#moose nation rise up

[alwaysinstyle]

OrangeJuiceVerse has fully taken over my brain. I was at bar trivia tonight with the gang (bc it’s Thursday where the hell else would we be) and there was a group of four guys whose team name was “Moose” and my mind completely OrangeJacked their entire situation.

#gotta love ojv #moose nation rise up #thought this ESPECIALLY AFTER THE ECLIPSE CHAPTER WHERE THEY WENT TO TRIVIA #my team won by the way fuck yeah #sorry team moose #if you aren’t reading PCE what are you even doing?

[1moreoffkeyanthem]

*ahem* *crackles knuckles* dearly beloved, 'if we were in a video game and i defeated your character, what five items would they drop & why?' ojv or any rile-pile-style will do <3

Gorllllll u know I gotta do OrangeJuiceVerse Style!!! (Coincidentally guess what I happen to be drinking right now?)

Starting with Stanathan!!!

He’s dropping the guitar pick that hangs from his keys! It was a one year anniversary gift from Kyle and it helps his easily distracted ass remember his keys bc he remembers the pick :)

If you defeat him while he’s been in the rarely expressed Edgy Boy mood, you get the sword earring! He only wears it when he’s feelin Sad Sack Mode trying to snag him because it’s a miniature Anduril from lotr and it makes him feel stronger! Very powerful item!

He’s dropping the bottle of oj he stays strapped with at ALL TIMES (this covers the whole OJV timeline) bc he ALWAYS has juice in his backpack just in case Kyle needs it!!!

You defeat later timeline OJV Stan? DINGDINGDING you get an AA chip! He keeps his one month coin behind his ID in his wallet!!!

(More of a power boost than an item but) YOU GET A CHARISMA BOOST! Any vicious wild creature can be tamed, you can charm the wildest of animals, and are a calming FORCE!

Kyles turn!!!

Good luck defeating Kyle Speak No Evil Take No Shit Broflovski, bc he can either diffuse most situations or out argue GOD, but the first thing you’re getting is a FULL WATER BOTTLE! By god he WILL make sure everyone stays hydrated.

He’s also dropping a fully stocked, organized emergency kit! That shit comes in handy!!! First aid supplies, batteries, multi tool, extra charger, you name it. He is PREPARED!

(Not sure if this counts as an item but) congratulations you just got a Rage Volcano Powerup!!! If you’re in a situation that really, truly warrants it, your attack power doubles! Only in the most DIRE of times, so use it wisely!

He’s dropping the bag with an INSANE Amount of pockets! Store all your items and trinkets easily! And in an organized manner where your inventory is easily navigated!

AND!!! You get MOOSE!!! You get a tiny brown cat companion for all your adventures! The sweetest cat you ever did see who will ONLY attack the most awful adversaries!

This was so fun oh my god help OJV style the loves of my life Nina you’re a genius

#Moose Nation rise up btw!!! #asks #I love my wife #OrangeJuiceVerse #south park #style #this was so fun #iconic tbh #everyone say than you to the wife

[starsandhughes]

Penalty Box— Quinn Hughes Edition (ft Luke Hughes) (Part Five)

SERIES MASTERLIST

previous: four

next: six

SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2023

yourusername

liked by _quinnhughes, lhughes_06, and 6,482 others

yourusername welcome to my penalty box update: huggy bear edition! quinn’s four game streak was broken last night in the game against the ottawa senators, so he his now at zero games since his last penalty!

here’s the kicker: it was a delay of glass penalty! (the canucks are very good at delay of game penalties. it’s one of their quirks) but he didn’t get one for roughing because he scoffed and sighed during the two fights last night, what a man! (translation: get in there and throw hands, quintin! spice it up)

p.s. LUKEY MOOSEY ALSO RECEIVED A PENALTY LAST NIGHT FOR CROSS CHECKING! 2/3 HUGHES BROTHERS WENT TO JAIL YESTERDAY!!

p.s.s. congrats on your wins, boys! i love you both more than words <3

tagged _quinnhughes and lhughes_06

view all 233 comments

_quinnhughes jack can have you. i’m retiring as your best friend

yourusername you signed a contract! i have it framed!

jackhughes @/yourusername am i that bad?

_quinnhughes @/jackhughes yes

yourusername QUINN HUGHES LOVE ME

_quinnhughes FINE! I LOVE YOU! I’LL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND AGAIN!

user1 i need jack to commit some crimes

user2 i think half the nhl is whipped for y/n

trevorzegras I’M AHEAD OF QUINN SUCK IT 😤

_quinnhughes we’ll just see what tonight holds

yourusername you got this babe!! i love you, always!

trevorzegras i love you forever, sweet girl

user3 when the baby brother wants to be like his big brother so bad he commits crimes >>>

jackhughes where’s my love?? i won, too!!

yourusername my account is a fan page for sinners only sorry :( still love you though!!

jackhughes …

yourusername AHEM

jackhughes yeah yeah i love you, too

user4 BEST CANUCKS GAME IN A WHILE

user5 i mean they’ve had some sick OT wins lately but okay

lhughes_06 i’m honored, truly. love you too y/n/n!💙

yourusername you make me sooo proud, moose!💛

_alexturcotte hughes nation rise 💙💛❤️

yourusername tempted to delete your comment that was so cringe

_alexturcotte but their hearts are primary colors!

yourusername cringe overrides cute, turc

jamie.drysdale you would’ve cried if quinn got into a fight don’t even

yourusername only if he got hurt! otherwise i’m pro violence

user6 who needs espn box score when i have y/n?

user7 let’s play “who’s y/n’s least favorite hughes?”

yourusername quinn

_quinnhughes @/yourusername i won’t hesitate to sell you

_eliaspettersson added your post to his story

#penalty box series: quinn hughes edition #penalty box series #quinn hughes #trevor zegras #trevor zegras imagine #quinn hughes imagine #luke hughes #jack hughes #vancover canucks #umich wolverines #jamie drysdale #alex turcotte #nhl imagine #nhl

[cod-dump]

yooo you have a moose oc?! i have one too! hes a captain and a dad ;u;

Yes!!! Moose nation rise up!!!

#ask #thanks for the ask <3 #call of duty #cod mwii #modern warfare ii #cod oc

[historia-vitae-magistras]

Could you go into the meaning behind the aesthetics? I'm intrigued but I'm uncertain if I'm fully grasping everything I want too!

Character by character? Sure. Clockwise from the top left: young anglos only I will have to do the others another time

Alfred: Clockwise from the top left: chalkboard to represent his math and science oriented brain from early days especially as he predates calculus in multiple handwritings to show the collaboration of science. Lady liberty emerging from the fog, his ideals looming over him. The microscope is a sign of innovation. The moon is his hops and ambitions ever upward. The car both the american auto industry and the innate loneliness of it. The national bird, the eagle in flight, the ferocity and aim he often has for his goals. the horseshoes for the old west but also the odd nostalgia Alfred has for things that never were. Then the star, rusting on a warship. theoretical end of empire but never the end of american airpower. And finally his portrait is his spacesuit. The only one without hair/visible human features because no country has ever projected such a strong image around the world and it obscures him.

Matt: Whittling with a small knife because he's got anxiety and a lot of woods. a looming moose for the darker force and mystery of nature and his own personality. Pancakes because he's a domestic fuck when permitted. a hatchet. Lots of wood an also war crimes. his tools are often weapons too. Maple tapping. A reliance on the natural resources at his disposal that shaped his culture tightly. man's outline in front of a fire is for Matt's propensity for salt and burning and personally annihilating obstacles when properly motivated. sunrise through a frosted window. Spring and hope rising over winter and despair. A repeating rifle. He too, is the result the arms of empire. And finally his 'portrait' a young man facedown in the sheets, lots of curls. This one is popular for Matt aesthetics for the hair but he's a tired, depressive bastard who tends to linger in safety rather than push himself for better.

Jack: a selection of fossils. The happiest part of his childhood was in natural history but these very collections are soaked in empire. A kangaroo and joey. His fauna but also his instincts of aggression about his environment and sometimes his sister. Meat pies because they're popular but also, born a penal colony he lacked a lot of agency over his own food and being as fast growing as he was he's a chronic snacker. map of Australia. could be self explanatory but even all the way down there he's pretty concerned about his place in the world and tends to look at himself at globes when he sees one. Two horses. Man and his country love to race but also I picked two because he really is not a person who prefers to be alone for long periods of time, as misanthropic as he can be. Surfboards: he loves his water-sports but the sunny, 'no-worries, mate' attitude too. Coffee on books. He's always been very keen to prove his wine, coffee, cuisine and tastes can stand up to the snobs and a flat white was an Australian invention. Golden wattle is the national flower and symbolizes resilience, often appearing first after fires and floods. And finally the portrait. A young man with a collar pulled up and one hand on the back of his neck, pondering his future? being a bit sheepish? both suit him.

Zee: Two sheep gently headbutting each other. Sheep and a stubborn affection is something she shares with Jack even if it probably influenced her culture more. Books because she's the best educated of her generation for a long time but the titles for birds, fairytales and oxford classic texts are for her famous birds, her two sets of folklore and culture and her oxford education. Kiwi box on bike handlebars. Bicycles were a massive part of early feminism and her own independence. The box and kiwi silhouette see something she probably knocked together herself. She's handly like that. Silver ferns are a national symbol and very hard to kill, resilient and the shape is very elegant and invokes Māori art and resistance. A grumpy looking Kea. This image looks very cranky but they're the goofiest and probably smartest birds on the face of the earth. Map of new zealand on a globe. Her name is bigger than she is on the map because its somewhat imposed on her nd there's also her brother always in the corner. A canoe or boat to symbolize her maritime culture, but also her own ability to build and engineer and pilot one. Her portrait I chose a woman with her hair type elegantly put up and looking away, back to a wall, a hint of a smile on her face because she has her strict lines and a slog of struggles but also a pretty decent place in the world.

#Art History and Aesthetics || our eyes across the ages #jack || a land of summer skies #alfred || o beautiful for spacious skies #zee || ahakoa he iti he pounamu #matthew || my country is winter #the ask box || probis pateo

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

April 15, 2024

Mr. Hunter: I rise in support of Bill 204, the Municipal Government (National Urban Parks) Amendment Act, 2023. I am going to start off today by speaking about a distant cousin of man’s best friend, the dog; wolves. The grey wolf is a canine located in North America and Eurasia. Like people, wolves organize themselves into nuclear families and have highly social behaviour. Wolves like to settle in one place and put down roots in a home. They are highly territorial, establishing large territories to ensure that they can hunt enough food for their pack and their young to survive. On average wolves’ core territories are a size of 35 square kilometres. They typically will only leave their territories in times of famine or if other wolves are breaking away from the pack.

The most notable and important characteristic of wolves, Mr. Speaker, is their specialization in pack hunting. Wolves use their numbers to great success when hunting large prey. A pack of 15 wolves can take down even a moose. By banding together and working for the good of the whole, they are able to conquer challenges and opponents which they could never face down on their own. A lone wolf would get trampled and easily put down by an adult moose, but together they are stronger and can face it. In the same way, the federal government seeks to divide us, making us weaker and not able to stand up to its overreaches.

...

In January of 2023 wolves in Yellowstone national park were able to band together and win a fight against a grizzly bear. The wolves, despite their smaller size, were able to win against this fearsome and larger opponent. We need to support this legislation so that our province and our municipalities can do the same.

#conservatives stop using weird animal analogies challenge #alberta #alberta politics #ableg #Grant Hunter #Taber-Warner #UCP #cdnpoli

[jordie-gvf]

facts about the writer 💟

i turn 19 in may. taurus nation

i am obsessed with astrology. i am one of those girls who believes in astrology

im also a crystal girl

i actually wanted to go to college for demonology but no schools in sc offered it

my birthday is may 2

i was a josh girl first, then a jake girl, then a sammy girl, now im a danny girl

i had two weenie dogs that were my heart and soul but they both passed away last year.

i never saw myself writing fanfiction

i am currently in school for medical assisting

my go to coffee is an iced caramel macchiato with extra caramel from dunkin

if i had to live off one food for the rest of my life it would be mac and cheese

i LOVE the rain

my favorite activity is cooking or baking

my nephew is my best friend

i want to live in oregon when im older

i actually live in greenville! im 10 minutes away from the venue they are performing at, but im not going (tears)

if i had to pick one dog breed to have it would a pitbull

i love cats but i am allergic to them!

my favorite game is flight rising and minion rush

i love playing games with my family

i love board games and puzzles

my cooking specialty is soup and bread

my favorite ice cream flavor is moose tracks

i love bath and body works

i have a learners permit still because my parents didnt want me driving until i was 18

i want four kids

i match best with capricorns (danny hit me up)

i have no other taurus friends

okay i think thats it im not very interesting

#facts about me #jordan #jordie-gvf

[ukrfeminism]

15 minute read

An overhaul of medical care for transgender minors is exacerbating bottlenecks in England, Reuters found, leaving thousands of patients in limbo and adding to years-long treatment delays. The crisis comes amid a broader debate on appropriate care for rising numbers of teens seeking help in Europe and the United States.

