Category: Hike

34 2236.3 7/18/2021 sunny, hot. Packed up my tent at the pass and on a slope. I didn’t sleep well because my air mattress kept sliding inside my tent. I was up early and did my morning chores. I’m so glad I climbed 1000’ up to the spring yesterday. The remaining climb was still hard to near the summit of Elk Mountain and I was so glad to have already done most of it. Then there was a second peak to surmount and finally the descent. The mountains are getting more rocky and thus the trail was too. These aren’t small ones but 3” to 6” ones which can twist an ankle so I’ve got to be careful. Down and down I went until I got to Justin and Bannock Pass. After a soda or two we drove to Dillon for lunch. On the way we stopped at the US Forest service office although it was Sunday and closed they had posted the closures on an outside bulletin board. As we were reading it one of the Forest Service people came out and was kind enough to talk to us. He said in the next two days they would be closing Lemhi Pass, which was going to be our next meet up in two days. In other words I was walking into the fire. So we talked about skipping ahead. From Bannock Pass to Mystic Lake. We posted this to the family. Katie phoned and asked if I was considering coming back after Glacier National Park to do this piece. I told her no. Justin phone Stephanie. While they talked I started think about walking around the fire by slackpacking and meeting Justin each day. It would be about 105 miles and an awful 5-7 days but doable. So we got out maps and went over our options. We shall see. BTW we had pizza for lunch and a restaurant BBQ brisket sandwich for dinner followed by a pint of Cherry Garcia. Yum! Oh, and a shower too. Tomorrow is my first zero day and I need this break. I have to do laundry tomorrow too.

33 2224.9 7/17/2021 sunny, dry, hot. Got up while it was dark about 4:30 am and used my headlamp to see. Even though I was up early I got on trail about 5:20 am. I walked the trail I had been on looking for a campsite. When I got to Tex Creek I said to myself let’s not get my feet wet when I cross. And then I lost my balance and stomped my right foot into the creek water. Ugh! Clumsy! I met a bunch of SOBO thru-hikers: “Beats”, “Too hot”, “Gasket”, a triple crowner, “Stamps”, and “Wanted”. I got water at three different springs. I like springs, just water pouring into of a pool or out of a pipe on the side of a mountain. How cool is that! I finished my allotted 15 miles at 1:15 and decided to go on another 2 miles to make tomorrow easier. It also required me to climb 1000’ which was slow but now I don’t have to do it tomorrow. Tomorrow I will meet Justin at Bannock Pass and only have 11.5 miles to get there.

32 2207.3 7/16/2021 sunny, some clouds, sprinkles at dinner time. Woke to a clear sky. All my gear is lightly damp especially my tent after yesterday night’s rain. Packed it all up. It is heavy with 3 days of food and 2 extra liters of water. Climbs were OK. I’m glad I’m only doing 15 miles today. Met two SOBO Swiss thru-hikers, Jan and Lars. At the end of the day met another, Raphael (sp?). Originally I went farther on trail, but could not find a good campsite so walked back to a better one. This is something I never do, but I was having troubles setting up my tent in a shady spot at the further spot near a stream. 

31 2191.1 7/15/2021 sunny, hot, dark clouds, sprinkles. I needed less mileage, less climbing and less weight. So I did slack-pack today for 16 miles with climbs and with switchbacks. Got to Justin around 1 pm. It was just nice to sit afterwards. I put up my tent under his fancy awning. It took me quite awhile to get going: break down the slack-pack and prepare for three days on my own. I have 45 miles and there are a lot of climbs so I’m preparing for them. We sat and chatted to pass the time. Then as dinner rolled around dark clouds showed up, a gusty front came through, it got cooler and sprinkles came down. Luckily we were not in the direct path. Dinner was sausages in tortillas. After dinner I got in my tent to prepare for tomorrow. Then it started to downpour along with hail. I put out my vestibule flaps. My tent is getting old and is now leaking. Water is seeping through the tent and the hail causes micro-drops to fall on me. Finally the rain, hail, lightning, and thunder stopped. I made it through the deluge.

