I must admit I was actually nervous for this hike. My knee was most definitely still in recovery mode and somehow I’d decided that it was a good idea to backpack 20 plus miles up and over a couple of large peaks in Glacier’s backcountry. But the allure of snow covered vistas, pristine alpine lakes, and wild mountain goats was too much. This had to be done. Perhaps it was never a real choice at all. Read more
It seems our first night in the Glacier backcountry proved mildly successful. I've emerged from the 10 mile hike with little to no soreness in my recovering knee and Meisha, although sore and tired, made it in and out just fine despite her own recovering hip injury. The next few days will dictate how much more backcountry will be experienced. At this point, Meisha isn't feeling particularly confident about moving to more strenuous trails and multi-day treks. Injuries suck! Read more
We now carry bear spray with us. What a strange feeling. Three "mountain" kids traveling together and all of us are more-or-less completely inexperienced with bears. Yesterday, we stopped at a porting supply store for camping advice and I couldn't help but be thoroughly entertained as Jared had to ask the man at them store how bear spray worked. I felt pretty silly when Jared explained its proper use to and I wondered if I might have fumbled with it in a pinch had I not had said explanation. We're exploring new country indeed. Read more
As we left Ketchum and made our way up the winding mountain roads, it became clear that we were in for a different experience of the sawtooth range than expect (although we generally don't know what to expect). Smoke began to fill the air and the sun struggled to burn through it, resulting in a brilliant orange sunset glow in the middle of the afternoon. I'll never forget the moment we crested the last ridge as the sawtooths came into full view. I'd heard stories of these jagged mountains, but had never seen a picture. There's just something about snarled and dramatic mountain peaks that makes my blood pump faster and renews my zest for life. Read more
