Bob Open 2018

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Nice work Mike. That sounds like some good training. Maybe I’ll have the nerve to put a pack on, one of these days.

[Mike M]

Dan- the 40-ish lbs did feel like it was good training, the 60-ish lbs I didn’t think was- simply too much weight and an increased risk of injury. I’m going to load it one more time with about 75 lbs and do one 3-4 mile loop, but simply to test this pack out with what would be a load of elk meat. I’m sure it won’t be pretty :)

[John N]

I may be in the minority but I don’t really do any training specific for the Bob.  I run, hike, snowboard, snowshoe, etc, not really for the Bob just what I like to do.  Having completed a few traverses I know that at the end of the day its just walking.  The mental aspect I think is more important and pushing past my own walls will get me through.

Mike regarding pack training, I was hauling a sandbag around a few years ago to get my legs in shape for elk hunting.  I agree too much weight is recipe for overuse and injury.  I figure if I need to haul a big load it better be a big load of meat so I’ll cross that bridge when a critter is on the ground.  All the rest of the hiking I do before that is enough for my legs to haul out the load.

[David Chenault]

Conditions are still shaping up to be serious.  Massive amounts of water left in even the Sun River drainages, the North and South Forks still haven’t spiked, though that may happen in the next few days.  I reckon you’d need snowshoes to get much north of elk hill this weekend.  The deadfall this year is going to be nuts.

Specificity is king when it comes to backpack training.  Surface, pack weight, etc.  That said, carrying 40+ pound packs as a default the past three years (kid) has increased my base power massively.  I hit vertical gain numbers yesterday that I used to only see after weeks of focused training, which I have not been doing this year at all.

 

[Mike M]

well at least Badger Pass finally dropped below 9′  :)

It’ll be interesting to see when the road to Indian Meadow campground opens up- hopefully before Memorial Day

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Making the trek this year Dave?

[John N]

Kevin called the ranger station and was told you’d be lucky to drive a mile up the road to the trailhead (it’s 8 miles total).

[Dan Gregerson]

FYI —  National Weather Service Hydrologist Ray Nickless says:

We’re not expecting any major flooding this weekend, but it will get the rivers primed up and they’ll just keep on coming up,”  Nickless says the fresh rain and snow this weekend will be adding to Montana’s already above-normal high elevation snowpack.

“It’s gonna be a long flood season. We could have some areas get some pretty intense flooding, especially along the Clark Fork River here in Missoula. The Bitterroot River’s going to be up there; the Flathead River. It’s going to be a very high-flow season that could be going through most of May and June,” he says.

[Mike M]

maybe the guy with the hang glider questions is spot on this year :)

[Richard Nisley]

Oh Oh

[Will B]

Hey folks, I’m new to the bob open and to bpl (which I only joined for the bob…), but I’m planning on flying out to join you all in a month. I’ve briefly emailed with Dave and I’m looking forward to finding and hopefully pushing some limits, and of course to the scenery and remoteness- both of which are hard to come by in the northeast, even in the shoulder seasons.

Are any of you all planning on driving to indian meadows by way of Missoula on Thursday or Friday? I’ll probably fly in on Wednesday or Thursday and am trying to find my way to the start. I could always hitch down 200 and warm up by walking the 10 miles down the turnoff to the trailhead- but a ride would be hugely appreciated :)

 

[Mike M]

you’ll want to peruse previous posts, but I’m 99% sure we have some folks from Missoula heading over

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Welcome Will.

Your post is a good reminder to be figuring out logistics. How are you getting back to civilization from the finish?

I’ll be driving in from Canada via Seattle, so coming in from the west. So I would be passing through Missoula, but ideally I’d be angling North a bit sooner en route to drop my car off at Marias Pass.

Does anyone have a spare seat heading south of Marias Pass to Indian Meadows?

[Will B]

I was probably just gonna hitch back to Missoula. I figured it would be easier than hitching to the start since it’s right on route 2 but maybe that’s wrong. I’m planning to push for a Monday night finish but Tuesday morning is probably more realistic for me, so it’s either hitching or waiting at the pass for someone else planning a Tuesday finish with an extra seat in the car. But I’m a little hesitant to plan with any certainty around that one since if either party gets delayed or bails it could cause a hassle for the other one.

I looked through the old posts and didn’t see anything, maybe I missed something though. Would love to hear how y’all are getting to indian meadows since if it’s easier to catch a ride with someone heading there by way of Kalispell I could just as easily fly in there.

 

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

I’m aiming for a Monday night finish as well, so if that works out for both of us (big “if”) and if I can get my car dropped off at Marias Pass, then I could probably drop you off in Missoula since that’s pretty much en route home for me.

