Friday, June 19, 2009

First Backpacking/Hike of the Summer

Audrey and I decided to take our first hike of the summer this past week. We had to strategically plan where we were going and when because it has been really rainy lately, and our only vehicle that works right now is a rear wheel drive grand marquis (not the ultimate off-roading vehicle).

So we set our sights on a campground called Elkhart Park which is by Pinedale, WY. The trailheads start around 9,000 feet elevation there. Friday morning we loaded up our car and our two dogs and headed out. The first unexpected thing we ran into was a herd of cattle being driven down the highway. (guess we really do live in Wyoming.) So that took a while to drive through, weaving in and out of cows, with our dogs going nuts in the back of the car.
We made it to the campground in good time, and asked the park rangers if the trails were clear. They told us they were great, so we decided to hike up the trail that gained in elevation rather than the one that dropped in elevation.
About 1 mile in the snow that was supposed to be melted started growing. Before long we were trying to walk over snow that had drifted to 6 feet in spots. The temperature was in the 60's and I had on a t-shirt and shorts, so when we would break through the snow it was up to my waist. After trying that for a while, we decided to try the trail that dropped in elevation and thought that the park rangers didn't really know what they were talking about.

The lower trail was much better and we had a great time hiking. The dogs loved it too. Here are some pictures from the trip.






2 comments:

Tricky G said...

This makes me want to go on my ultra crazy and stupid hiking adventure again.

Alyssa Brewer said...

park rangers are retardted humanbeings. [[never trust them, they are evil!]]