Kamilchee Ridge

 

My first time back to this area since we got back to the states.  This was the first hike I did with my new handmade backpack and also the last hike I did before my husband died.  I also got bit by a dog on that hike, my husband was confused and I could not convince him it was a dog bite and not a tick bite.

So lots of memories here.  I put track logs and fresh batteries in my GPS(r) a day or two before.  I was not sure if I still new the way after all this time.  I must have left my GPS(r) on so when I got to the start of my hike the batteries were dead.  

I thought about  going back home to get batteries but,  I opted to use my phone and I had no trouble with navigation.  My phone battery went almostdead very fast, before I knew it, it was down to 20%.   I had upgraded to IOS 16 the night before and it was hogging up my battery indexing stuff I determined when I got home and did a web search.

When I got the the top of the hill, I suddenly was hit with another memory.  I had been sitting in my lunch spot up here when Air New Zealand called me to finalize some details of my second flight to New Zealand to be with the love of my life.  My love who dumped me after I gave up EVERYTHING to be with them. 

 It was one year ago last week that I saw her for the very last time.  I'm still not sure what happened. The more I think about it the more I realize she had some issues with OCD.  I still love her, my heart is still broken.  I'm still bitter and angry.  I want to move on though.

Bella had a good time but she was ready to get in the car and go home at the end of the hike.  She devoured the dogfood I gave her at lunch time.  I'm glad she will eat dogfood instead of just begging for my food.

Bella likes to cuddle at lunch time and that would be wonderful except she won't sit still, so I have to push her away after a bit. 

10 miles 1,000 feet elevation gain according to my phone.

My phone records more miles than my GPS(r) does. 

I use the phone ap Topo GPS.

This road has been widened, that probably means logging in the area soon

Road ends here.  I brush crash to get the the next
road up.  This is a shorter route.

I think these are fried chicken mushrooms Lyophyllum decastes

Lyophyllum decastes I think

She just won't sit still when she cuddles

I was expecting way more snow than this

December days are so dark and dead and dreamy
The sun never really comes up

Lyophyllum decastes I think. 
The mushroom in the above photo is different

Tired dog at the last coffee break

Next are photos from the last hike I did before my husband died and the first hike I did with this pack.

Kamilchee Ridge AB

With a wet and cold forecast I decided to head for Kamilchee Ridge.  I was hoping that getting high on the ridge would get me out of the rain and into the snow.   I've been having a lot of anxiety and I really needed to get out of the house no matter what the weather.

Trailhead breakfast

When I got to my parking location I remembered that I had forgotten to eat breakfast, so I went to grab a ration bar from my car, but my car has been out of those for a month or more.   I grabbed a can of corn to eat instead.  Canned corn is not the best breakfast, but at least I had a nice hot lunch planned.  Oh no, my lunch.  I had left my lunch at home. 

Since the start of this hike is pretty close to home, I was able to go back home to get my lunch.  I am so tired of being this disorganized and forgetful.

My walk up was mostly in the rain but there was some mixed snow that was not really sticking.  I noticed foot tracks in the snow, so someone had been up the hill recently.   Maybe a brush picker or a timber worker I thought.

Once I was at the top of the hill I was ready for my lunch but Sage was too cold.  I could not sit and cook lunch while she shivered.  We went back down the hill a little ways to have lunch.

I had my husband's cell phone with me and I was trying to figure out how to get it to work when I was started by another hiker. 

I've never seen another hiker up here.  I said "Hi" but he did not answer me.  Did he not hear me?  He said something about going to the top of the hill as he walked by.  I just looked at him since he had not responded to my saying hello I was shocked to see someone else out there on a weekday in the rain and snow.

Maybe I have blogged this hike too many times and thus destroyed the solitude I used to have here?  It is not a nice hike when Greed Diamond is dumping chemicals over head.  It is a dumpster dive hike I save for days when I don't have much time or the weather is too foul to go for a long drive.  Kamilchee Ridge is not a destination.

I hiked out via the power line and my friends horse pasture.  This was the first time I had seen my friend since my husband died.  He laughed and said he knew when I told him that my husband had died.  Perhaps he did not hear me correctly, he is hard of hearing.  I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

This was a cold hike and at one  point my hands were really hurting from the cold, even though my torso was warm enough.  I put on all my layers and made my torso too warm until the extra heat started getting sent out to my hands.

When I finally did have lunch, Sage got as much of it as I did.  I hope my hot lunch warmed her up.  It probably tasted really good, but I could not tell since my nose was completely blocked up with a cold or something.

8 miles with 1,000 feet elevation gain

Two dog day on Kamilchee Ridge

This was my last hike before my husband died and I was too tired to blog about it, so I just uploaded pictures.

First hike with my new pack.  Home made pack #4 my own design.