A Weekend Getaway

Yet another weekend I didn't spend at home. I had to ditch Jon's birthday bash on Friday to prepare myself for a weekend at North Cascades National Park. Which is to say I collapsed in bed about 8:45. I'm actually very glad I did, because I would have been a cranky mess all weekend otherwise (sorry Jon! We'll go out on our own.)

So we left yesterday morning bright and early for the drive to the park. We avoided the visitor's center and made a base camp in a US Forest Service campsite about sixteen miles down a dirt road on the park's southwest side. From there, we attempted a 4.5 mile hike over a mountain (!) and to an alpine lake. The hike switchbacked through some incredible forest and through an alpine meadow, cut through by a glacier-fed stream. We made it as far as the meadow - about 2 miles in - before turning around. We gained about a thousand feet in elevation, and the insects - mosquitoes and flies - in the meadow were chewing us up and spitting us out.

Still, it felt good to do the hike and I could definately tell that my exercise is paying off. I wasn't winded, stopping only for some reasonable rests, and had the bugs been less thick and we thought to bring more water, we very likely would have finished the hike.

But we didn't, and went back to camp for an evening of Liz-cooked great food, cards, and sitting around and bullshitting. A good time was had by all.

This morning we broke camp and made our way into the park, stopping at Diablo Lake, an artificial reservoir created by a dam. We hit a trail there up to a hill with an excellent view of the lake. The elevation gain was only about a third of what we did yesterday, but it was nearly twenty degrees hotter (in the low 90s) and we really felt it. The hike was a little shy of two miles one way, almost all uphill. The views were worth the climb, but by the time we got back we were pretty pooped. Later, after we got home, I spent a nice hour fighting heat sickness with cold rags, ice packs, and a cold shower. I'm better now, but I've got to quit underestimating what I need to do these kinds of things (more water, more rest, better AC in the car when we get back).

Gee, do I have to go to work tomorrow? Ugh.