When AXP signed on to sponsor #HellHikeAndRaft, I was extremely curious to see what we’d be receiving. I have an Adventure Medical Kit first aid kit, and hoped it wouldn’t be the exact same thing.
When Adam handed out the goods at our motel in Idaho, it was a pleasant surprise. These were actual, thoughtfully crafted survival kits!
Day three was our last day with packs on our back. Today, we were going to the Snake River! Today, we were going to see Wendy & Trevor!
That morning in camp was freezing. We ate the standard breakfast of oatmeal and we all huddled around the fire until we had to leave.
Tuesday morning, I woke up to the sound of Russ’ snoring and to the sound of coffee being made. There was ice on our tent from condensation. It was cold and windy; the fog was being swirled around on Shelf Lake. And it was beautiful.
Today, we were planning on hiking up to Dry Diggins Lookout for a glimpse of Hells Canyon, and then off to Hibbs Cow Camp where we would be staying that night. We ate some delicious omelettes made in Ziploc baggies, and munched on leftover peach cobbler.
I first got wind of LifeStraw when bloggers were reviewing them left and right and sharing all over social media. I didn’t really get it. As hikers, backpackers, adventurers, we’re used to carting water all across the wilderness. But what if we didn’t have guaranteed reliable water sources to slurp from? The straw is useless.
I’ve been dreading the writeup of these #HellHikeAndRaft posts. It means it’s really over! And I don’t want it to be over. Without getting too sentimental, this was one of the most fun trips I’ve ever been on with some of the coolest people I’ve ever met. Thanks Tara, Russ, Scott, Val, Trevor, Shannon, Jes, Annie, Wendy, Adam, Jeff, and Becky & Parker at America’s Rafting Company! Now for the nitty gritty… Monday morning, we woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Our guide, Marshall, picked us up from the Meadows Valley Motel in New Meadows and carted us off to Windy Saddle in the Seven Devils Wilderness. We met up with Rick, our other guide, and John and the horse team and into the wilderness we went for America’s Rafting Company first ever guided backpacking and rafting trip.