To kickoff this blogging thing that i hope to someday fill with countless memoirs of back-country adventures and tales of deeds manly beyond reckoning, I thought it would be good to post a report on the first backpacking trip that Shelby and I did together just last year in the Jennie Lake Wilderness.
Quick Stats
Quick Stats
Trailhead: Jennie Lakes Trail
Route: Trail Head to Jennie Lake to Weaver Lake
Distance: ~16 mi
Elevation Gain: ~1200 ft
Highest Elevation: 9200 ft
To see the trip on EveryTrail click here
The Jennie Lakes Wilderness is a section of national forest right on the border of Kings Canyon National Park. In fact, along this trail is at least one possible entry into the park. Our goal was to head to Jennie Lake, and then follow the trail counter-clockwise to the North and make our way eventually to Weaver Lake. However, things did not turn out as planned...
Day 1 - Trail Head to Jennie Lake
The trip started with a lot of excitement for Shelby and I. Our first backpacking trip together! Shelby was strapped with her new North Face pack, I was sporting my new REI pack and LaFuma sleeping bag, and both of us would be thankful by the end of the trip for new REI "self-inflating" sleep pads (which don't self inflate but are very comfortable). With some frozen meat we planned to roast over the fire, we were ready for a day's hiking.
We soon found that the trail to Jennie Lake would be more eventful than we had planned. Downed trees made several sections a bit of a jungle-gym experience, which I didn't mind too much. And snow announced its stubborn presence in this area within the first quarter mile of walking. More on this later...
Our journey stayed in the forest for the first few miles. Not much of a "view" to speak of in terms of landscapes, but for us coastal dwellers, a nice shady walk in the sierra trees is always a good start. Then somewhere around the four mile mark, we got our first glimpse of Kings Canyon Park to the south.
From here the trail started to heat up a bit, as we made our way up the south facing slopes to the saddle west of Jennie Lake. We stopped for lunch and some snacks as we went, which of course included sour gummy worms, a real staple of our traveling diet. And thanks to my less-than-interested attitude when it comes to cardio workouts, Shelby was leaving me in the dust as we headed uphill. At this point, I was very glad for the hydration pack that was compatible with my new backpack.
Once we crossed the saddle west of Jennie Lake, the real fun began. Up to this point snow coverage had been mild - mostly under shady trees. But once we were on the north facing slopes that the trail crosses as it drops into Jennie Lake, the snow was thick! And to compound things, the snow melt was feeding streams that were at full strength, and in some areas just aimlessly running down the granite slopes. While it was in a way very nice to see so much abundant water, it meant that the trail virtually disappeared. In some areas we followed snowy footprints, in others we thought we were following piles of rocks marking a pathway... but soon we were left with my GPS to get us to the lake, hoping that the soggy terrain wouldn't take too long to wander through so that we could set camp with the sun's light.
Eventually, after putting to good use the conflict resolution and communication techniques we had learned and diligently practiced during our pre-marital counseling, we found the lake with smiles on our faces. The tent went up in a jiffy, and we were into our new routine of collecting and purifying water.
After some work to get the fire started and keep it going (the snow didn't leave us a lot of dry wood), it was time for steak! This is a tradition that my dad started. Paulsens always try to eat some real meat on the first night of a backpacking trip. You just pack it frozen and let it thaw as you hike, and usually the meat is ready for cooking when you make camp. Of course, everything is also better after a long day of backpacking, so if you like meat at home, imagine what it is like 7 miles into the wilderness! Needless to say it was a good dinner that night before we hit the hay to end day one.
Day 2 & 3 - Jennie Lake to Weaver Lake and Home
In the morning, Shelby and I awoke to a peaceful sunlit lake, which had a bit more ice on it than the night before. After some more water collection and purifying, breakfast was oatmeal, followed by a little bit of down time. But soon we were back on the trail.
Shelby and I decided that morning that due to the snow, we wouldn't even mess with the idea of trying to find the trail continuing out of Jennie Lake. Instead, with the confidence of knowing that we could retrace our steps (not to mention we could cheat with my GPS), we headed west toward the trail head. The route ended up being a little different (turns out there was more visible trail than we thought, though not by much), and we were able to enjoy the north-facing views without the stress of needing to find camp.
This rewind of day one was pretty easy going, especially with no real climbs to speak of. We traced our way back to about the 2 mile mark, where we found the turn off for Weaver Lake. We crossed a small stream, and headed the 1 or 2 miles uphill to the lake (by this point i had turned off my GPS, somewhat disappointed that we weren't covering much new terrain). As we approached Weaver, it became more and more apparent that our second night would not be spent alone. Several hikers were coming and going on the trail that we saw, some doing day hikes but many with full packs. When we hit the lake, it took some time for us to wander around all the taken campsites and find one that would be suitable for us.
