34 » They look like they've been out for a while

Hey y’all,

Welcome back to Stillnotes. A photo newsletter dispatched from the rocky mountains of Colorado. Today though, lets head to the Wind River Range in Wyoming.

Day 7, and our crew of three was in high spirits, in contrast to our appearance. Dirt, oil, and sunscreen mixed into a layer of the finest grime blanketing our wiry frames. Sun hoodies carried salt embroidery from neck to waist, our socks imbued with a must so deep we no longer have a name for it, shorts stained so thoroughly that I’ve been unable to clean them back to new since the trip.

We made our way out to Big Sandy trailhead to complete the Wind River High Route: 80 miles, about 50 of those miles off trail, 20,000 feet of elevation gain over numerous mountain passes, a glacier crossing, scrambling, endless miles of boulder hopping, lightning, and rockfall. Now back on luxurious single track, we passed more hikers than we’d seen in the past six days combined. Two young guys, with backpacks they could fit themselves into if they wanted, stepped off the trail for us and Paul overheard one whisper to the other after we’d passed.

“They look like they’ve been out for a while.”

We wore the adventure. We were billboards advertising each aspect of the trip, every hazard overcome, like a feature worth buying. And we took pride in that, because this look is not available for purchase.

We laughed and reveled in our disheveled state like pigs in mud, bolstered further by the callout we weren't supposed to hear. So when we stepped off the trail a couple hours later I got portraits of the three of us, to commemorate an adventure, and a look, well earned.

There's much more to share from this trip and other adventures this summer. Thanks for reading, hope you all are doing well as the air turns crisp and snow makes its way to the high peaks.

–Al