Elevation: 11,499 feet
Number of days we trekked: 4
Total number of miles we hiked: 30
Biggest elevation gain in one day: 1600 feet (first day)
Most miles in one day: 10 (last day)
Most consecutive hours hiked: 8 (first day and last day)
Most consecutive uphill miles in one day: 6.5 (first day)
Hardest day: Day 1
Weight of back packs at their heaviest:
Wes: 55 pounds
Melissa: 50 pounds
Mckay: 30 pounds
Leah and Elias: 20 pounds
Weight of back packs on the last day:
Wes: 50 pounds
Melissa: 50 pounds
Mckay:30 pounds
Leah: 4 pounds
Elias: 4 pounds
Number of times we thought we were lost but we weren't: 2
Number of snowfields we had to cross: 4
Worst night: (Night 2, on the summit. The wind was so loud we couldn't sleep)
Things we didn't have enough of: Toilet Paper! Yikes!
Things we packed too much of: Extra warm clothes.
Total number of people we saw in four days: 15
Number of bottles of water we filtered out of the creeks and springs: about 30
Total number of blisters: 4 (two on Wes and two on Leah).
Number of injuries: None! (Thank you Elias).
Sorest part of our bodies: our feet and our backs!
Animals we saw: Deer, chipmunks, birds, and bear tracks.
Most "bathroom" breaks Elias needed in one hour: 6!
Number of cheeseburgers Mckay ate when we got to A&W: 3!
I have hoped for many years that I would be able to take my family up Mt. San Gorgonio, just as my parents so often took me and my siblings when we were teens. This year we did it. It was a very gruelling, yet awesome experience. Thanks to my dad for helping me plan, for dropping us off, and especially for believing in me. Thanks to my dad, my sister, and the Jacobs, for letting us borrow equipment. Thanks to my mom for giving me some of her stash--that kept me going, and for making us beef jerky! And thanks to Wes, who doubted, but was still willing to support me. Thanks to Wes for keeping us going on the trail with all your stories and tales of history. Most of all, thanks to Elias age 6, Leah age 9, and Mckay age 11 who proved me right: little people can do hard things! I am so impressed with what you accomplished. Thanks for making our family a team; we did it!
Sadly, half of my pictures were lost. But I will share the ones I have left.
We are at Fish Creek Trail Head in Big Bear.
We are eating diced Peaches and Pop Tarts for breakfast.
Papa dropped us off and we started hiking about 8:30am.
Wes, with his pack loaded, is adjusting the straps on Elias' gear.
Now we are all ready to take off!
Bye-Bye Papa! See you in a few days!
Still cheerful-- it must be early on. Elias and Leah took turns
whining and crying the first day. That night we lightened
their packs a little and then we also learned, on the second day,
that if we told them stories while we hiked, they didn't whine
and they didn't need quite so many breaks!
Rest stop!
I brought a bag of candy and gum to encourage the kids on.
That definitely came in handy.
Just don't make me get up mom!
I'm perfectly fine with sleeping right here for the night!
Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!
Elais at lunch time is so glad to have his pack off.
Stalwart Hiker: he never once complained or whined.
He kept a steady pace and obeyed all the safety rules.
He even doubled back to help the others.
She was definitely the cutest hiker.
Yeah! We finally made it to our campground at Mineshaft Flats!
We are tired and HUNGRY!
We are going to help Daddy hang all our food in a bag
from a tree limb so the bears can't eat it. Then we are going
to wake up tomorrow and look for the creek so we can
fill up all our water bottles.
Can I just say, I'm glad to be sitting down.
Leah playing at the campground.
Well, that's it, there were lots of other great pictures, but Snapfish ate them. These were only our first day. Oh Well! It was a great trip and anyone who wants more details, just ask me! I love to talk about it. :)
5 comments:
I'm debating whether I should tell Dan about this. He has BIG plans. Mostly he takes them out on his scouts and his son. I'm still too fat, out of shape, and arthritic for him to get a family hike-- he really wants to do the 90 mile hike around Mt. Rainier. Ummm.. I am not sure I could happily go that long without a shower.
My dad told me about this and I told him I was not surprised. It sounded like a "Melissa" thing. Wes would go along for Melissa but it was her idea. What a fun experience you will always remember.
Didn't Ryanne want to go? It looks like fun, even thought there was some complaining you're kids will love this just like you did as a child.
Ryanne "elected" not to go. We took a couple of pre-hike training hikes; Ryanne was physically capable but mentally unwilling to perform even on our shorter hikes. We were worried her attitude would endager us when we were out in the middle of nowhere and needing to get to the next water fill-up. Maybe she will join us next time. She was sorry she didn't go in the end.
That is incredible! I'm so impressed with your family.
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