One and only hike was a labor of love

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, July 24, 2001

What’s so great about backpacking into a high mountain lake?

Being the mother of three boys, all of whom were Boy Scouts along with my husband, a leader, I relished the time alone on weekends and for a week during the summer when they went on extended campouts.

Then one year, the families and the boys decided to have a weeklong family campout. We would hike in 1 1/2miles to Lake Dorothy.

Since I have always had a struggle with my weight and was at that time down 30 pounds, I was convinced that I could easily carry a 30-pound pack with my sleeping bag and clothes.

To get in shape, I would take the pack and 30 pounds of encyclopedias each evening (after dark so no one would see me) and walk around and around and up a slight hill in our backyard.

I got so I could do it for 15 minutes without getting tired. I was ready for the short hike on "an improved, easy hiking path."

We hit the trailhead midmorning. What my husband had neglected to tell me was that there was a 1,000-foot elevation gain.

I slowly and painfully struggled along well behind the rest of the group. My 14-year-old son got to the lake and dropped his pack and came back and met me halfway down the trail and took my pack so I could make it the rest of the way.

When I got to the lake, all I found was a note saying, "Mom, they all decided that the other end of the lake would be better camping, so follow this trail and we will see you there. I’ll have your bed made out for you."

Another mile farther, up and over a rock slide, and there they were. I utilized the bedroll he had laid out for me.

Three days later, when I was complaining about having nothing to sit on, my 12-year-old son said, "Mom if you don’t mind walking about a quarter of a mile back down the path, there is an outhouse where you could sit down."

That quarter of a mile was on pretty level ground, so I was delighted to hear this and started down to comfortably be able to sit rather than try to hide behind the blueberry bushes. My darling son was only half-right. There was the out, but no house! It was down a short path and behind a big rock. I sat and whistled, but at least I could sit.

There were enjoyable things about the trip.

I stayed at camp while others went on short day hikes, and I painted pictures and watched the many hummingbirds.

I guarded the camp from intrusion by field mice and chipmunks. After a week, I was not even too sore, and then we started back down.

That is just as bad as going up. For me, the only way to go up or come down that much is in an elevator.

Genevieve Moore and her husband, Durwin, have lived in Lake Stevens almost 40 years. They were involved with their three boys in Scouts for 18 years. This was her first and last hike, however. "I’ll try anything once," she said.