A Celebration at West Fork Trail Camp

A bit late posting this report but it's better late than never...

Who needs a bar when you can just head to the woods to party? Well that's what we all did to celebrate a good friend's birthday...we headed to West Fork Trail Camp.

10 AM, we arrived at the trailhead and meet the usual suspects for some fun in the woods. A bit warm but we were all excited for the hike. For this hike, I actually went a little heavy than normal...bringing a slice of cake, cookies, plus other things. I was at a whopping 17 lbs. with all the food and half a liter of water - normally this is how much my pack would weigh on a 3 day trip.

The hike to West Fork Trail Camp is an upside down hike where you lose a little over 1500 feet in elevation on the 3 mile hike in. Since this was the case, I thought it fine to carry extra weight...not to mention the extra weight was all consumable - and boy did we consume it all!

The hike to West Fork was beautiful, we had clear skies and the trail before hitting the canyon was amazing. We could clearly the see the towers over at Mt. Wilson on the trail.

There were a few downed trees on the hike in and not to mention some of the tallest Poodle Dog Bush I've ever seen. Luckily, these plants didn't cover the trail as much as we've expected and there was more than enough room for us to avoid the plants.

An hour or so, we arrive at camp. A few of our friends who hiked earlier were already at camp. We arrive at camp with water flowing from the stream and nice shaded spots. A ton of flat spots to choose from and aside from the bathroom, the place looked very clean.

This trip was so much fun. The moment the packs dropped from our backs, the party was in full steam. Great conversation, great food, and a few adult beverages...the party went on till 11 PM. I took quite a few discriminating photos of everyone that I plan to keep to myself...in case I need them for leverage . So much fun!

The following morning, everyone was slow to rise. Who could blame us? We were partying like we all just turned 21! Despite all the previous evenings activities, we all pretty much left around the same time. We broke camp, gathered trash, and made sure our campfire was completely drowned.

A few of us decided to get an early start and left a quarter before 9 AM. I wanted to start a little early so I can take advantage of the cool morning - seeing as we needed to gain back the elevation we've lost, cooler temps would help with my energy. As much of a good plan that was, it was futile though...I had the brightest idea to follow a 6'4 hiker out where a single step of his was two and half steps for me! It was a good challenge though and we both made quick work of the trail back to the cars.

It was nice to get to the cars and it felt even better to able to take off the trail runners and put on some flip flops. Not too long after we arrived to our cars, the rest of our group slowly appear from the trailhead entrance. All happy to see their own cars.