Hiking Down Memory Trail
A Feature Article by Nicole Adams
The second I was asked to write this article, I was a bit confused. There are plenty of people at school who enjoy backpacking. Whether it’s for fun, Boy Scouts, or to just say you did it, there are quite a few people at Alsion who spend their weekends backpacking.
The first time I went backpacking was in fourth grade. My dad was looking through a brochure at REI and saw it: Backpacking for Families! And of course, we were picking out backpacks and camping food for a three-mile trip just five minutes later. Quite often, we buy something out of impulse, and it turns into something we never use again. But my first backpack, bought within a twenty-minute-and-thirty-second talk with the store clerk, has lasted me almost five years.
The first time we went backpacking was in Sunol. If you take highway 84–the “scenic route” down Niles Canyon–and take a right, you’ll end up in Sunol. It’s a camping, hiking, horseback-riding zone that gives out East Bay Regional Park t-shirts and has a mini history museum. At first, I hated it. There were mosquitoes everywhere and my backpack strap was scratching my skin so I was ready to just turn around and go home. But that first night out in the hills was amazing. Being so far away from society made me realize that I did enjoy leaving my room once in a while. The sense of accomplishment made me feel proud of what I had done.
That first time, I carried a little over 15 pounds. That ended up being way over what I was supposed to carry. When you backpack, you should carry a maximum of 20% of your body weight. Now that I’m thirteen and nearly 5’6”, I carry about 25 pounds, still a bit too much for a person just over 100 pounds. However, I do lug things like books and a towel for swimming, which adds up fast.
In recent years, my dad got us a Wilderness Permit, which lets us go out into areas like Emigrant Wilderness, a region just north of Yosemite National Park (which we frequent almost every month). There, we go to Relief Reservoir and fish for trout. One of the most exciting things about going backpacking is being able to invite people. At first, they’re shocked and say things like: “What do you mean it’s going to be easy?” Or: “Stop. Stop. I need a rest.” But eventually you stop thinking about your feet and breath and just walk, and that’s probably my favorite part. My parents are always complaining that I’m too fast, and I won’t deny it; I enjoy our stay at the campsite more than the actual hike.
My favorite trips were probably Bear Lake and Relief Reservoir. I went on the hike to Relief with Ayush, Siddharth, and Zach and it was awful at first. I wanted to stay in the car instead of hiking five miles with them, but when we got to the campsite, we were taking artsy pictures, fishing for dinner, and watching our dads jump into the lake. My biggest regret about that trip would be forgetting a swimsuit. It was at least 89 degrees and being able to only dip my feet in the water left me with a hideous and uneven tan.
I visited Bear Lake with Varnika and Phoebe. Even though we didn’t fish or swim, we still played card games until late at night, all while watching the Milky Way glitter brighter than ever. I’m always trying to get friends to go with me, whether it’s a simple hike to Cathedral Lakes in Yosemite or a short two-day trip in Emigrant. Recently, I’ve been getting a lot more yeses than I did before. I’m grateful that something I enjoy doing has been introduced to people who haven’t gone before and that they enjoyed it too.
If you are considering going backpacking, make sure you’re ready, have reviewed the hike you’re taking, and packed at least five energy bars per person. If you’re not doing anything, those Cliff Bars aren’t filling. But trust me, when you’re walking uphill, sugar and calories suddenly become your best friend.