The Wonderland Journal

Miles hiked: 1.1 Mile marker: 369.4 Today is a day to sleep in, but it’s 5:15 AM when I start shuffling around in my tent. The sun hasn’t yet made an appearance for today, but after I use the restroom (in nature, that is), Bumper is setting up his tripod…

Miles hiked: 21 Mile marker: 368.2 Water is dotted along my entire sleeping bag. The stars spill over the sky. I reach next to me and quickly swipe a finger over Dad’s sleeping bag. His is wet too.  There’s no way I sleep so hot in this 10 degree sleeping…

Miles hiked: 18.4 Mile Marker: 347.2 It’s not even 5:00 AM and the rustling of sleeping bags being put away is already happening. My alarm goes off, and per usual, I lay in bed a moment longer before rolling over.  When I emerge from my tent, Bumper and Lucie’s tents…

Miles hiked: 20.9 Mile marker: 328.8 I really need to patch this hole in my sleeping mat. I tried to in Big Bear, but it didn’t work.  I mix my cappuccino and Abuelita’s — a Mexican hot chocolate that tastes a bit like red hot candies and soap when cold…

Miles hiked: 22 Mile marker: 307.9 As many early mornings begin, mine begins with a dream, which I mistook for reality.  In the dream, Dad was trying to get my attention in my tent. I think he was going to continue hiking or something.   Now — back to reality —…

Miles hiked: 19.8 Mile Marker: 285.9 It’s 6:00 AM when I roll out of bed. I had a dream last night that I forgot to grab my uncrustable PBJs out of the freezer.  I start off with a cappuccino mix that I got for this week’s food carry. I had…

Miles hiked: Zero I sleep in until a glowing 6:30 AM — something that is quite the accomplishment considering I’ve been waking up before the crack of dawn and have a hard time sleeping in. It’s freezing in here and I have two blankets stacked on top of me! Soon…

Miles hiked: .4 Mile marker: 226.1 Today is the first day that I have been ready before anyone else. The only problem is that it’s quite cold outside. Rafiki hears me crinkling around in my tent, so he’s already awake as I’m packing the last items of my bag.  He’s…

Miles hiked: 17.5 Mile marker: 265.7 I wake up feeling like I ate 10 fried pancakes last night — I don’t know why, but that is the first thing that comes to mind.  We begin walking in the early morning glow. Dust is kicked up at Rafiki’s feet, the dirt…

Miles hiked: 21.8 Mile marker: 248.2 The trek on Mission Creek begins at 4:30 AM with a beautiful sand smiley face, drawn by none else than the highly acclaimed sand artist: Journey (Dad).  We have eight miles on this river bed. The walls go up 10-12 feet, and I can…

Miles hiked: 20.7 Mile marker: 226.4 The sun is just yawning as we quietly roll out of our sleeping bags, which sounds something like jumping into a pool of potato chip bags. The wind is cutting through my shirt as I fill my water bottles. Dad draws a smiley face…

Miles hiked: 20? We blue blazed the trail. Mile marker: 205.7 It got down to 33.7 degrees last night here at Strawberry Camp. Cowboy camping? Not good.  My legs are damp with… sweat? Condensation? I don’t really know. I shiver as I deflate my pad and try to modestly put…