“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”
— John Muir
Two weeks after losing Scott, my heart and soul cried for the mountains. I worried that one of my favorite places, Stanley, would no longer bring peace. Instead, I feared that peace would be replaced by the pain and ache that had become constant in my mind and body. When Jeff and I went to Stanley to pick up Scott’s remains and hike Marsh Creek, I quickly learned the opposite was true. I feel closest to Scott when I’m surrounded by trees, doing what he loved, breathing fresh air, and, much to my surprise, listening to the river’s steady rhythm. Much like my son, I crave the outdoors, and the pull toward a camping trip could barely be contained by lower temperatures and snow drifts. I had talked to Scott many times about my desire to go solo camping and backpacking. Of course, he always encouraged me to make it happen. He always went solo if none of his buddies were available. As his friend group grew, that became less common, but it still happened occasionally. Scott was committed to spending every weekend outdoors, and he was hard to keep up with. With Scott whispering in my ear, “Just do it, Mom,” I decided a solo trip to Stanley would help heal my broken heart.
My first step was to make sure the trail I had in mind was passable with just spikes. I checked my AllTrails app but found no current reviews…not a great sign. As a member of the Sawtooth Mountains Hiking and Backpacking Facebook group, I knew I could count on informative, kind input about conditions. I was hoping Doug Stump would chime in, because he always gives the best advice with an extra splash of kindness. Sure enough, he was the first to respond. Based on feedback from a friend of his, I felt confident I could make it to Alpine Lake via the Iron Creek Trail with just spikes, no snowshoes needed. I wasn’t confident I’d find a snow-free backpacking spot, and the idea of being up there alone if a storm rolled through gave me pause (we’d been having some wild windstorms, and the Sawtooths have some skinny trees). So I decided my first solo trip would be a car camping trip. I promised Scott this was just the first baby step toward a solo backpacking adventure.
Next up was picking a campsite. Since it was early June, I wasn’t worried about the usual Sawtooths crowds. I opted for Lola Creek Campground so I could fall asleep to the sounds of the river and sneak in an easy first-night hike. Lola is a first-come, first-served campground at $10 a night. It has clean, well-maintained bathrooms and potable water. The sites are beautiful and shaded. It’s located in the Frank Church Wilderness, about 30 minutes from the Iron Creek Trailhead. It is a bit of a drive to get into Stanley, so if cruising into town is a priority, there are plenty of closer campgrounds.
I decided to literally car camp, meaning sleep in my car, since I was only staying one night. I also brought Roxy, our black lab, for company. I packed my thick sleeping pad (Scott-approved), a sleeping bag, and one of Scott’s favorite warm blankets. Temps were going to drop below freezing, so staying warm was a priority. I brought a hanging light for the night, though with the long summer days, I barely used it. Beyond that, I kept it simple: my backpacking chair, a journal, a change of clothes, basic toiletries, and a backpacking stove. I also made sure I had my usual 4Runner essentials: matches, a first aid kit, a shovel (to ensure the fire is truly out), bear spray, and extra water. It was by far the easiest trip to pack, set up, and pack back up again. For a one-nighter, it was absolutely perfect, and I slept like a queen.
Since I was solo camping as a woman, let’s address the safety side of things. I’m comfortable with a firearm and practice regularly with target shooting. When I know I’ll be in an isolated area, as I was in this case due to early season and it being a weekday, I bring my gun. On most backpacking and camping trips later in the season, when there are more people around, I typically rely on bear spray for both bears and the occasional sketchy human. I also made sure my husband knew exactly where I was camping, what time I planned to hit the trail, which trail I was taking, and when I expected to be back. I have an iPhone, so I was able to use its satellite feature to check in and confirm I’d arrived safely. Before my phone had satellite capability, I used a Garmin. Both are great options.
I arrived, set up my sleeping space, and took Roxy on her first hike. We headed down Marsh Creek Trail to the bridge, but it was later than I’d expected, so we only covered a couple of miles. Probably a good thing, since we had Alpine Lake on the agenda first thing in the morning.
I woke up, made my oatmeal, tried to convince Roxy to “take care of business” near the dumpster (she had opinions about this), and headed out to the trail. When I got to the Iron Creek Trailhead, I experienced something I’d never had before: a parking spot in the lot. I’ve always had to hike in just to reach the trailhead because parking is full. Not going to lie, I felt genuinely spoiled. An empty parking lot and nothing but a daypack? Diva hiking at its finest. The weather was perfect: cool temps in the 50s and 60s, bluebird skies. The majority of the trail was snow-free, with just a few downed trees to maneuver around. Once I passed the creek crossing, the snow pack I’d been warned about made its appearance but nothing my spikes couldn’t handle. I relied on the AllTrails map to stay on track, quickly learning that the boot holes left by others were wildly unreliable. The reward? A stunning mountain lake blanketed in snow and ice. Roxy and I had our lunch and spent some quiet time feeling the closeness of Scott in a place he loved so much.
Already planning my solo backpacking trip once the snow clears. I will be aiming for the higher lakes.
