Wednesday, February 4, 2004

San Rafael Swell

I went down to the San Rafael on Saturday to get away from it all. I seriously needed a break from work, looking for a house, and everything else that's going on. I got down to the Wedge Overlook around sunset. I had planned on hiking around the bottom of the canyon that makes up the Wedge, but it was already dark, so I set up camp. The temperature was around 10°. The 0° sleeping bag I purchased the day after Thanksgiving was awesome. I just needed a better face mask for when I was all bundled up inside as the tip of my nose got a little cold. I don't know how the guys on Everest can stand to live in that environment all the time. I didn't even have any wind blowing, and I was hovering at the very limits of my tolerance. There was a 3/4 moon, and plenty of stars, but it being so cold I couldn't stay awake too long to appreciate them. The worst part of it all is when you wake up and have to leave the warm cocoon of the sleeping bag and get dressed to do stuff. That's about the time I went back to my truck and turned it on till it warmed up and I was warm, then I packed everything up and went home. I guess I'm a wuss when it comes to cold weather camping. I don't know many people that would enjoy camping in that temperature, so I don't feel apart when I say that I thought it sucked.