Odessa Lake Overnight

The backpacking trip was AMAZING! I think that the pictures can pretty much tell the story. We went up 1215 feet in just shy of 3 miles - with packs weighing in between 26 & 35 pounds. We marveled often at the scenery and were incredibly blessed with the most amazing weather.

The pictures won't tell the near disaster stories of the trip...there were a few...I'll tell you at the end of the story.

Just a little ways up the trail from Bear Lake - happy to be out on the trail!

B's first time backpacking ever - she did a great job!

Longs Peak, and in the lower third of the picture, what I think is probably Alberta Falls.

Wildflowers on the trail - it felt like it was never going to level out during those first 3 miles.

Seriously - this was the first of several times that we had to stop and check out the snow and figure out where the trail went. Good times! Snow in late July!

This was our first glimpse of Notchtop Mountain - we thought it was amazing.

A random shallow pool as we neared the high point of the hike.

Another look at Notchtop

Our first look at Odessa Lake - from high above

Lake Helene
The farthest out into the backcountry we went...
and where my cell phone actually rang (had it along for the clock)
now if that's not a commercial for AT&T - more bars in more places!

Between Lake Helene & Odessa - serious snowfields - two weeks prior some were considered an avalanche danger - two weeks prior the campsite we stayed at was still under snow too.

Making my way up the side trail to Odessa Lake, and our backcountry campsite for the evening.

Our nice little camp

B enjoying some French Rabbit wine streamside while we made dinner.
Mountain House Turkey Tetrazini and Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs.
Complimented the carton of chardonnay quite nicely...too nicely perhaps.

Our first look at Fern Lake from far above on the very rocky trail down from Odessa.

One of the many wildflower shots taken on this morning's hike out.
Columbine

Fern Lake - was incredibly still today

More Fern Lake - blue sky and still water - great for pictures!

Fern Falls

Me at Fern Falls

It was a long hike out from Fern Falls - I think mostly because we knew we were thisclose to being back to the car, away from mosquitos and biting flies and on my part...my Chacos!

Ok...now for the near misses and other troubles...
Before we even met in Estes, the French Rabbit Chardonnay seemed to have sprung a leak of some sort - inside my pack! The trouble was contained (thank goodness for ziploc bags) and damage was minimal, both to the pack and the carton of wine! Near miss.

THE MOSQUITOS - as I sit and write this, I have counted not less than THIRTY bites on me. Plus from Fern Lake on down, we battled both the mosquitos and biting flies. GRRR.

We had freeze dried scrambled eggs with bacon on the menu for breakfast. I was awake and decided I'd get things going and have breakfast ready when I woke up B for the day. I went down to the river, pumped the necessary water, set everything up on a nice flat rock, lit the stove and went to tend to some other chores, about 10 feet away. I hear the pot fall over and think nothing of it until I hear a loud WHOOOOSH! As I turn around I realize that not only did the water I had just pumped fall over, but the stove and fuel canister were in FLAMES!!!! Scary scary flames. I had two thoughts:

• That can is full of fuel and is going to explode
• The forest is going to burn and it's going to be all my fault

After a brief moment of panic, I grabbed the cooking pot, filled it with river water and after about 4 trips, the fire was out and disaster was averted. The control knob on the stove is melted. Eggs were taken off the breakfast menu and I'm now researching new backpacking stoves. Very near miss - too close for my comfort.

I'm looking forward to getting back out there again sometime, hopefully sooner than later.

Backpacking...finally!

So I'm going backpacking tomorrow with a friend. A friend who has no idea how much good she is doing for me just by going along. This is a trip that's been on my "things to do list" since I moved out here. I got the permit on the first day for phone reservations with the backcountry office, planning to do it with ex-j. When things went bad and I broke it off (less than two weeks before the trip), I had a permit and needed to recruit a friend or two for a weekend adventure.

Within a half hour of her initial response of "let me check and see", B came back with another reply - "of course I'll go - am I crazy, I've always wanted to try it, I'll rearrange anything I have to in order to make it work"

She's never been backpacking before but is all in for an incredible adventure she says. Her biggest concern...how much does a bottle of wine weigh.


Have I told you she's an awesome friend?


So last night we got together at my place to pack the backpacks. Being the "gear-girl" that I am, I have two. We put up my new backpacking tent, a light little thing, coming in at just over four pounds including the rainfly, groundcloth, poles, stakes and tent body of course. I think it's quite little, but once it was up she thought it was huge - which is good since we're both sleeping in there.


We packed up our foodstuffs - this will be my first venture into the world of freezedried meals from REI - simple sounds good to me right now. Boil the water, pour it in the bag, close the bag, wait the alloted time then eat. Easy enough. I hope.

We weighed the packs and since my pack was nearly 70 pounds the last time I went backpacking (in 2001 - with the church kids). Imagine my surprise when with all the liquids I plan to carry, the pack weighs in right at 30 pounds! Hers should be around 25-27, depending on how much water she wants.


Now here's the good stuff. Thanks to a co-worker, I discovered my new favorite gear for backpacking - not even available at REI...no joke! Here it is....



Wine!!!! In giant juice boxes! Giant juice boxes that are 100% recycleable and account for only 3% of the weight when full. They even have little baby ones, straws not included. So, we're going to give the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay a try when we're out this weekend. If you want to learn more about this stuff you can find it here.

I hope to have some amazing pictures of a fantastic adventure by the end of the weekend. So here's hoping for no bears in camp and no blisters on the feet!

Friday Five - CAMP!

A great Friday Five from the RevGals: CAMP!!!!!

We're settling into our new new apartment, and after alifetime at Montessori Katie is having a fantastic summer at YMCA day camp.Meanwhile, Nicholas is packing up for a week at Camp Julian, shared by theEpiscopal dioceses of Los Angeles and San Diego. His lists of supplies andrules--except for the ropes course available to the teenagers and the ban onIPODs and cell phones--bring back memories of my own happy times weeks at Y camp Ta Ta Pochon, funded by selling countless cases of butter toffee peanuts. So, in celebration of summer, please share your own memories and preferences aboutcamp.

1. Did you go to sleep away camp, or day camp, as a child? Wish you could? Or sometimes wish you hadn't?
I definitely went to camp! I was a camper at Carol Joy Holling Camp (one of our ELCA camp in Nebraska) every summer 4th-12th grade. Some of my dearest friendships were made there and camp is definitely a place where I really, truly grew in my faith.

I also went to a 4-H ski camp, twice. Let me rephrase that, I went to a 4-H ski camp in NEBRASKA...yes, we used to have a little hill...NebraSki. The lodge is still there and last I knew some family members of a friend had purchased it and were living in the lodge. The funny think about now is....oh, 18-19 years later, I work for a ski company and I.still.can't.ski. Not to save my life I don't think. I do snowboard, but not that well. Maybe next season.

2. How about camping out? Dream vacation, nightmare, or somewhere in between?
I love camping. It's not my dream vacation but when I've just got to get away for the weekend, it's perfect. Most of my gear "lives" in the car for the summer, so it's just a matter of throwing some clothes and the sleeping bag in the car, along with some stuff for the furkid and we're off.

3. Have you ever worked as a camp counselor, or been to a camp for your denomination for either work or pleasure?
I worked at CJH for four summers, and interned there through my jr. year of college. Amazing time. Again, much growth and more great friends.

4. Most dramatic memory of camp, or camping out?
Was it the morning that the horses from Tipi came over to Mainsite to visit Kent & Matt or the morning after a sleepout when I woke up to six foot flames in the fire pit with Matt beaming about the fact that he lit a fire...a really good fire...that we were going to have to cook on in about a half hour. I don't know...good times though!

5. What is your favorite camp song or songs? Bonus points if you link to a recording or video.
It's been years since I've been to camp and I really can't think of a favorite, but I think of the more mellow ones - oh, and the ones I can actually play on guitar, those are my favorites...but much like Rev Scott....I know what is not...Pharaoh Pharaoh. I can handle Psalm 150 the first time...but after the 50th time in a week...I just want to run and hide :)