One night at the lake, and a gear list that finally works
The lake is about five miles from the nearest trailhead, with roughly 1,500 feet of climbing, most of it in the last two miles. It is close enough to reach after a late start, and far enough that very few people bother staying overnight. I have done it four times now, and each time my pack has been a little lighter.
This time I finally got the weight to a point where the climb felt like walking rather than hauling. Here is roughly what I took, for one night in late June with a forecast low of 44°F:
- A small two-person tent, mainly because I like space for the pack inside.
- A down quilt rated to about 35°F, a closed-cell foam pad and a thin inflatable pad on top.
- A tiny gas stove, one small pot, a spoon, a lighter and a mug.
- Dinner (instant noodles with peanut butter and chili oil, better than it sounds), breakfast (oats and dried fruit), and too many snacks.
- A water filter and two bottles. There is no need to carry much water; the lake is the water source.
- Warm layers: a fleece, a light insulated jacket, a hat and gloves. I wore all of them after sunset.
- Rain shell, headlamp, a small first-aid kit, map, and the paper notebook.
The best piece of gear I own is the knowledge of what I do not need.
What I left behind, finally: the second fleece, the camp chair, the large knife, the paperback, and the "just in case" extra food bag. I did not miss any of it. The notebook covered the reading, and the foam pad makes a decent seat.
The evening was beautiful. I pitched the tent on the flat bench above the outlet stream, ate dinner while the light went orange on the cliffs across the water, and watched a pair of common mergansers patrol the far shore with a line of chicks behind them. Swallows hunted over the lake until it was almost dark, and then the bats took over.
The night was cold and very quiet. I woke once around two to see the Milky Way clearly over the ridge, and lay there longer than I meant to.
In the morning the lake was perfectly still and a little steam was rising from it. I had coffee at the water's edge, packed up slowly, and was back at the car before most day hikers had arrived.
Next time I will bring a lighter pot lid, since mine is a heavy steel one from an old set, and a better way of hanging food. Otherwise I would not change much. It is a good feeling to have a kit that simply works.