Interesting article in the paper this morning. Two outdoor enthusiasts, Walker, 38 (teacher) and Davis, 32 (builder) were dropped off in the winter wilderness (Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness) last Sunday for a "three-month, 150-mile winter odyssey". The article records them as "experienced hikers and backcountry skiers". The first part of their experience will be backcountry skiing for a month at and around the drop-off point where they will set up a base camp with wall tent and wood stove. After the month, they will trade their tent and stove for backpacks and ski and hike south across the wilderness for the next two months. They have been planning the trip for a year- deciding on routes and making food preparations. Supplies will be flown into two locations along the way and there are food caches they stashed away last summer and fall. When re-supplied, they expect their backpacks to weigh 80 pounds. They will do their trip "without radios, satellite phones or GPS units". They will use maps and compasses to navigate "like the old timers did without all that modern stuff". They seem very much aware of the potential for weather changes that can (will) occur and have both taken classes in "avalanche forecasting". The article doesn't spend time on detail such as clothing, equipment and food selection for the trip, which would be very interesting. Sounds like a lot of fun and a great experience! I hope there's a follow-up article (or more) in April. Stay tuned.

Sounds like fun to me but I'd still want a PLB. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Old timers? Which maps will our two stalwarts use, Lewis and Clark or the latest Topos? Victorian families were horrified with telephones. Imagine, strangers could actually come into this most private realm of decent society! I think the same misguided sense of privacy or freedom is motivating these two. I just hope if something goes amis the hot air rescue balloon carries sufficient laudanum. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I don't recall ever hearing about old timers having supplies flown in either <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

This article? http://tinyurl.com/4vgd9

Hope they are safe and have fun. Three months and only 150 miles (in two months) sounds pretty boring to me, but it's not my trip. I have not been on the ground there, but it's supposed to be pretty rugged country.

As for the GPS etc - what's so novel about that? Many of us eschew GPS... IMHO a radio each to check in with a weekly overflight would be prudent, though.

I predict they won't last three months; ennui and/or disagreement will drive them out sooner. OTOH, perhaps there is more to the trip than simply 3 months afield; some additional purpose or purposes that will occupy them. If you hear or read of any follow-up, please let us know.

Tom

Tom -

Yes, that looks like the article. In the interest of keeping my paraphrasing skills sharp as a tack, I did not include the link. Actually, I'm not sure I know how to do that yet. I will try next time. Thank you for including the link.

I, myself, was thinking the month spent at the drop-off point would get kinda boring. I assume it's mostly an exercise in acclimation. Maybe it's the courage-building phase of the trip. And then, let's see, there's 150 miles in 2 months. That's an average of 2.5 miles a day (using 30 day months). Doesn't sound like much, but maybe they do have other things going on.

I'll have to see if there's a Las Vegas line on these two gents. Will they make it, or won't they? At least the bears are hibernating. That's a plus.

Yeah, but Lewis and Clark didn't have to worry about being busted by Game Wardens for hunting in a National Park.

Sometimes, you just have to make do with what's available <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Hillarious <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />