Lost Lake

When I was a young teen my Uncle took me hiking in Desolation Valley which is above Yosemite. It’s hard to explain how it made me feel. I am the oldest of my generation and he is the youngest of his. This gave us a unique relationship. And I was so excited to be allowed to go into the wilderness. We come from a family that hunted, and I felt as though this was a modern-day rite of passage.

I will never forget being in his garage and having him go through my borrowed backpack and all the things that I felt were necessary for a 5-day trip. Over and over he took out objects and I protested. Until I felt like there was nothing left but water and socks. Little did I know that bug spray and food was all that was really needed. And of course my camera. I remember fighting to keep it.

We drove up to the mountains listening to rock and roll. Then suddenly, when we reached the ranger station to check in he turned off the music. Again I protested. Again I lost. I had much to learn.

I was with Uncle Dave and two of his friends. We parked the trucks, strapped on our packs, and set out to hit the trail. The trail to Lost Lake is basically up and down a mountain to the other side. We carried everything we needed on our backs for 5 days. My pride and youth helped me keep up with the men. I was always taught that I could go, but had to pull my own weight.

We hiked up the mountain, we hiked down the mountain. We hiked past mosquito pond to Lost Lake. We arrived at our destination right before dark and set up camp. I was taught to get the fire going first, so we could boil water and make dinner. We set up tents with the last light of the day ate dinner, secured the food in a tree with a rope, (which always takes longer than you think), and went to sleep.

The next day, we ran through the forest. I mean ran, as fast as we could. Jumping over downed trees, ducking under tree branches, like deer. We explored the area and when to the far side of the lake. It was there while climbing a cliff, that I ran into my first rattlesnake. I was in the lead, and I pulled myself up onto a rock and there it was sunning on a rock. I let go and slid past my Uncle down to a lower ledge shaking.

That night we could hear the bears across the lake where we had been hiking that day. It was all so very exciting to me. I will never forget that trip.

My Uncle and I started hiking regularly. I was taught how to survive and even thrive in the wilderness. Over and over I was tested on what to do. We even took my two sisters and friends with us. They never went again. I think it may have been the bear that was in our camp that one year. Having my Uncle call for his gun when we were in our tent, ruined it for them.

Fast forward many years and my nephew wanted to go on the by-then famous trail. So we borrowed a backpack for him and set out to Uncle’s house. I remember laughing as Uncle Dave went through his pack and took things out. And him fighting to take a huge bowie knife. Uncle Dave gave him one that didn’t weigh 5 pounds.

When we arrived, my nephew wanted to start a fire old school by rubbing sticks together. He worked on it for hours, literally. Until my Uncle walked over and said times up, and threw a match in. We were hungry and it was getting dark.

We swam and fished and passed on our love of the wilderness to the next generation.

Fast forward again. My nephew is now a man. My Uncle getting older. It was decided that it was time for the baton was to be passed to my nephew. He made all the plans, he got the passes into the wilderness. He checked into the ranger station. He was the trail guide. Just as I was when it was my time. This was to be my Uncle’s last trip to one of his favorite spots on this earth. And time was messing with my head.

When we made camp, (in great time.) My nephew set up a hammock at the water’s edge. He fashioned a cover, crawled in and started talking on his phone. My Uncle and I looked at each other stunned. How the hell did he get a signal at LOST LAKE? Much had changed.

The next day, my nephew and I went on a day hike. We went on what we thought was a trail to the other side of the lake. We got lost. So we climbed up to the highest point we could find to get our bearings. I can remember hanging onto a high cliff and thinking, oh shit! We couldn’t go back the way we had come. We had to figure a way out. So after checking in, we continued on a sketchy path that took us bushwhacking longer than we could have imagined. We of course made it back and had a great tale to tell around the campfire that night.

These experiences made me the woman I am today. The woman who decided that I wanted to be on the Volunteer Fire Department, and did for several years. Being a medic, driving the Fire trucks, and yes I went into fire. Being exposed to the wilderness, and then being made comfortable in the middle of nowhere. Has given me life skills and courage to try literally anything I want. And that is why I have exposed all the children in my life to it the same as it was for me.

Get into Nature, its our best teacher.

Mahalo Nui oi, Uncle Dave I love you more than you will ever know.

M

P.S. More images to come…..