DOVER, England - On an October morning in the living room of a modest family home in this coastal town, Miles Pitcher, 17, received a message that would change his life.

It came from GenderGP, a private online health service that treats people suffering from gender dysphoria – the distress of identifying as a gender different from the one assigned at birth. The doctors had reviewed his case, the message said, and would prescribe the testosterone that would help Miles develop the facial hair, deeper voice, broader physique and other characteristics aligned with his gender identity. It would put an end to the menstrual periods he dreaded.

Miles gestured at his phone, speechless. He shook his head, and, beaming, showed the message to his mother as their pet dog Moose bounded around the room.

"Finally," he said. "Something being done."

Miles, assigned female at birth, has identified as male since he was 14. Yet until he got that message, he was stuck in limbo for three years, one of at least 8,000 young people in England and Wales waiting to receive gender care from the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) as of October, a Reuters review of NHS documents shows.

The UK government has promised to overhaul the youth gender care system, after it was deemed inadequate by England's regulator of health and social care. Some clinicians had complained that England's only state-run youth gender clinic was too quick to offer medical treatments to young people. And many families protested over the distressingly long wait for a first appointment – an average of nearly three years, a Reuters analysis of the clinic's records found.

In July, the NHS said it would close the sole clinic, known as the Tavistock, next year and replace it by spring 2023 with regional centers to better accommodate a fast-growing patient population. Its plan calls for the centers to operate under new treatment guidelines, informed by the best available medical evidence for treating transgender adolescents and the most in-depth review of care conducted by any country.

But the reality is already falling short of those ambitions, creating new delays and uncertainties, according to Reuters interviews with transgender teens and their families as well as physicians and government officials involved. They described a deeply flawed system that is now hobbled by a toxic political climate around gender care.

Young people like Miles say their only option is to turn to private providers such as GenderGP, which is registered in Singapore and thus operates beyond the supervision of the NHS. The company says under-18-year-olds make up a growing portion of its UK patient population, with about 800 youth currently on its books.

"I wish we didn't have to exist," said Dr Helen Webberley, who founded GenderGP with her husband. Both once worked for the NHS. "But we are years away from the NHS pulling themselves together on this."

The NHS's proposed new treatment guidelines were altered after they were reviewed earlier this year by a Conservative government wary of medical interventions for transgender adolescents, Reuters found. Gender clinicians say the proposals now depart from international treatment protocols, which support gender-affirming care. Pioneered more than 20 years ago in the Netherlands, such care can include everything from supporting a social transition – using a person's preferred pronouns and name – to counseling and medical interventions, including drugs that pause puberty.

The Tavistock, based in London, continues to see existing patients. But first appointments for people who have been on its waiting list since 2019 have slowed to a trickle as staffing and morale drop ahead of the closure, according to NHS data and four people involved in the reorganization. More than 1,500 young people recently referred with gender dysphoria are being kept on a separate list for the future regional centers, with no clarity on when or how they will be treated, three NHS sources told Reuters.

Once assigned to a waiting list, young people have been effectively locked out of state-provided mental health counseling and other specialist support related to their gender dysphoria, because those services were offered only through the gender care system they are waiting to join. Delaying medical treatment also means young people mature in bodies that don't align with their gender identity – changing that in later life is more difficult.

The NHS said in a statement to Reuters it is expanding healthcare services for young people with gender dysphoria in line with recommendations from the review, and working on better supporting those on the waiting list. It has previously said it "strongly discouraged" families from turning to private or unregulated providers.

"These have been an exceptionally challenging couple of years for our patients and their families, with a lot of toxicity in discussions around their care and chronic uncertainty about its future," Dr Polly Carmichael, director of the youth gender clinic at the Tavistock, said in a statement to Reuters.

The Department of Health and the Prime Minister's office declined to comment for this story.

Both sides in the polarized debate are turning to the courts: patients who say they've waited too long, and others who say the NHS moved too fast. At the end of November, transgender rights advocates challenged NHS England in the High Court over long wait times for both youths and adults seeking treatment. In 2020, a young woman who had detransitioned from being a transgender man challenged the Tavistock's use of puberty blockers in the same court.

Long wait lists are common within the NHS, but its statistics show the three-year wait for transgender youth is extreme. Most young people with a "non-urgent" eating disorder get specialist help within three months of being referred, the figures show. On average, young people seeking mental health support wait just over a month for a first appointment, according to a government analysis of NHS England data.

One mother shared with Reuters a letter she received from the NHS in February after she followed up on her daughter's October 2021 referral to determine when she might receive attention. The letter said a decision would be made at some point from early 2022 on whether the child "is likely to meet the access criteria" for gender care. She has heard nothing since and suspects her child isn't even being considered for NHS help.

"We are on a waiting list for a waiting list," said the mother, Rose, who asked to be identified by her first name only to protect her daughter's privacy.

"She basically feels suicidal every single day." The NHS declined to comment on the case.

"STOP HURTING YOURSELF"

Miles plans to study archaeology at university and is a keen rugby player. He has felt like a boy for as long as he can remember, but recalls a moment of delight at the start of a new school year when he was around 9.

The teachers were handing out colored notebooks and lanyards based on gender: blue with wizards and astronauts for boys, pink for girls. He was given blue books – "and wizards and astronauts over everything," he said.

"It was not like 'I'm trans,' but just this amazing sense of joy within myself, 'This feels amazing, and I don't know why.'"

By age 11, as puberty began, Miles entered an all-girls' secondary school. He was bullied by classmates for not wearing a bra or conforming to female norms. To fit in, he tried to be ultra-feminine, wearing skirts and make-up, having his eyebrows threaded, wearing false nails.

"My mood really dropped," he said. After about a year, "I realized, I can't do this anymore. I hate this." Miles was barely leaving his room. He began cutting himself, over a period of four or five months. "In my mind, it was just easier to deal with physical pain than mental pain."

His mother, Connie Pitcher, noticed the regular, precise lines on his arms. When she asked why he was distressed, Miles said he was struggling to understand his sexuality.

"I said, 'I don't care if you're gay, straight, or whatever – I just want you to stop hurting yourself,'" Connie said. The family considered seeking mental health help, but worried about long waiting lists.

"We saw him really, really dip," she said. "We were struggling with what to do. Because there is really no support."

The World Health Organization, which informs health policy worldwide, does not have detailed guidelines for this area of healthcare for youth. It says it works closely with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), a U.S.-based non-profit that has drawn up the most widely adopted standards of care.

These say a young person's exploration of gender should be respected and supported, and that medical interventions for young people at or after puberty should be one option, after a comprehensive assessment.

Research from the Netherlands paved the way for that medical treatment, establishing a model requiring adolescents who sought care to be assessed for about six to 18 months. If they had persistently expressed gender dysphoria since early childhood, lived in supportive homes, and had no other complicating mental health diagnoses, they could be offered puberty suppression, followed by hormones, and later, in some cases, surgery.

Since then, the number of young people seeking gender care has surged in parts of Europe and the United States, supported by greater awareness and the availability of professional treatment. They continue to face threats of violence and discrimination, as well as political efforts in some countries to block that care.

At the same time, some gender-care professionals have questioned the lack of definitive evidence on the long-term impact of puberty blockers or hormones on minors. Puberty blockers are not licensed in the United Kingdom or United States for treating gender dysphoria and the NHS says it is not known how they may affect brain development or long-term bone health in young people. Hormones, only available for older adolescents, cause potentially irreversible changes such as a deeper voice, and can cause infertility. Other changes, including breast development, are reversible only with surgery.

Those professionals are also concerned that as the number of pediatric patients has surged, so has the number of youth whose main source of distress may not be persistent gender dysphoria. Some may have mental health problems that complicate their cases.

"THE WRONG TREATMENT"

While not all English youths with diverse gender identities seek medical help, for those who do, a doctor or professionals including social workers or teachers are the first port of call. Any one of them can refer a youth for gender care, which so far has only come through the Tavistock – formally known as the Gender Identity Development Service, or GIDS – run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

The clinic became a focal point for opponents of youth gender care in the UK in 2018 when an internal report compiled by Dr David Bell, a former senior psychiatrist and staff representative at the Tavistock, was leaked to national media. Bell, who did not treat young people, cited accounts from 10 unidentified colleagues who were working with transgender youth and came to him with concerns, including that some patients were "rushed through" to medical treatment without proper evaluation when they finally got an appointment.

"It was not just the wait," Bell told Reuters. "It was also a wait for the wrong treatment."

Bell now advocates against starting a gender transition before adulthood. He is at the fore of a group of mental health professionals who argue that accepting a child's new gender identity without exploring other underlying issues is clinically irresponsible, and puts them on a track to potentially irreversible changes that they may later regret.

The Tavistock has consistently defended its methods of treatment. Subsequent inquiries by outside investigators into care at the clinic did not raise concerns about patients being referred too quickly to medical interventions. However, they did criticize a lack of standardized assessments, adding that "it was not possible to clearly understand from the records" why care decisions had been made, according to a 2021 report from the regulator of health and social care, the Care Quality Commission.

The report rated the clinic as "inadequate" on these grounds, on the long waiting lists, and on concerns that teams treating patients did not always include the full range of experts required.

Another major challenge came in the 2020 lawsuit. Keira Bell, a young woman who detransitioned after what she said was improper care at the Tavistock, asked the court to rule on whether youths should receive puberty blockers. She alleged that the information provided by the Tavistock was not adequate, and said youths under 18 were not able to give informed consent to treatment. The High Court effectively banned their use for under-16-year-olds, a ban that was overturned last year on appeal. Bell did not respond to a request for comment.

The Tavistock told Reuters its current protocol requires meeting patients at least three to six times over some months before any recommendation for medical treatment. The timeline would be longer in complex cases. If the clinician, parents and the young person agree, puberty blockers may be prescribed from the onset of puberty, usually after the age of 10 or 11. The clinic only introduces hormone treatments after 16. Surgery is not an option before age 18 under NHS rules.

The clinic estimates that its staff referred only between 10% and 20% of young people for medical interventions, indicating what team members have described as its cautious approach. This year to August, 125 adolescents received referrals for either puberty blockers or hormones, the clinic told Reuters.

An ongoing review commissioned by the NHS highlighted another problem. Led by Dr Hilary Cass, a prominent pediatrician, the review found that practitioners across the country might be referring patients with gender concerns to the Tavistock without first addressing mental health issues such as depression, according to an interim report released in February. Such practices may have contributed to the clinic's fast-growing waiting list, the report said.

Annual referrals to the clinic have surged from 210 a decade ago to 5,234 in the financial year that ended in March 2022.

According to NHS documents seen by Reuters, there were 7,696 minors on the waiting list for a first appointment as of July. Just over 1,000 young people were referred to the Tavistock from April to October and are awaiting attention, the clinic says.

"I'M STILL YOUR CHILD"

In 2019, a 13-year-old Miles began exploring his relationship with his changing body, wearing baggy clothes. He cut his hair short and began sampling videos from transgender teens on YouTube.

At first, "it was denial – those guys are cool, but I'm not like them," he said. "Then slowly, I thought, 'what they're talking about is exactly what I feel. So maybe I need to actually look at this.'"

He came out to his close friends, who were supportive. In February 2020, Miles left a letter on his bed for his parents, just before heading to school.

"Dear Mum and Dad," it read. "I am transgender. I identify as male. I'm still your child."

His mother was taken aback. "I was a little bit fearful, because I didn't understand it," Connie said. She texted Miles at school. "We'll talk about this in a few days," she wrote. "We love you."

That November, an NHS doctor referred Miles's case to the Tavistock. Miles was excited, hoping to receive puberty blockers but realizing that, given the long waiting list, he was likely to be too mature for them by the time he was seen.

As he waited to hear from the clinic, he began his social transition, dressing like a boy and using male pronouns. He started to wear a binder to conceal his breasts and, on occasion, padding known as a packer inside his underwear to give the look of male genitalia. He took a contraceptive pill to limit the frequency of his periods.

Last year, he legally changed his name – his parents paid, as a gift for his 16th birthday. Miles now studies at school in a co-educational class. He is attracted to boys.

By July this year, Miles was uneasy, having heard nothing from the Tavistock clinic. He contacted them to ask about his referral. They had no record of it.

"That was a crash and burn," Miles said. "I've had two years of my life thinking it was happening, for nothing. It sounds extreme, but it feels like the NHS has failed me as a trans person. Because I'm just left in limbo. No-one really knows what to do."

Miles's doctor referred him a second time. But a few weeks later, when he checked with the clinic again, it still had no record of him. Neither his doctor nor the Tavistock would comment on his case.

