Stuart Fork, Trinities. Day 2.

By nine a.m., it was already 60 degrees. Blue sky shone through the treetop branches. The sun was just about to come up over the nearby ridge and shine into our valley.

Three miles further down the trail, we decided to leave everything but the day's supplies in the bushes and return that night to camp. No point in carrying all of our stuff up the steepest part of the trail. We passed a few groups of unfriendly hikers on our way up the steep trail, also a few hunters. (Are you allowed to rifle hunt from a trail in a state forest?) Doesn't exactly seem safe to have hikers and flying bullets near each other.

The only photo with the three of us in it. Haha.

The beautiful dirt trail continued skyward. I could hardly believe how wonderful the footing was.

Photo op with Brian

By 2pm, we reached the hottest part of the day and the tree cover had vanished. Rocky, dusty trail replaced it. It wasn't too difficult to maneuver, but it was much slower than the happy dirt trail we had just been on. I yearned for shade. We stopped in the shelter of a small shrub for lunch about halfway up. That's when I ran out of water.

I was sweating profusely, as usual, and found myself dizzying as we climbed higher and higher on the boulders. I heard running water from a falls nearby, but it wasn't in an area I could get water. When I contemplated turning back, a valley breeze hit us and OH MY did it feel good.

Since I keep my running nearly as high as I can handle, I don't usually push myself on backpack trips. These are meant to be restful, designed to let me unwind and do something easier. This particular hike was turning out to be every bit as hard as my running efforts.

Yummy water! This is the stuff people pay $2 a bottle for!!

We reached a small pooled stream and refilled our Camelbaks. The trail leveled off after a few steeper pitches, I knew we must be close to the lake now. We descended into a lush alpine meadow. Trees and grasses carpeted an otherwise rocky landscape.

Swimming in Alpine Lake was incredible. Cold, and pretty perfect for being 85F, even up here at 6,200 ft.

We caught sight of two fishermen perched on boulders across the lake. They were naked. Wearing fishermen hats, but otherwise completely nude. Would you want to stand around naked when sharp hooks are flying around? No? Me neither. Eeek.



After a quick, refreshing dip, we headed back down to camp. We had another five miles to cover before dark. (Brian doesn't like to set up camp in the dark, so we always made sure we were ready by the time sunset came around.) The descent was beautiful. I had spent so much time watching my footing on the exposed parts of trail that I hardly noticed how beautiful the Stuart Fork valley was. Rocky mountains of a reddish hue, mountains covered with boulders, and mountains lined with Douglas Fir and Cedar were all mixed together. As we hiked down, we watched the sun retreat from the valley, replacing the brightly lit spots with shadow.

Besides the heat, I hardly could believe we were still in California. We reached the nice dirt trail after assaulting our knees with the rocky boulder descent and picked up speed. We covered that five miles in about an hour and a half. I didn't even run the 50K at that pace!! *sigh* So much for leisurely, hey?

Back at camp, I set up the tent and sleeping bags while Matt cooked us dinner. Brian joked about how Matt and I have our own roles in camp. I didn't realize it until then, but we really do have a system. I always set up the tent, he always cooks. In the mornings, it's the opposite. He gets our breakfast ready, I pack up. :) I gorged myself on instant mashed potatoes. After having just a salmon and cheese wrap for lunch, I was pretty hungry and dehydrated. The salt in those potatoes really hit the spot. YUM!

I took some more Benadryl, along with Ibuprofen to help me sleep. My legs weren't really sore, but I had a few hot spots on my toes. My hiking boots are great for Alaska, where it's cold and there isn't much sweat. But here? Damp feet all day and blisters in places I've never gotten them. Suggestions for more breathable shoes with a hard sole? I really like my hiking boots for their sole, but they are Goretex and way too warm.