Camping

CAUTION: If you are overly anxious, worried, or scared for my safety, do not read this post. I am here and am writing about my amazing camping trip, that is all you need to know. If you continue to read, do not get upset, I warned you!

Lake Merrill

For some reason it was perfectly normal for a girl to go off camping, traveling, and exploring on her own in the hippie days, and plenty of women still do this, but when I go to do any sort of activity I have many people anxious, worried, and cautioning me. Yes, there are the what if's this or that happens, but there is also the what if it doesn't happen. Then I just have fun and great stories to tell. It's always funny to see or hear people's reactions when I am out hiking and they find out I am alone. Or if people ask who I went camping with and I say myself they think it's cool, but you can tell they aren't totally sure what to think. I just have one thing to say, if you enjoy being outside and camping and have never gone camping by yourself, DO IT!! It's not only an amazing time to think and listen to yourself and nature, but it teaches you a lot as well. I have camped alone before, but never for three nights in a row. I learned many things, but one of the big things I learned is that I stay a lot more organized and clean when I am with others. I am messy when I am alone. I try to stay somewhat organized, but then I get to where it doesn't really matter if I have clothes thrown in one corner of the tent and bags in the other, no one is going to see it or care! I also do not give one lick of concern about my appearance camping alone. Another great reason to do this sometime. You have no one around you that is going to see you, so why care? Too bad we can't have this mindset all the time. Of course, I did clean my face, brush my teeth, hair in a ponytail because those things help me feel better, not because I want to appear better. One night I had on this simple black dress that is great for just throwing on after you take a bath in the lake, and I got a little chilled so I put on sweats under it and my sweatshirt on top of it with the dress hanging out and my chacos on. Must have looked ridiculous, but who cares!!! I love it! I don't care much in terms of what other people think of how I look or trying to look good for others, but not even having others around to look at you really teaches you that you can be the natural, simple person you were created to be and you are beautiful!

Another thing I learned is how being and camping with others is not only great for the company, but also great in terms of the work. When I camp alone I go very simple. Just snack food, fruit, granola bars, water, maybe a potato to throw in the fire, nothing too extensive. Just my tent to pitch and fire to stoke. Camping with others, they not only help do the work around camp, but we also tend to have a little more at the camp, more food, more equipment, etc. I enjoy having the conversation and fun that comes with others, but the simple camping is fun as well where I am in charge of everything that has to get done and what happens during the day. This is part of my problem when I am with others. Like when my mom was visiting, I felt like I was always waiting on her to be ready, and was very impatient, because I am not used to it. I am used to my single, alone lifestyle, that it is hard for me to adjust to accomodate others.

This camping trip was a very easy trip, I thought. I already had all my firewood, ended up only using like half of it. Had my newspaper and food. The only thing I really had to worry about was buying ice the second day for my cooler and refilling my water bottles. Really not much to worry about, the first two nights I camped at Lake Merrill just south of Mt St Helens. The only free area to camp that I know of in the area and where I was wanting to hike and bike. So even though I was not totally alone, there were other campers not too close but in the campground as well, it was a conveniet place to camp. The first night went very well, the temperatures were great. Last time I camped alone I couldn't believe how cold it got in the tent. Having no one else in the tent to help heat it up really makes a difference. But this trip I would only get cold early morning, easily fixed by putting on a sweater. But most the night just wore a t-shirt, it was great!

My first day I did an 11 mile loop hike on St. Helens. There is a hike up St. Helens that goes all the way around the mountain. The hike I did crossed this trail, goes up and over, then back down. So it's not like I was climbing up the whole mountain, but climbed up a ways. Ran into some guys on the way down that were just finishing up a three day long backpack trip around the whole mountain. They looked very tired and ready to be done! They said it is some 30 miles to do the whole thing, no wonder they were tired! But then, that's about 10 miles a day, not too bad. It's just carrying the gear that gets ya. My battery on my good camera died at the end of this hike, so had to stick with my little camera the rest of the trip, which I still don't have the cord to since I have not been home since I moved to Oregon, so still can't upload those pictures, unfortunately.

Looking out over some of the destruction from the eruption of St Helens

Looking up at St. Helens, looks like I am close to the top, but I know if I tried to start climbing up, it would take a long time!
Looks a lot different now with less snow on it

Mt Rainer!

When I got done hiking I knew there was a trail I wanted to bike in the area and was planning on doing a long hike the next day so decided to eat something then go biking. This was a 10 mile bike ride, 5 miles of climbing up. What was I thinking doing this bike ride right after hiking 11 miles? It was a struggle! Mainly because it was almost 5 straight miles of climbing up right off the bat. The bugs were ridiculous too. I even put bug spray on and still, if I stopped moving they were swarming. To add to it, I ran out of water. At the top I hiked up a little bit farther, great views, and drank some water from a little stream on top. Figured it was safe enough I was so far up, and man it tasted good! I usually don't run out of water like that but I forgot how much more effort I put into biking than hiking and how I chug water so much more when I bike. Then going back down was amazing! Definitely worth the pain and questioning myself while going up.

