今年31歲了，按照往年生日都要探索一個新地方的傳統，我們去了太浩湖畔的蒼茫荒野背包露營。自從2014年第一次到大瑟爾露營起，過去八年，我和朋友們在加州四處紮營（露營是我在史丹佛最快樂的回憶之一），但是直到去年秋天，我們才開始嘗試背包露營。
身為在都市長大的小孩，以前我去露營總要帶上一車的家當，以確保我在享受戶外的同時能保持與文明世界的聯繫。一開始我對「背包露營」的概念充滿懷疑，因為我不相信我能將我所有需要的東西都裝進一只背包。後來事實證明，當我重新思考我真正「需要」什麼後，我為自己開拓了更多的可能性。（這個道理或許在人生各個方面都適用。）
從尋找水源、選擇路線，到申請許可，背包露營都比一般露營需要更縝密的籌劃。因為人體負重有限，我必須更仔細地思考我真正需要帶的東西，所以背包露營對我來說其實是一項頗耗腦力的活動。但是當我完成所有的策劃，將我所有的家當塞進一個背包後，我感覺好像一下子解放了——原來我真正需要的東西沒有想像中的多，靠著一個背包，我就能探索許多汽車到不了的地方，就如今年五月的雷斯岬、六月的凱瑟荒野。
其實我以前來過蒼茫荒野——2015年和2019年和朋友一起攀登塔拉克山時，都留下了十分難忘的回憶。（尤其是2015年沿著雪坡一路滑下山的經歷，我一輩子都不會忘記。）但是這是我第一次深入蒼茫荒野。前兩次在塔拉克山頂上極目遠眺，一側是碧波蕩漾的太浩湖、翡翠灣、小瀑布湖，另一側則是火星一般的荒蕪——無邊無際的巨大花崗岩山峰間零星地點綴著藍寶石般的高山湖泊。這次我們就是在這一片火星般的荒蕪間抬頭仰望著塔拉克山巍峨的峰頂——雖然是同一片區域，但是從不同的角度，卻是截然不同的意趣。
這次三天兩夜的行程，兩個晚上各在一個不同的高山湖畔紮營，沿途經過許多壁立千仞的花崗岩峰、蒼翠靜謐的松林，還有巨石纍纍的曠野，我的胸懷彷彿也如眼前的荒野般遼闊開朗，平時生活工作上的許多煩惱，此刻彷彿只是山間一閃即逝的清風。這是我為什麼喜歡戶外的許多原因之一——紅塵中的所有紛紛擾擾，在在看似永恆的大山大河面前，都顯得如此微不足道、轉瞬即逝。
這次出門露營，恰逢熱浪襲捲北加州，山上雖然比灣區涼爽，但是背著十幾二十公斤的背包，在海拔兩千多公尺、樹蔭稀少的花崗岩山峰上健行也甚是吃力，所以每到了紮營的湖畔，我們從湖中過濾完我們需要的飲用水之後，總是迫不及待地衝到湖中，讓沁涼的湖水洗去一身的暑氣。加州因為是沙漠氣候，一般入夜後氣溫下降得很快，但是這次因為熱浪的關係，晚上我們得以撤下帳篷頂的遮雨篷，在滿天的星斗和松林的暗影下進入夢鄉，也算是十分難得的體驗了。
今年，我成功地籌劃了一趟難忘的背包露營。旅程結束後，我覺得我的腦力、體力和意志力，都向前邁出了一大步。希望以後每年的生日在「讀萬卷書、行萬里路」之餘，也都能有這樣的進步。
I am turning 31 this year. Following the tradition of exploring a new place on my birthday every year, we went backpacking in the Desolation Wilderness by Lake Tahoe. Since my first camping trip to Big Sur in 2014, I have camped all over California with my friends in the past 8 years. (Camping was one of my happiest memories at Stanford.) However, it wasn’t until last fall did we start to explore backpacking.
Growing up in a city, I used to always bring a car full of stuff when I went camping so that I could stay connected to the civilized world while enjoying the outdoors. At first, I was suspicious about the idea of backpacking because I didn’t believe I could fit everything I need into a backpack. It turns out that when I rethink what I really “need,” I open up a lot more opportunities for myself. (This principle probably applies to all aspects of life.)
From finding water sources, picking hiking routes, to applying for permits, backpacking requires a lot more planning than car camping. Since I can only carry so much weight, I have to think very carefully about what I really need to bring. To me, backpacking requires a lot of brain activities, but when I finally finish planning and fitting everything I need into my backpack, it is a very liberating experience, as I realize I actually don’t need as many things as I thought. With everything I have in my backpack, I can explore many places that cars cannot get to, such as Point Reyes this May and the Kaiser Wilderness in June.
I have been to the Desolation Wilderness before — when I hiked Mt. Tallac with my friends in 2015 and 2019, we had some pretty incredible memories. (Especially in 2015 when we slid down the mountain on our butts — I will never forget it.) However, this is the first time I ventured deep into the wilderness. In 2015 and 2019, when I looked around from the summit of Mt. Tallac, I saw the beautiful Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay, and Cascade Lake with rippling blue waves on one side. The other side looked like Mars — boundless giant granite peaks with a few sapphire alpine lakes scattered among them. This time we were among this Mars-like wilderness, looking up to the majestic summit of Mt. Tallac. Although we were in the same area, everything had a different flavor when we looked from a different perspective.
We spent two nights in the Desolation Wilderness, and each night we camped by a different alpine lake. On our way, we saw many mighty granite peaks, quiet pine forests, and fields covered with giant boulders. The scenery made my mind feel as open and vast as the wilderness in front of my eyes — many troubles in my daily life seemed to be nothing more than a fleeting breeze in the mountains. This is one of the many reasons why I love the outdoors — all problems in the secular world feel so insignificant and transient in front of the seemly eternal mountains and rivers.
There was a heat wave hitting Northern California during our trip. Although the mountains were cooler than the Bay Area, hiking on granite peaks with little shades at 6000 – 8000 ft carrying a 20-30 lbs backpack was still quite strenuous. Therefore, every time when we arrived at our campsite by the alpine lake, we pumped the drinking water we need out from the lake, and we rushed into the lake to let the cold lake water wash away the summer heat. Since California is a desert, the temperature usually drops quickly after it gets dark. However, this time due to the heat wave, we were able to remove the rainfly from our tent at night and fell asleep under the starry sky, which is a very special experience.
This year, I successfully planned an unforgettable backpacking trip to the Desolation Wilderness. After the trip, I felt like my brain, my body, and my willpower all took a big step forward. In my future birthdays, I hope I can keep making progress like this as I continue to “read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles.”
