My first backpacking trip in the books and that shit was TOUGH!!
Aaron originally wanted to go to Spain for his 30th and we couldn’t make it. He presented this backpacking trip and *its rare I turn down a new experience* so of course I said lets do it. Once i’m interested, I get insanely obsessed with research and planning and mainly cause I was not bout to be in the middle of nowhere just “winging it”. I begin planning and the only way to get to precipice lake was to hike to it. There were a few routes we could take to get there but we decided on what was supposed to be a ’48’ turned 63 mile loop. One of the hardest things I’ve done. Still can’t believe we did this… proud to say I’ve accomplished something like it.
coldwater campgrounds
PRELUDE: WILDNERNESS PASSES + COLDWATER CAMPGROUND, SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK
To backpack, you must obtain a wilderness pass to camp overnight within sequoia nat’l park. Since this is the busiest season, we had to go a day early, as a walk-up and go over our plan with a park ranger. Since we were already there, I booked a campsite at an actual campground. I figured this could be our opportunity to get acclimated to the higher elevation and a trial period before we set out for the actual backpacking trip.
We did some quick recon, tested out our water purifiers by the creek, went on a short hike up to sawtooth trailhead where we’re going to start. We wanted to use this free time to make sure that everything was set to go for tomorrow and chill out because in the morning we are in for a wild ride.
Around sunset when it was time to eat dinner, we realized our jetboil (stove) didn’t work. Aaron was pissed lmao, all if not the bulk of our food was dry-freezed. So, we had to drive about 3miles up the road to this small resort and use their wifi to look up the instructions cause we figured we weren’t doing it right, but once we accepted the reality of our stove not working we had to make a solution fast cause we were losing sunlight!! So we headed back to the camp, Aaron started a fire and we had to boil water in this small canteen cup and make ALL of our food because we weren’t sure where else we would be able to start a fire due to fires being prohibited at higher altitudes. All our food had to be eaten at room temp and we didn’t actually have a hot meal until like 2 days in.
Me hangin at Cliff Creek
DAY 1: SAWTOOTH TO REDWOOD MEADOW 14.11 miles
We slept fine, the next morning we got up had a breakfast bar and an avocado. Decided what we would leave in the car and gathered our final items to put in our bag and headed to the beginning of the trail head to begin. We gradually gained 10k feet in elevation. Once we got up and over timber gap *a mountain* – it was all downhill from there, a whole 3 miles down. We were headed for cliff creek and once we got there, we removed shoes, cooled off and ate lunch. We both really enjoyed our time cause we def spent a couple hours here and it felt SO good to just be by the water and ponder on sound of the creek. We packed up and kept pushing on, we had another 3-4 miles to go until we got to our first campsite at redwood meadow grove.
I essentially constructed the route we took and I wanted to make sure that anywhere we camped at had a ranger station, bear locker and or a pit toilet. When we finally made it to redwood meadow, we seen the ranger station but it was unmanned and I didn’t see any established campsites for backpackers. So we walked around a few minutes lookin for them and the whole time i’m like this is not what I researched, they have to be around here somewhere! We ran into a few people just as I was about to pitch the tent by the ranger station and the guys told us that the campsites were just around the way further down the trail. I was so relieved, and once we got there we set up shop under a huge sequoia and ate our room temp dinner out of a ziplock bag lol. This night I was sooo scared, I mean we were out in the middle of the woods, no one around us and I was just freaked out at any noise I heard, branches cracking, leaves rustling I knew something was poking around near our tent meanwhile Aaron snoring
Setting Up Shop At Hamilton Lake
DAY 2: REDWOOD MEADOW TO HAMILTON LAKE 14.36 MILES
The goal on our 2nd day was to make it up to precipice lake, but we knew we had to pass Hamilton lake first and by this day I was really feeling it, my calves were so sore I knew I needed to really take it slow and pace myself. I told Aaron that we could play it by ear especially since I struggled on the way up to bear paw meadow. We were making our way up towards bear paw meadow and when I finally got to the top of the hill, I seen movement. A BEAR, NO…. BEARS. A mother and her cubs sniffing for food so we immediately began backing up slowly and back down the trail/way we just came from. Aaron pulled out his binoculars and watched for movement.. we waited for a while to make sure it was safe before continuing and as I look up to the left above us I seen the bears moving and im like Ok we gotta go, they’re passing! and we keep moving, but cautiously. lol I was lowkey spooked after that because it could’ve been really dangerous if the mama bear considered us a threat.
