How Do You Do, Mr. Caribou?

Pyramid Lake

Pyramid Lake

I woke up exactly seven minutes before the rain came pouring down on me. It was 4:55 a.m. and I had just enough time to pack up all my belongings and get on with my morning hike. Cold and wet... I started my three-breath-yawns and felt my eyes rolling to the back of my head and closing on me as I inched up a six mile incline. Full exhaustion. I contemplated walking back to the road and spending another day in Bonners Ferry... Oh, the thought of a warm blanket while watching daytime soap operas never sounded so good. The rain subsided by 8:30 and I was ready for a morning nap in the middle of the trail. It's important to listen to your body and take a break here or there to keep your spirits high. I warmed up a pot of hot chocolate and was greeted by the sun. I can do this... One foot in front of the other... This is what I signed up for.  

What a beautiful day it turned out to be. Near the top of Parker Peak, I took a lovely lunch break to dry out my socks and munch down on a cheese and chip burrito. What do you know, a giant grey-white humped beast visited me... This was no moose, no elk, no dear... It could only be a caribou and just 100 feet from my rest spot! No photos for proof, but I know what I saw and relished in its company.

The hike ended at the gorgeous Pyramid Lake campground. All alone, I was as happy as a reindeer... Part of me wished I could have shared the day with a companion, but a larger part of me felt proud and accomplished to have pulled through on such a high note. 

Fruit of the Gods

 Rubus parviflorus, commonly called thimbleberry, salmonberry, and snow bramble, is a species of Rubus, native to western and northern North America, and the Great Lakes region. Wikipedia

 

  1. Rubus parviflorus, commonly called thimbleberry, salmonberry, and snow bramble, is a species of Rubus, native to western and northern North America, and the Great Lakes region. Wikipedia

How does one begin to describe perfection? Well, I first tasted this fruit in Washington nearly a year ago and have fantasized of it since. I've dreamt of a giant claw foot bathtub filled to the brim with thimbleberries, wondering if I would ever see them again. That day has come. Hiking through northern Idaho on a painfully soggy morning, I saw the beaming red berry burst across the trail and nearly lost my mind in pure bliss. 

Everything about it is perfect. Let's start with its color. I'm imagining a snow princess dressed in a crimson velvet cloak, and I'm certain it was dyed this color from the juice of this berry. The deepest, most vibrant blood red imaginable. Have you ever felt like you can taste a color?

Devine texture - they are so delicate that they roll into your fingers at the slightest touch, producing a single drop of juice in your hand to stain it for a lasting memory. Soft velvet. And the flavor... OH, the flavor! The sweetest perfect sour. Sometimes, I try to collect ten berries to pop in my mouth at once for a full explosion of taste. I go on and on in my head, wondering if this is an exaggeration, and then I eat one more to confirm that all I write here is completely true. Grandmothers and chefs around the world spend so much time creating recipes and flavor combinations to bring joy to our faces, but this fruit needs no altercation. It, alone, can make a grown man cry with pleasure.

You know what the best part about the wild snow bramble is? I usually find them growing on steep, rocky, sun exposed inclines, when I'm exhausted and frustrated. Nothing is better than a taste of divinity to ease the struggle. 

If I was wrongly accused of a heinous crime and sentenced to death, my last meal on earth would include one pound of this goddess fruit.

BORDER PATROL!!!

(on the Mexican border after completing my PCT hike) 

(on the Mexican border after completing my PCT hike) 

What a day this turned out to be. It was cold and wet - a nice treat to keep the bugs away on my many many miles of ups. I got so mad at my Dad. You see, he sent me off on this hike with an iPod Shuffle full of his favorite music. Hundreds of depressing country western songs to help me with my recent breakup, and this was the day I decided to listen. Are you kidding me? Tears poured harder than the rain when Sinéad O'Connor came on... At least it helped me hike fast and hard. Thanks Pops!

When I reached my last pass and ridge walk, a lightning storm approached. It was close. Too close. Close enough to make me run. It's hard to predict when these electrical storms will hit, but the last place you want to be is on top of a fully exposed mountain. Naturally, the sun poured down just over the pass. I felt fantastic and strong, so I made and early dinner and decided to hike on for a 27 mile day. This would put me in perfect position for a light road walk into town for tomorrow's breakfast. Yes!

All was going according to plan until I saw a new storm system approaching. Black clouds and lightning filled the sky. I made it to my goal and quickly set up shelter just before the trail head. The rain crashed down as I snuggled into my sleeping bag at 10:00. Suddenly, I heard a car park and saw a flashlight pointed in my tarp. "Put your hands outside of the tent where I can see them and slowly exit."

