My "Not So" Backpacking Trip (Guest Post)

Here is a special guest post from my sister Laura on her unexpected first backpacking trip of the season.

It was the first nice weekend of the year in the beautiful Northwest. My boyfriend Nick and I got into back packing just a couple years ago and were itching for another adventure.

We could not wait to dust off our gear and go into the forest, never to return…until the end of the weekend that is.

That morning we woke up early and drove a few hours out of the city to and into the woods. We began our adventure laughing and having a wonderful time!

We took pictures at every Rock, Tree and Creature….to document our first Trip of the year. Little did we know, the fun would not last…..

The sun was out and the views were unbelievable! There is no place greater than the Great Northwest!!

We hiked through many streams along the way. At one point I tripped and fell in ankle deep, just enough to soak my shoes in freezing cold water. Awesome, wet shoes on a hike….with every step I could feel my toes pruning.

The Higher up the mountain we ascended, we started to notice snow on the ground…..

And then…there was ALOT more.

With each step in the snow…I knew it was going to be a very cold night. Along the Trail we kept an eye out for a camp spot, one that was not covered in snow.

We arrived at this beautiful waterfall, in between the patches of snow. We sat there to rest and let me shoes dry in the direct sunlight.

At this point we reached 6 Miles. Our backpacks got heavy and our feet began to ache. We were so tired at this point but kept on trekking, as there was supposed to be a campsite another mile up.

After that mile, we discovered that it was covered in 4 feet of snow, from a fellow hiker whom just came that way. Well shit. We turned around and headed back down the mountain, searching for a spot to camp, as it was getting dark.

My whole body felt numb, but my back felt everything! The whole way down the mountain we fought, then walked in silence.

In the end, we did not find a suitable campsite or any flat surface not covered in rocks or snow. We decided to just go back to the car and head home.

We ended up hiking 12 miles with 25 pounds on our back. That may not be alot for some, but for us out of shape city dwellers, it destroyed us.

Moral of the story, when you let your boyfriend pick the Trail for an over night backpacking trip…make sure all the snow is melted.

Cheers!