We found a camp right before Barlow Flat Camp that was secluded and had it's own private swimming pool with small trout swimming around. Once we set up our camps, I went off to do some exploring. When I returned the girls from the trailhead had arrived, and as it turned out, they were really going to say in our camp with us. I helped Alana set up their tent in my spot then relocated my tent to a new and even better location. This is the first time that I have made trail friends! And since these chicks are super cool. It was pretty awesome! 

My camp in contrast to John's.  No really, this is it.

We all cooked our meals, talked and joked about our hike to camp. We talked about the things we saw and new things that we had added to our packs this year. I had purchased a new cup and stove set from Target for $15.oo for solo treks. And while I'm super stoked about finding quality items at outstanding prices in today's market, I'm worried about Target carrying backpacking supplies in general. They are such a mainstream store, it makes me wonder, is backpacking somehow in demand now? Shaun had a few additions to his backpack as well, in fact his backpack was new!
John had brought along a constellation map downloaded on his phone. (Always take your phone folks, it's a GPS!) And from where we were positioned, we would be able to climb to the top of the ridge and see the Peacock. We were both excited for the stars to shine that night because we both have went to the Dark Side of the Moon Star Show, and were well aware of what we would be looking for above us. Unfortunately when the sun dropped and the stars shined the Peacock was nowhere to be found. But we did get to see the Lion and the Bear (with a tail) from our position, which was really cool.

Our trail friends, Alana and Toni. Good times.

The next morning during breakfast we decided to hike back to Ventana Camp later that afternoon so we could be back to the car in time to drive home and catch my flight at four. I'll never do this again. I'll always leave the following day from here on out! It was just way to stressful. But John had the force and Shaun was right, we made it to the airport with time to spare. 
After breakfast and coffee, I packed my day bag and walked around camp to see if anybody was still up to complete this mission to Sykes Hot Springs before having to pack up and hike back to Ventana Camp for the night. I refused to give  up on making it to the hot springs. But everybody else decided to stay back and hang around camp. So I pushed off once again on this mission to the Sykes Hot Springs, only now I was alone on it.

Once at the top of the ridge, I could see why we were encouraged to continue on from Ventana Camp to Barlow Flat. The trail swiftly drops down to the base of huge redwood trees, and swimming pools from the Big Sur River. I took a few pictures and pushed on to reach Sykes Hot Springs.  With the trail rising and dropping as it did up to Barlow, I packed a full bottle of water, a candy bar, a sweater and headlamp in case I didn't make it back before dark. Hiking along I stopped to take breaks and pictures of weird holes in the trees, and refilled my water at a natural spring. Then preceded to scare the crap out of myself for a good ten minutes because I thought I was being stocked by a Mountain Lion. It turned out to be my Altoids making walking sounds in the bushes behind me that stopped every time I stopped and spun around to see what was going to eat me! The tricks your mind will play on you! Dang.

Big Sur River Head

 Finally, the trail dropped down one last time to the head of Big Sur River. I stood across from the best camp in the house by far! Across the river pool was a sandy beach with a tent on it. They were so lucky to have that camp! I took several pictures then moved on to try and find the trail again. I crossed the river and found more camp sights but not a trail to follow. I spotted a girl down at the end of the camps, so I walked down to her camp and asked her where the hot springs were. She pointed and stated that I needed to follow the river for about 15 minutes then the rocks to the hot springs. I said thanks, and then jumped in the river to walk down it to the hot springs, crisscrossing from one side to the other taking pictures and dunking my head to cool off. I turned a bend and spotted a guy that I had talked to at Ventana Camp during lunch the previous day. I walked toward him and saw that he was happy to see me, so I entered his camp, "I'm shocked at how few people are down here!" I said as I approached him. He said, "most people give up at Barlow. Where're your friends?" I swiftly replied, "they gave up at Barlow." We laughed. I asked him if he knew where the springs were since there wasn't a trail. And he pointed and said follow those rocks. I saw the rocks that he and the girl at camp had mentioned and started off to them when I heard him say, "Enjoy!" I spun around, waved to him and said, "Damn straight!"

 Hopping around like an old ball player, taking pictures of the stacked rocks and sometimes flat out inspecting some of them in amazement as to how they were standing. I slowly continued to move along down the river in search of the hot springs that I had come so far for.

