Primal Quest day 5: The Bridger Range

06.27.08

On day 5, I intended to set out with the team to follow Team MOAT on the traverse of the Bridger Range. I'll just say that I'm an experienced backpacker with MANY miles of back country travel logged in both the US and Canada. I was as prepared as any human being could be, and this is what I came to Montana to shoot. I spent considerable time prepping my gear. I would only carry one camera, the Canon 5D, and two lenses, a 16-35mm and a 70-200mm. The rest of my pack was loaded with provisions and safety gear for a night in the wilderness, including a 15 degree bag and bivy, headlamp, food and water, etc. I did not expect to be able to keep up with the team for the duration of the trek, but rather just enough to get the photos. I was ready. There was some controversy about how I would hook back up with the RV and the support crew. I basically said don't worry about it. I'll get a ride into Boseman and rent a car for myself.

At the moment of truth, when my boots were about to hit the trail, the team vetoed my tagging along. I was not only disappointed, but heartbroken. As for the reasons, Dave explained that I could be perceived as assisting the team, which would result in a disqualification. This was a risk he could not take. I suspected that this was an excuse to not have to take responsibility if something went wrong, or to protect me from myself. Who knows? I had no choice but to honor his request.

Needlesstosay, my moral was at a low.