A 5-Day Adventure in West Glacier National Park
Recently, I embarked on a thrilling 5-day backpacking trip to West Glacier National Park, and it was an adventure that exceeded all expectations. From breathtaking landscapes to unforgettable wildlife encounters, this journey had it all. Here’s a detailed account of our trek through this stunning wilderness.
Arrival in Montana
We flew into Kalispell International Airport, filled with excitement and anticipation for the adventure ahead. After picking up our gear, we set off on a scenic 2.5-hour drive to Kintla Lake Campground. Along the way, we made a crucial stop at the ranger station to gather information and purchase bear spray and stove fuel—essentials for a safe and enjoyable trip.
As we arrived at our campsite, ominous clouds loomed overhead, signaling an approaching storm. We quickly set up camp, racing against the weather to ensure our gear was secure. Once we settled in, we gathered for a debrief, discussing our plans for the following day before driving the second vehicle to the Bowman Lake trailhead, setting the stage for our adventure.
Day 1: Wildlife Encounters and Scenic Trails
The next morning, we packed up our camp and hit the trail. Just less than a mile from the campground, we had our first major encounter: a sow bear and her cub on the trail! After snapping a few photos, we decided it was best to backtrack and give them space. We took a moment to enjoy our breakfast while we waited for the bears to wander off.
Once back on the trail, we hiked alongside Kintla Lake and North Kintla Lake, stopping for lunch at the North Kintla Lake campground. The day was filled with stunning views, and we completed approximately 12 miles with a 1,600-foot ascent before reaching our first campsite. We were exhausted but exhilarated by the beauty we had encountered.
Day 2: The Big Climb
Day 2 began early, and we were ready for our biggest challenge yet. Though it was only 10 miles, we faced a daunting 4,000-foot ascent over a grueling 3.5-mile stretch. The group pushed through the tough terrain, and despite one minor ankle sprain (which I was able to tape up), everyone persevered.
Navigating through dense brush, we finally crested the top and traversed the wall around “Hole in the Wall” before descending into our campground for the night. With only two other groups present, it was a peaceful evening under the stars.
Day 3: A Grizzly and a Swim
On Day 3, we took a leisurely start after enjoying coffee and breakfast. We split into two groups, with the slower team heading out first. About 1.5 miles into our trek, we encountered another grizzly, this time a male, grazing on huckleberries just 25 yards off the trail. We proceeded cautiously, keeping our bear spray ready.
After navigating around the valley, we arrived at North Bowman Lake early and took the opportunity to swim and dry out our gear. For a couple of hours, we had the campground to ourselves, soaking in the tranquility of our surroundings.
Day 4: Resupply and Storm Watching
On day four, we hiked the 7 miles to the Bowman Lake trailhead, where we met up with our cache vehicle for a much-needed resupply and rest. Our break at Bowman Lake was refreshing, with stunning views and a peaceful atmosphere. After enjoying lunch, we made our way to Quartz Lake, eager to beat an impending storm.
The “jackrabbit” group, eager to set up camp, departed first. We arrived at Quartz Lake just before the storm hit, setting up camp in record time. As the first wave of the storm rolled in, we watched in awe as the lake transformed from calm to choppy in just 20 minutes. The rain was manageable, allowing us to sit back and enjoy the wild beauty around us. However, the second wave was much stronger, and we quickly retreated to our tents. The groups’ Big Agnes Copper Spur tents did phenomenal. For me, despite testing a new trekking pole tent, I was pleasantly surprised at its performance against the elements, keeping me dry even in 2 inches of water beneath it.
Day 5: Final Descent and Reflections
On our final day, we woke to sunny skies and dried out our gear before packing up for the last trek back to the vehicles. The 7-mile hike included some challenging portions but was relatively straightforward compared to previous days. We navigated past Upper, Middle, and Lower Quartz Lakes, finally arriving back at our vehicles after less than four hours of climbing.
As we enjoyed snacks and reflected on our journey, it was clear that this trip did not disappoint. We encountered three black bears, one grizzly, and mule deer, with the thrilling sound of elk bugling in the distance. The stunning, remote landscapes of Glacier National Park left us in awe, and despite the storms, we experienced beautiful weather overall.
