Journey Day 339 | CDT Day 2
Laurie Adkins crossing a snowfield in Glacier National Park.
6/13/87
Up about 6:30 a.m., I dropped my bearbag, enjoyed a morning constitutional with indoor plumbing and a ramen breakfast. We all abandoned our private cubbyholes and hiked down to the ranger station, where the ranger mapped us an alternate route skipping the closed Highline Trail. We headed out, taking our first break at a locked cabin along rushing Pass Creek with a view of Porcupine Ridge. Eventually we began an apparently endless ascent up along a continuously gaining ridge. Sun burned, feet and body struggled. I felt my stride and pushed ahead.
We had been noticing bear scat and uprooted vegetation suggesting a recent bear or two up ahead. I was up ahead coming around a corner when I noticed a reddish-brown bear behind. I stopped and watched the large creature enter the brush beside the trail, root around, then exit while I shot his (or her) picture.
He noticed me, we studied each other, then he took off along the route I planned to hike. Once he turned around, stood on all fours and checked me out, then disappeared from view. I waited for the others and we walked carefully along for awhile. But soon I pushed ahead again and hiked along with excellent views of a snow-melt waterfall cascading down from the upper reaches of the craggy range across the valley.At the re-entry to the forest, I stopped and waited for the others, then pushed on. After a nice ascent ala PCT (The Sierras), I found myself in snowfields, confused. I dropped my pack to search. The others appeared and Laurie went ahead on the trail, walking atop snow drifts predominantly. She tired, and I took over finding and following a trail mostly covered by drifts of various depths. This was hot, hard work, but I pushed with joy, proud of my abilities. One place I went the wrong way, but angled back, so I decided to go back along the correct route and ended up waiting. I spotted the others below, then went back to my unattended pack.
Pushed up to an old rock foundation which may have been a hut in days gone by. Enjoyed an extended break and satisfied my ravishing hunger. Shot some nice photos, then pushed over the ridge, down into a bowl below Cathedral Peak and the Highline Trail where eventually found Fifty Mountain Camp. Much was under snow or fenced off for restoration, but we found sites, cooked at the designated cooking area and hung our food by 7:30 p.m. I pushed on to my tent and wrote this entry.
