Tag Archives: Backpack

Backpacking in Denali National Park – Adventure at its Finest!

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If you want to experience Denali National Park up close and personal, backpacking through this jewel is the way to go. The chance of coming face to face with a wild animal is pretty much 100% guaranteed. Currently you cannot drive through the park on your own, you must take one of the school-bus transportation options back and forth along Park Road – the main artery through the park. It is all fun and games when you see a grizzly from the safety of a bus, but when one is about a football field away and there is a 50 lb pack on your back in 40mph head winds – that is quite a different situation. It will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and/or make you pee your pants. At least that was my experience.

Lexi, Todd, Greg and I originally planned 3 nights in the Denali wilderness but it was reduced to one night for 3 reasons: 1) The unit we were allocated did not provide views of Mt. McKinley, so we took a last minute detour to the Wonder Lake Campground (post coming soon) where this massive natural wonder is front and center; 2) One of Lexi and Todd’s tent poles broke. Fortunately they were prepared and had duct tape to keep it together but it made for a challenging tent situation; 3) The winds were howling like mad so our tents were making hideously strange noises during the night.  We were ‘confident’ there was a grizzly (or 2) circling around our campsite which happened to be smack dab in the middle of a river bed. Pretty sure none of us slept a wink.

How did we end up bunking in a river bed, prime territory and stomping grounds for grizzlies and other creatures like wolves, moose and caribou (we saw the footprints in the dry mud)??  When we started our trek to our campsite, 5 miles away in Unit 31, we had the option to navigate along the slopes of the East Fork River Bar (EFRB) or increase our chances of a grizzly encounter and make our way directly through the EFRB. Because of the unsettling wild animal encounter videos we were required to watch, we decided the slopes might be the ‘safer’ route.

The slopes at the edge of the EFRB are vegetated with stands of spruce trees or tall willows. One thing to note, there are no marked trails in Denali so you have to bushwhack and find your own way via a topo map or GPS unit. We found out quickly that willows would become our worst enemy. They grow so tightly together, navigation can be tough and slow – it took us 4 hours to go 4 miles loaded with 40 to 50 lb packs strapped to our backs – for experienced backpackers, this was pathetically slow. By the time we got to the 4 mile mark, we were exhausted, cranky and desperate to set up camp at the first dry, flat spot we could find – in the EFRB.

After 24 hours of wild winds, broken tent poles, irrational visions of a highly unlikely animal attack, we decided one night was probably good enough for all of us. In order to avoid some approaching bad weather, we decided to take the path of least resistance back to Park Road directly through the EFRB. All went well until we emerged from the EFRB and were about .5 miles from hopping a bus to safety. The winds were about 35 to 40 miles/hour so we were forced to walk heads down to avoid falling backwards. After several minutes of fighting said evil headwinds, I hear Greg say, “Is that a bear?”.  We all stopped DEAD in our tracks and looked up – sure enough there was a male grizzly about a football field away – his big hump bulging high on his back – in our minds, he looked like the size of a VW bug. He stopped for a few seconds, sniffed into the wind and began to head in our direction – I nearly piddled in my pants. The 4 of us huddled together must have looked like too much to handle (or maybe our legs were too skinny to be an enjoyable snack) as he eventually changed his plans and dropped down into the EFRB in search of a tasty morsel.

Although my description of the trip sounds a little crazy – it was one of the most exhilarating experiences on the Life Bus. I highly recommend this trip if you are an avid backpacker seeking an adventure in an iconic Alaskan wilderness. We learned to take the bear and leave-no-trace videos seriously – you never know when a wild animal will cross your path in Denali and it would be nice to keep it pristine for generations to come. One area we could have improved upon was to find a few extra minutes to relax – if you are conscientious and follow the rules, you will be in great shape to survive the journey!

All in all, this is a true, off-the-charts Life Bus experience words cannot fully describe!!  The best place to start researching where to hunker down is via the Denali Backpacking Guide documented from the National Park Service.  ENJOY!!

The Perfect Honeymoon – Hiking the Aspen Four Pass Loop

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[slideshow]If you’re looking for a honeymoon idea, let me suggest the Aspen Four Pass Loop as an option.  Of course, you should throw in your dear friend and her husband and a sister-in-law to boot.  Fellow Life Busers Pam and Greg and Cinda joined us for this adventure.  What honeymoon is complete without a sister-in-law in the tent with you? All joking aside, hiking the Aspen Four Pass Loop with this crew was the icing on a perfect mountain-cabin wedding the weekend before.

Much has been written about this 26 mile stunning hiking loop with very good reason so I won’t bore you with all of the logistical details.  That information can be found on numerous other websites.  What I want to share are some reasons why this hike merits honeymoon and / or bucket list status.  See 50 Places to Hike Before you Die by Chris Santella.

