Part 6

CAMPING IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS

July 9, 2009 – Thursday

I was not doing much as far as getting any work in since we got back from our trip in the backcountry. On Tuesday the 7^th of July, I decided we would take another trip up into the mountains for a week. I wanted to spend more time studying plants, and I just wanted to go camping with Shiloh. I thought we would go back to the Pinecrest Lake area. Pinecrest was just west of where we were from Kennedy Lake Resort, on Hwy 108.

We picked up the supplies we needed on Wednesday and left this morning for the mountains. Another reason to leave was, it was getting very warm where we were staying and Shiloh and I don’t really care for hot days. Especially Shiloh with his heavy coat.

Usually this time of year you should make reservations for campgrounds, but I thought because it was Thursday we might have a better chance of getting a campsite without reservations. I really wasn’t sure where was would camp or even if we would find a campsite. Originally I was looking at Pinecrest Lake area to camp.

Once we arrived at the entrance of the campground, we saw the sign indicating “FULL” and it was with lots of people packed in like a can of sardines. Way to many people for our liking. I was thinking, now what? Are we going to have to head home or go further. I knew there were a lot of campgrounds in the area, I just was not sure where they were. I wanted a campground with water and toilets. I looked at the map for more campgrounds and continued heading east on Hwy 108 towards Sonora Pass. I was getting nervous, and thinking, are they going to be all full as well? In the back of my mind, the answer was “Yes!”

We found about five campgrounds we could camp at and two of them looked the best. Now which one to choose?. The first one I liked, very few people were camping at. It was pretty much empty. The camp host was really nice and told us about a campsite that was pretty secluded. We looked at it and it was nice and secluded, but it was too close to the highway for Shiloh, and we would have to hike down to the river.

The other campground was Brightman Flat and I decided on this one. It was a few miles further east, closer to the river, and close to a general store that was in Dardanelle Resort 1.2 miles away. In revising this writing, I had learned that the Resort had burned down in the Donnell Fire in 2018. destroying the whole resort. Thankfully the Kennedy Meadows Resort was saved. The campsite was located on a corner of a loop where only one other camper could camp next to us. It was a fairly large campsite, but had very little shade. We had a nice view of the mountain slopes to the north of us, and backed up to the river. There were quite a few people there, but they were spread out and many of the campsites you couldn’t even see. This campground did not have water taps so we did have to buy water, but it did have toilets.

On our drive up to the mountains, we stopped at a fruit stand that also sold firewood, so we piled just shy of a 1/8 cord of nice almond wood in the back of the truck. We now had all the firewood we needed and we were set. There were smaller pieces of firewood that could be found just off the road near our campground making good fire kindling to get the fire started.

I got the tent up and got settled into our new home. I brought our 10 person tent on this trip, and one of my bear proof panniers, just in case we had bears in the area.

I got a fire going to give it that cozy feeling. There was a strong breeze whipping up through the campground and at first I was concerned about smoke going into the tent or embers burning holes in it. I checked the wind direction and they were going in the opposite direction so all is good. Shiloh was happy camping again.

I decided to go fishing so we headed a short distance to the river and within a few minutes caught a fair size trout. I had learned they had just stocked the river up stream from us. It was the first fish I have caught in many years. I was hoping for one or two more to make a nice meal, but my fishing luck turned bad. I cooked the fresh trout in bacon fat and it was delicious. I gave Shiloh a little bit of the bacon fat in his dog food, but no trout.

In the evening the wind stopped, there were no bugs and the temperature very pleasant. Though we were not in the wilderness, it was nice camping again.

July 10, 2009 – Friday

It cooled down in the middle of the night, but we stayed warm. I had an air mattress with me on this trip that made sleeping much more comfortable. When we got up I was pleasantly surprised there was a nice breeze coming through camp and that kept the temperatures comfortable. The scent of pine trees accompanied the breeze making it a nice companion and giving the affirmation we’re in the mountain.

Shiloh and I had a good breakfast of bacon and eggs and I had my coffee while writing in my journal. The area we are camping in looks fairly sparse for tinder, but found some pine needles, some moss and good bark from a cedar tree. There is a dead wood stump in camp full of sap that I used as a good fire starter.

The trees in the area are pine, cedar, a few aspen, some fir and black cottonwood. I will have some pine needle tea on this trip. I found some wild strawberry plants (no fruit yet), a small amount of thistle and the rest of the plants I could not recognize. Not much around so far.

On my first impression of the area for what plants are available and what I perceived as being sparse, once I spent a little time looking around, plants began showing themselves. This can be a very important lesson for all who begin learning survival skills, or just learning plant identification. Things are not what you perceive them to be at first glance. One can follow the same trail over and over again and find something new. It is critical in survival to have a heighten awareness of ones surroundings and always observe what is around you.

A Steller’s jay and robin showed up at our camp today. Always a welcome visit.

