The Coudersport Rotary Club met September 14, 2026, at A&W West End Grill, where Rotarian Brad Rinehart introduced Doug Tushar as the guest speaker. Tushar, who spoke to Rotary last year about the Austin Campground, returned to share highlights from a recent hiking adventure in the Rockies with friends.

The group selected Boise National Forest for a challenging 50-mile loop hike that they planned to complete in six days, camping at a different lake each night and allowing time for fishing.

Tushar explained that they approached the adventure much like a project, following five steps: THINK, PLAN, PREPARE, DO and MEASURE. They physically and mentally conditioned for the trip, arranged accommodations, considered contingencies, gathered food and equipment, and prepared first-aid supplies. They even packed and repacked their gear the night before departure.

The “DO” portion of the plan quickly demonstrated the importance of flexibility. Flight and luggage delays, along with a landslide, disrupted their planned Airbnb stay. Fortunately, they found accommodations in the beautiful town of Ketchum, Idaho.

Once on the trail, the group discovered that one member intended to film a documentary about the trip, requiring approximately an hour of filming each day. Combined with the effects of higher elevation, this resulted in some changes to their itinerary and a different first-night camping location.

Along the way, the hikers enjoyed fishing and spectacular sunsets. They discovered that descending was sometimes more difficult than climbing uphill. Wildlife sightings were limited,
although large and aggressive chipmunks proved particularly skilled at getting into their packs.

One memorable encounter involved a mule train. When the fourth mule broke loose and ran uphill, it kicked rocks down toward the hikers. Fortunately, no one was injured.

The group also learned some practical lessons, including that one type of water filtration system worked considerably better than others. At the higher elevations, boiling water and preparing freeze-dried meals took longer than expected. The group carried Mountain House meals, with Chicken & Dumplings and Lasagna ranking among their favorites.

In the end, the hikers considered the trip a success because they completed the loop healthy, injury-free and with good attitudes. Tushar said the experience has already encouraged them to consider another adventure.

The group unexpectedly came home with approximately nine hours of video footage from the trip. For their next adventure, they may choose to stay near water and take a canoe trip, or establish one base camp and take day hikes from there.

Thank you Doug for your interesting and informative presentation!