Our plans were to hike this loop over Labor Day and to spend 3 nights doing so.  I know, I know it can be done by ultra-runners in a day but we wanted the opportunity to soak in all of the scenery and solitude.  I would highly recommend the Labor Day timeframe.  We had beautiful weather with a proverbial afternoon shower here and there.  In true Colorado style, the storms left as soon as they came.  You do have to time your hiking with these showers as there are vast expanses of exposed, treeless basins where you don’t want to be when it’s storming.

So, what did I love about this trip?  Where should I begin.  If you like to challenge yourself and work on your fitness, this route will do it for you.  You cross four passes that will definitely get your ticker pumping and lungs burning.  They are all higher than 12,000 feet with steep ascents and descents out of the wetland meadows below.  In fact, except for the beginning and the very end, the loop never descends below 10,000 feet.

I love exercise as much as the next person but that wouldn’t be enough for this trip to merit the bucket list ranking if it didn’t have stunning scenery to complement the physical challenge.   From the very start of the trek, you are treated with iconic imagery starting with the Maroon Bells and Crater Lake.  Don’t be deterred by the number of people visiting this landmark.  Once you head out towards West Maroon Pass you quickly leave people behind and, once you go up and over this first pass, the crowd thins out to almost nothing …. if not nothing.  In fact, once we got over West Maroon until we descended Buckskin (the final pass), we saw only 2 other people the entire time.  This route routinely gets rated one of the most scenic routes in Colorado for a reason.  The views of the Maroon Bells and the rest of the Elk Mountains are breath-taking.  The route takes you all the way around the Bells and Elk Mountains for virtually a 360 degree view of the rugged peaks.  After each pass you descend into beautiful, lush, green wetland basins with excellent camping locations.  The rugged beauty of Snowmass Lake was an unexpected jewel of this hike.

Another unexpected treat was the greeting we got from a family of mountain goats as we reached the top of Buckskin Pass.  We were privileged enough to see these guys, even the baby, successfully navigate a steep snowfield.

The effort this trek requires is so worth every step.  It is heart-warming to know that there is still such peace, solitude, and unspoiled beauty out there if you just go beyond the beaten path.

Yes, I think our marriage is stronger for having shared such a great honeymoon adventure with loved ones.

Climbing Half Dome??

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Climbing Half Dome (the Dome) has NEVER been on my bucket list – not even for a second.   I have a ridiculous fear of going down hill and a fear of heights.  Until I went to Yosemite National Park this summer, I didn’t know what Half Dome looked like or really what the hoopla surrounding it was all about.

How did we get to the top?  I would say the whole thing was dumb luck and a little bit of insanity (on my part – Greg is the sane one). On what was supposed to be our last day in Yosemite Valley, Greg and I hiked up the John Muir Trail (JMT) to Nevada Falls. If you can find the strength, go about a half mile beyond the falls, there is clearing on the left where you can catch a glimpse of the Dome.

Just as we were about to head back down to the Valley and leave the park, a group of 4 burly, tattooed guys came to enjoy the scenery.  One of them had binoculars and was chatting away about how he wanted to climb the Dome but was always afraid to do it. He handed the nocks over to me and low and behold, I was instantly inspired to make it to the top (not sure why, I was stone-cold sober and there was no betting involved).  I could see people grasping on to cables, slowly inching to the top.

The most famous part of this hike is the cables that cover the last 700 feet of the climb to the top.    The cables are about 30 inches or so apart – wide enough for a death grip with both hands and just wide enough so 2 people can inch past each other coming and going.   Wooden boards have been strategically placed about every 10 to 15 feet so you can stop and rest if needed.  The incline on this stretch of the climb is anywhere between 45 and 60 degrees.  It is so steep in some areas, you literally have to pull yourself up to get to the next wooden board.

Insanity ensued and we immediately hiked down the Mist Trail, (a must do if you have the fitness to climb/descend stairs) determined to find a way to secure a permit.   As soon as humanly possible, we went to the National Park Service website http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm to do more research on the climb and the permit process.  We heard from various climbers, you could get one through a lottery process 2 days prior to the day you want to climb.   What we found was this:  The website sucked (maybe we are just incompetent) and finding a way to apply for a permit on line was a ridiculous waste of time.  After a very long day of hiking, discouraging discussions with Park Rangers, and the website debacle, we had given up on our 3 hour dream to climb the Dome.

As we are literally driving out of the park at around 11 am the next day, we stopped by the Ranger Station to inquire about climbing permits for a future visit.   Coincidentally, at 11 am, they start issuing backpacking permits for the following day.   Before I knew it, the heavens opened up and we were issued a backpacking permit for the Little Yosemite Campground. Then I heard the most precious words.  The Park Ranger said, “And by the way, if you want a permit to climb Half Dome, it will be an extra 5 bucks.”  We quickly jumped on the offer, spent one more night in the Valley, packed up our crap and hiked back up the JMT to the base camp campground the next day.

