From the Ski for Light Bulletin - Fall 2013
by Dorothy Dudek
I love to hike, and love it even more when I can go with someone who may not be able to access the woods on their own. I thus found myself for my third time as a guide at the annual Trek for Light Montana, which, like Ski for Light, is fabulously habit-forming.
The event took place in the Lewis and Clark National Forest's Belt Mountains of central Montana, about 90 GPS-confounding miles south-east of Great Falls. Our group of 13 camped at a de-commissioned ranger station, a two-story cabin listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cabin was completed in 1908, a time when rangers typically built their own stations, the old maps on display and period furniture serving as lovely reminders of its original purpose. It was a rustic experience, with no plumbing or electricity, but we had everything we needed and more. Nancy, our camp cook, turned out a variety of fresh, multi-course meals as if by magic.
After breakfast each morning we gathered on the porch with our hike leaders Hans, Ed, and Mike, and set off on a day hike to a different location, along the nearby creek, across the woods and meadows, or through a canyon. There were usually two hike options, depending on how far one wanted to go.
Visually impaired participants were matched with a sighted guide and from there the guiding style was directed by the VIP; some preferred holding a walking stick horizontally, with the guide in front sending signals by raising or twisting the stick, for example, to note upcoming changes in terrain or hazards. Traversing the wilds, our two canine participants got in touch with their inner wolves while staying adorable and good.
After our hikes, sometimes exhausted, we took screamingly cold dips in the creek and gathered on the porch for refreshments and relaxation before dinner. This was one of my favorite parts of the day. We told jokes and traded notes about that day's hike, encouraging each other to challenge ourselves (more bushwacking, anyone?), reflecting on the accomplishments of our personal bests, and sharing an affection for nature that is truly infectious.
I find that the more I hike, the more I enjoy and benefit from it, and I believe this could be true for most people. The trees and mountains provide beautiful scenery, but I also love the deep-breathing of fresh air, perfumed with evergreens, the birdsong, and how delicious lunch tastes when you've been carrying a backpack up and down hills. There is something incomparable about the air found around trees, which is full of thousands of types of beneficial microscopic compounds, the complexity and benefits of which scientists are only beginning to understand.
I send my heartfelt thanks to the organizers of Trek for Light Montana, who made this Canadian city-girl feel so welcome and who do their work with such great warmth and easy-going competence.