Backpacking Along the JMT, Part 2

Okay, so I spent last week up at my mom’s and backpacking. I’m not doing the long descriptive thing for this trip, just a brief summary and a couple photos. I think the highlight of the time in Camarillo is that my middle brother bought a Nintendo Wii, which is totally awesome. It was also nice to get to be there to celebrate my youngest brother’s birthday a few days early.

Backpacking was in the sierra’s this time along the Pacific Crest and John Muir Trails (part 2 because last year was part 1). It was about 20 grueling miles between 8000 and 10000 feet of altitude over three days and I am really not in very good shape. Despite the warnings from the ranger we did not see any bears. Supposedly they’re really bad this year but not a sign of them at all. Here are a few pictures:

Garnet Lake at Sunrise

 

Garnet Lake

 

Between Garnet and Shadow Lakes

 

Shadow Creek

 

We’ve determined that two backpacking trips less than a month apart is just too much. I love getting into the backcountry and seeing such amazing places but I need a little more time between trips in the future.

I am now pretty much out of vacation time for awhile. Luke starts first grade next Wednesday anyway so I won’t have the opportunity to go anywhere for some time. The focus of my life for the next few months will be school, soccer, Adopt-A-Family (I’m the chair on the PTA), music at church (preparing for Yuletide since I’m in the choir) and hopefully a few moments of peace to myself between it all! I’d really love to get my house organized and decluttered, get some stitching done, and get back into the swing of things with diet and exercise. I expect I’ll be so busy these coming months that the remainder of the year will fly by like the rest of it has so far.