Kelcema Lake Snowshoe

I'm not a total virgin to snow camping, and neither was Beth. We told our consecutive chilly stories as we drove to our winter wonderland...all of them slightly missing the mark of what we considered the "full Monty" snow backpack experience. I stumbled upon Beth's plea on one of my FB hiking group pages: "I'm hoping to do a quick one nighter snow backpacking trip...anyone local who'd like to join in?"

How could I resist? This is how I met Beth three years ago when she invited all comers to join her on Section K of the PCT. (Story here) Beth's not afraid to roll the dice, that's for sure. But no risk, no reward...and we all hit the jackpot when our girl group bonded on that trip, and every year since. 

We were both ready to risk again with this last minute excursion that was a little out of our comfort zones. A late start was necessary, which meant setting camp in the dark was going to be unavoidable. But this snowshoe is almost entirely a road walk, so we weren't overly concerned. Arriving at Deer Creek just before the road closure, we faced our first challenge--parking. The lot there was a slushy, snowy mess...a place begging to suck in your tires and never let go. Parking on the road meant risking a ticket; so we did a little of both. Don't worry, we left plenty of room for folks to get around; but it wasn't pretty. 

Though everything else was pretty--very. Well, except for the several places where water had cleared the snow off the road. Crossing the last (and worst) one, Beth discovered a leakage spot in her boot :( I had already discovered a gear failure at the get go (pic below) but Beth came to the rescue with an extra strap that we were able to Jerry rig it with. 

Offer Up fail...will I ever stop being a cheap ass?

We unpacked our headlamps with a whole two miles to go, due to my utter slowness. The road walk is only four miles, so I had sort of imagined not having to get them out until we hit the real trail. (Which is only a quarter of a mile long! I will be heading back in the summer to take my grandkids for sure.) My past winter backpacks had not needed snowshoes, and the combo of needing to lift them out of the wet, heavy snow with the constant uphill proved to be murder on my out of season, flabby thighs. 

Beth is usually hours ahead of me, but this time her light was a constant beacon ahead. "Is the snow making you this slow too, or are you just keeping pace with me?" I had to ask. Her long pause told me all I needed to know...God bless her.

We finally arrived at the Kelcema Lake parking lot. Time to start to "real" trail. But dang, we got this large open flat area all to ourselves. No brainer...our packs came off. My legs couldn't even squat to pee without cramping, so it was obviously time to wave the white flag.The whole peeing situation in general was a major problem, as the snow was so soft you'd sink in when crawling out of your tent at night. (And did you know holding your urine only makes you colder?) I used my z-light foam pad as a mat to stand on, and my poles to help lower me enough as to not dribble on it (because I'm not exaggerating about the cramping). I'm pretty sure the night creatures were laughing at me. 

The beautiful morning made it all worth it. Being able to do the half mile to the lake and back without our big packs was a life saver, as the path was quite challenging. It was also so nice to be warmed up from the hike before having to break camp...is there anything worse than touching those freezing tent poles when you're still so cold? 

The sunny sky and downhill to the car made for a great ending. As far as ending this post goes, I'll conclude with a list of things I need to bring next time...and there will be a next time! Happy wintry trails! 

1) More hand warmers! (at least a dozen)

2) Both of my z-light pads. (So I can double up on my sleeping pads and still have the door mat)

3) Sunglasses (Can't believe I forgot)

4) My Whisper Light stove instead of my Jetboil (White gas burns better in the cold conditions) with a FULL container of gas so I can melt snow without worrying about running out. I'll be leaving my filter home because even being careful, I fear it'll freeze. (Which ruins them.)

5) My She Pee. (It's been awhile...I need to practice!)

I'll be back Mountain Loop Hwy

Spaced Out Street Walker

Am I the only one absolutely losing their mind this winter? The off season is never easy, but this one has been particularly tough. Maybe because my hiking expectations keep increasing. As with any addiction, I need more and more to get my fix...and when there is no hiking...withdrawals. 

Yes, this is officially part of a trail

Of course, it's not like I can't hike just because it's winter. It's just that my escalation of expectations means a decrease in motivation for the "average" hike. But as Mick Jagger so eloquently put it, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you'll find you get what you need."

Our starting spot - the famous jets of Oak Harbor

And so, looking at the dismal forecast (did you know that we did not get a full day of sun for the months of November and December?!) I decided a simple walk in the rain was going to have to do. If the hike was to be "average," then it might as well mark off a few of my PNT miles. (Working on a goal of 500. My new thing - 500 on 5 different trails. Gotta keep with my "5" theme! Will I finish before I hit 60 and have to make it "6"?)

Wildlife on the road

A few months ago, a gal I had never met messaged me (or "slipped into my DM's" as I've heard the youngins say) that she'd like to help me with my PNT miles, as she loved the trail too. But would she want to walk boring road miles in Oak Harbor?

Surprisingly, the answer was yes! We'd meet at Cornet Bay where'd we leave a car, then drive together to the Mobil station where we'd start our 11 mile journey back. The PNT is one of the newer long distance trails, and it has some bugs to work out...one of them being way too much road walking. (75% road in Skagit Valley! Ugh!) But hey, they count. 

A handful of these miles were actually in the forest

What a marvelous treat to meet Rebecca! And how wonderful of her to do these miles again with me. (She's already done all the PNT on Whidbey Island and has a house there that she and her husband ran as a hostel up until this year.) The miles flew by as we told tales, compared husbands (they are basically the same person) shared spiritual thoughts and even discussed politics - politely! And it didn't even rain on us! Before we knew it, my car was back in sight. Though suddenly I realized I had NO idea where I put my key. ZERO recollection of storing it safely in a pocket--something I am usually intensely aware of after a humiliating experience on one of my first backpacks. (Which you can read here if you want.)

A ferry that operated at the end of this point used to be the only way across...
before Deception Pass Bridge

Rebecca was so gracious, assuring me she could call her husband if I locked them in my car, but thankfully the car was unlocked...with the keys still in the ignition!! I know I get nervous meeting new people, but sheesh! I guess it's good that she discovered I'm missing a few brain cells before she agrees to hike with me again. Fingers crossed she still says yes. Happy non-trail trails! ;)