Snowshoe Trip 2009

After a few summer backpacking trips under our belts, Luke and I decided to try our hand at snowshoeing. Fully dedicating ourselves to the task (i.e. being ignorant and impulsive), we purchased two pairs of snowshoes and began to plan our first overnight trip in the snow.

As first time showshoers, we decided to over-pack so as to not, well, die. Our packs each weighed 45-50 pounds and included items such as: 2 sleeping bags (each!), an extra pair of boots, 4 layers of cloths, a shovel, and - my personal favorite - a "matchet." Now for some explaining. While thinking about items that we may need for camping in the snow, Luke decided that it would be good to have a hatchet. When he went looking for said hatchet, he found a 5 pound hunk of metal from the 80's, applied a pound of duct tape to the handle, and appropriately named it his "matchet." He reasoned that the large, heavy steel blade (no doubt coupled with his brute beard) made him look manly. Thus, in an moment of sheer brilliance, a manly hatchet became a "matchet." Step aside K9's, there is a new sherif in town (get it? man's best friend...)!

Excited for a starlit night of spooning in the wilderness, we left for our destination.

We decided that we were going to park in Lakeshore (Huntington Lake) and head north-west towards Nellie Lake.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sierra/recreation/wilderness/trailheads/kaiser/index.shtml

Once we arrived, we thought it would be good to start at the nearby Deer Creek Trailhead and attempt to follow any semblance of a trail. We walked up and down numerous roads and in-between and around countless cabins, searching for the trailhead. Finally, after about an hour, we found the trailhead; only to realize that it would be impossible to follow the dirt trail underneath the 3 feet of snow.

We hiked all day, blazing trails through snow we, at times, wished we were snowboarding down instead of walking up.

As the sun was going down, we realized that we were not going to make it to Nellie Lake. So we decided to camp on a steep slope, near a stream (yeah, a steep slope, near a stream, during winter).

We dug out the side of the slope to give us a flat area to camp - an activity Luke seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

Don't let the light fool you, these pictures were taken in the morning. When we were actually setting up camp it looked more like this. (also notice in this picture: the infamous matchet)

We spent the night warming our frail bones by the fire, in preparation for the frigid night to come.

When we awoke in the morning, after a surprisingly warm night sleep, we decided to eat breakfast in the tent - so as to avoid the freezing temperature outside our sleeping bags.

There is a funny story about me spilling our breakfast and Luke eating it off of the sleeping bags. However, I have run out of creative writing steam and lack the ability to retell it with the gusto it deserves.

The trip back to the truck, being almost all downhill, was quick and easy. When we arrived at the truck we were very satisfied with our first ever snowshoe trip and excited for the many to come.

(Moment of disclosure: while writing this entry I came to realize that this blog probably exists for me to entertain myself with seemingly witty or mildly comical prose. However, I also realize that my writing skills, and some may say my humor, leave much to be desired. So thanks to anyone who reads this for humoring me!)

Woodchuck part 2

After a long hike we finally arrived at our destination, Woodchuck lake. Before we knew it we were welcomed with a beautiful sunset looking out over the lake as we were setting up camp.

After a mediocre night of sleep (three Tatum's one tent) we awoke to a phenomenal lakeside morning of fishing, reading, and hiking. After packing back up to continue the hike, we soon found that the trail to our next destination (Marsh lake) was not so easily found due to the fact that it entered a dry creek bed. To no avail we split up, one on each side of the creek and one in the creek bed. Worry slowly came over the group after about 200 meters of searching for the trail with nothing to show. As soon as we were about to give up and back-track, the familiar signs of a well trodden path came into view, and with a sigh of relief we were back on track.

Then to add to the drama of the day david and I were struck with horror when Matt was no where to be found . . . 

Then we heard a rustling in the bushes and there appeared Matt, knife in mouth claiming he thought he had seen the sasquatch that the Woodchuck Wilderness is so well renown for.

We searched high and low but could not find his hiding place and were forced to continue our trek.

As we continued our hike toward Marsh lake we were struck by the site of a peak on the side of the trail. Seeing that we had plenty of time we decided to go up to see the view. We were greeted with a fantastic view from the top of what turned out to be multiple different peaks.

After a little bit more time on the trail we found a surprisingly striking Marsh lake.

After setting up camp at our new destination, we decided to do a little bouldering above our camp, which quickly turned into a mountain scaling race between Matt and me. To David and my dismay Matt was not to be found again. After hours of searching david couldn't help but jump for joy once we found Matt.

Once everyone was dry and dinner was had we settled in to a much better night of sleep that was followed with our hike back to the truck to cap off a wonderful trip

Woodchuck Lake - PART 1

In the summer of 2008, David, Luke, and I decided to take a 3 day backpacking trip into the John Muir Wilderness. 

We got a late start, leaving Clovis around 11 am. On the way to the Woodchuck Trailhead we had to drive over the dam of Wischon Lake, stopping briefly for some pictures.  

