Isabelle Mills
Wilderness Ranger Fellow
August 4-11
Nez-Perce Clearwater National Forest
Big Sand Lake #4, Frog Peak #906, Hidden Peak #10, Big Sand Creek #1, Little Dead Elk #5 #50 to Packbox Pass
Wow, the last hitch is done already! I am glad I got to write about my last hitch because it gave me some time and perspective to reflect on this experience. Every hitch this season seemed to get progressively better and the last hitch was most definitely the best of all. The final hitch started with a huge blowout on the road to the Colt Creek Trailhead so Connor, Will, and I had to hike a mile on the road to reach the trailhead. The first trail we cleared was located in a burn area. We endured high temps and intense sun (which made me nervous when I forgot my sunscreen one day, but I came out unburned). On the third day a storm, with lots of aggressive thunder, managed to cool things down. Even though it did not rain much, it was enough to completely soak our boots and they remained wet for the next couple days. It is surprising how much more I hate grass when it is covered in water droplets. We did build a fire and were able to dry our boots (at least a bit).
Pulling out of the burn area and leaving it behind was a welcome relief and camping at Garnet Creek was a gift. Also, no more need for tools, because we spent the rest of the hitch doing campsite monitoring. On day five Will and I went up to White Sand Lake to monitor the campsites while Connor headed up to Parachute Lake. Even though we lost the trail a couple times, it was one of the best days of the summer. White Sand is a beautiful lake and we had some time to swim and relax before hiking back down.
The next day was spectacular. We continued to monitor campsites on the way up to Packbox Pass and planned to meet Madi, Phoebe, and Tori at the top. After a wet and buggy morning, we hiked up to the pass and waited for the other crew. The summit was breathtakingly beautiful, plus, seeing several backpackers was a nice treat too. Not only did we get to see Madi, Phoebe, and Tori but we also saw more people on that trail than we had seen all summer.
Those last two days really reminded me of why all the hard parts are worth it. I am so glad that we had that time to just enjoy the Wilderness before getting back to work. On the final day Will, Connor, and I monitored the campsites we had passed on our way in then hiked back up the road to our cars and said farewell to the Wilderness.
As we approached civilization, I started feeling nostalgic about the season and how everything had happened so quickly. From beginning to end, this whole summer was unexpected and exciting. I had learned so much about the Wilderness and myself. I am glad I stuck it out through the hard times because it made the good parts that much sweeter.
