Day 1  July 24, 2005
Group 3, two leaders and four scouts left the St. Mary area headed toward Red Eagle Lake.  Their trek was going to be about 25 miles and over the Continental Divide.  The first day was minimal 5 or 6 miles and a gradual climb.  This would be their easiest day.

Prelude
Two men, one from Dallas, TX, one from Los Angeles, CA and both Troop 96 alumni arrived in St. Mary Campground in the dark of night.  The next morning they were "issued" four boys with the charge to simply "Bring them home safely."  What followed was a spectacular backpacking trip that spanned the width of Glacier National Park, climbed two mountain passes, crossed the Continental Divide and witnessed cameo appearances of several Hollywood celebrities.  This is the story of their melding as a team and the adventures they encountered along the way.    

Day 1  July 24, 2005      
Group 3 dubbed the Dirty half Dozen, consisted of two visiting leaders from Dallas and Los Angeles and four Troop 96 scouts.  They left St. Mary at around 10AM headed toward Red Eagle Lake.  Their trek was going to eventually cover a little over 40 miles taking them across Glacier National Park and over the Continental Divide.  The first day consisted of a 7.6 mile hike through gently climbing and undulating terrain.  It would be a great day to shake down equipment, legs and lungs as well as generate a cooperative group dynamic.   As the hike continued from the trail head, it proceeded through open fields of hip-high wildflowers and tall stands of virgin forest with significant secondary growth.  Red Eagle Lake was reached around 3:00 PM and the group settled in to make camp.  Along with a young couple enroute to graduate school at Yale University and a solo Continental Divide Trail thru hiker they enjoyed a pleasant evening of camp duties, dinner and explorations around Red Eagle Lake and its outlet stream.  As the evening wore on, the weather deteriorated with low cloud obscuring the surrounding mountains and dropping the temperature into the 40's.   

Day 2  July 25, 2005
Group 3 traveled from Red Eagle Lake, along Saint Mary's Lake, 14 miles to get to the Reynolds Lake Campground.  The end of the hike was rewarded by many beautiful waterfalls.  Some members of Group 1 and Group 4, hiked in to Reynolds Lake Campground and had supper with Group 3 that evening.  Reynolds Lake is close to the Going to the Sun Road.

Following a relatively early get-up at 6:00 AM, Group 3 packed and was on the trail by 8:30 for what would turn out to be a long and arduous day.  The significant secondary forest growth had collected a considerable amount of dew overnight.  This made for some very wet legs and boots as they brushed through the foliage.  The first 2.4 miles was a back-track of the previous day's hike to the suspension bridge over Red Eagle Creek Creek.  Group 3 crossed three suspension bridges on their trek. These bridges were rated at capacity of one hiker at a time.  This was evidentially for good reason, as the bridges swayed and bounced significantly as one trundled across.  Martin developed a novel technique as he would run across the bridge and be to the other side before the bridge had a time to develop any significant oscillatory motion.  The trail proceeded back up the north side of the creek then followed a less than obvious track over a ridgeline into the St. Mary Lake watershed.  Soon the lake came into view and the trail followed high above its banks for the next 10 miles.  The weather remained with a low overcast and forced the donning of rain gear at one point.  Periodically the boats of the Glacier National Park Navy would be seen plying up and down the lake with less energetic visitors.  Lunch was spent on a scree field overlooking the lake and the Going to the Sun Road on the far side.  At the western end of the lake, the trail disappeared again into the forest and soon emerged at Virginia Falls where the general public received it's first real exposure to the Dirty half Dozen.  Despite the shrieks of grown women and wailing tears of young children, the beauty of the landscape won out.  Soon after that, the group arrived at St. Mary Falls for a welcome break. 

Following another 1.4 miles through the forest the campground designated for the night was reached, which was just across a bridge over Reynolds Creek.  Coming into camp the first Hollywood celebrity, Bambi, was there to greet the group.  Bambi was an emaciated doe was encountered who over the next several hours became quite a pest as she licked, nibbled and tried to steal anything that was sweaty or had any salt content.  Members of Groups 1 and 4 joined the Dirty half Dozen for a couple of hours, but decided to leave prior to dinner time.  This camp was the only one on the trek where fires were allowed.  Following dinner, a warm and comforting fire was build which in-turn stimulated numerous stores and jokes until relatively late in the evening.

Day 3   July 26, 2005
Group 3 started up toward the Continental Divide this morning.  Their first stop was the Gunsight Lake Campground.  Although the mileage was not extreme, the hike was almost all up.

