the Clementine Treehouse: Backpacking Stanley Hot Springs

about a nice lil' 5.5 miles of packing in
about 1,260 feet in elevation gain (pretty much all in the first couple miles. killer switchbacks!)
about 120 degree pools of natural rocky luxury

Fueled by Tenacious D, Mitch Hedburg, CAKE, mexican food (what?!), and pure adrenaline we drove and drove to the trail head and began our pack-laden ascent to...

STANLEY HOT SPRINGS!

This past week was exactly what I needed. I met incredible people, played with goats, learned to forage wild ginger, read and read, had wild singalongs all day every day, wrote, and buuurrrrnnned myself to a little crisp.

so many bugs.

singing these constantly

In terms of what to pack in for food, it's best to stick with light weight things you can add boiling water to...such as freeze dried couscous or oatmeal. Gorp and Glop are backpacking essentials. Although they sound like bizarre cartoon characters, these are titles aptly given (by whom? no idea.) to glorified trail mix (EVERYTHING - almonds, chocolate, pumpkin seeds, raisins, cherries, cereal, walnuts, banana chips, anything the heart desires and that serves as hardcore fuel) and the aforementioned freeze dried stuff to which you add boiling water.... These can usually be found in the bulk sections of grocery store and health food stores and range from black beans and rice to indian spiced soup.

Other things not to forget:
-Tabasco. Always pack in tabasco. I even put it in my granola sometimes to give it some kick!
-A way to purify your water - a hand pump charcoal filter or those new fancy Steripens are perfect
-Rope; adventurers can never have enough rope!
-A little cook stove to quickly heat water.
-A foldy saw and some firewood know-how
-Beneficial to pick up a little backpacking handbook and maybe a guide to the area you're camping, if you are so inclined
-Cheezits. in the car. for when you make it back down, cast off your hiking boots, and sit in the parking lot in your disgusting clothes and scarf something cheesy.

Make friends with other mountain folk! Some of them have goats, may teach you to forage wild plants, and join you for a wonderful forest feast complete with a chocolate thimble berry campfire souffle!

Reading Traveling with Pomegranates, I thought much of my mother and the relationship that we have forged through the years. She is an incredible woman...and I see whispers and melodies of her in me all the time. She and my father took me backpacking often when I was younger and I have never seen them more at ease than when surrounded by endless trees (heh, that rhymed).
While in the forest, I wrote quite a bit. Much of it turned into nonsense but, for some reason, it was what was flowing through me at the time - it made me feel calm and close to my family, close to versions of them that I have never met and close to the versions of them that are a part of me.
Despite the men and the mental states that shatter my vibrating soul, my family, friends, and the natural and real world of the mountains are always there to help it mend. :}