Driving back to camp was exhilerting. The sun was at that hard to see the road but gorgeous through the trees 8 o'clock hour, sun sets about 9-9:30 in the mountains. So driving through the curves, windows down, wind in my face, light shining through the trees was the best! Definately a great way to end the day. Got back to camp, rinsed off in the lake, then started my fire. Slept good that night!

Usually when camping I wake up early because it gets warm or the sun is bright. Not this next morning. I was in the trees, so not much morning sun and it was a bit chilly, so I didn't wake until 9am! I couldn't believe it! I was kind of mad at myself too because I was wanting to pick up camp and drive to this other hike, but then I calmed myself down and told myself it didn't matter. I had plenty of daylight and no one to get mad at me. So I picked up and drove about an hour to my next destination, a 13.6 mile hike up Silver Star Mountain. I wanted to do this hike because it was in the area and because what I read about it was that it was an epic hike, one that had to be done! Being on my own I wanted to take advantage of doing a little more difficult of a hike, but not so difficult that I didn't have to be with someone to help push me to finish it. It was a long hike, yes, but not like the steepness of hiking a 14er. Just driving there was an experience in itself. I drove through the beautiful WA mountains, through some cute towns, and past many cute houses and farms. Through a campground and then 9 miles on a dirt road in my little car. Amazing how long driving 9 miles can take! By the end of this camping trip my car was very dirty, felt like home again! I expected to be the only one on the hike, the little amount of people that choose this hike is part of what was said makes this hike great. Most people choose the easier 4-5 mile hike to the top of Silver Mountain. I was not alone, though. I saw a cute older couple about 3.5 miles in, I think that was their turnaround. I was proud of them going that far! Then a little while later three guys came up behind me. I hate getting passed when I hike, and the only reason they ended up passing me is because I began experiencing my stupid vertigo problem and had to stop until it passed, which it never really did, just got to where I knew I could hike without falling over. Most the hike was out in the open sun, not too much shade. So it was bright and hot! When I made it to the top I could see why it would be called an epic hike. I could see 5 volcanoes all at once. Mt St Helens, Mt Adams, Mt Rainier, Mt Hood, and Mt Jefferson. It was great. If you have never been to this area, the mountains here are so unlike anything you ever see in Colorado or most mountain ranges. These peaks just stick up in the middle of no where it seems. Like when you drive through Portland and all the sudden Mt Hood pokes out from around the building right in front of you and you feel that magnificent God's power moment that fills you up and warms you! The mountain I was on, Silver Star Mountain, is the highest in the immediate area, so that is why I could see so many different peaks. But it in no way compares to the peaks of the volcanoes around. And apparently on really clear days you can see the Three Sisters, south of Mt Hood. This was a clear day, but apparantly not clear enough because I could not see them.

On the summit I talked to the three guys some more and they said there was a spring just down the other trail a bit that we could drink. They took me there and I filled up my camelback, good thing because it was a hot, long trip hiking back. I hiked back with the guys, which was great to have the company. One guy, Chris was definately fun to chat and hike with. Experienced some bad vertigo again, evidence of the fact that it is not related to energy expended because it happens hiking downhill as well. I got nauseas and dizzy and had to stop to recover a few times. Chris was cool though, he didn't mind. I only had to stop a few times, it's just annoying that I have to worry about it hiking now as well as running. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!!!

When we finally finished we were hot, dirty, and tired. I hadn't decided where I was going to camp that night. I was either going to stay on top of the long, dirt road and just camp up there, on top of a ridge line, looking out over the mountains, or drive down and rinse off and find somewhere else to camp. Well, the guys kind of convinced me to go down because there was a waterfall at the bottom of the dirt road where we could get in. It was chilly water and had to stay moving when in it but it felt amazing! Nice to rinse off and get my bath, this feels great when you don't shower for three days! And the waterfall was awesome to get under. Jumped off from the top as well! It was good to have the company and hang for a bit. They recommended to me some nice places to camp just up the road from the campground.

I drove up another dirt road a while and even though the sign said day use only, no camping for 8 miles, I found the perfect spot and camped anyway! It was awesome. Right next the the river, in the trees, quiet except for the sounds of nature! This is the part of camping alone that teaches whether you are cut out to handle being alone and being in quiet. As corny as this sounds, I ended up singing, it was kind of comforting. But most the time I just enjoyed listening to the campfire, river, and forest. People say camping alone is a great time to think, well when I tried to think about what I was thinking about I realize I don't really do much productive thinking! If that even makes any sense. My brain never stops running and never stops thinking, which is why I can't be hypnotized, but its nothing really too important or uplifting. Its kind of funny. I try to focus my mind on just enjoying what is around me, spending time with God and thanking Him for all he gives me, but then my mind wanders and I don't even realize it! When I go camping alone I always think I will do a lot of reading, but I never do. I don't like to be next to the campfire and have a light on, so its too dark to read and during the day I am too busy hiking and exploring.

To sum it up, I am safe, I had fun, nothing bad happened, and yes, future camping/hiking/biking/exploring trips are going to happen, SOON! My next challenge for you, go spend a night alone, in the wilderness!