Etsy Weekly Wants #5: Autumn Camping

We're leaving for one of our last camping trips of the season after work today. It makes me sad, but it's also getting chilly pretty quickly, so I'll be more than happy to stay in the house this winter curled up under a blanket. After a summer of HOT camping, I forget what it's like to be in the woods in the autumn, so I'm under-prepared... and under-dressed. 

Here are some things I'd love to have in the forest when it's cooler out: 

A poncho! I'd love a soft, comfy knitted one to wear for hiking or sitting around the fire. This one by Mychicaccessories looks cozy and comfy for a camping trip!

A Thermos for early morning hikes and coffee. Sitting in the woods with a big cup of warm coffee sounds perfect! This one is from vintageretros. Plus, those metal camping mugs aren't exactly functional; I seem to burn myself every time I use them!

I really like this wool blanket from aneedleinthehay. It looks warm, comfortable, and good for spreading out on the ground while drinking that hot coffee!

A camera case by janinekingdesigns. Because who needs to lug around a whole purse while hiking? Not me! BTW, I love owls.

Travel Scrabble!! I'm a Scrabble fanatic, so sometimes it's hard to get people to play with me... but if it rains and you're stuck in a tent, this is perfect! Hours of fun (at least in my opinion). This one's from LaneEndVintage.

Alright, off to finish my last hours of work, and then away for the weekend! 

PS It's the last day of summer today!

Road trip 2012, part 6: Backpacking (the flowers)

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 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.

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!