Revisiting the joy of backpacking after
30 Years with my daughter
Camp out
among the grasses and gentians of glacial meadows, in craggy garden nooks full
of nature's darlings. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature's
peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow
their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop
off like autumn leaves. As age comes on, one source of enjoyment after another
is closed, but nature's sources never fail. Quote from John Muir 1901
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| Surprise Lake First Day |
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| 10 years earlier in Chile with Anna |
Last week my daughter called to ask
me if I would like to take a backpacking trip with her. It was midweek, I was
working and a little unsure about my physical abilities to do this. Actually I
realized later it had been at least 30 years since my last back packing trip
prior to Anna’s birth! My most recent
actual hiking trip with Anna was in Chilean Patagonia 10 years earlier and I remembered
that I struggled with the downhill hike due to knee pain. Moreover, I forgot
that this hiking was without a backpack. Where had the time gone? However,
it was clear to me that this was an opportunity not to be missed.
Goal
Anna decides we should go to
Surprise and Glacier Lakes, aka Scenic Lakes. She has not been there before and
tells me there is a 4.5-mile flattish walk along side the Surprise Creek up to
Surprise Lake. The goal is to set up camp at the lake Tuesday and then on
Wednesday and Thursday do day hikes to Glacier Lake and climb up the granite
rocks to Trap Pass. Anna explains that
for a small section of the trail we will actually be on Pacific Crest Trail
(PCT). Two years earlier she had done over 200 miles on PCT. How exciting to be able to tell my friends
that I have hiked part of PCT ~ no thoughts did I have about the fact I would
need to hike up 4900 feet to Glacier Lake with a backpack on. I was like a teenager who felt she could do
anything. I boasted to Anna that I started walking earlier in the year on
Saturday mornings with a group of women on Vashon and could do 6 miles in 2
hours. A little reality check was needed….
Anna, an experienced hiker packed
all the food, plus a blow up boat, paddles and hammock, stove, and tent in her
backpack.
Her boyfriend Zack loaned me his backpack, mattress and sleeping bag.
Anna culled my clothing selection telling me I had too much stuff and
definitely didn’t need my lipstick and brush. Like a noncompliant child I snuck
my brush into my backpack despite her protests about the added weight. I
noticed Anna brought a pair of plastic clogs for me as she believes these are
essential at a campsite. We don’t arrive
at the trail head until 5 pm but since it is only 4.5 miles I am not worried because
I believe we only need 90 minutes to get there. Erroneously I base my
calculations on my Saturday morning Vashon walking on relatively flat roads
with no backpack. Anna knows better but kindly doesn’t correct me leaving me to
my fantasy. As soon as we get out of the car it begins raining lightly. No problem, as we are prepared with rain
jackets and extra warm clothes in our packs to change into for dry sleeping.
Tuesday
About 3 hours later I begin to wonder if we will be
setting up camp in the dark. Anna reassures me that we have head lamps. Actually I am questioning if I can physically
make our goal camp site but refuse to stop even when Anna suggests we set up
camp at another spot. I think about the Everest movie I recently saw on a plane
and the climber who insisted going to the summit and died coming down! I want to hike faster but am reluctant to take
the chance of slipping on the roots and wet rocks. I try to be mindful,
present-focused and concentrate. Anna
reminds me occasionally to look at the surrounding beauty when in reality I am
just focused on small steps and putting one foot carefully in front of the
other. I stop to take in the breathtaking beauty even in the rain and fog.
Persistence does pay off and we arrive at 8:45 pm before sunset.
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| Arriving at our camp site first night before dark |
Anna changes into clogs and sets up
camp magically in minutes in the rain in a lovely spot with an view of the lake
which I don’t appreciate until the next day. I am thrilled we have made our goal but feel
slightly light headed and dizzy. Yes, I
probably didn’t drink enough water and was somewhat dehydrated. 
Anna makes a wonderful dinner of
mac and cheese with tuna and when I turn down dark chocolate peanut butter cups
for desert she worries about my dehydration.
We slide into bed and I drift off to sleep not waking until 9 am. I
never sleep that late!
Wednesday
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Bringing water from lake for coffee ~ first morning view
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I wonder why food always tastes better in the wilderness. Anna teaches me how to brush my teeth and spit without contaminating the forrest. I definitely need more practice as she tells me to dig up the dirt where my spit landed.
We watch the foggy Surprise Lake magically
appear as the sky partially clears, the sun peaks through and the mountain peaks and trees are mirrored in the lake.
Surprise Lake mirrors the surrounding steep, craggy mountain
peaks that are part of Goat Rocks Wilderness. However, other than Anna I don’t see
any mountain goats. We are entirely alone at this campsite creating a sense of solitude
I have not felt in years. Its beauty stuns me and is truly incredible.
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First morning foggy view |
We lounge until 11 am and then hike up past Glacier
Lake and stop at a meadow and resting spot for water, drinks and snacks of dark
chocolate, dried apricots and spicy nuts.
Anna is preparing me for the hike up the granite rock hillside to the top
at 5600 feet where there is an amazing view of the lake below us.
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| Collecting water from stream |
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| Trail at right side |
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Flat part at bottom is where we had snacks
This 1000 foot climb in less than a mile is what Anna calls the beginning of a possible butt buster. Really? and yesterday wasn't?
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Foggy at first as we reach the summit goal. The sun peaks out as Anna serves my
favorite lunch of cheese, salami, dried broccoli in olive oil wraps. Anna doesn’t
spare on the weight of cheese ~ she must have brought 2 pounds of cheese!
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| Mountain Lupine |
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| View of Glacier Lake |
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Anna wants to go further to the next higher summit but
I reluctantly stay put enjoying the view as the fog and clouds dissipate and sun
surrounds us. What was it Muir wrote, Nature's
peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
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| Bottom of rocky trail back to camp grounds |
Back at our camp site about 5 pm we put up the hammock
and fill the boat with air. Anna canoes around the lake while I relax in the
hammock reading my book.
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Dinner that night is pasta made with real butter (probably ¼ pound) with chicken and yes dark chocolate covered peanut butter cups. No fires are allowed at this elevation but night does not come until 9 pm and we happily retreat to our tent with our books.
Thursday
Up earlier this morning to complete
sunshine and decide to hang out and climb the granite rocks at the end of the
lake. It is challenging hiking these large
boulders and while Anna scrambles like a mountain goat she calls me the Ninja
woman always dressed in black.
We enjoy the lake and wildflowers and chat about
everything from Trump to family relationships, to the breathtaking nature that
has been presented to us in Washington State, to other hiking trips, to our teaching
work and to books we have read and recommend.
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Our hiking trip down in the sunshine is beautiful and interesting to experience again not in the rain.
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Back at the car we head for Zeeks
where we finish off this adventure with a deluxe hamburg and rhubarb strawberry
milkshake.
