Two years ago, almost to the day, I managed to take a little hike that I had been hoping to be able to do for quite some time. Essentially, from the first time I ever saw Grand Jean, Idaho, or shortly after that when I realized that Grand Jean was exactly due West of Stanley. The only thing in the way from Stanley to Grand Jean is a mountain range!! Leading up to this trip I had been hiking a fair amount and somehow got it in my head that this would be a fun “little” hike. At some point during the year leading up to the summer of 2020 I mentioned this idea to a friend of mine, whom we have nicknamed McGyver for his ability to basically survive anywhere and to make anything out of nothing (boats, oars, one-man free-standing tents). Seemed like a good choice for someone to have along.

So, two days prior to my birthday two summers ago we met in Grand Jean, left my vehicle there, and shuttled over to Stanley, and with about forty-eight pounds of who knows what on my back away we went. Four days later I arrived at my car in Grand Jean, having left McGyver on the way out the last day as he headed up to some high mountain lakes for several more days of surviving on his own.

This was a GREAT, once in a lifetime adventure that I will never forget!!