**NRS's first mini thru- hike backpacking event!**

It will be close to home (Santa Cruz Mountains) and can be done over a long weekend. We will hike, set up camp, stay the night, pack up, hike, set up camp, stay the night, pack up ... you get the picture!

We are going for **light packing** on this trip as it will have significantly more hiking than we have done with packs on previous trips. As we get closer we will plan how many of the shared items we will pack (i.e. camp stoves, fuel, food, water filtration,) and who is carrying what to distribute the weight among all the hikers.

**DAY 1 - Friday 8/30 or Saturday 8/31 (see end of trip note) - Drop off Portola Redwoods Headquarters. Easy hike day!**

***Hike: 3 miles, 550 ft of climb*** *\- mostly flat trail with most of the climb in the first half mile \, then flat and shaded\.*

***Camp: Slate Cree*k Trail Camp** \- no water at camp\. There is a creek to filter water from\.

**DAY 2 - Leave Slate Creek for Castle Rock - BIG HIKE Day!**

***Hike: 10 miles 2400 ft of climb*** *\- mostly shaded\, but we will work hard this day\. I will schedule some pack training hikes to get ready for this trip\.*

***Camp: Castle Rock Trail Camp*** *\- no water at camp and no easily accessible water to filter from\. We will arrange a water pick up on our way to camp\.*

**DAY 3: Leave Castle Rock to Waterman Gap Trail Camp - Moderate hike day!**

***Hike: 7 miles 300 ft of climb, 1400 ft of descent -*** *all shaded, but moderate hike with a lot of descent which can also be tough.*

***Camp: Waterman Gap Trail Camp*** *\- this is the one in question\. If we do not want to stay a third night we can be picked up on HWY 35 \- Skyline Blvd \- close to here or we can camp one more night\. If we only stay out 2 nights I would rather start on Saturday 8/31\.*

**TOTAL DISTANCE: about 20 miles, total climb about 3250 ft of climb**

***All with everything you decide to bring! My advice, that I will be trying my best to follow, pack light! Real light!***

The "New and Returning and Slow. Oh my!" Runners Group

Sports & Fitness

Walking

Exercise

Fitness

Outdoor Fitness

Running

Beginners Running

BACKPACKING: Mini Thru-Hike Backpacking Trip 

This content is available only to members

Share this event

BACKPACKING: Mini Thru-Hike Backpacking Trip

Details