Highlands Lake

HIGHLANDS LAKE CAMPOUT
JULY 2005

As I write this, I am still digging dirt out of my ears, blowing brown boogies out of my nose,
and have made several attempts to get my hair to smell like shampoo instead of campfire smoke,
But I wouldn’t trade this weekend for nothing.
I started this weekend with a promise and a goal, which I am happy to say My roughriders
and I accomplished. My promise was made to the Area Coordinator that heads up the trail
clean up for our area of the Pacific Crest Trail. I told him we would ride as much of the
“PCT” as we could, and give him a report on trail conditions. As his crew had not been
in that area for several years. I mapped it all out on my TOPO MAP program, and came
up with a 12 mile loop. HA, that didn’t sound bad at all. Well 9 hours and 27 + miles later,
we made it back to camp. I don’t know what I did wrong, but I am thanking my lucky stars
they didn’t hang me from the nearest tree. The trail was one of the nicest trails most of us
had ridden, only a couple bad spots. Which consisted of creek washouts on the PCT, and
one steep climb to the top of a ridge on the Paradise Valley trail. I was amazed that none of the
trail we rode got too rocky.
A funny story that happened along the way. We were about 3/4s of the way through, and found
the Disaster Creek trail, When Vern said, “we could head down the hill and be at Clarks Fork here
in just a little while.” Sandy, behind me says, “You gonna have Limousines waiting for us down
there to take us back to camp?” Vern says, “To hell with the Limo’s, we’re gonna need MediFlight”
Which had all of us cracking up. It was one of those moments, when your really tired and sore,
and getting kind of goofy, that just tickles your funny bone.

I have to say a huge “Thank You” to the eight riders that hung tough with me. Al, Joelene,
Vern, Donna, Sandy, Mary, Larry and Thannette. You guys were awesome!!! And thank you
Larry for believing in my map reading skills.
I want to thank, Jim, Sharon, Ron, Kathy, Jerry and Mary for being the worry warts back at
camp as 6:00 pm rolled around and we still weren’t back yet. Kathy was ready to send out the
search party, but she was quickly told that between Vern and myself, this is quite normal.

This campout will be on our clubs itinerary for next year if anyone is interested.
The pictures you will see below consists of riding in the “Carson Iceberg Wilderness” starting
at the Gardner Meadow Trailhead, down to the Pacific Crest Trail, up through Golden Canyon,
down to Adams Camp, where we hit the Paradise Valley trail, pictures of us in Paradise Valley,
past Half moon Lake, and back to Gardner Meadow. Saturdays ride we rode towards Pacific
Valley, and through Tryon Meadow and Milk ranch meadow.
Happy Trails to you all!!!!

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