2014 Bob Marshall Wilderness Open: Marias Pass to Monture Creek

MG – I would definitely be interested in a pedestrian route – don't get much opportunity where I am in NY for rafting so my whitewater skills are more than a little out of date… (I think I managed to eskimo roll my old Dagger exactly twice when I was 13…).

Feel free to shoot me an email at nicholas.viglione@gmail.com if you want to chat more!

I had a couple of x-country jaunts as back-ups, better look closer at these. Planning on 7days max right now, could drop if the bushwhacking works in my favor. I knew that I would need to check on burn areas, better just do it now.

No t-shirt at the finish? Not allowed to stop to poop? We will have rocks and curses thrown at us? Sounds like both of my day-jobs… nothing new there. Thank-you John, I just love a motivational Hitler rant first thing in the morning.

Steven

I need to be back in Minneapolis by Friday afternoon June 6th for my daughters graduation ceremony. So a 5 day route time is needed…planned for (Wednesday night could end up being an all-night affair). As for pack rafting, my observations of the North Fork of the Sun were that is was very floatable south of Lick Creek, but north of there it was full of wood. My big fear right now is too many miles walking in deep snow, that would really slow me down.

Cyrus, what sort of times were you splitting last year? I don't think I ever saw a write-up.

The distance between Hwy 2 and Benchmark took me four days on foot last year. I'm considering trying for three days this year, since the big creek crossings can be avoided and my thinking has been corrupted by heretical ideas from ultra-running friends. I think the finish is 20 more miles from there, over the Divide. I think you can pull off five days, especially if you float some of it.

All the passes on that final day are 7,000'+ though. The fingers of my left hand still have ghost-numbness from our last escapade together in that sort of terrain :)

I'm planning on a sub-60 hour finish, which will take a lot (lot) more effort than 52 hours did last year.

John is correct to be concerned about the final passage into the Monture drainage. The possibilities for snow slogging and route finding problems on the obvious routes are immense. The shortest route is almost certainly not the shortest route. Hint. ;)

John, We were averaging 20 plus mile days, but we never broke camp before 8 or 9 am. We had a couple of nights where we ended up camped next to a couple raging creeks, waiting till morning to figure out how to get across them. That cost us a few hours each time.
Creek fording was all new to Kate and it took her some time to get comfortable with that. Packrafting the Sun was the highlight of the trip for me.

Did you get a packraft John? Kate and I are planning to head out to the Bob before Memorial Day to do some packrafting the week before the event. You are welcome to join us.

Five days might be a cutting it close then, although you might be able arrange a bail option at Benchmark if you come up short on time.

I didn't end up doing the packraft purchase this year. Mainly because I don't know anyone who could join me for local outings, which makes for a bad cost-per-use ratio, at least if buying new. However, I did see the posting for the packrafting festival in Montana in July and am toying with the idea of checking it out, which would make for a better informed decision in the future.

There's Dave with his cryptic warnings again. It must be the beard. When I had a beard I felt mysterious and sage-like too :)

The July Roundup should be a good time. Jackson Hole Packrafts is giving discounted rentals for it.

As always, on the day before the start I'll tell anyone who shows up exactly where I'm going and why.

I got an opportunity to go to Europe for work for three weeks at the same time that I just couldn't pass up, so I'm not gonna make it this year. I came up with what I think is a pretty good route; I'm curious to see if anyone ends up going the way I was planning. I hope everybody has a good time and I look forward to the trip reports.

"I'm planning on a sub-60 hour finish, which will take a lot (lot) more effort than 52 hours did last year."
Wow. It gets me stoked just thinking about pulling sub 60 hrs off. I'd love to tag along some year.

As some of you know, I'm going to be on the PCT this summer so I can't make the BMWO, but I sure intend to be at events like this in the 2015. Such a great experience.

I got out bear hunting in the North Fork of the Sun this past weekend.

Snowpack in the Bob is significantly above average at the moment. The lower elevations and (especially) more open and southerly aspects have melted out. We haven't had any particularly warm or sunny days lately, and thus the snowpack everywhere else is still quite robust.

All of this means little, other than that when/if we get truly warm days there will quite a lot of snow still to melt. May temperatures and precip will make all the difference, and as of now there is still a very wide range of possible conditions come late May.

Cornice formation and avalanche activity have both been exceptional throughout NW Montana this winter. I fully expect to still see remenants and evidence of both come late May.

