Field Program

 With Nick on vacation, and Allie not able to join the hitch due to sickness, the four of us (Hope, Erin, Claire, and Dylan) set off 16 miles into the backcountry of Shoshone National Forest on the Glacier Trail. The hike was strenuous but insanely beautiful, and we got to see five glacial alpine lakes along the way. We also completed a deep-river crossing that was exhilarating and refreshing after a long day's hike. The workweek included hiking up the Ink Wells Cutoff trail each day to retread and revamp the trail. Since the Dinwoody fire 20 years ago, the trail had not been touched, and our crew worked to create a Class I trail that could be used by both packers and hikers for a shorter trip to Gannett Peak (WY tallest peak). The trail was extremely steep as the switchbacks meandered directly up the mountain. We worked to re-route several sections of the trail so that the grade was not as steep. Throughout the week, the weather was beautiful, we had a B-day party for Hope, we waded in the river, and we laughed a lot. On Monday, we hiked four miles to Double Lake to make the hike-out more bearable the next day. The stars were incredible, and the sunrise the next morning followed suit. Overall, this hitch was very successful, and the work we did was meaningful and exciting!