Last minute trip to Alger Creek

It was 9:00 PM on a Friday night (Oct. 25th) when I found out that my original plans for that weekend had suddenly changed.  I was supposed to go to a grand opening for a shop but things changed and it was canceled.  My buddy Pete caught wind of this and sent me a text and said "Drive to my house Saturday morning and we'll head to Alger for a quick overnight".  Seeing as I haven't backpacked in a month, I figured "Why not?".

Went through my gear closet and packed all the things I needed for this trip.  Luckily I always have my gear ready to go.  By 10:30 PM, I am all packed and weighed (13.3 lbs. incl. food/water).  Off to bed...

Saturday morning, doing my usual pre-hike routine...breakfast, gear check, etc. before heading down to my buddies house.  This was a no-rush trip so we both took our time once I got to his house.  It was actually very nice not to rush...didn't feel so pressured to get somewhere at a certain time.  We figured it's only around a 4 mile hike to camp so we made sure to just enjoy the day.

We arrive at the Momyer trailhead around 10:15 AM and started our hike soon after.  The weather was absolutely perfect...sunny, mid 60's, and mild cool breeze.

The hike to Alger was pretty grueling for me for some reason.  I have done many hikes with a significant elevation gain but this was strangely challenging.  Maybe because it was a last minute decision? My body wasn't prepared for what was ahead? Who knows?

It was nice to get back on the trail again though since visiting Ediza Lake last month.  It was also nice to backpack again with my buddy who I haven't seen since July.

We were able to catch up and talk about everything and anything - this helped keep my mind off the elevation we were gaining as we head towards camp.

I was actually very unprepared for this trip, which is unlike me at all.  I always have a map on trips and I pretty much can say that most of the time, I know where I'm going.  Luckily, my buddy knows this trail very well so I was not concerned - I highly suggest that before heading to the back country, do some research and know where you're going.

After maybe an hour or so, we reach a junction.  There were no mileage indications on the sign but I was sure we weren't that far from camp.

Not long after the junction, the trail finally flattens before we head down the canyon to Alger Creek.  I was really struggling on this hike and it was not like me at all.  To some standards, this isn't really a strenuous trail at all compared to say, Icehouse Canyon to Timber or Ski Hut Trail to Mt. San Antonio.  In any case, I was glad to see the sign indicating we were almost at camp.

We arrive at Alger Creek after hiking two and half hours (needed quite a few stops along the way), we meet up with the rest of the group who had an earlier start than us.

For this trip, I left my camera at home on purpose and decided to use my cell phone camera instead.  I didn't plan on taking a whole lot of pictures on this trip...I was really after just catching up with old friends and enjoying some time in the woods.

Hopefully next season, I can visit this area again...there are quite a few loops that could be done here and all are worth exploring.

Oh...on a sad note, after 2 years of serving me, my DIY Fosters pot finally gave out :)  Here's my last photo of it paired with my DIY Esbit stove and DIY Caldera Cone - can you tell I like to make my own stuff?

Well, this has got to be my shortest post ever! I wasn't actually going to post this trip but I figured I need to record all of my adventures.  I hope you all enjoyed...

See you on the trails...