This story begins while I was working at Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California.  I had just my first position with the National Park Service and would be packing my car soon enough to drive to Montana.  During this process I asked my good friend Nick Lemerand if he wanted to climb Mount Cleveland with me when I arrived.  He of course said yes but this would not be the occasion I would stand upon the summit.  Nor did I know that I would be heading back to the desert after this season and my first day back would be the day I met my future wife!  This would also be a season of life of many beautiful adventures and experiences that would go down as some of my favorite I have been blessed enough to experience in this life!  During the last few weeks I was working in Lassen, the now historical Dixie Fire would run rampant across the region.  I would cut my fingers at work on a broken kombucha bottle and I will watch an entire National Park concessions operation fall apart.  Going from group cook outs and bonfire to one by one departing to the unknown was hard to watch.  In some ways the beginning of a new chapter one might call it for a group of people.  Once cleared of my duties I drove up into Oregon and into Washington.  Only stopping for gas once or twice until around one in the morning.  My eyes were heavy and it was time to rest.  I found some bureau of Land Management Land outside of Spokane Washington.  I parked my Jeep under a tree and was asleep before I knew it.  The next morning I drove to a coffee shop in Spokane, and then REI to purchase freeze dried meals for Nick and I’s upcoming trip.  After these errands it was time to drive the rest of the way to West Glacier Montana.  I made my way to West Glacier just in time for Nick to get off the clock and we were off, talking about old times and how good it was to work in the same Park together again!  That night I slept on the banks of the Flathead River in my Jeep.  Because I could not check into my Park housing until the following day.

Nick and I had dinner, and before I knew it, we were off, although this adventure does not end here.  Unfortunately, I was more fatigued than I wanted to admit to myself, after breaking a Sawer Filter 15 miles into our attempt and falling into a creek.  We decided we would just come back.  Later that summer, Nick could not come along, but I did recruit a young man named Nico.  He worked at a coffee shop in West Glacier and ended up intertwined with our little group of mountaineers.  I asked Nico if he wanted to join me on my mission to climb Mount Cleveland, and to my excitement he said yes!  So, with a permit in hand, we made our way to two separate Trailheads.  Dropping off Nico’s car at the Loop Trail Head near Granite Park Chalet and driving my Jeep to the Stoney Indian Pass Trail to Mokowanis Junction for our first night on the trail.  This day was around fifteen miles, and tomorrow would be one summit day.  We awoke before sunrise and had our breakfast.   After some nutrition, it was time to head to our objective!  In a few miles, we found ourselves at Stoney Indian Pass, and from here, we spent most of the day Ridge Walking below Stoney Indian Peaks to the highest mountain in Glacier National Park… By midday, we were on the summit of Cleveland and looking out across the vast landscape, mountains coming up out of an ocean of what seemed like other mountains and canyons.  Looking North, it felt as if one was a step away from touching the water in Waterton Lake National Park in Canada.  We saw Grizzly Poop high above the valleys below and felt a sense of unmeasurable inspiration… For this place, as all Wilderness is only here because of God’s Goodness and Mercy!

From the summit, it was time to head to camp… The hardest part of the day was ahead of us now.   We now walked back down the spine of Mount Cleveland; the angle of the Ridge was extreme enough to cause an explorer to be constantly watching his or her balance or feeling slightly shifted and not upright as they walked.  Soon, though, Nico and I found ourselves far below where we just were now, back at Stoney Indian Pass.  We had dropped some gear for the summit push on the windy ridge above, and now retrieved, we needed to replenish our water.  Stoney Indian Lake was a short walk down, and we filtered many liters of water while feeling in awe of God’s creation.

Hours later, Nico and I were still walking, over twenty miles into our day, and it was nearing midnight.  The efforts of the adventure had worn us out, but finally, we stumbled into Fifty Mountain Camp at almost one in the morning. Quickly, smelly items were placed in the communal Bear Box, and our tents were up; it was Mimi’s time, time to rest for tomorrow.  The next morning, we awoke and made breakfast with the Jetboil before starting our last day on the trail.  We ended up starting our long walk out before downclimbing to filter some water far below.  Now, with fresh drinking water, we are as prepared as possible to finish our fifty-or-so-mile adventure.  We walked down the Highline Trail for most of the day until we passed the Granite Park Chalet. I recall wanting to buy a Snickers, but they were closed.  From here, Nico and I made it to the Loop Trail Head, where we left his car.  From here it was time to drive to go to Going to the Sun Pizza and snag my Jeep from the Stoney Indian Trailhead.  We finally made it home safe; I was too excited to go right to bed.  I sat there and edited photographs!

-Sky