This backpacking adventure was a perfect blend of challenge and beauty, and I can’t wait for the next chance to return to West Glacier National Park and explore more of its majestic wilderness!
Go Outside! Disconnect. Your Body Will Thank YOU!
Have you ever spent multiple days away from normal life? Have you ever disconnected, like truly disconnected from technology, normal flow and civilization? I have been backpacking for a while now. With 30+ trips under my belt, there is something that I begin to notice on the 3rd day. Everything begins to change. Of course the first couple days include normalization and acclimatization but beginning on the third day, the vibe of the whole group change.
There is an awareness and understanding the the only thing that matters is the trail in front of you and the beauty around you. The ritual of setting up your campsite, gathering around the fire, sharing meals, filtering water, taking down your campsite, etc. is now your day-to-day existence. It’s a bonding experience. Your old reality begins to fade away.
Florence Williams, the author of the The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative (W.W. Norton, 2017) writes about this in her book. She introduces readers to Neuroscientist David Strayer, who teaches and does research at the University of Utah. Strayer often takes time away to go backpacking talks about how some of his best ideas come about after three days in the backcountry.
In The Nature Fix, Strayer says, “Having hiked around the desert for years, I noticed in myself, and from talking to others, that people think differently after being out in the desert. Their thoughts are clearer, they’re certainly more relaxed, they report being more creative”. “If you can disconnect and experience being in the moment for two or three days, it seems to produce a difference in qualitative thinking.”
Strayer wanted to find ways to test what he started calling “the three-day effect,” a kind of neural reboot that might boost creativity. “I wanted to try to understand what was going on inside the brain,” he says.
Williams then talks about a study that Strayer conducted in 2012. It was later published and can be read about here. Strayer and his colleagues followed and studied 28 backpackers before and after Outward Bound trips. The research team conducted tests which showed participants performed almost 50% improvement in a creative thinking and insight problem-solving.
What is this attributed to? Strayer shares, in his study, that “the frontal cortex (our executive taskmaster) of the backpackers’ brains got a much-needed break”. Other recent studies show how the attention network of the brain is over stimulated for most people these days. Just the normal course of life can have a exhausting impact on our brains with so many things/tasks begging for our attention. Whether it be, emails, pings, texts, social media, the news, politics, responsibilities, etc… All these things get the best of us and end with people talking about how tired they are.
What studies have shown is by freeing up the attention network, other parts of the brain are awakened. Increased sensory perception, empathy and productivity come alive when allowed.
When we get people in the backcountry, that first day, your mind is doing a reset. By day two, you see some people begin struggling with this detox and wanting normal back although that is overtaken by the beauty around you. By day three, everything begins to change. You begin noticing cloud patters, developing a more keen sense to smell and sounds; time begins to dissipate and only care about the trail and the beauty around you.
This is not the same effect as the beach. You can go to the beach but you are still around people and technology. Believe me, the beach is great! My family loves it; but there is something different that occurs. Our brains need more than a vacation effect. Our brains need the three-day effect that only comes from time in the outdoors.
Strayer leaves us with one last nugget. He explains how there are specific brain waves called “theta waves” which speed up during cognitively demanding tasks. He also communicates that those same waves slow down and become much more silent when we are out in nature and off and away from our phones. His advice: turn your phone off and go outside!
We see this same trend in behavior in our trips. We encourage everyone to turn off their phones and to just BE. The first 2 days is a new realization. Sometimes that is tougher for others to “wash away whatever clinging to civilization you have brought with you”. However, on that 3rd day, things change.
This means that on our 3-day trips, you can achieve this “reset” or “refresh” just in time to finish up and head home. On our 5-7 days trips, you get to EXIST in that refreshed state for a couple days and boy does it feel good. You come back refreshed, rested and with a clear mind. I once had a participant (a business executive) tell me that he had been mulling over how to present his strategic plan to the board for 3 weeks. After coming back from a trip, he was able to sit down and finish his proposal in less than 3 hours.
