We chose a short trip (2-1/2 miles one way) for our first solo carrying our packs and everything we needed, as opposed to having them "drop shipped". Our destination was Twin Lakes, in an area east of Kalispell, called the Jewel Basin. This area is designated for hiking only, and contains more than a dozen pristine lakes. Our trailhead is located at Camp Misery, named for a miserable winter some settlers spent there.
Nice views of the Flathead valley and lake on our way up.
We reached our Twin Lakes in early afternoon, time enough to explore the area for a campsite, and let Luna take a swim to cool off.
Our tent (Big Agnes) went up nicely, and we were ready for the evening.
Long underwear was on the agenda for me, it did get cool that night. We forgot to check our thermometer, but I would guess it dipped to about 38....cool for late August. We both had a little trouble sleeping; not sure why, we were warm and comfy. Luna had trouble too....she was still wet from her swim, and I think she was cold. I ended up covering her a bit with my vest and she went right to sleep. High maintenance lab, huh?
Darrell filters our water pre-dinnertime. Gotta have water for that tasty chili-mac! Everything tastes good after you've hiked carrying your home on your back.
We found an ideal fireplace, in the open and surrounded by rocks. Felt good after dinner as it cooled down.
So, the next morning it was cold and blustery. We started out by having our coffee in order to function, then moved on to our breakfast burritos. While we sat on a log together eating them, the wind came up and blew our tent end over end right into the lake. Holy breakfast burrito! I looked at Darrell, expecting him to jump up and go after it....but it wasn't happening, as he was straddling the log on the downhill side and couldn't get up. So, I jumped up, burrito in hand, and chased it into the lake. It would have sailed into the middle of the lake and sunk if I hadn't caught it. Luckily, I had my crocs and not my hiking boots on, and though my socks got soaked, I had another pair. All was well, and I still had my burrito! We had a good laugh about that one. Lesson learned......leave the tent staked until you're ready to fold it up!
We bid farewell to the lake as we head back home.
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