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| The Loomis couple on their way up to Patrol Mountain |
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| There's still a spot of snow or two on the ridge |
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| Samsara and Mark Chapman at the Patrol lookout cabin |
Not only do I like to use it to check my conditioning, but I like to visit the lookout ranger there, Samsara Chapman Duffey, who is becoming a legend with her 23rd summer there. I have had nice visits with her father and sister who have manned the Prairie Reef Lookout in the Bob Marshall Wilderness over the years as well.
Some years I miss here when she's taking a day off or I've arrived too soon.
On Friday I hit it exactly and got to visit with her and her husband, Mark Duffey, who had just finished fire fighting stint in Alaska for the Forest Service.
This was the first time I didn't get to visit with Rye, her adorable herd dog and fire lookout companion, who died at advanced age last year.
Sam always has interesting information about this area where the Scapegoat and Bob Marshall wilderness areas meet. She told about a young grizzly who had visited down trail from the cabin and she showed me photo of a wolverine she took last year.
Usually I am one of the first, if not the first visitors of the season. This year she had already been there for two weeks and I was down the list.
It was an exceptionally beautiful and slightly hot day and the visibility was pretty good.
This 11.3 miles hike that gains and loses about 3,000 feet requires a cross back and forth of ice-cold and sometimes high Straight Creek.
This year the water wasn't particularly high or ice-cold.
The only other folks I met on the trail were the nice owners, the Loomis', of 2Js Food Store.
This couple had failed at a previous attempt at getting to the top, stopping at Honeymoon Basin a couple of years ago, but this time they made it for a visit with Samsara.
I've been doing this climb annually since 1981, so I figure this must have been my 38th time to the top.
Hope I can continue to add to that number!
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