My snow trip (aka how I loved to hearn the hike)

So I've returned. Safely. Exhausted, but I've returned (and early, I might add!).

Throughout my drive home I was trying to decide on an intersting blogging format. Should I write a blow-by-blow account as if I had telepathic wifi access? Should I write from the point of view of my ice axe? Or should I write one big blog?

I've decided to keep things simple (and therefore, dull) by posting by each major event - the hike up, the camp, and the hike back.

Here's how my hike up went:

Parked car, arranged gear (snowshoes, ice axe) on pack and started trekking up the 6 mile road to camp. My gear:

• 3 season 2 person backpacking tent
  
• simmerlite stove
  
• two nalgenes with water in them
  
• two dinners, a package of ramen, oatmeal, a cliff bar, and a package and a half of trail mix
  
• 0 degree down sleeping bag
  
• sleeping bag liner
  
• bivy sack
  
• thermarest
  
• backpacking pillow (I don't know why this was in the pack to begin with... was comfy though)
  
• two snow poles
  
• BD ice axe
  
• snowshoes
  
• lightweight Grivel crampons
  
• a Heavy Ass Mtn Hardware conduit jacket
  
• midweight fleece
  
• rain pants
  
• gortex pants (oops-double packed)
  
• aluminum pot plus spoon and knife
  
• sunglasses
  
• cap and beanie
  
• ... you get the idea... I basically brought too much crap

All in all, I'm guessing I had a 40 ~ 50 lbs pack. I also bought one of those disposable cameras to chronicle my journey (also in case I died, my rescuers can recreate what went wrong...).

The first third of the hike went smoothly. I saw a deer, tried to make sense of some tracks I found in the mud and generally had fun seeing bits of snow on the road (white powder! And it's legal!).

The second third started becoming strenuous. That's when the gaiters and the snow shoes were put on. Not only did the road get a bit steeper, but snowshoeing is a lot of work! This was my maiden snowshoeing adventure so I wasn't sure how much work it would be - it's A LOT OF WORK. I think before I went I read something about how it's customary for people in the group to switch the leader position every 5 minutes to stamp out the snow, etc b/c the leader position is the most tiring position to be in. My opinion: yup.

The other thing about snowshoes - they're heavy. They say that every pound of weight on your feet is the same as adding an additional 5 to 10 lbs in your pack. I believe it - moving with lighter feet is definitely faster and more comfortable. It was one of the most laborious trudges I've done. Not to mention that you kind of have to walk with your feet straddling an imaginary horse... the snowshoes are wider than typical shoes so you're forced to keep your feet apart ever so slightly more than is comfortable.

Well, despite all of this, I did discover that snow poles / trekking poles are a god send. fortunately I still I have a bit of my climbing strength in my shoulders and arms so I was able to relieve my legs of some of the weight by hauling my ass upwards as if I was jumaring. Not that jumaring is an easy task either...

So here I am trudging ever so much higher. I originally kept a good pace but at some point when the snow was about a foot to a foot and a half high, I decided to have lunch. In the shade. In the snow. The sun kept the hike hot - I walked in just a capilene top and two layers of bottoms (rain pants were needed to keep the snow off of my legs). In my hungry and tired state I managed to eat a few handfuls of gorp, chug down more water and rest for a good 20 minutes before continuing.

The last third of the hike is a bit hazy. The road was almost always covered with snow at this point. I was able to keep a rough idea of how much further to go only because I've driven up this road dozens of times before - "hey, there's that boulder that's being kept from falling into the road by half a dozen manky trees", "that's the boulder where you first start seeing black mountain granite" and that sort of thing. I do remember resting at OK Corral and feeling "at home". I also remember taking a break every 50 paces. I was at around 7000 ft - an altitude I haven't been at since last summer and consequently my body wasn't accustomed to the oxygen levels.

I remember feeling overjoyed when I saw the split in the road .5 a mile before the campsite I chose for myself at the beginning of this trip. But the rest were even more frequent - at one point, I could see the campsite only a 100 yards away, but it took me a good 20 minutes to get to it.