Adventures in Wonderland: Part One, Fifth Post

The goal: get my legs, lungs and heart strong enough to carry me 93 miles of rugged, up-and-down trail with a 30-40 lb. pack on my back.

 

To be honest, I was in the worst shape of my life, but the thought of that never put a damper on my resolve to fulfill this dream. I was already packing an additional (pre-loaded and unwanted) 20 pounds, so putting a heavy pack on my back wasn't a huge priority in the beginning. I started out carrying a 15 pound Camelbak loaded with only water for my training hikes.

 

At first, my training involved one hike a week, usually to Mt. Peak (Pinnacle Peak) which is a steep 2.4 mile round trip jaunt that usually took about 30 minutes to summit. The trip out to Enumclaw, where the inactive volcanic cone is located in the midst of farm land, took me 40 minutes, one way, but the drive was worth it and usually very enjoyable, especially with the Celtic band Gaelic Storm blaring through my van's speakers (yes, I'm a single mom of five, drive a van and listen to very loud Irish music...how cool am I?)

 

Having Tuesday and Thursdays off from teaching, I made use of those days to train. My grandmother, Nana, offered to watch Cecelia anytime I needed her to and encouraged me in this quest of mine in every way possible. As school let out at the end of May, the hikes became more frequent and I would begin to drag bring the kids along with me. Oftentimes, I would be watching a friend's child or my kids would have cousins stay the night and they would join us. Emily came with me occasionally, but I was getting worried about her not joining me as frequently as necessary. When she did come, she would oftentimes bring the three boys that she nannies for and at one point we had nine children tagging along!

 Emily and my hiking buddies on a trip up to Mt. Peak.

 

At first they were all excited about the prospect of hiking as most kids would be, but as the Wonderland hike got closer and closer, to some, not all of them, it became a chore. "Load up! We're going hiking!" once followed by whoops and hollers of glee, turned to groans of, "Again?" This is telling as to how often we went because my kids are outdoor fanatics and usually jump at the opportunity to get out in the woods. However, once on the trail, they were happy hikers.

 

 

Throughout our time training we hiked everywhere from Mt. Peak to trails on Mt. Rainier. The week before we were to begin our backpacking trip, however, I knew I needed a longer and more strenuous hike to get a good idea of what a day on the Wonderland trail would be like. Up to this point, our longest hike had been a 4 mile climb to Rattlesnake Ledge. I wore my backpack and brought the boys (and a few extra kids). The view from the top was unbelievable! The climb was challenging and the weather was hot! But, still, I needed something that more closely resembled a day of hiking Mt. Rainier.

 

Mt. Si would be the perfect final hike that would give me an idea if I was ready or not. With completely loaded 40 pound backpacks Emily and I set out with Samuel, Hunter and my sister-in-law, Shawna, who was in town visiting for awhile. We got a later-than-desired start so the mid-July weather was quite warm at the onset. The distance to the top was four uphill miles.

 

Each mile literally felt like 3 miles but we never wore out or felt entirely exhausted (until the last mile down). The boys were quite the troopers. It was the perfect hike to prepare us for the big one the following week, including the black bear sighting we experienced on the way down!

 

 Sam on top of Mt. Si, looking down on North Bend.

Adventures in Wonderland: Part One, Fourth Post

Now that everything that was out of my control fell into place, it was time to take care of the things that WERE in my control. It was time to make lists (and purchases) and begin checking those lists off. It was also time to train this flaccid body of mine to walk many hours of mountainous terrain with a heavy pack on my back. Both checking off the lists and the training took time.

I was able to make most of the big purchases; my tent, sleeping bag and backpack shortly after I got my tax return. Many of the other purchases were made after great lessons in patience and hard work. I resolved to get something I needed with each paycheck. It was difficult watching the annual REI Garage Sale come and go without having money to buy some of the things I needed, even at such great discounts. By and by, however, I was beginning to look like I knew what I was doing.

At one such trip to REI, Emily and I were shopping for our backpacks. The sales reps sized us and helped us to find one that suited our needs. I tried on the Osprey Aura 65 in Pinon Green and was amazed at the comfort it offered. A sales rep asked if I wanted her to weigh it down in order to get a good idea of what it would really feel like. When filled with "25 lbs." of sand bags I was shamefully shocked at how HEAVY it was! Emily had them fill her dream backpack as well, and we tried to hide our weakness from the 'Oh-so-in-shape' outdoor enthusiasts that worked there. We didn't say anything in the store but as soon as we got in the van we both expressed how SURE we were that there was no WAY that could have been only 25 pounds! Looking back, after having carried a pack that eventually weighed more than 40 pounds, I still don't think it was only 25 lbs.

I didn't buy my backpack that day in REI, as I was told it would be going on sale soon. The purchase of my pack, as well as my shoes, I figured, would be the most important items I would shell out the big bucks for. After reading many blogs and websites on lightweight backpacking frugally, to the point of making your own backpack, I decided there were just some things that would be worth buying in the reliable brands. I did shop online a lot though, looking for the best deals. It became a great thrill to find things cheaper than I intended on buying it, and my backpack was one of those things. At www.backcountryedge.com I found my pack, the exact color and size I wanted, for $40 cheaper than the sale price at REI. I ordered it with great excitement and waited for it to arrive with great anticipation.

The day it arrived at the house I was stuck in this huge goofy-looking smile for the rest of the day. I put it on and wore it for a couple of hours, including during the five-minute walk down the street to my Nana's house. The kids thought I'd finally lost it for sure....maybe I had!