... first trip 2006 - Seven Devils

I took Candace, Jackie, and Candace's friend Brad into the Seven Devils Mountains (Idaho).  We took Climbers Trail (shortcut to Sheep Lake).  I was looking for an even more shortcut route into the upper Cannon and Hanson Creek drainages, without having to drop onto the Goat Pass-Sheep Lake segment of the Trail - which sports dangerous amounts of snow this early in the year.  We got to Goat Pass late, and with only one adult, and feeling tipsy due to not having had a pack on my back for some time - and the first step, at least, of the potential shortcut looking dicey - I aborted the shortcut idea and we dropped onto the Trail.

We made it across the nasty places, carefully.  At one of the worst spots I had our dog Annie (Chad's dog) ... stay at the beginning of the bad spot while we crossed - I didn't want her knocking one of us off.  Once across I called her forward, and then proceeded after the others, and looked back in time to see her accelerating down the snow chute - she had slipped.  She came to a sort of crevasse and bounced into it - hitting snow with her momentum, instead of rock - and better yet - not shooting off down into the cliffs below.  By the look of the fall I assumed her injuries would be bruises only - but then she disappeared - and I could hear her whining.  Bummer.  Finally she appeared and after considering what would happen if she tried to cross from where she now was - I told her to stay.  I climbed back and around and down, and led her out.  She was a bit scraped and bloodied, but okay.  Whew. 

We spent the next day pretty much just relaxing at Sheep Lake. 

I was able to crawl within inches of some fabulous Rainbow trout, in spawning ritual. 

I offered a reward for the first to see Mountain Goats, and I was the first. Over the next 24 hours we watched several goats cycle in and out of a near vertical geologic dike ... 1000 vertical feet above us.  The bands of rock evidently had some mineral or other attraction.  The goats would contour onto the dike and even get up on hind legs to get at what they wanted.  Mountain Goats never cease to amaze me.

A serious storm hit the second night - very glad we (at the last minute) took a tent. 

Day three I decided to take us the long way out.  Ten miles long way - but at least by trail.  A guy I ran into told me of a shortcut, from Shelf Lake straight down to the loop trail.  Having been led away from Climbers Trail and other `fun' things (Jackie wanted to Climb She and He Devil peaks) - my crew was anxious to do a shortcut.  At the jump off point I reconnoitered and called it off.  I couldn't contact Tammy by satellite phone to tell her of our new plans - meaning - if anyone had to come look for us - they would be MILES off - no one would ever  imagine this shortcut - especially since we were coming out a completely different way.  The kids were bummed, but as the hike progressed, even into some miserable moments, I could see that the shortcut would have been pretty foolish under the circumstances.  In all - they were bummed we took the long way - but I'm glad I finished the trip doing it right - even if grueling.

It was an interesting trip - in a sense - more about them - than ME.  I let them have fun, sleep in, even throw rocks.  (See Rules.) I cut them some slack.