Post by Black Hand on Jun 13, 2019 12:32:29 GMT -7
One summer, we planned a trek starting in one drainage and walk to a lake that was at the head of the next drainage over then walk out (3 days were planned). I was assured there was a trail...
Once reaching the top of the divide (picture 2 shows the divide in the distance) - you guessed it, there was no trail and the lake was quite a ways in the distance. At some time that day, we ran out of water and had to refill from a puddle of melt-water (with bonus frog - picture 6) and continue. After spending some time trying to find the trail, we decided against several miles of bushwhacking to the lake (the 7th picture is of where the destination lake was located - somewhere off in the distance) and headed towards the next drainage over. After hours of walking, a 45 degree slope covered with slick evergreen ground-cover (almost like walking on ice in greased moccasins) and a drop of several hundred feet as the surprise at the bottom of this slope, we reached a finger-ridge that dropped into our desired drainage. After several more hours of walking and a very close encounter with a very stupid Spruce Grouse, off in the distance I hear what sounds like wind. As we walk closer, we hear water instead. Keep in mind this was after hours in 80F+ heat with empty canteens. We made our way down to the water, filled canteens, drank, filled again and drank some more. Found a slightly flat spot on a hillside and made camp - a couple of pieces of jerky, some parched corn and a little rum and it was dark and time for sleep. We had started walking about 9-10am that morning and reached water about 8-9pm that night.
The next morning we headed down the hill (my feet were battered from the hike in thin moccasins - see the 3rd image at minuteman.boards.net/thread/111/moccasin-leather) and find a spot we recognize. We backtrack a little to a camp spot by a creek and spend the next 2 days eating and drinking before walking out several miles of rocky trail with the occasional bonus Huckleberry bushes loaded with berries as fat as the end of your thumb.
This trip was later dubbed the Death Trek - we had a goal and the environment provided all the challenges we could ever had wanted...
I go out with the express purpose of learning something and being challenged - living in the moment tends to teach me something new each time I go out. There is rarely more than a location in mind...
A few select pictures from the adventure:
Once reaching the top of the divide (picture 2 shows the divide in the distance) - you guessed it, there was no trail and the lake was quite a ways in the distance. At some time that day, we ran out of water and had to refill from a puddle of melt-water (with bonus frog - picture 6) and continue. After spending some time trying to find the trail, we decided against several miles of bushwhacking to the lake (the 7th picture is of where the destination lake was located - somewhere off in the distance) and headed towards the next drainage over. After hours of walking, a 45 degree slope covered with slick evergreen ground-cover (almost like walking on ice in greased moccasins) and a drop of several hundred feet as the surprise at the bottom of this slope, we reached a finger-ridge that dropped into our desired drainage. After several more hours of walking and a very close encounter with a very stupid Spruce Grouse, off in the distance I hear what sounds like wind. As we walk closer, we hear water instead. Keep in mind this was after hours in 80F+ heat with empty canteens. We made our way down to the water, filled canteens, drank, filled again and drank some more. Found a slightly flat spot on a hillside and made camp - a couple of pieces of jerky, some parched corn and a little rum and it was dark and time for sleep. We had started walking about 9-10am that morning and reached water about 8-9pm that night.
The next morning we headed down the hill (my feet were battered from the hike in thin moccasins - see the 3rd image at minuteman.boards.net/thread/111/moccasin-leather) and find a spot we recognize. We backtrack a little to a camp spot by a creek and spend the next 2 days eating and drinking before walking out several miles of rocky trail with the occasional bonus Huckleberry bushes loaded with berries as fat as the end of your thumb.
This trip was later dubbed the Death Trek - we had a goal and the environment provided all the challenges we could ever had wanted...
I go out with the express purpose of learning something and being challenged - living in the moment tends to teach me something new each time I go out. There is rarely more than a location in mind...
A few select pictures from the adventure:
