Tag: backpacking index
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Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness
This trip was planned months ago, and we had missed getting permits for the original weekend. This date was our backup, but it turned out to be better now, when the Arizona summer has transitioned to more fall-like.
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Saddlebag Lake to Greenstone Lake
It’s been a year since we last went backpacking, and the kids have been looking forward to this trip. They are growing up, and they can have more freedom on this trip. The night before our trip, I put all the kids to bed an hour early, since we have an early morning start to…
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Hilton Creek Lakes
It’s a sunny Friday morning. We had driven up the day before and camped at Rock Creek Lake, a beautiful spot surrounded by pines and aspens that are just beginning to glimmer gold. The hike to Hilton Creek Lake #2 is five miles according to the map. We set out first, while Kendrick, Rakesh, Kara,…
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Kearsarge Pass
At last, Brad and I are standing at the Onion Valley trailhead on this very overdue trip. Way overdue. We had talked about doing such a trip off and on over the years—for nine years, to be exact. Only now has it materialized.
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Cottonwood Lakes
The kids are getting more and more trail time. Two years ago, we did one uphill mile each day, with two miles hiking out. Last year, we did two miles with a lot of elevation gain. Now, we’re going to tackle more than five miles. The last week has been all about getting ready, both…
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South Lake to Long Lake
Anticipation Excitement builds. Daphney and Jayden can’t wait. Last year’s backpacking trip felt like a proud accomplishment. This will be a trip bigger than the last, and this will be Myles’s first such trip. It’s Friday evening of Labor Day weekend. Yan and I are doing some final packing. “We’re going to wake up at…
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Mosquito Flat to Marsh Lake
The trail rises gently out of Mosquito Flat. In contrast to the scorching hot week in Loma Linda, the air, scented with pine needles and sagebrush, is cool. I tell the kids a story about hiking in Kings Canyon to distract them from the mild uphill. Just before the trail junction to Ruby Lake and…
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Onion Valley to Golden Trout Lake
Little did we know that the trail to Golden Trout Lake was straight up the side of a water and across some sketchy house-sized boulders stacked on a slope. From the map, it didn’t look far at all, very doable, I thought. Yan, pregnant, and I, with Daphney on my back, adventured into this wilderness,…
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Greenstone Lake
When permits are hard to come by, the Saddlebag Lake area is always a good fallback. We spent the first night in a developed campground, and then we ventured in along the south side of Saddlebag Lake. The first major lake just to the left of the trail is Greenstone Lake. Mark arrived there first,…
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Glacier, Gable Pass
Into the Woods. That’s what this first stretch of trail reminds me of, and it reminds Yan of that same movie we watched in the plane while on our honeymoon. Lee Ridge Trailhead begins as a small inconspicuous orange flag trail marker a half mile south of Canada. I would have missed it had it…
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High Sierra Trail
It’s all about the luxury items. The scale is actually quite ruthless, and ever since Brad convinced me to try using it before our trip to Rainier, I’ve been letting the scale make most decisions. The pack weighs 1191 g, the sleeping bag 1038 g; and the second shirt 156 g. In total, my pack’s…
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Mono Basin and Little Lakes Valley
The gentle drizzle continues for the whole night, and by the next morning, everything outside the tent is completely soaked. We organize all of the food according to the grid, and then we pack up and set out toward Mono Pass. Cloud cover cools our climb above treeline. Right at the Pass, we stop for…
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South Lake to North Lake: Day 1
August 31 The noontime sun beats down by the time we arrive at the trailhead. The first part of the trip takes us along the South Fork of Bishop Creek. Before reaching Long Lake, we pass a newlywed couple on their honeymoon, who are planning to spend their first night at Saddlerock Lake. We decide…
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Pt. Reyes National Seashore
