Hi from the bus!

The Short:

-I’m excited to share some big art news next month that’s turning life upside down!

-I’ll be back in LA to clean out my storage unit during the second week of August. This is a great time to score some older work from yours truly!

-In the meantime, please enjoy some backpacking stories and tips from recent trips in the Wind River Range and the Uintas! (Bird braved some big rivers!)

-Loved this great interview with Cristina Iglesias in the Brooklyn Rail.

The Long:

Bird and I have made it to Wyoming! I had dreamed of a wild mountain summer, but alas, the universe had other ideas. Pretty dramatic life changes are afoot (I can’t announce the big news quite yet, but the bus is about to become more of a daily driver/weekend warrior for a while).

This means I’m in a bit of a holding pattern taking care of life logistics until the fall, but I’ve still managed to get a little backpacking time in. In honor of the recent Intro to Backpacking workshop at the Feminist Center for Creative Work, I thought I’d share some tips from years of collected adventures in the backcountry that didn’t make it into the official curriculum.

Thoughts on:

• backpacking with dogs

• river crossings

• river crossings with dogs

• best backpacking foods and COFFEE

Bird and I just got back from a trip into the Wind River Range to Upper Cook Lake. It was about 30 ish miles round trip starting from the popular trailhead to Titcomb Basin. Originally I was also heading to Titcomb, but after passing 6 scout troops, I decided to veer off and go somewhere less Instagram famous. Cook Lake did not disappoint.

However, this last minute change in trail led us straight into Pole Creek. Running about knee high and 100 feet or so wide, it was an easy enough ford on human legs. However, Bird is more of a rock hopper than a swimmer. This dog will leap across a stream from a standstill. (Meanwhile I look like a baby deer learning to walk, hobbling over the stones.) This river was wide, fast, no rock hopping available, and high enough that she was going to have to swim, something I’d never seen her really do.

Luckily, in a last minute decision I had thrown her harness and leash into my pack. I buckled her in, led her into the current, and began charging through the water. I had one trekking pole helping to stabilize us while my other hand held her leash. I helped her fight against the current by pulling on her leash while she paddled furiously. Together we made it across! I was so proud of her and so grateful for her trust.

We spent two nights at Upper Cook Lake and had it all to ourselves except the mosquitos. Seriously. Look at this. Wyoming is the greatest. We day-missioned up to Wall Lake, and then just rested at camp where Bird could nap while I drank a lot of coffee and read this trip’s novel, The Mists of Avalon.

Side note: I love reading an epic but easy read novel while backpacking alone. Two summers ago I read Lonesome Dove. Something about the intense solitude and immersion into the story makes my inner hiking monologue change to match the whatever I’m reading: “Bird, I reckon we best stop here to fill the canteen” or on this trip, preparing for a river crossing, “May the Goddess grant us safe journey”.

On the third day, we hiked out following a different way around Lower Cook Lake which, unfortunately, meant more river crossings. The first one was much deeper and faster than lower Pole Creek, about top of my thigh in one deep spot, although shorter across. I spent about 15 minutes traipsing up and down trying to find a better place without success. We were going to have to give it a go. Bird looked pissed as I put the harness back on and led her into the river. When we hit the deep part in the middle, the current grabbed us, and I stumbled, enough to soak the bottom portion of my pack. I recovered, and we made it across, albeit both a bit waterlogged.

By the third crossing of the trip an hour later, we had the system down: pull up, pack phone and satellite messenger in plastic bag, tuck one trekking pole into the pack, buckle harness on dog, roll up pants, and go. Bird always gets a bunch of treats on the other side.

Takeaways:

• ALWAYS bring the dog harness

• It’s worth scouting around for better crossings. I also always check immediately downstream: any drops or big rocks? These crossings were all around inlets to lakes so if we had really gotten pulled in, we just would have had a big unfortunate swim in calm water.

• Keep your sleeping gear in a dry sack inside your pack, so if you eat sh*t like I did, it stays dry and you aren’t fighting hypothermia later. Works for rain storms too. I much prefer this method to the dorky pack rain covers. Bonus: dry sack doubles as air pillow for sleeping.

• Trail runners > hiking boots. Trail runners dry really quickly, so I have no problem wearing them across the river where they are essential for traction over the wet stones. Beefy “waterproof” hiking boots get instantly waterlogged and take forever to dry.

• Wool socks still insulate when wet. Love my Darn Toughs. I keep a second pair in my dry sack for the end of the day.

• Bird is the best dog.

  

And now, my other favorite backpacking topic: FOOD and CAFFEINE

After a lot of coffee trial and error, these instant Vietnamese coffee packets are my absolute favorites. Loaded with sugar and cream, they are like rocket fuel. Drink one of these bad boys (chased with some electrolytes after) right before a steep climb and you’re flying uphill. Shout out to my friends Young Tseng and Shamini for introducing me to these treasures in grad school!

My current favorite backpacking dinner is instant mashed potatoes mixed with bacon bits and chunks of cheese melted in (also a great way to use up the rest of your lunch cheese when it’s looking a little sweaty on day 3). This is a really hearty, comforting alternative to expensive and bulky Mountain House style freeze dried meals.

I also liked the dehydrated bean curd I found at Ocean Mart to add protein to ramen.

For now, Bird and I are back in the bus in our old summer spots around Lander, bouldering a little, hoping to get a few sport climbing days in before taking the bus back for more repairs in Ogden. It’s a bit of a restless, in-between time.

Scott and I will be back briefly in LA the second week of August to clean out my storage unit. I need to be ruthless about redistributing old work, so keep an eye out for the chance to live with some art.

More soon,

Christina and Bird