"INCREDIBLY DISTRESSING"

Other young people and their parents across England are also at a loss. Waiting "isn't an option when you've got a child in distress," said Rose, whose daughter has been on a waiting list since October 2021.

Her daughter's case shows how hard life for young trans people can be - even when they do get care.

Assigned male at birth, Rose's daughter told her parents how unhappy she was in her changing body at age 12, two years ago. A few months later, knowing about the NHS waiting list, Rose sought help from family members to pay for private care from Dr Aidan Kelly, a clinical psychologist now in private practice who worked with youth at the Tavistock for five years.

Kelly diagnosed their daughter with gender dysphoria in August 2021, and she socially transitioned a month later. Now 14, she is taking puberty blockers prescribed overseas by a registered pediatric endocrinologist whom Kelly declined to identify. Kelly remains involved in her care.

In June this year, Rose's daughter tried to take her own life, cutting herself and attempting to drink bleach. She had previously been referred for NHS mental health care, but did not receive attention until she tried to kill herself, Rose said. The NHS then prescribed antidepressants.

A different private practitioner has also recently diagnosed the teen as autistic. Rose declined to make her daughter available to Reuters for comment due to the teen's distress.

"I'm just trying to do things to keep my child here," said Rose. The treatments are helping, she said, but her daughter is still struggling.

Another mother, Liz, said her teenager has been on the Tavistock waiting list for three years after being referred by their family doctor. Assigned female at birth, the child came out as a transgender boy at school, but Liz and her husband do not use his chosen pronouns. Instead, they use a gender-neutral nickname, saying that they want to keep their child's options open.

Liz said the child has autistic traits, depression and childhood trauma, and has experienced years of severe homophobic bullying. Liz declined to make the child available for comment.

She worries that the teen, now 16, could receive gender medication without taking into account these other issues. The family has received no NHS gender care or mental health support since the referral, she said. The family is also frightened to entrust the teen to a system that is set to be replaced because it has been judged to be failing young people.

Most of all, Liz is afraid of her child making a mistake.

"If I knew this was the route" for the child to grow "into a healthy well-adjusted adult, that would be a different question," she said. "But I don't have that kind of information."

In a statement to Reuters, the NHS's Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch said the "incredibly distressing" wait for gender care "created a significant patient safety risk for young people."

In April, the investigation branch released a report into the death of a young transgender man before his 19th birthday, outlining how he had complained of the long wait for care before committing suicide. He was first referred to the Tavistock at 16. The clinic itself referred the incident to the investigators, saying it was "vital" that services worked together to better protect vulnerable young people.

There is evidence that transgender youth face a higher risk of suicide, but whether that risk has increased for adolescents in England who are waiting for care is not well understood. The Cass report said in February that many young people's mental health deteriorated while in a holding pattern.

"DROWNING IN THE MIDDLE"

For young people already in the system, the NHS has said care at the Tavistock clinic would continue unchanged ahead of its closure. NHS documents reviewed by Reuters show only a few dozen appointments are available for new patients each month, down from between 75 and 120 for most of last year, despite the growing waiting list.

Staffing has also dipped as several psychologists have left or, like Kelly, entered private practice. The Tavistock said in board documents that staff morale is low and told Reuters it does not have the capacity to meet demand.

The deadline for shuttering the clinic has also slipped, to late June 2023 at the earliest, two people familiar with the plans said, although the NHS is still aiming to open two new sites in spring next year, with up to seven more to follow. People who have been waiting the longest will be prioritized.

The NHS is also working on a system to cope with the backlog and improve support for those on the new list, a spokesman said.

But clinicians say polarized views around gender care will make finding staff challenging.

"The people who have gender-critical views call you child abusers and monsters, and then there are a lot of angry families accusing you of gatekeeping. And you're just drowning in the middle of it all," said Dr Laura Charlton, a clinical psychologist who left the Tavistock in 2020 after six years and now only treats adults.

The gender-care revamp became further entangled in political upheaval after Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned in September. Both his successors, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, voiced their opposition to the use of what they described as "irreversible" measures for transgender young people earlier this year.

Neither Truss nor Sunak's office responded to a request for comment for this story. Sunak has said under-18s should be protected from "life-altering treatments."

A few weeks into Truss's tenure, in September, the NHS briefly posted a draft of its proposed new treatment guidelines on its website, then removed them. The guidelines were re-released on Oct. 20, the night Truss resigned.

A Reuters review of the original draft shows key passages were changed by the time they were re-released.

Both versions of the guidelines say only medical professionals may refer young people for gender care, and call for a meeting between clinicians before a child is added to the waiting list. New clinics will be led by medical doctors rather than psychologists, they say.

The guidelines also say young people who, like Miles, obtain medicines from providers that are not regulated in the UK should be referred to local authorities – such as police and social services – once the NHS takes on their case.

The NHS has said separately it would only prescribe puberty-blocking drugs for transgender teens "in the context of a formal research protocol." It has not specified how gender-affirming hormones would be prescribed, although it also suggests enrolling young people into a clinical trial in the future.

However, the revised guidelines say adolescent patients would require a gender dysphoria diagnosis from a specialist clinician before their social transition would be supported by the NHS, rather than, as at present, relying on the statements of an adolescent.

The changes around social transition appeared after the draft was sent through government approval processes within the Department of Health and the Prime Minister's Office, rather than the NHS or gender experts, two people involved in the process said.

For government employees to not recognize a young person's preferred gender identity without a medical diagnosis would run counter to the way gender-affirming care has been practiced both in England and globally. The proposed requirement was not endorsed by the doctors involved in the Cass review, said people briefed on the matter. There was no such requirement around social transitioning in the original draft.

The draft plan has been criticized by medical groups specializing in transgender health around the world.

"This represents an unconscionable degree of ... intrusion into ... everyday matters such as clothing, name, pronouns, and school arrangements," WPATH, along with a number of allied regional and national groups, said in a statement in late November.

"We've spent 20 years trying to reduce barriers to care. And now we're seeing barriers put up," Dr Marci Bowers, president of WPATH and a gender surgeon in the United States, told Reuters in response to the NHS guidelines.

Spokespeople from the Health department and the Prime Minister's office declined to comment. The government is considering public feedback on the proposals and expects to publish final guidelines early next year.

"EVOLVING EVIDENCE BASE"

England is not the only country in Europe that is changing its approach.

In Finland and Sweden, healthcare officials are limiting access to puberty blockers and hormone treatments, citing concerns that the risks may outweigh any benefit for adolescents, particularly those struggling with mental health problems.

Until 2020, adolescents expressing gender dysphoria in Finland could generally access puberty blockers and hormones, but that year its national healthcare council released guidelines for transgender care. These recommended supporting "identity exploration" and mental health treatment as the first steps to ensure that any psychological issues are addressed. The council said medical intervention for transgender minors "is still an experimental practice."

Health officials in Sweden changed course after finding many adolescents seeking treatment had diagnoses beyond gender dysphoria.

In February, Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare revised its recommendations on puberty blockers and hormone treatment for adolescents. It recommended the treatments be given within a clinical trial. Until a trial is in place, it said, the drugs should only be given to people who fit the original Dutch model of persistent gender dysphoria with no mental health issues.

"It's not an easy decision," Thomas Linden, a director at the board, told Reuters. "Some people are in great need of medical attention. Others are at risk of being harmed if they are given the same treatment. We really need better precision in the diagnosis."

Kelly, the former Tavistock clinician, said even as knowledge changes and governments review policies, clinicians must not deny young people care.

"We need to practice within an evolving evidence base – and that doesn't mean do nothing," he said.

"A NORMAL TEENAGER"

It took just one week after Miles's first full online appointment for GenderGP to agree to prescribe testosterone. The company, which operates in more than 40 countries, says its practices are consistent with WPATH and other international care guidelines.

GenderGP has no age limits to care, or minimum time periods before recommending prescriptions, including puberty blockers, to young people, co-founder Helen Webberley told Reuters. Its usual time-frame is within four to six weeks, she said, although complex cases take more assessment. Parental consent is not always required.

Miles said he hesitated about turning to GenderGP. The Webberleys have both been sanctioned by official medical tribunals for gender care they have provided since setting up their online clinic in 2015. The General Medical Council (GMC), the national watchdog that sets standards for doctors and maintains a register of those deemed fit to practice, referred both cases to the tribunals after concerns were raised by other doctors involved in caring for the same patients as the Webberleys.

Founder Dr Michael Webberley was struck off the British medical register this year after the tribunal found he had failed several patients by not conducting proper tests or assessing them robustly enough, both before and after recommending hormones or puberty blockers. The tribunal concluded that he was working outside his specialty as a gastroenterologist.

His wife, Helen, is currently suspended from practice after a separate hearing found she did not adequately explain the potential fertility impacts of medical treatment to a patient seeking help with gender-related distress.

Both deny that they failed their patients and appealed, although Michael Webberley's appeal was dismissed by the High Court in early December. They told Reuters that they currently do no clinical work for GenderGP.

There is little NHS or independent data available on how many young people seek care privately. GenderGP says the share of under-18-year-olds among its more than 8,000 UK patients is rising, which it attributes to the lack of care offered through the NHS.

The Webberleys transferred their ownership of GenderGP to a Hong Kong-based company, Harland International, in 2019 to avoid the controversy associated with them, they said. The company is now registered in Singapore as GenderGP PTE Ltd, with Dr Helen Webberley as a director. Harland could not be reached.

The clinic's prescribing doctors are all based overseas and regulated within their home countries – from the United States to European Union countries. EU-based doctors can prescribe to UK patients under rules drawn up after Brexit. Some GenderGP therapeutic counselors are UK-based.

Miles's parents say they are happy with GenderGP, but worry that the lack of NHS care will lead young people to unscrupulous online providers or even to self-medicate.

The NHS doesn't cover the cost of Miles's private treatment Read full story. He is paying for his care with his wages from working at a local restaurant, and can recite the company's charges by heart. He says he had reservations about using testosterone but decided to go ahead.

"I know it can affect fertility," he said. "And it sounds weird, but baldness, because it runs in my family."

He applies a testosterone gel to his arms every morning, normally before heading to school. The gel dries and then cracks, like a face mask, when first applied, he said, then sinks in.

Miles has not told his co-workers that he is transgender. To them, along with his friends at an archaeology group that he digs with in Dover, he is just a young man. Yet he still plays for a girls' rugby team, until the effects of the testosterone kick in.

"I'm going to be able to start living my life as I want to," he said. "I want people to see that just because I'm trans, that doesn't affect who I am. I'm still a normal teenager."

The Tavistock, based in London, continues to see existing patients. But first appointments for people who have been on its waiting list since 2019 have slowed to a trickle as staffing and morale drop ahead of the closure, according to NHS data and four people involved in the reorganization. More than 1,500 young people recently referred with gender dysphoria are being kept on a separate list for the future regional centers, with no clarity on when or how they will be treated, three NHS sources told Reuters.

O nce assigned to a waiting list, young people have been effectively locked out of state-provided mental health counseling and other specialist support related to their gender dysphoria, because those services were offered only through the gender care system they are waiting to join. Delaying medical treatment also means young people mature in bodies that don't align with their gender identity – changing that in later life is more difficult.

The NHS said in a statement to Reuters it is expanding healthcare services for young people with gender dysphoria in line with recommendations from the review, and working on better supporting those on the waiting list. It has previously said it "strongly discouraged" families from turning to private or unregulated providers.

" These have been an exceptionally challenging couple of years for our patients and their families, with a lot of toxicity in discussions around their care and chronic uncertainty about its future," Dr Polly Carmichael, director of the youth gender clinic at the Tavistock, said in a statement to Reuters.

The Department of Health and the Prime Minister's office declined to comment for this story.

Both sides in the polarized debate are turning to the courts: patients who say they've waited too long, and others who say the NHS moved too fast. At the end of November, transgender rights advocates challenged NHS England in the High Court over long wait times for both youths and adults seeking treatment. In 2020, a young woman who had detransitioned from being a transgender man challenged the Tavistock's use of puberty blockers in the same court.

Long wait lists are common within the NHS, but its statistics show the three-year wait for transgender youth is extreme. Most young people with a "non-urgent" eating disorder get specialist help within three months of being referred, the figures show. On average, young people seeking mental health support wait just over a month for a first appointment, according to a government analysis of NHS England data.

One mother shared with Reuters a letter she received from the NHS in February after she followed up on her daughter's October 2021 referral to determine when she might receive attention. The letter said a decision would be made at some point from early 2022 on whether the child "is likely to meet the access criteria" for gender care. She has heard nothing since and suspects her child isn't even being considered for NHS help.

"We are on a waiting list for a waiting list," said the mother, Rose, who asked to be identified by her first name only to protect her daughter's privacy.

"She basically feels suicidal every single day." The NHS declined to comment on the case.

"STOP HURTING YOURSELF"

M iles plans to study archaeology at university and is a keen rugby player. He has felt like a boy for as long as he can remember, but recalls a moment of delight at the start of a new school year when he was around 9.

