2024 Bob Marshall wilderness Open

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Open is a non-organized point to point adventure trip. Every winter a start point and end point are named by David Chenault on his blog. It now has been going on for a number of years during Memorial Day weekend and follows the style and ethic of the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Challenge. Which is another super cool niche event that you should also read about if you’re into scary mountain silliness. The only rules for the Bob Open are no outside support, no paved roads, and it is not a race. This year the starting point was Roger’s Pass at the CDT trailhead. The finishing point was Woods Bay along the eastern shore of Flathead Lake. My route was roughly 157 miles, all hiking. I have no experience with packrafting, so I didn’t consider that option. I took this on as a solo trip, to test my mental capabilities and endurance.

Day 1

With the later 8am start I was antsy to get moving quickly. Shoutout to Jeff, Kris, and Adam for coming along to the start. Luckily for me and everyone else they set track through the snow for the first few miles. There were roughly 12 guys moving into the wilderness that morning. Most of them had pack rafts. I started out on the Continental Divide Trail; my plan was to follow the trail for 24 miles before turning west and into the valley floor. There was a lot more snow than I was planning for on the ridge line trail. The first 6 or so miles went pretty easy. The easiest route ended up bypassing the contouring trail for the more direct and less snowy ridgeline. Eventually the easy miles no longer existed and I came to terms with my post holing pace along the ridge line. It wasn’t that warm out and the chilly spring air cooled my skin quickly if I wasn’t moving. After 5 hours I had only completed 13 miles, with more snowy ridgelines ahead this pace was not safe. I looked to my left and saw a less snowy ridgeline leading down into the valley. After checking onX I discovered there was a trail at the far side of the ridge that could take me down in elevation and away from the snow. I bailed and went for it. Pretty quickly I was patting myself on the back for pivoting in a new direction. Two hours later I was descending a fairly well-maintained trail.

Once I reached the valley floor I turned northwest and the miles began to come easier. I passed the 30-mile mark around 10 and a half hours. Somewhere along the way I passed by 3 fellow participants hanging out under the awning of a forest service cabin. Luckly this far north in Montana the sunset was around 9:45, leaving me with many hours of daylight left to hike. However, it was cloudy and the occasional rain storm would come through and put a chill in the air and drench my pack. At some point I was instantly stopped in my tracks to a huffing sound and big brown shape scurrying away from me. As quickly as I realized it was my first bear of the trip I was left wondering where it went. I was hoping it went off the trail, but I was grateful it didn’t come in my direction. I stood there for a few minutes talking out loud, acutely aware that daylight was passing me bye. Once I gathered it was safe to continue, I peeked around the corner, with my bear spray drawn. With the coast clear I continued down the trail. From the fresh track in the trail, it was obvious the bear went running down the trail away from me. A sort of unfortunate reality that it was the same direction I was heading.

The next few hours went by with less drama, I stayed very aware of my surroundings and was very loud walking down the trail. As the sunset came the weather got chillier and the sprinkles became rain. I donned my rain gear and hiked quickly to stay warm. The sunset came and went, oh yea and I still was following those fresh bear tracks. I flicked on my headlamp. I was anxious to catch up on the miles I missed from the slower snowy slog earlier in the day. Around mile 44 there was a forest service cabin, although it would be locked, the covered porch might be a comforting respite from the rain and night creatures. Not too long after I was startled to see a dark silhouette running away from me and a couple loud huffing sounds to leave me question all my life choices. I’m pretty sure this was the same bear from earlier in the day. I felt bad for scaring this bear twice. The thick lodgepole pine forest didn’t leave much room for large creatures to travel through, meaning they also preferred to travel on the trails. This young lodgepole pine forest also meant the camping site options were limited and bear hangs opportunities were sparce. Around about 10:30pm I crossed a creek to soak my feet one last time before bed and I found a nice campsite with a quality bear hang just far enough away. I fell asleep to the sound of rain and frozen precipitation hitting my tent.

Day 1 Totals – 40.5 miles, 14:30, 9724ft of gain

Day 2

Okay so I snoozed my alarm a few times on Sunday morning. The chilly morning air kept me in my sleeping bag a little longer. I set out on the trail just after 6am. Legs were feeling alright, maybe a little sore from the first day’s woes and snow travels. I did knock my knee on a rock lurking under the snow early the previous day. I swapped my dry sleep socks for my wet hiking socks. My feet were certainly feeling the effects of being wet all day yesterday.

