Road trip 2012, part 4: Backpacking (the campsite)

Once we got to the end of the trail, it was time to find a spot to camp.  The conditions were: 200+ feet from water (the requirements for having a campfire), a flat spot for the tent, and away from people.  Despite the fact that we only encountered three people on the hike up, there were two other camps set up by the lake when we got there.  Really, not so bad, but we wanted to have a little privacy. 

And we found a lovely spot!  It came complete with an established fire pit, flat area for the tent, and that view!  I mean, really, what is better than that?!

Once we got set up, we realized how chilly it was, so we got ready to start a fire.  I'd been collecting this stuff on our hike up:

Mark said Bear Grylls from Man vs. Wild suggested it for a fire starter, so I filled my pockets with it as we hiked.  I was so proud of how much I gathered, but collecting wood proved much more challenging.  Turns out, we could have fires because there had been so much rain recently, so dry wood was tough to find.  Once we'd collected enough (which took a lot of effort because we would get so winded from the altitude) it started raining.  Seriously.  Rain and hail.  Not a lot, but enough to soak any wood we didn't cover with our bodies or put under the trees. 

Despite that, Mark started a fire.  I was so proud of him.  I nearly cried after it rained because I've never seen a fire start after that sort of weather, but he did it and it saved the evening.  It was cold and that was what we needed.  

The sun barely set by the time we were bundled up in our sleeping bags, ready to rest our cold, exhausted bodies.  We wanted to look at the stars, but our eyes barely allowed it, minus a mid-eve wake-up to (sorry for this) pee on a tree. 

And this was our morning site.  The sun coming over the mountains, reflecting oh-so-perfectly on the still lake. 

We ate some breakfast, and then were on our way!  Pictures of the hike down to come soon.

Glass hangers for house plant propagation

As if we didn't have enough houseplants already, I've been taking cuttings from a few and putting them in vases around the house.  Yes, I want the house to be a jungle.  Someday, maybe.  Anyways, there was an accident with one of the vases that resulted in two of Mark's carboys for brewing beer breaking, and the dollar vase from Goodwill being totally fine.  My solution: hang the cuttings. 

Two of the bottles I used were from American Science & Surplus in Milwaukee.  I picked them up on our road trip for something like, 50 cents a piece.  I wish I could find them on the site, but they don't seem to be available online.  

The other, the longest one, was from an oil lantern that I lost the main piece to.  

I wrapped them with wire and beads in various ways and voila!  Hanging propagation bottles for my cuttings. 

I'll likely make more if I find more bottles.  You could probably do something similar with other bottles or vases, but what I like about these is that they don't have flat bottoms and don't sit upright, so they need to be hung.  Each is different, and they look pretty in the bay window in our dining room.  I love looking at the roots as they grow.

Road trip 2012, part 3: Backpacking (the ascent)

After our time in Boulder, we headed to Pagosa Springs, CO for a backpacking trip.  Mark's boss has a vacation home there, so we were able to spend a  few nights there before and after our hike into the mountains.

We didn't know where we were going to go backpacking until the morning we left.  We thought it best to just go ask a ranger for tips on where to go, rather than risk picking an area that had been affected by the wildfires.  The woman we spoke to suggested Fourmile Lake, an alpine location, at about 14 miles round-trip. 

We parked our car at about 9,000 feet above sea level and started the hike up.  We were going uphill a majority of the day, and the elevation's effect on our Minnesota lungs was certainly evident in the number of breaks we needed. 

A huge grove of birch- unexpected and beautiful!

In some of these pictures you'll notice a lot of pine killed by the mountain pine beetle.  The number of dead trees is part of what contributed to the wildfires of this summer, and we could see why.  Entire mountain sides would be completely dead and dry as we drove and hiked.  Fortunately, we still had plenty of green, and no restrictions on campfires at the spot we camped. 

We continued moving higher and higher up and across the mountains.  We took lots of breaks and only saw three other people the entire day.

After we cleared the peak, around 12,000 feet above sea level, we went downhill for a short while and got to walk through high mountain meadows.  Absolutely the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, even with the high numbers of dead trees.  There were wild flowers, streams, and open fields of foliage. 