Equipped Outdoors trips are meant to help you reset. To teach you some new skills and build new relationships. To learn more about yourself and to grow. We do all this in the security of a guided backpacking trip in the backcountry of some of the most beautiful areas of the United States. Sign up for a trip today.
Come and see for yourself.
Check out this article by CityLifestyles
City Lifestyles is an awesome publication who highlights some of the top businesses in the area! We were honored when CityLifestyles reached out and requested to feature Equipped Outdoors on their July Adventure issue! Give it a read beginning on page 38.
A Winter R2R2R
Looking out over the southern rim before beginning our descent.
Happy New Year! The first weekend of January, Equipped Outdoors lead a small group of guys on the trip of a lifetime! This trip would later challenge everyone both physically and mentally more than we originally planned.
As we embarked on our 3.5day R2R2R trek of the Grand Canyon, energy was high and the weather was beautiful! It was the weather was as you’d expect in January with cloudy skies, temps on the South Rim were around 35degrees and a little cloudy.
Day 1, we hiked 7+ miles down to Bright Angel campground. This trek included a 4,700’ descent. We passed about 30-40 people coming back up but nobody was going down. Still all were excited about making it down and the sights to see!
Since we didn’t start our descent until 2:30pm, we wouldn’t arrive at our campsite until closer to 7pm. Upon arriving at Bright Angel, we set up camp and prepared for our 7mi trek the next day to Cottonwood campground. This was going to be our easy day as we had a 22mi day on day 3 where we would go from Cottonwood to the North Rim and back to Bright Angel on the same day.
Day 2, We got up, packed up our gear and on we went. Day 2 is the day you trek through the canyon corridor. It is filled with enormously high walls, constant turns and stunning views. The rock formations made up of red rock, granite and more are constantly changing adding to the landscape. You also follow Bright Angel Creek; with it comes the sounds of a roaring creek. Wow! One of my favorite days!
We also stopped by Ribbon Falls! Wow! What a sight. Approximately a mile hike back to the falls where you can hike up to and behind it.
After the falls, we had ~2mi remaining. We arrived at camp and prepared our site for the night and our gear for the early start the next morning. Cottonwood Campground is 1700’ higher elevation than Bright Angel CG so it was automatically colder. This caused us to want to go to bed sooner as well.
Day 3, this was the big day! This was the planned North Rim bid and long hike back. Due to tired legs and sore knees only 2 got up at 3am. We grabbed our gear and were on our way. Strategically, we left some items at the campsite knowing we’d have lighter packs and we’d be passing through by on the way back. This began 4 hours straight of hiking the trail in the dark by headlamp. We made it to Manzanita in an hour but were paused when we saw a sign stating the trail was closed for construction. After sitting around, warming up and eating oatmeal, we decided the sign stated it was only closed from 8am-4pm and we could proceed. By sunrise, we were just below (~200’) Redwall bridge. We ate some oatmeal and talked. From here, we began to see technical ropes begin to appear over the edges of the rim and decided not to continue. It was time to turn around to ensure safety and not have any potential rock fall accidents. Once back at cottonwood, we met up with the rest of the group, packed up our camp and headed back past Ribbon Falls and back through the Corridor. All in all, we had 19mi on day 3.
As we arrived to Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground, we came across some rangers and took it as an opportunity to confirm the weather forecast that our Garmin provided us. This whole time we’d seen the weather go from 10% chance of snow to 60% and 2-3” to 90% and 10” or more. Sure enough, the ranger informed us that the weather kept changing but that a winter storm was coming and would hit around 3-4 am. We thanked them and went back to our site. After setting up camp, we agreed that we would rather get ahead of the storm than be behind it so we made plans to leave at 1am the next morning. Time for another night trek!
Day 4, alarms went off at midnight. We got up, packed up our packs, checked our headlamps and were on our way. Within a mile of leaving camp we began to see flurries. The wind started picking up and by the time made it to Tipoff Point, the snow was coming down and there was about an 1” on the ground. The winds were minimal so we hung out, made some breakfast and elected to continue.
