Day 52

July 30, 2017                                                                                                               Day 52

Last night I had my tent in convertible mode and so I woke up this morning to the sun and just laid there for awhile resting my body before getting up.  Grabbing the bear spray and some water Travis and I walked back over to the cooking area and boiled water for coffee.  While he ate the granola cereal with hot water I had a slice of bread with peanut butter and honey.  Once we had everything cleaned back up we went back to our site and rested for awhile longer.  Around 10:00 or 11:00 we decided we should get going if we were going to do a hike up the to the pass today.  The plan was to hike up to said pass which would be a ten mile round trip.  Since it was only a day hike I took out my day pack and placed my 2 liter water bag inside along with a cliff bar and a few other essentials.  Putting that pack on after having that huge 50 pound pack felt like I was walking on air.  Since I didn't have the huge straps of my other pack I strapped my gun to my right hip and placed my knife on my left.  I was now ready to take on anything!

Setting out on the trail we felt great and energized!  The trail started off along the lake within the woods with ferns and other plants that rose up and over my hips almost concealing me from view. I felt like I was walking thru a wall of green and could become lost forever. The hike was ten miles but was not strenuous and I never became out of breath.  As we hiked the views were beyond spectacular and the landscape seemed to be painted on a canvas of colors.  We passed large thundering waterfalls that poured snow melt water into crystal clear streams that drained into even more pristine lakes where the water is the bluest blue I have yet to come across.  The lakes looked like something out of a Caribbean postcard.

The first waterfall we came across was pouring water into a secluded lake and as we moved further up the mountains the waterfalls poured snow melt water from their summits in spectacular fashion!  Wildflowers dotted the landscape with different hues of purples, pinks, reds, blues, and white.  The trees were of the darkest green and the landscape was saturated with color.  I truly could not get over how beautiful this area was.  We were literally at the border to Canada hiking among a pristine landscape that looked as those it was painted by the brush of an artist.

Some time around 13:00 we came across the family from yesterday and said our greetings.  Moving on we had to ford a few streams whose water was so cold it actually hurt ones feet to wade across.  When we reached the pass the land opened up into a scene from a portrait and I was blown away yet again!  Reaching the top we had a great view of the valley below and the surrounding mountains.  We sat up there for sometime eating a cliff bar that we split and I laid my pack against a rock and laid back looking out across the mountains and as I took a deep breath I thought of how blessed I am to be here in this moment. I could not have dreamed of anything better.

Around 15:00 we decided to head back before it started getting dark out and we had to try to traverse back without light.  As we descended, we decided to jog down the first stretch of the mountain and that was a blast and felt amazing.  Making our way back I felt so alive!  The way back to camp was all down hill and just as beautiful.  We made it down quicker than we did going up which was to be expected and at around 17:00 we were back at camp.   At camp we ditched our clothes for swimsuits and headed to the lake.  This time I walked up to my hips and dipped my hair in the ice cold water while Travis dove all the way in.

Once we were dry and in our camp clothes we continued our routine and went to the cooking area to make dinner.  It was nice that for once no on else was around while we cooked.  Tonight on the menu was a peanut butter and honey sandwich for an appetizer followed with the backcountry pantry cowboy chili dehydrated meal.  When it was done cooking in the bag we opened the bag to a glorious smell!  The chili was one the best I have had and was so tasty, spicy and hearty.  It filled me right up and tasted divine.  After we had demolished the bag of chili we cleaned up and by 19:30 we were both in bed. Though sleep would not come to me tonight.

 

Day 51

July 29, 2017                                                                                                            Day 51

My alarm went off at 05:30 and we made some coffee and drank that while driving to St. Mary's visitor center to acquire our back country permits.  It took some time to find a place at which we could camp at and still do quite a bit of hiking for almost all the sites were already booked or occupied.  We finally just asked the guy at the desk and he was able to help us out and after watching a 15 minute video and paying $28.00 we had our passes for two nights camping in the back country.  I walked to the gift shop and bought my sticker and a post card then we hopped back in the vehicle and drove to the store right at the entrance to the park.  There I sat in the vehicle catching up on messages while I had service while Travis ran in to use the restroom; or so I thought.  He came back out holding a brown paper bag that contained two croissant sandwiches which tasted so delicious and was a wonderful surprise!

