An Adventure Story

It was late July and I was about to embark on my first solo backpacking trip. While packing, I was slightly apprehensive. I didn't know why. I had backpacked plenty before. It was what I did for work. 8 day trips every other week, 7 months out of the year. I taught Wilderness first aid and safety, leave no trace ethic, and backpacking basics. But this would be my first time going alone. No one to help carry group gear, no one to talk to, no one to bail me out if I got in trouble. Just me and my trusty canine companion, Sage. My destination - the Bighorn Crags in Idaho's Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, largest Wilderness in the lower 48.

I decided to pack somewhat light. Being 5'3" and weighing in at 115 pounds, I had learned to pack only the essentials. My pack consisted of a one (wo)man tent, sleeping bag, thermarest, cookset and stove, water filter, maps, small first aid kit, camera, one set of warm, dry clothes, food and my flyrod and fishing gear. That being what I consider "essential" for a 3 night, 35 mile trip, my pack was still heavy. I like to eat well while backpacking, and food gets heavy. Thankfully Sage had her own little doggie pack for her food.

It was an early start on day one. I hit the road before sunrise, knowing that I had a three hour drive ahead of me on a rugged, mountain road to make it to the trail head. Turned out to be a gorgeous drive and I got to watch the sunrise over the mountains. It made me so thankful to live an area where I was able to see such beauty. I arrived at the trailhead by 0830 and was excited to get started. I adjusted the straps on both my pack and my dog's, took a deep breath of fresh mountain air, and hit the trail. I felt giddy with excitement, knowing that I was about to do something that not many women can claim to do.

Even though I was in great shape from all the field work I had been doing, the first steep incline with a 45 pound pack on was tough! With no one there to push me along, I found myself hiking slower and taking more breaks than was usual for me. That aside, my first day on the trail went great. Nice weather, nice views, nice trail. A girl can't ask for more than that. I arrived at my first camp area around 4pm. This gave me time to set up my tent and do some fishing before cooking dinner. Let me just say that a simple dinner of mac and cheese with tuna tastes amazing after a day of hiking. Any meal cooked in the backcountry tastes better than if it was cooked at home.

After a few more hours of fishing and watching Sage chase chipmunks around, dark started to settle in. I hadn't seen a single person since the trail head and realized that I was completely alone out there, and it felt great. I laid out on the rocks and stargazed for what felt like hours. I had never seen so many stars in my life. I decided to go for a late night swim in the mountain lake. Since I knew there was no one around for miles, I stripped down to nothing and jumped in. Invigorating would be an understatement. Once I got over the shock of the bitter cold, I floated around a bit, enjoying the sounds of the earth. The night was perfect and I felt completely free.

The next morning I awoke feeling not so perfect. Strong winds were battering my tent around. I decided to pack up and start moving. I had a long day ahead of me. 14 miles to the next camp site. After a quick breakfast for both the dog and myself, I hit the trail. It was a fairly uneventful day on the trail. Again, I saw no one, all day. Talk about being in the middle of nowhere. I spent most of the day watching a storm build to the west. I rolled into my second camp area just about the same time the storm did. I had my tent up and was in it in a matter of minutes. I let my dog in too. She was not happy out in the rain and wind. I could not believe how fast that storm rolled in. Lightning was striking down right next to my tent. Thunder was shaking the ground. Hail was pounding against my tent walls and the wind was trying its damnedest to rip my tent off the ground. It was intense, it was scary, and I was right in the thick of it. My tough guard of a dog was curled up as close to me as she could get, whimpering and shivering like crazy. She was terrified, which did nothing to calm my nerves. I did not like this situation, and I'll admit, I was scared. I knew I was in a bad situation and far from anything or anyone that could help me if things got worse. Lets just say it was a long night, with little to no sleep.

By morning, it was still raining, but at least the storm had passed. All of my gear was completely soaked. I was cold, miserable, tired. The last thing I wanted to do was pack up and go for another 2 days. I considered my options. Though it made me feel like a complete failure, I packed up and started a long trek back to the trailhead. I did not want to deal with wet gear and another night in the wilderness.

The idea of returning early made humility sink in. I felt like a failure. I had let myself down and was feeling like a weak girl, something I had always fought hard against. Yet there I was, the epitome of a weak girl, hiking out early, cold and alone. It was a rough hike, in more ways than one. As I hiked along lost in my feelings of self loathing, I came upon a group of 3 college aged guys. They were on the trail in front of me and I was about to pass them. As I approached from behind and asked to pass them, they were all amazed at how fast I was hiking and how tough I was to be out there on my own. I felt myself stand up a little bit straighter. Even though I had cut the trip short, I had done it. I had done it all by myself and not many people can say that. Looking back, it was one the best experiences I have I ever had.