I spent most of the day looking at trees and plants and identified three trees and nine plants. Actually four trees, pine (this doesn’t really count, because I don’t know the species of pine), white fir, incense cedar and the black cottonwood. I burnt some lichen that I found on a dead fir branch and had a nice smell to it when burned. The plants I found are the pussy paws, I believe the western Labrador tea (or trapper’s tea) which is plentiful in this area, the common plantain in which I found a few along the small stream going through the campground, dandelions, strawberry, gooseberry (no fruit on either the strawberry or the gooseberry), the nude buckwheat, common monkey flower and one thistle. Pretty good find for such a small area, but as for the wild edibles, far from being enough for a small meal and because it was in the campground I would not recommend eating anything from this area. Most of the plants I found are along the small stream. I did not have to walk very far from our camp to find these. The stream ran along on side of our campsite and through the campground.

I sat in my chair most of the time looking through the tree book to identify the trees and occasionally having to get up to get a closer look at the bark and the leaves. It took a long time to identify everything. While I was walking along the stream looking at plants, Shiloh was in the stream cooling his feet off and occasionally having a drink. If he finds water, he will be in it.

The little stream was a nice feature in our camping area, but some idiot put bug catchers which has poison in them right over the stream hanging from the branches of some of the trees. Not too bright on his part. I had to make sure Shiloh did not drink down stream from that bug trap.

As far as an area for survival besides the fish stocked river, not much available for wild edibles and small game. I have not heard or seen any small critters such as squirrels in the area. It would probably be very difficult to survive here as far as having any good source of food. But then again, I haven’t been here that long. Patients is a virtue while in Nature.

July 11, 2009 – Saturday

We woke up to another beautiful day. Nature seems to bring perfect harmony within my Being in it’s simplicity and beauty. The wind was still and the sun was quickly warming the morning air. I was hoping for the sweet mountain breezes to come. A nice breeze began around 9:30 am and what a nice friend to have up here on warm summer days. The little thermometer on my lighter read 95 degrees in the sun. That sounds a bit off for the morning temperature. I took a reading in the shade and it indicated 75 degrees which is about right at 10:30 am.

Shiloh and I shared another fine breakfast of bacon and eggs. The first thing I usually do when I get up is put the coffee on. It takes a while for the coffee to start perking at higher elevations and especially using cold water from the river doesn’t help.

Throughout the night I was thinking about leaving on Sunday and there still might be a chance we do. Because we are tucked in a narrow canyon, there is not a lot to do here and no place to hike. Much of the surrounding areas are private properties. We may drive around to see if we can find any interesting places to explore, or a place just to sit and relish the natural world.

Being in a survival situation, it becomes critical that you stay busy as much as you can to stay off boredom. Boredom can lead to complacency and even to panic if you don’t keep the mind and body busy. In a camping situation, you just become bored like I am. You begin to ask yourself, what the hell am I doing here? I think I have reached that point of insanity. I am bored, but only in the mind. A campground doesn’t have the aliveness that being in the wilderness has. But I am still learning to be still.

It really is hard to stay active, keeping the mind involved and stimulated when stuck in a campground unless there are places to explore. Maybe this is why most people only camp for the weekend or three day weekend max., just to get away. Or they go to an area where there is much more to do. To tell you the truth, I would probably even get bored at Kennedy Meadows Resort. People have to find ways to keep the boredom from rising up. There is nothing to do, beside doing things that takes you away from experiencing nature, like playing games they have to move us from experiencing nature, or playing card or reading (reading can be good with the right book), or getting drunk and passing out. I guess you can spend all day fishing as long as you don’t catch your limit, but then again I suppose you can always throw them back. I am interested in one thing and one thing only, experiencing nature, going deeply into nature that I have not fully experienced yet.

I suppose what I am getting at, is that one must be selective in the areas they choose if they are planning to stay in a wilderness area for a long period of time to prevent boredom. And it can even be hard to do in the perfect area if you don’t have the right mind set. The nice thing about surviving or practicing survival skills is that there is so much one can do from hunting and gathering to making tools to observing nature to exploring different areas, but it takes a good place where you can do that. Or if you are in a survival situation, you have to keep busy just to survive no matter where you are, or just be present.

Being that I am not really here to practice survival skills, but doing what studying I can do on flora in the area, I am basically just camping. If I was in a survival mode, I would look for and do things that I would have to do in a survival situation and I would probably risk moving on to find much better fertile ground. And then again, you cannot really do this at a campground and not be thrown in jail for some stupid law that prevents you from practicing bush craft skills in a campground. But, you always must be responsible to nature. The reason I was able to stay at Del Valle for so long is that there was a lot to do, but also I was going into town to shop or going to the office to work. But still, Del Valle provided much more things to do relating not necessarily to studying survival skill, but in experiencing nature, even while sitting in camp. While we were in the wilderness, I wasn’t always in the present moment, but what I had learned was while practicing basic bushcraft skills, I was getting closer to nature, because I was relying on nature, I was becoming in tune with nature.

