Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Well, tell us how your trip went. We all want to hear about your special experience.

Moderators: teapot57, Tara

Sue Z
Donator
Donator
Posts: 455
Joined: Sun May 19, 2013 7:37 am
Gender?: Female
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Emmaus, PA
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by Sue Z »

Lovin' the trip report. Glad you remembered to pack your sense of humor.
Sue Z
User avatar
Ear Mountain
Moderator & 2.1 Donator
Moderator & 2.1 Donator
Posts: 4969
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:53 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Choteau, Montana
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 34 times
Contact:

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by Ear Mountain »

Sue Z wrote:Lovin' the trip report. Glad you remembered to pack your sense of humor.
Jay may forget to take along a few things but he never leaves his sense of humor behind. Must be attached like an eye patch. 8)
Text and photos Copyright 2007-2023.
toddnick
Donator
Donator
Posts: 2013
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 6:52 am
Please add the numbers(11): 0
Location: Buffalo, New York

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by toddnick »

Jay,

You put my "analytical" trip reports to shame with your wit...

Very well done so far!!! :D
User avatar
TnTammy
Donator
Donator
Posts: 388
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 5:44 pm
Gender?: Female
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Nashville, TN

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by TnTammy »

On board witcha Cap'n!

First, congratulations on the new addition (not the garage)! :D
Second, entertaining storytelling as always. What an intro... :arrow:
Third, diggin' the B&Ws especially the mirror at UPK. 8)

I'm thinkin' Julie might be glad to have missed this one? Can't wait to hear the rest!!!
User avatar
brindledog
Donator
Donator
Posts: 477
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:18 pm
Gender?: Female
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: NC
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by brindledog »

I am LOVING the simultaneous trip reports from Toddnick and Jay W!
User avatar
Jay w
Posts: 1920
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 6:17 am
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: St. Paul, MN
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 40 times

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by Jay w »

Thanks all. Either my laptop or my backup drive with everything on it is having some problems, so I switched computers tonight. First, I backed up the hard drive, but my photo edits (starred photos) in Picasa are on the laptop. I did a little writing tonight, but I'll try to get the photos together tomorrow. Thanks again for the comments everyone.

Jay
The NSA...the only people in the government who listen.
redbird
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 10:46 am
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Long Beach, IN

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by redbird »

Jay,
Why did your Salomon's get wet? Did the water get in off your legs?
I know they didn't look new when you got to Sperry. Those bad boys were broken in, that is for sure!

One sidebar. As we were hiking out of Sperry (to Lake McD) we were playing a game where you have to change one letter of the word said by the person before you. As we were hiking and shouting out the new word played, all of a sudden we heard a loud response," the word is HORSESHIT!" and that is how Jay passed us on the trail out. Very funny to all in our party.

Rich
User avatar
Jay w
Posts: 1920
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 6:17 am
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: St. Paul, MN
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 40 times

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by Jay w »

Paul, about the ranger and the bears. I don’t know what experience these rangers had with that bear or black bears in general. It does seem Glacier is having more problems than normal with bears walking into campgrounds. The one at Kintla (car campground) seems like it was coming back every night. I saw the chasing first hand, but the info about hitting with a stick was second hand. The rangers didn’t say anything about running after it.

Rich, boots…the Salomon xc boots fit me really well and I’ve been using them for over 20 years. Their fit varies a bit from year to year, but for narrow feet with high insteps, I really recommend people try their boots. My hiking boots got wet the first day because I’m a dumbass. My socks were acting as wicks pulling water from my shins into my boots. Once I put on rainpants, no problem. BTW, I had no idea what game you were playing, but with the horses on the trail…

Mon, 9/26/13

-Hike: Boulder Pass
-Distance: 5.6 miles
-Elevation: It’s uphill

The first morning “backpacking” was beautiful. I spent a few minutes shooting along the shoreline, filtered some water, and then had breakfast. The thing about photography, is that you can take pictures you think are great, and they turn out just ok; then you can take pictures you think are ok, and they turn out great. Of course it’s that last part that interests me. I didn’t think much about these photos, but they surprised me when I got home.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Them’s ducks in the bottom of that there last one.