Day 3 started out slowly for the Dirty half Dozen.  As it was the shortest day of the trip and not particularly strenuous, they were allowed to sleep in and break camp leisurely in order to hit the trail at around 11:00 AM.  The lazy morning was needed by all as the exertion of the previous day's hike made for tired and sore legs.  The trail started with a leisurely climb and soon opened up to a spectacular view of the Saint Mary River leading down from Gunsight Lake and the first close up views of residual snow from the previous winter.  On the way, they came across a friendly carpenter fashioning a bridge out of logs with a chain saw.  After crossing Florence  Creek the trail became steeper in the final push up to Gunsight Lake.  The Dirty half Dozen were afforded their initial views of the glaciers that made this park famous along with the continuous roar of countless far away waterfalls in and around the valley.  After only 2 ½ hours the days hike was completed.  Gunsight Lake and its campground were quite spectacular despite the pesty flies and mosquitoes.  However, a light breeze kept the bugs at bay for the most part and the Dirty half Dozen spent the afternoon, relaxing on the shore of the lake.  From the lake shore they were defied to cont all of the waterfalls spilling into the picturesque basin.  They were even treated to a visit by the second of the celebrities encountered on the trail...Bullwinkle the Moose.  The cooking area was well populated at dinner time where more unsuspecting victims were subjected to the antics of the Dirty half Dozen.  That evening in camp, several doe and a buck wandered through to pay their respects and nibble on what scattered dinner scraps they could find.

Day 4  July 27, 2005      

Group 3 climbed from Gunsight Lake up to Gunsight Pass.  They found a shelter on top of Gunsight Pass to be missing a roof.  The new roof supplies were there, but were not in place on top of the shelter.  After resting on top of the pass, Group 3 started the long descent down to Lake McDonald where they were picked up by Group 1.

Anticipating the hardest day of the trip, the Dirty half Dozen were rousted to an early start and were working their way up toward Gunsight Pass by 7:30 AM.  Bullwinkle showed up early in the climb to spur the group and to show the way.  The climb was steady as the trail rose above Gunsight Lake and the scenery grew more spectacular with each step.  Two small snowfields were crossed enroute and the Pass was achieved at around 10:00 AM.  There they found, what they later learned to be, the remains of a chalet built by the railroad as Glacier National Park was becoming established.  The chalet had no roof, but repair materials were stacked along side having been airlifted in by helicopter. 

Following a break and the scouts urinarily determining the real meaning of the Continental Divide, they proceeded down the trail into the Lake Mary Ellen basin.  Within the first 200 yards, the Dirty half Dozen had a grizzly encounter with Yogi the Bear.  Fortunately for Yogi, he was more interested in getting out of Dirty half Dozen's way and keeping an eye on the passing rabble than making an argument (which he was sure to lose) over who had right of way.  The trail switch-backed and descended steeply toward the lake which made for some sense of frustration because the group could see where the trail climbed up the other side to a higher elevation than Gunsight Pass.  

However, this was softened by a spectacular view of the lake, several waterfalls and dramatic groves of Bear Grass.  Climbing up the other side Billy the Kid and remainder of his mountain goat family were encountered. 

Billy appeared fearless as he calmly munched on the foliage and stared the group down where Mom and baby scampered on top of the rocks to give a wide berth.. who could blame them.  Lunchtime brought the group to a point on the opposite side of the Lake Mary Ellen basin with a spectacular view, but along with it, the realization that the water supply was becoming critical.  When it was noted that Alex was having particular trouble with he climb, Martin admitted to having put two sizable rocks into his pack.  Needless to say, possession of the rocks was transferred and Martin became the proud owner of an extra 10 pounds in his pack.  [The rocks were presented to the leaders at the end of the trail]  Soon after the lunch break a refreshing stream was reached where the gang replenished their water and continued the hike to Logan Pass, the highest elevation  point of the trek.  Soon thereafter the Dirty half Dozen encountered the first visages of civilization coming to Sperry Chalet, a hike-in resort which offered cool water and a shady spot to sit and relax in the dining facility.  Like the cabin on top of Gunsight Pass, Sperry Chalet was also constructed by the railroad in the early days of Glacier National Park's existence.  Departing at 3:00 PM, the crew proceeded down the trail toward Lake McDonald and the conclusion of their trip.  The mule trains utilized in the thrice-weekly re-supply of Sperry Chalet left their own special and poignant "reminders" of their presence on the trail.  The two climbs and pass crossings combined with the 6 mile down-hill slog from Sperry to Lake McDonald sealed Day 4 as the most difficult of the trip.  It was noted at the last real break before reaching the trail-head, that the scouts were scattered laying on the ground leaning on their packs while the two leaders..THE OLD GUYS... were still on their feet and looking "marvelous".  Lake McDonald Lodge was reached at around 6:00 PM where Group 1 was waiting.  The trek officially ended in the shallows of Lake McDonald with a group shot of the Dirty half Dozen looking very tired, dusty and satisfied at their achievement. 

Author's Note:  As a co-leader of the Dirty half Dozen I was particularly impressed with the character of the young men I had the privilege of escorting across the Continental Divide.  Their  teamwork, sense of humor and ability to persevere without complaint was particularly notable.  It was obvious to both leaders that these young men had been well prepared by the current leadership of Troop 96.  They knew their wilderness craft and embraced the ethic of "Leave no trace."  It was an honor and privilege to spend four days in God's wilderness with these outstanding young men.