Bryce, Kara, Alice, and I headed into the backcountry at Point Reyes National Seashore. The first day, we hiked from Bear Valley Ranger Station to Sky Camp. The next day took us down to the beach, where we arrived at Coast Camp shortly after noon. We napped away most of the afternoon. Saturday’s hike was…
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Rainier’s Northern Loop Trail
I arrived in Seattle. The first part of the trip will be a backpacking excursion along the Northern Loop Trail of Mount Rainier National Park before joining the Western Orthopaedic Association. Sunday morning, Brad and I drove to White River Ranger Station to pick up our permits after having breakfast at IHOP. We then parked…
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Grand Canyon
We’ve all been looking forward to the Grand Canyon hike. Very early Saturday morning, as the mercury plummets to below 20 degrees F, Todd and I pull into Mather Campground after a very long drive from Las Vegas, post AAOS. The frozen ground crackles under our feet as we step out of the car. Brad…
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Haleakalā
This backpacking trip started by parking our car at the exit point, at the Halemau’u trailhead. It took forever to find someone to take us up the mountain to our starting point, but eventually, a car of girls picked us hitchhikers up. The Sliding Sands trail was long, gentle, and beautiful. We started out along…
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Phoenix and the Superstition Mountains
On Thursday, April 3, I fly to Phoenix for a wonderful stay with the Wilsons. It’s my birthday, and Sarah makes a wonderful melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate soufflé. We leave for the trailhead on Friday morning and start hiking around 10:40. The main part of the trip takes us through the Tonto National Forest, Supersition Wilderness…
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Ediza and Minaret Lakes
On Thursday, we pack up and head to New Shady Rest Campground just outside the town of Mammoth. For dinner, we have cold soba noodles. The next morning, we shuttle to the Agnew Meadow trailhead and begin our hike. Our semi-loop trip takes us around Shadow Lake to Ediza Lake, where we spend our first…
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Zion Narrows
Chad, Kevin, and Armando meet me bright and early on Thursday morning. We load up Armando’s car and head out to Zion National Park and find our site at the Watchman Campground. We inch along the trail’s knife edge through dizzying switchbacks to Angel’s Landing for a panoramic view of the park. This trip had…
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Routeburn Track
The trail up to the Routeburn Flats wasn’t too bad. Everything was covered in moss and ferns. There were some spectacular waterfalls. At the hut, we dropped off some of our gear. We forgot to print our tickets, but the warden took our names and radioed the information for confirmation. We then proceeded up to…
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June Lake and Yosemite
This evening, I returned from a long trip away from home. It’s nice to be back. On Tuesday, I hiked up the trail above June Lake and Gull Lake. Yost Meadow was beautiful. That afternoon, the rest of the group joined me. There was Uncle Ben, Andrew, Lynette, Wing, and Gabriel. I gave devotion on…
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Desolation Wilderness
On Sabbath morning, we left and headed to Eagle Falls campground, where we parked. Joe had to go get an overnight parking permit while we waited. Anyhow, we made it for the 11:00 shuttle bus to Meeks Bay where our hike began. After an initial stretch of flat trail, the terrain became an incline. We…
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Mammoth to Thousand Island and Garnet Lakes
On Friday last week, we headed up to Mammoth Lakes. We stayed the first night at the Pine Glen group campsite number 7. The next morning, we set out from Agnew Meadow. Our group consisted of me, Sean, Sean’s mom and aunt—Nancy and Deborah, Kevin, Ryan, Brad, and Armando. The hike to Thousand Island Lake…
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Horseshoe Meadow to Whitney Portal
The trip began on September 15. After spying Whitney summit from the Lone Pine Ranger Station, Ryan and I got car shuttled to Horseshoe Meadow. From there, our trip took us to Chicken Spring Lake, Guyot Creek and Pass, Crabtree Meadow, and Guitar Lake. We had the most spectacular sunset at Guitar Lake, and the…
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Sawtooth Ridge Loop
A week ago Thursday, we head up to Bridgeport. Although the invitation had gone out to so many people, only Lynette and Jessica managed to RSVP. At the beginning of the trip, just a few steps into it, Jessica’s backpack strap fell apart. We patched it up with a needle and some dental floss. It…