Livin’ the Dream

Things have been fairly stressful for us this month so Steve and I decided that we wanted to enjoy the rush of having everything that we need in a backpack even if it was only for a day. So late Friday night we packed our backpacks and the next morning we headed up to the Desolation Wilderness with puppy in tow for 2 great days of adventure.

We took I-50 past Placerville (cute town!) into the El Dorado National Forest and began our hiking just past Wrights Lake. From the trail head we hiked about 2.5 miles up 1400 feet to Grouse Lake where we camped at about 8200 ft. Although the hiking was a bit challenging at parts (snow and slick granite) this was a great intro to backpacking as it was just challenging enough to give you an idea of what backpacking is like without being so tough that you loose your desire to try it again.

During the day there are a lot of day trippers who make the hike up to the lake but by about 4pm everyone had left and we had this small alpine lake completely to ourselves. I believe the National Forest Service allows only 4 people to camp at the lake per night so despite the short distance from civilization you really feel like you have gotten away from it all. There was also a lot of wildlife. Just at our campsite we saw chipmunks, a marmot, and trout jumping in the lake. It is just amazing that gems like this still exist and we are certainly planning on exploring this area more this summer, just as soon as our muscle aches go away.

If you are thinking about making the trip yourself here are a few things you should know:

• Bring lots of insect repellant! We were literally swarmed the second we got out of the car. Despite wearing deet and long sleeved shirts and pants for the whole time I was there I still look like I have the chicken pocks (they even bit through fabric).
• Portable water filters are great here as there is plenty of water on the hike and it will save you from having to carry a large supply of water up the mountain.



Raider with his prize (a deer leg to the best of our knowledge)

Although it has been less than a year since we returned from the “Big Trip” our explorations of the world around us continue although now at a more moderate pace than before.

This May we traveled to Germany for my grandparents’ 60^th wedding anniversary. The event was great fun my grandparents were very excited and the whole extended family and there friends joined them for a wonderful afternoon celebration and short church service. True to form there were very nice speeches, a few comical interludes followed by the cousins, my dad and Steve hanging out in the beer garden drinking heavily, speaking English and hiding from the German contingent.

After a few days of eating way too much, hiking, and family bonding Steve and I headed to Southern Germany, a smallish outdoorsy town called Berchtesgaden for 4 days of exploration and relaxation in the German Alps. Although traveling there was a bit of a challenge (think 8 hrs on train) it is hard to describe the thrill of watching out the window as our old regional zug twisted, turned and rattled along, the Alps rising up around us. Once settling into a generally odd vacation apartment in a private home (a great cheap alternative to a hotel) we began the serious task of exploration. Here are the highlights, aka the short list of must sees for this small town.

1. Sliding down the miners’ slides in the Salt Mine dressed up to look like gnomes.
2. Beers and Pretzels in the best German beer hall ever! Forget the Hofbrau House you know a place is authentic when they have an entire ox roasting on a spit in the court yard. (Braustüberl Berchtesgaden for those of you who want to look it up)
3. Konigsee – This stunning alpine lake is a shining jewel that is not to be missed. The teal crystal clear waters from which the Alps rise in sheer cliffs is simply one of the most beautiful sites in Europe. We took the boat ride out to St. Bartolomä Church which is too picturesque to be real but actually is. This is the best place to hike, put your feet in the lake, and relax in a beer garden fit for a baron (it was his summer home).
4. Drinking a beer at a hiking hut half way down the Jenner! Ok this was on my personal list of top 100 things to do in my lifetime. We took the gondola to the top of the mountain then hiked down and took a little break at one of the hiking huts for a quick pint and then kept hiking. This is hut to hut hiking at its finest!

5. Kehlstein House (Eagle’s Nest)– A gift by the Nazi party to Hitler this is a creepy reminder of the Nazi’s presence in this area (it was his second seat of government) but at the same time this is one of the most scenic locations from which to admire the view across the Alps.


All in all we had a fantastic trip! It was a bit sad to come back to the states after such a short trip but I guess that is the price we pay for actually working again.



Tip: The value of the Euro has increased so much that for the first time even though we were only in Germany for 10 days purchasing a Germany Rail pass in the US prior to our trip was worth the cost. I recommend doing the math before you go by pricing out your tickets at http://www.bahn.de/p/view/international/englisch/international_guests.shtml.