From there, things got exciting. The winds began to pick up , snow got stronger and visibility diminished. We had to hunker down several times as visibility dropped to minimal and the winds became dangerously intense. We switched to our micro spikes and gaiters which helped immensely. By the time made it Skeleton Point, I was looking for a place to hunker down and wait it out. When nothing was around we pushed forward knowing there was a bathroom shelter a mile further where we could wait it out. Every step was taken deliberately and tactically. Every step was taken in faith. We had reached a crucial moment. We needed to stick together, trust our gear and take it slow. Finally we made it to the bathrooms. We had to trudge through 10” of snow and 18-24” drifts to get to them but we made it. We pulled out the JetBoils And made some food and coffee to warm up our core temps. While we were warming, the wind died down and we realized we had a short window to continue on during the lull. We packed up our gear and continued forward. It got better and worse in sections but by 9:30am we crested the top of the South Rim and were finished!
After waiting for our shuttle, we departed and made it out just before the closed both the canyon and the Highway both ways leading to the canyon.
I couldn’t help but know that God was with us the whole time. Everyone learned a lot. We trusted out training and came out on top! What an experience!
Great job to those who participated in this trek! I know it stretched you. You should be very proud of the accomplishment of completing this adventure!
See you on the trail,
Drew
Wyoming is Now More Comfortable
I love how all our trips have unique experiences. Our most recent trip was none the different.
We made great time departing KC around 2am and arriving at the Trailhead around 5pm. We set up a our camp at the Boulder Creek Campground and feasted on Ribeyes and foil packet veggies. I walked through an overview of the trek with the group and began helping each person review their gear and begin packing their bags to make it easier and quicker in the morning.
Sunday morning we woke up, had breakfast and began packing up camp. The morning of time is often slower but also crucial as we want to ensure everyone's bags are packed efficiently and cleanly as well as only including the essential items to minimize weight. We hit the trail around 9am and covered about 7.5miles and 1700' elevation gain. Arriving at the first lake, Lake Ethel, we had a member who was dealing with Acute Mountain Sickness (Altitude Sickness). After further evaluation and discussion, and knowing that the only treatment for AMS is time or to drop in elevation; we agreed that we would adjust the map itinerary and rest there for a whole day to allow him time to acclimate.
This is where we began to search out the artist in ourselves. Spending 36hrs at a mountain lake is fun because you can fish, day hike, swim and in our case, make furniture. Knowing we would be there for more than an overnight and with expectation of the amazing starts you see without the city lights, we began the process to make a food prep table (for making trout tacos) and my favorite, the couch. This food prep table was cool and very useful. The couch, was not just any couch. It was an 8' couch perfectly angled up so we could lounge and look at the stars at night! WOW! It was so comfortable and the sky was incredible!
Opportunities like this are awesome because I’m able to teach multiple skills leveraging skillsets with saws, hatches, primitive shelter building and woodworking to create a level of comfort that is generally not available in the backcountry. We talked about types of knots to use, ways to brace logs using other logs and boulders.
We fished for several hours that day, rested, acclimated and by the end of our full day at camp, our patient was feeling much better and we all agreed to embark down the trail the next morning. I pulled the map out and walked through the modified plan. Side Note: In the backcountry, being flexible and having a willingness to reset expectations is a requirement. You never know what is going to happen so you need to be able to pivot.
The next morning, we packed up and embarked on our 7.75mi trek up to North Fork Lake, fishing at several other lakes and climbing to multiple different high points along the way. We made it to North Fork Lake by 4pm, got some water, set up camp jumped in the water to freshen up before the night set in. Unlike the last trip, the fishing was much slower this time as the water levels were different as well as the flow. We made the most of it and had a good evening. We began talking about the multiple different options for the remainder of the trek. Our "patient" had recovered significantly and was now rocking the trail. Our speed had picked up and questions began coming up about how fast we could finish, or previous records on that trek. Side note: one of my other guides, Andy, and I are both somewhat of mileage junkies. When we are by ourselves, we tend to see how many miles we can go and consider that fun. Haha.