The guide

I started to smell the hot springs before I saw them so I knew I was getting close. In fact I didn't actually walk to them, I more or less just stumbled upon them from above. And to my delight, they were empty! "Don't mind if I do," I said to myself and slid down the hill onto a rock
beside the spring and stripped down to my skivvies and climbed in! The temperature was perfect, not too hot. And the smell wasn't as bad as I anticipated it being. They we pretty much perfect! As beautiful as the rest of the wilderness that I had experienced. I was happy to be sitting there, relaxing in the Sykes Hot Spring, finally! I stayed in the bath for a good 10 to 15 minutes before getting back out and jumping back in the river and swimming around for a good 10 minutes. Then I climbed back out and put my clothes back on and started my push back to Barlow Flat and pack back to Ventana. In total I hike nine miles that day, seven of them completely alone and two of them with my 20 pound pack on. For it I received one blister. But it was totally worth the miles and fear of hiking alone that I have. And in the end, I felt more comfortable trusting that I was capable of taking care of myself without anybody else being around.

My camera died just after I took this last picture of myself in the spring. It's not a very good picture, but I can see how content and proud of myself that I am, having accomplished what I had set out to do. For this it is one of my favorite "selfies" taken.
   

The biggest rewards in life are the ones you work for.

                        NEVER GIVE UP!

A Cold Starry Night Got Me To Thinking (A Side Note Into My History)...

Warner Mountains, near Alturas, CA.

When I return to Seattle from Anchorage, at the airport, I stop at a  little bookstore and grab a "book for the road," sort of speak. This past time I got Clair Fejes's memoir, "Cold Starry Night". It's about an artist who moved from New York to Fairbanks in 1946 to homestead with her husband. Mostly though, it's about a woman who left a major city with an already developed knowledge about art and culture to a remote and newly constructed town for the gold rush so her husband could strike it rich as a miner. Only, I'm gathering that never happened. Instead, she went from a social lively existence to extreme isolation and fear. She had never shot a gun, went fishing, and her idea of nature was the town park!
The concept of the story makes me think about what it must have felt like for this woman to make such a crazy transition in those years to  a place dominated by men and where the temperature dropped to an average of 60 below in the winter. A transition from a house to a shack with moss as insulation! Again, at 60 below! And a wood stove that is used for cooking and heating at the same time! Remember those? Probably not. We had one when I was a kid on Whitlock Rd in Mariposa, CA in our green cabin. It was cool. We also had insulation!
Claire reports that when she arrived in Fairbanks, AK in 1946 the population neared 3000 people. And that it had dropped from around 5000 when the "rush" started to slow. And so that also got me to thinking...
Basically, this lady moved from New York, to Alturas, CA times 60 below!
When we got to Alturas, we hadn't expected a winter that would drop to 20 below. We were from the mountains, and we knew mountain life, and we thought we would move up there and continue what we already knew. But by the end of summer, the first time around, we knew we were in for a LONG winter! And long is was. In Mariposa, the snow would drop a foot or more. We would leave our car at the top of the driveway on Tip Top Rd. and hike down to our house through the woods. And a few weeks later the snow would have completely melted off. And we'd wait and repeat the cycle over and over again, until the season changed. In Alturas, or rather Likely, CA, an even smaller town twenty minutes out of Alturas, the snow fell that first year, and stayed the entire season, and more snow fell on it! And it was cold as hell! Reaching 20 below some days. Our truck wouldn't start, we got low on wood, and didn't have family around to turn to. Nor did we know anybody to turn to if we should need a hand. We moved back to Mariposa real quick! I read about how the the town folk in Fairbanks helped Clarie and her husband right away, as they knew she and her husband were going to be in grave danger by winter with no way to escape. And man, I just thought, would if we couldn't leave! Crazy!!
When we returned to Alturas the second time. We were more than ready. And we had brought my mom's sister and kids along with us this time, and made them stay there too! That time around we had family to turn to, and we made friends to lean on. I turned to the Hasting's and the Campbell's who were native to the area and learned a great deal about Modoc and about how to be a decent person in general. And as soon as the spring came, I would go out to Jess Valley with Danny and my mom and we'd ride horses and hike around the lake. It was a pretty cool existence. Growing up in the mountains for me, was not so much fun as it was normal. Thank the good God we hadn't tried to move to LA from Mariposa! Or to Fairbanks from New York, good God!
Anyway, I'm having a great time reading this book and liking this woman's story to my own. I guess everything has changed from 1946 to now. Except the simple life, it is still the same, only it has insulation!


