King and I embarked on a big first for the two of us over the last weekend. We hiked out to Deep Creek and spent the night under the cool California stary sky. This was big for us since King had not camped before, other than our van adventures, and there was a lot of new gear for me to make it all work. Two good friends of mine and King headed out early Saturday morning in the direction of Lake Arrowhead. We had a 3 mile hike into the Deep Creek Valley. The trail had a few spots that were covered in ice and of course busted it as I was trying to catch up to King.
King:
This hike was a lot different then the ones we normally go on... Dad was carrying a giant sack on his back the whole time... Did nothing happen to our home?
Firstly everything went perfectly! King did amazing on the hike in, and his Ruffwear Trex Boots kept his feet nice and comfy throughout the rocky descent into the springs. He was definitely happy to hop into the cool river water though once we found our camp ground. There were a total of three main pools with a few outlying smaller pools around. There is a large beach area that runs down into the river and right off of one of the hot spring pools.
King:
So many rocks and water! My two favorite things! Glad Dad's fall didn't put him out of commission! I don't know if I'm ready to be the bread winner yet!
I was using a hammock instead of the a tent as it is lighter and easier to set up. That being said I was finding it hard to work out how King was going to sleep. That is when I stumbled upon the Mozzy 360. This creates a vented and shelter that is perfect for King and I. It keeps the bugs off of both of us and has a bath tub bottom so King is not sleeping on the ground. In addition to the Mozzy I picked up a NEMO Switchback Sleeping Pad. This Thermal pad topped with one of King's blankets, in addition to his Kurgo Winter Jacket, kept him nice and warm the whole night. This was very important to me as I knew the temperature was going to get down in the 30s that night.
King:
Sleeping outside when it's dark is a little scary... I was nice having a strong net protecting us and knowing that Dad was asleep above me.
A short but steep climb to one of the ridges near us made for a perfect sunset view!
While we were hanging around the campsite I fashioned a line that ran the length of the campsite and hooked King's leash to it. This allowed him to move more freely around the without me having to worry about were he was all the time. For bowls we used some Fozzils foldable hiking bowls that were both lightweight and easy to clean. Although King does not have a pack now, down the line he will carry some of his own items. Longer trips will mean more supplies and therefore more weight.
Both King and I are so ready to get back out on the trail and do this again! As Always let us know if you have ever been out to Deep Creek or know of a great spot that we should camp!
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