BOY vs. WILD (by Chad E. Boyd)

My name is Cole "Bear" Boyd. I have spent countless hours in the wild (my backyard) honing my science, mountaineering, and survival skills. This is an account of my first foray into the formidable Cascade Mountain Range. The goal was to traverse over a mile of hostile wilderness to reach Lost Lake. Lost Lake, be warned that you are soon to be lost no longer!!

Now I never go into the wild without the best gear and the most experienced and physically fit support crew. In Nepal these men are called "Sherpas", and in the states they would be know as mountaineers. For this trip however, I will be taking my dad, he will most likly slow me down and limit the risks I will take ...but he's family.

I hope he's up to the task!

Not more than 100 yards down the trail we come across the first massive waterfall that we will have to ford. It's clear that I will have to use all of my skills to reach our goal.

After a few close calls, the trail opened up and travel was easy.








We kept a good pace and were able to take advantage of some old structures left by the native people of the area. We always had to remain vigilant however, as danger can be as close as the next turn in the trail.

Then almost as if on queue, the wilderness closed in around us and we were forced to blaze a trail through the dense Cascade Mountain wilderness. Not for the inexperienced or faint of heart!

As we approached the smaller Quinn Lake enroot to our goal, we came upon yet another raging river. Though our throats were parched and coated in trail dust, all good adventurers know that drinking straight from a stream is always a last resort. We ignored our thirst, and pressed on hoping to reach our goal by nightfall.

Then just as it appeared that the worst was behind us, we came upon a dangerously steep descent.

To the untrained eye this method of sliding down a steep face on one's well, "behind", might be taken as juvenile. Normally I only use this method of glasading down steep snow fields with an ice axe for a break. However, all good adventurers must adapt to meet the demands set before them.

Unfortunately the sound of my descent attracted a local black bear or some dangerous high mountain Yellow-Bellied Marmots. I quickly recognized the sound of their approch in the brush and fired several warning shots into the air. This was for both their safety, as well as our own.

Now with many obstacles and beasts behind us, we finally crested the last rise and looked down on the not so Lost Lake. An awe inspiring site tucked in the shadow of Norse Peak.

After a short victory celebration we had to get back to the job at hand.

While Dad sets up camp, I began the search for food. I have to say that so far Dad has been doing a pretty good job.

This type of terrain is rich with food sources. It was only a matter of minutes before this fellow showed his face.

After donning the proper safety equipment, I was on the hunt. I have to say that those frogs were quicker than they looked!

After canvasing the area I came upon this little fellow. Not something to mess with unless, like myself, you have sufficent training and experience. Once he realized that he was in danger he quickly headed for cover...

...But not quite quickly enough!! After this close up, we let him go as Dad had landed a more palletable meal.










While I was on the trail of some less traditional sources of protein, Dad was busy catching some tasty Eastern Brook trout! Well done!

Camp was set, there was plenty of food for dinner, so then it was time to take a better look around. Here are some truly wonderful examples of the beauty found in the Pacific Northwest.

Here is a shot of me and the old man next to the lake. He likes to show these to his friends.

After a hard day on the trail, it was time to relax and enjoy some dinner.

I cooked up a combination of ground pork parts, beef componets, and salt. All of this tightly packed in an editable membrane. Sounds rough, but many people around the world eat them everyday.

They're actually quite tasty!

After a goodnight's rest we are up with the birds to break camp and head back to civilazation. Another adventure in the books!