Greetings B2B family and friends! It’s c T here, and after a long hiatus, I am back! Per usual we are coming to you from the beautiful Flagstaff, Arizona, where we are consistently hitting near record high temperatures (which to me is perfect weather). This last week has been an eventful one, as we completed the dreaded Hellsgate hike, which according to B2B folklore, is one of the toughest and most strenuous hikes completed in program. I won’t spoil too much now, but it was definitely one heck of a trip. So without further ado…
We were up and ready to go super early on Sunday, having prepped everything the night before. Unfortunately, there was no Men’s Stag or lifting of weights to be had that morning, due to the fairly long drive ahead as well as the amount of hiking to be done, so burritos in hand, we loaded up in the van and headed off. I’d also like to take the time to mention we had a guest guide this weekend, Guide Daniel. He’s been an auxiliary guide since the inception of B2B, so he’s one of the few “Old Breed” still around. Super awesome guy, and great to have him back. Now, anyways, after about a 3 hour drive we arrived in Payson, where the dreaded Hellsgate trailhead is located. We quickly dismounted, chugged a mildly uncomfortable amount of water, and started the hike. The hike was tough but manageable, with a lot of elevation gain, but we ended up getting to our campsite just a few hours later. We camped in a gorgeous clearing at the bottom of the canyon, surrounded by streams and the Tonto River. After setting up camp we found a sweet swimming hole not too far from camp, as well as some cliff jumps. After client C casually threw himself off a 40 foot cliff into the water, eventually the rest of us did too. We swam and jumped for the rest of the day, then cooked some food and had a great AA meeting, where client D shared his story (congrats bro!). We retired pretty early due to the intensity of the day, and quickly fell asleep.
Monday morning came warm and fast, and by the time we were up and out of our sleeping bags, it was probably close to 85 degrees! We ate a quick breakfast and had a morning AA meeting, then split off into two groups. Most of the guys went swimming, and myself and the other client D went fishing with some fishing line found at the camp and a trekking pole. After hearing shouts and screams of glee coming from the cliff jumpers, we were able to yell our own, as we soon somehow managed to catch a couple fish (the bait was beef jerky, much to the former guide Nick’s chagrin)! After the fishing and swimming was complete we packed up and started to head back to the van. Somehow Hellsgate bends the laws of physics, because I swear it was uphill both ways. Eventually we made it to our campsite, but decided to push a little further just in case we needed more water. The hike out was tough, but mad props to the guys. No crumbles and very little complaining. After we made it to the second site we had our Sharing is Caring, and by the end, Guide Zach was beat (first time ever!). For some reason we were super hyper, so we goofed around for a few more hours and then finally fell asleep.
Tuesday came way too soon, and we were up early and really excited to finish the hike. The last segment we crushed, and before we knew it, we were back at the van. We piled in after strapping the packs on the top, and headed home. We arrived at Hunter to a lovely lunch, had a derig, and eventually community. A relaxing day and an in house meeting followed and it was much appreciated. All in all, a great trip. As a final side note, the boys of B2B have a week long trip spanning the 12th-18th of May, so yall’s next family letter should hopefully be there Thursday or Friday of next week! Pray for us and wish us luck!
Until next time,
Client T, over and out
