Hike Info:
Type: Cross-Country Hiking
Trail: None
Destination: Kaiser Peak
Actual Destination: Campfire Lake
1No GPS on trip. So I do not have any readings to share.
Description:
I got up about 8:10, with
Sherri right behind me. I think we both must have been waiting for
each other to crawl out of our bags and face the mosquitoes. It is
a beautiful looking morning with no wind. So the bugs will discover
us soon enough.
 |
| George Lake |
Even at the late wake-up time,
neither of us were moving quickly. It is after 9:00 when we had our
oatmeal. then washing up and getting a day pack together takes more
time.
It is about 10:30 when we take
off. The plan is to go to College
Lake and
decide what we want to do. Kaiser
Peak is
an option if we feel energetic. Or possibly an easier extension to
Campfire
and Jewell
Lakes. Or we can just come back down to camp.
Starting off, we go back the
way we came in, crossing the creek. Then around to the other side of
George
Lake. I
think I have found a use path, so we start our climb up. Sometimes we
follow a use trail and then it disappears and we end up just figuring
out what would be a good path up. As we go up, I wonder, can we get
down this way?
 |
| Looking Northeast |
You know how I was saying
yesterday that my body is doing better than expected, except for
being out of shape? Today I wonder about both. Doing a lot of rapid
and deep breathing. Also the heart rate is up to a pretty good clip.
By resting I can bring it back down.
Still I love this kind of
walking. The route finding, picking my way through rocks towards a
goal. Besides this way nobody knows when I am resting and when I am
pondering a route. Sometimes I come across a duck which gives a clue.
Other times I think we can get up that crack. Sherri is game.
 |
| Gary looking for the route |
I do not usually talk about
smells or sound in my blog-I guess I am much more of a visual person.
But as we go up, I am starting to smell something. There is a deep
minty smell filling the air as I step. Looking around, I see a leaf
shaped like pennyroyal-my favorite mint. The refreshing scent will
accompany us most of the day.
 |
| Unnamed Peak |
College Lake comes into view.
We stop for lunch a little after noon. There, we decide that Kaiser
Peak is not in the cards for this trip. But resting up after lunch is
enjoyable. So we decide we are up to doing another half of mile with
about a 60-80’ rise to Campfire Lake. Besides it looks gentler than
what we came up to get to College Lake. Once again, Sherri is
game-got to love that girl. So we sort of meander up to Campfire.
There is only one section which is steep and that is pretty short.
Still I am huffing and puffing and ready to sit when we get to the
lake. Also somewhere around College started getting a headache and it
is not going away.
I am glad I remember Nat
talking about it several years ago. It is a bit of eye candy. A
small, quiet lake with at least one fish in it. While I did not spot
any great places to lounge, it is a perfectly good Sierra lake and we
are making the most of our enjoyment of it. There is still some snow
on the sides and we are all alone. We sit for awhile enjoying it and
getting rejuvenated.
 |
| College Lake |
After staying at Campfire for
about half an hour, we start back down to College Lake. The descent
is not a problem. The one section which was at all steep, we
circumvent. One of the things you get by going the same route as you
went someplace is to see what you missed by not having eyes in the
back of your head. We were treated to a section of the Sierra Crest
to the east of us. Worth the price of admission to Campfire.
 |
| Far edge of Campfire Lake |
Once at College we take a ten
minute break before starting down. Going up, we were trying to
figure out where the use trail and ducks were and where they were
trying to lead us. But we have the advantage going down: we start on
the use trail and can spot the ducks all the way down. So we do not
have to go down any steep cracks, only try to pick out a faint trail
in places. So we can enjoy the journey more and be aware of the
surrounding beauty.
 |
| Campfire Lake |
When we get down to George
Lake, we need to go across a large slab of granite. A perfect resting
place to enjoy the lake. We take a 30 minute rest across from our
camp site. after a bit I see movement around our campsite. there are
people here. How dare they invade our lake!
 |
| College Lake from above |
We walk back to our camp, but
there is a lot more people than just the couple which we saw. None
seem over-friendly, neither unfriendly. Many of them are camped right
in back of us, which leads to a persistent problem: where to go and
relieve ourselves. I guess we will solve that problem soon.
We rest and read for a little
while longer. But then we can no longer put off the inevitable. That
is to make dinner. Like all of Sherri’s camp meals, the “make”
is a bit misleading. She has done all of the hard work at home. So
all she has to do is to measure out our portions for tonight and then
boil water. Then we wait for ten minutes, and voila! A great meal.
Tonight’s is a Szechuan
Veggie Noodle.
But it is the after dinner
entertainment which makes the evening memorable. Sherri looks across
the lake and comments that she thinks someone is swimming-no biggie,
but it is a bit late. Then she wonders what is swimming? After the
splashing gets past the sun’s glare on the lake, there is a duck
and a whole line of her ducklings. Amazing watching them paddle
across the lake, over to where I have been drawing water. Once in the
little shallow area, momma duck starts to bob up and down. One by one
the ducklings get the idea and they are all head down, rear up. Not
sure if they are actually catching anything, but it is great fun
watching them.
 |
| Ducklings |
We stay up for a little while
longer. But the sun has gone down behind Kaiser Ridge and it is
cooling down. Also it is dark enough to perform one’s personal
business without being bothered by those who are camped close by. By
8:30 we are in the tent and 9:00 I have finished reading and shutting
my eyes, hoping the headache goes away soon.
|
Breakfast
|
Lunch
|
Dinner
|
Snacks
|
Oatmeal
and add-ins, such as dried peaches, strawberries, nuts, granola.
Tang.
|
Ritz Crackers, Peanut
Butter, Nutella
|
|
Clif Bar, GORP, Scratch,
Coffee Candy
|
Animals
 |
| Ducklings |
 |
| Lizard |
Flowers and Plants
