All my life I wanted to go backpack. I tried a few times in college, but the lack of gear, money and time off from work on the weekends, kept me home while my friends and roommates went. It quickly got put on my Colorado to-do list, but again the lack of gear kept me from going. Then I met the boyfriend.
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| Hail at the start |
His family pretty much has anything you would need for a successful trip. He packed it all up into two packs, mine 28 lbs, his closer to 60 lbs, mapped out our route and thus began our first backpacking trip. Fifteen steps from the trailhead it began to hail. We put on all the waterproof gear we had and agreed it was a typical Colorado storm and would be over in 10 minutes. The hail stopped in 10 minutes, but the rain would continue for the next 4 hours.
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| Trying to get out of the rain |
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| Our official greeter |
We hiked 4 miles to a mountain lake, Lonesome Lake. It was breathtaking and we were the only two up there. Exactly what we wanted... and then the storm came. Before the backpacks were even off our backs is started to rain again... and this time a little nerve racking since we were above the tree line. We managed to get the tent up, get into dry clothes and instantly I called it a night... hoping to dry out the next day.
Boyfriend: Do you want me to try to cook dinner?
Me: Dinner? Just and me a bagel, I am going to bed.
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| View from the tent |
The next day was perfect. I caught my first fish on a fly rod, the boyfriend caught at least five, the sun came out, the marmots played and we enjoyed our first backpacking trip. It was a much prettier, dryer hike the way back down... and I crossed one more thing off my Colorado to-do list.
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| Lonesome Lake |
**Update: Last weekend we went on our second backpacking trip with two friends... I of course got sick, however we saw the Perseids Meter Shower at 11,000 ft. I have never seen anything quite like it and it made up for the roll of toilet paper I had to use to aide the runny nose. Next trip... nice weather and no health conditions.
