Elk Summit to West Fork Ranger Station
April 12th to April 30th, 2008
While the point of origin on this trip might change, as perhaps the date, the plan now is to go to Elk Summit via snowmobile ride. From there I will start where I came to a halt on the March 18th trip.
I would also like to say that though my 11 year old Atlas snowshoes (Backcountry 1033) blew a strap on Blodgett Pass, they still performed as designed when a strap breaks. They got me to Lochsa Lodge located on Highway 12, 37 miles beyond the pass and to the northwest. I finally did what I was supposed to have done at least one year before, after my final trip in the Anaconda-Pintlar Wilderness, and retired them. Had I done that I would have been able to continue the trip on to East Fork of Moose Creek, Selway River, and Paradise Guard Station with the 1235s’. At that point they would have carried me through to completion at Sam Billings Memorial Campground, near West Fork Ranger Station back in Montana.
In addition, Atlas Snowshoe Company has stepped up to the plate in a very big way, graciously providing this new set of snowshoes (1235). Forty-eight hours after receiving them, the shoes will be carrying a load of approximately 270 pounds, as I make my way south from the Elk Summit area. I would like to express my gratitude and extend a big thank you to K2 Winter Outdoor for their support of this bigger than a mouthful journey.
Up to now I haven’t said anything about what had happened to my schedule on the March 18th trip, which had nothing to do with a wounded snowshoe, but with a whole lot of winter going on instead. By the time I made the summit of Blodgett Pass I was at the end of Day-Five. That was the target day I was suppose to arrive at Elk Summit! On Day-Nine I exhausted myself beyond all reasonably sane conduct with a 10 ½ hour arrival at Elk Summit and my resupply. I then took Day-Ten off.
Then winter really got going, perhaps in a celebration of my late appearance, but probably not. Either way, it sure looked like winter was celebrating with one monstrous party, which left me staring in wide-eyed wonder. After dumping a nice two feet of powdery snow on the not yet set snow from the last storm, the temperature plummeted to -7°F. on my second night, inside my tent. I estimate the temperature might have dropped to as low as perhaps -20°F. outside. Yes, a very nice “Welcome to Elk Summit” party.
Why I describe this part of the prior trip now is because of the connotations of the late date I found myself with at Elk Summit. Had I gone on I would have made my way to the Moose Creek Canyon, starting on Day 10 without the day I took off back at Elk Summit. I would have left the station with no reserve food, just the seven day resupply. I had already used up my emergency store on the first of the three legs that comprised the entire trip. I would have had no leeway, yet the conditions and the first leg stated quite clearly that I was going to be needing more then seven days to get to my second resupply located at Paradise. Worse, from Paradise to Sam Billings Memorial Campground I was going to need approximately nine days to get across, again based on the crossing from Blodgett to Elk Summit. My second resupply has but seven days of food/supplies.
I have made a grave mistake in my resupply planning. I never took into consideration that I might need a resupply of my emergency stores I always carry inside my backpack. If not for the broken strap on the Atlas 1033s’, I would have gone hungry in two out of the three legs of the trip. That would have brought on a serious condition on the second leg, which is comprised of mostly the Selway River Canyon and a springtime condition. On the third and final leg the lack of foresight could have had more dire results in the re-crossing of the Bitterroot Range. To go without food while traveling in harsh winter conditions is an excellent way to get killed.
Why do I say this now? Simple really, I have to now carry emergency supplies for not only the second leg of the trip, but an extra amount for the possibility of needing to resupply my emergency supplies for the third leg. Now here is the really lousy part: when I leave the trailhead my pack is already loaded with approximately 95 pounds. Now I get to throw in another 10-12 pounds of “maybe needed” four more days of emergency groceries. Yes, a very big mistake that I now get to pay for.
One other item of interest concerning this trip is the possibility I might have to walk the 20 miles distance from Colt Killed Creek Bridge to Elk Summit, if I am unable to secure a ride on a snowmobile. If that is the case, I will do what I have to that I may finish the trip. That also means another 10 pounds of supplies will be needed to cover the three or four days I will be traveling the Elk Summit Road. In addition, my conservative 85 miles of travel from Elk Summit to Sam Billings Memorial Campground will jump to 105 miles. Rgl.
4-11-08 addendum: I will be leaving just after midnight, 12 hours from now. I am rendezvousing with my ride to Elk Summit at Lolo Super Stop, where we will continue to Colt Killed Creek bridge. At that point and approximately 6:00 a.m. we will snowmobile to Elk Summit. I am hoping to be making tracks with the Atlas 1235s' by 9:00 a.m. and before the snowpack turns to slush, which is when I stop for the day.
All the information I placed on this page concerning 20 extra miles of distance and food, is now moot. Jason Clinkenbeard has again helped me out to make this possible. I would also like to thank him for hauling that extra "just in case" backup supplies into Paradise and placed it with my already waiting seven-day supply.
If all goes well I might be able to complete the 85 miles in two weeks. I am going prepared for three weeks, plus one extra week of total back-up supplies.
This is the last notation until I return. rgl.
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May 4th, 2008:
The trip is finished! On April 30th, 2008 I completed the double crossing of a winterized Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. As will be shown later the trip turned out to be a mixture of some good and a whole lot of bad.