Ok to begin with, Tuesday jan-23rd
I took my friend snowshoeing for her first time in the backcountry around Carson Pass (near Lake Tahoe).
We started at the red lake trail head and made fast progress quickly making it to the prominent ridge before red lake peak proper. I noticed the snow up higher on the peak seemed thin and generally shitty. Seeing as how I brought my board, I wanted to ride a little bit, so we checked out a couple very proud looking little bowls. One of them had a kind of a funky cornice on top perched above this weird looking kind of snow slab, a little steeper than 40 degrees. We found a nice ridge parallel to the bowl in which we set her up(my friend) to spot me. After dropping in I soon realized the snow was chalky and icey. While checking my edge ,I actually slid out when I hit some bad snow and quickly slid past it on my ass. I got back up and was even able to make a couple turns before I hit tree line. We hooked back up at the gull where the two ridges and bowl lead down into. So I gave my friend one more set of quick directions back to the trailhead and proceeded to ride out the rest of the way.At one point I got really off route took off my board and snowshoed the rest of the way out all the while thinking my friend should easily already be back at the jeep.
Well to my surprise she wasnt.So I ditched my board thinned out my pack and literally ran up two of the main gullys looking for her and then descending a third and final seperate gully.
Nothing I headed back down to the jeep. Like magic she was there.
Turns out she decided not to listen to the directions I gave by going the complete opposite direction and tried to back track and ended up some how passing over the trail 3 minutes from the trail head and ending up finding her way down to the road a quarter mile from the trail head.
We still had fun.I will never let my buddy that far out of my sight. I guess I've just grown accustomed to traveling in the backcountry alone and doing my own thing.
January 24th wed-
Ok so after work I headed home grabbed my running shtuff and Headed out toward the river for a run. I ran down to the river Planning only to run for 30 min. Fortunately I was wearing my warmups and brought my pack, a bottle, some,gloves and one of my new lights and of course my mp3 player, It's like my running shoes it always comes with me weather I listren to it or just put it in my pocket. Generally I dont use a light when I run at night. Even when on a trail. Although I will turn the light on if it's cloudy or the Trees happen to be really thick where i'm running. I just find it easier and more enjoyable without a light on all the time just so long as I can see the trail :) Once my eyes adjust I can see more than just whats encompassed by the glow of my head lamp or hand held.
Any way I cruised along the river for a while, like 30 minutes and watched the sun go down. The trees got close to the trail but I still didnt seem to need my light After running for a while longer I turned around bummed out I didnt get to use my new light, so just before I started up the trail back to the road I switched my light on anyway. That lil sucker is bright! It's a princeton blast. It's a little bigger than my thumb and has a clip so you can clip it to your hat, It's waterproof and costs about 10 bucks. I plan on getting some cordage and running it through the eyelit on the back of the flashlight that way I can sling it to my wrist. I generally never wear lights on my head, It seems to give me tunnel vision. That being said the exceptions to that are when Im climbing At night or anytime when I need use of my hands. Eating , drinking, running, and messing with my mp3 player at the same time is a bit difficult while trying to hold a light as well. Good little run of about an hour.
Ok so after that I headed to the used music store picked up some 10,000 maniacs and r.e.m. While checking out I noticed a flier for a coffee house. I used to go to this coffee house but it closed like 2 years ago. Apparently they have reopend. So I went down town to check out the rebirth of the new/ old True Love coffee house. New location same atomosphere and still open til midnight. Local art still hangs from the walls and it happened to be open mic night. Now they have a seperate room/ area for music and a huge patio. Well so thats that. Kind of a fast paced day
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