Article

by Kelsey Farabee

June 22, 2015—The first weekend in June I headed to the Yosemite high country for a backpacking trip with five other people. While close friends, the group was diverse in wilderness experience, comprised of two “seasoned outdoorsmen” who have through-hiked the John Muir Trail and summited numerous 14ers between them, two backpacking neophytes and one of those folks who eagerly insists they’ve been backpacking a lot, but when pressed admits it was many, many years ago. And me.

After driving up from San Francisco on Friday evening, the plan was to spend a night in the Tuolumne Meadows backpacker campground before picking up our wilderness permit the next day and hiking into Cathedral Lakes, where we wanted to camp Saturday night.

Since the lakes are only 3-4 miles from the trailhead, we had plenty of time and decided squeeze in a “quick” and “easy” morning hike up Mt. Dana (which at 13,053 feet is the second-tallest peak in Yosemite National Park). We turned back before reaching the Dana summit when thunder clouds began rolling in and drove back to the Cathedral Lakes trailhead where we ate a leisurely lunch of crackers, salami and cheese in our cars while waiting for a break in the rain in which to load up our packs and set out on our afternoon hike into Cathedral.

We crammed a big variety of scenery and experiences into a weekend trip, and a lot of lessons were learned about how to introduce noobs to the backcountry arts. Here are a few of them:

1. Educate everyone on the perils of the outdoors.

Discuss the presence of bears in Yosemite and the need for bear canisters. Explain the early symptoms of altitude sickness (although preferably not while already standing on a snowy slope at 12,000 feet).

2. Select an accessible location with great scenery.

We took our group to Cathedral Lakes because the area rewards visitors with stunning peaks and sweeping lake views after only moderately difficult hiking. Save the 14-hour days and remote alpine terrain for later trips when your newly outdoorsy friends want to test their mettle.

3 (&4). Plan your meals carefully (and embrace weird diets).

During the planning process I asked the experienced campers in the group what steps we could take to ensure that the newbies had fun. The consensus was to make absolutely sure we brought enough food and beverages. That meant a bear can packed full of macaroni and homemade chocolate chip cookies and protein bars. Plus Nalgene margaritas (three parts tequila, one part frozen limeade, one sliced ripe peach and one habanero pepper for spice. Best served with ice when car camping or chilled in snowpack). If two members of the group are experimenting with short-term fasting diets and refuse to eat before noon, don’t make fun of them (yet), as this means you will have to carry less food.

5. Assist with packing, but allow luxury items.

The key is knowing when to pick your battles. Explain that a lightweight pack is ideal, camp shoes are nice, warm socks are essential, but recommended they leave the hardback books and Frisbee at home. You’ll be too tired to read and it’s perilous to play catch on a mountain pass. Borrow extra gear from friends so no one is forced to use your bulky hand-me-down external frame backpack, but if the boys insist they can’t live without their fancy jar of hand cream or antibacterial wipes, even for one night, don’t force the issue.

6. Introduce them to the power of Mother Nature.

From hail at 12,000 feet and lightning sparking overhead to unbearable mosquitos in a swampy lake basin and sweltering afternoon heat in the Central Valley (especially rough on San Franciscans acclimated only to temperatures between 62 and 68 degrees), we experienced many of the wild weather fluctuations California and the Sierra Nevadas have to offer.

7. Bring a tent and rain fly.

Most of the time, I’d personally rather sleep on a tarp on the ground and not carry a tent, but light and fast is not always the best method for convincing someone that backpacking is fun. A tent can help ease the transition. This also is the not time to leave the rain fly behind, and it’s helpful to bring someone who actually knows how to properly use all those stakes and guyline thingamajigs so the tent’s inhabitants stay dry.

8. Choose a campsite carefully.

Or don’t, and go to sleep in a swampy area that, while offering beautiful views and plenty of water, turns into a hotbed of mosquito activity as soon as the rain abates. This will allow everyone to bond over shared misery as you flee the swarms.

9. Take a lot of photos.

Everyone needs their embarrassing deep woods fashion ensembles documented for posterity, right?

10. Did I mention food?

Stop on the way home for burgers, ice cream and root beer floats and the re-telling of hard-won trail stories and inside jokes.