The teachers were handing out colored notebooks and lanyards based on gender: blue with wizards and astronauts for boys, pink for girls. He was given blue books – "and wizards and astronauts over everything," he said.

"It was not like 'I'm trans,' but just this amazing sense of joy within myself, 'This feels amazing, and I don't know why.'"

By age 11, as puberty began, Miles entered an all-girls' secondary school. He was bullied by classmates for not wearing a bra or conforming to female norms. To fit in, he tried to be ultra-feminine, wearing skirts and make-up, having his eyebrows threaded, wearing false nails.

"My mood really dropped," he said. After about a year, "I realized, I can't do this anymore. I hate this." Miles was barely leaving his room. He began cutting himself, over a period of four or five months. "In my mind, it was just easier to deal with physical pain than mental pain."

His mother, Connie Pitcher, noticed the regular, precise lines on his arms. When she asked why he was distressed, Miles said he was struggling to understand his sexuality.

"I said, 'I don't care if you're gay, straight, or whatever – I just want you to stop hurting yourself,'" Connie said. The family considered seeking mental health help, but worried about long waiting lists.

"We saw him really, really dip," she said. "We were struggling with what to do. Because there is really no support."

The World Health Organization, which informs health policy worldwide, does not have detailed guidelines for this area of healthcare for youth. It says it works closely with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), a U.S.-based non-profit that has drawn up the most widely adopted standards of care.

These say a young person's exploration of gender should be respected and supported, and that medical interventions for young people at or after puberty should be one option, after a comprehensive assessment.

Research from the Netherlands paved the way for that medical treatment, establishing a model requiring adolescents who sought care to be assessed for about six to 18 months. If they had persistently expressed gender dysphoria since early childhood, lived in supportive homes, and had no other complicating mental health diagnoses, they could be offered puberty suppression, followed by hormones, and later, in some cases, surgery.

Since then, the number of young people seeking gender care has surged in parts of Europe and the United States, supported by greater awareness and the availability of professional treatment. They continue to face threats of violence and discrimination, as well as political efforts in some countries to block that care.

At the same time, some gender-care professionals have questioned the lack of definitive evidence on the long-term impact of puberty blockers or hormones on minors. Puberty blockers are not licensed in the United Kingdom or United States for treating gender dysphoria and the NHS says it is not known how they may affect brain development or long-term bone health in young people. Hormones, only available for older adolescents, cause potentially irreversible changes such as a deeper voice, and can cause infertility. Other changes, including breast development, are reversible only with surgery.

Those professionals are also concerned that as the number of pediatric patients has surged, so has the number of youth whose main source of distress may not be persistent gender dysphoria. Some may have mental health problems that complicate their cases.

"THE WRONG TREATMENT"

While not all English youths with diverse gender identities seek medical help, for those who do, a doctor or professionals including social workers or teachers are the first port of call. Any one of them can refer a youth for gender care, which so far has only come through the Tavistock – formally known as the Gender Identity Development Service, or GIDS – run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

The clinic became a focal point for opponents of youth gender care in the UK in 2018 when an internal report compiled by Dr David Bell, a former senior psychiatrist and staff representative at the Tavistock, was leaked to national media. Bell, who did not treat young people, cited accounts from 10 unidentified colleagues who were working with transgender youth and came to him with concerns, including that some patients were "rushed through" to medical treatment without proper evaluation when they finally got an appointment.

"It was not just the wait," Bell told Reuters. "It was also a wait for the wrong treatment."

Bell now advocates against starting a gender transition before adulthood. He is at the fore of a group of mental health professionals who argue that accepting a child's new gender identity without exploring other underlying issues is clinically irresponsible, and puts them on a track to potentially irreversible changes that they may later regret.

The Tavistock has consistently defended its methods of treatment. Subsequent inquiries by outside investigators into care at the clinic did not raise concerns about patients being referred too quickly to medical interventions. However, they did criticize a lack of standardized assessments, adding that "it was not possible to clearly understand from the records" why care decisions had been made, according to a 2021 report from the regulator of health and social care, the Care Quality Commission.

The report rated the clinic as "inadequate" on these grounds, on the long waiting lists, and on concerns that teams treating patients did not always include the full range of experts required.

Another major challenge came in the 2020 lawsuit. Keira Bell, a young woman who detransitioned after what she said was improper care at the Tavistock, asked the court to rule on whether youths should receive puberty blockers. She alleged that the information provided by the Tavistock was not adequate, and said youths under 18 were not able to give informed consent to treatment. The High Court effectively banned their use for under-16-year-olds, a ban that was overturned last year on appeal. Bell did not respond to a request for comment.

The Tavistock told Reuters its current protocol requires meeting patients at least three to six times over some months before any recommendation for medical treatment. The timeline would be longer in complex cases. If the clinician, parents and the young person agree, puberty blockers may be prescribed from the onset of puberty, usually after the age of 10 or 11. The clinic only introduces hormone treatments after 16. Surgery is not an option before age 18 under NHS rules.

The clinic estimates that its staff referred only between 10% and 20% of young people for medical interventions, indicating what team members have described as its cautious approach. This year to August, 125 adolescents received referrals for either puberty blockers or hormones, the clinic told Reuters.

By July this year, Miles was uneasy, having heard nothing from the Tavistock clinic. He contacted them to ask about his referral. They had no record of it.

" That was a crash and burn," Miles said. "I've had two years of my life thinking it was happening, for nothing. It sounds extreme, but it feels like the NHS has failed me as a trans person. Because I'm just left in limbo. No-one really knows what to do."

Miles's doctor referred him a second time. But a few weeks later, when he checked with the clinic again, it still had no record of him. Neither his doctor nor the Tavistock would comment on his case.

"INCREDIBLY DISTRESSING"

Other young people and their parents across England are also at a loss. Waiting "isn't an option when you've got a child in distress," said Rose, whose daughter has been on a waiting list since October 2021.

Her daughter's case shows how hard life for young trans people can be - even when they do get care.

Assigned male at birth, Rose's daughter told her parents how unhappy she was in her changing body at age 12, two years ago. A few months later, knowing about the NHS waiting list, Rose sought help from family members to pay for private care from Dr Aidan Kelly, a clinical psychologist now in private practice who worked with youth at the Tavistock for five years.

Kelly diagnosed their daughter with gender dysphoria in August 2021, and she socially transitioned a month later. Now 14, she is taking puberty blockers prescribed overseas by a registered pediatric endocrinologist whom Kelly declined to identify. Kelly remains involved in her care.

In June this year, Rose's daughter tried to take her own life, cutting herself and attempting to drink bleach. She had previously been referred for NHS mental health care, but did not receive attention until she tried to kill herself, Rose said. The NHS then prescribed antidepressants.

A different private practitioner has also recently diagnosed the teen as autistic. Rose declined to make her daughter available to Reuters for comment due to the teen's distress.

"I'm just trying to do things to keep my child here," said Rose. The treatments are helping, she said, but her daughter is still struggling.

She worries that the teen, now 16, could receive gender medication without taking into account these other issues. The family has received no NHS gender care or mental health support since the referral, she said. The family is also frightened to entrust the teen to a system that is set to be replaced because it has been judged to be failing young people.

M ost of all, Liz is afraid of her child making a mistake.

"If I knew this was the route" for the child to grow "into a healthy well-adjusted adult, that would be a different question," she said. "But I don't have that kind of information."

In a statement to Reuters, the NHS's Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch said the "incredibly distressing" wait for gender care "created a significant patient safety risk for young people."

In April, the investigation branch released a report into the death of a young transgender man before his 19th birthday, outlining how he had complained of the long wait for care before committing suicide. He was first referred to the Tavistock at 16. The clinic itself referred the incident to the investigators, saying it was "vital" that services worked together to better protect vulnerable young people.

There is evidence that transgender youth face a higher risk of suicide, but whether that risk has increased for adolescents in England who are waiting for care is not well understood. The Cass report said in February that many young people's mental health deteriorated while in a holding pattern.

"DROWNING IN THE MIDDLE"

F or young people already in the system, the NHS has said care at the Tavistock clinic would continue unchanged ahead of its closure. NHS documents reviewed by Reuters show only a few dozen appointments are available for new patients each month, down from between 75 and 120 for most of last year, despite the growing waiting list.

Staffing has also dipped as several psychologists have left or, like Kelly, entered private practice. The Tavistock said in board documents that staff morale is low and told Reuters it does not have the capacity to meet demand.

The deadline for shuttering the clinic has also slipped, to late June 2023 at the earliest, two people familiar with the plans said, although the NHS is still aiming to open two new sites in spring next year, with up to seven more to follow. People who have been waiting the longest will be prioritized.

The NHS is also working on a system to cope with the backlog and improve support for those on the new list, a spokesman said.

But clinicians say polarized views around gender care will make finding staff challenging.

"The people who have gender-critical views call you child abusers and monsters, and then there are a lot of angry families accusing you of gatekeeping. And you're just drowning in the middle of it all," said Dr Laura Charlton, a clinical psychologist who left the Tavistock in 2020 after six years and now only treats adults.

For government employees to not recognize a young person's preferred gender identity without a medical diagnosis would run counter to the way gender-affirming care has been practiced both in England and globally. The proposed requirement was not endorsed by the doctors involved in the Cass review, said people briefed on the matter. There was no such requirement around social transitioning in the original draft.

T he draft plan has been criticized by medical groups specializing in transgender health around the world.

"This represents an unconscionable degree of ... intrusion into ... everyday matters such as clothing, name, pronouns, and school arrangements," WPATH, along with a number of allied regional and national groups, said in a statement in late November.

"We've spent 20 years trying to reduce barriers to care. And now we're seeing barriers put up," Dr Marci Bowers, president of WPATH and a gender surgeon in the United States, told Reuters in response to the NHS guidelines.

Spokespeople from the Health department and the Prime Minister's office declined to comment. The government is considering public feedback on the proposals and expects to publish final guidelines early next year.

"EVOLVING EVIDENCE BASE"

England is not the only country in Europe that is changing its approach.

In Finland and Sweden, healthcare officials are limiting access to puberty blockers and hormone treatments, citing concerns that the risks may outweigh any benefit for adolescents, particularly those struggling with mental health problems.

Until 2020, adolescents expressing gender dysphoria in Finland could generally access puberty blockers and hormones, but that year its national healthcare council released guidelines for transgender care. These recommended supporting "identity exploration" and mental health treatment as the first steps to ensure that any psychological issues are addressed. The council said medical intervention for transgender minors "is still an experimental practice."

Health officials in Sweden changed course after finding many adolescents seeking treatment had diagnoses beyond gender dysphoria.

In February, Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare revised its recommendations on puberty blockers and hormone treatment for adolescents. It recommended the treatments be given within a clinical trial. Until a trial is in place, it said, the drugs should only be given to people who fit the original Dutch model of persistent gender dysphoria with no mental health issues.

"It's not an easy decision," Thomas Linden, a director at the board, told Reuters. "Some people are in great need of medical attention. Others are at risk of being harmed if they are given the same treatment. We really need better precision in the diagnosis."

Kelly, the former Tavistock clinician, said even as knowledge changes and governments review policies, clinicians must not deny young people care.

"We need to practice within an evolving evidence base – and that doesn't mean do nothing," he said.

"A NORMAL TEENAGER"

It took just one week after Miles's first full online appointment for GenderGP to agree to prescribe testosterone. The company, which operates in more than 40 countries, says its practices are consistent with WPATH and other international care guidelines.

GenderGP has no age limits to care, or minimum time periods before recommending prescriptions, including puberty blockers, to young people, co-founder Helen Webberley told Reuters. Its usual time-frame is within four to six weeks, she said, although complex cases take more assessment. Parental consent is not always required.

Miles said he hesitated about turning to GenderGP. The Webberleys have both been sanctioned by official medical tribunals for gender care they have provided since setting up their online clinic in 2015. The General Medical Council (GMC), the national watchdog that sets standards for doctors and maintains a register of those deemed fit to practice, referred both cases to the tribunals after concerns were raised by other doctors involved in caring for the same patients as the Webberleys.

Founder Dr Michael Webberley was struck off the British medical register this year after the tribunal found he had failed several patients by not conducting proper tests or assessing them robustly enough, both before and after recommending hormones or puberty blockers. The tribunal concluded that he was working outside his specialty as a gastroenterologist.

His wife, Helen, is currently suspended from practice after a separate hearing found she did not adequately explain the potential fertility impacts of medical treatment to a patient seeking help with gender-related distress.

Both deny that they failed their patients and appealed, although Michael Webberley's appeal was dismissed by the High Court in early December. They told Reuters that they currently do no clinical work for GenderGP.

There is little NHS or independent data available on how many young people seek care privately. GenderGP says the share of under-18-year-olds among its more than 8,000 UK patients is rising, which it attributes to the lack of care offered through the NHS.