~ "I went out there with nothing to lose but danged if I didn't lose that!"

Unknown

Winter Backpacking to Mt. Rainier's Dead Horse Creek

View of Mt. Rainier from Dead Horse Creek

Snowshoe Backpacking in Mt. Rainier Park is an accomplishment that anyone can admire. Naturally I had to test my ability to not only survive cold conditions, but attempt to stay warm while doing so. My first thought in planning was to take a few minutes to research what other backpackers were suggesting on the internet. In turn, I made a list of a few things that I agreed I should have. Extra things such as a second full body sleeping pad, extra batteries, and snow boots.  I normally try to pack as light as possible, but on this trip, I quickly abandoned my thoughts of light travels for hopeful thoughts of worm and dry nights. I also agreed to go with  a team of roughly 40 other hikers. I hoped that this would give me some peace of mind about not being familiar with the area being hiked. I had a  little over a month to put everything together or be forced bail out.
My first purchases were from Amazon and consisted of a double layer full face fleece beanie, insulated slippers, and a back up stove burner. I borrowed a full body sleeping pad from Joey, my hiking buddy on this trip. I also arranged to rent some equipment at Whittaker Mountaineering. Whittaker is a mountaineering expedition shop in Ashford,WA. They put together expeditions from as close as Rainier to as far as Everest. Check them out if you plan to spend any time in the park. With a variety of services to offer, you can't go wrong choosing them.
On the day of the hike I slipped into my base layer consisting of synthetic "dry" long john top and bottom. Then put on my snowboarding  pants and a long sleeve cotton-less shirt. I tossed my coat in the back seat of my car, with the intention of strapping it to my bag at the trailhead, but ended up putting it on instead.

We made a quick stop at the Longmire Ranger Station to fill out permit information for my car and register where and how long we would be camping in the park. Then we were off to meet up with our group at the Dead Horse Creek Trailhead. As it turned out less than 20 packers showed up to do the hike. And many hikers were leaving a day early due to the Seattle Seahawks  being in the Super Bowl. I too, would be leaving a day earlier then I originally planned in order to watch the game.

A walk through the trees.

A hiker packing down snow around his tent.

A view of camp from the trail.

At the start of  the hike we quickly found ourselves questioning if we were on the right trail. Luckily Joey had done this trek the year before and pointed out right away that nothing looked the same to him. Although, I was wondering how he could know this? The only things we could see were snow, trees and clouds. We turned around and went back to the trailhead and started over again. This time we found the correct trail in a small fork to the right about 50 yards in from the trailhead. I hiked with Joey and two others while lead hikers plowed the path 50 feet ahead of us and the rest fell about 25 feet behind us. Thankfully, the hike was easy. In fact it only lasted about 30 minutes  before we were at our destination. That's when the real work began. Packing down snow and building trails in and around the tents is something that has to be done, preferably before dark. We also built a community area. It took me about an hour to pack down the snow so I wouldn't sink down to my knees when I stepped out of my tent or attempted to walk around it. Then I packed down a trail to my buddy Joey, in case either of us needed anything and lastly, I packed down snow to the Community area trail. Then I set up my tent and continued to pack down useful trails around the rest of the camp, like a trail to a tree to pee at. Something I would not want to be doing in the middle of the night. And a trail to my food. Some backpackers brought shovels with them and used them to dig out trails and campsites. They finished a lot faster then those who forfeited the luxury of having a shovel in camp, like me. And their camps had an all around more advanced structure than those of us who were using our feet. Next time I'll have a shovel strapped to my backpack.

My sleeping system

My insulated booties were the best investment!