After leaving the truck at the Woodchuck Trailhead, we hiked along the northwest shore of Wishon Lake. On the way we passed a few babbling streams and lots of beautiful wilderness. 

As we turned northeast, away from the lake, we began our assent. After hiking for some time, we came to a place with a lush, green meadow on the left side of the trail and a huge mound of boulders on the right. As we walked past the boulders we noticed a subtle movement beneath a rock. David, never failing to be the compulsive adventurer he is, leapt into the boulder field - still unsure of what he was chasing - scouring the dark crevices for any form of life. After a few moments of eager anticipation, not to mention rationally thought out behavior, Luke and Matt climbed over a few boulders to find David staring into the eyes of a terrified Woodchuck.

After our first ever woodchuck sighting we could hardly contain our giddiness and decided to take a break and relax by the trail. When we had all dropped our packs, we thought we might take advantage of some of the wilderness' more private, pleasurable affordances. 

To be continued . . . 

Nellie Lake, Summer of 2007

To begin our blog we are going to go back in time to our first overnight backpacking trip to Nellie Lake in the summer of 2007. Unfortunately, the photos from this trip were lost or never taken (debatable). Thus, our first blog will be a written description of our trip with no visual aides. While reading, feel free to imagine mountains and a lake, like this:

 ^^^^ 0 ^^^^

We began our hike on a warm summer morning, leaving from the Nellie Lake trailhead on the east side of Huntington Lake. After hiking for some time we came upon Mary's Meadow. As we passed the meadow and looked down upon it from the trail, our eyes beheld a startling sight. We saw a bear sitting under a tree! As we looked on in amazement we noticed a brown cow emerge from the woods near the bear. Our minds raced. Will the bear see the cow? Will the cow be eaten by the bear? Will we witness nature's fury unleashed before our eyes? Will we need some sort of permit to scavenge any leftover meat? As these questions stormed through our heads the bear sat undisturbed under the tree. Finally, when the cow had come within feet of the bear, the bear wrestled to its feet. We were perplexed; the bear stood on all fours, sniffing the cow as if greeting a long lost friend. Bewildered, we stood and stared, when suddenly all of our questions were answered when the 'bear' let out a loud, long, "MOOOOOOO!"

Chuckling, we continued our forge on to Nellie Lake. When we arrived at the lake and began to walk around its northern shore we stumbled upon another group of hikers. There were three men standing around the lake's only formal campsite with a German Shepherd tied to a log, blocking the trail. The men acknowledged our presence and informed us that they would be leaving and we could use the campsite if we so desired. Wanting to push on and see what the rest of the lake shore offered, we continued along the path. When we came to the place on the trail where the dog was tied we paused and looked at the dog and then looked at the men. Receiving a confirming nod from the men, which we mistakenly interpreted as, "It's okay. He is nice", we kept walking. Luke was first to greet the dog. Like any animal-wise individual, Luke put his hand out, palm up, to allow the dog to smell him. Bark...growl, bite, snap...spittle, growl, bite! The dog lunged at Luke, teeth bared, jaws snapping at his outstretched hand. We recoiled, running backward on the trail with the dog in hot pursuit. Then, snap! The dog hit the end of his leash and stood growling and barking at us. One of the men ran over to the dog, grabbed him by the scruff, pinned him to the ground, and urged Luke and I to pass. 

After our terrifying encounter with the temperamental German Shepherd, and after accounting for all limbs and extremities, we found a place on the opposite side of the lake to set up camp. We pitched a rain fly, laid out our sleeping bags, collected fire wood, and settled into camp. With plenty of sunlight left we decided to take our fishing poles down to the lake and try our luck. After fishing for a brief while, Luke caught a trout. With the hook too deep to remove, the trout's life was ended and he passed on. Not wanting to waste a life given to such a noble cause, we decided to cook the trout for dinner. We speared the trout with a branch from a nearby tree and began to cook it over the fire. We placed its innards on hooks and threw them into the lake, hoping the fish's relatives were ravaged cannibals. When the trout was finished cooking we attempted to pluck the fish from the carcass and enjoy the treat before us. Much to our dismay, after only a few bites, we came to realize that neither of us enjoy fish. Turning to our freeze-dried lasagna, we watched the sunset as we ate. 

As the sun went down and we sat around the campfire, our attention turned towards the construction of a bench. We desired no extravagant fixture, but one that was functional and hopefully a bit comfortable. With no such luck we wrestled with stones, sticks, logs, and dirt for hours before calling it a night. 

In the morning we arose to a beautiful view of the lake below us. We spent an hour or two fishing around the lake with no luck (apparently the placement of dinner's guts had the reverse effect). Later we packed our belongings and bid farewell to Nellie Lake. The hike to the truck was a comfortable, downhill trek that was finished in no time. With our belongings packed in the bed of Luke's truck we enjoyed a fresh bag of trail mix and said goodbye to the Kaizer Forest. 

Welcome

In this blog, the Tatum boys (Luke, Matt, and David) will document travels near and far as they hike, camp, and showboard their way through life.  Check back often and enjoy!