Desolation Wilderness May 5/31-6/1 2016 aka Dutch Oven Trip

So as my culinary endeavors backpacking continued to grow closer to the apex of backcountry cooking, I was discussing with Derek and John food ideas for the trip as the school came to a close. I had done pretty much every meal possible with an MSR Wisperlite backpacking stove, and since we were trying to do something new, we decided on a Lasagna, which required the use of an oven. So after some testing in the backyard, I perfected a dutch oven lasagna. This presented us with the dilemma: the Lodge dutch oven I have weighs 45lbs on its own. Since I was still riding the Philmont high of death marches and heavy packs, I was not even worried about it. Jack decided to come along as well, and since we were both trying to ski every month of the year, we decided that there would be no smarter idea than to bring skis so we could knock out May and June. We set out on the trip, burdened with all the necessary gear and food we decided on bringing. My pack weighed in at 108 lbs without water. We got to the Fallen Leaf Lake trailhead, exited and ready, hiking at a fast pace, with the trip off to a great start! A few miles in, we get to a creek that is running quite high due to the early season. I start trying to cross over a snow bridge and am foiled by the extra 100lbs I was carrying, and broke through into the creek, leaving me with a soaked boot. As we continued to Gilmore lake, the amount of snow on the ground increased and when we got to the campsite, there was only a small dirt patch by a tree, big enough to fit two tents. Needless to say, the rest of the trip was cold and wet. This is probably one of the most memorable trips I have been on and I don't know if I have ever enjoyed a backpacking trip less.