Brooks Lake Lodge: Pack Trip

11-12 July 2006 -- It's been storming on and off all afternoon, so I don't feel like I'm missing too much sitting here blogging. At least I'm sitting in front of magnificent views while the occasional thunder and lightening goes off, followed by torrential downpour, which usually lasts no more than 30 minutes at a time.

I came in around 12:30pm after an overnight pack trip. It was an amazing experience, I almost want to go out and do it again tomorrow! When I got to Brooks Lake Lodge yesterday, it was around 1:30pm already (I was late from missing the turn-off). I grabbed a quick bit for lunch before riding out around 3pm with Greg in the lead, me on Brody, Amy in the back with the pack horse and her sister Daniel, who was visiting for 2 weeks, in between. The ride was gorgeous. The sun was out and the wild flowers in the green meadow made for a sea of colours.


Early on, Greg pointed out a mountain in the distance with remnants of the winter's snow on top. We'd be riding there. A little further on, Amy suddenly shouts to Greg, "We forgot the shotgun!". But they decided that the bears probably wouldn't cause us much trouble. I was pretty sure we wouldn't be needing it either, but I was also secretly hoping that I might be able to catch a glimpse of a bear from a safe distance.

When we got to a sign that read "Wilderness Boundary", we stopped briefly so that Greg could check in with the lodge on walkie-talkie. It was the farthest point where the walkie-talkies would be able to talk to the lodge.


By the time we rode into camp, it was a little after 5pm (about half an hour in from the Wilderness Boundary). Western saddles are so much more comfortable than English saddles. My backside wasn't sore at all, but the moment I dismounted, I could feel my knees wobble a little bit.

The horses were placed in a corral with electrified fencing to keep them from running off. There a solar-panel charged battery that hooks up to fencing with wiring in them. Pretty nifty. But because it looked like it might storm, Amy decided not to electrify the fence.



Camp consisted of a dining tent, cook tent, several sleeping tents and even a toilet tent (ok, it's still a whole in the ground, but at least there's a seat and you get to take care of business in relative privacy). The camp takes about 3 days to set up and, in accordance with park rules, it has to be moved every 16 days.


My sleeping tent had a cot and sleeping bag that would keep me warm in even -20C weather. Amy explained that I should strip down to just underwear before I get into the sleeping bag because it works off of the body's own heat.


The first order of business was setting up the cook tent and getting the campfire going so that Amy could start cooking. Greg went off to chop some wood to keep the fire going. In the meantime, Amy got one going with some dry twigs and paper carton and started putting away the food items in the pack into the bear-proof containers. She also pointed to the bear pole behind the corral, which is used to put things like scented toiletry items.

While Amy and Greg were hard at work, I relaxed in a chair and took a nap (was in remnants of jet lag or the high altitude?), despite all the flies and mosquitos swarming and buzzing around me. No amount of OFF! or deet-infused cream would get them to stay away from me, so I decided that the best way to deal was to just let them be.

By the time Greg finished with the wood, it was time to take the horses out to graze. He had been gone for about 40 minutes or so (they're supposed to graze for an hour) when we suddenly heard Greg call for Amy. Apparently, Peggy had wandered off onto the trail and would be heading back to the lodge if Greg didn't go after her. So Amy went off to bring back the other horses while Greg went after Peggy.

The sun was setting when Greg rode back with Peggy and dinner was ready. I was expecting hot dogs and smores for dinner, but I was in for a surprise! Amy amazed me with her campfire culinary skills. With two dutch ovens, she backed buttermilk biscuits with cheese and a chocolate pudding cake for dessert. For starters, we had a salad with julienne carrots, peppers and onions. There were two types of dressing -- ranch, of course and vinegarette. For main, we had steak grilled over the campfire and baked potatoes, also pulled from the campfire, served with sides of baby corn and caramelized carrots. Dinner was served in the dining tent with white table cloth and napkins, proper plates, glasses and silverware. It was around 9:30pm when I sat down with my mug of apple cider and we devoured our dinner by candlelight (which, incidentally, is very good for getting rid of mosquitoes. The flames attract them and they end up burning their wings. By the end of the dinner, our table looked like a mass graveyard for mosquitoes).

After dinner, we pulled chairs up by the campfire. It was a shame that the sky was still clouded over (it drizzled a bit early in the evening, but the full force of the storm passed us by, leaving us pretty dry for the night), so we couldn't see the moon or the stars. We chatted a bit. Greg is working as a wrangler for the summer. He heads back to Mississipi as a junior in geological engineering (applicable in oil & gas industries, civil engineering or building projects that require underground work etc.). Apparently, he learned how to ride on a friend's ranch in Tennessee. How did he end up in Wyoming then, I asked. Internet, he said. He looked for dude ranches looking for summer help and that's how he found Brooks Lake Lodge. This summer was his first season working here. Amy, on the other hand, is a season regular. She's worked summer and winter (lots of snowmobiling through the snow-covered wilderness) season for the past four years. She's originally from Michigan, so she's no stranger to cold weather. She tried to convince her 16-year-old sister (Amy herself is 25) to work here this summer, but Daniel opted for a 2-week holiday here instead. That's what I would have done! Daniel does quite a bit of riding at home. She has her own horse and competes in shows.

By 11pm, I was starting to nod off (I woke up from campfire smoke being blown in my face), so I decided to turn in. I did as Amy had instructed and crawled into the sleeping bag with just underwear and a top. When I woke up this morning around 8am, I thought I was in the lodge, in a real bed. The cot was surprisingly comfortable and stiff and the sleeping bag was really warm.

Amy (she and Daniel had slept by the campfire all night) and Greg were already up. Greg had gone off to graze the horses again; this time he led them two at a time so there would be no repeats of runaway horses.


Amy had ready a pot of hot coffee and a plate of fruit. For breakfast, she cooked up french toast, crispy bacon and eggs. What a great way to wake up in the wilderness!


After breakfast, Greg saddled up the horses and off we went, back to the lodge. Amy stayed behind because another family of 7 (3 adults and 4 young boys) were riding in. Our paths actually crossed along the way. I hope the storms of this afternoon missed the camp, but then again, it could make for more adventures and stories to tell. My pack trip was uneventful, but it was a great experience nonetheless. There's something about being out in nature. Everything's different and every little creature comfort is not taken for granted. It's a great way to chill out and recharge. For the time that I was out there, I didn't think about work. Nothing really seemed to matter; it was all about enjoying the moment. It's great way to spend US$250(much better at destressing than a day at the spa!) and definitely worth doing once a year.



The sky is clearing and the sun is streaming into the lodge now. That family out there is going to have a great night of stargazing ahead of them tonight. And they'll be making s'mores too, because I saw the marshmellows in the bear-proof containers.