What is it?  Well it's sort of a race, but there is no registration, no entry fee, no t-shirt for finishing   It's a low key, mostly word of mouth event that is held in the largest and remotest wilderness area in the lower 48, the Bob Marshall Complex (the Bob Marshall, Great Bear and Scape Goat Wildernesses).  The route changes each year, this year starts in the SW at Owl Ck and finishes in the NE at Swift Reservoir.  The rules are few, everyone starts and finishes at the same point- how you get there is up to you.  The sheer size of the Bob opens dozens and dozens of possible routes (and even more if you start looking at off trail routes).  The shortest route is very often not the quickest.  In addition to distance, you have to consider elevation gain, snow cover, multiple pass crossings, stream flows w/ lots (lots) of fords across swollen rivers and creeks, nine months of built up blown down (trail crews have a short three month window to work and a full month before trail crews show up) amongst other things.  The "race" is always held over Memorial Day weekend to insure that the above challenges are part of the event.  You can use feet, skis, snowshoes, rafts-anything under your own power.

It's in it's fourth year and typically a low turn out, roughly 8-12 folks show up.  It has a good reputation to not disappoint in the difficulty department (one year no one finished ).  This year routes will be in the roughly 100-150 mile range.

I'm teamed up w/ another fellow from Helena, neither of us have done this event before.  We're hoping for a 3 day finish, but will pack four days of rations.  We'll bring snowshoes, but will pass on skis and rafts (this will significantly lower the risk of death for me ).  Bear spray as the Bob boasts the largest population of grizzlies in the lower 48.  The trail conditions, snow, fords, largish packs and carnivores will conspire against much running; instead most likely long days and fast hiking.

I've got an A route planned, w/ a B & C if conditions warrant.  I've looked at bail options, but bailing in this remote country is very difficult, even if you make it to a road you're still not "out of the woods" as many of these outlying roads that border the Bob aren't used much, especially this early.

Anywho, I'm finishing last minute details and will leave Friday morning to shuttle a vehicle to the finish area.  Should prove interesting.

Wow, that sounds incredible! Luck (and safety) to you... try and have some fun, too :-)

Good luck.  Sound like a blast.  Will you taking a gun along as well? How heavy will your pack be?

That sounds like something I would enjoy... On another note, what does the turkey population look like in the Bob? I really took to those mountain birds this year.

 

I've got my pack dialed down to about 20 lbs, that's 2 lbs of snowshoes, 2 lbs of water and 6 lbs of food- that's about as low as I can get it while covering all bases on possible weather

That's a nice weight.  I've been over the 20lb mark once or twice while fastpacking and it's a big difference.

No turkeys but boasts all three species of mountain grouse, Blue, Ruffed and Franklin

If you end up doing it, definitely give me a jingle

I'll take some comfort in my pack lightening with each day