We decided to take a backpacking trip with Jared and Jenny the first weekend in September. It turned out to be a very difficult and grueling task for my legs and heart, but we had quite the physical and emotional experience together:
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| On Friday morning, we hiked from the Truchas land grant to Rio Quemado Falls. Here's Jared taking pictures. |
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| That first day, we did a lot of hiking, bouldering, and rock climbing |
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| Jenny and I taking a break. She didn't even break a sweat the entire trip, while I was dying! |
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| Jared poses near the Falls |
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| Who's that naked man? |
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| Could it be a cave man hiding in the brush? |
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| Me and Jenny starting on the final push to get to our campsite |
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| Jenny, me, and Jared and so many rocks! |
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| Nearing the top before our decent to Truchas Lakes |
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| A wonderful sight after so much hiking and climbing! |
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| Our #1 son builds the campfire (with Jenny's help) after we set up camp |
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| Enjoying our first meal together |
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| Jenny and I enjoying a good rest |
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| We had a devotional about spiritual experiences before heading to bed |
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| Me in front of our 2-man tent on Saturday morning |
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| Mike on Saturday morning in front of our tent |
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| Jared and Jenny in front of their 2-man tent on Saturday morning |
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| This was the hardest day of the trip. We climbed forever to summit Truchas Peak ( the 2nd highest peak in NM) via the ridge line. |
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| Jared and Jenny feeling pumped and adventurous, with a struggling me following behind Mike |
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| Lots of rugged terrain made it a slow and challenging climb |
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| Jenny impressed us all with her stamina and hiking abilities--way to go Jenny! |
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| The higher we climbed, the more beautiful the views |
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| Cute Jared and Jenny |
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| I wouldn't have done this without my Mikey bear! |
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| My cute Mikey Bear hubby and amazing scout |
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| Beauty and color in the mountains |
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| This rugged ridge was fun to climb |
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| Whoa, almost to the top! |
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| Check out the gorgeous view from the top |
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| Now it's time to climb back down to our campsite, and we are pretty wiped out |
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| We got worried when the clouds came in, but the weather was almost perfect our whole trip |
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| Jared and Jenny climbing down from the top |
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| Big Horn Sheep up on the mountainside and me with my swollen, sunburned face |
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| More beauty and color on the way down |
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| Walking over streams with backpacks on is tricky! |
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| We passed some beautiful streams and brooks along the way |
After returning to camp, Jared and Mike went for a swim in the extremely cold Upper Truchas Lake. Jenny went to sleep in her tent before dinner and slept till morning. The rest of us spent a quiet night making dinner and playing card games in front of the campfire. The following morning we broke camp, ate a quick breakfast, and hiked out to the Santa Barbara campground where our ride was waiting for us. It was great to be back to civilization after a long and arduous journey!
Thank you Mike, Jared, and Jenny for another memorable experience in nature. You are awesome backpackers, hikers, and campers! I sure love you all.
