Family Camping Trip

I spend the last weekend (really 5 days) camping with my family in Logan Canyon. It was fun and I love being with my family. We did a little hiking and playing in the river. The hike was hot and the river was cold but both were fun.

 

We hiked up to the Wind Caves one day.

The kids had a good time although I think they didn't expect it to be so hard for them. They did great though.  I just realized that I didn't get many pictures of the other kids. Oh well. :)

Fourth of July

I spent the 4^th of July weekend in the Uintah Mountains with my sister and her dog, Charlie. After the excitement of the Inca trail, I found myself purchasing gear for a backpacking trip. We were trying to do a trip to King’s Peak, which is Utah’s highest peak but that fell through and in hindsight I’m glad it did. I believe it is better that my first real backpacking trip was only 13.2 miles. Well, I consider the Inca trail a “real backpacking trip”, but this is the first one since I was a teenager where I carried all my own stuff.

We hiked up to Amethyst Lake, which sits about 10,740 elevation wise.  The hike is really not that hard although I did feel the elevation a little bit. It starts out pretty level with some minor ups and downs. Then a couple miles in the trail forks and we took the path up the mountain, which was the hardest part. It wasn’t super steep, but it was all uphill over a really rocky trail.  Then it leveled out again for a bit until we arrived at the meadow and lake below Amethyst. That’s where we made camp for the night.

 

We set up camp and rested a bit then we got up to explore again until it was time to make dinner.  In the morning we left camp after breakfast and hiked the last little bit to Amethyst Lake.  Then we packed back up and headed down the mountain.

 

 

 

Once we got down we put everything in the car and drove along Mirror Lake highway. It was a busy weekend. We had decided to camp one more night in a campground and we found a good place at the Trial Lake campground.   Then in the morning we packed up and went home.

 

The trip was fun. Again I’ve realized I don’t really love hiking (especially with the heavier pack) but I do like to be in the mountains and Amethyst Lake is just one of those places you can’t get to without using your feet (or a horse, if you have one).  I really wish I would have taken my book on the hike, but after putting my pack on, I didn’t want even a tiny bit of extra weight. We had some downtime that I could have used to read. We also didn’t light a fire the first night and I just really like campfires. I don’t know why, but sitting around a camp fire staring in to the flames is one of the most relaxing things.

 

It won’t be my last backpacking trip, especially after I bought some of the gear (although some I needed or has multiple uses) but I probably won’t do another one this year.  I am planning on a couple smaller day hikes when my family goes camping.  I don’t necessarily love hiking but I do like the views from the top and the physical activity is good for me.

The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White

I recently finished the Echo Company series by Ellen Emerson White (I believe they were originally published under her pen name Zack Emerson).  I bought them on impulse from a kindle deal I heard about through a blog I enjoy reading.  I started the first one on the journey to Peru and quickly read through 3 of them on the plane.  I finished the last 2 after I got home. Then I went and checked out some books about the Vietnam War from the library.

I love it when something I read makes me want to learn more about real life things. We study the Vietnam War in school from a historical and political perspective but these books seemed so real in the details that I want to know what it was like to be there because it sounds horrifying and terrible and so very sad for the men and women who went there.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the whole series. I loved Michael and his gang of friends from the first time they meet. Michael tried so hard not to let them in because they could be gone in an instant. And some of them were. Then Michael meets Rebecca.  These two both go through so much and from the moment they meet I was hoping for a happy ending for them.

The Road Home is my favorite book of the series. I’ve already bought myself a used paper copy. It goes on the keeper shelf and the second half of the book has already been re-read multiple times.  It’s about Rebecca coming home from the war and how she deals with trying to get on with her life when she can’t get over her recent past. I loved it. I won’t say it has a happy ending, but it has a perfect ending.  Perfect, and hard, and hopeful, which is why it is one of the best books I’ve read all year and one that I’ll revisit often in the future.

Memphis

I spent 4 days last week in Memphis for work. It wasn't my first trip there, but it was the first time I've actually stayed in the downtown area. It was a nice week. The weather was beautiful, even if I don't like the humidity.

On Friday before I flew home, my friend and I went to Graceland. I'm not an Elvis fan but it was fun to see. I would say it's fun to do once, if you are in the area.

