Backpacking Light’s Wilderness Trekking III Course was featured in the Billings Gazette last week in a story by Brett French, “Wilderness trek turns the Beartooths into a classroom“.

Brett noted that “in keeping with [an] ultralight ethos, everyone was carrying less than 25 pounds of gear.” That figure would actually include food, water, avalanche gear, group gear, snowshoes, and all clothing worn and items carried. Our pack weights to start actually averaged in the 12-14ish pound range.

If I had to sing praise for the most merit-worthy benefits of this course, it was the cross pollination of experience, the joy of camaraderie in the face of wilderness stress, and the satisfaction of having achieved something meaningful as part of a group.