Three miles into the day I passed the cabin that was my original goal of day 1. It also was one of my highlighted exit routes, I bypassed that trail and headed deep into the wilderness. Day 2 was rather uneventful from outside variables; I had a lot going on in my own head. Later in the morning I replayed day one’s bear encounters in my head seriously questioning my decision to be out here solo for days in the Bob. I was expecting to see bears, but I was questioning whether it was worth it. Coming up shy of my day 1 goal had me eager to tackle mileage. I was committed to being on feet for 16 hours. I stuffed all reachable pockets with snacks. My waistbelt carried a cliff bar, builders bar, fig bar, and an unfrosted pop tart. My right chest pocket carried roughly the same menu. Breakfast was eaten on the go. I shoved a new snack in my mouth every hour after that.

The first half of the day was spent walking in dense forest. This kept me slightly on edge. Occasionally I was relieved to hike through an open meadow where visibility was better and I could relax for a little bit. After 8 hours, I walked past the start of the South Fork of the Flathead River where two creeks created one river. The South Fork and I would share many hours together today and the following day. Walking past the fast moving current I was occasionally jealous of those with packrafts that could travel at 7 or 8 miles an hour on this aquatic highway. Since I was following the river this day trended in a casual downhill direction, gaining only 3,700ft during the day. Around mile 36 I passed through Big Prairie Work Center, which is a collection of forest service where remote trail maintenance is conducted from. I’m not sure when it opens for the season, but it was closed and shuttered when I walked through. My legs definitely developed some niggles and tightness. Honestly pretty stoked with how my body was holding up. I would occasionally throw in 50 steps of running to move things around and change my stride.

Eventually the hours passed by and the sunset came. My headlamp found its way onto my head. I was having issues finding a nice campsite. All day I had been walking past these quaint river campsites established by river travelers and pack trains. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite near the river at this point and walking through a recent burn area with new brushy undergrowth. This forest habitat also provided few proper bear hang trees. Once I hit 50 miles and 16 hours I was done. I stepped off trail into the burn scar and successfully found a decent area to rest my head and a spot to hang my food. After I threw my bear line, I sat under the tree stuffing my face for as long as I could. I quickly (though efficiently) brushed my teeth, hung all my smelly stuff, and wandered away to set up my tent. The forest was completely quiet. If only I wasn’t in bear country, I could be stuffing my face in my tent until my eyes closed.

Day 2 Totals – 50.7 miles, 16:09, 3783ft of gain

Day 3

I woke up from a deep sleep to my watch vibrating and ringing. I don’t know if it was the soft grass bed or the exhaustion, either way it was nice. My food bag was still in the tree. Losing a food bag out here would be devastating. I already played that scenario out in my head a few times. I gathered my things and was moving by 6am. I was ready to tackle the day. My legs weren’t 100% percent, but figured they would warm up and loosen themselves up. This was to be the last full value day and my last day in the Bob Wilderness proper. I just had flat-ish river walking for a few more miles and one pass to get up and over.

I did 15 miles still following the South Fork of the Flathead. There were move signs of people as I got closer to a trailhead. A very remote trailhead, but still a trailhead. This section was beautiful in the morning light. I warmed up slowly and eventually took off my jackets. I was sure to stuff my face with snacks at every stop. Nearing the trailhead, I stepped off the trail to yield to 3 horses and their humans. One rider asked, “How’s the hike going?” I responded, “Oh it’s going.” She said, “I’m going hiking tomorrow.” “Oh me too!” I said in an unassumingly sarcastic response at least making myself chuckle. I’m not sure they realized I was on a multiday, sporting only a 35-liter pack on my back. We said our goodbyes and I shuffled into the trailhead parking lot. I do my usual scan of the trailhead situation. There’s an outhouse, but I don’t need it, I’ll continue on. Somewhere I sit down for a minute to stuff my face with calories and take off my rain pants. They have been keeping me warm, not protecting me from the rain. Once I see my bear legs for the first time in awhile, I notice my left is knee is swollen. This is the one I knocked on rock during day one’s adventures, damn, bummer. I access the situation while I walk west on a gravel road away from the trailhead.

