Borah

We went to Mt. Borah, the highest mountain in Idahoto fulfill a longtime desire to summit at 12,668'.  It was very steep and extremely strenuous.  From there we went to Hailey, where I popped the big question and got the best answer.  Then the next day we went to blessing for the first born son of great friends at the headwaters of the Salmon River.  I'll expand upon this in detail...

Borah was very steep to climb, though the actual trail was not very long in distance.  It traveled 3.8 miles and climbed over 5400' in a hard haul from the trailhead just a few hundred feet above the valley floor.  First you ground up through the scrub and quickly hit the trees.  The trail rose up into the pines and started adding elevation faster than our legs were ready to accept.  The lack of wind made this section warm and this was arguably the hardest work of the day from a strength standpoint. 

Once we hit the treeline, we stopped and set up a drop zone for the extra water and food that I carried up.  This made the pack lighter for me by 50% and suddenly the sight of the valley below made us realize the altitude that we had gained.  The ridgeline walk is long but relatively easy and takes you to the base of Chicken Out Ridge.  This is where the fun begins.  Chicken Out is a very tough outcrop of rock at the end of the ridge and provides a natural barrier to the summit for all except those whose determination and ability allow for passage beyond.  It is very technical climbing without ropes and is more about mental courage as you are exposed to long dropoffs and conditions that are not friendly to the novice. 

The party hit Chicken Out and we split up, with myself pushing on alone to catch the other 3 guys in my party who decided to go on.  They had about 20 minutes on me at that point.  I climbed through the section and it was tough but even though I considered going back several times, I pushed on.  After getting through I made the traverse to the base of the summit.  I called out on my radio to let the others heading down know I was through the worst and began the last grunt to the top.  That part was 800' of pure pulling myself through the skree field.  I would move up for a minute, then rest for two.  The lack of oxygen at this altitude is amazing and you breathe like there is a steel plate on your chest. 

But once you arrive, you are rewarded with the most amazing view that seems to last forever.  You can see all of the mountain ranges that make Idaho such an incredible place to live.  The Lost River range, the Lemhis, the Pioneers, the WhiteClouds, the Tetons, and every valley around.  The highest peak in Idaho is a pretty cool place.  Just see for yourself.

On the way down, the trip isn't that much quicker as you work hard with your knees to brake your speed and stay in control.  Slipping on the loose rock and blowing out a knee is always a fear as you are very tired by this point. But it goes by and before you know it, you are sitting back at camp, 9 hours later, having a frosty beverage and thinking about your accomplishment.

After this achievement, Lauri and I drove to Hailey to my friend Scott's home.  We cleaned up and relaxed and I finally was able to get her alone outside in the backyard long enough to ask her to marry me.  It was appropriate as we met for the first time at Scott's other place, Twin Springs, and now we were getting engaged at his other home.  After this, we had dinner with Ken and Dawn who were with us on the hike earlier.  From there, we met up with Mike and Linda Wise and their son Ben at a party at their home in Sun Valley.

The next day we took Janice her new 4Runner and I always enjoy taking a new rig out for a spin.  It had about 100 miles on it and was loaded with features.  We dropped it off for her, took some pictures of the home she just sold in Ketchum to remember for old times' sake, and then headed for the headwaters of the Salmon River. 

There we found our friends and joined the blessing ceremony for Ben Wise.  We all wished Ben our blessings and helped bring in a new tradition in the Wise family.  After this refreshing, revitalizing experience, we headed for a little picnic at Alturas Lake before heading home as a new(ly) engaged couple.

*(note) The last few photos are courtesy Ken and Geoff, both brave adventurers and friends.

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