The Webberleys transferred their ownership of GenderGP to a Hong Kong-based company, Harland International, in 2019 to avoid the controversy associated with them, they said. The company is now registered in Singapore as GenderGP PTE Ltd, with Dr Helen Webberley as a director. Harland could not be reached.

The clinic's prescribing doctors are all based overseas and regulated within their home countries – from the United States to European Union countries. EU-based doctors can prescribe to UK patients under rules drawn up after Brexit. Some GenderGP therapeutic counselors are UK-based.

The Tavistock, based in London, continues to see existing patients. But first appointments for people who have been on its waiting list since 2019 have slowed to a trickle as staffing and morale drop ahead of the closure, according to NHS data and four people involved in the reorganization. More than 1,500 young people recently referred with gender dysphoria are being kept on a separate list for the future regional centers, with no clarity on when or how they will be treated, three NHS sources told Reuters.

Once assigned to a waiting list, young people have been effectively locked out of state-provided mental health counseling and other specialist support related to their gender dysphoria, because those services were offered only through the gender care system they are waiting to join. Delaying medical treatment also means young people mature in bodies that don't align with their gender identity – changing that in later life is more difficult.

The NHS said in a statement to Reuters it is expanding healthcare services for young people with gender dysphoria in line with recommendations from the review, and working on better supporting those on the waiting list. It has previously said it "strongly discouraged" families from turning to private or unregulated providers.

"These have been an exceptionally challenging couple of years for our patients and their families, with a lot of toxicity in discussions around their care and chronic uncertainty about its future," Dr Polly Carmichael, director of the youth gender clinic at the Tavistock, said in a statement to Reuters.

The Department of Health and the Prime Minister's office declined to comment for this story.

Both sides in the polarized debate are turning to the courts: patients who say they've waited too long, and others who say the NHS moved too fast. At the end of November, transgender rights advocates challenged NHS England in the High Court over long wait times for both youths and adults seeking treatment. In 2020, a young woman who had detransitioned from being a transgender man challenged the Tavistock's use of puberty blockers in the same court.

Long wait lists are common within the NHS, but its statistics show the three-year wait for transgender youth is extreme. Most young people with a "non-urgent" eating disorder get specialist help within three months of being referred, the figures show. On average, young people seeking mental health support wait just over a month for a first appointment, according to a government analysis of NHS England data.

One mother shared with Reuters a letter she received from the NHS in February after she followed up on her daughter's October 2021 referral to determine when she might receive attention. The letter said a decision would be made at some point from early 2022 on whether the child "is likely to meet the access criteria" for gender care. She has heard nothing since and suspects her child isn't even being considered for NHS help.

"We are on a waiting list for a waiting list," said the mother, Rose, who asked to be identified by her first name only to protect her daughter's privacy.

"She basically feels suicidal every single day." The NHS declined to comment on the case.

"STOP HURTING YOURSELF"

Miles plans to study archaeology at university and is a keen rugby player. He has felt like a boy for as long as he can remember, but recalls a moment of delight at the start of a new school year when he was around 9.

The teachers were handing out colored notebooks and lanyards based on gender: blue with wizards and astronauts for boys, pink for girls. He was given blue books – "and wizards and astronauts over everything," he said.

"It was not like 'I'm trans,' but just this amazing sense of joy within myself, 'This feels amazing, and I don't know why.'"

By age 11, as puberty began, Miles entered an all-girls' secondary school. He was bullied by classmates for not wearing a bra or conforming to female norms. To fit in, he tried to be ultra-feminine, wearing skirts and make-up, having his eyebrows threaded, wearing false nails.

"My mood really dropped," he said. After about a year, "I realized, I can't do this anymore. I hate this." Miles was barely leaving his room. He began cutting himself, over a period of four or five months. "In my mind, it was just easier to deal with physical pain than mental pain."

His mother, Connie Pitcher, noticed the regular, precise lines on his arms. When she asked why he was distressed, Miles said he was struggling to understand his sexuality.

"I said, 'I don't care if you're gay, straight, or whatever – I just want you to stop hurting yourself,'" Connie said. The family considered seeking mental health help, but worried about long waiting lists.

"We saw him really, really dip," she said. "We were struggling with what to do. Because there is really no support."

The World Health Organization, which informs health policy worldwide, does not have detailed guidelines for this area of healthcare for youth. It says it works closely with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), a U.S.-based non-profit that has drawn up the most widely adopted standards of care.

These say a young person's exploration of gender should be respected and supported, and that medical interventions for young people at or after puberty should be one option, after a comprehensive assessment.

Research from the Netherlands paved the way for that medical treatment, establishing a model requiring adolescents who sought care to be assessed for about six to 18 months. If they had persistently expressed gender dysphoria since early childhood, lived in supportive homes, and had no other complicating mental health diagnoses, they could be offered puberty suppression, followed by hormones, and later, in some cases, surgery.

Since then, the number of young people seeking gender care has surged in parts of Europe and the United States, supported by greater awareness and the availability of professional treatment. They continue to face threats of violence and discrimination, as well as political efforts in some countries to block that care.

At the same time, some gender-care professionals have questioned the lack of definitive evidence on the long-term impact of puberty blockers or hormones on minors. Puberty blockers are not licensed in the United Kingdom or United States for treating gender dysphoria and the NHS says it is not known how they may affect brain development or long-term bone health in young people. Hormones, only available for older adolescents, cause potentially irreversible changes such as a deeper voice, and can cause infertility. Other changes, including breast development, are reversible only with surgery.

Those professionals are also concerned that as the number of pediatric patients has surged, so has the number of youth whose main source of distress may not be persistent gender dysphoria. Some may have mental health problems that complicate their cases.

"THE WRONG TREATMENT"

While not all English youths with diverse gender identities seek medical help, for those who do, a doctor or professionals including social workers or teachers are the first port of call. Any one of them can refer a youth for gender care, which so far has only come through the Tavistock – formally known as the Gender Identity Development Service, or GIDS – run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

The clinic became a focal point for opponents of youth gender care in the UK in 2018 when an internal report compiled by Dr David Bell, a former senior psychiatrist and staff representative at the Tavistock, was leaked to national media. Bell, who did not treat young people, cited accounts from 10 unidentified colleagues who were working with transgender youth and came to him with concerns, including that some patients were "rushed through" to medical treatment without proper evaluation when they finally got an appointment.

"It was not just the wait," Bell told Reuters. "It was also a wait for the wrong treatment."

Bell now advocates against starting a gender transition before adulthood. He is at the fore of a group of mental health professionals who argue that accepting a child's new gender identity without exploring other underlying issues is clinically irresponsible, and puts them on a track to potentially irreversible changes that they may later regret.

The Tavistock has consistently defended its methods of treatment. Subsequent inquiries by outside investigators into care at the clinic did not raise concerns about patients being referred too quickly to medical interventions. However, they did criticize a lack of standardized assessments, adding that "it was not possible to clearly understand from the records" why care decisions had been made, according to a 2021 report from the regulator of health and social care, the Care Quality Commission.

The report rated the clinic as "inadequate" on these grounds, on the long waiting lists, and on concerns that teams treating patients did not always include the full range of experts required.

Another major challenge came in the 2020 lawsuit. Keira Bell, a young woman who detransitioned after what she said was improper care at the Tavistock, asked the court to rule on whether youths should receive puberty blockers. She alleged that the information provided by the Tavistock was not adequate, and said youths under 18 were not able to give informed consent to treatment. The High Court effectively banned their use for under-16-year-olds, a ban that was overturned last year on appeal. Bell did not respond to a request for comment.

The Tavistock told Reuters its current protocol requires meeting patients at least three to six times over some months before any recommendation for medical treatment. The timeline would be longer in complex cases. If the clinician, parents and the young person agree, puberty blockers may be prescribed from the onset of puberty, usually after the age of 10 or 11. The clinic only introduces hormone treatments after 16. Surgery is not an option before age 18 under NHS rules.

The clinic estimates that its staff referred only between 10% and 20% of young people for medical interventions, indicating what team members have described as its cautious approach. This year to August, 125 adolescents received referrals for either puberty blockers or hormones, the clinic told Reuters.

By July this year, Miles was uneasy, having heard nothing from the Tavistock clinic. He contacted them to ask about his referral. They had no record of it.

"That was a crash and burn," Miles said. "I've had two years of my life thinking it was happening, for nothing. It sounds extreme, but it feels like the NHS has failed me as a trans person. Because I'm just left in limbo. No-one really knows what to do."

Miles's doctor referred him a second time. But a few weeks later, when he checked with the clinic again, it still had no record of him. Neither his doctor nor the Tavistock would comment on his case.

"INCREDIBLY DISTRESSING"

Other young people and their parents across England are also at a loss. Waiting "isn't an option when you've got a child in distress," said Rose, whose daughter has been on a waiting list since October 2021.

Her daughter's case shows how hard life for young trans people can be - even when they do get care.

Assigned male at birth, Rose's daughter told her parents how unhappy she was in her changing body at age 12, two years ago. A few months later, knowing about the NHS waiting list, Rose sought help from family members to pay for private care from Dr Aidan Kelly, a clinical psychologist now in private practice who worked with youth at the Tavistock for five years.

Kelly diagnosed their daughter with gender dysphoria in August 2021, and she socially transitioned a month later. Now 14, she is taking puberty blockers prescribed overseas by a registered pediatric endocrinologist whom Kelly declined to identify. Kelly remains involved in her care.

In June this year, Rose's daughter tried to take her own life, cutting herself and attempting to drink bleach. She had previously been referred for NHS mental health care, but did not receive attention until she tried to kill herself, Rose said. The NHS then prescribed antidepressants.

A different private practitioner has also recently diagnosed the teen as autistic. Rose declined to make her daughter available to Reuters for comment due to the teen's distress.

"I'm just trying to do things to keep my child here," said Rose. The treatments are helping, she said, but her daughter is still struggling.

She worries that the teen, now 16, could receive gender medication without taking into account these other issues. The family has received no NHS gender care or mental health support since the referral, she said. The family is also frightened to entrust the teen to a system that is set to be replaced because it has been judged to be failing young people.

Most of all, Liz is afraid of her child making a mistake.

"If I knew this was the route" for the child to grow "into a healthy well-adjusted adult, that would be a different question," she said. "But I don't have that kind of information."

In a statement to Reuters, the NHS's Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch said the "incredibly distressing" wait for gender care "created a significant patient safety risk for young people."

In April, the investigation branch released a report into the death of a young transgender man before his 19th birthday, outlining how he had complained of the long wait for care before committing suicide. He was first referred to the Tavistock at 16. The clinic itself referred the incident to the investigators, saying it was "vital" that services worked together to better protect vulnerable young people.

There is evidence that transgender youth face a higher risk of suicide, but whether that risk has increased for adolescents in England who are waiting for care is not well understood. The Cass report said in February that many young people's mental health deteriorated while in a holding pattern.

"DROWNING IN THE MIDDLE"

For young people already in the system, the NHS has said care at the Tavistock clinic would continue unchanged ahead of its closure. NHS documents reviewed by Reuters show only a few dozen appointments are available for new patients each month, down from between 75 and 120 for most of last year, despite the growing waiting list.

Staffing has also dipped as several psychologists have left or, like Kelly, entered private practice. The Tavistock said in board documents that staff morale is low and told Reuters it does not have the capacity to meet demand.

The deadline for shuttering the clinic has also slipped, to late June 2023 at the earliest, two people familiar with the plans said, although the NHS is still aiming to open two new sites in spring next year, with up to seven more to follow. People who have been waiting the longest will be prioritized.

The NHS is also working on a system to cope with the backlog and improve support for those on the new list, a spokesman said.

But clinicians say polarized views around gender care will make finding staff challenging.

"The people who have gender-critical views call you child abusers and monsters, and then there are a lot of angry families accusing you of gatekeeping. And you're just drowning in the middle of it all," said Dr Laura Charlton, a clinical psychologist who left the Tavistock in 2020 after six years and now only treats adults.

Miles's parents say they are happy with GenderGP, but worry that the lack of NHS care will lead young people to unscrupulous online providers or even to self-medicate.

T he NHS doesn't cover the cost of Miles's private treatment. He is paying for his care with his wages from working at a local restaurant, and can recite the company's charges by heart. He says he had reservations about using testosterone but decided to go ahead.

"I know it can affect fertility," he said. "And it sounds weird, but baldness, because it runs in my family."

He applies a testosterone gel to his arms every morning, normally before heading to school. The gel dries and then cracks, like a face mask, when first applied, he said, then sinks in.

Miles has not told his co-workers that he is transgender. To them, along with his friends at an archaeology group that he digs with in Dover, he is just a young man. Yet he still plays for a girls' rugby team, until the effects of the testosterone kick in.

"I'm going to be able to start living my life as I want to," he said. "I want people to see that just because I'm trans, that doesn't affect who I am. I'm still a normal teenager."