The lake itself was a bit more open than Jennie, and very still. I hung up my hammock for a little bit of reading before we did dinner. This time our meal was much more conventional, consisting of freeze-dried food from Wal Mart. My meat lasagna was actually pretty good, but Shelby's chicken stew with rib meat was a pain. It involved multiple stages of boiling and bagging and wasn't really worth it in the end. For some reason though, i wasn't too hungry, so sharing the lasagna ended up working out for us.
The next morning we had little left to do but pack up and hike a couple miles to the car. We made fairly quick work of it, knowing that we had a long drive ahead of us (but not knowing that it would be with my A/C broken!). At the end, though it was perhaps a modest trip in the way of distance, elevation, and hallmark-card-type scenery, I did consider it a success. No matter what annoyances or difficulties that come my way on these trips, I am always thankful for a chance to be in the Sierras and glimpse a piece of God's handiwork.
To see the trip on EveryTrail click here
The Jennie Lakes Wilderness is a section of national forest right on the border of Kings Canyon National Park. In fact, along this trail is at least one possible entry into the park. Our goal was to head to Jennie Lake, and then follow the trail counter-clockwise to the North and make our way eventually to Weaver Lake. However, things did not turn out as planned...Day 1 - Trail Head to Jennie Lake
The trip started with a lot of excitement for Shelby and I. Our first backpacking trip together! Shelby was strapped with her new North Face pack, I was sporting my new REI pack and LaFuma sleeping bag, and both of us would be thankful by the end of the trip for new REI "self-inflating" sleep pads (which don't self inflate but are very comfortable). With some frozen meat we planned to roast over the fire, we were ready for a day's hiking.
We soon found that the trail to Jennie Lake would be more eventful than we had planned. Downed trees made several sections a bit of a jungle-gym experience, which I didn't mind too much. And snow announced its stubborn presence in this area within the first quarter mile of walking. More on this later...
Our journey stayed in the forest for the first few miles. Not much of a "view" to speak of in terms of landscapes, but for us coastal dwellers, a nice shady walk in the sierra trees is always a good start. Then somewhere around the four mile mark, we got our first glimpse of Kings Canyon Park to the south.
From here the trail started to heat up a bit, as we made our way up the south facing slopes to the saddle west of Jennie Lake. We stopped for lunch and some snacks as we went, which of course included sour gummy worms, a real staple of our traveling diet. And thanks to my less-than-interested attitude when it comes to cardio workouts, Shelby was leaving me in the dust as we headed uphill. At this point, I was very glad for the hydration pack that was compatible with my new backpack.Once we crossed the saddle west of Jennie Lake, the real fun began. Up to this point snow coverage had been mild - mostly under shady trees. But once we were on the north facing slopes that the trail crosses as it drops into Jennie Lake, the snow was thick! And to compound things, the snow melt was feeding streams that were at full strength, and in some areas just aimlessly running down the granite slopes. While it was in a way very nice to see so much abundant water, it meant that the trail virtually disappeared. In some areas we followed snowy footprints, in others we thought we were following piles of rocks marking a pathway... but soon we were left with my GPS to get us to the lake, hoping that the soggy terrain wouldn't take too long to wander through so that we could set camp with the sun's light.
Eventually, after putting to good use the conflict resolution and communication techniques we had learned and diligently practiced during our pre-marital counseling, we found the lake with smiles on our faces. The tent went up in a jiffy, and we were into our new routine of collecting and purifying water.
Day 2 & 3 - Jennie Lake to Weaver Lake and Home
In the morning, Shelby and I awoke to a peaceful sunlit lake, which had a bit more ice on it than the night before. After some more water collection and purifying, breakfast was oatmeal, followed by a little bit of down time. But soon we were back on the trail.
The lake itself was a bit more open than Jennie, and very still. I hung up my hammock for a little bit of reading before we did dinner. This time our meal was much more conventional, consisting of freeze-dried food from Wal Mart. My meat lasagna was actually pretty good, but Shelby's chicken stew with rib meat was a pain. It involved multiple stages of boiling and bagging and wasn't really worth it in the end. For some reason though, i wasn't too hungry, so sharing the lasagna ended up working out for us.
The next morning we had little left to do but pack up and hike a couple miles to the car. We made fairly quick work of it, knowing that we had a long drive ahead of us (but not knowing that it would be with my A/C broken!). At the end, though it was perhaps a modest trip in the way of distance, elevation, and hallmark-card-type scenery, I did consider it a success. No matter what annoyances or difficulties that come my way on these trips, I am always thankful for a chance to be in the Sierras and glimpse a piece of God's handiwork.
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