Kalispell, MT???

I got into Whitefish at 11:30

I got dropped off at the Econo Lodge and suddenly I was alone in Kalispell Montana. So I twiddled my thumbs in the parking lot and started hunting around for a guy named Charlie Grove (my future housemate). It didn’t take too long to find him (thankfully!). The Econolodge man saw my confusion and directed me toward a room which miraculously held all of the people I was looking for!!! We exchanged personal statistics such as how many times we’d climbed mountains, challenged the wilderness, or hiked in general. I failed on all counts. My shoes aren’t broken in, my gear is all new and unused, and my wilderness savvy is on par with Paris Hilton’s. I’m not really sure what I’m doing here. But the Mountains are certainly beautiful and my determination is still intact.

I got into town on the evening of the 26^th and we had our first day hike yesterday!!!! I met my crew: Brett (who’s from Grand Rapids!), Felesha (from Ohio), Leo (from Washington), and our crewleader Jack (from Illinois). I’m pretty certain that within ten minutes of learning that they were the group of people I’d be spending the rest of my summer with, we were headed off into the mountains. We drove past this HUGE body of water which Leo tried to convince me was the largest body of fresh water in the United States (when I protested he exclaimed that the great lakes are salt water…). Flathead Lake is actually the largest body of fresh water west of the Mississippi and it is INCREDIBLE. Snowcapped mountains jut out all around it and large pondarosa covered islands rise in the middle of it. It is beautiful!

We parked our rig at a roadside park about 100 feet up from the lake, made a circle around a topographical map and were asked to analyze whether or not we felt that the map was sufficient to which I replied “errr….” (and the last map reading lesson I took was when?!) So. Lesson number one: Learn how to decipher and critique maps. I offered the suggestion that it was not great and was not horrible in a feeble attempt to keep my ignorance at bay. Jack said that the map was essentially rubbish.

Well let me tell you what the map got right! The topography!!!!! Just as the map suggested, the topography involved a lot of up. Up Up Up. I found my body nearly parallel to the very path that I was climbing at times. I managed to develop a blister instantaneously but still managed to keep up with Jack and kept a pace well in front of everyone else. They are all more experienced than me but I think that when it comes down to it that I have less weight to carry up and down a hillside. It was really my only explanation. I’m sure as soon as I have a backpack on they will have to drag me.

So far so good!

Love,
Zoe