Backpacker article

page 52 of the January 2012 issue of Backpacker magazine has a survival feature which includes my survival story from this summer, while hiking on the Idaho Centennial Trail along the Idaho - Montana border.

class of 2011

I did it!

it was actually 76 miles left to go, not 65. and I finished on Thursday evening, July 28th, at about 9:10 pm Pacific time, at Lionhead campground. I wanted the big dramatic finish at Upper Priest Falls, but the way it worked out, it was better to go to the falls then work our way south back to Lionhead campground on the northern tip of Priest Lake.

thanks to Stephen Stuebner for his book on the ICT.

thanks to Leo Hennessey for my first taste of the ICT 7 years ago on a work hike on North Fork Lime Creek.

thanks to my chief partner in crime on the ICT, Jerry "Frog" Finnegan. together we are "Doofus and Lark" exploring across Idaho!

thanks go also to the many friends who have joined me for segments of the ICT and for the many family members who have helped me with shuttle rides.

Ron Whittaker
"Llamamoto"

http://llamasyndrome.blogspot.com

Dogs

Little Earth,

Dogs are welcome on all of the trails but you might have to leash them in the Sawtooth Wilderness depending on the time of year you are traveling through the wilderness. I think July 1st to Sept 1st you need to have them on leash.

Brian Frankle hikes the ICT North to South

(All photos courtesy Brian Frankle, http://www.ula-equipment.com/)

Hi all,

I wanted to share Ron Whittaker's post from the Idaho Outdoors Yahoo Group regarding ULA owner Brian Frankle's successful journey on the ICT this summer, traveling north to south.

I must say, to watch Brian's slide show, is to experience a wonderful scenic sweep of Idaho, north to south, along the jagged backbone of our state, meandering from the British Columbia border to Fairfield, and then across the desert to finish. Awesome pics and congrats on an incredible journey, Brian.

Many thanks, Ron, for sharing the links from Brian's successful trip.

Here's Ron's post:

"First a little back-story: When Jerry Finnegan, Nick Abshire, and I were onthe ICT in northern Idaho in summer 2006, we met Chris Harrington, who finishedhis ICT hike that year. Chris was using a backpack made by ULA Equipment.

That's the tie-in to this story. The guy who runs ULA Equipment, BrianFrankle, this summer completed his thru hike of the Idaho Centennial Trail from north to south.

Here is the link to Brian's website: http://www.ula-equipment.com/idahocentennialtrail/index.htm

and his photo album, recognize any of these places??? http://picasaweb.google.com/briansbliss/IDAHOCENTENNIALTRAIL

Ron Whittaker (60% of ICT done)"