Leaving Bad Back Camp, page 13

Saturday morning dawned clear and cold and I reviewed my options:

1. Send word out to C&G to meet me back at Pete Lake
2. Lay over another day or two and see if the leg would feel better
3. Move on, maybe just making a couple of miles a day and see how far I could go

After mulling the situation over, I opted for number three. I didn't want to waste the good weather -- who knew how much of that there would be? So, I crawled out of my warm sleeping bag and was packing up the camp before 8:30 AM.  The truth of the matter is that I really didn't want anyone see me in a “no camping" zone.

My leg still hurt, but it had more strength and flexibility than I had hoped for. This was pretty fortunate, because I was determined to go, regardless of pain and muscle weakness. As long as I could walk, no matter how slowly, I was going!

Escondido Ridge meadows near Bad Back camp

I was off by a 9:45.  Just in time, too! I met two men on the second switchback out of camp. About a third-of-a-mile from where I had camped there was a crappy dry camp that I could have stayed at, but everything beyond was posted as 'No Camping!' until just before the junction with the Waptus Pass trail. There was another dry-looking camp there but I would never have made it that far.

I paused to sip some Kool-Aid and consult the map and my watch. It was 2 PM. I decided right then and there that I was going down to Waptus Lake. The only question was via which route?  The Waptus Burn Trail at the south end of the Lake looked to be shorter than the Waptus Pass trail leading down to the north end of the lake. But I remembered that there was camping in the forest near the bridge spanning Shovel Creek to the north 

What to do, what to do?

Waptus Lake from Escondido Ridge

Far below, I could see my pretty little peninsula beckoning--the wonderful spot I had camped at years before-- but I realized there probably was a pretty good chance I might not make it that far. Although my leg was not nearly as painful as it had been two days earlier, it was still sore and very stiff. And there was still no sensation in the right side or bottom of my foot.

‘Oh, well,’ I thought optimistically.  ‘At least I won’t feel anything if I get blisters there.’

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