I Can Do It

 I've been planning a backpacking trip to Montana for about 9 months now. 

Getting a backcountry permit into Glacier National Park didn't pan out. There's not a lot of sites available that can be reserved. Though I got my permit request loaded into the website on the first day (eligible for the lottery), my number was around 2800 — out of over 4000 applications entered that day. 

But I determined early not to be disappointed if I didn't get in. I knew that my "chances" were small, but iI had said my prayers and put my faith in God, that He would put me into the hike that was best for me, for this season of my life. 

I wanted to start this next decade with an activity that would set the tone for the next 10 years. Hiking is it. Mind, body, and spirit is nourished in a supernatural way while hiking.  So, I looked to the Bob Marshall Wilderness. With no required reservations, no specific campsites, and no fees, I hoped this was the place for me.

So in early May, I started researching "The Bob". Got my maps, books, and started researching trails. There are a ton of them. It's a long process. You have to consider:

• How many miles can I do in a day?
• How hard are the days?
• How am I going to get to the trailhead?
• Who is going to pick me up?
• How much food do I need?
• Bears!?
• How can I make my pack lighter?

There are so many questions, but they all start with picking the trail. And that process I have found (with an 8-day hike) has taken me about a month. I've worked my trail backward and forward. I've mapped it out at least 5 different times and will need to do it another 5 times, at a minimum, which is great because that means I will at least remember some details while I am on the trail. 

I've been on a map site that a ranger sent me. I've been using the OnX Hunt app, which is primarily an app mostly used by hunters. I have my National Geographic map, my Erik Molvar Hiking Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness book, and Sixteen Days in the Bob Marshall (David J. Stolzfus). Between these resources, I am able to determine where I want to go, what the trail slope is ("Is today an ass-kicker or meander through the Bob?"), mileage, identify creek/river crossings, etc. 

Every day that I read and study the trail, the more excited and invested in this trip I become. Am I worried? Will I be lonely? Aren't I afraid? The answer is, "Less and less." What becomes more important than these concerns is getting to see these places that presently, are merely words on a page or dots on a map. These beautiful words from Erik's book stir the imagination: 

"...the trail crosses a tiny stream that makes its way down from the rugged wastelands above. The path then crosses an open slope above a slender waterfall on Indian Creek. A second tributary lays the bedrock bare, and the stone reveals its origin: Ripple marks have been preserved in the mudstone from the time long past when the rock was a shallow seafloor." 

Today, I hit a milestone — I can do this trip. I am capable. I have done the math, measured the miles, and counted the days, and the journey is possible. It may sound trivial to some, but to me, a chronic overthinker, having this hope is pure joy. I can do this. 

More to come.