Cusco

We were in Cusco for 3 days before we left on our hike. We planned it that way so we could acclimate. Cusco was fun. It was noisy and smelled like car exhaust and I think 3 days was plenty of time.  We spent 2 days there again after the hike which was fine because we were too tired to want to do much, but we both agreed that if we ever did it again, we would not stay in Cusco the whole time.

On Friday, our first day, we pretty much wandered around the touristy part of the city looking through the shops and just getting our bearings.  We learned pretty quickly that traffic is crazy and the lights and street markings and double yellow lines are pretty much just suggestions. Cars would try to go up and down a one lane street at the same time and would have to back up when other cars were on the road.

On Saturday we took a bus to the ruins above Cusco. The bus is where I lost my camera. I wasn’t very happy but there was nothing I could do about it and it was my fault for not sticking it back in my bag where it should have been.  My sister had her camera (many of my pictures are from her) and I still had my phone. We saw the ruins at Tamomachay, Q’enko, and Sacsayhuaman. The views were spectacular.

 

On Sunday we went to church. There was a ward that had sacrament meeting at 10:00 and the building wasn’t far from us. I ended up playing the piano for them for the meeting and it was a good experience. I hope they liked having live music instead of the recordings.  Later that day we had signed up for a chocolate making class at the chocolate museum. It was one of the most fun things we have done on a vacation. Our teacher was fantastic and she took us through the whole process from the raw plant and beans to the roasting and tempering until the final product.  We were able to sample the beans, and she made cocoa tea and hot chocolate. Then we finished by making our own chocolates in molds. I am very much a chocoholic and I had a blast.

On the next Friday after the hike, I was not feeling great and pretty much slept off and on for most of the day.  We did meet up with a few of our friends from the trail at a pub on Friday night and it was fun to see everyone again, even if it had only been a day. 

 

On Saturday, we checked out of the hotel but still had about 5 hours to waste before it was time to go to the airport. It was my sister who didn’t feel so well that day so we just meandered about and then we bought tickets for the tourist bus that drives around Cusco. It was nice to see some spots we couldn’t walk to and it was nice to be off our feet again for a while.

Then we came home. I’m finally back into my routine. I had a huge vacation hangover because it was really so incredible.  I’ll just be happy being home for awhile and then I’ll start badgering my sister about our next trip. We’ve already got a couple places on the short list.

My Porter

As I have mentioned before, I was nervous to hike the Inca Trail. I need to lose more weight and until this past January, my exercising was sporadic at best. It was a challenge and I came up with a plan to get ready. I am happy with what I accomplished. Maybe I could have done more, but I had prayed that what I was doing would be enough and it was.

Anyway, the day before the hike, we ran into some people in Cusco who had just finished the hike (only they did it in 3 days, not 4) and they kind of freaked us out just a little bit by telling us how hard it was. It did not help the nerves at all. Sunday night I think I might have gotten 2 hours of sleep but I doubt it was that much. So on Monday we were up and ready to go by 4:00 am and I was running on adrenaline. It kept me going all morning, but I was running out of energy fast. I was also used to exercising on an empty stomach and it was hard for me to force down food at lunch so I know I didn’t eat enough. I was definitely not feeling my best.

 

 

After lunch, we had a 4-5 hour hike all uphill to get to our camping spot for the night. My sister went on ahead because she wanted to challenge herself and I didn’t need her right there with me. We were only a couple hours in when I really started to not feel well. I just kept going because I had to, but eventually I ran out of steam. I got really dizzy and had to lean against a rock. Then my blood pressure dropped and I almost passed out. I started shaking and I sat down on the side of the trail and leaned against my backpack. Two of my fellow hikers came up the trail and stopped to help me. I put my fleece jacket on and they fed me candy bars and one of them went ahead and brought our guide, Edwin, back down to help me. Edwin took my blood pressure and sat with me until my color came back and I felt like I could get up. He walked with me a little bit farther and then I stopped to rest again because I didn’t feel good. Edwin gave me my options: I could either keep hiking up the mountain for another couple hours or I could stop and spend the night there and turn around in the morning. I would still be able to get the train and meet the group at Machu Picchu on Thursday. He wanted me to make the choice because I knew what I was capable of more than he was. I made the choice pretty quickly that I wasn’t going to stop but it still took me some time to let him know. I didn’t want to quit, but I also didn’t want to have to hike anymore that day.

