For our second day out – we used a lot of these stacked stones called Cairns to serve as markers for different trails we were on. Most of them are quite large but I loved these little petite ones we passed by.
While we were out in the desert there was a few beautiful plants and animals popping around. We were lucky to spot a few Gila Monsters, an orange and black lizard creature with a venomous bite. I think I really just enjoyed saying Gila Monster!
Day two highlighted one of my favorite reasons to hike. To see things I can’t see any other way. We took a side hike to La Barge Creek where we spent some time sunbathing and enjoying the nice and chilly waters. This side excursion was my favorite parts of the hike – a peaceful slow moment with nature.
As we approached the end of our second day we set up camp at Second Water Springs and enjoyed a lovely Pad Thai dinner. That’s right people PAD THAI while backpacking, who knew I could be so excited for dehydrated foods! It was actually quite tasty, so much so that I’d eat it at home if I was lazy to cook 😉
On our final day we had a 800ft climb to the top – where we were greeted with some beautiful views. It was a biter sweet moment at the top – almost the end of our trip but the thought of having a clean shower was on the top of my mind. Once we approached the end of our hike we had victory meal (and drinks for some!) at Tortilla Flat Saloon, a fun restaurant filled with dollar bills literally all over the place.
A big thank you to REI for inviting me to join them on this exciting adventure and my guides Sarah, Dove and Gary. Be sure to check out what REI Adventures has to offer on their site. I am sure you will not be disappointed. Now who wants to go to Patagonia with me?
+ POST IN PARTNERSHIP WITH REI, ALL OPINIONS SHARED HERE ARE MY OWN +
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING BRANDS THAT ALLOW ME TO CREATE AND SHARE NEW CONTENT LIKE THIS. 🙂
PHOTOS BY JENNIFER CHONG