[softmarsh]

YELLOWSTONE COLONIES SEASONS

let’s start off with something nice and simple: seasons!

yellowstone national park is a sprawling landscape located in the temperate coniferous forest biome, which is marked by warm summers and cool winters. being temperate, the land does cycle through four seasons—but, they’re not clearly defined by deciduous forest standards of 3-month-long springs, summers, autumns, and winters. additionally, because the dominant tree type is evergreens, observing the changes of the leaves is not a reliable indicator of the season.

because of this, the yellowstone cats have developed their own names, lengths, and identifiers for their seasons, where they look to animal behaviors to determine the current one!

THE BLOOM

the bloom is the equivalent of early spring, with march being the only month of this season. it is named after how the land wakens from its winter slumber, ‘blooming’ into a flourishing land of plenty once more. the most common indicators of the arrival of the bloom are:

the appearance of mountain bluebirds, western meadowlarks, ospreys, and american robins

the emergence of grizzly bears from hibernation

and humans snowplowing the park's interior roads

THE THAW

the second season is called the thaw, which equates to late spring and the entirety of summer. its duration is april to august, and it is called the thaw as it is the season when animal activity really kicks up. winter fully sheds its grip on the environment, and the cats do not yet have to prepare for the next freeze. it is marked by:

APRIL

the appearance of ruby-crowned kinglets and wilson's snipes

the emergence of black bears, marmots, ground squirrels, and chorus frogs from hibernation

bison calving

bison and elk returning to higher elevations, with elk dropping and regrowing their antlers

growth of buttercups, shooting stars, and pasqueflowers

and an increase in human visitors and cars on the road

MAY & JUNE

elk, moose, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep calving

wolf pups emerging from their dens

cutthroat trout starting to spawn

ruffed grouse starting to drum

growth of glacier lilies and bitterroot

water levels rising due to snowmelt

and humans fishing in the rivers

JULY & AUGUST

bison rut

water levels dropping

wildfires are more prone to occur

and a greater increase in human visitors and cars on the road

THE FEAST

the feast is the most important season, being their autumn before winter. taking place from september to october, the third season is named for how animals prepare for hibernation by becoming hyperphagic and stocking up on food! the traditional indicators of the start of this season are:

elk rut

animals preparing for hibernation

deciduous trees entering fall colors

snow accumulating at higher elevations

and a decrease in human visitors and cars on the road

THE FREEZE

the final season is called the freeze, which is appropriately named for being the colonies’ winter! grueling and arduous, the freeze tends to be the most challenging season to survive through, especially if one inadequately prepared during the feast. it spans november to february, and is signified by:

bighorn sheep rut

bison and elk migrating to lower elevations

mule and whitetail deer shedding and regrowing their antlers

coyotes and foxes snow diving

snow accumulating at lower elevations

and a greater decrease in human visitors and cars on the road

#yellowstone colonies #yellowstone colonies environment #working names for the bloom were also the wake and the rise! #curse tumblr formatting and its lack of sub-bulletpoints... #warriors inspired #warriors worldbuilding #warrior cats worldbuilding #worldbuilding #b

[xtruss]

Fly fishers walk toward a stream in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, as the jagged mountains for which the park is named rise in the distance. Grand Teton draws both adventurers, for activities like mountain climbing and backcountry skiing, and leisure travelers, for boating, hiking, and fishing. Photograph By Aaron Huey, National Geographic Image Collection

How to visit Grand Teton National Park!

With Soaring Mountains and Braided Rivers, this Wyoming Park Epitomizes the American West. Here’s What You Need to Plan the Ultimate Trip.

— May 09, 2023

Fast Facts:

Location: Wyoming

Established: February 26, 1929

Size: 310,000 acres

Annual Visitors: About 2.8 million in 2022

Visitor Centers: All four are open from spring to fall; check the website for specific dates. Every center except the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center issues backcountry and boat permits. Flagg Ranch Information Station is a helpful trip planning stop, when entering from the south end of Yellowstone National Park.

Entrance Fee: Per vehicle and individual; annual passes available

Sharpened by glaciers, Grand Teton National Park’s snow-etched mountains erupt above Jackson Hole valley, composing one of the most iconic views in the country. “The Tetons rise to over 13,000 feet in a matter of miles. Just seeing that makes you feel humble,” says Vasu Sojitra, a professional athlete and disability access advocate, who completed the first disabled ascent on crutches of the Grand Teton in 2014.

The towering granite crags of the Grand Teton range have drawn mountaineers, hikers, and photographers to this Wyoming park. Photograph By Jimmy Chin, National Geographic Image Collection

Left: Clouds drift above a herd of bison grazing in a valley in Grand Teton National Park. Visitors can also spot moose, bald eagles, ospreys, and pikas. Photograph By Barrett Hedges, National Geographic Image Collection. Right: In the fall, quaking aspen trees bring golden color to Grand Teton National Park. Photograph By Tom Murphy, National Geographic Image Collection

Some 200 years ago these majestic mountains were called Pilot Knobs by fur trappers because they could be seen from miles away. One of the Tetons’ tallest peaks, Teewinot, meaning “many pinnacles” in the Shoshone language, references the region’s ancestral roots. The 1800s homesteading tradition in the nearby town of Jackson gives the valley its moniker “The Last of the Old West.” Gazing out at verdant plains, towering crags, and fields of lemon-yellow balsamroot blooms, visitors understand why the park has become an emblem of the American West.

Why Go

Adventure athletes travel to the park to climb historic mountaineering routes, backpack into wildflower-strewn basins, or ski down advanced backcountry slopes in winter. But the park is also ideal for leisurely activities like biking, photography, and canoeing—set against the backdrop of the meandering Snake River, numerous lakes and streams, and the Grand Teton range.

Although a fraction of the size of nearby Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton offers equally dramatic mountain vistas and impressive wildlife viewing. Outdoor photographer and Jackson local Steven Shelesky says it’s common to see wildlife, including elk, moose, pronghorn, and bison, while simply driving through the park.

Best Views

Shelesky says getting up early to catch a sunrise in the park is well worth the effort. “The entire Teton range is east facing, which makes for an amazing spectacle,” he says. Located about 350 yards from the parking lot, Schwabacher Landing offers particularly memorable views of a beaver pond off the Snake River. “You can see beautiful reflections of the Grand Teton on the water’s surface,” says Shelesky.

Sunset casts a rosy glow on the Snake River, in Grand Teton National Park, where families can go on scenic rafting tours. Photograph By Keith Ladzinski, National Geographic Image Collection

Nearby, the Snake River Overlook is another vista Shelesky recommends. The famous viewpoint captured by photographer Ansel Adams in 1942 highlights the curving river framed by the towering Tetons. Look for the Snake River Overlook turnout sign off Highway 191/89.

Best Hikes

Beginning at the Taggart Lake Trailhead on Teton Park Road, Taggart Lake is an easy hike that leads to a gorgeous lakeside picnic spot, where the Tetons reflect in the water. The three-mile round-trip trail rises just over 300 feet as it crosses bridges and weaves through a grove of quaking aspen trees, whose leaves tremble at the slightest breeze. For a more moderate hike, it’s well worth the extra steps to tack on the Taggart Lake-Bradley Lake Loop, which takes you 5.6 miles to both lakes. Both trails are also popular snowshoeing routes in winter.

Hikers looking for a more challenging route can follow the roaring Cascade Creek up the Forks of Cascade Canyon trail, where the glacially carved landscape leads to numerous viewpoints, including Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls. The 9.8-mile out-and-back route can be made more challenging during the day or as part of an overnight trip (permits required), by trekking 14.1 miles to Lake Solitude. You can book a round-trip ticket on the Jenny Lake Shuttle Service to avoid hiking an extra four miles roundtrip.

Best Drives

Teton Park Road and Highway 191/89/26 make a 42-mile loop that takes you to several pullouts and viewing sites in the park. Signal Hill Mountain Summit Road winds to the top of Signal Hill (nearly a thousand feet), where you’ll find two overlooks of the plunging Jackson Hole valley. The narrow road is five miles long and closed during winter.

Wildlife Spotting

Whether you’re on the slopes of Mt. Moran or canoeing Jackson Lake, wildlife abounds in Grand Teton National Park. Find elk and pronghorn in the sharp sagebrush of Timbered Island, just south of the Jenny Lake Visitor Center. Bison and moose roam the woods near various overlooks including Oxbow Bend along the Snake River, while bald eagles and osprey circle the sky.

Climb up the glacially carved Cascade Canyon trail and look for yellow-bellied marmots as you listen for the high-pitched chirp of pikas, a small lagomorph related to rabbits and hares. You just might see them collecting wildflowers and grass, which they store in hay piles for cold, snowy winters.

One of the park’s greatest attributes is its wildlife. To ensure your safety and theirs, obey the law requiring visitors to stay at least a hundred yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from all other wildlife, including bison, moose, and pronghorn.

Posted speed limits are especially important in Grand Teton, which has seen increased wildlife collisions since 2000. Park officials advise extra caution during the fall, when animals migrate, and during low-light hours at dawn, dusk, and nighttime, when the speed limit is 45 miles per hour.

Visit Like a National Geographic Explorer

Wildlife biologist and National Geographic Explorer Autumn Iverson recommends getting an early start in Grand Teton. “Early in the morning is when birds and other wildlife are going to be more active,” says Iverson, whose work focuses on Brewer’s sparrows, a small songbird with a distinct call that lives in sagebrush. During her many field trips at dawn, she often saw elk, moose, and pronghorn, the second fastest land animal in the world.

Top: Researchers count lodgepole pine seedlings near Flagg Ranch, where the 2016 Berry Fire—the largest in national park history—burned forests that were about 150 years old. Photograph By Sofia Jaramillo, National Geographic Image Collection. Bottom: Ski mountaineers trek up the crest on Mount Owen in Grand Teton National Park. Outfitters such as Exum Mountain Guides and Jackson Hole Mountain Guides lead visitors up into the Tetons in winter and summer. Photograph By Jimmy Chin, National Geographic Image Collection

Jackson Lake glimmers like a black-and-white photograph in the winter. The lake is a popular spot for ranger-led programs, wildlife spotting, and canoeing. Signal Mountain Lodge is located on these shores.

Jackson Lake glimmers like a black-and-white photograph in the winter. The lake is a popular spot for ranger-led programs, wildlife spotting, and canoeing. Signal Mountain Lodge is located on these shores. Photograph By Michael K. Nichols, National Geographic Image Collection

Iverson says she particularly enjoyed paddling one of the many lakes. That’s when “you get this whole expansive view of everything around you,” she says. Visitors can rent canoes or kayaks from Signal Mountain Marina and the Colter Bay Marina, among other outfitters. Paddling is generally recommended in the morning before afternoon winds arrive.

Activities and Excursions

The Tetons are a steep mountain range that have attracted mountaineers and climbers like Irene Ortenburger and Yvon Chouinard. Because of their steep pitch and high elevation, many of the park’s high-altitude trails may be inaccessible for the first-time hiker.

Experienced hikers are drawn to the park for its challenging backpacking routes, including the sought-after Teton Crest Trail, which follows the range’s spine through wildflower-filled peaks from Teton Pass to String Lake. Totaling 40 miles, the trail generally takes backpackers three to five days to complete. Apply for a permit six months in advance on Recreation.gov.

Ambitious hikers and mountaineers may opt for a multiday trip in the backcountry to make summit attempts on the coveted 13,775-foot Grand Teton. Exum Mountain Guides and Jackson Hole Mountain Guides lead visitors up the lofty peaks in summer and offer ski mountaineering trips throughout the winter.

Best For Families

From mid-June to September, the park puts on various complimentary interpretive programs, which generally occur at Jackson Lake Lodge, Colter Bay Village, and Headwaters Lodge and Cabins. Jackson Lake Lodge’s naturalist programs illuminate the world of wildlife in the park, including birds of prey, mountain lions, and grizzly bears. Ranger-led hikes, wildlife viewing, and campfire talks occur daily in the summer throughout the park at its many visitor centers. Check the event calendar for the latest listings.

Outfitters like Solitude Float Trips or National Park Float Trips guide families on scenic rafting tours on the Snake River. Rafts generally put in at Deadmans Bar and take two to three hours to float 10 miles to Moose Landing, passing through a mellow stretch of the river. Knowledgeable guides educate guests on the park’s history and point out fauna, including white pelicans, beavers, and bison. Fall can be particularly picturesque, when rafts float by quaking aspen trees studded with golden leaves and stately Colorado blue spruce.

Where To Stay

There are eight campgrounds and seven lodges within the park’s boundaries. Stay on the glimmering shores of Jackson Lake at the upscale Signal Mountain Lodge or find a more rustic option at American Alpine Club Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch, which hosts communal cabins popular with climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts. The National Park Service lists more options on its website.

