Blog: Trail Adventure Stories

Off Roading to Find a Comet In the summer of 2020 the comet Neowise came into view from Earth. It was visible from nearly anywhere as long as the night sky was clear. We live in the Northwest so the sky is often filled with moisture. Adding any form of light pollution from city lights make viewing the stars and sky a lot more difficult. A group of us had decided to take an ATV trip to a lake we've never visited called Killarney Lake. The total trip was about 135 miles round trip. Packing extra fuel was a requirement. We traveled on forest service roads through the back country. At times we wouldn't see anyone for hours at a time.We finally got to the lake and camped out at a groomed site on the lake. The boys slept in hammocks and the fathers set up tents. We started a fire, cooked some dinner and did the usual camp activites. As it got dark, one of the boys said, "has anyone seen the night sky like this?" We were far enough from the city there was no light pollution and we could see the stars with clarity. Ju... Read More

50 Miles in 4 Days As a kid I was part of a well organized Boy Scout troop. Our leader was an experienced outdoorsman (more like mountain man) and we learned a ton from every campout and outing. One Summer we planned a 50-miler to achieve one of the patches Scouting offers. We earmarked 4 days where we could travel along a route in southwestern Montana. The route included mountain terrain, rolling hills, forested sections, grassy knolls, and water features. We prepared for weeks before the packpacking adventure. We did pack checks to make sure we brought the right gear, we planned light weigh food and water rations, we planned for blisters and other first aid needs.We set out on the trail. Each day the column of boys would stretch out as some boys would pace ahead and others would lag behind. As we reached the pre-designated camp sites each day we'd stop, get a fire started and wait for everyone to arrive. We'd explore our new site, rest from the day's travels, repair blisters, cook food and more. It ... Read More

End of my Rope at Midnight In college I had a calculus class that was BRUTAL! My high school never got to pre calculus so this math class was insane. I needed it to apply to my major so I had to take it. The first day of class the teacher confused me to no end. The two students on either side of me were catching on. I asked them for help and soon we had a regular study group where both of them coached me along.One night we had a two-hour study session and we were spent. The Aaron leaned over and said, "let's go rappelling!"The girl in our group reminded him that it was 11:30pm and she was pretty sure it was dark outside. "Pick up your stuff, let's go!" he responded. We looked at each other and followed his enthusiastic order.30 minutes later we found ourselves staring off into the abyss. He had driven to the top of a rim and had the truck lights shining on our entry point. He had anchored to the top of cliff. When I looked over, I could see NOTHING!He said, "I've got to stay here to make sure you guys get str... Read More