I'll start off this brand-new blog with a recount of my latest adventure. While I'm bed-ridden by an awful food poisoning that happened right after the said adventure I got literally nothing else to do but stare at my computer screen. So here you have it:
Beta
1 Glacier Peak Wilderness
2 girls
9 days
50 or so miles
2 50lb backpacks
1 crazy almost-deadly lightning storm
5 nights of rain
4 days of perfect sunshine
9 days of total bliss!
Day 1
The rain was constant early in the morning and we were mentally preparing ourselves for a rainy hike ahead. The forecast said something about 80% chance rain and thunderstorms for the next few days. Whatever. We got our September 3-11 off forever ago and there was NOTHING that was gonna stop us from hiking! Except maybe forgetting hiking boots. After driving back to Seattle from Lynnwood to retrieve the said forgotten hiking boots we drove through pouring rain into Leavenworth were lol and behold it was sunny! Fueled by the hope of good weather and also delicous burgers we set off to the Forest Roads that lead us to Phelbs Basin trailhead. After helping a fellow hiker to jump-start his car and winning $20 for it (gas money!) we parked right by the trail, made last packing arrangements, put our hiking boots on, and took off into the wilderness!
The 6 or so miles to Spider Meadows were easy and flat, but we worked hard anyway because our packs weighted close to 50lb with 9 days of food in them. We made really good time to the Meadows and arrived right for the show.
We chose a private campsite at the intersection of 3 creeks. It was out of the way and the short trees made 3 walls around our tent. Really private. First dinner: instant mashed potatoes with freeze-dried veggies, bacon bits, and shelf-stable grated parmesan cheese. Peaches and mandarins for dessert, last of fresh produce that we brought and hot tea. We were woken up in the middle of the night by a few lightnings and thunder and rain so had to scramble around and bring our food under the rainfly.
Day 2
Woke up to great weather, had old-fashioned oatmeal with instant milk and dried fruit for breakfast (oh, and blueberries and granola, thanks to Hilary!) and we set off on a hike that proved a bit harder than we expected.
My stomach was stormy that day and the 50lb pack was pushing on all the bad areas so going was hard for me. My hiking partner led the way and pulled me along.
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| So steep! |
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| Girl was getting tired! |
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| So tired! |
We were hoping for the top - Spider Gap - at the end of every switchback but after getting to the red rock boulder field we realized that we still needed to scale up a glacier...
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| Hilary loves glaciers |
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| The end is so near! |
Not new to snow and glacier hiking, we quickly trotted up the glacier and our spirits rose in anticipation of the near summit. We met two hikers at that point who thought it was madness to go on the snow and were considering hiking the remaining mile to Spider Gap on rocks. Fools. We showed them how it's done.
The top was hard to reach but oh so rewarding! Freaking Upper Lyman Lakes everyone!
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| Our camp was at the very end of the blue water |
We took a break and then down we went on another glacier to our destination. The day was turning out to be longer than we expected. God, we were tired!
After the snow ended we had to follow the cairns that lead us through boulder and scree fields to the trail. Made me think of last month's Lewis Lake adventure, thankfully the boulders weren't that big this time.
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| Cairn |
Triumphant to have made it over the treacherous Spider Gap we quickly made our way along Upper Lyman Lakes in search of a perfect camp. We were a bit spooked by the few lightnings the night before so we tried to pick a spot next to trees. Easier said than done at 6,000ft! We finally chose a very private out of the way meadow at the head of a waterfall that led to Lower Lyman Lake. Perfect! There were a few trees in close proximity to our tent, flowers and blueberries in the meadow, fast-flowing clear water right next to us, and incredible views of Red Mountain and the lakes.
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| Lower Lyman Lake |
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| Home sweet home |
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| Waterfall next to our campsite |
Dinner #2 was Mac & Cheese with bacon bits and extra parmesan cheese. Yum! I love cooking on my brand new MSR Dragonfly stove! We had a fantastic sunset stroll having the whole place just to ourselves. The young people we met on top of Spider Gap mentioned they were from a group of 7 hikers but we never found their camp at Upper Lyman Lakes. Aware of the coming storm they chose less scenic Lower lake, which made me and Hilary the owners of that place for 2 days and nights.