Campers have over a thousand sites to choose from, ranging from $10 to just over $100 per night. Book six months in advance through Recreation.gov. Colter Bay Tent Village has 66 “tent cabins” with wood walls and canvas tent roofs. The small cabins include covered porches, bunk beds, and wood-burning stoves.

Note that all lodges, cabins, and campsites within the park close during the winter, but there are plenty of options in the bustling town of Jackson. About 13 miles from the park’s Moose entrance, Jackson has numerous restaurants, historic hotels, and live music venues.

You can also find lodging in Teton Village at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain resort. The charming area is just under two miles from the park’s southern Granite Canyon entrance, making it a great basecamp for skiers.

The Milky Way glitters over the Grand Teton mountain range, in Wyoming. Photograph By Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Image Collection

Need to know

The park is located in northwest Wyoming near the border of eastern Idaho, accessible via three entrances: Granite Canyon, Moose, and Moran Junction. Since Grand Teton is connected to Yellowstone National Park by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, most visitors tack Grand Teton onto a multiday trip to Yellowstone.

July and August are the most popular times to visit Grand Teton. May, September, and October see fewer crowds and cooler temperatures. Although wintertime shuts down many amenities and roads, it’s a great time to experience the region by snowshoe, cross-country skis, or snowmobile.

Spring can be an especially nice time to visit when portions of Teton Park Road open for a short time to cyclists, inline skaters, and other recreationists before cars are permitted in May. Before your trip, check the park’s alerts and current conditions page for road closures.

General Tips

Weather changes quickly in the Rocky Mountains, especially in the summer. Always pack extra layers and a rain jacket on all outdoor excursions. When venturing into the high country, start early so you can get below the treeline by noon, thereby avoiding afternoon thunderstorms, which can be violent.

Grand Teton National Park is black and grizzly bear country. The National Park Service recommends hikers carry bear spray, a non-lethal deterrent that’s EPA-approved.

Accessibility

While some visitor centers, campsites, and lodges are accessible, there aren’t many trails for wheelchair and other medical aid users, says Vasu Sojitra, the disability access advocate. He notes that the North Pathway, a 20-mile paved trail that connects Jackson, Wyoming, with the park at Jenny Lake, is one of the more accessible areas in the region. “It is a really great way to experience and make a bigger day out of visiting the park,” he says.

#United States 🇺🇸 #National Parks 🏞️ #Grand Teton National Park 🏞️ #National Geographic #Rocky Mountains ⛰️ #Ultimate Trip #American 🇺🇸 West

[alpinefitco]

Surviving Alaska: Why Alaska is Different

In the words of an old Alaskan local: “Alaska is beautiful, but it can kill you.” You’ve heard the stories, maybe seen the movie Into the Wild. The folklore here runs deep with tales of people walking into the woods, never to be seen again. Most of us have friends that have perished in small-plane crashes. It has certainly caught the attention of the reality tv circuit. Separating truth from myth, or tv hype, may offer some reassurance but it’s no A Walk in the Woods (Thoreau).

The weather here is notoriously harsh and difficult to predict. In many places the coastal climate with big mountains is compounded by relatively few NOAA weather forecasting offices. All the inlets and glaciers cause confusing katabatic and anabatic winds. Good luck accurately predicting tomorrow’s weather, let alone what will happen a week from now! Anyone that has spent time here knows to pack for multiple weather scenarios, regardless of the time of year. Sun often turns to rain and then to snow as you climb from the foothills to the valley and then up the mountain. Leaving for an extended hike or camping trip always involves some sort of protective wear and should never be limited to just a t-shirt.

Our summers are short with the snow melting in May, or June/July in the mountains. Snow starts again in August if you are in the Brooks Range. Spring season is marked by thin ice, punchy snow, and slick mud. This is followed by “breakup” when the rivers start losing their ice. I have seen rivers rise by inches in just a few minutes from the meltwater in June; it almost took my packraft away. Crossing rivers at this time can be very different from the later summer and some popular hikes that involve river crossings are best held until water levels subside. Summer is often nice, marked by rapidly growing brush that can become disorienting as the trail diminishes from well-worn to game trail to alder thicket.

Don’t get me started on the mosquitoes. The interior of Alaska will drive you bonkers, even with proper protection. The wildlife loses a significant proportion of their blood volume to these suckers. I’m getting itchy just thinking about them...

Alaska’s larger wildlife can be a bit of a nuisance at times as well. Grizzly bears and black bears strike the most fear in our imagination. Kids are taught from a young age how to deal with them. Packing necessary bear protection is essential, and required by the Park Service when entering the National Parks. Moose can be aggressive as well, especially during the rutting season. 

Most notorious, however, is our remoteness. Let me run some numbers by you. We are twice the size of Texas and have the 3rd lowest population of any state. Alaska has the 4 largest National Parks, the largest is 13 million (!) acres. Did you hear about our forest fire? I doubt it but we had just over 3 million acres burn in 2022, our 7th largest year; no smoke over Anchorage though. And my favorite statistic is that the most remote place in the lower 48 is 21.7 miles from a road; compare that to Alaska which sports many places 100+ miles from roads or settlements. Here, we travel into the bush prepared, with multiple backups of food, clothing, and emergency communication. Weather may prevent rescue for days. 

#wild animals #alaska #surviving #adventure #wilderness #outdoors

[jeanjauthor]

I didn't even get 20s into this sketch before I knew that Alaska would rise up to say its piece. (And yes, that's piece as in pewpew, not peace as in pacifism.)

As one commenter points out, In Alaska, even the liberals have guns and know how to use them. They kinda have to, because of bears and moose.

Now, the population of Alaka is pretty low compared to landmass size...but a lot of it is not easily transited. There aren't many roads, and some areas are literally not accessible until everything is frozen over, due to the massive number of muskegs (boggy waterlogged meadows), rivers, and lakes.

Unfortunately, when everything is frozen over, you are far more likely to have equipment and personnel losses due to the extreme cold and the difficulty in getting resupplied across long distances.

And for those who want to claim, "Well, Russian winters can get quite cold, hurr hurr hurr!" ...Yes, for certain portions of Russia. Which are also sparsely populated with fewer roads, etc.

This is where we have to move from comedy to tragedy, because unfortunately, those folks are suffering disproportionately higher conscription efforts:

REMEMBER: The average Russian citizen does not want to go to war with anyone! The vast majority, even.

Unfortunately, they* have some horrible people in charge who need to be removed from power to stop yet more stupidity from happening.

And aside from the stupidity of trying to "reclaim the Russian Empire," which was a product of a monarchy being reapplied by a communist dictator whose sense of logic is so pretzel-twisted that it's amazing he still looks human-shaped in public...

...The United States has a bigger military than the next several countries COMBINED. It has massive resources, widespread infrastructure support, and pours way too much money into its budgets for equipment and R&D.

The whole Alaska thing is just posturing, because they know they don't dare actually try to reclaim Alaska...

...Unless, of course, Trump gets back into power.

Trump is so in love with Putin, so much a puppet of Russian interests, that every time he speaks, you can see Putin's manicured nails gleaming behind Trump's teeth. And he would use his power as Commander-in-Chief to refuse to aid Ukraine. A people who are being re-invaded by oppressors they threw out many years ago, and who are completely in the right to fight back as hard as they can, in defense of their homeland.

So...do enjoy the comedy in the first link. Try to understand the hitting-home-hard horrors of war in the second link.

And remember to vote anything but Republican, if you're an American and can vote in the coming elections this year.

The vast majority of Republican GOP "leadership" is aiding & abetting Trump. Removing them from office removes the danger they are to our nation and the world alike.

It's all very much interconnected.

#*we have our own horrible people in power who need to be removed to stop our own stupidity issues #So don't at-me because it's not hypocrisy when you're stating facts

[marychxn]

[ A-pseudo nonogram-analysis on the Five-Tribes because this series is FILLED with lore gaps ]

Note: I was heavily inspired by @/silverserpent 's (I didn't want to tag just in case) interpretation on the function of each tribe and kinda wanted to make my own take on this subject (combined with a rewrite idea I had)

((I'll be adding the chinese symbolism aswell given that the source of the monsuno energy is around Tebat, the show's in-universe location of IRL Tibet, an autonomous nation in China and I do interpret that the members of each tribe relied on the cultural symbolism to decide on which animal/monsuno represented their tribe best

-In another post I established that every tribe had it's own monsuno as a god, and that there were 6 for the 5 tribes (Bear, twin Ravens, Moose, Snake and Hawk--aka the main animals that the monsuno of our leads take from) and that each animal in a way might symbolize what each tribe was charged with:

-Chase's tribe [Bear] was the leader tribe that is a charge of leadership (obviously) and monitoring of the rest of the four tribes. They were well known for their wisdom as bears, are often depicted as symbols of wisdom, maternity but also masculinity (CN) and stubbornness shown. In chinese tradition, placing a bear in front of a house is a sign of protection of the house's inhabitants so we could also say that they are the defenders of the five, the ones most prone to stand up for what they treasure.

Bren's tribe [Ravens] were responsible for building and conducting scientific research on the world around them, maybe also inventing new technology to assist in future endeavors which is fitting considering that Ravens are often depicted as symbols of prophecy, insight, transformation and intelligence (but also death ironically) and in Chinese mythology they represent the three phases of the sun (Rising, Noon, Setting) which might further imply that they were the knowledge-hunters and the ones determined to uncover the mysteries of the world and it's endless skies.

Jinja's tribe [Moose] is a bit of a strange case. In Chinese mythology they are a symbol of fertility, virility and hard work which would make her tribe be the ones to provide meat and fruit. However in general mooses are a symbol of tenacity, determination, strength and wisdom so there is some significant overlap with the other tribes but my personal take is the following: Like I said, they provide resources to all the other tribes and take care of nature and it's animals as a way to maintain their supply and are also capable to stand their ground if it comes down to taking care of anyone that threatens their grounds.

Beyal's tribe [Snake] might have been in charge of maintaining peace and act as mediators (given their current place in canon as peacekeepers that practice Monsuno Sight) and snakes usually symbolise love, health, disease, medicine and immortality so it's fair to say that they were the medics and the spiritually developed population, and in China, snakes are perceived as of the most mysterious and wisest animals which falls in line pretty well with the position of the monks of Tebab imo

Dax's tribe [Hawk] is also quite abstract. The spiritual meanings of the hawk can vary depending on the situation. Hawks (in CN) represent changes, clarity, pursuit of goals, protection, and honoring your inner wisdom. They are graceful yet powerful beings that go after what their needs are, and in general spiritual leadership. I personally interpret them as the soldiers of the five. The warriors trained in pragmatic fighting but also diplomacy and are very goal-driven and persuasive. If a threat comes into push and shove, they will be the first in line to fight it and vanquish it lest it threatens the balance.

(Feel free to correct me or add to anything, id love to listen to other ideas)

#monsuno #im making the lore now #this is definetely not out of spite for the writers

[starsandhughes]

Penalty Box— Quinn Hughes Edition (Part Thirteen)

SERIES MASTERLIST

previous: twelve

next: fourteen

SUNDAY MARCH 26

yourusername

liked by _quinnhughes, _eliaspettersson, and 8,344 others

yourusername welcome to my postgame penalty box update: quintin hughes edition! the canucks have now won three games in a row, and tonight’s win against the blackhawks ended 4-2!

during quinny’s 25:19 of ice time, he assisted in di giuseppe’s goal, which brought him to 69 points!! he has broken his own record for most points in a single season for canuck’s defensemen! with nine more games in the season, there’s no doubt in my mind quinny will continue to break this record!

shoutouts: happy debut to aidan! you played great out there kid and i can’t wait to meet you the next game i’m at! @/amcdonough10

and petey! my main man! those two goals were beautiful, lovey. just beautiful! @_eliaspettersson

i love you with my whole butt, quinny baby💙

tagged _quinnhughes

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_quinnhughes i love you too you weirdo but please explain the last photo

yourusername omg THE multi-nhl-records holder quinn hughes just responded to me🥵

_quinnhughes that didn’t answer my question

yourusername you girlbossed tonight? how is this not clear?

trevorzegras yeah quintin it’s so obvious

jackhughes gosh quintin

_quinnhughes i’m not enjoying this

user1 hughes nation rise!!!

trevorzegras i’m your main man???

yourusername not tonight sorry, babe

_eliaspettersson i’m honored!

trevorzegras @_eliaspettersson you should be

_quinnhughes @_eliaspettersson i’ve been told to buy you a crown

user2 are we not gonna talk about how the gaslight gatekeep girlboss photo says quinjamin hughes??

jamie.drysdale quinn didn’t say it so i will! i love you with my whole butt, wifey

yourusername so cringey (i love you with my whole butt, too, hubby<3)

jamie.drysdale p.s. we need to talk about our children

yourusername you have one child and the rest are mine don’t be selfish

lhughes_06 dad…?

yourusername @/lhughes_06 no.

amcdonough10 thank you! can’t wait to meet you!

yourusername as you should be!!

