The Sawtooth Wilderness Loop trip has been on my '26 summer schedule for nearly a year. But mountains and trails can be quite dynamic. Fires, floods, and disasters of any kind can quickly throw a monkey wrench into the best of plans.

Such is the case with Sawtooth. The fires of '24 left the ground ripe for erosion, and the Grandjean trailhead flooded out. The flooding also took out part of a highway and the Grandjean campground.

Add to this, a large number of downed trees on the southwest side of the trail, and the northwest portion closed indefinitely. Also, and the final nail in the coffin that contains our Sawtooth plans, eastern Washington is on fire. Guess where the smoke is going?

This episode is about plan B. We're heading 800 miles south instead of 1,300 miles west.

I'll start by saying that I have no plans to backpack in grizzly country, at least not in the foreseeable future. With that in mind, I'll give you my thoughts, fears, and opinions about the potential wildlife threats most backpackers may encounter.

Please don't take this as anything more than my thoughts and opinions. Feel free to correct me if I'm way off. If you have additional advice, please share it with me. I'm always learning.

You can always contact me at mailto:roadstrailsandrabbitholes@gmail.com

All of my backpacking gear went into storage in June, 2022 after my first Sawtooth trip. Storage wasn't a rented locker or storage unit. Everything was stored in my cool, dry, air-conditioned home office. Each item was clean and dry. This was my saving grace.

All electronics went with me as I spent the better part of the next three years on the road. Other than the Anchor charge blocks, I came out well. They just aged out since i continued using them on the road. They have a life expectancy, and it's a bit shorter than 4 years.

I hope you enjoy the show,

Tom

You can email me at roadstrailsandrabbitholes@gmail.com

I backpacked into a great campsite, only 6 miles from the Jeep. Setting up at the most beautiful campsite on this 17-mile loop, I thought I'd hit the lottery.

After setting up camp and then hiding in my tent while a quick storm passed through, I had an absolutely delightful evening. I finally retired to my $29 Walmart sleeping bag.

Oh, did I mention that this was my first backpacking trip in 40 years or so? It was also the first night I've ever spent a night alone in the woods.

This episode is all about being pretty sure I was a goner around 3 am, and wondering what those giant footprints were, 30 feet away from my tent. They weren't there the night before. I had pictures to prove it.

Thanks for listening to episode one. Let me know if you like the show.

Email address is roadstrailsandrabbitholes@gmail.com