Island in Packwood Lake

After enduring a 4 mile hike (I know, it's not much) with the gigantic pack on my back, I finally reached the lake. The breathtaking beauty left me speechless. To say it was worth the hike would be an understatement. However, I am not practiced or used to hauling a 30+lb pack on my back. I felt like I was 100 years old! When I reached the camping spot, I was so relieved to jettison my pack, I restrained the urge to toss it in the lake, instead setting up camp and cooking dinner.

 Borrowed tent.

Shameless JetBoil advertisement.

Look, where there's smoke, there's FIRE!

If all of this outdoorsy, nature girl looks completely natural, it shouldn't. I have never camped by myself. I've never packed in a HUGE pack and stayed the night anywhere. Nope, just car camping for me which I no longer am interested in...I mean what's the point? Drive somewhere, set up a tent, pay to stay (usually), then reverse. Oh, and the noise you escape from your city or small town is replaced by the noisy, rowdy campers in the campsite next to you. Relaxing? Hardly. So, this attempt at getting away was the first of its kind in my life. No cell phone. No electronic devices. Just me and the dog. Of course, a girlfriend was supposed to come,  but I wasn't cancelling just because she did! The mashed potatoes were delicious, while the chicken was a little dry and rubbery. Roxy loved it though! I would never even attempt this type of thing before today. I just decided to do it. I had to borrow the tent from Paul, the sleeping bag/pad from Tyler, the backpack & JetBoil from Randy and I bought a hatchet, flick-n-flame, firestarter and citronella candle on my way there. I also opted for the annual Northwest Forest Pass because 1 night/2 days would have cost me $10.

Temperature: 60 degrees

I didn't bring my wetsuit this time, but I will when Randy and I go later in the summer. (Or maybe, I'll risk just wearing a swimsuit.) I'll talk him into carrying the tent. It seriously almost broke my back in two. Not joking! I'm still hobbling around the house and could barely get from the car to the front porch without dying. I will bring less stuff next time. Like, how about just the camel back? I know I could handle it then ;)

Gorgeous view of Mt. Rainier from the trail

Unlikely to see this mileage again, coming down from Packwood Lake parking lot in 3rd gear.

Let me just say something about the condition of the road. It's BAD. Lots of potholes, sinkholes and treacherous regions. At times, the middle dotted line is just wishful thinking as the road narrows to just over the comfortable width of one lane. Please go 25-30mph on this road. There are trucks towing horses that take up the ENTIRE road, minivans driving like it's the INDY500 and like I said before, BAD road conditions. Stay safe.

The hike is really mild without a 30lb pack. But for me, the pack nearly killed me. My hip bones are bruised, the muscles in my hips and lower back are super sore and like I said before, I am hobbling around like an old lady. Time for a nap.