Ok back to the story…
The question came back up to see if it was possible to compete with our mileage record. Laughing it off we kept going and the group kept asking. Attempting to joke around, we suggested that since we have 13mi remaining, we could not stop anymore and focus on distance over anything else. To our surprise, the group was very much in on that. This began a 13mi trek down back to the trailhead including 3,300' descent, 900' ascent and TONS of OBSTACLES! However we still had time to do some bouldering, fishing and tape up a lightly sprained ankle. All in all, we made it back, everyone was in good spirits and did well on time.
This is just another example of how you need to be flexible because plans never go accordingly. Knowing what your group is capable of, how to read a map and navigate are all valuable skillsets at anytime but definitely in the backcountry.
With that, another trek down and several more men more equipped and trained to experience the outdoors differently!
Hope to see you on the trail soon,
Drew
Fathers and Sons - sharing the trail, making memories
Imagine yourself spending a couple days, no distractions from technologies. Imagine the memories you could make. These are the things you cannot put price on. Unlike a toy or a meal, an experience is something that you have with you forever. I distinctly remember my first time going hiking or backpacking with my dad. I remember the first trout I caught with him. I remember all the time he invested in me and the lessons he taught.
I don’t know if you ever had opportunities like I shared above. I know many have not. Equipped Outdoors exists to help create shared experiences between a father and his son/s, men, families, etc. Shared experiences create memories that last a lifetime. These same experiences and lessons we learn on them will stay with us for most if not all of our life.
That is exactly what we did on our most recent Father/Son trek in October. This one was focused on younger boys - ages 7-14, although I did bring my son, age 5; but you can do that when you’re the lead guide.
We tailor these trek adventures to the age and skill of the participants which means that regardless of the skillset; these trips are a great opportunity to get out and create shared experiences with you boys. Since we had little legs, we did about 3-5miles a day and ensured we had LOTS OF FUN!
This trek took us to the Arkansas Buffalo National Wilderness. We hiked a portion of the Buffalo River trail and the Old River Trail. We saw old abandoned cabins, learned how to filter water and why. We climbed 250’ into a cave where a 25’ waterfall was (but it was dried up at the time). The father/son pairs learned how to locate tent location and setup their tent, prepare food, scavenge for wood, navigate wildlife, cross rivers and even go to swing on vine rope swings! This was a trip that I’m still hearing from the dads about how much fun it was and how much their boys are talking about wanting to do it again.
NOTE: While this trip was Fathers and Sons, plans are in the works to do a Father/Kids experience where dads can bring their daughters if they have interest and can invest in those same shared experiences!
Dads, we are all busy; but spending time with your kids is the greatest investment you can possibly make! It builds relationships, trust, confidence and community! Plus, BACKPACKING IS JUST FUN!
Backpacking and Fishing Remote Mountain Lakes of the Tetons!
Have you ever wanted to go on the trip of a lifetime? This is it! Imagine backpacking into some of the remotest parts of the Tetons in Wyoming and trout fishing in mountain lakes all above 8000’. This trip will take you to do that and more! Don’t miss out!
How does it get much better than this? In August, we took 4 guys up to the Bridger-Teton National Forest for 7 days. It was a 18hr drive through the flatlands of Nebraska and a decent amount of Wyoming...but let me tell you, it was worth it!
I’m not sure if they say that everything is bigger in Wyoming but it sure felt like the trout were! We arrived at the Boulder Lake on August 3rd and set up camp in main campground around 7,000’ elevation. The mosquitos were decently thick; but nothing like it could have been if we would have come earlier in the Summer. One important thing about going into the backwoods; it is important to plan the best time to go based on weather, bugs and wildlife. It will definitely make a difference.
The next morning, we packed up our gear and set off down the trail. We followed Boulder Creek for the first couple miles and couldn’t help but fish it a little. Mitchell, one of our participants, caught one of the most beautiful Brookies that I’ve ever seen on the first hole we stopped at.
