Backpacking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains Part 3

08/27/09

California Part 3

Day 4 – So it has begun, a trip of 14 strangers trough the Sierra Nevadas.  That is if you don’t consider the married couple, the trip leader Cathy and the co-leader Roger that know each other, and the two trip participants, Michelle and Jane, who have been on trips with Cathy before.  I guess it is more or less 14 strangers.  

The day started at 7:30am.  I didn’t have anything to do; I just wanted to keep the trend of getting up early since I knew I would be doing that on the trip.  I spent about an hour getting my pack together, enjoyed my last bit of hot water for the next 10 days during a 30-minute shower, and then watched TV until 11 or so.  After that I wend to a couple of stores, and then grabbed lunch.  I decided to treat myself to dessert as I also figured there would be a dearth of sweets on the trip.  The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory had something called an Avalanche Cake with rice crispies, peanut butter, white chocolate, and chocolate chips.  Yes, it was awesome!  From there it was off to meet the group.

As it turns out, Cathy wasn’t joking when she said it would be an older group.  Everyone but Michelle and myself are over 40 as far as I know.  It works out though because they all have tons of stories.  Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Australia and Peru are only a few of the places these people have been.  Personality wise, it is a very diverse group.  There are plenty of talkers, plenty of reserved people, and a few in between.  

We all seem to get along pretty well.  We went over a few logistical things: safety, food, and things like that.  I am really impressed with all of the work Cathy and Roger have put into this.  Trying to bring 14 people together, manage the food, the route, the permits and transportation, and doing it all as volunteers says a lot about them.  After sorting through formalities, we dropped the cars off and then went to dinner.  It was Roberto’s Cantina again, and the Mahi-Mahi tacos were still delicious.  

I really think this is going to be a great trip.  Listening to everyone talk, we share a lot of similar interests, yet there is enough diversity that everyone won’t be talking about the exact same thing to everybody else.  Roger laid out some of the peaks we might try and summit, so I hope I’m up for that.  I don’t want to jinx myself, but I’m expecting a great week and a half.  We shall see.