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| Hilary |
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| Collecting blueberries for breakfast |
That night we again had only brief lightning storm that didn't last for more than 5 minutes. But the rain was stronger. Thank goodness Hilary brought a Target-bought $5 poncho that we wrapped our foodbags in to hang in the trees. Kept the food completely dry! And during meal times it was a perfect picnic cloth on the wet meadow. Genius!
Day 3
The morning turned out to be lovely and warm with abundant sunshine. After the delicious oatmeal with wild blueberries we packed our day packs with water, extra layers, and Larabars, and took off to explore Upper Lyman Lakes Basin.
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| I probably ate about 5 gallons of wild blueberries on this trip |
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| We felt so cool for being the only people there! Suckas!!! |
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| We really wanted to swim... but the water seemed a bit too cold |
After a previous hard day of hiking we took it easy and strolled slowly along the lakes, collected wild blueberries, and then returned back to our campsite to bask in the remaining sunshine and be lazy. When dinner time arrived so did the clouds... Many of them. We started off with a spinach salad (yep we brought a bag of fresh spinach with us!) dressed with olive oil, spice mix, and parmesan cheese. Then tea. We weren't sure when to have our main course (packet of tuna, anger-hair pasta, alfredo sauce, parmesan cheese, freeze-dried veggies) but we just happened to simultaneously look in the direction of Spider Gap and see a BIG navy-blue storm cloud approaching heavily towards us. We knew then that the game was up!
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| It came from that direction |
We quickly made and ate dinner, washed dishes, hung food covered in poncho, brushed teeth (already with the lightning striking distantly), put everything under the rainfly (already with thunder above us), and wrapped our backpacks in big garbage bags for extra protection (wind already picking up and bringing the storm closer). Lights off....
And then.... BOOM! Crazy lightning illuminating the whole sky above our tent and then 1, 2, 3... BOOM!!! Rain wacked our tent from every direction, I thought it might have been hailing (it wasn't). Communication with Hilary was impossible because of all the noise. That evening Hilary told me that 6 seconds between a lightning and a thunder meant 1 mile distance from the heart of the storm. Well, I didn't have to count much, most of the counting was just to 2 seconds...
The lightnings were constant like strobe light, thunder shook our tent once about every minute. Some lightnings were so strong I could see them clearly through our tent walls. The terror of that night will probably stay with me forever. Just now I heard an airplane flying over and it made me uneasily think of the storm. It was absolutely awesome to be in the power of nature; the raw terror, the agony of the unknown outcome, the purity of being one with the elements. What a beautiful, beautiful, terrible night!
Day 4
I have never felt happier than that morning. The joy and ecstasy of being alive propelled me forward that day, made me sing, remember childhood, and made me smile like a crazywoman. I saw everything with intensified vividness, it was like my eyes got switched! While waiting out the last of rain inside the tent we made blueberry pancakes under the rainfly, hot coffee, and packed as much as we could inside the tent. Then packed the tent still in light rain, ready to escape that place as soon as possible. And of course the second we started going the sun came out and the rain stopped!
Down to Lower Lyman Lake, up to Cloudy Pass, down to PCT north, then camp.
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| Hilary trail ready! |
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| Lower Lyman Lake and cool fog |
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| Paper-cut trees :-) |
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| Hilary sporting that same poncho that saved our food from rain at night |
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| So many mushrooms along the trail!!! I was surprised they didn't dance |
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| I used my whistle skills to mess with the local marmots |
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| Cloudy Pass was one of my favorite parts along the trail |
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| We camped right at the very head of the waterfall to the left |
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| At Cloudy Pass |
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| We camped in that boulder field along PCT north. Strange but awesome spot for a campsite |
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| The evening was foggy but it didn't rain at dinner |
The crazy campsite was a freaking Pika City. There were pikas everywhere around us, almost creepy. Their funny hiccuping and whistling was constant background noise of that camp. That evening we had a power dinner of quinoa (cooked with chicken bullion cube), freeze-dried veggies, instant refried beans, and bacon bits of course. So much food! Slept like rocks that night, no thunder just rain.
