Big Boots to Fill
On March 10, 2021, a small-town farm girl from McCone County in Northeastern Montana hiked the Peralta Trail to Fremont Saddle, carrying a pair of men’s hiking boots attached to her backpack. These boots, worn and well-travelled, belonged to her father, Duane Nasner. Lynae Gackle was fulfilling a promise—a hike that never happened, a promise her father had made with her before his untimely passing.
Lynae and Duane had spent countless hours exploring the great outdoors together, bonding over the quiet serenity of nature. Duane, a lifelong farmer from a long line of farmers, had instilled in his daughter a love of the land and adventure. The Peralta Trail was one of their favorites, known for its breathtaking views and rewarding challenge. After Duane underwent hip replacement surgery in December 2019 and was recovering well, they had made plans to hike it together upon his full recovery.
But life, as it often does, took an unexpected turn. On February 27, 2020, Duane suffered a sudden stroke, the result of a brain bleed that put immense pressure on his skull. Despite a valiant fight in the hospital, Duane succumbed to a second, fatal stroke on March 10, 2020—the very day he and Lynae had planned to make the hike together.
One year later, Lynae, driven by love and a sense of unfinished business, made the journey to the trail alone. With her father’s boots secured to her backpack, she reached the top of the canyon, fulfilling the hike that Duane never had the chance to complete.
Meanwhile, Lynae’s mother, weighed down by the emotional toll of returning to Arizona without her husband, chose to stay behind in the hotel, waiting for her daughter to return with the boots. It was a poignant moment—one of grief, love, and a daughter’s quiet determination to honor her father’s memory.

Lynae Gackle sits at Fremont Saddle, overlooking Weavers Needle, with her father’s boots placed beside her—where he would have sat had they been able to share the moment together. Though Duane was not there in body, his spirit filled the space, and it’s clear that he would have been incredibly proud of his daughter’s strength and love.
Mr. Duane’s boots, having made the final hike to Weavers Needle with his daughter Lynae, rest beside her at Fremont Saddle. Though he was absent in body, his spirit was undoubtedly with her, proud of the journey they completed together in spirit.
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