Backpacking at Pt. Reyes, Day 1

The Bear Valley Trail head, where our journey began.

The Route (see the blue trail):

Car>Bear Valley Trail>Left onto Coast Trail>Right onto Stewart Trail>Wildcat Camp

Source:  Point Reyes South District Trail Map

We started our hike at the Bear Valley Visitor Center, taking the Bear Valley Trail to Arch Rock (4.2 mi.).

Clockwise from top left:  Bear Valley Visitor Center, us on Bear Valley Trail, blackberries picked along the trail, and a random banana slug.  (photos taken by my brother)

Bathroom stop in Divide Meadow

Images from Bear Valley Trail.  It was a beautiful hike, easily done in one day.  There is also biking and horse riding allowed on this trail.

Arch Rock

One of our group playing with fate. (Taken by my brother)

We rested at Arch Rock, which was at the end of the Bear Valley Trail and explored before taking the Coast and Stewart Trails to Wildcat Camp (3.6 mi.).

Arch Rock.  This view was only accessible after a really steep climb down.  Obviously, one of the boys took this picture. (taken by my brother)

Also down at the bottom of Arch Rock (taken by my brother)

After Arch Rock, we followed the Coast Trail and Stewart Trail to our campsite.  The Coast Trail actually was torture for the first 2 miles.  Imagine straight uphill.  I was not aware of that, though, so uphill we went.    After an arduous climb, we were greeted by these ominous woods.

Ominous looking woods on the Coast Trail.

We arrived at our campsite at around 6:30 pm.  It was a much welcome sight.  Our spirits were almost broken by then by the enormous climb, the threat of darkness, and the arriving fog...but we made it!

Our beautiful campsite (middle pic).  About time, too, because the fog was definitely settling in as the day progressed.

Once we arrived at the campsite, we immediately got to work setting up camp.  Despite our aching backs, grumbling stomachs, and overall bad mood, we were able to set up an awesome camp as I started preparing the food.  Afterwards, we celebrated my brother's and hubby's birthdays with some cupcakes (yes, cupcakes) and went to bed to rest before another grueling journey.  Stay tuned for my plan for the food!  

Good night!

Backpacking at Point Reyes

The beginning of a wild journey

Hello folks!  Yup, this blog is not dead.  It had simply gone into hibernation, and I've finally woken up this bear of a blog, hopefully for once and for all.  To help me keep up with this blog, I've put less pressure on myself by committing to only one post a month.  It's a drag, but this reminds me of when I was taking piano lessons.  I hated practicing daily on the piano so much when I was required to by my piano teacher.  Ironically, after I quit taking piano lessons, I practiced everyday because I simply enjoyed it.  I'm trying to do the same with this blog.  I'm such a contradiction, aren't I?  =P

Recently, my husband and I went on our first backpacking trip ever.  We've talked about it for years, and my husband and I had actually purchased backpacks for ourselves.  Several other people in our lives have also bought backpacks, but alas, the trip never happened.  I realized though, if I didn't plan the first trip, we will never do it.  So, as a birthday present for his birthday this year, I organized a backpacking trip.

Map of one small section of Point Reyes National Seashore.  As you can see in the upper left corner, there is much more to this natural park than what you see here.  Source:  Park Map

So why did I choose Point Reyes?  During our discussions about our first trip, we did some research and a lot of people are saying that Point Reyes is one of the best beginning backpacking parks in our area.  I loved it because the distances we had to travel between campsites and our car are are shorter and because they had bathrooms and running water for their hike-in campsites.

Being a wimp, and knowing that my husband would like to do a loop, with two nights in different places, I picked the two hike-in campsites as close to each other as possible.  We had a choice of the Sky Meadow Camp, the Glen Camp, and the Wildcat Camp.  Since I figured I didn't like the word "Sky" in anything I will be hiking to, especially with 40-60 lbs. on my back, I quickly eliminated Sky Meadow Camp.  So then, I had two camps and a place to park my car:  Glen Camp, Wildcat Camp, and the Bear Valley Visitor Center.  What routes should we take to get to each campsite, then back to the car?  The easiest.

The blue line represents the trip we made out the first day, the green represents the second day, and the red represents the third day.  Source:  Point Reyes South District Trail Map

As I had planned the routes, I was worried that it'd be all hiking and no views, so I threw in two different destinations to take a break at (it turned out we needed way more frequent breaks than one each day).  The first day, on the way to Wildcat Camp, we went out to Arch Rock.  On the second day, we went out to Allomere Falls (which added an extra 1.4 mi. section I, unfortunately, did not notice).  For the third day, our destination of desire was our car.  =P  I will go into detail about each day and the trails we took later.

