For our eighth hitch, our crew experienced a backcountry hitch for the first time. For most of our hitches, we have been able to drive into town and buy extra snacks, as well as have cell phone service the whole time. Our previous hitch was somewhat of a hybrid because we did not have the rig with us on that one, but we had cell service the whole time, in addition to having access to a cabin to cook our meals in and sleep in.

The first adjustment we experienced was hiking in all of our gear, food, and tools. In the front country, we can just keep this stuff at the rig, so it was difficult for some of us to carry all of the weight out into the field. We eventually made it to our campsite and learned some lessons about packing our gear more efficiently. For me personally, I need to find a different pack for the rest of the season.

The second change we experienced was the joy of bear hangs. It sounds simple: tie the rope around a rock and throw the rock over a branch, and make sure that the bag is 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet away from the trunk of the tree. Easier said than done! This took us longer than it should have, but to be fair, we have not really had any practice with it. We eventually got our food and smellies hung up.

The third challenge that we overcame was not having any cell service for nine days. For me, this felt more like a welcome cleanse than a challenge, but boredom can still creep up when you are trying to fall asleep. Since we did not have entertainment on our phones, our crew entertained ourselves by improving at night. We did not even get up; we just yelled at each other through our tents.

Overall, I love backcountry hitches and can’t wait to go back!