Backpacking Adventure!!

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So, my latest adventure occurred over Labor Day weekend, when two of my new friends (Sarah and Ben) and I decided to go backpacking. This was going to be another first for me, as I had never been backpacking before. We were headed to Wheeler Geologic Area, which is known for its amazing rock formations and other beautiful scenery. We awoke early on Sunday morning and drove about an hour and a half to reach the parking area near Creede, CO.

While this was my first backpacking experience, it was also the first time I had been hiking in a while. AND to top it off, my first all-out camping trip (and by all-out I mean pitching a tent, cooking over a fire, and peeing in the woods). I was really excited to get started, even knowing it was an 8 mile hike from the parking area to our campsite. However, the part I didn’t really think much about was that we were starting our hike at an altitude of over 11,000 feet. That’s almost 4,000 feet higher than where we’re living in the valley. Needless to say, the oxygen is quite thin! So, it wasn’t the backpack or the hiking that gave me a problem, it was the lack of oxygen my lungs were taking in. We had a lovely hike, mostly through a light rain, and arrived at our campsite after an exhausting 5 hours. The rain only continued to get worse, but luckily, there was a small shelter where we could hang out and pitch our tent. We got all set up, and then with a brief break in the rain, we headed out to explore the Hoodoos (the actual name of the rock formations in the geological area). They were AMAZING! These massive structures were just tucked into the base of the mountains and have been there for thousands of years. Check out the pictures below. The rest of the night was pretty relaxed, and we met 3 other hikers who hung out with us in the shelter out of the rain sharing their stories and our awesome campfire.

We awoke to a gorgeous day and set out on a 3 mile hike to Half Moon Pass, which I thought would be a breeze after the day before. If only that had been the truth… We actually were hiking almost to the top of one of the nearby mountains, which meant it was ALL uphill. AND we were ending up at an altitude of about 12,000 feet. It was a pretty intense hike, but definitely worth it in the end! We had an unbelievable view of the valleys below and the rest of the mountain range. And, the best part, we could see the continental divide!! Now for those of you unsure of what that is exactly (because I didn’t really know either), it is the spot that divides the rainwater that falls on the U.S. - meaning what falls on the western side of the divide flows to the Pacific Ocean and what falls on the eastern side flows to the Gulf of Mexico. It was super windy at the top, so Sarah and I hid out in the rocks while Ben did some more climbing. Then, we made our way down (which was much easier) and caught a glimpse of some more of the Hoodoos.

After our 6 mile warm-up hike, it was time to pack up our campsite and head back to the car. Keep in mind that we had 8 miles to go back (that’s 14 in one day!), and I was having a hard time believing that I was going to be able to hike so much in one weekend. But, the weather was perfect for our trip back (and there was only one real uphill climb), we got to see some free range cows, and we got to wade through a creek (which was freezing but that’s beside the point)! While there were a few points where I just wanted to sit down in the middle of the path and nap, we made it to the end!! AND on the drive home we even got to see a MOOSE cross the road in front of us! It was an awesome weekend that really challenged my endurance and determination. We were so proud of ourselves that we treated ourselves to Sonic burgers back in Alamosa!

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Photos

BRRR!!!
Crossing the freezing creek

Yes, he carried a duffle bag
Ben all ready for our 8 mile hike to the camp site

I swear it was water!
Sarah couldn't take the hike and had to break out the Mickey's...

Break time
We looked cool in our packs

We made it to the campsite!
We pitched our tent in the shelter to stay warm