6/12/09

unedited fourth entry from the pocket-sized Moleskin I carried 26 MILES into the wilderness:

"A broken zipper cut the night's writing short. I slept in the tent w/ C[___]. The 15+ miles today were at turns horrible and amazing, but I'm not sold on hiking just yet... maybe 5-10 miles at a shot. Until lunch I just wanted to go home. Afterwards I enjoyed hiking alone, then with A[___], who lent me his tent trekking poles. Probably saved me an hour + a half in all seriousness. Saw 2 snakes, a MCC Crew, the pack horses and RMRS crew we met yesterday + saw the Selway River rafting party beached for the evening, just below the bridge to Moose Creek RS.

'Yeah, I've shit in the woods.' --- Bill Bryson

"Legs - barely holding me up
"Feet - swollen
"Hips + Collar bones - bruised
"Belly - full
"Brain - zzzzzzzzz

"Slept in bunkhouse @ MC"

Editor's Comments:
C[___] was the wilderness ranger at Moose Creek for over 20 years. 25? She is a legend in the wilderness community here and one of the most impressive women I've ever met. She may actually make the top of the list now that I know she is 68 years old. You'd never guess.

MCC = Montana Conservation Corps, a trail maintenance crew
RMRS = Rocky Mountain Research Station

The Selway River rafting party is not that unusual to see, because there is one launch a day, so over two days, it is almost a certainty to see one party, if not two of them, but it is still one of those sights that makes you stop and think simply because of how long those people have been planning that trip. Most people are on the lottery list for at least 2 years before they get to float the Selway.

One of the things that occupied my mind before we set out was having to poop in the woods. I mean really... but I was heartened by Bryson and his tubby friend Katz having gone before me (and further heartened knowing that they were on the AT, and not here on the Selway River Trail). So I can now officially say that I have pooped... in the woods.

The bunkhouse at Moose Creek had 4 empty beds, so I happily slept in one. This was on the heels of a conversation I'd had with RM and a few other people earlier in the day when he said "well, there probably won't be very many beds available, certainly not for all of us." to which I smilingly replied, "so you're saying there are some beds available?"