Assistant trip leader Kristy reported Friday evening for the Trip 9 team:
“I can’t believe Trip 9 is over! After all the changes to plans due to wildfires, none of us knew exactly what to expect. As one hiker said, the trip exceeded all of our expectations.
“Last night we enjoyed pizza at Roslyn Village Pizza. It was a bonus that there was some outdoor live music as we explored the town.
“The rain hit right after we were all snug in our tents for our final night. Last night, trail angels Gail and Tony arrived with their rig, so this morning we enjoyed an impressive spread of breakfast and lunch items. We filled ourselves with coffee, tea, soda, banana bread, three kinds of cookies, sandwiches stacked tall with cold cuts and cheese, fresh fruit, and chips. Tony told stories about PasstoPass founder Bill in the early days of the organization.
“Although we had seen evidence of bears in our camp and on the trail, today AJ had the first bear sighting of our trip, in the early morning down by the river.
“Just when we thought Charley and Lanora could not be more generous, Charley showed up with a number of jars containing food that Lanora had canned from their garden and orchard. We all had our choice of some jam, pickles, and apple pie filling. Thanks again, Charley and Lanora!
“When we all talked about highs and lows of the trip, we were hard pressed to find any lows other than a couple of blisters. All agreed that the trip had many positives, especially the opportunity to meet new people, spend time outdoors, and be comfortable knowing you are surrounded by PD hikers who are on a similar journey. It speaks volumes that all of our hikers were talking about doing another PasstoPass trip next year.”
Congratulations to the Trip 8 and Trip 9 teams for successful adventures! And, huge thanks to our trail angels for these trips — Jerry, Rebecca, Tony, and Gail. We appreciate you!
Next up
Trip 20 starts Monday, Sept. 7, in Utah. This is a 9.4-mile round-trip hike with llama support. The team will have a base camp on the Stillwater Fork of the Bear River in the High Uintas Wilderness. From their base camp, they’ll have the opportunity to day hike to nearby lakes with elevations reaching more than 10,000 feet and holding the promise of spectacular scenery.