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My dear John is on a 6-day off-the-trail backpacking hiking/camping trip in Yosemite National Park right now. He’s there with his colleagues to collect water plus other samples from some remote lakes for research purposes. These lakes don’t even show up on maps! His colleagues go there several times a year, but this is the first time John is on such a mission. It isn’t his research project, but he volunteered to go, and is getting paid to go, for the adventure.

Six-days of off-the-trial hiking and camping in remote parts of Yosemite National Park, how cool is that?

But look at the arial map from above (click on image for a bigger resolution). The yellow spots with white labels are the lakes they need to get to. Just look at how far those sites are from the nearest roads, how far the lakes are from each other, and look at the steep climb too!!! All lakes are at over elevation 10,000 ft, and they are mountains in between the lakes!!!

They need to pack eveything with them, including tent, sleeping bag, dry food, clothes, flash light, walking sticks, first-aid kit, sun block, filter for water… plus others things I am sure. They each must pack light, but still that results in about 30 pounds of things to carry while climbing off-the-trail uphill to get to those remote lakes.

Heroic, isin’t it? I can’t wait to hear all about it after he returns!

I am so happy that he will have such an unique experience. I really wish to have some experience like that too, but on the other hand, I know if I were to go on such a quest, I would probably return in a stretcher. Nevertheless, hearing John talk about the trip makes me want to go camping and hiking somewhere too. Anywhere would be fine really! I just want to be out there in nature, alone with John, in front of camp fire, listening to crickets, and talk out night away under the stars.