I also put a lot of energy on finding sources for our guests to read to help them keep in mind what equipment they would need, what to pack, etc.  In addition to that, I also wanted to research some backpacking recipes, because I really wanted to bake either a cake or cupcakes for my hubby's birthday.  Below are a few great sources I found:

http://www.wildbackpacker.com/backpacking-gear/backpacks/how-to-pack-a-backpack/

http://www.wildbackpacker.com/backpacking-food/recipes/

http://www.onepanwonders.com/breakfasts.htm

Booze, Booze, Booze

by scottharveywines.com

So almost every adult event offers wine.  Why?  Because nothing can give a party a grown up feel like wine does.  Hard liquor, even when mixed into martinis?  College stuff.  Wine?  Pinky out status.

Wine tasting parties are getting more and more popular these days, possibly because of our economy going bust and everyone's subsequent need to drown their financial sorrows.  This post is meant to help you out should you need to provide a bottle of wine at some event and have no idea what to get.  The party throwing bug has hit me once again recently, and I believe I shall organize a wine tasting party soon...

Because of BevMo's latest 5 cent wine sale, I am officially in wine mode.  I just spent almost 2 hours trying to find my "great find" from the last 5 cent wine sale.  Never going to happen again!  As a result of this incident, I have decided to chronicle my wine faves from the past 3 years of enthusiastic wine tasting.  My favorite red varietals are Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon, so you will see that my red recommendations have been skewed.  All the pictures below have been stolen from BevMo's website.

These recommendations are all equally great in my eyes...and mouth.  Yum!

BEST BUBBLY - Martini & Rossi  Asti ($9-$13)

Wine expert's take:  88 PTS WINE ENTHUSIAST. Martini & Rossi is one of the largest and best producers of Asti; sweet, delicate flavors of melon, peach, apple and grapefruit; perfect with apple tarts and cream.

My take:  DELICIOUS!  Tart, with a sweet, crisp aftertaste, this light bubbly is better than $40/bottle French champagnes, which were more dry and not as pleasing to me.  It's a standard, low-priced wine ($9-$13/bottle), but you can't go wrong.



BEST OVERALL WINERY - Bella Winery ($30+)

Seriously, any winery that has several different of Zinfandels is an awesome winery in my book.  This winery goes above and beyond, however, because every single wine I tried there was delicious and velvety smooth.  Each succeeding one was better than the last!  How do they do it!?!  Their late harvest Zinfandel is also do die for:  sweet and smooth.  The only downside to this winery is that I haven't been able to find a bottle anywhere except straight from their winery.

BEST RIESLING (so far) - Query Reisling '09 ($16)

Wine expert's take:  90 PTS WILFRED WONG. Wow, this one is surprisingly delicious, the ripe apple '09 Query Riesling explodes a potpourri of exotic flowers and core fruit flavors; slightly sweet.

My take:  It's a melt-in-your mouth, mellow type of wine.  Very aromatic, and with none of that tart bite that comes with fruity whites. There's a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste that makes you wanna take another sip just to chase it.  It has officially bumped Riesling as my top white wine varietal.  Sorry, pinot grigio!  I would totally recommend this with some equally mellow Sonoma Jack cheese...  Oooh...  Paired with grapes...  On a breezy spring afternoon...  And now I sound like a wine country magazine...

COOLEST BOTTLE - Moselland Zeller Black Cat '08 ($12)

Wine expert's take:  (from BevMo site) The Moselland Zeller Schwartz Katz is a light, semi-sweet white; very easy on the palate; give it a good chill.

My take:  As I've described in my other post, Yum Under The Sun, this wine is "light, fruity, and crisp."  Can one quote oneself???  I just did!  Weird...  I apparently got the name wrong in my other post, but it's not my fault!  There were so many different things written on the bottle...and in German, nonetheless! Anyway, it is also slightly bubbly, which is cool.  This wine has proven that there is more to it than a fantastic bottle concept.


BIGGEST REGRET - J Lohr Red Wine ($30?)

I can't remember which red wine I bought from J Lohr, but I'm guessing that it was the Gesture Syrah '08 based on bottle shape and label.  It taught me what a good wine is supposed to be like.  A good wine is supposed to smack you with flavor yet stay smooth with a lingering aftertaste...YUM.  I labeled this wine as "biggest regret," because I cannot, for the life of me, remember what it was!

LATE HARVEST BEAUTY - J Lohr Riesling Late Harvest  '08 ($25)

Wine expert's take:  The J Lohr Late Harvest Riesling is sweet and full of seductive fruit flavors; ripe peach and apple with an accent of apricots and flowers; long sweet aftertaste.

My take:  Ditto, minus the peach/apple/apricots/flowers, because I honestly can't taste it.  This wine is indeed seductive.  Makes you want to horde the whole bottle to yourself!  A favorite amongst my friends.



CABERNET SAUVIGNON (OR LE CAB, IF YOU WANNA BE FANCY)

 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon '09 ($16)

Wine expert's take:  Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon is made by blending selected lots of the best fruit from California, combining richness and big fruit flavors with classic structure and tannic power.