I had thought long and hard about my sleeping system, and I decided on it being the bunk system. I placed down a thin sheet of heat lining between the tent and my first thermo full body sleeping pad to trap the heat inside the tent. On top of that I put my second midsize thermo pad. And finally, on top of it, I placed my sleeping bag. (Note: If I had the chance to do this again. I would bring duct tape and wrap the pads and heat liner together. They slipped all over the place each time I moved.) Unfortunately the full body sleeping pad that I borrowed leaked, and I was left with just one midsize pad for the night with a heat liner. It was an ugly event! The weather forecast for that weekend boasted about temperatures in the teens to twenties with a clear sky. That meant that the snow would still be dry and that I would be fine in a 20 degree sleeping bag. But as it turned out, that night it was snowing and the temperature had reached -8 when I went to bed at 9. Already two really big mistakes! First, not bringing a 0 degree sleeping bag like I had been told. And second, trusting another hiker with equipment that he/she would not be using.
Once I finally got my tent up, I added to my layer of clothing. I put on an extra pair of long johns and a sweater under my snowboarding clothes plus an added pair of wool socks and switched out to a dry pair of gloves. I ended up wishing that I would have invested a few dollars and brought up half a dozen hand and feet warmers and three more pairs of  gloves as both of mine were wet within an hour of putting up my tent. And one pair was even waterproof!
Finally I was able to relax and make myself a really hot meal and some cocoa! I didn't realize however, how long it would take to not only melt snow but boil it! I was still sitting there waiting a half an hour later! But it was worth the effort and the time spent getting cold while waiting. I quickly ditched the cocoa and went with a Bourbon Cider instead.

The start of the "Bar".

After dinner I went into the community area to hang out with Joey. I was impressed to find that the guys had brought up loads of beer and made a kitchen, bar and seating area. And to top off all that, by the end of the night, they had also strung Christmas lights all around the bar and had them lit by battery. They made steps leading into the bar and carved out seats in the snow. These guys were really freaking awesome! Sorry, none of my night pictures turned out because I have a really crappy point and shoot camera that I take backpacking. I really need to replace it. It turns off if it gets cold, so I was really lucky to get these.

Socializing in the "Bar".

Sunset on Mt. Rainier

Once I had lost all feeling in my feet, I decided to go back to my tent and slip on my insulated booties. This is also when I found out that my bottom pad was leaking as it was completely deflated. I blew it up again and hoped that it would get me at least halfway though the night. Then decided to make myself a hot cup of cocoa to defrost with. I was told in the bar area that snow will boil faster if you place a lid under the gas can. I tried this method out and it worked. I got to drink a hot cup of cocoa 25 minutes later! After that I slipped in my sleeping bag with every last bit of clothing that I had on, plus my booties. Minus my snowboarding gloves as they were very wet by this point. Joey had gave me one hand warmer for my bag. I placed it as close to the middle of my back as I could. And then set up to read some Robert Frost.

Boiling coco at four in the morning.

By 4 o'clock in the morning I was shivering beyond control. I had to get up and move around. So I unzipped by bag, blew up my deflated sleeping pad again, and slid my feet into frozen solid boots. Then put on my frozen solid waterproof snowboarding gloves. By this time in the morning, with each breath I took, the condensation turned into ice crystals and fell down onto my lap. The entire inside of my tent was covered in ice and frozen stiff. I have never seen anything like this before. It was fascinating! And a bit scary. I could see why it is so easy to die in these types of conditions. The snow was crunchy under my steps and it was still falling. The outside of my tent was covered in several inches of fresh snow. I stood there going back and forth with myself about knocking it off. Thinking, I should leave it, it's  insulating the inside of my tent, if that's possible... Then, shake it off, I'm not sure the poles will be able to hold the weight of the snow. I shook it off. It was cold as f#$* anyway! I then lit my stove to boil snow and walked up and down the camp over and over again. I drank my cocoa while walking, and then walked up and down the camp some more. At around 6 o'clock I climbed back into my tent, blew puffs into the sleeping pad and climbed back into my sleeping bag. By 7 AM I was up reading my book and boiling snow for breakfast. And I have to say, I have never been so stinking pleased to have to leave. In fact, I was in the best spirits! I couldn't wait to be getting the hell out of there.
I'll do this trek again, but not until I have every last thing I need to stay warm. Including a portable heater!
With that being said, I did have a lot of fun and the views were beautiful. There were a lot of foxes around at night, so bring those bear vaults!

View of Rainier the next morning!

The south view

Osprey Kestrek 48 Pack Review

My review of this bag is an honest one. I didn't get this backpack for free as a test to review. I bought it with my own money based on other peoples reviews of it. This is what I think of this bag...

Right off the bat I have to say that I'm not a fan of the lid not coming off. On one spring trip I stuffed it extra high then had to remove items because I couldn't close the top. I took out a sweater, one I wish I had later on. If the lid adjusted, I would have been warm, period.

