Emigrant Wilderness, CA
N 38°08.030
W 119°50.170
It had been more than a year since we set up a campsite, something we became very good at doing during our travels and something we instantly realized we missed. We forgot the process as we unloaded our tent from the backpack, pulled out the various pieces and fumbled for a few minutes before everything we learned during our time in
We commented we were lucky it wasn’t raining or snowy and the 40 mph winds we battled in 
Emigrant Wilderness has to be one of the most beautiful places in
On this particular trip, early in the season, we crossed paths with only six other adventure hikers like us. The backcountry of Emigrant Wilderness isn’t someplace you get to by accident… a 3 hour drive from San Francisco; through the small Central Valley towns of Escalon and Oakdale, winding your way by the Sierra Foothill towns like Jamestown and Sonora, and finally another 60 minutes down fire-trails and gravel roads off Highway 108 in the Sierras you’ll eventually find Crabtree Trailhead, an entry point, or true gateway, for backpackers into the wilderness area.
The clear blue skies and warm temperatures made the trip to this pristine part of 
even more incredible. During the day we waded across the knee high, ice-cold creeks (it felt like my toes were going to fall off) to explore different areas of the backcountry. We struggled across large sections of snow; the sound of running water below us, driving our hiking poles into the snow ahead of us with each step in order not to fall through an ice shelf.
At night we pulled on a few more layers and started a fire. We slept comfortably under the Milky Way and chalky light from the quarter moon, the sound of the breeze rolling over the top of the pines and the gurgling of the creek in the background.
Our sub-par dinners took us back to our time in Torres del Paine when we had to choke down the rice and soup mix to fill our empty bellies. At least we didn’t have the cumulative nights of
rice and soup mix, only two, and with some trail mix, salami, cheese and Clif Bars we were far from starving.
As we basked in the sun on the shore of the creek, we discussed our favorite dishes at various restaurants, including the succulent salmon rolls from The House, which made our mouths water for something more flavorful than cardboard—it was only a day away.
We reminisced about where we were a year ago, Hanoi, Vietnam, and the heat we experienced as we trekked through the city, drank beer on the streets, drank coffee overlooking the lake and, most importantly, spent time with Bob, Teddy and Elise.
Of course we discussed our next travel plans. Should we go to
Note: To the person who inquired about purchasing our blog for a measly $50. The answer is definitely NO.
