BRETT FRENCH | bfrench@billingsgazette.com
For about three years James Haskins daydreamed about taking a long trek through the Beartooth Mountains, which contain many of Montana’s highest peaks.
Poring over maps, the lifelong Billings resident visualized continuous footpaths but never pulled the trigger on a hike.
This year, at the age of 57, he became more philosophical about his yearning.
“Life changes, you know, and none of us know when that’s going to happen,” he said. “After a while, you get tired of just dreaming, and you decide it’s time to try.
“I didn’t know if I could do it or not, but I knew I wanted to try at least.”
Not wanting to undertake the journey on his own, Haskins posted on Facebook that he was seeking partners. Laurel resident Keil Clavadetscher, who knew Haskins from his time coaching his two sons on Laurel’s cross-country team, volunteered.
“I love wild places and am always up for an adventure assuming life allows,” Clavadetscher wrote in an email. “For me to be able to go on this trip so James could accomplish this particular dream of his was really the least I could do after he has given so much for so many.”
22 miles on first day
On July 18, Haskins set off with two buddies from a friend’s cabin in the small community of Roscoe, walking 14 miles down a gravel road to reach the trailhead for the Beaten Path along the East Rosebud Creek drainage and into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.
Finally, Haskins’ dream was being realized.
Why not start at the trailhead and skip walking the long stretch of gravel road?
“I was all about the continuous footpath,” Haskins said. “And during that walk there were sometimes I was thinking, how come?”
One of his hiking friends probably thought the same thing. His feet got trashed, prompting him to drop out of the excursion at the Beaten Path trailhead.
The remaining two trudged on another eight miles to camp at Rainbow Lake, an exhausting 22-mile start to the excursion.
Up and over, again and again
Haskins and his remaining backpacking partner, Clavadetscher, had plenty of time to contemplate their route, decision making and where to place their feet on the trail again and again and again over the course of the next 10 days.
The backpacking portion of the first leg was 26 miles and gained 3,500 feet in elevation while climbing over the Beartooth Mountains to Cooke City. After a layover in nearby Silver Gate, they hitched a ride with a friend to Daisy Pass before dropping down the Stillwater River drainage.
From there it was another 3,000 feet of elevation gain to climb over the top of Lake Plateau before descending to the Boulder River drainage. Following another layover — this time in Big Timber — they made a push over the Absaroka Range via Fourmile Creek to East Mill Creek. Former Laurel long-distance runner Dylan Paris joined the two for this section of the hike over Silver Pass.
The final leg was another long road walk, 13 miles to reach Chico Hot Springs Resort where a shower, burger and soothing soak awaited.
“I felt their excitement coming up the road,” said Merle Froslie, a friend who met the hikers on the Boulder River, East Mill Creek and at Chico to provide camping and shuttle help. “What really struck me was when they reached the Chico sign I saw James tuck his head and he could not hold back the tears of his enjoyment.”
Froslie, a retired nurse, met Haskins years ago at Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital, where Haskins still works as a physical therapy assistant. The two connected over their love of the outdoors and climbed some of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks together. So far, Haskins has climbed 53 of the state’s 58 celebrated 14ers.
For the entire trip, Clavadetscher’s Garmin watch recorded 132 miles. Haskins’ read 128.5. In eight days of hiking they had averaged about 16 miles a day.
While on the trail, except for the last leg, they each carried about 45 pounds of gear. When road walking they traded their heavy backpacks for hydration packs. Friends like Froslie trucked the heavier backpacks to the next trailhead.
Mountain goat playground
Highlights from the trip included an unusual wildlife encounter on the second night while camped at Bald Knob Lake.
“We had a whole family of mountain goats come down into our camp and use our camp for like a parkour course all night long,” Haskins said. “At first it was like, ‘What is going on out there?’ You know? ‘What’s outside our tent?’”
The young goats were tripping over the guylines for the tent’s rain fly, shaking the entire shelter. At 1:30 a.m., Haskins finally sat up to look out the tent’s screened door and saw a baby goat looking back at him.
Although the lack of sleep was annoying, Haskins was happy the noise came from goats and not bears.
Bear signs
A bear showed up on the third day of hiking, after a friend had given them a ride to Daisy Pass, outside Cooke City, out of concern that an ornery grizzly sow was prowling the area and charging vehicles.
Haskins was sorry to abandon a portion of his dreamed continuous footpath, “But at the same time the goal wasn’t so much a continuous footpath as it was don’t get eaten by a bear,” he said.
Near Lake Abundance, they walked about 50 yards away from a big chocolate-colored black bear.
“That was the only bear that we actually saw,” Haskins said.
In what turned out to be an 18-mile day down the Stillwater’s upper drainage, other bear sign was widespread, including a large boulder he estimated at 250 pounds that had been rolled into the path.
“The ants were still going crazy,” Haskins said. “So we’re like, ‘OK, if those ants are still going crazy right now, this is not that far ahead of us, right now.’
“So at that point, we both had bear spray in hand. We actually went double barreled. I had one bear spray right available, and I had another one in my pack just in case.”
Endless switchbacks
A stomach bug, a couple of wrong turns quickly corrected, drenching rain highlighted by roaring peals of thunder and lightning, downed logs blocking the trails and thick clouds of mosquitoes also lent a serious tone to the wilderness adventure.
From the Stillwater River drainage they climbed the long trail to the top of Lake Plateau to camp at Wounded Man Lake. That night, Clavadetscher was stricken by a stomach bug that left Haskins wondering if they’d need help getting him the 17 miles off the mountain.
“But by that next morning, he ate a good breakfast and never had another issue,” Haskins said.
Clavadetscher’s recovery was important as the next day included a hike down the Lake Plateau’s notorious and endless switchbacks along the Upsidedown Creek trail.
“Those switchbacks. I mean, it was just torturous,” Haskins said, amplified by hot weather. “But the thing is, we could see the finish line forever, you know. It was so close, but yet so far away because there was no shortcut to it.”
By the time they reached Froslie’s camp along the Boulder River, he said Haskins looked beat and discouraged. Clavadetscher, despite a night of little sleep due to his illness, remained encouraging, Froslie said.
Haskins called his hiking buddy a “godsend.”
“He is so upbeat and positive, and it’s just so easy when things get really ugly and really really hard, it’s so easy to get negative, especially when he wasn’t feeling well,” Haskins said. “It’s so enjoyable to be able to spend time and hike with someone that’s always in that positive frame of mind.”
A two-night stay in Big Timber helped revive the hikers for the final day’s push over the Absaroka Mountains.
Tremendous views
Clavadetscher said the worst part of the hike, despite the many hardships, was being away from his family. The best part, he added, were the incredible views.
“I am not willing to say what one in particular as to protect the area and its inhabitants,” he added. “If anyone is curious feel free to hike the approximately 130 miles and see if you can guess what vantage point was my favorite!”
Clavadetscher praised Haskin’s ability to cook a freeze-dried meal, which requires the ability to boil water before adding the correct amount to a sealed pouch for heating.
“It is all in how you boil the water!” Clavadetscher said. “Well, that is the joke anyway.”
Plans for the next outing
Both backpackers are already thinking about their next outing. Clavadetscher said he’d be up for a continuation of this year’s route. He’s also planning several other “big trips” over the next few years.
Haskins is contemplating the Wonderland Trail, a “strenuous” 93-mile-long route that encircles Mount Rainier in Washington while gaining and losing 27,000 feet in elevation.
“I’ve also kind of thought about the Colorado Trail too, so I don’t know,” he said. “I just believe that you gotta keep going: ‘What’s the next thing? What’s the next thing?’ You know? So it keeps you active.”
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