To start out my 3-week Montana vacation, my hiking buddy from the PCT, Arizona (his trail name), flew out to hike a few days. Arizona and I met last year at Kennedy Meadows on the PCT, and hiked together through the High Sierra to Tuolumne Meadows. I’ve missed hiking with trail friends.
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| Arizona and Hemlock in Glacier National Park |
Some conversations you can only have with other long-distance backpackers. Butt chafe, pooping, etc. I'd forgotten what it was like to be called "Hemlock."
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| Arizona jokes around with his bear spray. |
We scrambled off trail because that’s what we do. Just us and the rock and the scree, free and happy and everything is right with the world.
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| Above Avalanche Lake. |
And then Arizona left, and I wondered if I made the right call not to return to the PCT this year. Because I felt more lonely than ever.
But then I woke up and I was in Montana. This beautiful place. It pulls at your heart. So I headed back out to the trail again...
Trail Information
Avalanche Lake
Packers Roost to Flattop Mountain
So great to see a picture of you and Arizona. I hope all is well with him. If you ever do decide to wander out to Oregon, please give me a holler, as they say, be glad to help as I can.
ReplyDeleteThanks, SlowBro, I'll definitely let you know when I made it out to Oregon! Hope you are enjoying it there!
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