My sister and I set out last Wednesday to do a “pack test “ to get a taste for what 40lbs. feels like on our bodies, in our boots and on our minds. We left the truck at 9:30 am on a cool and unusually overcast day ( August 12, 2020 ) from the parking lot in front of Hoodoo ski resort off of Hwy. 20. She decided to bring her dog Mabel, who carried her own little doggie back pack with her own food and water. We knew that the first place to pick up water on the trail was about nine miles in at lake Wasco, so we both were carrying 3.5 liters for ourselves.
The beauty of this day, which we laughed many times about, was that we got to set our own pace. This time of year offered us about 10 hours to accomplish a 9+ mile hike leaving us plenty of time for breaks, snacks and taking in the surrounding beauty. One of the best parts about hiking for extended distances is the changing landscapes. We went from charred forests, to rock out cropping, to a new growth of soft noble fir. The beautiful silence, the unpredictable sound of the wind, the sluff of our boots and the easy and relaxed banter between sisters, made the hike much less about the distance we were covering and much more about just being in the moment.
Arriving to lake Wasco there were three small tents at the first rustic site so we moved around the lake to the North and arrived at “our spot”. Here we found perfect flat ground for 3-4 tents, endless firewood, perfectly enclosed fire pit that was close enough to plenty of water to easily douse the embers when the lids grew heavy. Saucefly basecamp meal was a perfect hearty ending to a long and fruitful day, the soy-spiced-lemon packet made us feel like there were no corners cut on a tasty meal made over a fire. Total pack weight of first nights dinner was 1.2 lbs.
I actually fell asleep barely after sundown, but managed to wake up, get dressed and get out of the tent to experience the stars in a sky unemcumbered by artificial lights…….OMG so insane!
Our water without any rationing left us each having about 1/2 of what we packed, so we filled up our packed bladders and liter bottles with lake water that we treated with PA tablets. As it would turn out the return trip back under the full, hot summer sun, we drank most of the 3.5 liters before reaching the car.
I recommend this trip highly for a single night on the trail. The views on the back side of three fingered Jack, and the open sky starry night was definitely worth the single blister on my heel :)