Week of 10-Oct-2022
One of the many not-so-small things I appreciate about Oregon is the amazing views that I get. Mountains, skylines, sunsets, and oceans… Desert sunsets and forest sunrises. Light filtering through the moss… It’s stunning, and gives perfect little daily reminders about how excellent the natural world can be.
Not all of those views are found in the deep woods, or high mountain passes either… beauty is everywhere, even in a short stroll around the apartment after work.
Sunday, 25-Sept-2022
As I finished my walk out from Elk Meadows, I pondered what to do next with my weekend. I could drive back, relax at my apartment, maybe play some video games… but I didn’t quite want to go home just yet.
“You don’t have to go home,
but you can’t
stay
here”
I tossed my pack into the trunk, put the top down, and drove South.
There aren’t braided backroads in Oregon like there are in New England. I can’t quite drive country roads to get back to the city… but I could drive slightly different highways through completely different biomes. Which is exactly what I did.
The alpine country gave way to temperate forests, which in turn gave way to scrubland, which finally ceded its place to the high desert.
I kept the top down as the day got colder, embracing the chill and appreciating the changing seasons. I felt the warm desert wind, then felt the cold desert air.
I stopped for dinner at a spot I’d been to a few times, while exploring around the Bend area, and gorged on some delicious enchiladas while rehydrating myself from the dry air.
I can’t say that I found zen, out in that slightly longer drive home through the desert… but I can absolutely say that I chased it for a ways. And sometimes the pursuit of a goal is the worthier part.
Saturday and Sunday, 24-Sept-2022 & 25-Sept-2022
Wow… I can’t believe it’s been this long since I’ve gone backpacking up at Elk Meadows. It’s been… what? Since at least 2021… So over a year, from my records. 13 months.
For this being my go-to hike, that’s kind of a long time.
I mean, okay. Granted, I’ve hiked Elk Meadows a ton of times since then. Let’s see… three other times? More than any other hike, by a good margin, so it still counts as a go-to. Just… less backpacking this year, I think. Yeah – four times this year, vs. six last year. But there’s still time, I have faith I’ll get another few in this year.
Anyways I went backpacking at Elk Meadows
It was a lovely weekend – I started off by having brunch at Timberline Lodge, getting a chance to sit down at the Cascade Dining room for their buffet and snacking on some excellent fancy restaurant fare. It was… good… but not great, frankly. COVID’s hit everyone hard, especially the tourism industry, and it felt like the Lodge was still severely understaffed. I was patient though, snacked as I could, and soon enough was parked and heading up the trail to Elk.
The hike was lovely – I went pretty much non-stop, working on my endurance a bit, and pushing to hike a little bit more quickly than I normally would. Not being in a rush, mind you, just… pushing my body a little bit. Exulting in my strength and endurance, and seeing how far I could push those limits.
I made camp in a new campsite for me, since there were folks in my normal ones, and set about exploring the meadow. It was interesting – the meadow was more crowded than I think I’ve ever seen it before, with a grand total of maybe half a dozen people camped around various spots. It was almost loud… not significantly so, of course, and not enough to overwhelm the sounds of nature, but… still. Loud enough that it was noticeable and memorable.
I relaxed.
I ate dinner, read my book, and stargazed.
I slept gloriously, and woke up excellently refreshed.
I explored the meadows again in the morning. Stretching out, warming up the muscles, and appreciating the cool and sunny day.
I finished my book, packed up, and walked back to the car.
It was a good day.
Ohh! One interesting thing of note – My campstove had given me trouble on Middle Sister, if you recall, so I pulled it apart before heading out to Elk Meadows… dissassembled the whole thing, cleaned and rinsed it, and made sure everything was back in its proper place. Works like a charm, now!
Just a reminder to people – You’re always capable of troubleshooting stuff!
