Blog: Trail Adventure Stories

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

Sleeping with Rats As a Scout Master I got to camp with my son and his fellow scouts quite a bit as we worked on their Camping Merit Badge. We constantly sought new places to camp and have a great time.Each year we would select a high-adventure camping location where we could spend 5 or so days as a group. We'd plan around the activities we wanted to do. One summer we chose to go boating and wake surfing so we selected Kalispell Island on Priest Lake in Northern Idaho. We wanted to camp out on the island for 4 nights/5 days. Since the camp sites are first come, first serve we decided to arrive on a Wednesday night. We knew the bay we wanted to camp on because it was perfect protection from boat wake and protected enough the boys could swim out.The boys got their gear together and we boated in. They set up camp and then they took to the water. They surfed, skied, boarded and swam. That night we went back to camp and got the fire going. We ate and told stories and horsed around. We had a blast.Later we ... Read More

"Dad, dad, daaaaad!" We went to Farragut State Park to ride our mountain biking loop with the my daughter and the dog. There are a whole bunch of trails throughout the park and we've connected a number of them to compile a loop the kids love. It is moderate uphill from the bottom of the park to the visitor's center. On the way down, there are 5 fun drops and it's mostly downhill.We usually see deer, an assortment of rodents, wild turkeys, and other wildlife. We pass by an equestrian park, camp sites, canopied pine hollows, and more.One sunny day, we had finished our climb and then stopped to drink water at the visitor's center. We started the downhill section and had gone down two of the drops. I could hear my daughter yelling, "wooohoooo" as she descended behind me.I was in the lead and stopped suddenly after one of the drops when I saw a cow elk standing in the trail. Normally, when you see elk they bolt off into the forest and you don't get to see them long. This elk didn't move and I remembered it w... Read More