My take:  Not the smoothest wine I've tasted, but when it was let to breathe a little, I indulged in two glasses and enjoyed it.  It did indeed smack me with taste, but it didn't leave as big an impression as my favorite Zinfandels.  Again, not the best, but one I can imagine enjoying a lot of.

Hess Cabernet '08

Wine expert's take:  88 PTS WILFRED WONG. Put-together very well, the active '08 Hess Select Cabernet is a solid example of this varietal; ripe and lasting on the palate with soft tannins.

My take:  This wine really impressed me with its affordability and it's ultra smoothness.  I mean, really.  It is smooth.  Also, it also has a very nice wine flavor.  It doesn't smell as good as the Renwood Jack Rabbit, which was GODLY, but it's my favorite cabernet.  Also, it has a pleasant amount of tannins, or dryness, at the end.  For those of you who don't know what this means, it's the little sensation that makes you wanna smack your tongue when drinking dry wines or eating unripened persimmons.

ZINFANDEL SHINERS

Klinker Brick Zinfandel Old Vine '08 ($17)

Wine expert's take:  89 PTS WILFRED WONG. Packs some good heat, the 15.8% alcohol '08 Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel is made for real red wine lovers; rich and dense with a load of jammy berries; yes to BBQ ribs!

My take:  This wine is not for the faint of heart.  It attacks your tongue, grabs hold, and hangs on for dear life.  A bold, bold wine with a spicy kick.  I am so in love with this wine.  I will never forget it.  It was actually a recommendation from a BevMo employee.  She was such a sweetheart and an obvious wine enthusiast.  I paired this with smoked gouda for a wine and cheese party, and I must say, it was a match made in heaven.  

Renwood Jack Rabbit Flat '08 ($33)

Wine expert's take:  (from the BevMo website)  The Renwood Jack Rabbit Flat Zinfandel is a ripe, rounding red with pleasing berry flavors; textured and layered with soft tannins.

My take:  Smooooooooth.  And most amazingly?  It is still chock full of flavor.  There are no sacrifices here.  I brought it to a Thanksgiving dinner, and it was a huge hit.  I don't know why the wine expert didn't give a more enthusiastic description, but who knows?  I LOVE this wine.  It is my favorite red wine in the WORLD!  Also, if you haven't guessed, it was the one I searched TWO hours for!

BEST (FIRST AND ONLY) MOSCATO - Cantina di Casteggio Moscato '09 ($15)

Wine expert's take:  88 PTS WILFRED WONG. This wine will melt into your mouth, the aromatic and pretty '09 Cantina di Casteggio Moscato is light and fancy; fun with flowers and ripe peaches; sweet in the finish.

My take:  This wine is indeed light and fruity.  It is very, very drinkable, and honestly, a lot like the Asti mentioned above.  For some reason though, it's not quite as good to me.  It might have to do with its being more tart and less sweet in the finish.  Still a highly recommended wine.


MY LIST FOR THIS SESSION OF THE BEVMO 5 CENT WINE SALE

Cantina di Casteggio Moscato '09 ($7.52/bottle w/ 5 cent sale)

Why I want to try it:  Yups.  I'm going back for more.

Cantina di Casteggio Sangue di Guida '09 ($7.52/bottle w/ 5 cent sale)

Wine expert's take:  90 PTS WILFRED WONG. Think of flowers and sunshine and a medium sweet red wine, the '08 Cantina de Casteggio Sangue di Guida is simply beautiful and; ripe plummy flavors; great with fresh fruit.

Why I want to try it:  I thought about getting this last time, but didn't.  Now's my chance!  I'm totally into flowers and sunshine!

Clos LaChance Hummingbird Zinfandel '07 ($8.52/bottle w/ 5 cent sale)

Wine expert's take:  DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL, 2010 SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE WINE COMP. Full and illuminated on the palate, the berry-rich '07 Clos LaChance Zinfandel drinks exceedingly well into the finish.

Why I want to try it:  Dude....DOUBLE GOLD...ALL THE WAYYY

Zynthesis Zinfandel '09 ($8.52/bottle w/ 5 cent sale)

Wine expert's take:  91 PTS WILFRED WONG. Hypnotizingly delicious, the black-fruited '09 Zynthesis Old Vine Zinfandel packs the palate with enticing and lasting richness; long finish.

Why I want to try it:  I want to be hypnotized and I love the name and the Zorro-like symbol.  I admit, I had a crush on Zorro as a kid.  He was quite dashing!

So there you have it!  The best wines I've tried so far in the past three years, plus a few I want to try.

You'll notice that I didn't mention any pinot grigios, chardonnays, or merlots. This is because I haven't tasted any pinot grigios that wowed me (although I do tend to like the steel fermented ones more than the barrel fermented).  I haven't tasted a chardonnay that I've liked because they were all too "oak-y" or as my friend, sanjoselove put it, "moldy tasting."  And merlots?  Shudder.

If you have any wine favorites, especially if they are either a merlot or chardonnay, holla!  I haven't given up on those varietals yet!