Hiking the Mission Divide
Over Labor Day weekend, I checked out of my various responsibilities and realized the dream of completing an extended hike in the highest ALA of the Mission Mountain Wilderness.
The trip consisted of four 12-hour hiking days and three nights at unbelievable high altitude camps. With the exception of a family camping at Mollman Lakes on the first day, we didn't see another human for the entire trip and every camp looked previously untouched.
The views were endless and awesome, and I was astounded at the vast expanse of this playground right in my backyard. We crossed snowfields and glaciers, balanced on narrow ridges and goat trail ledges, strolled through green alpine meadows, and looked down on more than 20 clear mountain lakes.
On the last day, the great relief I experienced upon returning safely to flat ground and family was tempered by a lingering desire to stay in the sky and I certainly walked away with a powerful new perspective on my daily struggles.