Northbound Tomorrow
We are now at the end of two weeks since we left home and will be heading north across the border tomorrow.
The past week has been a different and great week for both Jeannette and I. Jeannette spent the week in Two Medicine CG, campground, in Glacier NP for the week while I was packrafting with Matt and Hunter and the Boy Scout troop at MOHAB, near Dupuyer, MT. I will let Jeannette add her week experiences at the end of this entry.
Jeannette dropped me off at the base camp last Sunday. At MOHAB, the staff began training and instructing that evening. The boys picked out the trip they wanted and on Monday, additional training, packing for the trail, putting together food supplies, and receiving the pack raft and related gear consumed most of the day. The final event was to take a full pack shakedown hike of about 2 miles.
Tuesday, the final instruction occurred and the drive to the trailhead was made, nearly 2 hours into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. We got just a little over a half day of hiking in before setting up camp. Most of the packs with the packraft gear weighed about 45 lbs. During that first day, we were fortunate enough to watch a Grizzly bear and two cubs grazing a high meadow about 900-1000 yds away. We did some practice in the rafts on Gibson reservoir including flipping and reentry. Lake temp was about 45 degrees. Didn't spend much time in the water.
Wednesday, we continued the hike up the Sun river valley to the point which we were going to launch the rafts for the down river trip on Thursday. Saw several white tail and mule deer and had one white tail in camp as well as seeing one elk.
Thursday was the rafting day. After breaking camp and hauling the gear down to the river, about 1/2 mile, we inflated the rafts and tied down the packs and launched for the 6 mile trip down to the takeout point. Hunter got stranded in a brushy overhang and bailed out in shallow water before we stopped for lunch. After lunch, rain began for about an hour but overall, we had fantastic weather the whole week. About 2 miles down stream, I waited for the rest of the rafts to clear a hard turn with rapids and didn't make the turn in time. I got a free bath. The raft flipped but I was able to grab on to the paddle and raft and wade to the shallow part to flip it back and climb in. The crew did a great job getting down the river with only two of us getting more than our feet wet. The other half of the troop was waiting at the takeout point and our crew was glad to lose 15 lbs of weight to carry for the next two days.
Hard to beat the weather and scenery for the boys to enjoy. Altogether, we saw 4 grizzlies including the cubs, a moose on the river, the elk and deer, a fox, and many different birds. The boy's response to the trip was "Awsome."
Jeannette's week was quiet with opportunities to hike, take in the scenery and spend about 20 minutes watching a cinnamon black bear across the Two Medicine River from her.
We are getting laundry done today and will be stocking up on some supplies before loading up tomorrow morning.
The past week has been a different and great week for both Jeannette and I. Jeannette spent the week in Two Medicine CG, campground, in Glacier NP for the week while I was packrafting with Matt and Hunter and the Boy Scout troop at MOHAB, near Dupuyer, MT. I will let Jeannette add her week experiences at the end of this entry.
Jeannette dropped me off at the base camp last Sunday. At MOHAB, the staff began training and instructing that evening. The boys picked out the trip they wanted and on Monday, additional training, packing for the trail, putting together food supplies, and receiving the pack raft and related gear consumed most of the day. The final event was to take a full pack shakedown hike of about 2 miles.
Tuesday, the final instruction occurred and the drive to the trailhead was made, nearly 2 hours into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. We got just a little over a half day of hiking in before setting up camp. Most of the packs with the packraft gear weighed about 45 lbs. During that first day, we were fortunate enough to watch a Grizzly bear and two cubs grazing a high meadow about 900-1000 yds away. We did some practice in the rafts on Gibson reservoir including flipping and reentry. Lake temp was about 45 degrees. Didn't spend much time in the water.
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| Hunter getting ready to hit the water. |
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| Matt, Hunter and I |
Wednesday, we continued the hike up the Sun river valley to the point which we were going to launch the rafts for the down river trip on Thursday. Saw several white tail and mule deer and had one white tail in camp as well as seeing one elk.
Thursday was the rafting day. After breaking camp and hauling the gear down to the river, about 1/2 mile, we inflated the rafts and tied down the packs and launched for the 6 mile trip down to the takeout point. Hunter got stranded in a brushy overhang and bailed out in shallow water before we stopped for lunch. After lunch, rain began for about an hour but overall, we had fantastic weather the whole week. About 2 miles down stream, I waited for the rest of the rafts to clear a hard turn with rapids and didn't make the turn in time. I got a free bath. The raft flipped but I was able to grab on to the paddle and raft and wade to the shallow part to flip it back and climb in. The crew did a great job getting down the river with only two of us getting more than our feet wet. The other half of the troop was waiting at the takeout point and our crew was glad to lose 15 lbs of weight to carry for the next two days.
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| Sun River |
Jeannette's week was quiet with opportunities to hike, take in the scenery and spend about 20 minutes watching a cinnamon black bear across the Two Medicine River from her.
We are getting laundry done today and will be stocking up on some supplies before loading up tomorrow morning.
beautiful..... and nice to see the wildlife...enjoy the time...safe travels and much love....will be watching for more news to come..........Judy
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