I'm Home!

[kyra_ojosverdes]

Remember kids, it's not really camping unless you strike your tent in the rain.

Also remember that as soon as your tent is folded and rolled, the rain will slacken or stop completely. Hey, I don't make the rules, I just report them.

The overnight solo trip to Blodgett Canyon was everything I hoped it would be. The newborn piercings held up just fine and didn't complain a bit, even when I slept on my stomach. Such well-mannered little things. I got to the trailhead at around 4:30 pm, my own personal best for "latest start ever on a backpacking trip." I made camp about four miles in, beside a lovely pond which harbored either one very theatrically-inclined humongous fish, or several humongous fish. Every time it jumped, it sounded like someone had thrown a rock into the water. A rock slightly larger than my head. I caught site of it during one particularly spectacular jump. It's easily 24" long, probably longer. BIG damn fish for that smallish pond, but the pond is connected to the creek which feeds from the lake, so I suppose it might have grown up in the lake and then traveled.

I heard only the most minimal of critter-sounds during the night. I was able to leave the rainfly off and keep all the windows unzipped, which was awesome for that "feeling like I'm totally outside but not being carried off in bits by the mosquitoes" thing.

Anyway. I'd like to have camped further in (nothing spoils the feeling of badassery attached to one's first solo backpacking trip like having dayhikers pass one's camp fairly early in the morning), but I wasn't sure how far I'd have to hike to find the next good campsite. (Rock slopes do not good camping make, especially when the average rock size is comparable to that of one's body when rolled into a ball.) Also, my feet were getting pretty sore. I thought I was starting to stumble a bit from fatigue, but I realized on the way out that it wasn't fatigue at all, it was "it's hard to keep steady footing on a very bumpy rock path when carrying a 40lb pack." I actually don't know how much my pack weighed as I don't have a bathroom scale, but I wouldn't be terribly surprised if it were closer to 50 lbs. The nice thing about that is that I was carrying easily enough food for two nights out (better too much than not enough, especially when you don't have a hiking partner to beg from) and I know about how much weight each additional day's worth of food would be, soo.... I'm now seriously considering doing a 5-day loop solo backpacking trip the third week of August, probably in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness.

Things to remember for next time:

• Bring the camera.
• If you plan to journal, bring a pen. Burnt sticks aren't so good for writing.
• Apply the bug repellent at the trailhead. Bugs don't give you a grace period.
• The hanging of the food-bag is best done well before nightfall. Try not to camp in a stand of Lodgepole Pines, as they tend NOT to have horizontal branches which can support a food-bag, at least not within cord-throwing distance. There is a reason you've never pitched baseball or softball. A fairly obvious one, at that.
• "Find your glasses" is also a game best played in daylight. Get one of those glasses-holder-onners for your next trip.
• If you're going to strip down and take a nice little bandanna-bath in the morning, make sure you're either WELL off the trail or getting up EARLY in the morning. You shocked that poor man.
• Get a pocketknife or better, one of those gadgety-knives.
• Get a fishing license and some lightweight, compact fishing gear. You like trout and aren't afraid to clean them, so take advantage of food that doesn't weigh down your pack!

Bonus info found while searching for posting info: glacial abrasion produces rock flour, fine sediment that becomes suspended in glacial lakes giving them a blue-green colour (I always wanted to know why!)

Comments

[fatfeistyfemme.livejournal.com]

I really, really, REALLY admire the drive to go off and do something like that by yourself. I'm such a leo. I really hate being alone right now, probably more so than is healthy. Granted, I spent the bulk majority of my life living with someone else, and extended alone time isn't something that's really in my vocabulary. But my roommates just left for 3 weeks on vacation and I'm actually feverishly attempting to fill my every night with plans.

I am independent in tons of ways, but for some reason, alone = lonely to me right now. I really aspire to alone = peaceful and healthfully introspective.

Really beautiful read, this! Thank you!

[kyra-ojosverdes.livejournal.com]

I actually spent a lot of time during the hike thinking about just that: why some people really enjoy being alone and others don't, and whether other people would enjoy a solo trip like I did.

I'd say at a guess, that introverts would like it and extraverts wouldn't. When I had my radiation treatment for the thyroid cancer, I had to stay in side my house away from other people for two weeks. I loved it. LOVED it. My favorite people came and peeked in on me for a few minutes at a time, I had my Internet and phone for when I wanted human contact, and otherwise I had the perfect excuse NOT to talk to people. I put a note on the door that said "Sorry, I'm radioactive and can't come to the door." I figured that would dissuade the most determined salesjerk. (It did.)

I'm at my loneliest when in a room full of people. I'm almost never lonely when I'm alone.

[fatfeistyfemme.livejournal.com]

I think that's fantastic. I'm definitely an extravert - and always will be. But it'd be nice to be a little more balanced. When I had a partner, I cherished my alone time - but then I always knew that a friendly face would be home in a few hours. Right now, I think I'm still kind of getting used to not having that friendly face to count on...6 years is a long time to live with someone. A long time to spend being used to that creature comfort. You've given me lots to think about. Thank you!

[canyonwren.livejournal.com]

Welcome back! Since you enjoyed this, I would really encourage you to go do the longer one. It sounds fabulous and there's nothing quite like being completely out of civilization for more than two or three days. You get acclimated to being gone and coming back is actually a bit of a shock.

We'll have to get back to planning to go backpacking together, maybe some other time when you're kid-free for a few days? Of course, the boys are getting old enough that it shouldn't matter.

[redrita.livejournal.com]

Call me please. It's very important.

Or, if you don't get long distance, send a yahoo message for me to call you

[kyra-ojosverdes.livejournal.com]

Dad just called and told me. I'm sorry I wasn't reachable last night.

Shit.

You know, I've had guilt-laden dreams about just this situation (my siblings having to to use LJ to alert me of a parental death), but in those "you suck as a daughter" dreams it was always Dad. And no, I'm not saying I'm a bad daughter because I was online when my mother died, I'm just babbling because I just found out ten minutes ago and I have no idea what to do now. I guess I'll go to work and get things in order there and try to figure out how to get to Salmon. When are you going there?

Hellu

[nephthys510.livejournal.com]

Yndy is an old old RL friend of mine and she was mentioning you to me today, so I thought I would pop in and say hello. I stayed for a bit and added you as a friend.

I went camping for the first time this weekend and I learned that knowing the 800 numbers of all major hotel chains is not a talent but a necessity.

...........
I hope you don't mind, Yndy told me about your mother. I offer my sincerest condolences.

Re: Hellu

[kyra-ojosverdes.livejournal.com]

I don't mind at all. It's nice to meet you, glad you like the place well enough to pull up a chair and hang out. :-) *offers a chair*

[sir-cat.livejournal.com]

My condolences about your mom.