Day 5
Packed our stuff still in light sprinkle which quickly turned into non-stop soggy day. The hike was mentally difficult that day mainly due to the lack of gaiters (I left mine in the car). The pants, socks, and then boots became completely saturated with rain, dew, and just general wetness. The goal of the day was Image Lake and since it was outside of our Green Trails Map #113 we had no idea how long the hike was actually gonna be. I still don't really know.
Going was tough. Hilary's boots were completely soaked with extra splashing water inside of them that was making her crazy. Crazy determined to get there already! I was dragging along a switchback behind, eating blueberries on the way, and overall feeling pathetic. I need a new breathable rain jacket for crying outloud!
We got to Image Lake just at the right moment, because I thought I was gonna get hypothermia soon. There were no spots to camp right by the lake so we chose the very fist site we saw. Bonus: Hilary found stashed folding chairs in the nearby campsite and claimed the dry red one! Cool! We left the black wet one behind to figure out what to do with it later. Of course the second we set up our tent and put our shit into the tent a loud obnoxious group of 4 idiots appread and started setting up their camp RIGHT NEXT TO US! In like completely empty wilderness with TONS of campsites abound they HAD TO set their stupid shit right next to us!!! Maaaaan we were pissed! And then the annoying campers started quizzing us about where the bathrooms are, are there more sites, where are the bathrooms? Without much discussion Hilary and I picked up the whole fucking tent with stuff in it and moved everything to a lovely meadow site separated from the annoying idiots by a hill. On their territory there was a dog barking, a crazy marmot going nuts because of the dog, the loud annoying campers being annoying and loud. On our side it was tranquil and pristine, we were so effing happy to just be done with the day, be WARM AND DRY, and be eating Mountain House Beef Stroganof inside our dry tent. And then drink boozy hot cocoa with Apple Jack in it :-D
After dinner we walked to a creek to wash the dishes and saw what we did not expect to see that day. Effing fantastic end to the crappy day!
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| The rain abruptly stopped and then it started clearing up right in front of us! |
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| Check out our amazing campsite!!! |
The night was the coldest we had on the trip; the high pressure system came in and brought the most perfect weather with it. The stars were extra bright.
Day 6
Everything we hoped for came true!!!!
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| Picnic breakfast on the meadow in warm sunshine |
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| View from the toilet |
After breakfast the annoying campers were gone (and so was the black folding chair....???). Realizing that once again we are the owners of the whole damn place we stripped down and got to wash off in a creek (even washed our hair!). So refreshing! Then we swam at Image Lake and basked in the sun. After such a lazy morning we gathered water and snacks, put on our camp shoes (boots were left drying out in the sunshine) and took off for a short hike around the lake.
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| Predatory bird hunting for marmots |
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| We'll take 'em unmaintained! |
We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying Image Lake, its beautiful green color, passing wispy clouds, and warm sunshine. We saw and heard abundant marmots ("it's a freaking Marmot Town over here!"), saw just one hiker ("Ignore him!"), and one deer in the meadow. Then we relocated closer to the tent, put on extra layers, and admired Glacier Peak in all its glory while enjoying the sounds of Nature ("Fucking Discovery Chanel...") and discussing the subjects of time and Hilary's appreciation of everything "warm and dry".
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| Image Lake |
Dinner was a feast of pesto pasta with a packet of salmon and freeze-dried veggies followed by hot cocoa. Day 6 was definitely the highlight of our 9 day trip. I can't wait to come back to this magic place again.
Day 7
We knew from the very beginning that Day 7 was gonna be a hard one, at least physically. Our goal was to hike from Image Lake to Buck Creek Pass (or as we call it Butt Crack) in one day. We set out early and ready for the challenge.
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| Views from Miner's Ridge are breathtaking |
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| Miner's Ridge |
After reconnecting back with PCT we met a few hikers and told us about our bleak journey. Apparently there was going to be more uphills and downhills than we expected. Oh well. By the way, the only hikers we met were men over 45 except for two lovely ladies in their 80s. Why is that???