While walking around camp we talked to some people who liked and was curious about Shiloh. We were talking about Shiloh, camping and rules that apply to camping and fishing. As I had mentioned earlier, I have some issues with rules that the forest service or park service has in regards to being and experiencing nature. The guy I was talking to told me people who fish must display their fishing license on the outside of their person so it is easily seen by Fish and Game warden. It is not enough now to have a fishing license, but you must display it properly or you may get a ticket. To me, this is absurd and just another stupid law that makes no sense. I learned a year later they got rid of that law. Probably because people were outraged by the stupidity of the law. I personally think it will get much worse where we will have so many restrictions on how we camp, if someone wanted to practice survival skills, they would not be able to. This is really a deep concern for me that the government will dictate how we us what is suppose to be ours – and that is federal lands. This is why it is so important to take care of these lands as if they were your own. To be responsible and be aware of the impacts you are making. The government will overlook large corporations polluting and destroying our land, air and water, and taking from the land, but if you do it, that is not acceptable, but neither is it for large corporations being allowed to do it.

After learning about having to display the fishing license, Shiloh and I took a drive to Kennedy Meadows Resort for a visit and to buy a display shield for the fishing license. We then drove around to see if we could find any places to hike with little luck, then dropped by the general store close to camp for some snack foods and some beer. Today I had some pine tea, still not as good as nettle tea, but have to give it credit for being a very healthy drink.

I am slowly learning that identifying plants through books is not always reliable because there maybe many plants not in the book or even known by the science community in certain regions. While reading “Sierra Nevada Natural History” the author mentioned many plants in the Sierra Nevada may not even be classified as yet.

I did a little fishing today and caught one fish, so we had fish for dinner to go along with our tri-tip steak. Shiloh seems to prefer steak over trout.

On the first couple of days we were here I was watching two young boys fishing from our camp. They were very motivated in catching as many fish as possible even if they were over the limit. They would try one side of the river, then the other side and then in the river. They did not care about how cold the river was or how wet they became as long as they caught fish. I wouldn’t see them for a couple of hours and then they would be back fishing. They definitely did better than I did. But then again, they were highly motivated to catch fish, I was not.

July 12, 2009 – Sunday

Another beautiful day in the mountains.

I brought my Coleman gas stove on this trip and still having trouble with gas leaks. I think I did get it figured out though.

I was thinking about our planned trip in the backcountry for late summer and thinking about staying for two and a half weeks or longer. I was asking myself, would I be able to stay that long? The discomfort I experienced on the last trip still haunts me a bit for the simple reason, I don’t want to fail. It means too much to me, but what if I can’t do it?

I think I was putting a lot of pressure on myself with a lot of expectations about what I was able to do. Also thinking about being in a survival situations up there and failing in certain skills and the frustrations that followed those failures. I was taking the whole thing to seriously and really needed to lighten up and just enjoy the experiences. I also had the expectations that I should learn those skills much more quickly, thus getting frustrated when they didn’t.

It is always a pleasant joy being with Shiloh no matter what we did, and being with him in the wilderness is nothing less than incredible. Having his companionship, going exploring with him and watching him being a dog with the interaction he has with the animals and nature in general is worth it all.

I remember walking with Shiloh one late afternoon to Kennedy Lake the first day we were there and being incredibly grateful for being in such beautiful country and having Shiloh by my side. Being alone during that time never entered my mind, just the beauty that was all around us, the experience I was feeling, it felt like this was our home, and we were supposed to be there.

Fear is just a feeling we experience through what we picture in our minds and what we tell ourselves about a particular situation or event. It can undermine ones behavior in dealing with our environment. Television has been a big part of how we relate to things and especially with fear. Somehow many of us, because we have become so disconnected with nature we become fearful of it. And this is such a shame, because nature can offer us so much, if only we see her as a friend and not something that is out to get us in our vulnerability in nature, or a need to destroy her for whatever reason. We do have to respect nature, love her, and deeply connect with her. The Native American as with many indigenous cultures in the world sees nature as part of the whole of their being and relates to nature as being one with nature. People who have taken that step from living in civilization to living with nature never looked back. It was an experience that transformed their lives. Life begins to open up to those who allow nature into their lives and to be one with that relationship.

I decided today we would leave tomorrow.

I tried my hand at some fishing with no luck, not even a bite. The wind was blowing pretty good in the afternoon, but has calmed down this evening. It is a pleasant evening, Shiloh is guarding our camp and I am sitting next to the fire writing in the journal. This will be the last entry for this trip until next time.

I just noticed the bats are out tonight flying around. I have not seen bats for a long time.

Good night.

After returning home from our short camping trip, I was expecting to start a new project and figured I probably would not start it for at least another week.

The temperature was in the triple digits at our temporary home and both Shiloh and I weren’t happy with the heat. So we planned another camping trip in the high country to cool down a bit. I wanted to check out the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains this time. To me, the Eastern Sierra’s has a French Alps feel to it, although I have never been to the French Alps. The drive along Hwy 395 is always beautiful with a diverse ecosystem. On the east side of 395 are stretches of the high desert and to the west rests the steep jagged, rock faced mountain peaks of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. A much dryer, and desolate place than on the western side of the mountain range – two worlds joining together.

I selected six possible campgrounds and two days before we were to leave, found that four were full and required reservations. The two campgrounds left were on Hwy 108 over Sonora Pass on the east side. So Shiloh and I once again packed up the gear and headed for the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains.

