17 July 2007
Calf Lake
The annual Mason family backpacking trip was a big one this year, with six hikers plus Phoenix the Golden Retriever and expert fish biter. Catch-and-release doesn't work very well when your hunting dog keeps biting the catch before it's released.
As we hiked up Red Mountain with our packs, we noticed smoke coming from beyond its peak. There was a forest fire nearby, and we saw smoke-jumpers parachuting into it. When we arrived at Calf Lake, a helicopter was scooping buckets of water from it and flying them to the fire. I made a little movie of that.
It's a moderately strenuous hike, involving a 3000-foot climb in less than five miles. The trail ends at Calf Lake, but we knew there were five more lakes bunched together just beyond the next ridge. Twice, a subset of our party attempting to day-hike to those lakes. The second attempt succeeded, but with some minor injuries; the easiest way there involves a lot of treacherous boulder-hopping and scree-scrabbling over red rocks reminiscent of purgatory. Nevertheless, there were campers at those lakes too, and several well-established campsites.
I'm often vaguely surprised that people have spent time establishing good campsites in places that are fairly difficult to reach. Some of them even have the convenience of a scrap of metal grating for campfire cooking. This year we experimented with baking, by stacking stones to form an oven, stoking it until it was full of coals, then covering the opening while the bread baked inside. The result was a little sooty, but luxuriously fresh and tasty in our rustic environment.
One of the traditions of this annual trip is to bring stories to read aloud after dinner. Here's what we read this year:
- Lowell: The Education of Little Tree, Forrest Carter
- Fred: Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris
- Me: Nature Noir: A Park Ranger's Patrol in The Sierra, Jordan Fisher Smith
- Damian: Chinese fables
Check out my photos.
Now, with all my weekend travels overwith, I'll begin my kitten-hunting in earnest. It might take a while; Sasha will be a tough act to follow.