I would walk 100 miles...

Glacier National Park is on fire. Two weeks prior to my arrival, the Reynolds Creek Fire closed a good portion of the Going to the Sun Road. 

Thankfully, my plan was to stay in a lesser visited section of the park first (Two Medicine) and the Sun Road opened on the day I needed to access it.

The first two days were long, 15 mile hikes with amazing views. 

The third day was the longest, 19 miles in epic conditions (rain, hail, thunder, lightning and 50 MPH winds). My reward was a break in the weather and 360 degree views at Swiftcurrent Fire Lookout, the highest maintained trail in the park. 

From there, it was all familiar territory...Avalanche Lake, Hidden Lake, Piegan and Siyeh Passes, Ptarmigan Tunnel, Iceberg Lake, Grinnell Glacier and Grinnell Lake.

When all was said and done I had hiked a little over 105 miles.

Luck was on my side...three new fires began during the course of my stay, closing several of the trails I had hiked earlier in my visit and creating hazy conditions throughout the park. 

I am grateful to have experienced so much beauty and hope the fires are contained soon.

Trail Angels

Occasionally I do things that put myself at risk. Thankfully, it’s always worked out.

In 2012 near the end of a long hike in Glacier National Park I encountered a group of women headed back to the trailhead. It was only three miles, but they kept my mind off the newly formed blisters on my feet which made walking unbearable. 

I hadn’t given that encounter much thought until just recently...

Weather delayed the start of my 19 mile solo hike on August 6th. This put me on a section of the trail that is frequented by bears, much later than I wanted to be on it, especially alone. Just before reaching Swiftcurrent Lookout, a couple coming down the trail passed me and I asked where they were headed. Their response “Many Glacier” was EXACTLY what I wanted to hear. I quickly scrambled up to the lookout and back down to catch up with them for the remainder of my journey.

Similarly, last month while hiking the Presidential Traverse in New Hampshire, I encountered a man and his two sons on the summit of Jefferson. I had already been on the trail for several hours, mostly in silence. Their conversation as we descended was exactly what I needed to lift up my spirits.

There is no doubt in my mind that Trail Angels exist. Here’s to hoping you never need one, but that one is there if you do.