BARBOUR

Continued from Page A3

coming out tell you that a truly kickass storm hit them in the middle of the day, out of nowhere, ripped their tent stakes right out of the ground, scared them to blithereens and it all happened just yesterday, listen! And be very, very careful where you set up camp.

No joke, we could have been killed by lightning, and it would have been all my fault. Greedy for views to an open night sky, I set us up on the very edge over a canyon. Bad mistake! I didn’t listen, fool that I am, because the sky was clear above us. I did notice that there were clouds to the east but I failed to grasp how fast they were moving until booming thunder shook the earth. With plenty of bright sun the whole time, I never saw any lightning. Now I know better: Monsoons are a regular part of summer in the Sierra and I usually enjoy the afternoon cool-off. These violent storms with their freakishly wicked winds are new to me.

This tale gets worse, dumber. Even with winds flapping and snatching at my hammock, I kept struggling to set up camp. My smart dog bailed early, ran to lower ground and tucked himself under a bush. It finally started raining (pouring) so I bailed, too, grabbed our down bedding and balled it around us in the lee side of a boulder. Fortunately, it was over in an hour, maybe less, and fortunately the returning sun dried all our gear. We found a safer campsite, stayed 2 nights and had fun but had to hide under a tarp the second day from 11 am to 1 pm.

Storm over, safe to come out

When it started thundering again at 10 am on the third morning, we packed and headed home. My notes from that trip were full of self-blame and promises to be smarter. It’s dangerous and I know better.

In late August, I spent four glorious nights at Long Lake, deep in the Emigrant. I got there on foot but my gear caught a ride with Aspen Meadows Pack Station. Everything went just right on this trip except that Buddy couldn’t go. 13 miles is too far for him to hike. It was almost too far for me, even with just a daypack carrying lunch and water. This trip deserves its own story, so for now take my word, every minute was pure solitary sweetness.

Buddy and I made one last backpacking trip at the end of September. We went back to Lake Valley, did it right this time with no storms, crystal clear night skies, Scorpius and Sagittarius heading so far southwest that they were part of the sunsets. We saw the night-after New Moon fingernail with its ghostly

A swimming hole on the west fork of Cherry Creek beckons weary hikers (above). Buddy the dog carries his own equipment (left).

halo, a perfect end to our 2022 adventures. The glow we felt helped us through the worst winter ever!

Who knows when the trailhead will be open in 2023. For now, here are a few notes and reminders:

• Always pack for cold nights

• Camp shoes are important for staying dry because you always get your trail shoes wet.

• Salty snacks like crackers and jerky are much better than sweet stuff.

• Powdered sports drinks, especially tart stuff, are great with an alka-seltzer for bubbles.

• Saw the Cocoon Nebula under Deneb, the “tail” of Cygnus. Saw the Great Square of Pegasus.

• Legs aren’t strong enough! Do squats every day at home!