I type out an inReach message to Jenn about picking me up along Highway 83. I do the trail math and it is roughly 27 miles away, about 9 hours I assume. That should give her enough time to get there, however it is anything but a quick exit for me. I sit on the message for a few minutes and eventually send it away, in essence this is me tapping out 30 miles short of my goal. However the day is far from done and have to keep myself mentally engaged, nothing is easy out here. I had 11 miles to walk on a gravel road following Bunker Creek east. These miles passed easy as the mountains and valleys slowly changed their perspectives in front of me. I see a lot of snow up in the mountains. This road will lead me to a trail and up to Inspiration Pass, my gateway to the other side of the Swan Mountains. I instantly wonder how much snow Inspiration Pass holds. I take out my mapping app to figure out the height of the mountains around me and estimate the snowline. Yup, seems like to me Inspiration Pass will have snow, it is hidden from my view so I don’t quite know much yet.

A few hours later I reach a ford across a quickly moving Bunker Creek. The quickest moving channel is on the far side. I quickly look upstream and then downstream for an alternate crossing, no dice. I hurry to waterproof my belongings. I try twice to cross the creek and turn back twice. The quickly moving current was violently shaking my trekking poles and I lost my nerves. The foaming flow blocked my view of the slick rocks on the streambed. I eventually decided to walk upstream in hopes of a more casual crossing. I found success in a slow-moving section and made my way back onto the road. I had a little sit down in the gravel road to collect my thoughts and stuff my face with snacks. Mentally I was kind of struggling, even though I had “tapped out” hours ago at this point I still had 11 miles to safety.

I set back out on the rustic road. Soon after the creek crossing, I found the road covered in alders of horrendous quantities. Well shit, this is going to be rough. I dive in. My pace slows to 30 and 40 minute miles. I quickly realize that I may still be 5 or 6 hours from safety at this pace. I keep moving and try my best to not think about it. Alders intertwined across the road grab at me and my pack as I struggle to make forward progress. Occasionally I wonder if I should turn back and hitchhike out from the trailhead. It feels like it will just take longer to backtrack, it didn’t seem like a reasonable option. If things get bad I can still camp and exit in the morning. Hours pass and I hit the snow lines, it’s a good news bad news situation. The snow allows me to travel easily over the bushwack, however it is also the afternoon and the snow is soft. Every step my feet sink into the soft snow. I realize it’s useless to follow the trail and I start focusing on getting to the pass. I tell myself the travel is easier just going straight up, give me the vertical straight. Roughly 12 and a half hours into my day I arrive at the pass, I find a small dry patch of southern facing dirt and take a seat. My feet are soaked. I have a snack to get my head right and I think through my options. Jennifer and I swapped inReach messages to clarify a meeting location. I avoided thinking about how exhausted I was. My original route turned north from the pass and stayed around 7,000ft in elevation. Bad news, that most likely means more snow and slow travel. There is another ridgeline trail to the south west, that doesn’t seem like a great option either. Below me there is a northern facing slope, on my map it appears as though this drainage leads to an unmaintained road at the bottom of the valley. This seems tempting and I weigh the pros and cons in my head. I’m pretty eager to get off the snow. I wonder how close the snow gets to the road and how much bushwacking there might be. I decided to go for it. I know the downhill snow travel should be a little faster and hopefully it balances out with the potential bushwack at the bottom. I’m going off route, but I have a tracker so people should know where I am.

Besides having to zig zag some steep cliff areas the snowy descent went smoothly enough. Eventually the snow ended and I had to bushwack through the woods to intercept the road. Thanks to the logging industry this road bushwacking experience was not as terrible as the one I undertook a few hours ago. I quickly arrived to a clear gravel road as the sun set behind the mountains. Even though I was just an hour from being done I still had to stop to refuel my belly and don my layers. I calculated 2 miles to go from my map app. Not too soon after my watch died, my phone was also sitting below 10%. I still had a unused external battery in my pack. I slightly got lost or missed a turn which thankfully only added a half mile. As I approached the Soup Creek Campground Jenn honked her horn to get my attention. With the light fading it was hard to decipher cars from trees. Just like that as I met Jenn and our puppy my trip was over. I felt pretty beat, the last day was the toughest. I was glad to be in Jenn’s arms and feel safe, we both were very relieved at that point.  

At the end of the day this three-day trip was a success. I always pictured myself finishing at the lake and that was exciting to me. I did not feel too upset that it didn’t happen. I was stoked to be able to take on three full days of hiking in the Bob by myself. As big as this trip was, it was a test piece. I have bigger plans and didn’t want to completely wreck my body this early in the season.

Oh yea, if anyone happens to wander up Soup Creek in the near future I lost a pole in the bushwhack. Keep you eyes out for it.