After a full (7 hour) day of hiking, we made it to our campsite.  I'll be posting more on that later.

A summary of how I felt during and after the trip hiking up:

1.  The pack wasn't too bad.  Mark did carry more than I, and my shoulders/ back hurt, but picking up the pack after a break didn't concern me.  I felt strong and capable being able to carry most of what I needed to survive the short trip on my back.

2.  Despite that, this was the hardest thing I've ever done and I've never been more tired.  The elevation and uphill hike could be blamed, and the people we saw without packs were struggling nearly as much as we were, but this hike was brutal.  I've never been more exhausted and sore in my life, but it was worth it.

3.  Being alone is exhilarating, and a bit terrifying.  There were moments when we'd be on steep incline and Mark would stumble, and I'd get this panicked feeling of what I'd do if he got hurt.  We didn't have phone reception, and I'd likely have to leave him to go back for help if anything happened.  Okay, it sounds darker now that I type it out, but you think about it when you're doing something like this.


Alright, that's enough for now.  I'll be posting more about our campsite and descent in a day or so!

Road trip 2012, part 2: Boulder, CO

After our night in the Badlands, we drove to Boulder, CO for a night in the mountains.  I had a few dear friends move there back in college, so I'd visited once, but not recently or long enough to know much about the town.  So, we explored, saw a few friends, and ate some delicious food.

First night in town, we walked up the creek to the downtown area for some dinner.  There were mushrooms!  Something severely lacking in out Badlands adventure.  I could not live somewhere without fungi. 

And yarn-bombing!  An entire tree!  It wasn't completely secured on the tree, but enough to make me smile when I saw it on the path. 

And then dinner at the Boulder Cafe- oysters followed up by shrimp enchilladas and trout with jalapeno corn cakes.  Yes, lots of seafood.  That seemed to be the theme of the trip- long days on the road with very few healthy pescaterian roadside options followed up by delicious, decadent fish and vegetarian dishes.

Then, one of my friends who used to live in Boulder came and met up with us for a little help navigating the bar scene in town.  It was so fun, and despite the time that has passed since we last saw each other, it was like we still eat lunch together in the student union every Tuesday.

The next morning we went discing with a view of the mountains.

Then we hiked in the mountains for a bit. 

After our day of hiking and further exploring of Boulder we went south to visit another friend.  We wound up back in Boulder for a lovely sushi dinner where I discovered a new favorite drink-an IZZE Hound: a twist on a greyhound with IZZE rather than regular grapefruit juice! Unfortunately, in the excitement of the evening, my camera went to the wayside, but it was a great night nonetheless!

More about the next leg of trip very soon!

Road trip 2012, part 1: SD Badlands

Well, we have been back from our big vacation for a full day, so it's time to start sorting through the loads of pictures I took of our adventure.  Up first, the South Dakota Badlands.  We got there after a full day of driving from home.  While I was hoping for some cooler temps, they were no where to be found in this pseudo-desert environment.  We hiked around and found a campsite with a tree (a rare thing in the park).

Marky up in the hills.

 Dry, dry cracked ground and succulents.

A rare flower every now and then.

Midway through our hike we saw a storm headed in our direction.  Nothing like being out in the middle of desolate treeless land with nowhere for shelter as thunder rolls in the distance.  As we got to the peak we needed to climb down, the rain started sprinkling.  Now, this wasn't a bad hike up, aside from getting tired, but coming down, trying to move quickly without falling or getting hurt was quite the challenge.  We got the bottom safely and the storm passed right by us. 

 The view from our site.

 The great sunset.

We set up the camera to take some pictures, but without my tripod, it was a bit of a challenge. We managed to find a good rock, and got this gem of a shot.

And then we slept under the stars.  I don't recall ever being lucky enough with weather to sleep without a rain fly on the tent, but we got to this night.  It was awesome and beautiful to wake up throughout the night to the brightest stars imaginable.

The next day we went for a hike before we headed out and wound up in this cool little oasis-like area full of trees and vegetation.  It was gorgeous!

Well, that's it for the first part of the trip, more to come soon!!