First Backpacking Experience: Desolation Wilderness

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Off I go!

I’ve always enjoyed hiking, and camping is something I’ve rediscovered over the past few years after a rather long hiatus since my girl scout days (but I still remember those camping trips to Sunset Beach!). However, never have I combined the two in the form of backpacking until earlier this month. We’d been talking about it for a while — after all, this is a skill that will let me see more of the national parks — and some good friends, much more experienced outdoorspeople, had offered to help us through our inaugural experience.

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Starting point at Wright’s Lake – beautiful day!

First stop was REI to use up our member coupons and dividends to procure new camping backpacks and a few other essentials. Good thing about going with experienced friends was that we didn’t need to buy all the gear, but we did get some good quality insulating layers since the forecast was calling for temperatures in the 20s and our own water filter (trust me – you don’t mess with giardia, giardia messes with you!). Next stop: the Desolation Wilderness in the El Dorado National Forest near South Lake Tahoe. Side note: I took my first non-scout camping trip in Death Valley and first backpacking in Desolation Wilderness – I’m sensing a theme here.

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Our doggie guide makes sure I’m still coming.

Our friends truly tried to take it easy on us on this single-night camping trip: We started from a parking lot near Wright’s lake, where the forest service has a seemingly nice summer campground facility, and hiked the ~5 miles or so into the Desolation Wilderness to Twin Lakes. Not a long hike, but the elevation went from 7000 ft at Wright’s Lake to ~8200 ft at Twin Lakes. I tend to need a day or so to adjust to higher elevations, so between that and some other extenuating circumstances, I was really struggling with the uphill. Add in the dropping temperatures and nerves about backpacking for the first time, and I was admittedly pretty miserable the first day (I was missing the Final Four for this?). In my defense, I still contend that the term “leisurely hike” is relative when you’re talking about trudging through snow and ice to get to a frozen lake… The scenery could not be beat, however!

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Pizza dinner!

We set up camp next to a large boulder near the outlet to the lake. Our trusty guides had brought along a few extras to help deal with the cold temps, including an extra sleeping bag, battery-powered heated gloves (amazing!), and the makings of warm backcountry pizzas cooked up on the little backpacking stove. I was quite impressed by the pizzas – campmade dough and everything! The nighttime brought cold winds, but I stayed fairly cozy in the the sleeping bag(s) and tent. When I had to get up in the middle of the night, there was definitely snow crunching underfoot, but it didn’t stick through to the morning.

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Let’s face it, a lot of that smile is because I’m back at the parking lot

In the morning, we said goodbye to the lake – it really was quite an amazing site all frozen and covered in ice! Fueled up with hot cocoa and oatmeal spiked with dried apples and trail mix, we headed back down to the car. I only fell on my butt once while trekking over the fresh ice, and in general I was able to appreciate the hike and the landscape a lot more on the way down. That being said, I was pretty excited to make it back to the car, even more excited to reach 4G range to find out Duke was going to the NCAA finals, and even more excited to reach a veggie burger in Placerville. So, perhaps my first backpacking experience was not completed with as much ease as I had hoped, but under some slightly different circumstances, I think I would have really enjoyed this hike. I’ll definitely have to give it another go and (very) slowly work my way up to being a backcountry camper!

The Steel City and the New River Gorge

Pittsburgh and 1/3 riversParks & Lex is in the great city of Pittsburgh this weekend for a conference. This is my second time flying into my husband’s hometown, and I find it fitting that you are greeted at the airport baggage claim by statues of Franco Harris (Pittsburgh Steeler and recipient of the Immaculate Reception), George Washington (our nation’s first President), and T-Rex (our nation’s biggest, baddest ex-resident). This pretty much sums up this city to me – they are quite proud of their history, their sports teams, and their science & technology. While not in the national park system, I highly recommend checking out the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History and the Phipps Conservatory in the Oakland area (NPS tie-in, many of the dino bones and reconstructions in the museum came from the sites now associated with Dinosaur National Monument in CO). The Warhol Museum is also worth a visit, even if you do end up enjoying the rotating guest exhibit more than the experimental 60s video art… (we saw a great exhibit on comic book artist Alex Ross).

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Butterfly at the Phipps Conservatory
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The Carnegie Museum of Natural History

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The reason I bring up the airport is that previous trips to Pittsburgh when we were living ineri7n North Carolina always meant long drives up Route 19 through West Virginia and always meant a stop at the New River Gorge. The New River Gorge National River spans 53 miles of the New River, and admittedly all I’ve seen of it is its iconic bridge along Rt. 19. The Canyon Rim Visitors’ Center, on the North side of the bridge, has information and exhibits on both the bridge and the river area. A boardwalk and stairs lead to views of the gorge and bridge and are a good way to stretch your legs.

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New River Gorge Bridge

Fayetteville, WV on the South side of the bridge, is purportedly the “Coolest Little Town”, and who am I to argue? The town services the recreation associated with the river, such as climbing and rafting, and has a lot of little restaurants that make good lunch spots. I was always a fan of the vegetarian soups (not to mention the coffee) at the Cathedral Cafe when we passed through during the winter holidays. Once a year, in the fall, the bridge closes down for a day of repelling, base-jumping, and other activities known as “Bridge Day”.

Back in Pittsburgh, I hope to someday check out some of the NPS sites in Western PA. Pittsburgh is on the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and part of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. Further out are Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Friendship Hill and Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Sites, and the Flight 93 and Johnstown Flood National Memorials. For now, off to find me a Primanti Brothers sandwich!