Key Tip:  Apparently, if you can get a backpacking permit, you are automatically allowed to climb too assuming the allocated number of permits for backpackers has not been reached. In addition, Park Rangers are stationed at the base of the sub-dome trail head and track the number of climbers in a day – they have a list of people who have been issued permits.  Bring your ID with you, they will ask.  If for some reason someone has backed out of the climb, you may be able to take their spot.   This is risky but something you could try at the spur of the moment if you were so inclined.

The thing about this hike (outside of the fact that it will jack with your mind when you see how steep the final ascent is), is that there are many inexperienced, unfit people out there making the pilgrimage to the top of the Dome and many of them start from the Valley.  Starting from the Valley is a very ambitious plan – if you decide to do it this way, please don’t wear converse tennis shoes, flip flops, cotton shirts, or carry a little 16 ounce water bottle for the very difficult 17 mile journey. You will create a safety hazard for you and those around you.  I would also avoid climbing in the rain with lightening present.

Key Tip:  Bring A LOT of water with you, gloves with fingers else your knuckles may get shredded, wear the ‘stickiest’ shoes possible as the rock is very slick with overuse, and read the National Park Service website I noted above before you attempt this hike.   I would also recommend getting a campsite at Little Yosemite Valley so you can break up the hike – if you are in your 20’s, it probably doesn’t matter.  If you get a campsite, start early, this will give you the luxury of having the cables all to yourself.  It starts to get crowded about 11:00 am when all of the ‘Valley’ hikers have made it to the cables. Also descend backwards.   Some people recommended going down sideways – they must have been on crack – can’t imagine how that would be a good idea.  To each his own.

After we accomplished our dream of reaching the top of Half Dome and descending without incident, I realized that I can eventually overcome my fear of going down hill and if I go slow enough without panicking and remaining focused, I can pretty much do anything I set my mind to.   It’s part of the life bus philosophy – jump on the bus and enjoy!

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One Perfect Weekend in the Indian Peaks Wilderness

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Lone Eagle Peak

[slideshow]In a state filled with so many iconic images, it’s hard to find one that seems to still be somewhat of a secret.  So, when I heard about Lone Eagle Peak in the Indian Peaks Wilderness from a good friend of mine, I was instantly hooked by the images of this beautiful mountain.  I knew this is a place that I needed to see with my own eyes.

I got to fulfill this goal when four of us Life-Bussers decided to head out recently for an over-night camping adventure to check out Lone Eagle Peak.  On a beautiful, bluebird Colorado day, the four of us made our way to the Monarch Lake Trailhead in Granby, CO.  This is where the trek to Lone Eagle Peak begins.  We had gotten our Indian Peaks camping permit, signed in at the ranger station, and we were off.  It was 7.1 miles in to our destination – Mirror Lake.  Crater Lake is another .2 from Mirror Lake.  The hike is a steady, gradual climb with a few moderate switchback areas.  At the last 1.1 mile turn off you are about to be rewarded with one of the most breathtaking scenes in the Colorado backcountry – a glimpse of Lone Eagle Peak and the cirque of the Indian Peaks.  At this point, you do have to pay attention to the trail as it becomes a bit less defined.  Fortunately, someone has put up cairns which makes the route finding easier.  There is one bridge out at this last 1.1 mile portion but if you look up stream you will see a make-shift replacement bridge.

So there we are, tromping around looking for the campsite near Mirror Lake.  We all cruised right by campsites 1- 3 without any awareness that campsites were there.  Turns out the campsite markers blend very well with their environment.  So, keep your eyes peeled as you get close to Mirror Lake.

We stayed at Campsite #1 and had beautiful views of Lone Eagle and the cirque.  As a bonus we had Cascade creek flowing directly through our camp.  Camp 4 and Camp 6 are also excellent locations as well.  Camp 6 may take some effort to get to, however.  Topping off all of this beautiful, natural scenery, was the fact that we were almost completely alone in this wilderness … except for one other small group of campers and some marauding wildlife that made off with our water filter, sunglass case, and Daisy’s dog treats.

After a great hike back out we were all definitely ready for some good eaten’ and a beer.  We wound up at Maverick’s Grille in Granby and had a meal that didn’t disappointment four hungry hikers:  chips, guacamole, elk burger, cobb salad, jalapeño and cheese burger, and a crispy chicken salad wrap with some brews.  Very nice service and mountain town food that totally hit the spot.  www.mavericksgrille.com

The only thing I would change about this whole weekend is that I would stay 2 nights instead of one the next time.

If you love beautiful Colorado backcountry this hike is for you.  GET OUT THERE!