_quinnhughes that’s y/n for something nice by society’s standards

yourusername it’s true

amcdonough10 noted😂

canucks best defenseman alert

user3 y/n’s other children won tonight too!!

yourusername heeeelllll yeah they did!

jackhughes legally i’m proud of him

_quinnhughes thanks rowdy😂

yourusername ty for your contribution to my post it means a lot

jackhughes anytime y/n/n

_quinnhughes can we stop talking about your other children? wrong 43 post

yourusername FINE they’ll just have to get their own post then!!!

trevorzegras this started out as just mine!

yourusername @/trevorzegras suck it up buttercup

trevorzegras @/yourusername make me

_quinnhughes HAVE THIS CONVERSATION IN YOUR OWN HOUSE

yourusername @_quinnhughes and deprive you of the privilege of witnessing it? we would never

trevorzegras @_quinnhughes that would be rude at best

user4 dreading the end of this season because of this series specifically

lhughes_06 but did he get five points in one game?

_quinnhughes just wait til you hit the nhl moose

jackhughes rookie walls for the win(lose)

yourusername the stars rookie hasn’t hit it! don’t jinx my son!!

lhughes_06 when mom believes in you>>>

#penalty box series: quinn hughes edition #penalty box series #quinn hughes #trevor zegras #trevor zegras x reader #trevor zegras imagine #quinn hughes insta edit #quinn hughes x reader #quinn hughes imagine #jack hughes #luke hughes #vancover canucks #jamie drysdale #alex turcotte #nhl #nhl imagine #hockey imagine

[terrahillsposts]

Terra Nova National Park - Canada

With its sensational shore, rough bluffs, moving slopes, lowlands and rough forested territory; Land Nova has the appropriate motivations to be broadcasted Newfoundland's most memorable public park and Canada's most easterly public park.

Laid out in 1957, this roughly 396-square kilometer public park sits at the edge of water, especially the delightful Bonavista Sound. A scope of natural life uninhibitedly meander Land Nova's woodlands and swamps. Accordingly, it is the ideal spot to observe famous North American creatures like the wild bear and moose in real life! Beside its remarkable regular excellence, Land Nova likewise offers various invigorating open air exercises to charm and energize its visitors.

ALSO VISIT:-Terra Cotta Warriors

At the recreation area's Guest Place arranged off Highway 1, you can start your vital outing by appreciating different displays and organizing directed strolls. Land Nova is gifted with 100 kilometers of climbing trails, which lead you to the swamps, green knolls and thick woods. A few paths are very extensive and testing; while others are more similar to delicate walks. You can decide to pack in the recreation area's lavish inland or adventure into the coast and bluff sides, in order to get magnificent sea scenes. Your climbing experience might try and get more energizing because of the presence of captivating animals like beavers and lynx who occupy the region.

In the event that climbing takes too lengthy, an extraordinary option is to bicycle around assigned mountain trekking trails, which are likewise very beautiful. Land Nova Public Park is an incredible playing golf objective. Its fairway, Twin Streams, vows to be elite and extraordinary. Hitting the fairway at Twin Streams implies jump starting north of two waterways, while partaking in the perspective on the Atlantic Sea making it a lovely golf insight.

Carry the rush and experience to the ocean setting by giving a shot paddling, kayaking or sailing. Assuming you pick any of the initial two exercises, you have in excess of 200 kilometers worth of shoreline, streams, lakes and lakes to investigate. Land Nova's lakes and streams are additionally amazing spots to look for the absolute best trout and salmon in the district. One especially famous boat visit objective is the Newman Sound. The neighborhood administrator - Beach front Associations - sorts out standard sailing visits and gets travelers from the Guest Community.

While on the visit, make certain to look for seabirds and ice sheets somewhere far off and have your camera prepared. What's more, assuming you are fortunate, you could try and experience whales sprinkling around their jungle gym. Park guests who long for an invigorating swim, particularly on a hot day, as a rule head out to the shallow sandy ocean side called Sand Lake. In the event that you don't feel like simply loosening up after the swim, there is a 3-kilometer circled trail ready to be won.

However, Land Nova isn't simply a mid year objective. It mirrors an alternate sort of excellence and feeling during winter when it is covered with cushioned snow. This is certainly an opportunity to put on your snowshoes or skis and investigate this quiet winter wonderland. You can likewise pick a spot to camp following a delightful day of ice fishing. The night sky is especially more splendid during winter, so resting under the stars is most certainly not an ill-conceived notion. Setting up camp is permitted all year yet reservations are energetically suggested. A portion of the noticeable camping areas incorporate the Newman Sound campsite and the Disease Head camping area.

he rise of Ireland as a free nation is a genuinely late peculiarity. Until the seventeenth hundred years, political power was generally divided between a somewhat inexactly developed organization of little earldoms in frequently moving coalitions. Following the purported "Trip of the Lords" after a fruitless uprising in the mid seventeenth 100 years, Ireland really turned into an English state. It was officially integrated into the Assembled Realm in 1801. A 1914 Home Rule Act was passed however never executed because of supportive of association hostility in the north, the beginning of The Second Great War, and the resulting Irish Conflict of Freedom. In 1920 the island was successfully divided with the production of Northern Ireland, a six-province region with decayed powers inside the Unified Realm, though under the Somewhat English Irish Settlement of December 6, 1921, different 26 districts turned into the Irish Free Express, a self-overseeing territory inside the English Republic and Domain. In 1937 the southern state passed another constitution that offered a more powerful articulation of sway, and in 1949 it officially left the Province as the Republic of Ireland.

[meretseger3283]

I’m happy with my glove choice as I ride up hwy 12.

I am layered up pretty good on my torso and just wearing cargo pants, it’s brisk enough to feel good and my mesh gloves really give that fist in the wind feeling. Visor up on rides like this, you can smell the trees and the earth and the river better that way. 99 miles of winding road, a fairly famous sign as you enter hwy 12, I grinned and let 6th gear eat a little with a whooping noise from I don’t know where. The ride in to kooskia was cool.. that’s it, there was a beautiful stretch near McCall and interesting enough scenery but nothing breathtaking. The Street Bob did amazing, she’s loaded up to about the limit and I barely even noticed. The gas tank is a bit small but if you’re careful you can squeeze 200 miles out of it, no concern anyways as I have a spare gallon tied to the back. One thing I’ve learned on this trip is bungee cords are much more trustworthy than I previously thought. Not to take away from the beauty of the ride from boise to kooskia, but when you have expectations of never ending forest and beautiful mountains, you get calloused to the high desert. The way the river cuts through the rocks and valleys is gorgeous in its own way but it didn’t speak to my soul. There was a paved road leading into kooskia called Luke’s gulch and it would’ve been beautiful but there was just enough rocks and gravel on the road to be hazardous in turns, and then you have all the gypsy looking properties that can only be explained as hick like. I hate seeing people in the wilderness, it detaches the whole fucking experience when farmer John has his 15 broken tractors in this beautiful gulch. Now once you turn onto highway 12 it’s like entering a portal. I found a campsite a few miles up and happily claimed my spot. I met a cyclist who was doing a similar trip, made me feel like a cheater for having an engine, never had much respect for bicyclists, but to be doing that big of a journey, I give him props. The night was cool, I fell asleep reading Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance.. interesting book, I think I have it somewhat figured out but we’ll see.

My alarm went off a few times and I turned it off, I’m not a morning person, never was, never will be. It is undoubtedly the best time to ride, crisp air, the sun rising, it’s beautiful and even the bike responds better in the morning air. But it’s not for me, I went back to bed and awoke at 9:30. Plenty of time to make it to glacier national park and have some time to explore. Once again, hwy 12 was ineffable, the river, the endless forest and mountains, the road was even perfectly curvy. I had a smile on my face the whole time just waiting to see what was next. It really was 99 miles of winding road and I ate up every inch of it. I was still amazed at how well the bike was handling, I of course wasn’t scraping peg through corners but I went along at a good pace and never felt burdened, I wondered to myself if I was that good at packing, just lucky, or if the bike was somehow making up for it. Going towards Montana I noticed a sign, “moose crossing 1,000 ft” and I chuckled to myself like the moose cared where they were crossing, but sure enough I round a corner and this “little” moose is just meandering over on the other shoulder, he tumbled away as I came over. Moose always look like they are tripping over themselves to me, albeit they are graceful creatures.. somehow that makes sense. Lolo pass was once again astounding and breathtaking…. Hwy 12 is just goddamn breathtaking. I rode into Missoula chuckling that I just rode one of the famous roads in Idaho. I gathered my wits and stomach there and then headed out to glacier national park, I made a wrong turn and my map app redirected me up the boring route… I didn’t notice until it was too late, rookie mistake not having landmarks to look for, it was a boring hwy, whatever no use commenting. However the stretch up flathead lake was worth commenting. Flathead lake is huge and totally worth visiting even to just drive by. It goes on for miles of road and it’s forest all around it, I enjoyed every moment up that lake. Glacier national park was once again breathtaking, the sheer size and unknown of it were awe inspiring. I planned to take the going to the sun road but avalanches had another thought, anyways it was late by time I arrived and I needed to Setup camp.. shit, the campsite now requires reservations, the backup campsite was an hour+ away and I was mentally done, I rode over to what I thought was the visitor center to find service on my phone and accidentally wound up at a motel.. it was right on lake McDonald, it was getting late, and the lady was super nice, fuck it I’ll cheat one night.

That bed was amazing, once again I didn’t fully wake up till about 9:30, but I showered the night before and was feeling good. I hopped on the bike and hoped that nobody noticed I skipped the fee for the park, not my fault, I went to the window and it was closed, then went to the podium the window pointed at and it was blank. It was late and I was trying to find somewhere to sleep, don’t blame me. I had decided to take the northern route to bonners ferry that went through eureka and past lake Koocanusa which made Flathead look small! Montana route 93 and 37 were really what I was looking for, I fell in love with Montana on this trip, the whole state had a special beauty about it, and the particular roads I named were endless forests with spattered lakes,rivers, creeks and all sorts of other things to look at. The road was decently curvy and once again I was grinning ear to ear at whatever the next corner was bringing. I made it to my stop at bonners ferry and wanted more. I knew I was being greedy at this point and I was already at my next stop. But if there was any more ounce of endless forests and scenery I could see, I wanted it. So I quickly ate and jumped back on the bike, it was windy as all get out and just like the pre-Kooskia stretch this was really beautiful country but I was left needing more like a crack junkie fresh out. Ultimately disappointed I settled into the next leg of my journey and set the gps to Old Spiral highway in Lewiston, I was hurting by time I got to the Old Spiral, I hopped off my bike at a scenic turnout and pissed freely overlooking the town of Lewiston. It’s a freeing feeling, you got to try it sometime.. but I did realize mid stream I was pissing on the memorial of the guy who built this road.. whoops, can’t take me anywhere. Feeling slightly rejuvenated I hopped on my bike and road the most dangerous road in Idaho, man it was something, short little road only a few miles but death looms over every corner and there is literally no room for mistakes. Just what I needed after the last leg of my journey. I left Lewiston and went back on hwy 12 to find a campsite, nothing I had looked up was coming to fruition, I couldn’t find a damn thing, I turned around and remembered I passed an rv park, fuck it’s worth a chance. I’m losing daylight, I pull in and see a place I could go, so I go talk to the camp host, an ornery old man named Norman who refuses to take my 20 dollars because he won’t give an extra cent to the damn government. With a little bit of talking he tells me I can setup over there while he finds me some change. Next up is Old White Bird hill! And for tonight I’m out of light typing this damn thing, no time for my book. Old White Bird is also a must take at some point, the hills roll forever and it’s serene there. I’m not sure how I missed it the first time around but the ride between Riggins and McCall is gorgeous, maybe I was too amped up to be on my trip the first time, maybe it looks cooler coming back, I’m not sure but this was no slouch of scenery. The 666 on the dash clashed with the st Christopher medal my dad gave me that’s tightly wrapped behind the master cylinder. The 666 refers to 66 mph in 6 gear, all neatly displayed next to each other on my electronic speedo. I never pushed it too hard on the early legs of my trip, I was too worried about losing something I needed or putting an end to the trip too early by messing up the bike, but by time I reached Cascade, I was feeling a little good and could taste home so I started pushing it through some corners, I know these roads from being a photographer for a raft company and I knew if I played it right I could scrape a peg while fully loaded for my trip. Corner after corner I gave it more gas and laid into the corners, I finally got a single scrape on the left side a turn or two before I ran into traffic, good enough for me, what a way to end the trip. When I got home I unpacked and checked the odometer and clocked in at just under 1300 miles. It was a good trip.

#motorcycle #roadtrip #Idaho #Montana #harleydavidson #streetbob #glacier national park #flathead lake #mototrip #adventure #storytime #hwy12 #oldwhitebirdhill #timeofmylife #takemeback #camping #motocamp #motocamping #oldspiral #oldspiralhwy #lolopass