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Nick and Jesse told me the day after I posted the last entry that Jesse had a stress fracture in his foot. Hiking was out of the question completely. The boys were anxious to get home after this turn of events. They found a flight that brought them to RDU late on Tuesday, the 20th.

We're all disspointed that they couldn't make their plan a reality, but it is a lesson learned in planning and patience.

I hope to post some of their real pictures taken during their hike along Kintla Lake in the near future.

Cheers to them and the next adventure!

Hangin' Out in Kalispell, MT

Nick and Jesse have been staying in Kalispell with Jesse's friend, Justin, since they left Glacier Park on October 9th. They hiked back to their starting point at Kintla Lake on the 8th due to strong winds where they were heading. They were told this by some hikers that had come from that direction. As they were returning on the trail they looked behind themselves and saw nothing but whiteness and it was heading their way. They hiked as quickly as they could with their 65 pound packs, but since they did not condition for this strenuous journey it was difficult to travel very far without resting. They set their tent up and within a half an hour the storm was on them. The tent held up fine and they stayed warm while snow, 60 mph winds and freezing temperatures came upon them. Jesse would like to purchase a 4 season tent now. :)

They are disppointed, as I am for them too, but they made a smart choice. Even though they can not realize their original plan, they will undertake a 10 day hike in the Bob in the very near future.

Accurate Info

The boys ended up going back to Jesse's friends home yesterday evening to ride out the severe weather forecasted in the warmth and safety of civilization. Today it looks clear over Monatana. The snow storm that came in on Wednesday has passed. It looks like the remnants of Typhoon Melor are riding in on the jet stream accross the Pacific and will bring heavy snow in the mountain areas and very cold temperatures from Monday and into Wednesday. Jesse and Nick will probably not resume hiking until the weather lets up.

Nick was planning on going hunting today with Justin. Hunting is a previous passion of Nicks before he discovered kayaking and hiking.

A New Beginning

Well, it looks like Jesse and Nick are off to a new start at McDonald Lake. McDonald Lake is about 104 miles south of Kintla Lake and the elevation is about 3100 feet, 1000 feet lower. This is where the park headquarters are and the west main entrance. The weather is sure to be more mild in this area.

There are a few trails they can take from this location....we'll see where they go from here!

Severe weather?

Nick and Jesse hiked back to their starting point today, on the Western end of Kintla Lake. It appears that they are waiting, since they continuously press the 'help' button on the SPOT GPS. We've been getting this notice since they were about half way back at 5:46 pm. Jesse's friend is on his way up there to pick them up. He should get there around 11:30 eastern time.....another hour and a half to wait.

Update: Jesse's friend called us at 10:36pm to tell us that he could not make the drive up to Kintla Lake. The visibility with the heavy snow fall only allows him to see 20 feet ahead and he has a 2 wheel drive vehicle. The good news is that there is a ranger working the station nearby Nick and Jesse, as you can see from the map of their location.

They should be fine since they are not pressing the 911 alert button. We are assuming the weather is too severe and they have decided to play it safe. It's going to be a long night.

Still Camped?

Well, they have SPOTTED me (with the GPS tracker) about two hours ago and have not moved from their morning location. Not sure what they are up to....maybe the view and tranquility are to good to pass quickly.

The Adventure Begins

Picture: Kintla Lake Sunset


It looks like Jesse and Nick hiked approximately 7 to 8 miles today along the Boulder Pass Trail that follows the Lake Kintla coastline in about 7 hours. A mile an hour is not too bad, considering the weight of the backpacks. I do think this part of the trail is somewhat easy. As they eat their rations each day their packs will get lighter....about 3 to 4 pounds per day.

The weather tonight may get cold and blustery with a few inches of snowfall possible into the morning hours. The greater danger for them are the more than 300 grizzly bears, not to mention black bears, that live throughout the park. They are foraging for food during this time to get ready for hibernation. Nick and Jesse did equip themselves with two good size knives to wrestle any instigators.

Night 1 in Glacier Park

Pictures from top left: Agassiz Glacier; Kintla Glacier; Kintla Peak; Boulder Pass Trailhead; Kintla Lake Campground


They were driven to the North Western most section of Glacier Park today and seem to be making camp at Kintla Lake. Boulder Pass Trail was their desired starting point and I'm sure they are happy that the roads were open and they could make it. The Canadian border is only about 5 miles north of this location.

During the first leg of their hike tomorrow along Boulder Pass Trail they should be able to cover about 8 to 10 miles, since the trail runs along the lake and they normally move at that speed....although they are each carrying about 70 pounds in their packs! We'll see if that holds them back. This area is about 4000 feet above sea level. There is some precipitation called for over the next few days.....this means snow for them. Tonight they should be comfortable with their REI gear even though the temperature is dipping down to 19 degrees. They will most likely attempt ascending Kintla Peak, which is at 10,101 feet, for a good view of Kintla and Agassiz Glaciers over the next day or two.

Nick and Jesse have not started hiking yet. They did get their permit today from the ranger at Glacier Park, and according to a text received today by Nick's girlfriend, Lynn, they will begin their hike tomorrow morning.

It's good that they've had these last two days to re group, relax and catch up on sleep before they face the cold and strenuous hiking conditions. The temperature in West Glacier is currently mid 40's to low 50's for the high, and mid 20's to low 30's for the low. Chance of snow is 40% to 50% over the next few days. Brrrrrr!

Day of Departure

Jesse and Nick had much preparation remaining by 2:00 in the afternoon yesterday and planned on getting to the airport at 4:00. It was just as well that they arrived to RDU at 5:00 with Jesse's family and girlfriend, since their flight had a one hour delay.

Emotions were intense as we anticipated their departure, knowing, or better yet, not knowing, what lies ahead for them. A group prayer was lead by Jesse's Dad and they were off.

The flight left at 6:57pm, instead of 6:10, which still enabled them to make their connection out of Minnesota and on to Spokane, Washington. They spent the night in a local hotel and had Jesse's friends pick them up today to take them to the Polson, Montana area. This gave them the needed time today to re pack their back packs, organize some food packets, and try out the new camp oven that Jesse purchased. Hope it worked!

Thank goodness for the SPOT Satellite GPS! This is the only way we will be able to track Nick and Jesse on their journey. They will not get cell phone signals at the elevations they will be at. I received a call from Nick this evening at 6:30pm, letting me know that they are spending the night with friends and will head to Glacier Park tomorrow morning. They should be about 80 miles from the park and should get there within 1 1/2 hours.

Please keep Nick and Jesse in your prayers. Until tomorrow......

Anticipation

The day of departure is approaching, while Nick and Jesse hurriedly nail down the final preparations for this awe inspiring, yet dangerous adventure.

They take off this Thursday, October 1 on a flight out of RDU around 6pm. Their destination: Montana, Glacier National Park.....for a 25 day hike through the remarkable glaciers of our great country.

There is still food that needs to be dehydrated as well as some minor details to be finalized.

Nick picked up the rest of his gear yesterday, with me, between REI and Great Outdoor Prov. Better to have extra layers and waterproof outer layers just in case.