Lance heard my woes (pissing and moaning) about the lack of coffee yesterday, so he made me a great cup of Ecuadorian coffee. His skill as a barista was clearly shown and as Potter would say,

Image

“There’s not enough ‘O’s’ in the word smooth for this coffee.” It was a great cup of coffee and set the mood for the day. It rained again the night before, so I packed up a wet tent but this time, I put on my rain pants before setting off. The day was completely different than the day before. Yesterday I was tired.

Image

Today there was a strut in my cut and a glide in my stride, and I was cruising along like a new Oldsmobile. (Paraphrasing Waits.) I stopped here and there along the way and took a few pictures and had dry boots and high spirits.

Image

When I hit Boulder Pass, I dropped my pack and took a few pictures of a dead tree.

Image

In a nod towards “The Sixth Sense,” when I go to Glacier, I see dead trees.

Image

Anyway, a guy walked by and I asked how far to the campsite and he pointed towards some tents just to the right of my photo. Wow, yesterday dragged on and I kept wondering how much further can it possibility be, just beat me now and get this over with, and today I was already there.

Apparently housekeeping hadn’t been by yet to tidy up the campsites. At Boulder there are two nice tent sites, and one you get if you’re the last one to camp. Both the nice ones had tents but no occupants. I hung my food, took down my food, ate some food, took some pictures and still no people. Shawn came along and was also wondering about the empty tents. Maybe an hour later the WI women and some guys from Atlanta came back from climbing Boulder Peak. “Hey, you made it,” I commented to the women. Yesterday was a long day hiking for them, but when I complemented them on making the 19 miles, Ms. Pigtails pulls out the video camera and puts me on tape saying the same thing. She said it was an “in your face moment for the people that doubted us.” She didn’t direct it at my face, but I suspect she knew Lyle and I didn’t think they’d make it. I went off to filter some water and returned to a yard sale. Everything they owned was out on the ground including a handgun. “A gun eh?” Apologetically she responded, “Yeah, our parents wouldn’t let us leave home without it. We also have a .45 in the car!” She went on for a while taking about hunting and said, “We also have valium.” “Valium and a handgun, eh?”

Image

Image

Image

By the time Shawn and I got our tents up, the dark clouds were rolling in. I had a camera in hand for the hike up to Boulder Peak, but I didn’t have a small backpack to haul the camera. So I had a choice of camera and no poles, with the camera in my hand, or poles and no camera. With dark clouds rolling by I left my camera. The view from Boulder Peak is definitely worth the hike, and it’s not a hard hike. Once we got to the top, I headed towards a cliff overlook, spent a few minutes scanning Hole in the Wall, turned around and Shawn was gone. I slowly walked the perimeter without finding him and wondered how far to the edge do I go looking for a body. Maybe 10 min later I spotted him heading down another ridgeline. Huh. I had no real interest in going that way but ok. Eventually we headed back to camp, ate, and then both of us inventoried our food. I had brought along just enough plus one extra meal to make it through the trip. I was actually hoping to drop some weight, so I cut things a little lean. I was still hungry, but my inventory said I couldn’t eat any more and the same thing went for Shawn. Also, my extra “meal” was scrambled eggs. Damn, that’s a breakfast, and not a very good one.

The wind had calmed down to a few puffs of air now and then, the skies cleared out, and I sat down on the rock by the “Best latrine in Glacier” to start watching the sunset. Maybe 20 minutes later Shawn comes by and politely says he needs to use the shitter. (My words, not his.) Sunset had a solid half hour to go, and I know my bowls don’t send me texts a half hour in advance, so I headed over to another rock for sunset. It was spectacular, but it was calm and relaxing and set up a good night’s sleep.

Image

Jay
The NSA...the only people in the government who listen.
User avatar
July Guy
Donator
Donator
Posts: 1334
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2006 12:21 pm
Please add the numbers(11): 0

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by July Guy »

“A gun eh?” Apologetically she responded, “Yeah, our parents wouldn’t let us leave home without it. We also have a .45 in the car!” She went on for a while taking about hunting and said, “We also have valium.” “Valium and a handgun, eh?”


