(photos found here)
Our celebrations for the 4th of July were a little bit different this year. Instead of enjoying the day watching our grass grow, grilling up burgers, and gazing at the night's splendor- my first choice in celebrating this day- we embarked on a backpacking trip to Lake Blanche up Big Cottonwood Canyon. For the full nightmarish story and all the gory details... ahem, I mean for the extremely enlightening story talk with me privately. I am extremely proud at the brute strength my husband and children have. There's only one incident of a meltdown that I am aware of. Here it is. When the 3rd day came around, and we made our way down the MOUNTAIN, the first glimpse I had of our parked van brought uncontrollable tears down my face. A single thought kept repeating itself over and over again in my mind, "It's over...we don't have to do that again!" I sat inside the vehicle stunned and mute. Then I heard our captain announce, "That was a baptism by fire. We will do this hike every summer." What followed was a ghostly stillness. (crickets...)
The views were breathtaking! The fishing bounteous. The water ice cold and exhilarating. Come one and all for our trip next year!
- Vicinity: Big Cottonwood Canyon, Twin Peaks Wilderness Area
- Elevations: 2700 ft. gain/loss, Trailhead start: 6,320 ft.
- Distance: 6.64 miles (round trip)
- Walking Time: for a family of 6 with full packs 5 hrs. up and 3.5 hrs. down
- Info: Geologic attractions within Lake Blanche Basin, 3 sister lakes- Blanche, Florence, and Lillian, only a mile away are picturesque Sundial Peak (10,320 ft.) and Dromedary Peak (11,170 ft.), a carpet of wildflowers along the trail
- Interesting facts: If you visit the link to Lake Blanche you'll read a few advisories. One is to not do the hike in the dark. We finally reached the lake around 10:30 pm. We had our headlamps on, but not until we saw the trail on the way down did we realize what a feat it was to have stayed on the path in the dark. Another advisory is to take plenty of water. We had about an hour left of the hike up, and we were down to almost nothing in just a single water bottle. Again, in the pitch dark we found the stream feeding Lake Blanche. Water has never tasted so good! Finally, it is advised that those physically fit attempt the hike. Other hikers marveled at how Benny and Nani made the trek.
- Wisdom gained: 1. Down with materialism, all we need is water, food, shelter, dry clothes, and chocolate. 2. If anybody wants to marry our kids they will be required to go on a baptism-by-fire-backpacking trip with our family. After this if they still want to get married then they'll know what's in store for them- moments that take your breath away, stay on the path and all will be well, having light will dispel darkness, and a helping hand when someone falls reveals beauty along the journey.
9 comments:
Can't wait to get the unedited version of this adventure!
Sounds a little like my time in Vietnam. A great experience, but I wouldn't want do it again.
Seriously, it reads like you had a fantastic time. And you all survived. That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
I forgot. Go to Dicks or Sportsman's Warehouse and pick up a small water purifier. They are cheap, light, and it will clean muddy water into water you can drink
Ben actually outfitted the family with all the gear for high adventure backpacking. He bought 2 Katadyn water purifiers. It's lightweight and can pump 200 gallons of water per filter. We thought it might be fun to do some hikes in Grand Lake. Do you know what it's like there this time of year?
Sounds like a true carson-style adventure! Can't wait to hear more!
Thats a hard hike, especially packing a lot on your backs. The pictures are excellent.
Your write up reminded me of the times our family hiked the Swiss Alps and another time, the Lake District in England. On the Alps hikes, Ben was only three and a half years old. He wore short pants and Wellington boots and tromped right along. We never did an overnight backpacking hike, but we set out from our campsite at sun-up each day for 8 days, and hiked and hiked. I wonder if Ben remembers??
P.S. You have captured the light in your photos to perfection! They are a visual feast!
Great pictures, great writing. I almost wish I would have gone!
Saw your blog address on fb. Thought I'd drop by and say hi! The hike looks like fun and a great experience. Don't you love blogs?
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