I was hardly dressed when the Border Patrol officer approached and had me hug a nearby tree to keep out of the rain. I asked if I could get my jacket, but was denied the request for "his protection and mine." I waited about an hour for his backup to come so they could search my belongings. Shit... I didn't even have an open bottled of breakfast whiskey for them to find. At this point, everything is getting wet: clothes, sleeping bag, electronics. I was allowed to sit in the back of the truck while they ran my record. To be perfectly honest, though, I was all smiles and happy as a clam in the excitement of a new trail story. 

When my record came back clean, I asked for a hitch into town... seeing as he got all my belongings wet and it could be a cold dangerous night. Cha-Ching!!! On the ride into Eureka, he reminded me that he was just doing his duty, keeping us Americans protected, my tax dollars supported this safety service, etc. I smiled silently in the back seat, rolling my eyes at the thought of how dangerous and threatening I must have appeared. Ha! Really? Was all that necessary? I'm not complaining, because I was thrilled to get a ride into town where I'd find a warm dry bed. He asked how this experience compared with he Border Patrol near Mexico when I finished the PCT last year. Ha ha ha! Again, I didn't say much, but giggled as I remembered celebrating in champaign and taking photos with the BP down south! 

The Silverado Motel

Bill, the cook, was covering graveyard shift when I stumbled in like a wet dog and he accidental gave me a key to an occupied room. You should have seen the look on all of our faces when I opened the door. This day just keeps getting better! It was nearly midnight and Bill felt bad so he fired up the grill to make a peace offering; the most delicious, juiciest hamburger any hiker would kill for and two cold beers on the house. He goes on my favorite people list, not just for the food, but for the amazing company, too.

Jo let me do a load of laundry in the morning, and then Barb, the bartender, inspired me with her wisdom, stories and kindness. More to add to the favorite people list. Did I mention the sheets and towels? The softest, most comfy fabric of any trail motel I've ever seen. Again and again, I'm reminded that storms end with sun. If you ride it out with a smile, you'll be surprised how good everything works out on its own.

I've Got 99 Problems And Mosquitos Are All Of Them

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My only complaint, my only problem in life... bug bites. I knew they were going to be bad, but I couldn't have possibly comprehended the magnitude of torture I'd find on the PNT. After my first night of cowboy camping, I counted 58 bites on my face alone. That was while sleeping with a bug net over my face. It is getting to the point where I question continuing... Well, I only question this at the end of the day and early morning when they swarm in packs of 20,000. 

I hate hiking in pants, they bite through my wool long underwear, it's too hot for a fully zipped sleeping bag and I'm using a tarp for shelter (rather than a fully enclosed tent). 100% DEET seems to be doing something, but YIKES! that chemical compound has already melted the labeling off from its toxic potency. A lovely couple suggested a new eucalyptus/lemon oil product, which I'm now in the market for (they also shared an ice cold Carona on top of the Webb Mountain Look Out Tower). 

My grand idea is to find a bridal store that sells tulle by the acre. I'll dye it orange fading into a deep red to match the sunset and double layer it for added protection. I'll sew myself a cape, a gown, a veil... Anything to protect me from these blood thirsty suckers.  

I know I need to look on the bright side of things and stay positive. I mean, come on, if these bug bites are my only problems in life, I've got it pretty good. No bills, no obligations, no stress, no anxieties, no health issues... I'll take the itchy bumps over the former any day.

P.S. If you have any tips, please respond!!! 

Glacier National Park

Photo credit: Josh "Monkey Leg" Stewart

Photo credit: Josh "Monkey Leg" Stewart

... is AMAZING! 

I have no expectations for everyone to attempt a thru-hike, but please get out into nature and experience some of this stuff!

The PNT runs from the NE corner of Glacier directly across the park. Almost 60 miles of untouched beauty. Take 5 days, take 10 days, I don't care, just get out there and enjoy it. Monkey Leg had a few days off and hiked with me across heaven. There was some rain, a small snow patch, a perfect swimming hole, a wrong turn and plenty of breathtaking waterfalls. 

I still can't believe we made it in 2.5 days. This section passes through the most delightful "town" of Polbridge, where one must indulge in the famed baked goods and cold beer. Naturally, it provided more lifelong friends and stories to share. I was surprised to meet 7 other thru-hikers, as this trail was said to be a bit more remote, but am thankful to know that I'm in close company. Can't wIt to see what will come next.

 

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