Finally

At last I got my trip to the backcountry, albeit a little late in the season. It wasn't quite the extensive trip I was hoping for, but it was good and gives me a little more insight into where I want to go next year. We went to Willmore again, which I'm loving more and more because of its true wilderness feel and lack of other hikers. The park is huge and just as scenic as Jasper or Banff with only a small fraction of the people using it. Since it was a fall trip we saw a lot of pack trips, mostly hunters, and only one other 'hiker' (actually a biker). Also since it was fall the first night dropped to -5, making for a chilly night for everyone except yours truly. I think I was the only one who enjoyed two warm nights of sleep as my -1 rated bag was pushed to its limit, but held up nicely.

This was the first backpacking trip for Murphy, who, other than the fact that I think he's now sick, is hooked. When I asked him on Saturday if he wanted to go for a 'walk' I don't think he ever thought in his wildest dreams that I meant 4+ hours of hiking for 3 days with a million new smells and horses to bark at. I do however get the feeling that he has less respect for me now as an outdoorsman. As we daintily picked our way across streams, finding the easiest spots to cross without taking of our boots, he attempted to demonstrate how easy it was by sloshing through the glacially-fed streams back and forth numerous times to our one, each time looking back at us with disdain as we just didn't get it. He was only slightly more impressed with our attempt to remove our silly paw-coverings and walk the way God intended on the half frozen half muddy horse trail that is hiking Willmore in the fall.

Next year I am determined to go out for at least 5 days to get further into the ridges and basins of this amazing willderness...come hell or high water...most likely both!