The hike through the forest was pleasant and there were SO MANY MUSHROOMS!!!
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| We were hydrating with Nuun super hard that day |
The steep parts were steeeeeeep maaan.... We were working really hard and the sun was going farther and farther West... When we were only 1 mile away from Butt Crack we came across two very very old men camping by a big creek. They informed us that there were no campsites available at Butt Crack, there was no water source up there either, and the only one camp was occupied already by one single man and would you like young ladies to share this camp with us? Hmmm.... They put doubt in our minds but not hearts. After 10 min deliberation during which we agreed that the old men probably didn't see the water source and campsites because of their old age, we pushed on forward crossing a pretty tricky stream.
That last mile definitely took a toll on us physically and mentally. It was extremely steep up and passing dried out streams one after another put again doubt into our minds. What if there indeed is no water up there? What if the old men were right? I told Hilary we'll keep going until we find water, while secretly in my head praying that we don't have to go far. We finally arrived to Butt Crack shortly before sunset.
The views were amazing but water and camp were on our minds. After encountering confusing trail signs I inquired from two camping men about the watersource and with their directions we found a nice cold stream and a great campsite nearby. Always trust your gut feeling! Hilary was spent, so it was another Mountain House dinner :-)
The night was cold and I had hard time sleeping. Knowing that the end of our amazing adventure was approaching made me feel sad; I didn't want to come out of the woods, not so soon!
Day 8
After breakfast we decided to hike up Liberty Cap before our hike down the hill towards the Last Camp. It was still early in the morning with dew on vegetation and the sun's rays at sharp angle.
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| Liberty Cap |
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| Pasque flowers |
After splitting a Powerbar at the top we headed back down to the camp. We run out of most snacks so for lunch we made instant mashed potatoes with instant refried beans. Added parmesan cheese, spice mix, bacon bits, and just used cold water to save the fuel. Worked out beautifully! After breaking camp we had to tape our toes. We noticed from the day before that our boots became somehow snugger in the toe area and that gave us blisters between the toes. My pinky on my right (wider) foot was absolutely squished. We think our boots shrank in the sunshine when we dried them out for 2 days at Image Lake. Oh well, we only had 2 more days of hiking.
The hike to our Last Camp was uneventful but pretty. The gentle grade saved our toes and the forest was spectacular. We also solved the mystery of the folding black chair from Image Lake. The annoying campers took it with them (!!!) and carried it all the way to just 6 miles away from parking lot. What weirdos! Our shins were pretty tired and our toes really hurting by the time we reached our camp. After delicious dinner of alfredo pasta with veggies and bacon bits and parmesan cheese and a failed attempt at blueberry cobbler it was time for bed. It was the warmest night on our trip due to the lowest elevation (only around 3,500ft).
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| Hilary needs toe socks! |
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| Last Camp was not the prettiest but very homey |
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| Mixing pancake mix and cup-full of blueberries and dumping all that on a skillet does not produce a cobbler. Now you know |
Day 9
We lingered around the camp before setting out, neither of us really wanted to go back to civilization. But it had to be done. After breaking camp for the last time we set off determined to make breaking time to the car. The last 3 miles of the trail seemed unreasonable long to me.
After we made it to the parking lot at Trinity we snacked on our last remaining sausages (which probably gave us food poisoning 12 hrs later....), hid our packs in bushes, I changed into my camp shoes, and we set off on the last 3 miles of our adventure along the forest road to the upper parking lot where Lil' Subie was waiting for us.
We marveled at the amount of cars at both trailheads because when we started our adventure there were barely any. All the hikers we encountered on our last few days told us they waited for the weather to clear up... Ha! Shit like weather don't concern crazy girls gone wild like us!
Before leaving the forest we took a bath in Chiwawa River at a campground so we looked and smelled like civilized ladies. Driving back was rough and we had to make a stop at Monroe Starbucks for some fuel.
After coming home from such a great trip I became violently ill that same night and am still sick with food poisoning. Upset stomach, nausea, body aches, high fever.... I haven't felt so ill since I can't even remember when! At least I have the fresh memories of this amazing adventure to brighten my really sad days being sick :-)
