Day 17 started with the rain that plagued us the previous few days. Thankfully, by noonish it had tapered off. Our planning was already underway even as the rain continued. Given how early we had to be at the horse corral for our ride the next morning and the increased density of tourists due to so much of the park being effectively shut down, we agreed that it made the most sense to go ahead and stay at Sprague Creek on Lake McDonald. After a quick stop at the Apgar ranger station and some coffee and painfully slow WiFi at the coffee shop nearby, we decided to take John Fothergill's advice and enjoyed a nice walk up to Avalanche Lake. Lots of people were packed into the trail but, as Knak regularly points out, the further we go up these trails, the quieter it gets. The swollen creeks and streams continue to be a beautiful theme and the snow-capped mountain thaw led to beautiful waterfalls cascading off sheer rock faces. To continue the Lord of the Rings theme, it felt like we were heading to Rivendell. The Lake turned out to be shallow, still, and crystal clear.
The Sperry trail was even more intense of an ascent, but maybe it was because it didn't have the scenery of Avalanche. Knak was getting pensive and I headed forward for a little hiking on my own while he sat and wrote. I found a few nice overlooks and stumbled on what I was later told was beargrass, a flower that is apparently poisonous to bears.
After dinner in a now incredibly packed campground, Greg and I enjoyed a bit of alone time. I spent the evening reading Leonard Cohen interviews and listening to Tears for Fears, Ghostface Killah, and some old recordings I have made. The old tunes got me thinking a lot about future plans and what maybe to re-explore for work over the summer when I return.
The next morning we broke down quickly and headed to the coffee shop for the third morning in a row. We'd later discover they had only opened a couple weeks before and after our fourth visit we were confident we were the most regular customers.
Knak excitedly told me there would be perhaps up to ten other people and he proceeded to theorize on what possible archetypes would be joining us on the overnight journey. When I walked up to the corral to get the scoop on what I should bring and what they were providing I was surprised to discover we would be the only ones on the overnight (the first of the year for the company). I think Greg was more disappointed than me, as he had hoped to meet some new random folks and enjoy a bit of social interaction with someone other than me. We still ended up having a blast as two young female wranglers (one experienced, one being trained) led us around on a five or six hour ride. We ended up at a clearing on a hill that had our tent and a strange kitchen area in the middle of the wilderness. I think my two disappointments centered around my expectations. First, I had hoped to be led on the trip by an old grizzled retired cowboy or something. Second, I had hoped we were carrying it all with us and setting up rather than arriving at a site with counters and picnic tables. That said, we had an absolute blast. There were some hiccups on their end, but nothing that affected our enjoyment. I hadn't ridden a horse since the family vacation I regularly reference. Just east of Yellowstone my family indulged in a similar adventure over a half day ride. Every little moment on the horse was satisfying and joy inducing. Thankfully, my steed sensed my need to gallop occasionally and would slow down, munch on nearby vegetation, and then have an excuse to catch up to the others. My inner ten year old with a cowboy fantasy was so very happy. It was fun getting to know the two wranglers and get a sense for their life out west and their life as wranglers leading these trips.
The next morning we broke down quickly and headed to the coffee shop for the third morning in a row. We'd later discover they had only opened a couple weeks before and after our fourth visit we were confident we were the most regular customers.
Knak excitedly told me there would be perhaps up to ten other people and he proceeded to theorize on what possible archetypes would be joining us on the overnight journey. When I walked up to the corral to get the scoop on what I should bring and what they were providing I was surprised to discover we would be the only ones on the overnight (the first of the year for the company). I think Greg was more disappointed than me, as he had hoped to meet some new random folks and enjoy a bit of social interaction with someone other than me. We still ended up having a blast as two young female wranglers (one experienced, one being trained) led us around on a five or six hour ride. We ended up at a clearing on a hill that had our tent and a strange kitchen area in the middle of the wilderness. I think my two disappointments centered around my expectations. First, I had hoped to be led on the trip by an old grizzled retired cowboy or something. Second, I had hoped we were carrying it all with us and setting up rather than arriving at a site with counters and picnic tables. That said, we had an absolute blast. There were some hiccups on their end, but nothing that affected our enjoyment. I hadn't ridden a horse since the family vacation I regularly reference. Just east of Yellowstone my family indulged in a similar adventure over a half day ride. Every little moment on the horse was satisfying and joy inducing. Thankfully, my steed sensed my need to gallop occasionally and would slow down, munch on nearby vegetation, and then have an excuse to catch up to the others. My inner ten year old with a cowboy fantasy was so very happy. It was fun getting to know the two wranglers and get a sense for their life out west and their life as wranglers leading these trips.
After a quick fourth (and final!) stop at the coffee shop we headed to Missoula to visit my pal and KCD '97 alum: John Fothergill and his wonderful girlfriend Sarah.
Sorry if this seems rushed. More abstract ruminations will be forthcoming.
Sorry if this seems rushed. More abstract ruminations will be forthcoming.