We ate the sandwiches as we drove north towards the border of Canada where our hike would begin. Originally, we were hoping to go into Canada but since my passport was stolen I never bothered to acquire I new one so unfortunately we were not able to pass into Canada.  Arriving at the trail head we began the process of packing up all our gear into our packs for the three days.  It was interesting to do so for I have never packed a backpack for a hiking/camping trip before. My pack contained clothes, tent, hammock, gun, sleeping bag, journal, cookware, propane tanks and health essentials.  All in all we decided that my pack weighed in around 50 pounds.

Starting out on the trail we took pictures of a family at the trail sign and they returned the favor for us.  The trail was an easy one but with a heavy pack it was brutal.  I have never carried so much weight before and it added strain to my back and neck that I already have problems with.  I kept having to adjust the straps until I finally found the right position.  Unlike on our Guadalupe Peak hike, Travis and I did not talk much for I think we were both concentrated on the strain from our packs. Thankfully, it was not too hot out and there were multiple opportunities to stop near a stream and relieve ourselves of our packs.  At these stopping points, I dunk the bluff I had around my neck into the ice cold water from the streams and we ate cliff bars and did shots of honey.

The landscape was breathtaking to say the very least and we traversed woods, meadows and mountains, and crossed a one hiker at a time bridge which was a blast!  Waterfalls were abundant throughout the 13.3 mile hike to our campground.  We started our hike at 11:00 and reached Glenn's Lake Head campground around 17:30.  All I can say is that the last stretch of the hike was brutal and I was in quite a bit of pain.  A blister had formed from my big toe and encompassed two additional toes, my hips were rubbed open from my pack and my shoulders were raw from the straps.

When we finally did reach the campground we went straight to the food hanging area as we were instructed to do so and hung up all our food and smellables.  From there we had the pick of three camping sites and picked the one that was obscured by trees and off from the others.  It was perfect!  The first thing we both did was throw our packs on the ground, kick off our shoes and socks and walked very gingerly to the alpine lake that was right by our site.  Stepping into the lake my feet and legs instantly went numb but it felt so refreshing.  We both stood in this crystal clear lake looking up to the mountains that surrounded us.  The view and serenity of the area honestly cannot be described so I will not even attempt to do so; all I will say is that I was and am so at peace.  I can't believe that I am actually standing in a pristine lake in the back country of Montana! How has my life led me to this?

Drying off and changing into some clean camp clothes we set up our site and headed off to the cooking section where we joined the family we had met at the trail head. I think that at this point Travis and I were really hoping to just be alone and eat in solitude for this family talked a lot, but don't get me wrong though they were very nice people.  Seeing them makes we wish that one day when I have a family that we can go on back packing adventures together for I would have loved nothing more than to do that when I was a kid.  Anyways, Travis and I got to setting up our cooking area and boiled some water which we poured into a backcountry pantry bag of dehydrated Persian peach stew with chicken and waited 15 minutes for it to cook.  During that time, Travis used the families water bottle filter to fill up all our camelpaks and water bottles for we didn't bring my water drops.

When he came back we opened up the food bag and took turns eating out of the bag and I have to admit it was pretty darn tasty.  Once we polished that off we put everything away and we headed back to our site and as I sat in the hammock trying to write in my journal Travis was down by the water.  At one point he called me over and as I stood next to him near the water he showed me a spectacular view!  The lake was so calm that a perfect reflection of the mountain with the moon above it was reflected within the water.  It was a truly surreal moment and as we stood there, no words were spoken for we both were in awe and knew that there are no words to describe how we both felt to be in this place.

Day 50

July 28, 2017                                                                                                         Day 50

I slept so comfortably last night and just laid in the tent for some time before finally getting out.  We broke down camp together and I have to say we are quite efficient and work together great.  Once everything was put away we had some french press coffee and ate some granola cereal.  While we finished our coffee, Travis had noticed that the same car had driven past our campsite twice so he flagged the guy down and told him that we will be leaving shortly if he wanted to set up his tent.  So Travis assisted the guy in setting up his tent and then the guy went off to work.

On the road, the drive was quite uneventful and we spoke here and there.  As we approached Glacier National Park the mountains started to rise up within the distance and the landscape slowing changed from rolling hills to towering mountains.  Due to a slight issue with the directions we entered thru the Two Medicine entrance around 17:00 and as we received a map of the park we realized that the nearest visitor center was St. Mary's which was forty minutes away and closes at 18:00 so we attempted to make it there before then.  Unfortunately, we made it two minutes past 18:00 and found out that one can only obtain a back country permit between 07:00 and 16:30 and was a first come first serve basis.  

