Joe was recently able to cross something off of his bucket list.
He backpacked across the Olympics, going from Staircase campground to Deer Park!
He was super blessed to have a dear friend, Fr. Adam Laski, join him for the trek.
And today is very special, because Joe will be filling you in on the details.
Thanks, Maria. Hi, all. Well, this was the start of our journey. The weather was a bit dreary, with rain in the forecast.
An opening shot of myself and the good Padre. We were excited to get into the wilderness.
We got soaked on the first day. Because we were above 3500 feet, we weren't allowed to start a fire, so we had to make camp wet at a place called Two Bear. Praise the Lord for ponchos - they're a rain jacket, tarp, and sleeping-bag insulator all-in-one!
After leaving Two Bear, we hiked about 4 miles to a place called Upper Duckabush (to dry out our gear for about four hours). Then we set out again. Below is a shot of Father and I after we submitted the LaCrosse pass. We took this picture around 9PM at night. While we put smiles on our faces, we were getting pretty tired - and we still had a long way to go. Ultimately, we wouldn't get to our next camp (Honeymoon Meadows) until about 1230PM that night.
The next day, we were exhausted and needed some R&R - so we hiked about a short 4 miles to a place called Big Timber and made camp there. It was a great day. We dried out, reset gear, and evaluated our position.
After a night at Big Timber, we headed out bright and early - with some beautiful, God-given sunshine. We were definitely grateful for the turn in the weather.
Around the time of this picture, we had to make a decision of whether or not to continue on. Father had some pretty bad blisters and some knee/hip pain. Still, he exhibited determination and grit and decided to continue on.
That day, we headed to Deception Creek. Below is a shot of Father saying Mass there (which we did daily - along with all the hours in the Liturgy of the Hours).
After I ran ahead about 3 miles to a do a recon of the trail, we decided to move past Deception Creek to a better campsite (to make the next day a shorter trip - i.e., as we knew we would have to summit another pass). Here's the good Father drying out.
The next day, we summitted Gray Wolf Pass. It was a gorgeous view - and the wind died down at a perfect time to say Mass.
That evening, we camped our last at Graywolf Camp.
Below is a picture of as we summitted Deer Park. It was great.
The thing about being in the wilderness is that there is no safety net. There are no 911 dispatchers or hospitals. There is no one to save you if you are sick or hurt or in serious danger. You are on your own.
The wilderness is unpredictable - and provides a unique adventure.
But I wouldn't have it any other way. You see, adventure refashions the soul. It requires one to come out of themselves - out of routine - out of complacency - out of comfort - out of the things that we so often run to to distract ourselves from Truth. Its unpredictable nature wakes us up from our comfortable selves.
Give me an early morning, the wind at my back, and the hallows of high adventure.
Love, Us.
