It all started as it always does.... with a trip idea. The original plan was to go ultralight backpack and hike into the remote Indian Heaven Wilderness to Chenamus Lake and camp out for a couple nights. Things don't always go as planned. And that's not always a bad thing.
Day 1. We didn't get out on the road until mid afternoon, but the drive was only about an hour and a half and weren't walking in too far, so I figured we'd still be all set up by 7, which with a late sun is enough time to get some dinner going and chill out a bit. The core team (Fawn and Atreyu) and I headed out with Everest and Luna for what was planned as about a two-mile hike past Placid Lake to Chenamus Lake and set up the tents and have some yummy grub. We'll see.... what happened was.... it was super snowy STILL, even in the last week of June. The trail was covered in hard packed ice and snow in some spots and in others there were standing ice water puddles (Luna didn't mind). There were several spots where blown down trees required going over, under or around, not always easy carrying a pack. Atreyu was having a hard time with the walk and we're all kinda bushed when we see Placid lake. There is a gorgeous campsite near the water right on the edge of a meadow, firewood and a couple of fire rings. It's already starting to get late, we simply decided to stay. We couldn't have made a better decision. I take down two of the fire rings and fix one of them, while Everest and Fawn get the camp together. Atreyu chased Luna around and whacked things with a stick. Everybody has to contribute to camp to make it a success. We get dinner going and set down to eat. We brought WAY more food than any 4some needs for two days but we want to be comfortable. Dinner the first night is ramen noodles, with chicken and veggies. A crowd favorite. The sun is still high in the sky and the lake is clear and shallow with a sandy/muddy bottom, the water is warmish, not warm but not uncomfortable and we do a little wading hanging by the lake edge. Atreyu and I find tiny frogs on the lake edge and he catches a couple. **SideNote** There isn't a whole lot cuter than a 4-year-old with a tiny frog in their fist, being 'Oh So Careful'.
As evening rolls around and the temperature starts to drop we all scoot around the campfire. We have tea and roast marshmallows and just lounge around. As the sun sets behind the trees and the sky begins to darken the sounds of the thousands, of peeper frogs, get louder and louder to the point you can't hear much else and actually need to raise your voice just a touch to keep a conversation going. Atreyu gets off to bed and Fawn isn't far behind him. The night sky begins to darken the small crescent moon plays with the horizon and gives just enough light to see where the meadow ends and the lake begins. Everest and I spend 30-40 minutes just standing on the water's edge staring at the millions of stars as they show more and more brightly. The milky way becomes evident only as the moon ducks under the tree line and I am reminded of the true glory that only a sky full of stars can have.
That night as I lay in bed still imagining how very small I am compared to all of existence, the frogs stopped chirping. Like ALL of them, At Once. DEAD SILENCE. 10 seconds go by, 20, 30 maybe 45 seconds before another sound. I laid there, frozen, listening with alert intent. Then, they slowly began again and within a moment the sound is near deafening and all feels right in the world, as I drift off to sleep.
Day 2: Like most mornings in camp, I'm up super early. I make a fire and get the coffee going. I sit and watch the day begin as the sun comes up.
Eventually, everyone else gets up and we have oatmeal and coffee for breakfast. We had a bunch of goodies to put in oatmeal: dried berries and apples and nut selection. We all lounge for a lazy morning for a bit, then we get cleaned up and ready for a walk. I pack a lunch and we head out to find the lake we came to see in the first place.Remember when I said things don't always go as planned? This hike is one of those things. We tried to find the trail to Chenamus Lake again. We started by following what I thought was the trail and followed along with some orange tags on trees that seemed to mark a clear trail. They did not. We ended up on a bushwhack all the way around Placid Lake, which we only realized when we got to a clearing on the lake and could see our camp across s the water. But it was a good hike. Brush and brambles over and under around and through. We were forced to tromp and push through some pretty thick brush but we made it and had a good day anyway. We stopped along the trail and had lunch, meat and cheese wraps and some gorp. Yum.
Back to camp and the plan is "not much". We go for a dip in the lake and try a little fishing with a "pole" I made from some extra paracord and a stick (it didn't work) and just watch the day go by. Some naps, some feet soaking. Hanging in the hammock and resting against a log. We make a leisurely dinner of raspberry scones and veggie sausage with cheesy rice n broccoli. A few more marshmallows and some more tea. A quiet night just sitting by the fire. Luna and I used each other as pillows and dozed off right on the ground. Everest and I watched a bat flying around for a bit and I found a giant toad in the grass. Fairly uneventful, but so satisfying.
Day 3: The morning was chill as well. Keep it simple. A buffet of everything left to eat we don't want to have to carry back out, which means giant bowls of oatmeal full of all kinds of stuff, and quesadillas with cheese and various dried and cured meats as well as several pots of coffee. We break camp and head back out on the trail which seems so much shorter this time for some reason and Fawn points out that she thinks a lot of the snow has melted since we'd gone through. We get back to the car and head on down the road, a quick stop for coffee at the drive through and back over "The Bridge of the Gods" and home in time to get showered and ready for work.
We didn't bring anything new on this trip but it was the first time we backpacked with our small tent, The Drifter 3 from Mountain Hardware. Which incidentally was exactly the right size for us on this trip. I know there are lighter tents out there and of course, I would love to have one, but this tent was just right this time. The weight of carrying it in versus the amount of space it offered was well worth it. We fit Atreyu, Fawn, Luna and me all in this for sleeping. No Problems. The two only issues I even had were the fact that Luna was on my bed when I tried to climb in it and deciding whether to bring all the parts or not. TBH we never even used the fly, but originally I planned on only going with the fly and poles but reports said there were tons of mosquitos in this area, which there are, so we needed the mesh. All in All I wold definitely recommend this tent or a similar product by mountain hardware but be aware this isn't a tent you want to carry in just for yourself or even a couple. This is a three person tent and three people are what make the size and weight worth the carry.
As I am finishing writing this we are planning a new trip and will head out for an overnight tomorrow. A new backpack trip, a new lake, AND I got a new camera, so look for tons of great pics on the next one.
Last thing. Let me ask you guys for some constructive criticism. What do you like or don't like about my blog? What would you like more of? I'm working on a new site and would love the feedback in the comments below. Like everywhere else, remember to like and subscribe. Hit that + button on Google. And share the heck out of my stuff here. Love you all. Talk to you soon.
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