# Enchanted Rock Backpacking / Camping 7/5/2015



## cwhitney (Sep 9, 2014)

I did not make it to a lake this weekend. Nate, Nick, and I are planning a couple of major primitive backpacking camping trips for the next 2 years. The first is a 3 day / 2 night hike into the Grand Canyon. The second is a 6 day / 5 night trip to Mount Whitney (the highest elevation in the continental 48 states). Before taking on anything that ambitious, we decided to get our gear and try a single overnight trip a bit closer to home. We chose Enchanted Rock since there would be some elevation changes and it was closer to home (about 4 hours away). With our 40 pound packs we headed out and climbed to the summit of Enchanted Rock.

(see 1st attachment)

Then we climbed back down and headed to the primitive camping area. It was almost 2 miles to hike in to the camping area. We got our tents set up and took a bit of a break before heading out to hike a while without the heavy load of our full packs.

(see 2nd attachment)

We explored some areas at the base of the rock.

(see 3rd attachment)

We arrived back at our camp around 8:00pm and cooked dinner.

(see 4th attachment)

The next morning we packed up and hiked back out via a different route so we could see more of the park. We took our time and made many detours when we saw something interesting. We had a great time and learned a few things that we will try differently on our next outing.


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## OG Donkey (Aug 22, 2007)

looks like a fun trip!


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## essayons75 (May 15, 2006)

Very cool!


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## fishinfool (Jun 30, 2004)

Sounds like fun times. A tip for you. You pack weight shoulf all sit on your hips via the waist belt. On long pack trips whith heavy packs will wear you plum out to support all that weight on your sholders. Also. On anything over a couple days. Every ounce of weight counts. I used to cut my tooth brush handle in half as it was un necessary weight.
Most important, have fun and enjoy the time.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk


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## cwhitney (Sep 9, 2014)

fishinfool said:


> Sounds like fun times. A tip for you. You pack weight shoulf all sit on your hips via the waist belt. On long pack trips whith heavy packs will wear you plum out to support all that weight on your sholders. Also. On anything over a couple days. Every ounce of weight counts. I used to cut my tooth brush handle in half as it was un necessary weight.
> Most important, have fun and enjoy the time.


Thanks for the tips. We paid close attention to the weight of items (tent, sleeping bag, stove, etc) when we bought them. We found that the major culprit with regard to weight is the amount of water you need to carry in the summer heat. At 8+ pounds per gallon, it adds up really quick.

We are still tweaking the adjustment on our packs for maximum comfort. According to the instructions that came with my pack, it should conform to the curve of your back. I'm concerned that if I raise it any higher to achieve this, the center of gravity will be too high.


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## fishinfool (Jun 30, 2004)

i know my pack made me a bit top heavy, but pack the heaviest stuff on bottom and light things on top. water. not much you can do there. drink it.


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## TexasCajun (Jun 29, 2006)

Seems like a cool trip. I love Enchanted Rock. Went on a primitive camping trip last year at Colorado Bend State Park. I highly recommend it.

As for the water weight issue, you could always consider gathering and purifying your water at the source - - > boil, filter, water tablets, etc. That way you are not having to carry it around. It is by far the heaviest thing in your pack. Of course, the catch there is you have to be near a usable water source almost all of the time. Like those little pools/puddles on the summit of Enchanted Rock. heh.


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