So with all the campgrounds full and no way to camp in the back country without a permit we drove within the park for awhile being taken aback by the beauty of the park.  The lakes are of the brightest blue I have ever seen, the landscape is covered in a rich emerald green and the mountains tower above it all with snow patches here and there.  Then there are the waterfalls that pour down the mountains along the side of the roads!  Since leaving the park was the only option we had in finding a place to camp we headed back towards the Two Medicine entrance.  Along the way, my app on my phone showed that there was another tent campground ahead so we headed that way.  Driving on the dirt road that led to the campground a vehicle stopped us and told us the campground was full so we turned around.  At this point, we were out of options and it was getting late and we were both sick of being in the vehicle.

With no options left, we may or may not have found a road that went off of the main road and camped there for the night.  Pulling over and "not camping" just parking we made peanut butter and honey sandwiches, drank a beer, and ate some sausage before calling it a night.

 

Day 49

July 27, 2017                                                                                                                    Day 49

We both woke up before 07:00 and while Travis made us some coffee I began packing up for the next couple days that we would be in Montana backpacking.  We went through everything I had in my camper and vehicle that I should bring and what he had and by 11:00 we were pretty much packed up with all our gear and on the road.  We took his vehicle due to mine having no room and because his gets better mileage.  Before leaving town we stopped at a grocery store to acquire a few more supplies and to buy ice for my cooler.

The drive was not a bad drive even though it was around nine hours for we went through the East section of Yellowstone National Park.  Within the park we stopped at a few geothermal sites which smelled like rotten eggs, saw a couple buffalo and watched as a coyote walked right next to our vehicle without a care in the world.  Entering Montana I understood why it is referred to as Big Sky country for there is nothing but rolling hills and a wide open sky as far as one can see.  There were no trees and the landscape stretched on and on.  It was interesting to see no large cities off in the distance let alone any small towns for miles upon miles.  As we drove on wards I could see myself riding horseback over the rolling hills with nothing all around me but pure freedom.

As Travis continued to drive I found us a camping spot, via my Ultimate Campgrounds app, at Battle Ridge - USFS for free.  The site itself was crowded but not a bad spot in the slightest and at this point that rain had subsided.  Setting up camp was quick and easy and within minutes we were settled in around a fire enjoying the sound of a red-tailed hawk off in the distance as the sun went down over the mountains.

Day 48

July 26, 2017                                                                                                                 Day 48

Throughout the night I woke up multiple times due to bad dreams and being cold; I need to invest in a warm sleeping bag or some more blankets. When I did wake up for good it was around 06:00 and 47 degrees outside.  Since I slept in my clothes I didn't have to make a mad dash to my vehicle to gather clothes and run back to my warm bed.  Stepping out into the brisk mountain morning I hit my head on the door frame and my back hurt from how I slept on it; however, I was thankful I wasn't woken up in the middle of the night to a ranger knocking on my door.

My plan today was to hike the Hermitage Point trail near Jackson Lake that was roughly nine miles in length and was a loop that went out to Hermitage Point..imagine that.  I will admit that I was really nervous for this hike due to all the bear warning signs and that one of the main points they said to avoid a bear attack was to never hike alone...which was exactly what I would be doing.  Though I was somewhat scared about the possibility of running into a grizzly bear I had no choice but to hike alone and I knew if I didn't do this hike I would be upset with myself.  Plus I knew if I ran away from everything that frightened me I would get nowhere in life and to me my only option was quite clear: I would just have to buck up and move forward!

With my day pack loaded down and a can of bear spray hanging from a strap I set out.  The hike had great views of the Grand Tetons and was not strenuous in the least for it was almost all on flat ground.  As I walked along, my eyes darted to my left, to my right, behind me and ahead of me looking for any sign of a bear in the distance.  My ears were attuned to every little noise or break of a stick.  In the beginning of my hike I walked into a foggy meadow where dew hung on every blade of grass and there I spotted a female mule deer with a beautifully spotted and hyper young one by her side.  She stepped onto the trail and looked at me with those huge ears of hers up like antennas, I took a few steps back to give her some space and when she determined I was no threat she continued on with her young one jumping along behind her.  I prefer mule deer over whitetail deer for I just love their huge ears and their young are a lot cuter.

Continuing on, I saw quite the array of wildlife which to me is what makes a hike and the reason I go on hikes.  The wildlife that I came across included: Trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), American coots (Ulica americana), Canada geese (Branta canadensis), a Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos),  Common ravens (Corvus corax), multiple Northern flickers (Colaptes auratus), a weasel I was not able to identify and then I got within five feet of a ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) that didn't care about me one bit.

