My back packing trip

To further my adventure process, I went on a back packing trip in the middle of October. Instead of telling you about it, I'm just going to copy and paste parts of a letter I wrote to my Grandma.
There are a few pics on my Photo blog
Enjoy.
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Hi. How are you? No really, how are you? I’m doing okay. Today I’m coming to terms with how much I enjoy modern technology. On Thursday, for a class I was in in the summer, I got to go backpacking. This was my first time in a tent in over 9 years. Every summer, when we’re driving to [Brother's] place, my dad requires me to bring the tent “in case we need it.” We never use it (because let’s be honest – could you see my dad camping anywhere?), but he makes me use it every year. My last several girlfriends have been anti-camping as well.

So Thursday, at 8am, I loaded a bus and headed off to Bear Creek in Southern Idaho. I was a little apprehension to go on this activity. My wrist got taken out of the cast only a week before, but it is still in a splint and continues to heal as I go to physical therapy twice a week. (I cry at every one as they push my wrist in ways it doesn’t currently want to go.) I knew the trails would be muddy and there would be several slick river crossings, but I had to go in able to fulfill my requirements for the class.

After about a 90-minute drive, we arrived at what would be my home for the next three days and two nights. We unloaded our trailer and put on our packs and moved out from there. We had hiked for about a mile when our professor gave us two options. We could go another 3 miles and camp or go another ½ mile and camp. I was with the group that voted to go on, but we were 4 lonely voices among the other 8 people chose to camp there. So we crossed a river and found ourselves in a nice little clearing with ridges on both sides and a stream to our northern side. From it we could look out to see another ridge and the river. It was really pretty. The ridges kept us sheltered from the wind, but also the sun. This was particularly important on the first night. Because the sun spends less time in the clearing, it got cold faster and deeper than if we had camped 3 miles to the west. The temperature at 2 am was 20 degrees. I didn’t really know how to camp in that weather, so I was freezing the whole night.

On Friday we went on a 2-4 mile hike. The group split up after 2 miles because a girl was having serious health problems. She had left her high blood pressure medication in town and was now on a trail that went straight up. Even the people that are physically fit were having problems. I stayed with her, and half of the rest of the group, and rested.
The rest of the group traveled another 60 minutes up the hill. After 90 minutes from their original departure, we rejoined them to walk down the hill. They went about 5 miles while the rest of us went almost 4 miles. Thankfully we were not in full backpack gear, or I’d still be on the trail. On Friday night I slept better and on Saturday we hiked out.

There were three significant things that happened on this trip. The first started on the first day. We were sitting around the campfire when two horsemen rode up into our campsite. They asked us if we had seen 2 white horses. Two of this guys horses had wondered off in the middle of the night. On Friday, the guy had 4 separate search groups out looking for these horses. He had guys on foot; horse; motorcycles; and he even had a plane searching overhead. The group that traveled the extra hour up the hill saw the horses on a ridge 3 ridges over. We were able to call on our cell phones the guy who lost his horses and helped in the rescue of these horses. And we were but humble backpackers. It felt kind of cool to be able to help in that. It was really nice to have our cell phones working in the middle of nowhere.

The second thing that happened that felt kind of nice was when we were hiking out. There were 12 in our group plus a TA and a professor. At least 4 of us had solid medical training. All 14 of us had up-to-date first aid kits. This came in very handy when we came across a hunter. He was driving in supplies for Elk season (which opened on Sunday) on a two-wheel dirt motorcycle. He rolled his cycle a couple of times down a hill. He wasn’t wearing a helmet and was about a mile into the trail when he rolled. I got to be a medical assistant to my teacher and the Teacher’s Tutor. We helped the kid walk out and get to his vehicle. The really significant thing was he was passed up by 4 other hunting parties. We were able to help him because killing an Elk wasn’t our top priority. Even his own father left him behind. It felt good to help out.

The last significant thing was I figured out how much I love modern science. Growing up, we camped as good people camp – we drove our stuff in, set up a tent, had a fire dinner (usually a “hobo” tin foil dinner of hamburger, potatoes and carrots that our moms had packed for us). This whole hiking in, using stoves to cook and having to hang a bear bag for every meal we do…Ugg! In addition, I really like sleeping on solid ground. We ended up camping in an area that was bumpy. I either had a rock in, a mound of dirt, or my tent mate’s knee in my back both nights. I really enjoyed coming home to a comfy bed that didn’t have rocks, knees or bumps in it. A warm apartment with good stoves and a dishwasher and a furnace is really a great blessing from God. I appreciate it a lot more now.