Mike Skladanowski
Trail Crew Member
July 21-28
Nez Perce-Clearwater NF
We started this hitch where we left off just 1 week earlier, clearing trail #4 up to the beautiful Big Sand Lake. We camped there for the first two nights of our 7-night, 8-day hitch, waking up each morning to majestic peaks silhouetted by the rising sun behind them. It wasn’t long though before the sun would warm the day and the mosquitos would prod us back to work with their gentle reminders to keep moving. From Big Sand Lake we cleared trail #906, bushing back overgrown snowbrush and removing logs as we passed over two ridges to reset camp at Frog lake. Those first three days came with daily rain, wind and thunder, always keeping us on our toes and reaching into our packs to take our rain layers on and off.
From Frog Lake we walked over Frog Peak, gracing us with beautiful views into Big Flat Creek drainage and as far as Blodgett Peak. We continued to log out trail #906 to the abandoned Hidden Peak lookout tower, where we had lunch with yet another stunning mountain view. From the lookout tower down into the Hidden Lake drainage encroaching Lodgepole Pines and their fallen parents became rampant on trail #10 as we moved onward toward Hidden Lake. Forward progress slowed down as the trail became more and more dense with brush and fallen trees from a recent burn. We spent our 5th and 6th night at an old horse camp just off of trail #10 a few hundred yards after the junction of #10 and #9.
As our time dwindled, we realized that clearing our entire loop was going to be impossible. We pushed forward to our next and final camp along trail #1 where the trail meets Big Sand Creek. After 3 unbearably hot and sunny days we were grateful to be able to swim in a cool pool in the creek near our camp. On our final day, we cleared and brushed what we could as we headed for the Bridge Creek trailhead. The temptation of cold beverages and hot food pushed us forward the final few miles.
