Backpacking Mt Lassen

With weeks off at a time Christine and I were able to go on our own epic adventures together. With only knowing each other a short few weeks we were already hoping in our car with our dogs and our sleeping bags. The drive was insane. Kasey (Christine's Dog a LARGE chocolate lab) thinks he is a lap dog and wanted to sit in the front seat of my Honda civic on Christine's lap. Then there is Shelby (my dog who is a border collie/Queensland heeler) wining and barking in the back because she wants to get out and play.

 I didn't mind any of it. It made the drive more interesting. We first stopped at Subway Cave where we were greeted with dirty looks for having our pups with us. Christine and I simply laughed at those people, we couldn't help it if our dogs were better behaved then their children.  Subway Cave was a very scary, dark, cold, 1/4mile walk underground. It honestly felt like it was a 4mile walk. Shelby didn't like how dark it was and Kasey kept running into the cave walls.

We then continued our journey to Mt Lassen where we had found a wonderful route. It was to be 20miles in 3 days two nights, plus a 6hour drive there and back. We were on PCT in the Cascade Mountains (Lassen National Forrest) Hatch Creek Area. At first we were nervous because we didn't see water for quite a ways into the hike. But as we got deeper and deeper into the Nation Forrest and Park we began to see it was plentiful of water.
The first night we got into camp we slept by a huge creek junction, we weren't exactly sure were we where, but had a rough idea. In the middle of the night we woke up to a car idling right next to our tent. I looked at Christine, we both held each other and our dogs, fearful of the strangers in a vehicle. "WHY THE HELL IS THERE A CAR HERE?" We both were baffled. The dogs were barking which elevated our level of fear. Soon the car drove away, we slept little after that. In the morning we discovered we had been camping exactly where we had planned in our pre trip time control plan. We were located at a major junction and bridge were many cars apparently traveled.
On the trip Christine showed me how to build a fire. I learned that not all people practice the same level of Expedition Behavior as others. In fact in some places it's not even taught, but regardless everyone appreciates a backpacking buddy with good EB. The next day we set off and continued on our journey. We hardly knew each other but enjoyed learning about one an others lives and histories.  I also learned that Shelby has very very sensetive puppy paws, Christine preformed surgery in the back country and bandaged Shelby's paws up so she could continue on the trip with out pain. The trip was a success,  the dogs had fun, we had fun, and all the while being safe. This was the first to many of our adventures.

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