Road trip 2012, part 5: Backpacking (the descent)

After our evening in the mountains, it was time to head back to the gravel lot we hiked from.  We were expecting it to go pretty quickly (and easily) since most of the hike would be downhill and shorter than the path up, but it didn't quite work out like that.

We started off rather leisurely, posing for pictures with mountains in the background, taking our time to enjoy the scenery, sun, and moderate temperatures.

We used a log as the mount for this picture.

As we continued, we realized that this trail (which was described as "not appropriate for horse travel") was difficult, even (especially?) downhill.  There were narrow trails, loose rock, and steep inclines.

We crossed this creek many times throughout the hike.  An easy and enjoyable task.

And enjoyed breathtaking views, completely unique from those on the hike up the previous day.  As we made our way down, we saw a lot of people.  It was pretty scarce initially, but a few hours into the walk, we were seeing families, couples, and large groups of kids from local summer camps, making the hike up.  There were not, however, other backpackers.

The common destination seemed to be this:

We didn't linger like the other hikers, we were ready to get back to our car and be on the way.  After the waterfall, the terrain got smoother, but then we were up and down smaller hills.  Totally energy sucking at this point.  

After five or six hours we'd made it!  Back to the car, down the road, and to Mark's boss's house for showers, laundry, and a real bed.  <3

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 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!!

What I bought: Art-A-Whirl

I only got a few things at Art-A-Whirl, but it's fine because I've been trying not to go overboard on impulse buying lately.  Last year I bought a few prints, which started my 2011 print-purchasing phase.  Now I have a cardboard sleeve full of prints that need to be framed but are oddly sized.  Anyways, here's what I got:

A Polaroid style magnet from a photographer and a plastic Minnesota love necklace.  Simple, inexpensive, and easy to carry around during a day of walking and exploring. 

The leaves are falling.

So, I went to a show on Friday night. Dawes and Blitzen Trapper did a co-headlining show, with Belle Brigade opening. It was sold out, but I had a good spot for the beginning of the show. By the time Dawes came on I had to use the bathroom, and lost my spot for the rest of the night. I took a lot of pictures, but most didn't turn out. Everyone around me had nice cameras or iPhones and they got really incredible pictures. It made me determined to get a newer camera or phone soon. I like to document, but with the current $50 camera I have now, it's impossible to get good pictures unless I'm outside on a sunny day- which means no quality pictures of any indoor shows I'm at this winter.

Here's what I got the other night:



That's it. That's the best I could do, and I took a lot of pictures. Oh well. The show was great.

Made butternut squash ravioli the other night. It did not turn out. Generally, I have pretty good luck cooking, but this did not work out. We started with 17 raviolis made with squash, ricotta, parmigiano, and wonton wrappers, but the first batch of 5 we boiled burst open while boiling, except for one. So, we decided to bake the rest with the maple cream sauce from the recipe. It just wasn't good, way too sweet for a meal, it was like eating rich, not very good desert. Oh well, you can't win em all. I'll let the professionals make my ravioli from now on. And not with a sweet sauce, maybe some garlic cream sauce and asparagus. Mmmm... now that sounds good.

Another show last night, Lotus: good and dance-y. I like a good show to dance at. Especially when it's on a Sunday night and there's space to move around instead of being shoulder to shoulder the entire time.