TETON CREST TRAIL.

Even when I can see the shadow of my greasy hair standing straight up on the trail beneath me. A trail lined with lush green and laughter of indigo and yellow flowers. There are snow mounds and still lakes and white, snowy water. In the chilly heights there are perfect white wild flowers smiling up at me, perched safe in the grounded earth above the deep sinking, dark muddy trenches.


My head pounds. It is late. I rose this morning in a tent on a grassy field in the hills of the Alaska Basin. The sun shown down warm upon me begging to break my sweet, late slumber. I heard my calling but I didn't quite know that I would be hiking one of my stellar kids 7 miles out of the wilderness to seek help for his head trauma. We both rose to the occasion. With so much snow still on the ground we lost our trail early on and with persistence found it again to walk out of the woods within 3 or so hours.


1 ambulance ride, 2 hospitals and a big, lifted white old man's van later, we are both safe and sound in Idaho Falls. My boy is fine and still shaking off the effects of a concussion. The rest of Team Paco is still in the Park and we will reunite with them on the 15th, maybe sooner.


This time in the back country has been so precious. So extreme. So untamed. We ran into so much snow on the first 2 days that we went off trail into lands so overgrown and treacherous that the kids called it Vietnam. We camped on a ridge they referred to as Narnia. We have found many a smooth rock to call Kitchen and built fires to rival any of Jack London's.

The sparks are flying. The legs are carrying. For now the dirt is washed away and I will welcome what surprises tomorrow brings. God bless the wild lands and the rugged hands.

HAVE YOU EVER

Brandi Carlile

Have you ever wandered lonely through the woods?

And everything there feels just as it should

You're part of the life there

You're part of something good

If you've ever wandered lonely through the woods

If you've ever wandered lonely through the woods

Have you ever stared into a starry sky?

Lying on your back you're asking why

What's the purpose I wonder who am I

If you've ever stared into a starry sky

Have you ever stared into a starry sky

Have you ever been out walking in the snow?

Tried to get back to where you were before

You always end up not knowing where to go

If you've ever been out walking in the snow

If you'd ever been out walking you would know