July 16, 2009 – Thursday

Shiloh and I were off into the mountains once again with the truck bed full of camping gear.

We stopped to pick up a 1/8 of a cord of almond wood at the fruit stand and we were on our way into the mountains. It took much longer than I anticipated because of the heavy load of camping gear and firewood, my truck putted along eating up gas up the steep grade of Sonora Pass and at the very top of the pass reaching 9,624 ft. elevation.

Our first campground we checked out was Leavitt Meadows. The few campsites available were not to impressive so we drove onto the next campground and hoping they would have some nice campsites. The campground was Sonora Bridge and there were still quite a few campsites available. We drove around to find a campsite we liked and decided on one with plenty of shade. It was next to a big rock outcropping that made the campsite a little more interesting and isolated us a bit more from the other campers. The campsite was small but it fit our needs. Across the way from our site was a large branch from a pine tree that fell on a large section of the campsite and onto the picnic table, shattering into many pieces. I hope no one was camping there when it happened. That was definitely a widow maker. I was able to scavenge some good firewood from that downed branch.

Once we parked and started to unpack, other campers began to arrive and they were eyeing our campsite. By the end of the day many of the campsites were taken. Campers were even coming in late.

The campground we were at was at an elevation of 6,800 feet, but dry and in prime rattlesnake country. It was a lot warmer than I wanted, but there was a nice breeze to cool things down a few degrees. There were toilets, and has a water tap close by. We were at a slightly higher elevation from Hwy 108. The West Walker River was across the highway, just a few minute drive from camp that ran along Hwy 395. We have great views from the campground of the Nevada high desert. The plan was to stay for about four nights and then may look for another campground for a day or two. We may go back to Brightman Flat for our last campground on the way home.

There are more places to explore around here than our last camping area. Some areas we will have to drive a short distance to get there. I had a little uneasy feeling about this campsite, maybe I was just hoping for more.

After we got everything set-up and unpacked, we took a drive down to a small town called Bridgeport. It was a beautiful drive. The scenery of the Eastern Sierra is incredible. On Hwy 395 on our way to Bridgeport, on our left side or east side lies the high desert in Nevada and on the right side the majestic craggy mountain peaks of the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Our campsite has good fire starting material, such as pine needles, pine cones, dry twigs and the bark of the juniper tree that are in good amounts in this area. If we have a fire it will have to be a small one, our whole campsite is covered in pine needle duff and can be a big fire hazard. I made a clearing around the fire pit using my feet, but that is not working to well. I will have to borrow a rake from the Camp Host. I will also place more stones around the fire pit. If the winds continue, we will have to refrain from having even a small fire this evening. I made sure the campfires were small.

I noticed I placed the tent right in the middle of a natural drainage ditch. I just hope it doesn’t rain on this trip. Because most campsites in campgrounds are usually small and makes it difficult finding good tent pads, one has to be careful where they put a tent.

Shiloh and I took a walk around the campground and saw the river down below. Lots of sage brush around, but have not noticed any wild edibles yet. We will start exploring the area tomorrow and check the river out.

July 17, 2009 – Friday

The warm air of the night made it difficult to sleep. I woke up at 6:00 am and laid in the sleeping bag until 8:10 am and then Shiloh and I got up and went for a walk. Our campsite was shaded with a nice breeze moving through camp. It is warmer than I had hoped, but much more comfortable then back in Pleasanton. The high elevation and nice breezes help keep things a bit cooler.

I heard an owl hooting last night. While writing in the journal I just noticed a little critter is running around that caught both our eyes. It looks like a chipmunk or a type of small ground squirrel. Maybe it is a golden-mantled ground squirrel.

Our plan today is to go to Bridgeport to pick up some ice later this afternoon, clean our campsite around the fire pit, check out the area for any wild edible plants and maybe head for the river. I don’t plan on doing any fishing because I brought plenty of food.

Just spotted the mountain chickadee and also spotted the western tiger swallow tail butterfly flying around. There is also a hummingbird flying around camp. They are getting the nectar from the Bridges Penstemon. The trees in the area are pine and juniper.

The Campground Host drove by our camp and I noticed he had a rake with him. I asked if I could borrow it to rake up the pine needle duff, so he gladly handed it to me and told be to return it to him whenever I had time. He was a nice guy. He told me I really didn’t have to rake up and I was thinking, is he crazy? Our whole camp was a fire hazard. I created a large clearing to prevent a chance of a fire. I hope! The rule of thumb is to clear any hazardous material 6 foot around the fire pit.