So I started walking again. It got dark and I had to get my headlamp out. Thinking about it now, I’m glad I couldn’t see very far up the stairs. It was easier to hike them just taking a few at a time. Edwin had a porter come down from camp and made me give up my backpack. The porter hiked the rest of the way with me, carrying my pack and stopping whenever I wanted water from my hose. Edwin went on ahead so it was just the two of us. I started practicing my very bad Spanish on him since he didn’t speak English. I bet he thought I was crazy but it was actually almost kind of fun and gave me something to concentrate on besides the stairs.

He seriously has no idea how much I appreciated his help that evening. Muchas gracias just doesn’t cut it and that’s all I could say to him. The rest of the trip Edwin referred to him as “my porter”.  I was able to give him a hug and an extra tip our last night at camp. It really doesn’t seem enough. His name is Joselito and I’ve probably spelled it wrong and he has no idea that he impacted my life so much. Ha ha… he might have been helping me under duress for all I know.  The most I can do now is pray for him and trust God to take care of him. He doesn’t know it, but he has a friend for life even though I’ll probably never see him again.

Inca Trail Packing List and Tips

I have to give a shout out to our trekking company. We used Enigma  and I would highly recommend them. Our guides, Edwin and Elbin,were fantastic and very knowledgable. So were the porters. After hiking the exact same trail carrying much more weight, they cheered for us as we made it to camp each evening. And the food was excellent. I couldn't believe what the chef was able to do on the trail. We all wondered if the food was so good because we were so tired and hungry, but decided it would have been good anyway.

I followed the packing list they gave with only a few extras. I packed:

• 2 pairs hiking pants
• 4 short sleeved moisture wicking tee shirts
• 1 long sleeved tee shirt
• thermal shirt and fleece pants to sleep in
• 5 pairs of SmartWool/Thorlo brand socks (and I didn't get any blisters)
• clean underwear for each day, 1 sports bra, 1 extra bra (to get out of the sweaty one at camp)
• fleece jacket
• warm hat, gloves, and ear muffs (I prefer my earmuffs over a hat)
• poncho
• headlamp
• sunhat and a Buff headband thing
• camping toilet paper and travel sized tissues
• hiking shoes, tennis shoes, and flip flops (I preferred the tennis shoes at camp instead of flip flops so I'd skip those)
• insect repellent
• sunblock
• toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, ponytail holder, etc. (very basic toiletries)
• Platypus water containter with hose (we had a 1 liter and a 2 liter)
• snacks
• rented trekking poles (these saved my knees - I wouldn't do it without them)
• first aid kit (medicines and blister kit)
• microfiber sleeping bag liner
• ShowerPill athletic body wipes (loved these)
• earplugs (the tents are close together and I did hear other people snoring)
• passport
• money for tips for the porters
• small notebook and pen (I like writing a few things down while it's fresh)
• sleeping bag (I rented mine, my sister packed her own)
• plastic bags of various sizes (we had quart to 3 gallon size - everything should be in plastic bags in case it rains)

We paid for an extra porter so I carried just the things I needed for the day on the trail and the porter carried everything else. We had people who packed all their things, but they struggled a little bit. I couldn't have done it. Even my sister was glad she didn't have to carry everything.

If I had to do it over, I would take less snacks. We had some energy bars that we didn't need. I liked the trail mix we took, but I would have added a few small candy bars or fast sugar. We did take a can of Pringles that were a big hit. Every morning we were given some fresh fruit and granola bars or cookies or other kind of snack so we didn't need near as much as we brought and it was just weight we didn't need.

I would also take waterproof gloves or I saw someone take latex gloves to put over their other gloves which I thought was a great idea. My knit gloves were fine until they got wet and then my hands did get cold.

There are cold showers available at the camp on the 3rd night. I thought the body wipes did a decent job until I got to a hot shower. Most of my group went and played in the waterfall near the ruins and they said that felt just as good as the cold shower would have. Plus, the toilet/shower area is kind of disgusting.

I had just about everything imaginable in my first aid kit and only used the Advil and Tylenol PM. I wouldn't change what I packed because if I had needed it, I would have had it and it was still small enough to be manageable. I took a half dose of Tylenol PM the first night and should have done it the other nights. Between the noises, the rain, and the hard ground, I didn't get a lot of sleep even though I was tired.

You can definitely tell which people hiked to Machu Picchu and who took the train, but I'm glad we did the hike. My sister and I have already decided that we need to go back to Peru to hike another area in the mountains. It was a great trip and I would love to do another one like it.