[Will B]

Thanks for the offer! Definitely a big ~if~, but that would be great if it worked out.

[Matt L]

I’m on the fence about making it out this year, based on current conditions, route options, and transportation logistics (not as big of a deal but not a big fan of hitchhiking).  I keep looking over the southern half of the course and have some major hesitations for myself.  The shortest route up towards Dearborn has about 3-4 miles that concerns me due to elevation, aspect, steepness, etc.  A longer approach, adding on 10 miles or so, towards Staedler seems like fording could be a nightmare based on the anticipated conditions.

From what I saw last year, there are creeks on the map that are easy to assume fording will be low risk and they most certainly are not, especially with the snowpack in its current state.  And I am mostly considering staying towards the east to allow for 3 or more bail options.

Have to keep watching the conditions and probably make a last minute call.

 

[Mike M]

you’re spot on about the creek crossings; even in somewhat normal years some of these can be very hazardous- this year…..

[John N]

Yep lot of water still in the mountains with a lot more in the coming month.  This year will be interesting for sure.  I figure we’ll have quite a bit of snowshoeing based on our route as well.  I just hope the snow is in decent walking condition.

EDIT: Wood Creek Snotel (5960 ft) still has 37 inches of snow.  Benchmark trailhead is at about 5300 ft.  Yeah, it’s going to be snowy.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

” I keep looking over the southern half of the course and have some major hesitations for myself.  The shortest route up towards Dearborn has about 3-4 miles that concerns me due to elevation, aspect, steepness, etc.  A longer approach, adding on 10 miles or so, towards Staedler seems like fording could be a nightmare based on the anticipated conditions.”

Yeah the southern 1/4 looks like the crux. It looks better to go up Landers Fork to the Dearborn, rather than take the shortest way. Either way is likely to be snowy, but thing should improve on day 2.

[Scott G]

Man, the lower 1/4 was not my biggest concern, I better look at my maps a little closer.

I would love to avoid Dearborn to Benchmark via straight creek pass as I did that 2 years ago and really don’t want to repeat that again, just because. Any suggestions to route if trying to avoid that but stay east?

Weather looks to be warm for the next 2 weeks so I think below 6000 will be more or less snow free I hope. Hopefully below 6500. Fingers crossed.

im heading up likely on the 18th to scout Indian Meadows and maybe even next Sunday if I have the time. I’ll post an update of the start line.

whats the best gauge station to follow S. Fork of Flathead Flows?

[Mike M]

you could continue on the CDT over Elbow Pass to the South Fork

 

[David Chenault]

I headed up yesterday evening to check out conditions.  2.5 miles from the highway (just past the Sucker Creek road) the Copper Creek road hits snow that is not easily driveable.  I didn’t walk too far further, but I assume it is not likely we’ll be able to make it to the Indian Meadows TH.  Possible if the next weeks are warm, but not likely.  There is a LOT of snow around the Scapegoat, like 2-5 feet on shaded slopes at 4400′.  There have been numerous recent years when those same places likely never got that much.  Glacier Lilies are 3-4 weeks behind schedule.

Two takeaways from this:

-Be very afraid.  Conditions will be very to exceptionally difficult.

-We need a new start location.  The issue is not adding 7 or so miles of road walking to the route distance, but that there won’t be any place to leave vehicles or camp.  I’m changing the start to the North Fork of the Blackfoot TH, or in the highly unlikely event that road won’t get plowed or packed out (the FS sends there early pack trains to Big Prairie this way) the south side pullout at the road bridge over the North Fork (about 1.5 miles before the end of the road).  This is a less cool start and provides for slightly less interesting route options, but logistically there is no better alternative.

See everyone in a few weeks.  And do not take conditions lightly this year.

[Mike M]

that was timely, we were headed to Indian Meadows tomorrow morning; we’ll reroute and see how far up the North Fork we can get

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

“I think below 6000 will be more or less snow free I hope. Hopefully below 6500. Fingers crossed.”
I’m planning around a 5000′ snowline – depending on the usual factors like aspect. Perhaps 4500′ on north facing and 5500′ on south facing.

“Man, the lower 1/4 was not my biggest concern, I better look at my maps a little closer.”
It really depends on the snowline. There is a lot of terrain in that 5500 – 6000′ range that will be no problem if it’s snow free, but could be a lot of miles of post holing if it’s 36″ of rotten snow.

“I’m changing the start to the North Fork of the Blackfoot TH”
Nice. Works for my route. There still looks like a wide variety of great ways to go. The math works a bit better for folks eyeing up the west side of the Bob.

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