30 2175.2 7/14/2021 sunny, hot, some clouds. Woke up later after yesterday’s off-trail crazies. Got water and guzzled a lemonade bottle with breakfast. Tasted good. Immediately on trail at 5:45 and didn’t check my direction. Hiked about a half mile off course. OMG! Returned to bad turn and took off at 6 am. Story of my life especially after yesterday I should know better.  Regardless I was slow because of the climbs and at 8 am I had only done 3 miles. It was going to be a long day. There were several climbs and I had to count twenty-fives for them. At each snack and at lunch I guzzled water. I met a SOBO thru-hiker named Austin. It took me to 5:30 pm to get to Justin. I was in tears – it was so hard and so long. I sat and drank numerous (greater than 5) cans of soda or soda water. I could barely move. I think I need a break, a zero day. Dinner was carnitas tacos which was spicy. Tomorrow is a slack pack day.

29 2155.2 7/13/2021 overcast, smokey. Justin and I woke at the AirBnB at 4:30 and dropped me off at 5:30 on trail. The first part was an 8 mile road walk. Just afterwards I met another hiker named “Uncle  Walter”. Then next were grassy hills. The climbs were very steep. And there were a lot of them. Around noon I got off trail and when I tried to get back on trail I goofed and started hiking SOBO. Oh no! I didn’t catch my error until I had gone 3 miles. So I had to hike back 3 more miles. This wasted over three hours. So instead of ending around 5:30 pm I ended at 8:30 pm. It was a very very long day and I’m exhausted, but I made it to my planned endpoint.

28 2133.7 7/12/2021 Smokey, sunny, hot hot. I got on trail a bit later at 5:40, the sun rise is taking longer and the smoke is making it darker. I immediately had a 1000’ climb which was straight up. Also I had my full backpack today having had my daypack the past few days. I started in forest but at the summit it was grassy with sage. I accidentally went the wrong way, but realized it after about 0.25 miles and turned around. Then it was a long road walk to Justin in the heat. I tried to conserve water and my lips and tongue were dry. Although it was only 11.6 miles today I was tired when I reached him. He plied me with a Squirt and off we drove to Lima MT. Justin got us an AirBnB with two beds. To wait while it was available we had a late breakfast at a Cafe. It was filling and good. After breakfast he told me that there is a 35 miles trail closure in about 200 miles. We have two options hike around it or skip it. Since it’s only 35 miles we’re thinking about skipping it. The AirBnB is especially important because it has a shower. It’s been 9 days since I had one and I stink. Now dear Justin is out doing laundry. He is such a sweetheart. While out doing laundry he met two CDT hikers and when he mentioned “Tartan” they remembered me from last year. He invited them over for hamburgers and brats. We had dinner and chatted with Grace and Mike and had a lovely time. Afterward I did my chores and went to bed. 

27 2122.1 7/11/2021 Smokey, sunny, some clouds. Woke early. Quite dark out. Smoke in the air. I left our campsite at the trailhead and started my day of climbs. I listened to my audio book, The Splendid and the Vile. Some climbs were easy, but others were long, steep and on gravel which cause my feet to slip. I even fell once. At lunch I stopped at a spring that poured water into a trough. Two horses were tied up nearby. There was a big old canvas tent there, but I saw no one around. Then after lunch I had a descent which was steep and it tired my legs just slowing down each step. Justin could not get the Jeep to the meetup point. So he carried my backpack and food and water 1.2 miles to the meetup. I arrived at 2 pm. I transferred water and other stuff from my daypack to my backpack. Justin left and I set up my tent and tried to nap, but couldn’t sleep. Tomorrow we meet at Interstate 15 in 11.6 miles. We’re going to Lima for showers, laundry and grub which I desperately need.

26 2103.3 7/10/2021 sunny, hot. An uneventful day of hiking. Started at 5:30 and got to Justin at 1:30. Started with a medium climb over 5 miles and then descended over 14 miles with some smaller hills on the way down. Sometimes the trail was confusing and I just used Guthooks to get back on trail. Had lunch when I arrived because the mosquitoes on the trail near the end were awful. Justin and I just relaxed under the awning for the afternoon at the trailhead. He chatted with various people who stopped by this trailhead. He is my very sociable son. Dinner was easy. Mac and cheese with some leftover BBQ  brisket. I also had tortilla soup to get more hydrated. My little tent is in the sun but it’ll be down soon enough. Tomorrow is about 20 miles and has some climbs. I’m getting to the point I want a shower and clean clothes. I stink and I’m filthy.