ET's Info-Stew

12:30 - We're taking a break at Surprise Lake. Very serene here, though the mosquitoes are out in full force. Even with repellent on they are persistent and find a way.

The hike was much easier than a month ago, so the exercise definitely paid off. Yeah it was still tough and I had to take short breaks during the steep parts. But I'll be good to hike up to Upper Cataract Lake. Flicking off mosquitoes every 15 seconds does get tiring while you're trying to go uphill and watch you step all at the same time. But the music is helping. Plus all of the logs have been removed from the trail, so there has been no need to bushwhack. Pack and gear are doing fine so far. Rain is forecast so we'll see.

15:55 - Here I sit at the camp spot at Upper Cataract Lake. I have a sense of empowerment, euphoria maybe, because I mide it here without extreme exertion. I feel that if I continue on this healthy path I'll be unstoppable!

Once we got to the lake we dropped our packs at a possible camp then day-hiked around to the west side of the lake. There we found a nice spot up away from the lake, hoping for some respite from the mosquitoes. Judging from the current population, however, I'm not sure it makes much difference. The camp has a couple flat spots for tents, a small fire ring hugging the side of a large boulder, and a small meadow. It's not too far from the lake, making water fairly accessible.

I took a quick bath in the ice-cold lake, though I could only dunk my head a couple of times for a couple of seconds. With water this cold goggles are pretty much useless. I also filled up my water bucket but had a few minutes of mild panic when I was unable to zip it closed. Without it my water filtering system is broken. I finally managed to close it with significant effort. In the future it may be wise to take the time before a trip to check these kinds of things.

The plan now is to set up camp, get some grub, and relax.

22:30-ish - After setting up camp, filtering water, and eating a snack, I took some shelter in my tent to get away from the mosquitoes. I ended up taking a nap that lasted just long enough for it to be dinner and afternoon chore time. I had Backpacker's Pantry Kung Pao Chicken, and it was delicious. I couldn't finish the whole thing, so some had to be dumped into the fire.

The mosquitoes were bad until well after sundown. After that, and even now as I lay in my tent, any little itch I feel makes me think I have one on me.

My filter system wasn't working too well for me. I had the source lying on a rock, and I don't thing that wias creating enough pressure to get reasonable flow. Then Bill showed me his new system, which consists of a battery-powered wand that shoots out ultraviolet light. It seems eminently practical, so I have to check it out. My stove seems to also be having some issues. I can hear and smell gas coming out, and I can see a spark coming from the lighter, but the stove doesn't ignite. Once I used a match to light it, only one side was actually lit. Only once I put my pot on did the rest catch. Does it need to be cleaned?

I somehow managed to schedule this trip during a new moon cycle, so the night sky is spectacular. We only saw a couple satellites and shooting stars, due in part to the scattered clouds, but at least we seem to not have a problem with city glow.

I looked at our family's star and said goodnight to Jenny and Emily. It should be about time for the Advil PM to start kicking in, so hopefully I'll get a nice long restful sleep.