BACKPACKING THE BOB | The Bob Marshall Wilderness

This was my first experience hiking in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, in Montana. Affectionately known as “The Bob”, the wilderness is named after Bob Marshall, a forester in the federal government. Established in 1964, The Bob extends for 97 kilometres (60 miles) along the Continental Divide and consists of more than 1 million acres (4,085 square kilometres).
I enjoyed hiking with my buddy Jon and Stuart Howe, RUclips’s “Howe’s the Hike” … check him out! It was my first hike with Stuart, and hopefully not my last.
Jon and I had planned on hiking with Jon’s son and two of his son’s buddies on a 6-day clockwise loop past the Chinese Wall, but life got in the way and we weren’t able to join them. Some late changes did allow us to get to The Bob several days later, and we were able to join Stuart, so the three of us hiked a counter-clockwise loop so that we could see the boys somewhere along the trail.
Thanks to those who maintains these trails, I thought that they’re some of the best trails I’ve ever hiked.
My first trip to The Bob will certainly not be my last! I look forward to getting back there, hopefully in the next year or two.
0:00 Intro
0:30 Day 1
7:19 Day 2
11:23 Day 3
17:47 Day 4
28:51 The Joke
29:34 Epilogue
Music: “Wild Soul” by Reveille; licensed with Soundstripe FAT0UECCPUODVM1F
This is a list of some of the gear that I use on my hikes, and their affiliate links.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission … a little bitty teeny tiny one … when you click on any of these links and purchase the item(s) from the link(s).
Using these links makes it easier for you to find (what I think is) great gear and costs you nothing extra.
EVERY nickel, dime, quarter, or dollar that I earn in commission I turn around and donate … 100% … to the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) in support of research for treatment of Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes, which our daughter was diagnosed with when she was 4 years old.
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Gregory Focal 58 backpack … amzn.to/3ISmf74
Osprey Atmos AG 65 backpack … amzn.to/4986PWM
Marmot Helium sleeping bag, rated to -9C … amzn.to/3x5IGD0
NEMO Tensor Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pad … amzn.to/4arvKWl
Columbia men’s Watertight II packable rain jacket … amzn.to/4alxcdv
The North Face men’s Antora rain pant … amzn.to/3xbbQ3F
Marmot men’s Leconte zippered Fleece Jacket … amzn.to/496XmPG
MAGCOMSEN men's Long Sleeve Sun Shirts UPF 50+ … amzn.to/4atvRR9
Darn Tough men’s hiker micro crew midweight socks … amzn.to/3xa8MF1
Mayzero water shoes, good for fording rivers … amzn.to/4cuXFGF
Outdoor Research Swift cap, breathable ... amzn.to/3vlVyED
Sealskinz Unisex Waterproof All Weather Insulated Gloves … amzn.to/3PyYeW5
Spot X with Bluetooth 2-way satellite messenger … amzn.to/3Vy3DRm
Katadyn BeFree water microfilter with Hydrapak 1.0L flask … amzn.to/3TPNLZ9
Ursack Major 2XL bear bag for backpacking … amzn.to/3TPtzq8
Cnoc Outdoors VectoX 2L durable water container 42mm thread … amzn.to/4alYrnu
Black Diamond Picante hiking poles … amzn.to/43yB8oE
MSR Trail Mini Solo Camping Cook Set … amzn.to/3TNYUcH
MSR PocketRocket 2 Ultralight backpacking stove … amzn.to/4a5Gl9Q
BSR 3000T Stove Titanium … amzn.to/3VCUWVA
Sea to Summit lightweight dry bag … amzn.to/4cnrLfv
Granite Gear Air Zipditty zippered pouch set, excellent storage bags … amzn.to/49oM9u1
Granite Gear Event SIL Compression Dry Sack … amzn.to/3PBCjO5
Therm-A-Rest Trekker stuffable backpacking pillow case … amzn.to/4crq0Oe
Fenix Headlamp HL15 … amzn.to/4cxd6hB
Sea to Summit XL-Bowl collapsible bowl … amzn.to/3VvDouv
Sea to Summit X-Mug, folded up fits within the bowl … amzn.to/3xa57XP
Oximeter, measures oxygen saturation and pulse rate … amzn.to/4cxyVhh
Rhinaris Nozoil Moisturizing and Lubricating Nasal Spray … amzn.to/3Pxc8Ig
Ben’s 30% DEET 37ml pump spray … amzn.to/3TwYRk9
Sea to Summit mosquito headnet unisex adult … amzn.to/3TpIw0K
Clif Bar Energy bars chocolate chip … amzn.to/3VvCCOr
Peak Refuel Chicken Pesto Pasta, my fav hiking dinner … amzn.to/3IR7ktJ
Peak Refuel Chicken Alfredo Pasta, my 2nd fav dinner … amzn.to/49891O0
Peak Refuel Biscuits and Sausage Gravy … amzn.to/4atxkXF
Mountain House Lasagna with Meat Sauce … amzn.to/4a3pS5Z
Mountain House Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, a longtime favorite … amzn.to/4a62SmU
Backpacker’s Pantry Crème Brulee, my fav hiking dessert … amzn.to/3TO5AYr
National Geographic Trails Illustrated map, Bob Marshall Wilderness … amzn.to/3Tx2ir3

[@carlgaupp1142]

I did a very similar hike (solo) in July 2020, though I continued North to Gates Park and then West up Rock Creek until I hit the CDT and 'the wall'. Then I came back East past Indian Point and out to the Benchmark Trail Head. Awesome hike.
Had a scare just before Bear Creek when I startled a sow Grizzly and her cub foraging through some rotting logs along the trail. She reared up on her hind legs and then took off. They were about 25-50 yards away from me. Needless to say, that spurred me on to continue hiking a few extra miles. I think I camped around Whiskey Creek my first night; about 14 miles in from Benchmark.