As we keep trekkin the views were so breathtaking that we were just in awe. Eventually we stop to have lunch with a sick ass view, chat with another hiker passing by and just took a nice rewarding break. Can’t spend too much time here because we still have a lengthy climb to get even remotely close to Hamilton lake.. its around 4pm and at this point I think we both mentally decided we were gonna park it at Hamilton. I was hot, I wanted so desperately to get up in that water and just relax. When we got there, there was a few people there that had already set their camps up and were sunbathing and hangin out and that made me happy cause it took the edge off, from sleeping in the wild alone again. At least we had neighbors tonight lol the lake was so peaceful so I get in the tent avoiding the mosquitos, take a nap and tell Aaron to wake me up when the stars come out. that was our first night under the stars and it was cuhraazzyyyy, I was in pain but happy to be there.
Finally Made It To Precipice Lake
DAY 3: HAMILTON LAKE TO LITTLE FIVE LAKES 14.5 miles
Waking up that morning I was mentally ready to tap out, I was really contemplating like oh wow, I’m really fuckin doin this and the only way I’m gettin up outta here is if I keep moving. So I got up and started on what was “supposed” to be the most challenging part of the trek. Gaining an additional 2 thousand feet in elevation. I figured out the best way to control my breathing to avoid getting elevation sickness. Precipice was the whole point of this trip so I was ready to get there cause I knew after seeing it meant we were half way done with our loop and making our way back. Anyway, we make it up and wow it was soooo beautiful the photos don’t do it justice, just something you have to see for yourself. We sat and had something to eat, enjoyed the lake for an hour or 2, put 3 lit matches on a smushed brownie and sang happy birthday to Aaron. I feel like I expected this to be the highlight of the trip but it wasn’t for me. It was Hamilton lake that really had me in awe, the stars, the moon, the lake and its huge granite surroundings.
We headed out and end up crossing a mountain down into the Kaweah Gap, which is this huge gap of flat land between multiple large mountains. I don’t know if I actually captured a photo of it because I was just happy to be walking a straight trail, not up or down a mountain. Another swarm of mosquitos and 2 mountains later we finally arrive at little five lakes. The mosquitos were relentless, they bit through my clothes and lit my ass up all throughout the first couple days – so I was just irritable, tired and itchy. I just wanted to get in the tent and STAY there.. Aaron on the other hand wanted to explore the area so I said have a grand ol time doin it, im staying in the tent. I cried out of frustration because the bites were itching so bad all over I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was completely exhausted. That night before we slept, we decided to go over our plan because we knew if we wanted to make it to the car the next day we were in for a lengthy, long ass day. An additional 5 miles more than we had been averaging everyday.
The Top Of Timber Gap Where I Ugly Cried
DAY 4: LITTLE FIVE LAKES BACK TO THE DAMN CAR 19 MILES
We set an alarm for 5am because we NEEDED to get on the move if we were goin home today. We also had extra food given to us by a ranger just in case we didn’t make it out and needed to park it another night. Nonetheless, we headed out and immediately began a sick incline on our way up and over black rock pass *a huge mountain* but since we got up over the mountain meant we had to come down. So about 4 miles of declining down a mountain did damage on my knees and joints and we finally made it to cliff creek, the first creek we hit when we started. We got there about 1pm, which was excellent timing and a good chance we could make it up and over another mountain by 6pm. We stop to have lunch cause we were gonna need the energy to keep moving. We had one last major mountain to get over & timber gap would not be easy.
Ok, i’m slow and steady. My breathing was most important cause that would set the tone for my trek up, and I had about 3 miles of steady incline to get through with a stiff knee. Aaron suggested I pick my favorite number and count my steps. Obvi its 11.. once I got to 11, I started from the top – one, two, three and so on. {In thru the nose out thru the mouth} I did that for like 3 hours goin all the way up, it really helped shift the focus from the climb to counting numbers. All while doing this, it begins raining and thundering on us.. I was also trying to keep myself from panicking because lightening is dangerous and I didn’t want to get caught up in that. Bein struck by lightening is not how I envisioned myself transitioning to the spirit realm so that was a little motive for me to keep fuckin goin and get out of there. It was so hard I’ve never pushed my physical or mental to those limits before. After a couple hours we finally make it to the fuckin top and I just start doin an ugly cry because it really felt like it was never going to end and I was tiiiiired. Ugly cry and we still aint at the car yet, but at least its all downhill from here.. nice right? no, with a stiff knee and 25lb pack I did a limp down the rest of the mountain, Aaron even had to carry my backpack so I would have an easier time down. but whatever none of that mattered anymore, the car was in sight and that was enough to keep me goin. Next thing I know, I’m changing into my Birkenstocks and we’re headed to chic fil a lmao
