Water (Matt) went backpacking July 30 to July 31, 2011 15.5 miles 2,500 feet gained 1 night
My pops is able to tack on a weekend or so in Portland every few months when he has to fly to Oakland, CA for business. He knows we're (or me at least) are hiking addicts, especially at this point in the year, so, we take him out for the best we know of, when the weather is right for adventure. Large Marge BC captivated us to no end last year. Even on a foggy October day with my bud Al along the lakes and a retreat from Whittier Ridge, it was still spectacular. So, we knew we had to get my pops up there at some point. We do it right for a Michigan flat-land desk-jockey, saddling him up with some water, a few snacks, his toiletries and clothes, a headlamp, and a 2.5lb sleeping bag. And on the hike out we took the sleeping bag from him, hehe.
Just an incredible time. Flowers galore, flock-like amounts of hummingbirds, constant expansive views-just can't say enough. Little hairy on a few snow crossings but the snow was exceedingly soft so I was able to make many wide, short steps, that were deep and slanted inward. It was a fairly warm night so things never even iced back up really for the morning trek back across.