After breakfast we went down to check out the river and walked around a meadow area next to the river. We found a few wild edible plants such as ripe currents and thistle. While in the campgrounds on our walk I found another species of Indian Paint brush that was a little more bitter than the ones I had at Kennedy Lake. I also found some blueberry plants, but to early for the berries

In the early afternoon we decided to take a drive to the ghost town of Bodie. I have never been there, but heard a lot about it. It was just outside of Bridgeport. The drive was on a part paved, part gravel dirt road in the middle of no where. Bodie is 13 miles in from the main Hwy of 395. The drive was beautiful going through grass covered meadows, sage brush covered much of the landscape with rocky cliffs and hillsides as far as the eye could see. One thinks driving through this desolate barren land, how the heck did anyone find this place? Once we finally reached the town, it was an incredible place. Only about a third of the town was left and the rest burned down in fires, you could imagine the activity that must have occurred in this thriving town. In 1859 William Bodey discovered gold in this area and in 1861 the mill was established with about 20 miners, and from there it became a boomtown of an estimated 10,000 people by 1880. It took you back in time walking the dirt streets of Bodie. It is a place well worth visiting. It was also a very dangerous place to live in it’s hay day. By 1880, Bodie had about 60 saloons. Murder, gambling, prostitution, stage robberies, and gunfights happen daily. Bodie was known for its lawlessness rather than for its riches.

It was pretty warm out there so I did not want to stay too long because I didn’t want Shiloh to get to hot. Shiloh was the only dog there and he got a lot of attention. We stayed for about an hour, and I noticed the skies were darkening with a possibility of rain, so we headed back to Bridgeport to pick up some ice, then headed back to camp. I didn’t have the tent buttoned up for rain, so I wanted to get back before everything got wet.

We did get a little rain showers in late afternoon which was a nice refreshing relief from the heat of the day. The evening was a little cooler which made it nice. Today was a busy day with a lot of exploring.

July 18, 2009 – Saturday

We woke up to another nice day, in fact I find it always nice waking up to nature with all her beauty. Everyday waking up in nature is a good day. This morning is cooler with some welcomed clouds in the sky. I had a difficult time sleeping, my sleeping bag was way to warm. This morning I took a creosote bush cleansing just to give it a try. You put some branches with the leaves into a fire and the smoke helps to kill bacteria. Juniper can also be used. Of course it felt refreshing, so it seemed.

After our breakfast of bacon and eggs we went for a walk and found an opening in a barb wire fence that led into a meadow used for cattle grazing. It looked like a nice area to walk, so we took a short walk into the meadow to see if we could find anything interesting. There was a stand of aspen that we also checked out for any possible wild edibles. There was also water runoff, and we found there was a lot of vegetation growing. The only thing we saw was the yarrow plant that was plentiful in this area.

After our walk in the meadow, we went to the river to explore and so Shiloh could play in the water and cool down.

They had a lot of currents by the river and I gave some a try. They were pretty tasty.

The critters I thought were possibly chipmunks were actually golden-mantled ground squirrels.

After the river, we just hung out in camp.

It was a warm evening tonight so I thought we might try sleeping outside to beat the heat and try to stay a little bit cooler. At first I thought it was a great idea, then I began thinking about bugs and snakes. I don’t think I fell asleep until about 2:00 am and then awoke to the buzzing in my ear by mosquitoes. We made it through the night and it was cooler. I never got into the sleeping bag because it was much too warm. I used one of the wool blankets I brought along to cover up with to prevent my whole body from getting eaten up by those nasty blood thirsty mosquitoes. I was comfortable the rest of the night once I was able to fall asleep. Shiloh had no problem sleeping.

July 19, 2009 – Sunday

This morning is a bit cloudy and making it much nicer with the cooler weather. I started a small fire for ambiance while having a cup of coffee. It was so peaceful.

I packed all our sleeping stuff back into the tent. We would have slept outside another night, but the mosquitoes were just too bad.

I was thinking about our trip to Kennedy Lake and though I had some challenging times, it was paradise up there. I learned a lot from that trip once I reflected on the lessons given to me. Camping at a campground is okay, but it is no comparison to being out in the wilderness.

I checked my messages for work ,and the job I was waiting for, is still on hold, so I thought we would stay here longer. We were going to leave on Monday, but what for? It is warm here, but much warmer down where we were in the Tri-Valley area.

The campground host told us about an area we can go hiking, so we went to check that out today. We had a nice walk for about an hour and half. It was in a meadow that they used for grazing with a small stream running through it.

This afternoon we went to the store for some gas for our trip home on Tuesday.

July 20, 2009 – Monday

I had the best night sleep so far on this trip. It actually cooled off some this morning. Enjoying my coffee, I was reflecting on movies I had watched when I was young that had to do with being in the wilderness or being in the mountains, always dreaming of living in such places. The mountains were always magical to me with it’s rugged snow capped peaks, beautiful alpine meadows covered in spring flowers, it’s lush forests, its majestic waterfalls, the mountain blue lakes, its rocky streams and the many species of wildlife that is found in the wilderness. Because I was raised on the west coast I enjoyed going to the ocean as well, but it did not have the impact the mountains had on me, with the exception of Hawaii. The Hawaiian Islands were truly magical for me. Each island has its own personalities and ecosystems. As with most who visits the islands, I love the beautiful beaches, the warm clear blue ocean waters, the soothing waterfalls, the tropical breezes, the fresh scent of tropical plants, and flowers in the air, and the diverse ecosystems. I even enjoyed the humidity. What really captured my attention, the more I visited this paradise, were the Traditional Hawaiian People and their beautiful Hawaiian culture. It became more of a spiritual experience and a connection to place for me every time I went to visit. The more I learned about the Hawaiian culture and its Indigenous people, the stronger my connection and love for Hawaii became. It was no longer about being just a nice destination point for a vacation. It was a sacred place to experience the sacred.

