Backpacking in Vegas – Day 1

September 30, 2018September 30, 2018 / Andy, Laurie, Miles & Ani / 7 Comments

Laurie hates Las Vegas. She’s been there a few times and has never left The Strip.

Andy however, knows where to find the magic.

The Spring Mountains are located 45 minutes west of the hot, bright and insane city of Las Vegas. Andy’s last trip to this beautiful mountain range was about 10 years ago when he hiked to Griffith Peak. A lot has changed since then.

The Spring Mountain National Recreation Area – and more specifically Mt. Charleston – is no longer a quiet place only a few visit. It is a mecca for all who seek respite from the oppressive heat of the desert and for those seeking stunning nature.

When Andy hiked to Griffith Peak he promised to return one day and hike the daddy – Charleston Peak.

We finally made the time to hike that mountain together. And this made the hike even more special for Andy.

Day 1 – Trail Canyon Trailhead to bushcamp

Miles: 4.3

Elev gain/loss: +2091 ft/-41 ft

Our day started at 5:40am. We jumped out of bed after snoozing for an extra half hour. Thankfully we were already packed. Andy showered, we shouldered our packs and went downstairs to meet Joanna – who was ready and waiting to take us to the airport. Thanks Joanna!!

We checked in, went through security and got on our plane on time but sat on the tarmac for over two hours. Las Vegas airport was having issues with their refueling systems so we had to fill up with enough fuel to take the plane all the way to Detroit.

Unfortunately with more fuel our plane was too heavy. They offered $600 travel vouchers to each person who agreed to take a later flight.

Laurie had fallen asleep with her head in Andy’s lap. She woke up to the words “$600” but was too groggy to put up a good fight. Andy wanted to get to Vegas, but Laurie couldn’t stop her mind from wandering to all the places we could go with $1200.

With every announcement the temptation in Laurie grew but Andy felt strongly that it wouldn’t be safe to arrive to an unfamiliar mountain range near dusk. His logical reasoning won out and we stayed in our seats waiting to take off.

After a few hour delay, we finally departed around 9:30am for Vegas. Tired, hungry and delirious, we landed in Vegas, picked up our rental car, drove to a sporting goods store for fuel, and a supermarket for extra rations. This is when Andy hit his wall. It was 1:30pm and be hadn’t eaten anything.

In-N-Out was a stones throw from the supermarket so we grabbed a burger each and drove to the mountains.

Andy’s jaw damn near dropped as he gained elevation on Kyle Canyon Road into the small town of Mt. Charleston.

There were roundabouts, a visitor center and multiple levels of parking areas for the main trailhead.

This must be what happens when an area and a trail are designated National Recreation Area and National Recreation Trail respectively.

It’s also probably what happens when there is a finite area for those who live in the urban sprawl to go and play in the summertime.

We parked our car at the Trail Canyon Trailhead and walked 1.3 miles on a shoulderless road to the South Loop Trailhead – or so we thought.

Things have changed in 10 years. There was a large fence around the parking area, stone benches and at least 50 people milling around. Andy remembered a small parking area that could fit maybe 10 cars. We weren’t sure if we were in the correct spot.

Laurie took off her pack and sat on the ground while Andy explored the area trying to jog his memory and figure out which trail to take.

Really there was only one trail but it was labeled as Cathedral Rock. There were many use trails from people ignoring signs and walking wherever they pleased.

Eventually after talking to some Forest Service Rangers and various maps we realized that our trial would branch off shortly up the main trail.

So we set off- hiking uphill around 3:30pm with 9 liters of water between us. The towering cliffs above us shaded the canyon.

It was very overwhelming to be around so many people, especially when we didn’t expect it, but we took comfort knowing we’d see less and less people as we hiked further into the Mt. Charleston Wilderness.

We took many stops for water as we stumbled forward. Andy had a slight headache and Laurie kept burping up her In-N-Out burger. Plus we were starting at 7,650 ft and walking uphill from the get go. Needless to say, neither of us were feeling awesome.

We both forgot about our discomforts as the trail wound through a hillside of yellow and orange Aspen trees. Even though it was still 100° in Las Vegas, Fall had arrived in the hills of the Spring Mountains.

We smiled as we continued to hike up the rocky trail. The fall colors were an unexpected, yet welcomed surprise.

After slowly climbing up 30 or so switchbacks we began looking for camping spots. We knew we wanted to stay in the shelter of the trees as the wind bellowed at every mini saddle we came upon.

We stopped at a nice spot that overlooked the town of Mt. Charleston but it was a bit too windy, so we kept going.

Two switchbacks up the mountain we spotted a nice, flat spot reasonably well protected from the sharp, cold wind.

We set up camp and Laurie quickly got in the tent to make home while Andy tried to make mac & cheese without making a complete mess of it as he had done multiple times on the PCT.

He did an ok job and crawled into the tent to eat with Laurie after putting up the fly. It had potential to be a cold night and the fly would bear the brunt of the wind better than the inner portion of the tent.

After we ate Andy tied our Ursack to a tree, came in and immediately fell asleep. Laurie read her book for a little while longer before crawling out of her comfy cacoon for a final pee before bed.

It was an exhausting day and we were both grateful to be in our tent – cozy and warm.

Laurie faded off to sleep under a big and bright full moon, her head supported on a new glamping style pillow.

Tonight we are grateful for switchbacks and fall colors.

One Year Anniversary

April 6, 2017April 19, 2017 / Andy, Laurie, Miles & Ani / 10 Comments

**We had planned to post this yesterday but due to technical difficulties were unable to do so. But now, it’s ready!**

We find it hard to believe that a year ago today we set out on an adventure of a lifetime. And what an adventure it was.

