june 2014 | soda peaks lake backpacking trip

Posted on 6/20/2014

Late minute, my friend Joe and I decided to take a quick backpacking trip (just for the night). My summer is super packed (I don't have a weekend not planned till mid-September!!) so I wanted to make sure it really happened. I had never been backpacking before, so I looked for a short, hard (but not too hard) hike that we could do in one day and would be pretty. After some digging and asking advice, a friend recommended Soda Peak Lake in the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest. It is a short (4 mile) out and back hike that goes straight up, then straight down. 

Despite the fact that the forecast said it was going to rain the entire day and night, and next day, we met up at the trailhead and went for it. The rain held off till we got to the lake, and put up our tent, so that was nice. 







I can't wait to hike back when the weather isn't quite so cloudy, I am sure this lake is beautiful. It was pretty in the rain too... in a very PWN kind of way.

We camped right on the edge of the lake. Since we didn't have the right adapter to make any hot food, we ate dinner (granola bars) in the tent as it rained and went to bed early. It rained ALL night, and the tent leaked...


The next day our plan was to hike up and around the lake. But the weather was miserable, and the trail not super well-maintained. I would be down on a nice day, but bushwacking thru the rain is not my idea of a great time. We headed back, and it rained and rained and rained.

By the time we got back to the car, I was soaking wet, and the backpack was so heavy from being drenched in water. All in all, it was a great trip (no sarcasm). I had a great time, and can't wait to backpack even more (hopefully sooner, rather then later). 

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