The Luminous Joan and I headed out for our annual summer backpacking trip a few weeks ago. The June trip to the Golden Trout Wilderness was basically an audition of her new titanium hip, to see if it could handle the rigors of Sierra Nevada hiking. Well, it passed with flying colors, so we headed out for our annual week...me, kilted (most of the time, anyway) of course.

The "BEFORE" Picture....we're still clean!



5.5 miles and three BIG hills and descents later, we're at the first nights camp at Whitesides meadow....but wait!! Where's the water?



It's been a VERY dry year in Northern California... there's usually 3-4 feet of water behind this little dam. The stuff that's in this photo is disgusting - muddy and full of duck poop. We hiked about a quarter mile downstream, got water and double-purified it.