We use many adjectives when describing our experience on the Pacific Crest Trail – exhilarating, majestic, challenging, incredible, humbling.

It was a time in our lives we will look back upon and feel no regret. We chose adventure over creature comforts and the ‘same ole, same ole’.

We chose to live our dreams rather than do what we are ‘supposed’ to do. Looking back we deeply feel we made the right decision. We will be forever grateful for having walked across the Pacific Crest of the United States, from Mexico to Canada.

To celebrate our one year anniversary we created a movie so we can relive the adventure. We hope you enjoy it.

https://goo.gl/photos/THJhJnBQi7gZPETr7

Hiking as a couple

February 21, 2017 / Andy, Laurie, Miles & Ani / 8 Comments

“Aren’t you tired of one another yet?”

This is a question we got all the time.

Luckily, our answer every time was “No.”

Spending 6 months together felt like a privilege. Prior to the trail with differing work schedules, the most consecutive time we had spent together was a 3 week vacation in Nepal.

Sure, there were moments, hours and miles of irritation and frustration but the difficulties felt few and far between compared to the perks of sharing this experience together.

The success of our hike together was a result of good planning, open communication, a willingness to adapt and cheese!! 🙂

Researching success and failures of other couples

In preparation for the hike Andy did a lot of research. One of the common suggestions for hiking as a couple was to have separate food. Despite our desire to share, we followed this advice and it really helped.

Happy couple at Eagle rock

Thru hiking makes one hungrier than imaginable which creates feelings of scarcity and possessiveness. Knowing we each had enough food fostered feelings of abundance which led to sharing with one another and other hikers.

Clear communication

Communication is one of the strongest aspects of our relationship. We have worked hard to create a strong foundation where it is okay to have needs and wants, and to express those feelings. It felt safe to say “I am tired” or “my foot hurts.” We tended to each of these issues as they arose and came up with solutions.

Still smiling at Vasquez Rocks

We knew we wanted to hike together. There were only a few moments of “agh, Andy is so slow” or “Jeez Laurie, get out of the sleeping bag – it is time to get going.” Neither of us felt like the other was holding us back. I believe this stemmed from clear expectations from the beginning and helped prevent feelings of resentment.

Making decisions together

At each resupply point we devised a strategy for the coming section. We decided when we wanted to get to the next town, how many miles we wanted to walk on that last day and divided the remaining miles by number of days. This became our rough itinerary.

still smiling at Crater Lake

As the miles wore on, we became more fluid in our planning. We always had a rough idea but in the last 500 miles instead of having an exact mileage goal we would identify 3 potential campsites over a 5 mile range and around 6 o’clock decide on our destination. We were lucky that our comfort zones expanded and our bodies adapted at a similar pace so we could push when we wanted or needed to.

We seamlessly fell into a routine

We recognized our individual habits and comforts and worked together to share camp and town chores. Laurie hikes faster so she usually led. (Until we encountered a rattlesnake, at which time Andy would take the lead.) This was never a discussion, it just felt natural.

Andy was the one to hike down the steep use trails to get water. We both wanted to spare Laurie’s knees and it was a blessing. Laurie often blogged while Andy disappeared into the brush. This way both of us felt we were contributing to the team.

Back in the Sierras – still smiling

When we got to camp, Laurie craved coziness and would quickly jump in the tent, clean off and change into her sleeping clothes. Andy recognized Laurie’s desire to be cozy and cooked while Laurie unpacked the backpacks, inflated the pads and fluffed the sleeping bags.

Benefits of hiking as a couple

Some couples hiked just as fast as solo hikers, but this wasn’t the case for us. We took more breaks, took longer to get going and often didn’t hike as late into the evening, mostly because we didn’t feel pressure to keep up with others.

It was nice to always have someone to share the highs and lows with. It felt like the highs were higher and the lows more bearable having someone to commiserate with. We made decisions together and it was nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of. I can only imagine how easy it would be to create negative stories in one’s head while hiking alone and in silence all day.

Maybe it’s the apple & cheese, but we’re still smiling

Hiking as a couple afforded us the opportunity for conversation and silence. 80% of our days we hiked within 20 feet of one another but would go miles without sharing a word. It was comforting knowing Andy was right behind me and allowed my mind to wander in ease.

One of the major benefits of hiking with someone is that you can share the weight of gear. We divided the tent (although after 100 miles Andy carried 90% of it), first aid kit, water purification and cooking supplies.

Challenges

One of the biggest challenges for us was that our bodies responded differently to the trail. We felt strong at different times and on different days and had to compromise to meet the needs of the other. Laurie became a slug around 2pm or whenever it was hot but experienced a second wind as we got closer to camp (probably because she would eat candy around 4pm).

We started to converse during these hours as a way to motivate one another to continue. Laurie would often turn to podcasts during these afternoon hours but as we got closer to camp Andy wanted to discuss camping options. He found himself getting frustrated that Laurie was tuned in and plodding along rather than mutually discussing where we would camp that night. We talked about it and decided Laurie would unplug around 6pm (an hour before we usually made it to camp).

Final thoughts

The trail, like life, was about learning what worked and didn’t work, both individually and as a couple, making adjustments and moving on. In many ways it seemed easier to adapt and work together on the trail. Maybe it was out of necessity or fewer distractions that made it easier to feel grateful for whatever each of us brought to the table.

Five months have passed since stepped off the trail; we continue to rely on our open communication as we navigate through life as a couple – still learning, still adapting, still leaning upon the other when in need of support.