Thursday, October 30th, 2008
SIERRA BACKPACK — COTTONWOOD LAKES AREA / 3.0
Sat., 8/2 – We really slept in, rising only about 8:00. Water was heated for coffee, cocoa, tea, and especially a delicious muesli which Marvin had made from a Sunset cookbook recipe. Dried milk added to the cereal made it very creamy. My stove died after about 30 years’ use, but Matt’s worked perfectly. The campsite we had selected turned out to be the only one large enough for four hikers. It also gave us a marvelous view of Cirque Peak which I had climbed in 1971 (12,900 feet). We took all day to explore the area, hike to Cirque Lake, wade and swim (Matt), and take the sun, enjoying our surroundings. A few parties passed by on the trail in each direction, mostly day trippers. We watched a number of small clouds form high above in the eastern sky and be blown gently to the north. The blue sky was incredibly blue. Lunch was pretty much a repeat of yesterday’s menu. A light wind developed during the afternoon and was quite persistent, but not bothersome.
In the afternoon, Mark suggested that we carry all of our dinner items, cooking gear, utensils, etc., to the other side of the lake to get out of the wind and enjoy a different view. A Clark’s nutcracker announced his presence just after the quarter-mile hike. We prepared the cook water for Thai beef with peanuts, couscous, and the second half of the navy bean soup which was better tonight, less crunchy. We also drank the rest of the cabernet and probably finished off with dark chocolate. We trudged back to our campsite after the sun had set and enjoyed a memorable, classic camping experience during which we visited, told war stories and eventually got into our sacks. While Mark and Matt were cleaning up the area, Mark observed a huge meteorite come down from a high angle and explode into hundreds of glowing fragments. Matt was facing away from it, but saw the flash of light. The afternoon wind continued for much of the night with occasional gusts that rustled the tent fabrics. Still, it was another mild night and again, the stars were magnificent.
Doug Buckmaster
Outside All Day Contributor