While we could have stayed there much of the day, we knew we had to keep going. We packed up our poles and moved another mile down the creek to a bridge crossing the creek. Here we couldn’t help but fish more. While we didn’t catch anything, we lost multiple flies and lures. Funny how that goes! That was ok because we came prepared for that. We had a snack and kept on trekking. Just past that bridge, the climb was on, away from everything and we climbed about 1700’ to a lake that sits around 8,665’. For the next 4 days, it was just us, the mountains, and trout. We set up camp and marched around to the backside of the lake where the creek was flowing into the lake. We fished until dusk and caught several rainbows and browns. They were beautiful and native; but little did we know that they were just the beginning.
The logs and debris on the backside of the lake were actually an inlet flowing into the lake.
The next morning we packed up, fished a little and off we went. We fished at 3 other lakes before settling down at 9,750’ in a valley alongside a small lake. By this time, everyone had caught fish at all 7+ lakes we had fished at including Boulder Creek! We cleaned some of the fish we caught and made some delicious trout tacos to pair with our freeze-dried pasta. We went to bed dreaming of what tomorrow would hold and the monsters still waiting further up the mountain.
We woke up Saturday morning to a super foggy morning. We quickly packed up because we were excited to get to the next lake! It was much larger than the others and was at an even higher elevation (9,800’). We arrived there by around 8:30am. I switched over to the fly rod on a section where a creek was flowing into the lake. Everyone caught fish at this stop! I caught the biggest brown (at that moment) that I’ve ever caught on a fly rod. I did not expect to beat that one. We ate a little snack and decided to go down in elevation a little to an outlet where the lake emptied into a stream. The water was higher than most crossings so we switched into our crossing shoes and crossed.
From there we noticed a little pool to the Northeast that looked promising. We dropped our gear, tacked up and headed over. It looked promising yet after about 30min; we hadn’t caught anything. This was a little discouraging, but I reminded people to keep moving and pointed out some areas that would be good to try. I noticed some weather coming in so I stopped by to check on our gear and grab some different tackle. By now, two of the guys were already fishing either corner of the pool so I decided to set up in the middle. I casted out, and since the pool was rather deep, I let my line sink so my hook could go to the bottom and drift with the current. My line moved across my field of vision and just as it began to lift, it stopped! Right there, just stopped. I gave the line a little nudge and my entire pole dropped! Fish On baby! What was it? I couldn’t tell but it was fighting like a catfish. After the longest fight of the trip, I pulled out one of the largest browns I had ever caught in a river! It was beautiful. We took some pictures and let it go quickly. Moments later, we had another one on the line; this time it was a cutthroat. These fish were gorgeous! Finally we decided to cook up one of the trout. I cleaned one of the cutthroats and went over to start a fire. Within 20min we were eating fresh trout tacos on the side of this perfect spot.
Looking up, I noticed the weather starting to get more and more sketchy. We went over and fished some more, pulling out a couple more monsters. Just as we were cleaning up our gear and putting our packs back on; it started raining. Not just any rain, like torrential downpour rain. We ran for cover in the trees to wait out the storm. After about 25min of waiting, it started to let up; so we set off. We wanted to make it to another lake with a huge granite face on the backside which we wanted to climb. Sure enough, we arrived that afternoon still full from all the trout we had eaten a couple hours earlier. We fished, climbed and camped there that night on a little peninsula that jettied out into this lake. We were able to fish throughout the evening and even in the morning catching even more trout!
Sunday morning, we packed up and made it back to the main creek which we planned to follow out. We began making our way back down out of the range, fishing the creek in places that looked promising and ended our day near an area of the creek with a cave on the opposite side. The cave was fun to explore and there were even more fish just outside in the pool.
Finally, Monday morning, we work up and hiked the 5 miles back to the truck before starting our drive back home!
This trip was amazing in multiple ways. We were able to be in some phenomenal and exciting terrain. If you have never been in the Tetons, YOU HAVE TO COME WITH US NEXT TIME! We caught multiple species of trout and saw the stars in ways many never get to!
I hope this article has encouraged you to see the mountains differently and take that extra step to do a trek that you may not always do! I promise, you will not be displeased!
Hope to see you on a trek with us soon!
