Not when Brad's in charge of the planning!
My vacation kicked off with a run and a PR, a hike in the Gorge, a fun run and climbing Mount Hood. But I was just getting started. After climbing Hood Monday, we took a short nap, scarfed some Roundtable pizza and then immediately packed for our six-day road/backpacking/climbing trip.
Tuesday, we drove 5+ hours north to Leavenworth, Wash. Actually, Brad drove while I slept off-and-on most of the way. I was pooped!!
We stopped first at the ranger station to pick up the permits we'd reserved months in advance. Then we secured a site at the 8-Mile Creek Campground along Icicle Creek and returned to the Bavarian-styled town for some sightseeing and dinner:
Icicle Creek:
Our campsite - just a place to sleep before heading into the woods:
Packing up. Is all this really going to fit??
FULL packs:
At the Lake Stuart Trailhead:
We kept laughing about our packs, so we had to take more pictures. They were loaded down - and heavy!
OK... let's go!
Entering the Alpine Lakes Wilderness:
We stopped for lunch at the Colchuck/Stuart lakes junction:
Best wrap I've ever had!
Just around the bend was a cool bridge over more whitewater:
The trail to Colchuck Lake was rough and steep, gaining 2,200 feet in 4.1 miles. The difficulty was multiplied by the heat, heavy packs and recent overnight Hood climb.
We finally spotted the lake and found a perfect camping spot looking across at Dragontail Peak:
And Colchuck Peak (our climbing destinations):
Brad planned all the meals and had brie, dill Havarti, crusty bread and fresh veggies for our dinner. YUM! For dessert, Brad the outdoor gourmet made us rice pudding. I think it was supposed to serve 6. We ate it ALL!!
Bedtime :)
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