nature

Rawah Wilderness Backpacking Trip

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My first full backpacking trip was to Northern Colorado in the Rawah Wilderness. This area is beautiful and scenic, with lots of opportunity to see wildlife and wild flowers! …although we sadly did not see any moose this trip like we hoped to see…

Anyways, we drove up to Tunnels campsite on Wednesday to spend the night before our big trip beginning the next morning. (Note to self: bring $22 in cash or find another place to camp next time…) But it was nice to have a real fire pit, water, and a bathroom (which smelled like cinnamon) the night before we started the trip!

Thursday morning we started our adventure! We began hiking around 9am. The first day was a pretty decent uphill climb to Twin Crater Lakes. We had to cross several rivers and go over, under, and around dozens of fallen trees. Both of these tasks proved extra difficult with the added weight of a pack, but we finally made it to the lakes around 2:30pm. The last mile or so was the steepest part and I ended up doing it in sandals because I had taken off my boots to cross a river and then never put my boots back on. The lakes were beautiful!! We saw a bald eagle near the lakes and spent a good amount of time refilling water and resting by this insanely majestic place!

The only unfortunate part was that we couldn’t camp at these lakes for a few reasons. First, we were above the trees so there was not much shelter from wind or rain. Second, we couldn’t have a fire above the alpine line. And third, the mosquitoes were INSANE. That last one was true every we went, but around the water they were much worse. So, after enjoying the lakes and views for a while, we headed back down and found a nice campground that another group had left. It was a great spot, close to the river and sheltered in the trees, for our first night on the trail!

The next morning, we headed out around 9am again. It took us about 1.5 hours each day to pack up everything and eat breakfast. This day was my favorite! We had a mix of uphill and downhill hiking, but the best part was going over the tree-line again! There is something I love about the feeling of being on top of the world that I will simply never get over. It was an insanely beautiful view and we got to pass several lakes this day as well! We jumped in one of them and it was amazing! …and cold!

We got to Upper Camp Lake around 2pm on Friday and found a place to camp. Since it was a lot more downhill this day than the previous day, we had gone faster which meant our legs and feet were super tired! The first site that we saw, we took, and then another group came in behind us about 30 minutes later. We were thankful we had a great spot with a good view. …But… the mosquitoes were UNREAL. So we packed up and moved further up the trail. This ended up being the right choice because the view from the top of the hill overlooked the lake (see picture below) and was way less “mosquito-y” …which was our main goal.

We enjoyed a longer day at camp this day, but also had to go get water at the lake several times. This was a whole situation as we had to hike through marshy grounds to get to the lake. We saw lots of moose tracks but unfortunately, no moose.

The next morning we headed out around 7:30am. The goal was to be to the cars before 3pm, but really, we wanted to get back between 12-1pm. People on the trail told us that the way down was steep and there was lots of loose rock and fallen trees. So we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to get down safely and planned extra time. This was also our longest day of hiking at about 8 miles. The entire trail, since day one, had fallen trees on it as well, so we knew those would continue to be something we had to go around (which added miles) or go over/under (which was simply exhausting, especially with a pack).

This part of the trail was also so beautiful though, and included a very flat, wide section of trail! It was wonderful! We ended up making it down by 11:45am, beating all of our predictions! We saw a lot of people on this section. It was a Saturday morning for one, but it was also much closer to the trailhead, so there were people out for day hikes as well as overnight trips.

Overall, this trip was worth it! The mosquitoes were the worst part about the trip for sure, and the fallen trees were a close second, but now we know to be better prepared for the bugs and be mentally prepared for the trees. We also learned that there are things we can share next time (like toothpaste, because each person doesn’t need their own toothpaste on a trail!!!) and we learned that we can survive in the wilderness for several days!

Being in nature, away from the crowds and the cell service and the social media pressures, is one of my favorite things. I enjoy time with my own thoughts, time in prayer (which often include prayers like, “Please God, let the trail not be so steep anymore”), and time with good friends. Being in nature reminds me that we serve a God who sustains us in all seasons, just as he continues to care for the wildflowers and the wild animals.

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:28-33 (ESV)

Campfires.

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There is something incredible about sitting around a fire in the middle of nature with good friends. And if you find yourself at a campfire in the middle of nature with a group of strangers, I have no doubt that they too will soon be your good friends.

Campfires bring out this desire to sit, watch, listen, and rest. You cannot be hurried around a campfire. (That is, unless you are building a campfire on the brink of a storm and you only have so long to cook the food you brought before the inevitable downpour. And I’m not writing that out of experience or anything.) When you sit around a campfire, you enjoy talking, asking questions, hearing stories, and sharing stories. I’m convinced that there is something within us that was made for this.

I often think about the Israelites and how hard of a life they had. They went through a lot of ups and downs, but especially a lot of downs. They spent 40 years in a desert. They had a system of sacrifices they had to perform in order to be right with God. This group of people constantly had to build fires. These fires would have been used for food preparation, warmth, and sacrifices. (Side note: Do you think they got tired of their clothes smelling like campfires too?)

We don’t know everything about the Israelites and their way of life. So, I often wonder if they sat around campfires at night, sharing stories from the day and remembering the faithfulness of God. I wonder what things they thought were funny and what stories they enjoyed telling the most. And I wonder what it was like to build a fire in a desert every single day for 40 years.

I also think they were probably all really good at getting fires started and keeping them going. We often “cheat” this by bringing fire starters, lighter fluid, torches, matches, etc. This is a skill I’m still trying to master. But back to the point.

Campfires may be one of my favorite things. I think a big part of this has to with them being in nature, which I love. It is a joy to sit around a fire and stare up into the tall trees around you, hear the leaves crunch under your feet, smell the bark and sap of the forest, and gaze up at the stars. But the other part is that campfires bring people together. They allow people to sit, rest, and chat. They provide a place where everyone has a chance to talk and share because everyone has the time to listen. You may find yourself around a fire with some people you don’t know very well, but somehow, by the flames of the fire and with the reality that there is no place to rush off to, it allows you to feel invited in and known. The flames themselves provide light in the darkest of nights, creating an invitation to sit and savor for just a moment or two. The flames dancing in front of you allow you to forget about the rest of the world for just a moment. And there is peace. Rest. Joy. Delight.

If you haven’t enjoyed a campfire in a while, I encourage you to make one soon and enjoy all that it provides. Invite some friends you know well or some friends you want to know better, and then just sit and relax together. Enjoy the sounds and smells of nature. Talk about the past and the future. Make a smore or two. Be reminded that the God who created everything around you is so big and so kind to give us small glimpses of heaven. And sometimes that comes through something as simple as a campfire.