Causey Reservoir Overnight Cache National Forest, Utah

It is February 18th. It's about nine o'clock in the morning. Just getting all my stuff ready for my first solo winter backpacking trip. Been a slight change in plans. The trail I was originally going to go on was the North Skyline Trail. Did a bit of research on it but I missed one critical fact. It's a day use area. You can't stay the night. So formulated a quick plan B and ended up here on the Cozy Reservoir. A lot of people here. Apparently it's a hot spot for snowmobiles. Finally made it to the trailhead. That's the Skull Crack Trail. It's a little shorter than the one I was originally going to go on but after doing about a quarter mile to get to the trailhead in these snowshoes I'm kind of grateful for that. Been hiking about 45 minutes now. Maybe an hour. I'm pretty much just straight across from my truck. If I was a braver man I might have tried going across that ice. But as warm as it's been and as warm as it is it's got to be at least 40 degrees. I'm almost down to my base layer. I'm still sweating. I'm sure it's going to cool down tonight though. We're just about around this corner right up here and start heading east to the back of the lake which is where I'm trying to get to to camp tonight. Well I don't know if this is just snow kill or what's going on but my my trail just kind of came to an abrupt end. I've been on this during the summer so I know it goes off in that direction. That's the way I'm gonna go. Obviously nobody's been back here. The ironic thing is I'm just going in for an overnight trip. I swear to god my pack's just as heavy as when we go for a week. Of course I don't like to get cold so I probably over packed a bit. Just popped out into the first clearing looking back at the dam. I don't seem like I'm that far. I've been trailing now for almost two hours but definitely slow going with the snowshoes. Finally found the trail again. We're heading this way. I was thinking of going all the way to the back of the lake but as slow going as this is I might just take the first spot I see. Well looks like we've made it to where the the lake splits in the back so I'm thinking we don't have too much farther now. He said I wasn't going to go all the way to the back but looks like the first available campsite is going to be in the back so I guess that's where we're headed. It's pretty damn warm. I mean it's cooled down a little bit and apparently my waterproof boots. They're not so waterproof anymore but I kind of anticipated that. I brought plenty of socks, dry socks. So once I get to where I'm going to camp and get fire going and my camp set up I'll change my socks and dry out my boots for a bit. But that is a pretty pretty spectacular view right here where I'm at. I think we're here. I can hear running water so I think right down there in that little ravine is where we're going to be staying tonight. Looks like we got too much farther to go. Be a bit of a climb getting out but I've been climbing the whole freaking way in here so a little climb to get out and downhill from there on out ain't a bad deal. Starting to get a little later. I got a couple hours of daylight left so I think unfortunately I'm going to make this spot right here my camp. Not my first choice. I was going to try to get into those pine trees over there but I don't think I got enough time and I'm not seeing any kind of a trail over there and it's steep so I'm pretty wore out. I about got my camp set up. I gotta say I am exhausted. I had ambitions of getting a fire. I don't think that's going to happen. I'm looking around but I don't have a lot of firewood. Nothing big anyway. I mean I could probably get a little one going for a minute but I don't think I have the energy and it is definitely starting to cool down now. Getting cold. It started to rain. Well ice rain anyway. Feet are getting cold so thinking I'll heat me up something to eat and I'm on some dry socks and I might hide out in my damn sleeping bag. Amazing how quiet it is up here. Can't get over that. I think I'm gonna get my bag up in my hammock, get some dry socks ready to go, take a few shots of whiskey, make me something to eat and call it a night. It'll be dark here in about an hour anyway. Well got camp set up, got a little food in me. Still light out but listen to some music, drink a little whiskey. Could be worse. I don't know how well you can see that but it's snowing pretty damn good. It's about 7 30 in the morning. I think I've been up since about four. Just waiting for there to be a little bit of light. It's been raining since probably about 1 30 non-stop. Now I'm just here getting things packed up. In the last hour or two it's turned to snow and a lot of it. Which is good. I think I'd rather walk in the snow than the rain. Well we're on trail. At least what I'm thinking is a trail. It's snowing pretty good. It's hard to tell but I think I can still kind of see my snowshoe tracks so I think we're good. We're trying to save what little water I got left but we might be doing most of this sand water. I think I made it back to the lake now. Took some slow going. Took a nasty tumble there back all the way. That was a little spooky. Took me about 10-15 minutes to get back to my feet but some of these areas are pretty damn steep. You don't want to be doing that. We recovered. Took a little break. Got a few calories in me. Now we're just heading for the truck. Well I'm thinking we're about halfway. I'm looking at the dam now and the lake. Snow's lightened up a little bit so that's that's a plus. Really not that cold. I mean my my hands and my feet are a little cold but that's the temperature. So I'm just gonna carry on. Keep at it. Snow is all but let up now. I can see my truck. I probably got another one of sight for sore eyes. Here we are back at the trailhead. Definitely a different beast by yourself. Nobody to kind of lean on or talk to but it's been a good one. Definitely been an adventure. So until next time. Over here somebody's got a snowcat parked there. I wonder if they're offering some uber service up to the truck.