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

Not Your Typical Mountain Catch A fishing guide buddy invited me to fish for salmon on the Clearwater River in Idaho. He had tale after tale of fish measured in feet instead of a few inches. I'm used to fishing small streams and mountain lakes so catching a 18 inch trout was a big deal. He said he'd probably throw back anything 18 inches or smaller. My eyes lit up.We set out early in the morning. As a pro, he put his boat in the water with ease and rigged up his rods and other gear in minutes. There were other boats on the water but he new where he was going and traveled up the river a ways. He finally got to his prized spot and looked at me, "You ready for this?"I smiled back. He and our other fishing buddy let me go first since this was my first salmon fishing trip. He navigated the river so the bait was at just the right depth. Within minutes he yelled, "FISH ON!"I grabbed the pole and started to reel. The fish on the other end was definitely larger than the small mountain trout I was used to. It put up a great... 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