Sunday, November 11, 2018

Fall 2018: Canada, Boise, and Estes

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While Elisha headed down to Zion again for a girls’ week, I drove back North to Canada. With the help of Mark, we had built a little bed in the back of my Subaru, which I used. It was nice and cozy, especially considering it was pretty snowy the whole week I was in Canada. Despite the fresh snow and snowy weather, I got some really good days that were clear at some point, so I did some great hikes. I hiked up to Bow Glacier Falls and Iceberg lake, climbed Cirque peak and Lake Helen, and also hiked up Parker ridge again. I also hiked up to Bald Hills Summit (and a peak nearby) and up Healy Pass and to Egypt Lake, which was beautiful with the golden larches. My last day it snowed a whole lot, so I couldn’t hike up into the mountains, and instead did a circuit in the powder around emerald lake. The 2 peaks were quite challenging with all the snow and I had to break trail to reach the summits.

After Elisha deployed for Antarctica, I drove down to Boise where I stayed with Sherman and Emily for several days. It happened to be homecoming for the College of Idaho, so we participated in some of the activities including my first ever C of I football game (which we won!). I also competed in the alumni swim meet.

I was home for a bit over a week at the beginning of October, and it snowed a lot! I did quite a few hikes, including a really tough one up to lake of glass and sky pond, where I was often waist deep in snow. It was a fun, but tough day going through so much deep snow. In the end my hike took me from Glacier Gorge to Loch Vale lake to lake of glass to sky pond back down to Loch Vale to lake Haiyaha to Dream Lake to Nymph Lake to Bear Lake back to Glacier gorge.  Mom and I also did a ski by Sprague lake. Something that stood out was all the elk around the house and town, including lots of bugling bulls. I guess I had just forgotten how many there were.

I left for McMurdo on 18 October. I had no delay at all and breezed right through New Zealand to McM. I of course had a couple of days there. I was put up at the fancy crowne plaza and made the most out of my meals eating several times at my favorite thai and indian restaurants. Elisha, on the other hand, had about 18 or so days of delay in NZ. Paid vacation! So she got to go skiing, hiking, and did other fun things.

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