My standard size fit is a Med/Large, but this bag is too large around the waist. I'm returning it for the Small/Med bag and adjusting the spine to fit my shoulders and waist.
I like the side pockets as my tent poles and rodent sack fit perfectly.
The side mesh pockets are also nice. I hold quick grab food there to eat during the hike.
The wide mesh pocket was important for me, I wanted to be able to gab quick clothing out of here. It has worked out perfectly for this.
The pole straps are fantastic. The compression straps work perfectly. And it has a lot of tie points.
It has a ventilated back which is great for the summer months!
The water pocket is long, and holds my 3 liter water bladder perfectly. However, despite reviews saying the water compartment is located outside the main compartment, I disagree with them. You slide your water into a compartment which seemingly is located just behind the main compartment, but when you open the bag and look inside, the water sack is right there, located INSIDE the main compartment! Unfortunately with this bag, water spills are still a scary factor to think about when purchasing. I counteracted possible spills by purchasing two Sea To Summit waterproof cinch sacks, one for my sleeping bag and one for my clothes.
The bag is light, comfortable, and compresses nicely.
My only major complaint about this bag is that I have to tighten down my shoulder and waist straps every so often during the hike, as they give way making it loose and uncomfortable at times.
 Out of 5 starts, I give this bag 3.5. I wanted to love this bag. But as it turns out I just like it. I'm keeping it, but only until something better comes along.

Spectacle Lake By Way Of Pete Lake Trail

Me on the vista of Spectacle Lake Trail

 I will start this off by stating this trek is not for the lighthearted, especially in early season packing such as June in the Northwest. Matter of fact, I have five blisters on my feet confirming for me that, in fact, this is likely the hardest trek I have done to date. With that being said, let's get to it!

 Trail rout, Pete Lake to Spectacle Lake via Cooper River

After a quick travel through Roslyn, WA, a town 80 miles east of Seattle, made up from years of coal-mining from the late 1800's, (Roslyn played a role in Washington State History by supplying fuel to the Northern Pacific Railroad trains during the construction of the rail line through the Cascade Mountains. It is the perfect place to stop and eat after a long adventure in the Cascade Mountains.) we headed straight to the Pete Lake Trailhead with our sights set on backpacking to Pete lake before dark.

The Pete Lake Trail is essentially an extension of the Cooper River Trail and is located just past the Owhi Campground. The trail begins with deep forest and quickly adds attractive views of the river, lush foliage and wildflowers. With a lack of vistas and only one large log crossing the trail is easy enough for families with children to trek. 
We settled in at Pete Lake just before dusk with just enough light to fix a quick meal and watch a magical sunset drop behind Big Summit Chief Mountain while a boy fished for what is said to be, "pan-sized rainbow trout" that flourish in this lake.

Pete Lake & Big Summit Chief Mountain at sunset

Due to the abundance of people visiting Pete Lake, the wildlife is happy to come snatch up your left out goodies. It's important to bring a bear bag if you plan to keep your food throughout the night. We even had a black tailed dear walk right into our camp and have a look around with what appeared to be little worry about our presence.

Shaun fording the second half of Lemah Creek

The next morning we were quick to rise and start our journey to Spectacle Lake. The trail takes you around the lake and along the Lemah Creek onto a Lemah Creek fording. The two part creek ford is fairly high in the early months of the summer, with some parts of the creek nearing our waist. I highly recommend caring trekking poles and adequate footwear. A footbridge was constructed along the PCT a mile north of this ford as an alternate crossing route without fording, but it has been washed out and reports indicate it has not been rebuilt. Once past the ford and after drying off the best we could, we continued northwest along the trail to the PCT junction and up the first series of switchbacks.

Passing through the rebirth of the Lemah Fire

The Lemah Fire, which was caused by a lightning strike in 2009, left the mountain with roughly 600 acres of burnt wilderness. In 2013 the mountain has reclaimed the forest with thick, sometimes waist high, vegetation and beautiful wildflowers. Tracks of wildlife along the trail indicate that deer, birds, rabbits, bobcats, coyotes, and yes, cougars roam the mountain side. We saw both fresh and old scat (cat poo) on many different parts of the trail. I was relieved to have my comrade with me on this part of the trail in particular. After a series of switchbacks and little shade, I was happy to be passing a creek once again.

