Phelps Lake Hike

     Long, exhausting, exhilarating, slim chance of seeing a man-eating grizzly bear to never be seen again, and mind-blowing views of a beautiful, unforgiving  environment. Sign me up. This was the Phelps Lake and Death Canyon Hike in Wyoming. Although our team for the most part were novice hikers, we approached this long, full-day hike with the tenacity of a linebacker blitzing the quarterback or a shark who smells blood. 

     A mile into the hike, we came to a lake that only a week earlier had been frozen all the way across. With the Tetons for a backdrop, Phelps Lake was absolutely stunning. Nature is awesome. Our team was stunned at its beauty. Untouched and unhindered by human contact, it was an inspiring example of what nature is supposed to look like. Without cell reception, our team could experience nature in its truest form and how our ancestors got to experience it. My hope is that future generations will come to Phelps Lake and be able to experience its beauty as we experienced it. My fear is that development and progress will destroy it. But for now, Phelps Lake stands as a reminder of how beautiful nature is without human interference.

Later on in the hike, we reached a rock on the lake where a couple was sitting and sharing a snack. A dentist and his wife, they had visited Southern Sudan on medical missions and had also seen a black bear and her three cubs on that very hike two weeks before. Unpredictable and unforgiving, nature is the strongest thing on Earth.

After scaling the part of Death Canyon that we could (snow and avalanches blocked parts of the trail), we found ourselves struggling to find the bridge to cross the lake and finish the hike. After filtering water for us, our fearless leaders regained the group's composure and were able to find the bridge and our team continued. Although it seemed like hours, our ability to regain the trail was yet another positive experience of the exhausting hike. 

Upon reaching the van sweaty and exhausted, our professors had to make a quick grocery stop for bread for lunch the following day. After stopping for the bread, the professors walked from the store to the van with a little slice of heaven. Now, I'm not saying that the ice cream the professors surprised us with was the best ice cream. Oh wait. Yes I am. That ice cream bar was the best-tasting and most refreshing thing that I've eaten in recent memory. It was amazing. To show my appreciation, I devoured the bar in no time, and I'm sure that I came very close to ingesting the popsicle stick as well. I was content, and the team falling asleep on the way back to the campsite was evident of the joy from the day's worthy accomplishment. 

Today, was a great day. Today, we grew closer. Today, we accomplished the hike as a team, as a family. I am happy.