I am being drawn to the wilderness more and more, and learning as much as I can about survival/bushcraft skills and the flora and fauna. When I go home to work, I am fine for a couple of days, and then boredom sets in, and my mind takes me back to the mountains.

The more I think about it the longer I want to stay on my next trip to Kennedy Lake. Thinking maybe three weeks.

The plants I thought were blueberry bushes were indeed blueberry. I noticed the buds starting to come out.

Yesterday I met two young children that were camping with their mom and boy friend a few campsites away from us. The brother and sister were playing on the rock outcropping next to our camp. I showed them the circle of perfectly placed stones I found in a flat area at the top of the rocks. I am not sure who put them there or if it had any significance or even how long they have been there. Maybe it was used in a vision quest or some other Indian ceremony. A couple of years later, I asked some Native American friends of mine, and they thought it was probably for some kind of ceremony or vision quest. I saw this spot as possibly being sacred, and gave it respect as so.

This morning the brother and sister dropped by to see, and play with Shiloh and to play on the rocks in our camp once again.

In the afternoon the little girl brought me a berry she said was a blueberry. I told her it wasn’t a blueberry, but a juniper berry. For the first time for both of us, we both popped one in our mouths and it tasted bad, but got even worse with the taste just lingering in our mouths. The little girl really didn’t seem to mind the taste. Her brother refrained from trying it. She was a very smart little girl and enjoyed both their company, and they liked Shiloh and gave him lots of attention.

July 21, 2009 – Tuesday

We are going to head out today for home. I got an approval for the one job I was waiting for and had to make revisions on another job. This may give me enough money to go on our September trip.

End of journal entries for this trip.

Note: I forgot to write about the experience we had in the journal and I am not sure what day it happened here, but in the morning I heard a loud motorcycle screaming along the highway 395 below us, and then a crash. I ran over to the ledge of the campground, as with two other campers. I saw a motorcycle rider down, and next to it was a deer. I tried calling 911, but I was not sure if I would get through. The call did get through and I reported the incident. Within a very short time, emergency vehicles were on the scene. There was a Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center very near us on Hwy 108 that has an emergency response unit there. That is good to know because it is very easy and quick access by helicopter to Kennedy Lake if there was an emergency there. I am not sure what happen to the biker, I think he was a little banged up, but not too serious. For the deer, it was dead, as with it’s unborn baby.

I see this a lot with bikers going way to fast on roads that wildlife use for crossings. Even with wildlife crossing signs, most people ignore them, both in automobiles, and motorcycles, especially motorcycles. Drivers need to be extra vigilant in these areas especially when visibility can be very poor along the roadsides by sloping terrain, or tall brush. Take the responsibility to be mindful of the wildlife. Be extra cautious in areas where animals may be near, and if visibility on the sides of the road are poor, slow down.

During the time between our last camping trip in July, and our planned trip in late August, I worked, planned and bought more gear for our three week trip in the wilderness. During this time Shiloh and I continued to share the day to day experiences together, taking our walks, playing together, giving him scratches and rubs and just enjoying our time together. Each day with him was always a special gift for me.

I didn’t think much of our circumstances because nature and being in nature with Shiloh consumed my thoughts and focus, and as long as we got to do that, that was all that really mattered to me.

Below I have shown a timeline of modern man to show that we have become so far removed from our connection with nature in a very profound way in only a very short time period.

Human Timeline

Approximate beginning of Homo Sapiens (modern man) – 200,000 years ago.

Approximately man began making tools for hunting – 100,000 years ago.

Found evidence of man making clothing – 77,000 years ago.

Evidence of man making well fitted clothing and weaving plant fibers to make cordage and perhaps baskets – 26,000 years ago.

Man may have begun to make bags from skin and pottery containers – 17,000 years ago.

First man in the North America – 30,000 to 11,000 years ago.

Man using symbols to represent words and concepts – 8,000 years ago.

Farming in the Americas started approximately – 4,000 years ago.

These time periods always change, and must be checked with reliable sources which are not reliable within themselves. They always are changing. But it gives you an idea.

There were 1 billion people in 1830 and 2 billion people in 1930. The human population doubled from 3 billion to 6 billion in just 40 years between 1959 – 1999. It is estimated in 2012, to 7 billion people and by 2045, to 9 billion people and in 2050, 10.5 billion people. In a very brief period in time, we have had a devastating impact on our environment within the last hundred years or so and it will continue if we don’t change our direction from uncontrolled progress to a balanced and sustainable planet for all life, and not just for our own species. How is the planet supposed to sustain that many people? It won’t!

The colonization of America by the British began some 400 years ago. For the next two hundred plus years Native Americans continued living in their traditional ways of hunting and gathering. Some tribes did use farming practices with hunting and gathering.

