At the end of school, Meredith Bird, Lucy Gamble, Haley Leslie-Bole and I
drove up to Jackson, Wyoming to start our backpacking adventure in the Teton-
Bridger Wilderness. Our initial destination was Bridger Lake, the most remote lake
in the continental United States. Heading out in late May was a bit early for the area
but we decided to set out and hike in as far as we could.
After packing our bear cans with 12 days of food, and lots of warm clothes we
headed north following Lava Creek. As we bushwhacked through deadfall brush and
climbed steep slopes, we sang many songs and laughed a lot. After a couple days we
reached the Lava Creek Trail. This trail led us through pristine alpine meadows and
dense forests. Along the way we stopped many times to appreciate the humbling
views of the Grand Teton. We crossed paths with moose, elk and tons of birds. After
five days of sunshine, the weather changed and snowflakes began to fly. Although
we were prepared for cold and snowy weather, a local weather report forecasted a
storm of 15 inches of snow. With this news, we made the difficult decision to hike
out early. Days later we found out that this storm dumped nearly three feet in this
area.
One of the most exciting moments of the trip was stumbling upon a mother
grizzly bear with two cubs less than 100 yards away. With hearts beating quickly
and bear spray ready, we clapped our hands and sang “Wagon Wheel” at the top of
our lungs. Fortunately, the mother bear quickly ran away with her cubs following
close behind.
We are incredibly grateful to the Kellogg family who made it possible for
us to spend a week in this beautiful land. Although our trip was cut short, our
memories of following fresh bear tracks and falling asleep before dark will stay with
us forever.
- Fiona Haslett
For more information on CC’s Ritt Kellogg Memorial Fund including past expeditions and criteria for applying visit:
