Trail Logs for August 1 through August 31, 2001

August 1  10:00 PM.  Continental Divide, 3 miles north of Flasher Pass, Helena National Forest, MT. It's a new month and I'm halfway through the critical June-September high mileage period where I have to pack in as many snow-free miles as possible.  I don't have the total for July handy but I'm guessing I came pretty close to 1,000 miles for the month even with two zero days traveling from Manning Park to Waterton.  So far so good.  I still have over 2,000 miles to go, but it's starting to feel like the home stretch. I resupplied in Lincoln, MT today.  I was really lucky hitchhiking, getting a round-trip hitch in less than 20 minutes!  The lady who picked me up lives across the street from the post office and drove me back to the trail after my one-hour town stop.  With the two 20-minute drives, my trail-to-trail time was just under two hours!  Wow.  I usually take that long to walk through a town.  My box was waiting for me in the post office, but there were no maps in it!  Panic!  Fortunately I have a detailed set of maps I'm evaluating and verifying for Jim Smart.  They show his CDT route as recorded by GPS!  He even has notes on them like, "trail obscure" or "water here," so I can probably find my way on them even without Jim Wolf's guidebook, a section of which I also missed.  My GPS will tell me where I am and Jim Smart's GPS track will tell me where he went.  It'll be kind of like following his footprints.  I just hope there aren't any errors on his track that aren't obvious.  They've been excellent so far. This morning I awoke to 1/4 inch of frost all over me and my stuff.  It was 25 degrees last night.  Brrr.  My shoes were frozen for the first time in quite a while.  Welcome to August! August 2  10:00 PM.  David Spring, Helena National Forest, MT. It seemed more like August today, 90+ in the sun and very little water to be found.  I carried a half-gallon most of the day, but that was not enough in the evening as I ran out before reaching this spring.  I've been rehydrating since I got here and will carry over a gallon tomorrow, as there is little water ahead either.  Unfortunately, where there is water around here, there are cattle.  My camp is inside the protected spring area, but the cattle are just outside and were making a ruckus at sunset.  They're quiet now as the full moon is rising.  Without my guidebook or annotated maps, it's hard to say exactly how far I've gone each day.  Perhaps 32 miles today with lots of cairn-to-cairn cross-country climbs and descents.  With a load of water, it's a good workout.

August 3  10:00 PM.  Near Jericho Creek, Helena National Forest, MT. The cattle last night were quiet once the sun set, so I got a good night's sleep.  Today I resupplied in Elliston, a 6-mile hitchhike from McDonald Pass.  There's a one-mile stretch where the CDT follows the road to McDonald Pass and I got a ride while still walking that stretch!  Then the Postmaster gave me a lift back.  Basically zero time waiting for a lift!  Of course I got dropped off down the road where I was picked up.  I must hike the whole way.  So I got through town, trail-to-trail, in just one hour!  That made 34 miles today seem easy.  But it really wasn't.  I carried 5 liters of water from David Spring and much of it was needed in the 100-degree heat.  In the afternoon it cooled into the 80's when thunderstorms formed.  I got rained on hard for 20 seconds is all, though.  All in all, a nice day. Another nice thing is that the missing maps and guidebook were in the Elliston box!  They were marked for the Lincoln box but I suspect my Dad was looking through that stack trying to figure out how to contact Frontier Town, my planned resupply point at McDonald Pass.  To his great credit, he discovered they're out of business this year and switched my resupply to the post office.  That avoided a huge problem.  Thanks, Dad. August 4  10:00 PM.  Cold Spring, Deerlodge National Forest, MT. It was a tough but interesting day.  Just 28 miles as measured by the plan, but I certainly hiked farther than that to get here.  The guidebook said to take a new trail that doesn't seem to exist yet, at least I couldn't figure out where it was.  So I had to go over Thunderbolt Peak in the mud.  The trail goes straight up and down and it was raining hard about then.  The thundershowers started by noon and were still going when I set up camp, but it seems to have stopped now.  The first shower came out of this HUGE cloud.  It hailed marbles for 3 minutes!  Ouch.  I hid under a small tree that only had shelter enough to keep most of the stones from hitting the top of my head.  But that was enough to keep me riveted to the spot.  Those big hailstones really hurt when they hit!  There was smaller hail for about 10 minutes and the result was a carpet of white stones covering the ground.  20 minutes earlier it had been 80 degrees and sunny, so the hail raised a cloud of vapor as it melted.  Then the sun came out again.  An hour later it happened again, only the marble-sized hail only lasted a few seconds.  But this time the rain didn't quit.  So I was trying to navigate through a maze of mostly unmarked trails with my GPS in a plastic bag and my maps in a plastic bag and the guidebook in a plastic bag and my lunch in a plastic bag.  All this stuff I'm trying not to lose under my poncho, and I'm cold because I underestimated how long it would rain.  But I found my way, partly on a trail so new it not only wasn't marked on my map, it wasn't finished yet!  I walked tread until I got to the backhoe that was being used to build the trail; then I followed the survey stakes across a side-hill to Cottonwood Lake.  But it was not an impatient day for me despite the setbacks.  Anaconda is my next resupply point and the post office won't open until Monday morning.  Assuming I can do 29 miles tomorrow, I'll get into town Sunday night, have an evening to wash, rest and sleep in a bed.  Some things just work out right even when they're going wrong.

August 6  7:00 AM.  Linda & Tom Hurlock's home, Anaconda, MT. I got into town yesterday at 3 PM, got something to eat at McDonalds and did my laundry.  That's where I met Tom & Linda, who gave me a place to sleep last night.  They're an interesting couple who met and lived in the Glacier National Park area and know many of the areas I've hiked here in MT.  They recommended that I check out the local movie theater.  Wow.  It's in mint condition and looks like the 20's & 30's style single screen theaters.  It's very ornate.  I saw an exciting but otherwise bad film called "The Fast and the Furious."  It was quite a contrast to the grand old theater.  It appears to be the teen hangout in town and they know what films will serve their customers, but it would have been more appropriate to see "Gone With The Wind" or some such film on that screen.  That film probably played right there when it came out in '39.  I'm road-walking a shortcut that's popular with CDT thruhikers called the Anaconda cutoff.  It bypasses the divide around Butte, saving several days of relatively nondescript trail.  It was mid-80's yesterday and the road was hot, but I hiked 29 miles before 3 PM!  And on the way down the hill from the divide I saw a pronghorn sheep.  At least I think that's what it was.  It sure was fast!  It could run like the wind on the open hillside and I don't think it was even trying very hard.  It stopped several times to see what I was doing, so it wasn't too stressed. Somehow it didn't occur to me that this would be the Anaconda famous for the big copper mine, but I put two and two together when I saw the HUGE smelter stack from 20 miles away.  It's closed down now, but still a real monument of the area.  As I got closer I also realized that some of the mountains in its vicinity are mine tailings.  They've moved enough earth here to make a dam larger than anything I've ever seen!  Anaconda clearly had some boom years when the mine was in operation. August 6  10:00 PM.  Queener Basin, Anaconda-Pintlar Wilderness, Deerlodge National Forest, MT.  I saw another moose this evening, just as I was coming into camp.  It was in the creek and took off when it heard me coming.  Cool.  Before I forget again, I met a guy named Jeff while hiking into Anaconda.  He had been out mountain biking and saw me on the road.  He's been reading my website, so he knew my name and just wanted to stop and say hello.  The Coke he gave me also really hit the spot on a very hot day.  Today was just as hot and I started the 19-mile road walk at 10 AM.  Still, I completed about 29 miles via the Storm Lake Trailhead.  That's shorter than the way I planned to go by about 19 miles, so as far as the plan is concerned, I did 48 miles today.

August 7  10:30 PM.  Between Mystic Lake and Hope Lake, Anaconda-Pintlar Wilderness, MT.    29 miles today.  A disturbing pattern is emerging.  I'm under 30 miles for at least the third day in a row!  The first two were due to the disruptions of a major town stop, but today was a full day.  The excuses today are that it was again very hot, and the terrain is very tough.  I'm sipping on the last of two gallons of water consumed today in the 85- to 90-degree heat while hiking over five major passes, all around 9,000 feet, give or take.  One was even cross-country.  So I'm not necessarily in a fix, but the trend is not good.  Tomorrow is easier terrain, so I better get 30+ in.  We'll see.  Today I saw the first of the fire-scarred areas from last year's fires.  It started in the Big Johnson Lake area and there are burns all along the divide to here.  I'm camped on the edge of another.  Anaconda-Pintlar has been beautiful, remote, rugged and wonderful.  I hope I travel through more areas as interesting as this.  August 8  10:00 PM.  Near Chief Joseph Pass, Bitterroot National Forest, MT. 33 miles today, so I can still do it.  The difficulty today was not terrain, but poor trail and lots of recent burns. It made navigation a problem because the trail would disappear and junctions were often unmarked.  But it was not quite as hot today, so overheating was not really a problem.  I saw a new animal today with which I'm unfamiliar.  It's probably a type of fox.  It was nearly uniformly light brown, but slightly lighter on the underside.  It was small, about like a big housecat and its tail was very bushy and nearly as long as the rest of its body.  Either it was very bold or it didn't see me because it walked within 20 feet of me!  I saw it in the tall grass and froze.  It walked nearly straight at me just passing on the other side of one tree.  I got a really good look at it!           I also saw several elk today.  They were mostly in groups of one or two, though, which seems unusual to me.  I'm used to seeing herds of them.

August 9  10:00 PM.  South Fork Sheep Creek, Salmon National Forest, Idaho. I'm not done with Montana yet, but I'm in a new state!  It's my 19th if I'm counting correctly.  (It's a good thing I've got my shoes off!)  For the next couple hundred miles the Continental Divide follows the Montana-Idaho border so I'll be going back and forth quite a bit.  I saw another black bear today.  It was a small one but still made me do a quick grizzly check.  Grizzlies are very rare here, but have been reported.  As usual the bear ran away as soon as it saw me.  This was also a resupply day in Wisdom, Montana.  Wisdom is a very small town about 30 miles off the trail.  I've heard it can be a difficult hitch.  It took over half an hour to get a ride into town, which is the longest I've had to wait yet, but only 5 minutes on the way back.  But the couple that brought me back, who own the motel in town, said a couple guys a few weeks back waited all day and couldn't get a ride!  Ouch!  I was in and out of town in 2-1/2 hours.  26 miles today. Along with my box there was a letter for me at the Post Office.  It was from a reader of the website informing me that there's an 11,000-mile trans-Canadian trail under construction and about half complete.  Hey guy!  I'm not even done with THIS impossible hike yet and you're suggesting another one?!  But seriously, can anyone imagine such a thruhike?  11,000 miles In CANADA?!   In one year?  Somehow I don't think Ray Jardine's homemade sleeping quilt would be warm enough for that one! August 10  10:00 PM.  Hamby Creek, Beaverhead National Forest, Montana.  Tonight I'm back on the Montana side of the divide.  This section has been as tough and rugged as any wilderness, but it's just National Forest land.  Amazing.  I wouldn't be a bit surprised if someday it's selected to become a wilderness area.  There are very few roads, all dirt, and they could be closed or excluded as necessary. I've heard the CDT is like this, and it certainly is.  It's as steep as the AT because not all trails are graded for stock and not all the CDT is even a trail.  Some is cross-country or cairned at best.  But, unlike the AT, there are few trail signs.  Many trail junctions are completely unmarked.  I have to look at the map to see what lies in each direction.  And unlike most of the AT and PCT, this trail disappears with regularity.  I have to look for cairns or blazes to determine which way the trail is going. The combination of steep grades and constant navigation problems is tiring physically and mentally.  If I slog up a big hill in zombie-mode, I may miss a turn and end up in the wrong place.  If I keep constantly alert mentally, I end up slowing down and stopping often to check my position.  The latter is preferable, as I'd really hate to get to the top of a hill only to find it was the wrong hill!  32 miles today, even with the tough grades, cross-country sections and navigation problems.

August 11  10:00 PM.  Six miles from Lemhi Pass on the Idaho-Montana border.  (Lemhi Pass is where Lewis and Clark first crossed the Continental Divide on their westward journey.) This was an easier and cooler day so I hiked 34 miles.  It was cooler because of thunderstorms, which were evident by 9 AM and raining on me by noon.  Fortunately, most of them missed me, so it was a good day to hike. Although there was enough good trail and dirt roads to make this a fast day overall, there was another cross-country section after Cowbone Lake.  As usual it was steep and tough.  In addition, I took the shortcut Jim Wolf (the guidebook author) mentions to Cowbone Lake.  I was unable to find the trail, but it was a reasonably straightforward cross-country hike.  For those interested in how to do it, I took the side road AFTER the crossing of Darkhorse Creek.  As I said, I couldn't find the trail supposedly taking off from the road before the crossing.  The road I took follows the creek fairly closely.  In about half a mile there's a clearing from which I got a good clear look up the hillside to Cowbone Lake.  The big bluff above the lake is visible, giving a clear compass bearing.  I decided the hill was not too steep to climb and went for it. The hardest part was getting across the marsh on the shores of Darkhorse Creek.  The hill, though steep, was not dangerous, and I purposely stayed right of the true bearing to make sure I hit the road going to the lake.  The route took only 15 minutes, plus 10 minutes to think about doing it and plan the route.  I recommend trying it.  It's easier than the cross-country required above the lake.                The trail beyond Goldstone Pass follows the exact divide, much of it above tree line.  The views were awesome of mountains a hundred miles away in all directions.  This is what I always imagined the best parts of the Continental Divide would look like!  Thank God the thunderstorms were not in my vicinity when I was up there!  August 12  9:45 PM.  Bannock Pass, Idaho-Montana border. The 32 miles today was mostly dirt roads, so it was relatively easy.  Still, I didn't arrive here at Bannock Pass until dusk, so I'll have to wait for morning to hitch into town.  There's also not much traffic.  I've only seen one car since I got here almost an hour ago and it was going the wrong direction.  But I'm in no hurry to get to town because I'm camped with two CDT section hikers tonight. They are Martin Griffith of Sparks, Nevada and Jeff Stewart of San Diego.  They've heard of and are excited about my hike, and are really interesting to talk with.  Since we're going different directions, we've been comparing notes on water sources.  Martin is also with the Associated Press, so he did an impromptu interview.  It was interesting to note at Lemhi Pass today that Lewis and Clark got there 196 years ago today, August 12th, 1805.

August 13  10:30 PM.  Near Elk Mountain, Salmon National Forest, Idaho. I was due for a time-consuming town stop and today was it.  I waited over two hours at Bannock Pass for a car going my direction.  One finally arrived and wouldn't stop!  Ouch.  So I said goodbye to Martin and Jeff and started walking the 13.5 miles into Leadore, Idaho.  I got more than halfway there before the second car going my direction stopped and gave me a ride.  It was almost 1 PM when I got into town.  The post office was closed for lunch so I got a burger at the Sagebrush Café.  That took an hour and then I had to pack 15 pounds of food into my pack.  But the current section is 170 miles so I took some extra time to make sure I have everything I need and no more.  Fortunately I got a ride back to Bannock Pass before I'd walked even one mile up the road in 90-degree heat.  So I started walking CDT miles at 3:50 PM today.  By then it was about to rain due to afternoon thunderstorms and because the trail goes over an exposed ridge at 10,000 feet, I had to wait for a bit under a tree to let a very big thunder cloud blow by before I could safely hike that stretch without threat of a lightning strike.  So I guess I should be happy I got 11 miles south of Bannock Pass.  It certainly could have been worse.  The highlight of the day was the letter from cousin Kim, her husband Ed and children Julia and Kenyon.  They've been rooting and praying for me since day one and are still at it 100 percent.  It certainly is nice to have support like that. August 14  9:20 PM.  Travertine Mine, 2.4 miles east of Bannack Pass on the Continental Divide between Montana and Idaho.  I had a long, hot day today.  Thunderstorms were threatening since noon, but no real rain fell.  Instead, when the sun was out, it was nearly 100 degrees in the afternoon.  So I carried and drank much water during the 35 miles I walked.  When I arrived at Morrison Lake about noon, I had a decision to make.  Do I stick with my plan and take the relatively new and highly recommended trail route or do I change the plan and take the older route described in the '79 guidebook?  The old route is shorter but less spectacular so I opted for the trail while planning at home.  But at noon today it looked like being on the ridge was going to be a bad idea and the shortcut appealed more after the 11-mile day yesterday.  That certainly didn't keep me up with my schedule.  So I took the older route and walked some reasonably scenic dirt roads in the heat while the feared thunderstorms were miles away from either route.  Now I'm 49.9 miles further along the CDT than yesterday.  That will give me some padding if, as feared, the Centennial Mountains section coming up next is difficult to navigate.  That would certainly take extra time, and in this 170-mile section my food supply is very tight.

August 15  10:00 PM.  Idaho-Montana Border, a few miles from the Interstate 15 crossing. What an evening!  I was cooking dinner and about to write when a small thunderstorm blew through.  I had figured they were all gone for the day and camped on a high point on the ridge.  It is the only flat spot around.  So I had to grab my shoes and raingear and head for less exposed ground, leaving all my stuff on the hill.  Since its too rocky to set up the tarp, it all got wet when it rained for 5 minutes.  There was no lightning in the area either, but I still did the right thing moving.  Now the stars are out and my stuff is not TOO wet.  It will probably be dry by morning.  Today was a tough 27 miles with countless thousands of feet of elevation change.  The last 13 miles were on a beautiful treeless divide ridge, but there is no trail and the route is rocky and steep.  It reminds me of the tougher sections of the AT.  So today was one of the few times I had to stop and rest solely because my legs were tired.  I also had to stop for half an hour because of a thunderstorm.  A big one chased me off the ridge.  So I sat on the windward slope so I could see when clear skies were coming, but I was exposed to the wind, rain and hail.  It's very strange to be shivering half an hour after sweating buckets in the sun.  But the temperature drops from the 90's to the 80's when the sun goes behind a cloud.  Then the downdrafts from the storm drop the temperature into the 50's with wind.  Brrr.  Then the cold rain and hail really chill things.  Afterwards, the sun may come out and it will get hot again.  But typically it will stay cloudy until nearly sunset.  I saw another moose today and two coyotes yesterday.  There's lots of wildlife out here.  August 16  9:45 PM.  Idaho-Montana border in the Centennial Mountains, two miles past Rock Spring.  This was people day.  I talked with 11 people today!  First was Patrick, who was camped just down the hill from me.  He has given up trying to complete the entire CDT this year but is still out here enjoying himself.  Next were three guys in a car who stopped while I rested at the underpass under Interstate 15.  Then there were two guys who were finishing their Centennial Mountains hike at I-15.  Then I ran into Martin and Jeff again.  I last saw them at Bannock Pass.  They are doing an interesting car shuttle trick.  They have two cars.  They park one at the north end of a section and drive the other to the south end.  Then they hike north.  Then they drive even farther south, resupplying on the way and hike the next section northbound.  Very clever.  Next I met two equestrians and finally a solo hiker at Rock Spring.  All the hikers knew who I was!  Now even the short distance hikers have heard of my trek!

The trail through the Centennial Mountains has been fairly easy to follow so far.  I'd heard that this is an easy place to get lost in, and I can see why.  The trail is often indistinct and there are lots of animal trails.  However, there are many CDT trail markers that have been put up very recently.  They point the way across the gaps and reassure the hiker that he is not on some game trail.  Actually the "game" trails are sheep trails, especially on the Idaho side.  From a distance today I saw a shepherd with 2,000 sheep!  It sounded like a stadium full of people from a distance!  I've crossed two important milestones in the last day or two.  First is the ¾ point of my Calendar Triple Crown hike, at about 5,550 miles!  But at the 5,500-mile mark I passed the 10,000-mile point in lifetime thru hiking and backpacking!  Before this year I had 4,500 miles behind me in a long and active "career".   But already this year, in just 7-1/2 months, I've more than equaled all the hiking I've ever done in my life!  Wow. August 17  10:00 PM.  Blair Lake, Centennial Mountains, MT. 32.5 miles today.  Not bad considering how closely I have to watch the map and guidebook to make sure I always know where I am and where I'm going.  The trail through the Centennials is much better than I expected but it's still possible to get lost once in a while and there are some cross-country segments. This is certainly sheep country.  I talked to two shepherds, one named Pedro.  Both had several dogs to help them guard the sheep.  Most of them were Border Collies whose boundless energy can drive some owners nuts, but suits them extremely well to working with sheep.  The view from Mt. Taylor's east peak this evening was well worth the long hot climb even in the hazy conditions that prevail.  I could not see the Grand Tetons, but everything closer was there to see, including two large, wide valleys, one on each side of the divide.  It was like looking out from an airplane!  Supposedly I'm getting into Grizzly territory again, but a badly decomposing elk or moose had not been visited by anything larger than a crow.  It sure stunk!

August 19  7:15 AM.  Karen and Rick's cabin near Mack's Inn, Idaho. Yesterday was a tough day logistically.  It was hot again  mid 90's in the sun  and I was taking Jim Wolf's recommended route by Sawtell Peak to Mack's Inn.  It goes by the source spring for Hell Roaring Creek, which is believed to be the most distant source spring for the Missouri-Mississippi River!  And since that river combination is longer even than the Nile, that spring is farther from the ocean than any spring in the world!  It's amazing to sit there and think about all those miles that that water will travel. Since I believed there was another good spring on the other side of the divide, I didn't pick up any water there.  Unfortunately, Jim's route utilizes VERY old roads that are closed and abandoned, and thus very hard to follow 20 years after Jim first recommended them.  So I got lost and missed the spring.  I was out of water and dehydrated when I finally walked in to the town of Mack's Inn. I was under the false impression that Mack's Inn was a resort, and the "Inn" was holding my box.  Thus I could pick it up almost any time.  Wrong.  There's a post office here that closed at 2:30 on Saturday.  I got in at 4 PM!  I was facing an unplanned weekend here when I decided to "camp out" on the porch of the post office with my pack and see if maybe someone would notice and come to my aid.  Sure enough, in 10 minutes the husband of the Postmaster drove by and saw me, stopped and got my box for me!  All your prayers are working!  What a miracle! So now I'm on my way to West Yellowstone to get a backcountry permit for Yellowstone National Park.  After 1-1/2 hours waiting for someone to pick me up on a busy road, Marilyn stopped.  She offered to let me stay at her sister's cabin and will drive me in to West Yellowstone this morning!  Wonderful!  So here I am at Karen and Rick's cabin along with a total of about 10 extended family and friends here to celebrate Rick's birthday.  Things are working out fine. While hanging out at the Post Office, I met John Morgan from New Jersey.  He drove up on an ATV and we talked for at least half an hour.  It turns out that he is one of God's miracles.  He was an ironworker and fell 30 feet, injuring his spine.  He was in traction for nine months and paralyzed from the waist down for over 5 years.  He had no feeling in his legs other than terrible phantom pain rated as equivalent to a terminal cancer case!  But John is a tough, resilient man.  He had doubts and depression of course, but he never gave up.  When he regained some feeling in his legs the doctors were willing to operate to relieve his pain.  A total of 10 operations were done.  And slowly he has regained the use of his legs!  He can stand well enough that I didn't notice his disability until he mentioned it.  And he can walk!  His doctors have said there was zero percent chance of that happening.  He is a true miracle and an example of courage and determination in tough circumstances.  I admire him very much.  That kind of determination would get him through the Calendar Triple Crown easily if his legs were as strong as mine.  Most people in his situation would have given up and died, but he lived to see the day when he is now driving around the country with his son!  His next goal is to return to work, hopefully as an OSHA safety inspector of ironworkers.  I really appreciate how he always has a goal in sight.  It gives him something to shoot for and concentrate on when today is too tough to bear.  Good luck and Vaya Con Dios, John!

August 19  8:30 PM.  Just west of Yellowstone National Park, Idaho. I'm getting an early start on dinner because my permit for Yellowstone doesn't allow me to camp in the Park until tomorrow.  So I had a 20-mile day.  I was worried about route finding today because the route is full of closed and abandoned roads.  But this time it was not too bad.  With careful attention, I was able to follow Jim Wolf's route although many of the roads now have "tank traps" to keep the ATV's off of them.  These are large holes with the dirt piled up adjacent.  They make the road impassable to cars and are not easy to hike through either!  I also found Latham Spring with some difficulty.  The road to it is very obscure but marked with cairns.  For those with a GPS, the location is 44-27-34.3 N., 111-08-43.7 W.  It's critical to find it because there's no water after it for over 13 miles and this is hot, open country. Many thanks again to Marilyn for making my stay in Mack's Inn wonderful.  She drove me to West Yellowstone this morning to get my permit, some food-hanging rope and iodine tablets, and then drove me back to Mack's Inn.  Definitely a "good hitch."  I certainly enjoyed my stay. It turns out that I was done with Montana yesterday and only have a couple of miles left in Idaho.  These are the 16th and 17th states completed.  Tomorrow I enter Wyoming!  This year I've touched many people's lives in ways I never have before.  It's one of the true joys of this adventure.  Today was another new one.  I was walking up a lonely dirt road in the heat of the day when a car stopped.  In it was a couple in their late 70's.  The usual questions were answered and then the woman got out of the car and walked over to me.  She asked my name and said, "I hope it's not John.  I don't think I could stand that.  My son John is in heaven now and especially your beard reminds me so much of him."  With that she stroked my scraggly beard once and returned to the car.  I'm open in so many ways now that I never was before.

August 20  7:45 PM.  Camp 8M2 on Moose Creek, Yellowstone National Park, WY. These Yellowstone trails are great!  32 miles and in camp with an hour of sunlight!  Like Glacier, this National Park requires me to camp in a planned, reserved location, so I can't hike on for another hour.  Although I moved fast on the good trail, I stopped often in the thermal areas.  I've seen those close to the road before, including Old Faithful, but they're certainly worth a second look.  And the backcountry areas are almost as spectacular.  I shot a full roll of film today that typically lasts me a week.  The only disappointment has been that I've not seen much wildlife.  Just one big buck and a herd of elk by the Old Faithful lodge.  This was also a resupply day at the Old Faithful Station Post Office.  I picked up a trekking pole that my dad reglued the grip on, and mailed home the older pole that I was using along with a BIG pile of maps that have been accumulating.  August 21  9:15 PM.  Just south of Yellowstone National Park near Fox Park, WY. I had an assigned campsite within Yellowstone for tonight, but it was only 26 miles from the last one.  Another 10 miles got me to the Park boundary, so here I am with a 36-mile day.  It's amazing to me that I crossed Yellowstone and only camped once within the Park.  That's 68 miles!  Yellowstone is a truly unique place with all its hydrothermal features.  They're nearly everywhere.  I passed another geyser basin near Heart Lake.  It all emptied out into Heart Lake via Witch Creek.  The entire creek is 10 feet wide and a couple feet deep, and over 100 degrees!  That's a LOT of hot water!  This must be an incredible place to visit in the winter. This evening while walking up the headwaters of the Snake River I heard my first elk bugling.  It's a purer, more musical note than I imagined.  I saw two big bull elk  separately.  They're not friendly toward each other this time of year.  It's a sure sign fall is getting near.