Your Guide, Drew
Lost Creek Wilderness Lasso Loop
What a trip! In June, we got to take a group of water hungry river rafting guides on a trekking adventure in the Lost Creek Wilderness. We did the Lost Eagle Lasso Loop trail via the Twin Eagles trailhead. We met the team in Golden, CO, chatted a little about what was in front of us and off we went to the trailhead which was about a 2hr drive from Golden.
Upon arriving at the Twin Eagles Trailhead, we dropped off the group, distributed the gear and began to pack. I walked everyone through inventory of the gear, all it’s purposes and how to pack. While everyone was packing their food, Andy (one of our other guides) plus the group leader went and parked the vehicles at the parking spot about a 1/2 mile away. When they arrived back, the group had mostly packed their gear and were ready to go. We filtered water, loaded up and we were on our way.
Typically, we do this clockwise; however this specific trip we did the trek counter clockwise. It allowed us to spread out some of the climbing across the whole trip rather than doing it all the first day! That’s one thing I love about this loop in Colorado is it allows for flexibility.
We began our day around 4pm and at 8,520ft. Our first campsite was less than 3miles from the trailhead and was around 9,035ft. This allowed us to do a little climbing and rest in order to acclimate our flat-lander bodies. The next day, we took off and had an immediate 1500’ climb before a 1600’ descent. We covered this over 8 miles and ended our day at a nice campsite with running water. The mosquitos were unbelievably thick causing it to be a less than pleasurable evening. You could slap your arm and kill 5-10 mosquitoes in one swat! This just ensured that we turned into our tents quickly; although no one really seemed to complain given the climb that we did that day.
The next day, Wednesday, we covered 12 miles and had a day filled with variety. The mosquitos were bad; but if we kept moving, they were better. This day we climbed a total of 2,700’ and descended 2050’ with the highest climb being only 600’; although that caused some issues with the already sore muscles and given the fact that we were between 9,000-11,000 the whole time. We camped in a valley with a stream flowing through it. Our campsite looking out over the valley.
The last day was a big day. We woke up and began our hike. Coming around the corner, we spotted a baby moose. I began looking for the cow and was unable to locate her. Just when I waived the group to come on, the momma crossed the trail right in between myself and the rest of the group and then disappeared into the willows. For. Moment, I thought she was going to react since we were in between her calf and herself. Luckily she did not. After we cleared the noose, we covered 14miles this day with a gradual climb all day. We made it to a juncture in the trail where we could go summit Bison Mountain (12,380’). A few members of the group stayed back and rested while the the rest of us went up and summited Bison Mtn.
After summiting, we began the 4000’ descent down the mountain and to the trailhead.
All in all, we covered 38 miles with 8,320’ elevation climbed and 8,090’ elevation lost. This trek came with many challenges; but also multiple positives. Many from this group had never climbed a mountain before. They forged on against adversities and ultimately several succeeded by climbing higher than they had ever climbed before. I was very proud of this group! I learned to bring better bug spray!
Hope you get to join us next year!
First Trip of 2022 is in the books!
It all begins with a dream.
Well, the first trip is in the books and boy was it exciting! On Thursday afternoon, I started prepping our gear. My kiddos came down to the gear room and asked if we could go on a walk. Knowing that I was going to be out on the trail for the next 3 days; I said yes.? That was a deal for me when we said yes to starting Equipped Outdoors; that I would still have time for my family.
Anyway, we left to go for our walk. When we got to the park, the kids played on the playground and then we decided to go for our walk. Within moments, one of the kids brought me a seed pod and asked me to open it. I pulled out my freshly sharpened pocketknife and proceeded to wow their little eyes with the seed treasures inside. Little did we know that they would see the inside of something else! My knife slipped and I sliced a 1.5” incision on the top of my knuckle. I looked at the cut and opened it up like any reasonable person would. When I saw how deep it was and blood pouring out; I immediately looked at Carissa and told her I’d see her at the van. Putting pressure on the cut helped until I got to the van and pulled out our first aid kit. I kept pressure on it and only took the pressure off long enough to pour water on it. I then pressed gauze on it and held down.