The hike in general was a decent hike and the scenery was quite impressive but near the end my back was hurting due to how I slept on it the previous night and I was tired of being on edge the whole hike.  When I arrived back at my vehicle I used the restroom at the visitor center and took out my cold pasta from the previous evening and ate it cold out of the bowl while I sat in my vehicle.  My next stop would be Travis's house in Cody, Wyoming which was around a four hour drive and would take me through Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone National Park was busy and I was not even near the section that contained Old Faithful.  Along the way, there were quite a few places I wanted to stop at but I wanted to get to Cody before it became too late and parking near any of those sites with my camper seemed like it would be a challenge.  I pulled into his driveway around 16:00 and was excited to be able to take a breather and most importantly take a hot shower!  Stepping inside I had my own room with a bed that was the size of my camper!  I threw my things down on the floor and jumped on the bed and just laid there soaking up the feeling of a comfortable bed beneath me.  The only thing better then the bed was walking into the bathroom and being able to pluck my eyebrows, take a hot shower and take my time shaving and beautifying myself.  For the first time in a long time I blow dried and straightened my hair and stepping out of the bathroom I felt like a brand new person!  I literally cannot explain how great I felt and the tranquility that washed over me.

I even tempted fate and weighed myself and found that I had indeed lost some weight but not as much as I was hoping.  Though when I think about it, with my height, I think it is a good weight and most importantly I feel great and for the first time I really like the way I look and feel.  Everyone always has something they want to improve on and I am no different but I am not really concerned about those things anymore.  I am content with how I look. Anyways I went on and did a load of laundry and sat on the coach updating my journal and blog.

When Travis came home from work we caught up and decided to drive into town to get dinner and a drink.  We headed to a Mexican restaurant and split an order of fajitas and while we ate we talked constantly about many things and I was laughing to the point that my face hurt. Once we had all we could eat we walked down the street to the Silver Dollar where we had two more drinks.  Again as we sat there it felt like I had known him for a lot longer than just a few days and my chest hurt from all the laughing I was doing.  It is so nice to just be able to have a relaxing conversation and feel so at ease with another person; especially, one that shares a lot of the same interests and excitement for adventure!

Day 47

July 25, 2017                                                                                                                Day 47

When I woke up this morning it was odd for I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep last night that's how tired I was.  Pulling the covers back it was a cool 55 degrees out so I grabbed a pair of pants out of my vehicle and ran back into my camper for shelter. From there I decided to head down to on the visitor centers near Colter Bay and brush my teeth in the bathroom.  I then went into the gift shop to buy my sticker and was shocked at how nice it was.  I literally wanted everything that was in that shop and there were so many great things that I could buy for gifts but at the same time the price was not my cup of tea.  What is interesting is that throughout the park there are about three visitor centers and each center has a grocery store, gift shop, laundry/showers, and a gas station.

Once I glimpsed at the weather I noticed that it was supposed to rain almost the entire day and frankly I am tired of hiking in the rain all the time.  So I figured this would be the perfect time to catch up on my blog and other things I need internet and cell service for.  From the visitor center, I drove to Jackson Lodge and went up to the lobby to find a place to sit.  Now, if I were to be honest it was nice to say that I was in a lodge but I would have preferred to be in a Starbucks for it would have been quieter to work.  People were coming and going constantly and kids were running around and then someone decided to play the piano; it was just a lot of commotion all the time and not tranquil like I was hoping for.  Finding an outlet was a whole other story for I kept following all the lamp cords to places in the center of all the rugs that I could not get to!  I finally found one that just reached when I pulled the chair a tad closer.  I then decided I would get a cup of coffee from the outpost in the lobby that had Starbucks cups with those little Starbucks drink holder things.  Oh but they were not associated with Starbucks and do not take Starbucks gift cards so I had to pay for the coffee and when I asked why then do they sell their coffee in Starbucks cups they could not give me an answer! Grrr.

Finally, situated with my expensive ass coffee and my computer plugged in I typed away.  I was there switching between writing in my journal and updating my blog for a good three to four hours. At that point it was going on 15:00 and I decided to leave the lodge.  I really didn't have anything to do since by the time it stopped raining an hour later it was too late to start any of the hikes that I wanted to do.  Instead, I drove around taking in the views and hoping to spot some wildlife along the way.   I saw a huge group of people pulled over on the side of the road and knew that there had to be an animal of some sort nearby so I did what any tourist would do and pulled over also.  Apparently, there was a mother grizzly with two cubs bedded down off in the distance.  I pulled out my binoculars and after a few minutes the mothers head popped up and then went back down: that folks is my grizzly bear encounter.

