Backpacking Trip 2019: The Recap

/Backpacking Trip 2019: The Recap

Backpacking Trip 2019: The Recap

By | 2019-07-22T16:53:35-06:00 July 22nd, 2019|CannaVentures, Events, Feature, General, Recaps, Recaps & Trip Logs|0 Comments

The trip started early, around 6am, getting up and finishing any last minute packing needed. We stopped for food and gas right before Castle Rock. Then, we got to the trouble section of I-25; They closed the interstate due to a fatal accident and it was a standstill. So, the GPS routed us on a detour that took us right past the Renaissance Festival, still sitting in traffic.

 

 

We should have arrived at 11:30am but ended up at the trailhead at 1pm. Most of the attendees were already at the trailhead when we arrived. Everyone had experience the I-25 traffic jam and understood the delay. After messaging remaining attendees who had not yet arrived and receiving the OK to go ahead, we headed up the trail. We stopped intermittently and eventually made it up to the old sawmill in just under 2.5 hours time.

Once we arrived, we set up a mosquito net, allowing all of us to escape the bugs for a time and smoke. We smoked one of the blunts I had rolled, a couple joints, more blunts and the crew then changed into flip flops.

Eventually, we headed to get water down where the water was running using a few of the crew’s water filter pumps. These are definitely worth the investment, especially with large groups of cannabis consumers who all have cottonmouth.

Afterwards, we got back to camp and began setting up. Some took to foraging for wood and sawing it into chunks while others busied themselves around our ever-improving camp. We waited up for the last few members to arrive but ended up calling it a night around 11 or so.

After a cold nights sleep in the hammock Friday night, we decided to get up early Saturday morning and build a fire. Gradually, the rest of the crew got up and joined us. We went to pump more water and learned one of the filters was clogged.

As we sat by the fire, beginning to get breakfast ready, another member of the crew appears with all of his gear and then some. He had camped not 10 minutes down the trail from us after arriving later than expected. Apparently, he didn’t get to the parking lot until 11:30pm and stopped hiking just after 1am, only to end up 10 minutes or so from where our camp is. Shortly thereafter, one of our attendees decided that he was calling it quits and heading home for a good nights sleep; hammock sleeping wasn’t working well for his back.

We cooked some food and enjoyed hanging around the campsite. Eventually, the idea for a project developed. We began crafting a walkway and a sign for CannaVenture., eventually deciding to turn this one beam hallway into a platform of sorts that is reminiscent of a tree house or, as some would say, the Lost Boys and Peter Pan. We had all seen the nearby teepee that a previous crew had built at their campsite, and the idea for a similar structure or shelter of sorts developed for use for future hikers and campers as shelter in addition to the teepee.

A few of us gathered logs, sawed them to appropriate lengths, and then bound them to a structure we created with simply rope, wood, and some good old fashioned teamwork. The result? A structure sturdy enough that all of us could get on top and smoke.

After our successful fort building effort, we headed down the mountain in search of water that we could hopefully dip our feet into. Much of the creeks and water up the mountain were trickling or dried up, and we had found a particular place to filter water from but wanted to explore.

We ended up finding a small lagoon of sorts that Sven got to play around in and we got to sit by until deciding it was too buggy to really hang out near. When we got back from the lagoon and sourcing water, we cooked the rest of the cheddar brats that Joe had left us, and began building a fire.

Once the sun had set, I threw a few fun flames packs into the fire to the amusement and delight of the crew. I thanked everyone for making this a trip to remember. As the fire burned down, DJ, Nick and myself took turns adding wood and keeping an eye on things until the crew turned in for the night. After letting it burn down a bit more, we decided to turn in for the night.

At just after 6am Sunday, I woke up and decided to start a fire. The crew gradually woke up and began breakfast and camp teardown. After eating and packing up our gear, we dug multiple deep holes to bury hot embers in, added additional piles of dirt to the center of the fire ring, and made sure that the area had cooled down before packing out.

 

Thank you to everyone involved in making our first Backpacking Trip a success. If you enjoy backpacking, make sure to be on the lookout for next year’s trip during our fifth season.

MORE PHOTOS:



Our next event is on August 10th in Golden, CO and we would love to see you there. Head on over to the event page for more information. Don’t forget, we’re throwing our third annual CannaVenture Summer Camp, our version of an adult summer camp that’s cannabis friendly. This year’s camp will take place August 23-25 on a 360-acre private ranch in the middle of the mountains. Join us for great vibes and cannabis-themed entertainment.

Happy CannaVenturing!

Much love,

Cannabenoid

To request more information or discuss a sponsorship, you can reach Cannabenoid directly at Ben@Creativebenefits.org.

P.S. Don’t forget to join the Group on Facebook and send us your pictures! We will try to add as many as possible. Special thanks toeveryone who has already turned in photos of the event!

Leave A Comment