Glenns Lake to the Canadian Border
We started early in the morning due to bad weather warnings.
Stopped for a break where a couple of us went swimming. And by us I don't mean me. Way too cold!
This was about the half-way point of our hike for the day.
It was all fun and smiles until the rain and snow. And that, folks, is when the real fun started.
I have no photos of the last six miles but not to worry. I've improvised with a little artistic interpretation.We stopped at the ranger station and were warned that it was best to hike out due to winter-weather warnings. The ranger gave us some advice. And to my eternal detriment I followed it.
Ranger: "Just embrace the mud, and you'll be fine."
Ann's thoughts: Well, fasten your seatbelt Ranger Joe, cause I'm about to embrace the crap out of this mud.
Ann's thoughts: Well, fasten your seatbelt Ranger Joe, cause I'm about to embrace the crap out of this mud.
Within 20 minutes I was covered in mud from ankle to my thigh and had two inches of standing water INSIDE my boots. This experience provoked so many deep reflections and thoughts...
Three miles before completion I injured my knee on a downward slope of mud. Walking became unbelievably painful. However, I made it to the van. Yay for Ann.We arrived back at our campsite, I hobbled into the trailer in tears, and had this conversation while icing my knee....
Bruce had the same vision and told me that he saw a group of mystified archeologists digging up my bones at the threshold of the shower house. Sounds like an episode for Unsolved Mysteries, if you ask me. (That show scared me to death when I was a kid. And, of course, that meant I had to watch it faithfully every single week. Ok. I digress).
Thankfully, I did make it to the shower house. The rest of the week we rested before returning home. Bruce and I spent one afternoon at the Polebridge Mercantile in the middle of nowhere (a.k.a. the most amazing bakery on the planet). Coffee. Cinnamon Rolls. Mmmm....everything tastes incredible after backpacking.
Bruce's Mom: "Do you think you can make it to the shower house?"
Ann: "Shower? Did someone say shower?!"
Bruce's Mom: "Yes, there are showers just around the corner. But I'm concerned you might not be able to make it."
Ann: You don't know who you are talking to. "If I have to crawl on my hands and knees across that parking lot, I will get there.....even if it's the last thing I do!"
That's right, friends. Don't tell Ann what she can't do.
Then I saw a vision of myself. What if it was the last thing I did?
My vision looked something like this.....
Bruce had the same vision and told me that he saw a group of mystified archeologists digging up my bones at the threshold of the shower house. Sounds like an episode for Unsolved Mysteries, if you ask me. (That show scared me to death when I was a kid. And, of course, that meant I had to watch it faithfully every single week. Ok. I digress).
Thankfully, I did make it to the shower house. The rest of the week we rested before returning home. Bruce and I spent one afternoon at the Polebridge Mercantile in the middle of nowhere (a.k.a. the most amazing bakery on the planet). Coffee. Cinnamon Rolls. Mmmm....everything tastes incredible after backpacking.
And yes, I would still do it all over again. Despite my knee injury, it was an amazing trip!
1 comment:
Ann, you are hilarious! This post totally had me cracking up...I love your pictures...too funny. It's good to see that someone else has artistic ability that compares to mine!
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