I will say that all day I have been in a crappy mood and I would like to attribute that to the fact that I am in this amazing place but spent the entire day inside a building and also that finding a true camping spot has proven to be difficult.  Granted it was raining today so that's somewhat justifiable since I am tired of being in the rain and if I got wet I would be cold and my camper does not have a heater.  Plus I have determined that although I love rain and storms most of the time when its foul weather my temper tends to join in and be foul also.

At 17:00 I decided to go back to the picnic area I was at last night to make some pasta and tempt fate by "parking" there again.  Yes, there was one campground still open but I am on a tight budget and do not want to pay $30.00 to just sleep.  Anyways, while I was cooking up my pasta a Indian family slowly drove backwards to my camper which was hilarious and as they passed the wife said they had to come back because she wanted to see my camper.  So I gave them the grand tour and they were a huge family all of whom loved my camper.  Then the husband asked if I wanted one of their subway sandwiches! I mean how nice of them to offer me a sandwich of theirs when obviously they only bought enough for themselves! I politely and graciously declined and as they were leaving one of the little girls said I was very pretty! I mean my heart just melted they were so cute and such a wonderfully nice and sweet family!

When they were gone I ate my pasta which was actually really good.  Then I did all my dishes and cleaned up my camper the best I could.  I tried to write in my journal outside to see the sunset but the mosquitoes were large and on the hunt!  So I finished writing in my blog and then crawled under all the covers in my clothes to go to bed.

 

Day 46

July 24, 2017                                                                                                              Day 46

Off to Wyoming I go!!!  The excitement I had in getting to Wyoming was short lived for the drive was boring and due to no cell service that meant no music and the only radio channel that would come in was church music and no offense but I will not be listening to that.  If you don't know already, driving for me is not a good thing if I get bored for I have a bad tendency to fall asleep.  I used to be great at driving no matter the distance but I think as soon as I moved into a newer vehicle that was not as bumpy and loud as my truck it all changed.  So in order to make myself stay focused I ate and I ate the shit out of my dried fruit and nut mix!

As soon as I crossed the border into Wyoming I came across a group of "cowboys" on their horses rounding up cattle and I so wanted to pull my vehicle over to the side of the road and ask if I could join them! But alas I kept on driving.  Wyoming near the Utah/Colorado border looks pretty close to the landscape in Oklahoma, southern Texas, and northern Utah if that makes any sense at all.  It is just an open landscape that stretches on for miles with rolling hills of no green. I did see my first ever Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaeots) on the side of the road on top of a deer carcass!  I wanted to pull over to snap some photos and admire it but apparently the people of Wyoming love to drive right on top of each other.

After about four hours of driving I entered Rock Springs, WY and went straight to the UPS store to ship out a gift for a family members birthday.  At the store, I got to talking with the guy that was assisting me so I ended up being there for about ten to fifteen minutes.  From there I drove to the Starbucks across the street and was going to go in and update my blog but after speaking with Travis I decided I would rather be closer to Jackson, WY where I was planning on camping.  So off I went again and arrived in Jackson around 18:30.  Unfortunately, when I arrived I realized that there wasn't a lot of free camping spots.  It was either National Park campsites or free natural forests sites that I could not find a road to get in to anywhere.

With no real plan at all (tends to be my life story!) I drove on wards to Grand Tetons National Park.  Entering the park, I had just missed the visitor center open hours so after showing the "gate keeper" my Access Pass and ID I began a trek up the park on the scenic route.  It was indeed scenic! With the sun setting behind the mountains the view was breathtaking for I was driving right next to those massive mountains.  I should mention that as I gave my pass and ID to the "gate keeper" I noticed a sign that said all but two of the park campgrounds were full.  To give one an idea of how many people had to be within the park; just one of those campgrounds accommodates 81 RVs and additional sites for tents!

By the time I was in the park and driving up the scenic road it was getting darker and darker out and I was exhausted from driving all day long. Sooooo...I saw a sign for a picnic area and although in the park newspaper they give you (which of course I read because I'm a nerd like that) it states that camping in picnic areas and other such areas is prohibited.  Well if one wants to get technical I'm really only "parking."  I decided to chance a meeting with a ranger, already coming up with my excuse in the best innocent girl act I can do, and spend the night at the picnic area.