go on an overnight backpacking trip

I would love to do it again…

We hit Zion and Arches, hiked up the West Rim, short detour (without the packs!) out to Angels Landing, all in all a wonderful trip. We’re supposed to go over 4th of July weekend in the mountains closer to home (thank god it won’t be so hot!) but they may close access because of extreme fire danger. We’ll have to see how it goes.

We leave a week from today. I haven’t been backpacking since I was about 12! AND it’s my bf’s first time and I know he’ll love it. I just can’t wait!

It’s scheduled. Hurrah! Also I have all the absolutely essential gear, we just got our stove and water purifier last weekend. The rest is just for comfort; sleep pads, lighter tent, smaller sleeping bag, and so on. Now all we have to do is plan our route and our meals, get the time off work and GO!

I’ve been hiking about every other weekend. Sometimes short, sometimes longer. The promise of that super cool trip is great motivation. Weekend after next I am going to go snowshoeing or xcountry skiing up in the mountains with the pack on!

I have now made plans with a friend to go backpacking in Arches. Not until April or May, but now we have to start training…walking more and more so we can hack it. First hike, this weekend!

Got Zach to join me late, got packs ready and hit the Monadnock Sunapee Greenway Trail at about 4:40. Up and over Lovewell Mtn and made it to the Max Isreal Campsite right at dusk after about 3 miles. I was getting worried about finding it. Set tent on platform, slept just so-so though a nice night. Hit the trail a little after 7 down to Washington Bradford Road and back to the truck after about 2.5 miles.

Zach rated the trip 9 out of 10. Me a 6 or 7 out of 10. Slept poorly and I guess I was expecting something a little more moving I guess. Will try it again, but my enthusiasm is not as high about becoming an avid backpacker as I was before this trip, we’ll see.

Picture: At Max Isreal Campsite

possibly the most fun thing i’ve ever done…on the trip i also got to summit a peak which was amazing. it was at very high altitude and i’m not in amazing shape…plus i have no upper body strength and still managed very well carrying a heavy multi-day pack up 2 miles and 2,000 vertical ft. which goes to show that anyone can go backpacking, you don’t need to be intense.

There is a mountain nearby with an absolutely gorgeous lake near the top. I saw pictures online and I think that’s definitely where we’ll go. Now all we need is 2 pieces of essential equipement, maybe 3…and in the meantime I will plan it all out. There are only 2 things that scare me…this mountain is in bear country, which I know how to deal with, but it’s also prone to lightning strikes, which I don’t know what to do about.

I’d like to start with a one-nighter somewhere close, nd then only walk a short distance in so if I am caught off guard or unprepared it’s not a disaster. The ultimate goal is to work my way up to backpacking in Yellowstone or Zion, or Arches. Somewhere wild and amazing. But I have to get good at it first; those places are not for beginners! and I have to convince my boyfriend that every bear on the planet is not hell bent on devouring him. Once I achieve this small goal then I will cross it off and add the new goal of backpacking somewhere truly kick-ass.