Backpacking at Noisy Creek

Halfway up Baker Lake Trail, I turned to Matt and said, "You know what's so weird about hiking? Humans don't have to do this to survive anymore. We've developed past hunting/gathering. We've created a world where this isn't necessary. But we missed it, so we made it into a hobby. It's just so weird, how something we used to do out of necessity to survive, we now do for fun."

Hobbies are weird, you know?

Ever since Matt took Zoe backpacking on his own a couple years ago, he's been trying to get me to try it. I've been resistant. I don't love camping because I don't find it relaxing. It's like taking the world's most stressful vacation. It's stressful to prep for and stressful to come back from. There's so much packing and unpacking, twice. And so much laundry.

Our extensive camp set up last time we went.

But marriage is about compromise, and it felt unfair to write off backpacking without trying it at least once. When I took a week of PTO, Matt convinced me it was a good time to try. We headed to REI to get me the best of everything (Matt pulled out all the stops to convince me this was going to be fun) and set a day to try a single overnight backpacking trip along the Baker Lake Trail.

Everything we needed fit in these two bags.

Matt did the packing and we weighed our packs before we left. Mine was only 15 pounds, which is the weight I use for bicep curls. Funny how such a big bag filled with so much stuff can weigh so little! 

I was a little distracted during the hike into Noisy Creek. Usually, I spend a hike looking for cool little caves and exclaiming over big trees covered in moss. This time, I spent the hike trying to figure out if my pack was fitted correctly. We paused a few times so I could adjust the back length. The pack didn't feel too heavy, but I couldn't quite figure out where I wanted it to rest on my hips.

Besides that issue, the hike wasn't bad. Backpackless, I'd rate it easy. With the pack, it was moderate. I definitely felt the climbs in my glutes more than I typically would.

We reached Noisy Creek a little after 6pm and set up camp in a spot overlooking Baker Lake. The view was absolutely unbeatable, and it felt really good to know we were done hiking for the day. The downside was that we arrived so late, there wasn't much time to just sit around and enjoy ourselves. We had to unpack and eat before we lost daylight.

It was fun to unpack all my new gear. I have to say, some of it is really ingenious. Backpacking stuff is designed to be as lightweight as possible, and you pay more for lighter gear, even if it's less comfortable than the alternative. I was impressed by the bag-pump system that came with my inflatable bed pad and how good the dehydrated meals were.

We were treated to an amazing sunset.

Our tiny camp setup.

By the time we finished eating, it was getting dark. I checked out the vault toilet and immediately decided I preferred to take care of business the old fashioned way (popping a squat near some bushes). We crawled into the tent and did some Atlantic crossword puzzles by the light of a neat little inflatable lantern. We could hear the chorus of frogs across the lake and the rush of the campsite's eponymous Noisy Creek.

I'll never get used to seeing a toilet just out in the wilderness like this.

I slept like crap. I don't like inflatable mattresses, so that was a problem from the start. I also didn't think my pillow was supportive enough, and while I liked my sleeping bag a lot, I had some trouble with temperature regulation. I did eventually fall asleep, and we slept until 9am, so I guess I can't complain too much.

One of the biggest perks of camping this way is that campsites you can only reach by backpacking are much quieter than traditional ones. I really enjoyed the solitude.

But, I was also bored. I hadn't brought my Kindle or any form of entertainment besides crosswords because I wasn't sure how much weight I'd be comfortable carrying. I didn't particularly want to spend time playing on my phone when we were surrounded by nature, and we had no service anyway.

Zoe disturbed a nest of snakes and three slithered through our camp. It caused quite the stir!

I am very good at sitting at home and doing nothing. The same can't be said for sitting in a hammock, I guess.

Next time (because yes, there will be a next time), I'll bring my Kindle and also try to be amenable to an easy day-hike, without the packs.

After lunch, we packed up and began our trek back down the trail. I'm not sure if I figured out my backpack or was just more used to it, but it bothered me a little less on our way back. I did, however, get a couple bad blisters that reminded me I've been wanting a new pair of boots.

Since this was my first time backpacking and it was only for one night, I've taken some time to think about what needs to be adjusted to make it better next time. Entertainment aside, both Matt and I are getting ourselves new pillows and I'm going to bring my pack to REI to have it fitted by someone who knows what they're doing. I ended up with a bruise on one hip but not the other, so I think some of my issues come from the fact that one of my hips is higher than the other.

For my first trip, Matt's goal was to make sure I had the best possible time, and I think he pretty much succeeded. I felt very out of my element and couldn't let myself just relax, but I did enjoy it, and I'm already thinking about trying again.

I'm not sure how this fits into my training plans, but I know I'll have to make room for more backpacking trips in the future.

Ali