So if you look at this timeline of man from some 200,000 years ago to now, 2012, it has only been roughly 250 years that man has used tools with other methods and materials other than what was found or made from nature in North America. And soon turned into an industrialized nation that then turned us slowly into material consumers in a synthetic world with uncontrollable growth. If you use a horizontal measurement of this timeline, civilized man today would be at the very tip of this scale. Not even a hair thickness at the tip would constitute for this very short time period and yet we have done more harm to the planet in this short time period by pollution, deforestation, mountain top removal, increased population and the exterminations of many animal species by our uncontrollable appetite for meaningless stuff then in any other time in our history.

In our modern society we have become habitually brainwashed by the corporate powers to be, and our governments in believing that consumption and the obsession with materialism will give us success and happiness in our lives. It is what makes America great! And who we are as a people. Is this really true? Are you much happier with a lot of stuff? Has making money truly made your life more enjoyable and happier or has it tied you down to a job you probably hate or just deal with, working much of your life to keep up with the Jones’s? Has this consumerism given us a true sense of who we are? Does it give us a deep understanding of who we are individually and collectively? Some will say of course it does. And those are the people who’s lives are all about having meaningless things and believing those things make them happier. We have bought into this illusion, hook, line, and sinker.

We have become lost with all sense of what we think reality is, living in an illusion in what we believe is the real world. We have become completely removed from our connection with all life and our relationship with all life. To really understand the true meaning of life and our relationship in it, we must reconnect with our Source and it can be found by immersing oneself into nature.

To understand life, we must go to the source of all life and understand what supports all life on this planet. All living creation exists on earth in the air we breathe (life’s breath), the water we drink (life’s blood) and the food that sustains all life on the land (land is the flesh of Mother Earth), in the sea and in our lakes, rivers and streams. If we pollute and poison these natural resources of life, we will pollute and poison life itself. The sad thing is, we have already done this at a devastating rate and continue to do it.

In August I began planning our twenty-four day trip back to Kennedy Lake.

Because I still had the nagging uncertainty of being able to stay in the wilderness for a long stay in one place and alone, I was looking at only staying for two weeks and during my planning, I was searching the internet for a camping partner. A little risky, but I thought I would see if I could find someone who was somewhat compatible.

I chose to return to Kennedy Lake and not somewhere different because of its beauty, and I was now somewhat familiar with the area. But I also felt I had unfinished business in accomplishing what I had not on our previous trip back in June of this year.

I put an ad on Craig’s List for a camping partner and got only one real response. The rest were the usual come-ons you get from that site. Her name was Marilyn and we met at a reservoir where we could walk and get to know each other. We talked for a while, and she was still interested in going on the trip which surprised me. I guess Shiloh nor I scared her away. We did seem to have a lot in common. She was kind of a care-free spirit and she thought it to be a good escape from her job. Her personality reminded me of a good friend of mine and I thought she might be a good camping partner. So I continued planning out trip. I decided to extend it for an additional week which would make it 24 days. Marilyn was going to be with us for the first six days and then from there Shiloh and I would remain there, alone in the wilderness for 18 days.

Marilyn and I did not do much planning if any together for the trip. I provided her with the information she needed and it was up to her to take care of the things she would need for the trip. I also provided her with a list of things she would need to bring. Since she has been backpacking before I thought this would not be a problem. I assumed wrong. Not talking with her more on this for planning purposes was a mistake on my part. I should not have assumed she would get everything taken care of on her part on what to bring.

Because we did not really talk too much about the trip except for some details such as when we are going and where, there was no real discussion or planning with each other. When we were getting close to the departure date, it hit me that maybe we should have talked more about the trip and the things to bring. I figured she would know what to bring or email me if she had any questions. That was not the case and as with myself, she was working trying to fit in the preparation for the camping trip. She ended up doing much of the preparation at the last minute and surprisingly she did it. She did forget a few things, but overall she did pretty well. And also taking into account she has not been backpacking for many years. She also had to arrange a ride back from Kennedy Meadows Resort to her home in Berkeley. She was on her own hiking back alone to Kennedy Meadows Resort to get her ride back home. I should have done much more to help her out.

In the meantime, I was working and planning our trip for August 24^th. When I got back from our last camping trip, I called a company who makes butane lighters about a lighter I purchased from Cabela’s that was advertised to work in the high elevations. It was about a $50.00 lighter so I expected it wouldn’t be a problem. It was a problem and was pretty much useless above 6,000 feet elevation. I talked with the designer of the lighters directly and he told me it was not designed for high elevations, but he did have a lighter that was, and I bought that for $60.00. We talked for a little bit and he asked me if I would be interested in testing a few lighters for him. The person who was testing for them no longer did it. I told him I would be happy to and in return I would get to keep the lighters. That was not a bad deal, but I was hoping this would be the beginning for testing camping gear and equipment for other companies so I was pretty excited about it and wanted to do a good job for him.

He sent me three butane lighters to test at different elevations. And I tested the one I bought, and at the end of our camping trip, We drove to the top of Sonora Pass and my lighter worked above 9,000 feet elevation, as advertised. I tested the other lighter at different elevations. I would then send the results to the lighter company.

