by Trevor Bockstahler
Six years ago was my first time backpacking, well overnight backpacking at least...
The day before I was in the Rawah Wilderness just East of Steamboat Springs, Colorado attempting a ~30 mile loop. It was June, early, mid, late, I don't remember. But the snow was high and it didn't take long for my dog Koal and I to realize that we were going to struggle to get above treeline let alone over the numerous passes on the route. I was as timid as one would expect for my first time in the wilderness. We had already come across moose tracks larger than I thought was possible, and we postholed our way to deeper and deeper snow. Until just a few hours in, it became clear that we would have to turn around. The Rawah would have to be left for a more snow free date. On exit we found the moose that was presumably making those tracks through the deep snow. A stunningly massive creature, but not so majestic as it ran away from my 60lb dog, it's legs sprawling all over like a cartoon, I was just glad it was running away. An overly confident Koal and I arrived back in Denver a few hours later and planned out what we would do to salvage our long weekend. The Lost Creek Wilderness was said to be snow free! Not quite as high, a drier climate, and recent reports of being mostly snow free, so the next morning we went.
