Trip Report- Ansel Adams Wilderness Sept. 13-15, aborted
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 4:38 pm
Our very first ever backpacking trip. Years of dayhiking, finally convinced my wife to camp out. This trip a year in the planning. Took but hours once out there for it to turn into a total bust.
Sunday Sept. 13- Hike in from the Fernandez Trailhead northeast of Oakhurst and Bass Lake. Lots of smoke from Rough Fire. Set camp at Lower Staniford Lake. Camp site selected was clearly the best and most used location. Figured it would be a great spot to do several planned day hikes. Got up in the wee hours to answer natures call, found skies totally clear, bursting with stars, not a hint of smoke or clouds. A great sign.
Monday Sept. 14- Morning starts with no smoke, broken clouds, great promise. Head out to Lillian Lake with plans to do some cross country to other lakes. Drizzle starts, continues to increase as we first don rain jackets (did not bring pants, forecasts even a day before departure had no hint of rain), then pack covers. Rain continues to fall and increase. We abort the day hike plans, head back to base camp to find our site now a lake. Tent vestibule under water, main tent in 3 inches, inside saved by bathtub sides. We realize we have no option, given the lack of any other site option at this lake, to break camp and head out. All spare clothing in vestibule totally soaked, as we had not anticipated or planned for rain. Wife starts to get hypothermic on the hike out, but we make it to Lady Lake with high, flat, safe site. Pitch tent, get her into warm sleeping bag with emergency space blanket, and double up with my bag as additional cover. She finally warms up. Rain abates enough for us to cook a warm dinner, rain starts again heavy just as we are cleaning dishes. Into the tent around 8pm, the next 15 hours non-stop medium to heavy to torrential rains, moderate to storm force winds. At one point during the night I thought we were having an earthquake the winds rocked the tent so hard.
Tuesday Sept. 15- Awake to continued rain. Everything pretty much totally soaked. Wait 3 hours or so until a break finally seems to come. We decide to abort plans to stay another day, break camp, head home, totally dispirited.
The good news, if any? No mosquitoes! And as a friend has said to us after hearing our tale, we "took one for the team" in terms of having brought the rain that helped with the Rough fire. You are all most welcome!
So, with this as the maiden voyage, will my wife ever go out again? Most certainly. If we can coordinate dog sitters, we will try this trip again in a week or so.
Oh, did I mention we had a lot of RAIN on this trip?
Sunday Sept. 13- Hike in from the Fernandez Trailhead northeast of Oakhurst and Bass Lake. Lots of smoke from Rough Fire. Set camp at Lower Staniford Lake. Camp site selected was clearly the best and most used location. Figured it would be a great spot to do several planned day hikes. Got up in the wee hours to answer natures call, found skies totally clear, bursting with stars, not a hint of smoke or clouds. A great sign.
Monday Sept. 14- Morning starts with no smoke, broken clouds, great promise. Head out to Lillian Lake with plans to do some cross country to other lakes. Drizzle starts, continues to increase as we first don rain jackets (did not bring pants, forecasts even a day before departure had no hint of rain), then pack covers. Rain continues to fall and increase. We abort the day hike plans, head back to base camp to find our site now a lake. Tent vestibule under water, main tent in 3 inches, inside saved by bathtub sides. We realize we have no option, given the lack of any other site option at this lake, to break camp and head out. All spare clothing in vestibule totally soaked, as we had not anticipated or planned for rain. Wife starts to get hypothermic on the hike out, but we make it to Lady Lake with high, flat, safe site. Pitch tent, get her into warm sleeping bag with emergency space blanket, and double up with my bag as additional cover. She finally warms up. Rain abates enough for us to cook a warm dinner, rain starts again heavy just as we are cleaning dishes. Into the tent around 8pm, the next 15 hours non-stop medium to heavy to torrential rains, moderate to storm force winds. At one point during the night I thought we were having an earthquake the winds rocked the tent so hard.
Tuesday Sept. 15- Awake to continued rain. Everything pretty much totally soaked. Wait 3 hours or so until a break finally seems to come. We decide to abort plans to stay another day, break camp, head home, totally dispirited.
The good news, if any? No mosquitoes! And as a friend has said to us after hearing our tale, we "took one for the team" in terms of having brought the rain that helped with the Rough fire. You are all most welcome!
So, with this as the maiden voyage, will my wife ever go out again? Most certainly. If we can coordinate dog sitters, we will try this trip again in a week or so.
Oh, did I mention we had a lot of RAIN on this trip?