When we choose to go into the backcountry, it can be for a brief stay for a three day weekend, or a week or two for more of a journey into the wilds, or for those who truly wanting to experience nature, going on one of the grueling trials, of the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) at a total distance of 2,650 miles, the AT (Appalachian Trail) at a length of 2,180 miles, or the OT (Oregon Trail) at 2,170 miles, or the CDT (Continental Divide Trail) at 3,100 miles, being the longest hiking trail in the US. For me, I typically have preferred staying at one camp for the maximum stay allowed, typically for 14 days. I like spending time learning about the flora and fauna of the area, as with exploring the landscape. And I prefer going alone with my canine companion.

Most people will be camping, or backpacking with other people, which is fine, as with possibly being safer, but not all the time. We go into these pristine areas with our thoughts following behind, or the constant chattering with friends. For most, we have never been taught to be silent in nature, to just look, and listen, to just be aware through quiet observation. There is always mind chatter in the head or talking with friends. But there is another way to experience nature, and that is to be silent. With practice it allow nature to speak to you. Through silence, it will open up a new reality you have never thought existed before. A window may open up for just a few seconds or a few minutes if you are lucky, showing you that there is much more in nature that meets your thoughts. Especially being in the wilderness, it can become overwhelming for some. In silence, it allows you to take it all in, in her endless wonders, and beauty.

But one does not need to go into the wilderness. One can find it in a single flower or tree, or in a single drop of dew on a blade of grass, or a leaf of a plant. The beauty of nature is everywhere if we become silent, and just look, and listen.

Most of us are focused on getting from point A to point B and possibly more points depending on the time given for their backpacking trip. On occasion we look up to the spectacular country we are walking through in quick glimpses of inspiration. Although they may be enjoying the experience in the outdoors, hiking up and down, the dreaded, exhausting, and torturous switch backs with heavy backpacks, sore feet and blisters forming on ones feet, uneven terrain, constantly watching each step one takes so as not to trip, or twist an ankle, and dealing with the biting mosquitoes hovering around ones exposed skin, and covering enough miles that it seem forever and a day until reaching a camp. After the excitement quickly wears off, the focus is getting to the final destination for the day, to rest and relax. But camp still has to be set up. And only then can they begin to really enjoy their environment. But as I have mentioned before, it is very difficult to really experience nature in only a few days especially when you are busy getting from point A to point B, and maybe to point C.

For the extreme backpacker it becomes an endurance race getting to the many points planned for the trip. It can be a month long trip or six months long. Whatever the time frame, you are out in the wilderness for a long time and in a race to get to the end. A very good example of this are the trails I have mentioned above. Hikers have a small window to complete the trail before weather hits if that is their goal.

For the thru-hiker of the PCT, AT, CDT or the OT, it is a grueling test of endurance, challenges, strength of mind over matter and the strong willingness to reach the finish line. Most hikers push their bodies to the limits with stress injuries and the constant pain and reminder of blisters with each step they take. Each day they experience the many mood swings of the high country and nature has little concern for those who enter into this environment. To reach the intended finish line before the weather begins to change. Once they finish, there is a quick celebration of, I did it! Then back to reality, or now what? For many nature changed them. I am not saying these can’t be very rewarding experiences, and even life changing, because I am sure they are. But my question would be, did they truly experience, and develop a deepened relationship with nature, in the sacredness with all life forms.

What I am proposing, for the nature lovers, is to go deep in the experience where we find a deep connection, a deeper relationship, and reverence for all of life. Where we find a true unconditional love for all of life, and to give back for what the natural world has given to us. This requires us to go deep within ourselves.

I remember a friend telling me, he traveled all the way to Tibet to find enlightenment. He was sure he would find it there at this very sacred place. He never found it. Because he was looking in all the wrong places. He was looking for it in his mind, and thoughts, and outside himself. The one place he didn’t look was within himself, in silence.

These backpackers truly are living in nature for these many months and should be given credit for staying the course without quitting. For most, I am sure many lessons are learned about themselves and what it takes to do such a demanding adventure. And I am sure, they do experience a certain degree of connection with nature. Who wouldn’t? Some may have a complete spiritual awakening. But on these types of trips, much of the nuances in nature are missed, missing the true essence of nature, because they don’t take the time to just be in nature due to the time table they have put on themselves and the constant trekking to reach that end, as with the constant mind chatter within, or the talking with friends, or even in those quiet reflections, as with the dark reflections of ones mind.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with this type of travel in the wilderness. One sees a lot of different, and beautiful, and amazing country this way, and some strive for the challenge of the long distance hike. Some continue on to the other trails. Some do it for the challenge, some for the ego, some maybe to find that sacredness. Those who do find it, they will know. It is like no other experience they have had. And they know it is coming from within. In who they truly are. I would even find the challenge tempting and exciting, but my goal, my purpose is to develop a oneness, and a deep and profound relationship with nature, and that is simply being able to go into silence and just Being. This experience doesn’t have to be in nature, it can be any where, and it usually comes when one least expects it. When it comes to visit you, you will feel a connectedness to all things, and a knowing that we are all One that is connected to the web of life.