By then, Carissa and the kids arrived and we packed up the fam and off to an urgent care. It was there that I had to tell them I was a backpacking guide teaching wilderness survival skills like how to handle a knife. Haha it was Awesome! My kids were even continuously reminding me that I did not practice knife safety. So thankful for them.
The nurse at the Urgent Care cleaned it up and put 6 stitches in it before sending me home without a lollipop. When I got home, we put the kids to bed and I finished packing my backpack, with some added challenges this time; before settling down with Carissa.
The next morning, I got up, made coffee and breakfast and stepped outside to meet my newest fellow backpacker. This trip was supposed to have 5 participants; but 4 cancelled for different reasons so it was just one guy and myself. It was actually very refreshing. We talked most of the way down to the trailhead about life, his work as a firefighter, my family and more.
We arrived in Ponca around 1 and decided to go check out a trail that led to a cave I had heard about. It was AWESOME! We left our packs in the truck and outfitted our daypacks with snacks, water, other supplies. The 1.5 mile trail led up in elevation and ended at a huge rock face with water coming out of it. We took our packs off and put on our headlamps; then proceeded to enter the cave. About 30’ in, it got narrow and dark quickly. About 50’ in, you couldn’t see anything without your headlamp (I tried because I turned off my headlamp to see what it was like). Within a few more feet, my 6’2” 248lb broad shouldered self was touching the rock walls on all sides. Around 125’ in, we had to get on our hands and knees in a space no more than 30” tall which led to a cavity about 6’6” tall and 20” wide. It was tight. There were a couple 2’ drops; but we finally ended up about 250’ into the mountain side into this huge space about 30’ wide and 30’ tall, pitch black with a 25’ waterfall. What a cool experience.
When we finally made it out of the cave and back to our truck, we got back in and drove to the Ponca - BRT trailhead. We met some cool guys who were starting the same trek as us. We chatted, took some pictures and off we went. It was misting most of the day Friday and by the time we were ready to get off the trail around 5:30, we were wet; although our rain jackets kept us dry. I taught Andy some tips around starting a fire with a ferro rod in the cold, damp weather. We set up our tent, gathered wood and threw on our foil packets (my favorite part about the first day!!). The next morning, we got up, ate some amazing biscuits and gravy from @PacketGourmet. I really loved the biscuits and gravy; but it was a little more involved than I’d like for a backpacking trip. I’ll get better
That day, we covered a lot of ground. We hit the Goat Trail and Big Bluff, Granny Henderson’s cabin and more. We had big ambitions to see Hemmed Hollow; but with the rain the day before, the Buffalo river was way to fast so we never made it. We even had a nice canoe couple ferry us over the river for one of the crossings where it was up to my waist and I wasn’t even at the deepest part! That night, we camped in a really nice spot on the opposite side of the river (which we crossed on foot) and up against a huge bluff. There was a bubbling creek that ran past our campsite which put me to sleep that night. I was trying out other meals from @PacketGormet which I was really impressed with (All American Works Burger and Chicken Fajita Burrito). I also brought some of my favorites (Hatch Green Chili Mac-N-Cheese and Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo from @Backpackerspantry).
The last day, we woke up, ate breakfast (I had a Sausage-Egg-Cheese Breakfast Burrito from @PacketGourmet). We then finished our trek by hiking out the remaining 5.5 miles back to our truck and a 4hr drive home.
This trip was fun! It was great company and we found some awesome new areas (i.e. the cave and a cut-through connecting the ORT and the BRT) making this trip significantly more manageable for future trips!!! I cannot wait to bring another group down to the BRT and ORT. Some of the things I love about this area is it is a great opportunity to learn simple skills and put them to the test. We filtered water, practiced off-trail navigation, crossed fast moving water with packs on, started fires using wet wood but always found dry(ish) fuel/kindling, and more. You guys, if you have any interest in going backpacking, this trip is a trip that you should go on! It is fun, on the easier side and will definitely give you something to remember! Go check out our trips this Fall if you are interested in coming on one of our Arkansas trips! Otherwise, if you have previous experience, I promise the Maroon Bells trip this September will be a trip of a lifetime!!!
See you on the trail,
Drew