Just spit Diet Coke onto my keyboard at work. thanks jay.
"So how was your trip to Minnesota, or Canada, or wherever it is you go?"

~ Coworker
User avatar
Jay w
Posts: 1920
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 6:17 am
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: St. Paul, MN
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 40 times

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by Jay w »

You can't make up stuff like that. I wish I could....there's money in that...but yeah, that was it, word for word.

Jay
The NSA...the only people in the government who listen.
mikie
Posts: 301
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2010 7:55 am
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by mikie »

“A gun eh?” Apologetically she responded, “Yeah, our parents wouldn’t let us leave home without it. We also have a .45 in the car!” She went on for a while taking about hunting and said, “We also have valium.” “Valium and a handgun, eh?”

I'm not an "Oz Nazi", but I do work hard on keeping my pack weight down. My pack usually runs around 25-30 lbs. Guns weigh a LOT. Heavy gun, Valium, and a 19 mile hike with 3,000' of vertical. Better them, then me.
Jen

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by Jen »

And they openly admitted to it. Makes me wonder how many guns and drugs we unknowingly camp beside.
User avatar
Jay w
Posts: 1920
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 6:17 am
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: St. Paul, MN
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 40 times

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by Jay w »

I brought up the weight thing about the gun and she said something like, "I know, the thing weighs a ton." Basically their family (ies?) wouldn't let them go unless they promised to bring along a gun. I said that you better be a good shot. The valium comment was more of a joke. I think she actually had some, but it wasn't like a bag of weed...more like Imodium AD. (My reading between the lines.) I brought along Z-quill to sleep, and by the third night I had unwound enough that I didn't need it. (I've been sleep deprived for years, and the Zquill has really helped me sleep at home). Ms. Pigtails was a little quirky, but both seemed pretty sharp when you talked for a while. In fact, Ms. Pigtails set up a slackline down by the water the first night at Kintla.

Jay
The NSA...the only people in the government who listen.
mikie
Posts: 301
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2010 7:55 am
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by mikie »

I think that if my parents demanded that I bring a gun, I would promise to bring a weapon with me hiking. I would leave the gun in the glove compartment, and bring bear spray with me. Bear spray is sort of like shot gun, but more effective.

A Ranger once told me that the only good thing about bringing a gun is that you can throw it at the bear after you empty your bear spray. Other then that, it is worthless. He said that people who try to shoot a charging bear almost always miss. And if the bullet hits them in the head it usually bounces off, which just make the bear angrier.

Jen - more then you know. About two years ago we had an incident where I live. A women and her 10 year daughter showed up at a camp site late at night. She asked the 3 men to share the lean-to with them (they are required by law to share it). The 3 men crawled out of their sleeping bags (naked) and physically assaulted (not rape) her. One of the men took a shot gun and threaten to kill her if she didn't leave immediately. The men then got dressed and chased them down the trail to the parking lot. And, then down the street. The police then intercepted the men and arrest them. The girl told me, "It’s sad that my 10 years old now thinks that the woods are the most dangerous place to be and even in the wild places, all we need to fear is our own kind…". I personally never feel comfortable with hikers carrying guns. Most are very responsible, but there are always a few crazy ones.

I do realize that these two girls were just doing what their parents asked them to do.
liketohike
2.1 Donator
2.1 Donator
Posts: 257
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2011 11:53 am
Gender?: Female
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Has thanked: 51 times
Been thanked: 23 times

Re: Better to sail w/torn sails than to not sail at all

Post by liketohike »

Jay, I've been enjoying your trip report! great narrative and pics... we did the route in reverse as a 5-nighter in August.
we were told by a couple of rangers about a group of guys who camped somewhere in the Belly river- they came in on horses carrying guns and poached a site...when hikers with a permit showed up at a full camp, the guys were rude and refused to vacate the site..I guess they were eventually cited, but what a pain for the hikers with permits.
Post Reply

Return to “Trip Reports”