Yesterday was probably the most strenuous Fourth of July which I have ever experienced. For many it was a day for BBQ's and family and fireworks. Or, if you are like many of my friends, a day for filling your car with fireworks, driving out into the country and "blowing shit up" as one so eloquently put it. For myself and my fellow Christikon staff however, yesterday was a day for getting up at five in the morning, strapping on our boots, and hiking down 3000ft. in the Montana back country to get back to camp.
We spent a total of five days and four nights out in the wilderness, and I for one had a blast. I can't count the number of times someone would comment on how we were being paid to go out and hike, walk through beautiful scenery, and enjoy each other's company.
The start of our trip was met with lightning and a fair amount of rain. This was no treat for anyone, and my mind turned not to walking in the rain but to my hopes of not having to sleep in a damp sleeping bag or clothes. Nothing spoils my mood out on the trail as this scenario does. It did end up raining from time to time, but nothing like that first morning before we left. I almost had to laugh when it started to rain exactly when we sat down to eat dinner together.
The rain held off and on for the first two days of our trip, but we were rewarded with a beautiful, and relatively dry, view in what we call The Never Ending Meadow on our second night. One of the guys along with us ended up getting sick and gave us a little scare, but he thankfully came around after a night's sleep.
Weather-wise, our luck turned that second day and the worst that we had to endure were the freezing morning temperatures of the high country. There were moments when three layers above and below my waist didn't seem like enough. It made the hot beverage water seem like a small miracle in the morning.
This backpack also afforded the opportunity to try some new things. Or, rather, it forced some new things on me. The foremost in my mind is the trail stream crossing. I had never hiked a trail before which required me to take my shoes off, slip into sandals, and walk across water so cold that my feet went numb. Well, I can now say that I have done this! I'm not sure how many streams we crossed, but it happened every day. Some of the water only came to our ankles, and some came all the way up to our knees. Some required us to only stand in it's flow for a few brief moments, and some required a couple of minutes. By far the most daunting was on our last day at seven in the morning. Stepping into a freezing mountain stream when there is still frost on the ground is just a little bit intimidating. It turned out to be quite a surprise when the water felt warmer than it had on any other day.
My mom comes today, along with my aunt and uncle, for a weekend family camp session. We have a brief break after that, and then I get to take out a group of high school youth on backpack with one of my co-counselors!
