Best memories of 2014

[Different Socks]

Sorry this is so long, but 2 weeks ago I began thinking about all the bad luck I had during my outings and I realized that I had alot of really good times too!! Please read, hope it makes you smile and think about the good things that happened for you in 2014 also.
--Coming home from my overnight hike to Red Eagle Lake in GNP, and my soon to be girlfriend Heather was waiting for me on the front steps.
--Being lost in Snowies, finding/losing trail several times, finding a water trough in the midst of a deep ravine and wondering if the USFS even knew it was there, then after hours of bushwhacking down the ravine and locating established trail once more I enjoyed a luscious blueberry bagel with cinnamon apple cream cheese, and then enjoyed the last several miles thru lush forest, flower laced meadows and walked by towering pillars of stone.
--Accidentally bumping our heads in the tent, then the non-stop laughing for 5 min(possibly longer) that followed it after eating Reese PB big bar--best part was I suddenly said, “what the hell was in that candy bar?”
--My first ever trail side snow slushies on Mt. Brown(or was it the Snowies?), a mix of 2 packets of Crystal Lite and late spring snow--YUMMY!!
--1st scoot tour along pine needle covered road, free campsite on lake and whole place to myself 8 miles from nearest pavement, then the next day a wonderful ride thru a river canyon
--4th bear seen in GNP split seconds after I said to my girlfriend to keep an eye out for wildlife.
--Heather’s arms in the air at GNP and watching her point out all the waterfalls. Can’t wait to take her earlier in the season this year when they are all going and roaring!!
--Mirror image of Red Eagle Lake, the GNP wild horses
--Our feet hanging off the dock and into the water at Two Medicine Lake, during fall colors and off season for the park.
--Rainstorm seen from Mt. Brown and rainbow
--Over 50 lightning bolts in 15 min seen from park in town, and one that occurred seemingly directly overhead and the end result was my girlfriend literally jumping on my back, frightened by the crashing thunder. Then only 5 min later watching her strip off some of her wet clothing and going out to stand in the pouring rain!!
--Campfires in Bear Paws south of town, one of which was so hot we stripped down to only leggings and “youched” when our chests touched suddenly realizing just how hot our skin was.
--Hotel hot tub and the smiles/laughs from Heather
--Feeding fish at hatchery and later eating lunch at picnic table and quietly recalling the last time I’d been there, 7 years before.
--Visiting/seeing Otokomi Lake again in Glacier.



And so many more, yet these are the best

[linus72]

nice thread! lets see - i have a funny memory of coming down Weatuwanchu Mtn/Barrack Matiff into Salisbury, CT in a downpour and turning around and giving the mtn the big middle finger when i was safely at the bottom! i had read the descent was 'somewhat dramatic' in a guide, and well it WAS, especially in that weather... I was proud to have safely covered that steep drop in a deluge, and my therapy was giving it the ol bird upon successful completion! I'm sure I have many more but that was the first to pop in my head

[linus72]

oh yeah, and finding trail magic literally 500 yards into our first section hike of the season.

[Hangfire]

Getting to Black Gap Shelter on the approach trail and realizing that I had left my tent at home...For anyone who thinks their not prepared for this trail I think I took the cake on that one but finished the trail regardless!

Another interesting story, that first night at Black Gap there were 4 of us myself (with no tent) Ronin(75) a recent USAF retiree with a 75 pound pack, Yak a recently retired Army guy who was puking his guts out all along the approach trail and in camp, and Chewbaca (who's had a different name in the beginning but appeared to be the only one have everything in order). 6 months and 3 days later myself, Ronin, and Chewbaca all reached the summit Katahdin(October 6th 2014). Even more interesting is that we never traveled together on the trail or were in the same group. Also found out later that Yak had finished the trail 10 days before us.

[shelb]

Your first reason reminds me of something said by Chris McCandless.... "Happiness is only real when shared..."
For hikers, that might mean sharing with others on the trail - OR it might mean sharing with loved ones when we get home...

[cwhitt7]

Nice one. I hiked past Red Eagle Lake in GNP on my way to Two Medicine via Dawson's Pass. We slept on the south end of the Lake, and didn't get a wink of sleep because of a massive bull-moose splashing around in the lake all night.

For me, it all comes back to me and my brother in law's 5 day hike through the 100 Mile Wilderness (we summited Katadhin starting from the Birches on day 6, and were down by lunch).

We hiked everyday from 5:30am to 30 mins after dark. The hardest, most physically challenging thing I've ever done. That includes all the marathons and endurance hikes I've been on. Most days were ~19-24 miles, but we hit 29 in the flats after making it through the Chairback Range. What an exhilerating experience, not to mention one that builds a relationship with my Brother in Law of 3 years. We did that together in half the time it takes some folks. It wasn't easy, and there's something to be said for taking in the views with a slow and steady pace. But we hiked our own hike, pushed ourselves, and did something both of us weren't completely sure we could do. 130 miles in 5.5 days. What a trip!!

[map man]

Camping a couple hundred yards from Columbine Lake, just outside Chicago Basin in Colorado -- getting up in the middle of the night with only starlight to see by and still being able to see pretty clearly.

The view from the head of the Elk Creek Basin on the Colorado Trail.

Meeting lots of great trail-related people while I was in Harpers Ferry for a few days in October, both at ATC HQ and the Teahorse Hostel.