Last year's snowless route has made me soft, but recent adventures in the late Cascade snowpack reminds me to start considering snowshoe options appropriate to a pack-n-wear style traverse.

I picked up the NorthernLite Elite QTR over the winter, but quite dislike the binding (which keeps slipping off) and don't really meet my crampon needs. I know Dave and Dan have both made use of the MSR Shift, which might be an option for me given my size 41 foot.

Any feedback based on experience with that model?

I passed the Shifts along to a friends son. The binding opening in the shoe itself is too narrow, and forced them into a duck-footed orientation which was very annoying. I picked up an older pair of MSR Denalis at a gear swap last fall, and like them fine. The binding is good and the crampon is just aggressive enough.

It just occurred to me that there wasn't any mention of a carpool in this year's thread. Is something similar to the previous year's arrangement planned?

I will not be able to assist with a ride from the finish to the start, the week previous will be too busy. I could offer a few folks a ride from the Flathead up to Marias on friday evening.

It refuses to get particularly warm around here, and has been cold enough to snow above 5k on several occasions in the last week. It's made for great skiing, and kept the rivers hi-ish but clear, but unless it gets very warm soon and stays there one should expect a lot of snow out there at the end of the month. For reference, the Pike Creek snotel (http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/snow/snowplot.cgi?PICM8; maybe 1.5 miles from the start) still has over two feet of snow.

So, I'm in. I will be travelling from Des Moines. Maybe we could start getting some carpool arrangements made, or at least get some confirmation of who all is definitely coming?

I got out hunting this weekend in what will be my last visit to the Bob before go time. Take the following as a final briefing/caution.

Saturday was pretty sunny and warm. The South Fork at Twin Creeks bumped above 13,000 cfs, and the North Fork of the Blackfoot above 2000 cfs at Dry Gulch (which is an impressive sight). The long term forecast has temps climbing up into the 80s towards the end of the coming week.

April and May have overall been cool, and as a result snow melting has primarily occurred due to sun exposure, as opposed to temperature. Low elevations are clear, mid-elevations are mixed, and high elevations have a lot (lot!) of snow.

Combine these last two facts and I expect a few things come 0-day.

Rivers and creeks will be big. Very big. Expect significant route complications due to water hazards. If there's a big cold snap 10 days hence this could not happen, but I think that not very likely.

Snow has the potential to throw a few serious curveballs at folks. Pay very close attention to aspect and tree cover. Longer miles could be a lot faster this year.

Good luck.

As much as I wanted to join everyone this year I have a prior commitment in Alaska that will not allow me the time to complete the 2014 BMWO. Trained for it all winter, but sometimes things just don't work out and having the event a week later this year kind of crunched my schedules too much. Stay safe our there and watch your water crossings. Still have my eyes on next year.

Is it absolutely necessary?

In a real way, yes. I've committed to helping our some people who are in a bit of hard way. The timing would mean I'd have to whip everyone's butts by a sub 48 hour cross county ski sprint and you are all too good to let that happen.

I stopped treating my water after the first day out of sheer laziness and I didn't get sick. Lots of snowmelt and runoff that time of year to dilute the bad stuff.

That's what I was thinking. One of Dan's reports mentions he lost his water bottle mid-way and didn't get sick. Thanks for the data point!

Kate and I are having a hard time getting on board for this years event. We both really want to do it and are prepared for it, but the trailhead shuttling logistics, combined with the very long route required are leaving me short on time to return home for my kid's graduation ceremony.

I came to the conclusion my only option was to rent a car to spot at the destination, then start the event a couple days earlier to ensure I was home on time. Also the car spotting and shuttle thing requires about 1000 miles of driving in addition to the 2000 miles round trip to visit Montana, and the car rental adds several hundred dollars in gas and fees. So with the extra cost, extra driving time, tight schedule… It just isn't coming together smoothly.

We are still heading for the Front Range this Saturday and will be in the area for 11 or 12 days. I am still open to options and I am considering my alternatives.

Oh and I have no problem drinking from the small feeder streams, given the source…

I worked out my schedule. I'll be getting in Friday early to mid-afternoon. Sorry to see people can't make it, I was really looking forward to meeting you! Hopefully there is still a decent turnout.

Corp office scheduled a full-store inventory for us on May 31. Every mile I've run and route planned and memorized since last October tells me that I'll make this trip but it will have to be next year.

Dave: I've been watching snowfall and flow rates on NOAA and they are impressive. Have fun with your bikepacking – that's your game-plan, correct?

All: stay safe and have a great time!