Spectacle Falls bridge crossing

                                                                                     


The waterfalls are plentiful along this journey.
Some falls are small and hardly noticeable, others raging and sprouting what appears to be right out of the ground. But the one worth mentioning is Spectacle Falls. After crossing a tight squeeze of a waterfall, one which drenched us yet again, we reached the mother load of all falls. Luckily, this fall had a sturdy bridge for us to cross over. We were also fortunate because just beyond the falls, the trail had collapsed stopping horses from passing, turning around all those easy goers and giving us Spectacle Lake to ourselves!

Once past Spectacle Falls, we set out for our second set of switchbacks up a slippery slope of snow covered trail. Much time was spent here trying and remain on our feet as we climbed over snow to find more trail. Sometimes having to maneuver climbing over or ducking under large fallen trees, only to have to climb over snow again. This process went on until we got to the vista, which made everything worth the effort.  A panoramic view of everything that we had just done and more, plus a spectacle of a lake patiently waiting for our arrival below!

Snow covered trail can lead to serious injury.

Snow covered trail with tree hopping. Holy beeep!

A glimpse into some of the payoff...

After a short stop on the vista we headed down to the lake, stopping first at the small lake for a snack and some much needed leisure. Shaun took a hand at fishing while I pondered over some Robert Frost poetry. Then we went on about exploring the area. We decided to set up camp pretty much right at the center of the inland allowing us access to both sides of the horseshoe style lake that is a spectacle indeed. One side giving us an awesome beach access to the water, the other showing us the awesomeness of nature with all it's raging waterfalls, crystal clear water, and enormous rock mountains for a backdrop.

Spectacle Lake from the vista

The area in early summer is bogged down by mosquito's, especially where there is stagnant snow runoff. Between the two of us, we brought enough spray to fight off the little demons while we set up camp and prepared our meals. Bringing anything less then 95% deet repellent, regardless of it's harm, will be harmful in contrast with the constant swarming, bites and itching you will face. Unless you are bagged in a net from head to toe, without deet, you will surely be miserable. Bring light long sleeve clothing and spray away! It's the only way, TRUST ME! 

Spectacle Lake from camp

                                           

Fried Spam & Mashed Potatoes for dinner

Cooking in the back country can be worrisome for those just getting started. Additionally, the first thing picked up seems to be some sort of Top Romen. Although Top Romen is good to have in your bag, it will not give you the fuel that you need to replenish your energy and rebuild muscle. Instead, think about protein, carbs and hydration. Pack based on those supplies and what you like to eat and drink at home. For me, there is nothing like eating an awesome tasting dinner out in the back country. I carry extra food weight because I like food, and I want it to taste good, even in the back country. For dinner I had fried spam and mashed potatoes along with hot rum cider. I sat next to wildflowers and watched the sun set on the rocks as I ate and laughed with Shaun about our adventure and my "turkey" spotting. Which, as it turns out, clearly was not a turkey at all. Not even close.

 By the time dinner was done and dishes had been washed, the sun was starting to duck behind the ridge. Based on the warmth of the night before, we decided to leave the rain fly off of the tent so we could star gaze. But after a days hike like the one we had and full bellies, we were asleep by the second star sighting. However, we both woke up on separate occasions and took a good look at the blanket of stars and moon that had covered us that night. The temperature was perfect, neither hot nor cold. The next morning I woke to the singing of about 50 yellow bellied birds hanging out in our camp sorting through our stuff. They all gathered and flew across the lake when they spotted me reaching for my camera. It was the perfect start to a brand new day. Unfortunately, the mosquito's were also there, waiting ever patiently for us to leave the tent. F'ers!

We packed up camp and started the long trek back to the civilization. Backtracking through everything we had done the day before. Taking time to check out the little things that we had passed up or missed on the way up. We decided to take an alternate route back to the car instead of the continuing on with the Cooper River Trail. As  it turns out, the trail is for mountain bikers as they are not allowed inside the wilderness boundary. The alternate route is at the boundary line and makes for some awesome riding if you are into that sort of thing! On the map this trail is marked in back and is labeled Pete Lake Trail. Don't get confused by this while hiking, your car is parked along the Cooper River Trail. I give this trek an A. And plan to go back again at some point.

Shaun, my comrade, on the vista of Spectacle Lake Trail