ET's Info-Stew

10:23: I'm at Lock Leven on the west end. I got up this morning after a night of waking up a lot because my pillow sucked. We packed up and went to the trailhead. By 8:22, we were on our way. I kept up a challenging yet steady and manageable pace. Dad, on the other hand, kept speeding up and slowing down. [I figured an experienced hiker like him would know that a steady pace is easier to maintain, but then again, everyone is different.] We got to Loch Leven at 958, which is good time, according to what I have heard. Dad said we would stop at Loch Leven for a break, but when we got there we saw people that passed us on horses. For some reason, he changed his mind and said he did not want to stop there, so he pushed on to the next lake. I decided I didn't care if the people on horses saw me stop, so I took a break to get some water food and some pictures I promised for jenny. Check out the picture at 7-28-01@1031 for my current view of Piute Pass.

14:29: Well, I'm sitting in my camp spot at Muriel Lake at 11336 feet. The last 4 hours have been less than enjoyable, but I think it is going to get better now that I have food in my tummy. We go to Piute Pass and took some pictures at 1145. We made it to Muriel Lake at 1222, exactly 4 hours after we started. Dad searched for a campsite, and when he found one, I went over, laid my pack down and took and hour nap. I was dead tired. Right now I have barely any energy, which is why I am forcing myself to eat even though I am not hungry. [I made the mistake of not eating much on the trail, so I had barely any energy starting around Piute Pass]. Also, I have and annoying tickle in my lungs if I breathe more than shallow breaths. My gear works well so far. After Loch Leven, my pack was sliding down more and more causing me to carry most of the weight o my shoulders. They could use a good massage right now. My clothes are warm and my feet are dry. The Sealskinz worked well, however they cramped my toes more and more every time I walked downhill. The hiking shoes are excellent and only took 3 hours to completely dry. The hiking pole was excellent for boulder hopping and going up and down slopes. I know that monopods are as bad as I suspected, since it is still impossible to keep the camera still. The small tripod is perfect, allowing me to get several good shots. The water filter is adequate. I have to fill it up often, and the rate of flow is just below perfect. I found it much more effective to suck through the straw. Of course it is easy to use and is lightweight, so it makes up for the negatives. Unfortunately, I did not rig a way to secure it, so I placed it between the right hip belt, my hip, and the pack. I have to slide it into place every 5 minutes. I'm not sure as of yet what my plans are for our duration at Muriel Lake, but right now I just want to rest. Our camp is on the southeast peninsula of the lake. I have a nice little shaded area for my test and stuff. I may decide to sleep with my fly off again. It was nice last night. However, I should try to find a wider and shorter stuff sack for my sleeping quilt which, by the way, works perfectly. Strangely enough, Dad has expresses some interest in ultralight backpacking. He says he is going to see how I do, and that he might try it. Well, I need to finish lunch and set up camp. Later I will get some pictures of the area.

20:08: I took a couple of pictures of camp, and some at sunset. It is so bright up here that it is tough to take a good picture. After setting up my tent and stuff, Dad and I went to collect some firewood. There were slim pickings, but it doesn't matter. I'm sleeping with my fly off again tonight. I'm not too worried about bears. Dad hung his food about 8 feet off the ground, which is well within a bear's reach. I tied my Ursack to a nearby tree. Hopefully it will work out well. My stove worked great. It boiled 0.5 a pot of water in 2 minutes and was easy to put away. I have a pretty bad sunburn on my arms, the only place I didn't put any sun block on. I'll be feeling it tomorrow. Right now I really miss Jenny and Lassen.