After testing out Wordpress (Free/Basic) for a few weeks, I found that it was really inconvenient for the media rich posts that I tend to post (photo essays). I like to be able to freely customize my theme and utilize my CSS and HTML knowledge. I really love photography and Wordpress just wasn't friendly enough for that. Managing the photos, galleries, and settings, became such a nightmare. I will continue to post on blogger. Be sure to read a few of my posts if you want to get an idea of what's going on :]
Summary: On the morning of 9/8/2012, we parked one vehicle at our exit point, Eagle Falls Trailhead, and took the other vehicle to our entry trailhead at Meeks Bay. We followed the Meeks bay trail, passing Lake Genevieve, Cragg Lake, Hidden Lake, and Stony Ridge Lake, and stopped at Rubicon Lake to make camp for the night. 8 miles.
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| Meeks Bay - Viewpoint from highway |
The next morning, 9/9/2012, we continued our hike towards Phipps Peak and then joined the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). As we passed Middle Velma Lake we exited the PCT and joined the Bayview Trail. We will continue on the Bayview Trail and join the Eagle Falls Trail, which lead us to our exit point at Eagle Falls Trailhead. 10 miles.
10 + 8 miles from the day before = 18 miles total, ~9500 calories burned (based off of calorie watch).
This trip was an eye opener for me. Hiking the trails definitely tested my limits and pushed my body beyond the feeling of the usual exercise routine. I ended up over packing items that I did not need. This added a few extra lbs, which could've prevented me from suffering during the first few miles.
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| Meeks Bay Trail entrance |
Helpful tips for first timers: DO NOT OVER PACK and pack ONLY what you need. You can rewear some of the outer layers and bring a change of underwear per night. If you want to go fishing, it doesn't take many lures to catch fish. Food is a huge deal and this is where I also messed up on. I did not even touch the beef jerky that I packed. I didn't touch the pita/jam/almond butter. And if you can, avoid anything with water weight. I had brought a stick of salami, but should have sliced up what I needed. All of these extra items cost me about 5 lbs, which in the ultralight world, is a huge deal.
Other than that, I loved my gear. The Osprey Atmos 65 held up great and didn't stress out my hips or back. My shoulders were a bit sore, but hopefully a few lbs reduction should help. My Kelty Light Year Down 20 Sleeping bag was so warm and comfortable. The Thermarest Prolite definitely made it like sleeping on clouds (well, not exactly). However, I had a problem with my hiking boots. Having bought them from REI Used Gear Sale (they looked brand new), the shoes were half a size smaller than my feet. The fit was snug with my wool socks, but after about 4 miles, I felt a blister developing on each of my heels. Luckily, I had brought along sports tape, which REALLY helped the skin from moving around.
For dinner at Rubicon Lake, we all had a taste of each other's Mountain House meals: Beef Stroganoff, Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Beef Stew, and Chili Mac With Beef. The Beef Stroganoff was pretty tasty. It was a bit on the salty side, but was good enough to eat. The sauce was creamy enough and the texture of the pasta/noodles and beef were pretty close to fresh. The Lasagna with Meat Sauce was a bit disappointing. It reminded me of the bland lasagna that was served during middle school lunches in those black trays sealed in plastic. Although it smelled great, the taste didn't exactly hit the spot. Beef Stew was probably the best out of the four. Being that it is a stew, the meal definitely warms your stomach, which is an amazing feeling after 8 miles of hiking. The Chili Mac With Beef was good, but didn't have much flavor.
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| Our tent with the Rubicon Lake view |
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| My first Brook Trout! |
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| Fresh trout seasoned with bouillon, cooked on rocks |
Fishing was a great way to unwind at the end of the hike. During the hike, fishing was a bit of a hassle since I would have to put together the rod and lure. We had Rubicon Lake to ourselves that night. Not a soul in sight. I caught two 10 inch trouts within 20 minutes on a top water minnow lure. And they tasted delicious.
We set up camp at the perfect spot right next to the lake on top of huge flat rocks and sand. There was a slight degrade, but it wasn't too bad. We woke up and had some coffee and tried Mountain House's breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Bacon. Now, as much as this sounds good, it was not. Dehydrated eggs and bacon was not appetizing at all. We had 10 miles ahead of us that day, and breakfast was not helping the morale. I recommend saving some money on those and bring a packet of oatmeal, maybe some jerky, and dried fruit.
All in all, the trip was AMAZING. I cannot wait to go again next year (I hope). I look forward to advancing my pack and reducing as much gear as possible.
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| Civilization! Eagle Falls Trailhead |