August 22  10:00 PM.  Near Cowboy Village, WY. I tried to make it to Cowboy Village tonight, but it got dark and an unmarked fork in the trail left me puzzling.  It'll probably be more obvious in the light.  I know I'm close because I can hear traffic on the road up ahead.  I don't have enough water to cook dinner, so it's trail food for dinner.  The Two Ocean Creek was really interesting today.  There are two ridges, either of which could be the Continental Divide, that head down to Two Ocean Pass.  Between them is Two Ocean Creek.  It's the creek that decides which ridge is the divide.  If it flows left to the Atlantic, the right ridge is the divide.  If it flows right to the Pacific, the other ridge is the divide.  Both ridges and the creek converge just above the pass.  Believe it or not, the creek SPLITS and flows to BOTH oceans!  There really is no divide there and a fish could swim across the pass!  Unbelievable. 35 miles today. August 23  9:00 PM.  Near Sheridan Pass, Bridger-Teton National Forest, WY. I logged 29 miles that count in, a 31 or 32-mile day.  After a road walk up to Togwotee Pass there were lots of subtle trails and some cross-country travel.  I bypassed some of it with some extra miles on roads because I really lose time if I get lost.  Even the roads are badly marked here as they're mostly old logging road closed to any traffic.  I saw another moose today in Squaw Creek.  He was a small fellow for a moose and took off into some high brush.  They sure are gangly looking when they run!  I was unusually tired today.  I think it was due to the dry camp last night.  Although I was not thirsty last night, I found I was pretty dehydrated this morning.  My body probably did not get as much rest and repair done overnight because of the dehydration.  August 24  9:15 PM.  Near Green River Lakes, Wind River Range, WY. I've just barely touched the Wind River Range, but already I'm in awe.  The peaks I've seen so far are mostly in the 11,000's, but there are 13,000-foot peaks coming up!  From a distance I could see the glaciers on the north faces of the highest peaks.  Wow.  This should be a National Park!  I managed to get lost for a while this morning.  I missed the turn to Leeds Creek and thought I was still on the divide when I was really on a side ridge.  The first time I checked my GPS I thought, "Gee, that's strange.  The map sure is inaccurate."  The second time I figured it must be me that goofed and figured out where I went wrong.  Fortunately it was easy to get back on the divide without backtracking too much.  31 miles today, and a lot of navigating.  The next couple days in the Winds should be well-marked trail.  Hurray!

August 25  9:15 PM.  Above Bald Mountain Basin, Wind River Range, Bridger Wilderness, WY. 34 wonderful miles today!  I started the day by seeing six moose near the Green River.  The cliffs, rocks and mountains all day were spectacular and the trail is in great shape.  What could be better?  Well, how about meeting my first fellow CDT thruhikers?  Their trail names are Stranger and Rockfish.  They are headed southbound just as I am.  Stranger is a fellow ultra-lightweight packer with a G4 pack, but Rockfish is on his third thruhike with heavy gear.  Both have hiked the AT and the PCT in previous years.  But the biggest news was the guy who was with Stranger and Rockfish.  Sage!  Yes, the guy I hiked with in '97, and who came to the PCT Kick-off party, is here to hike the Wind Rivers.  He did 33 miles today and will do 33 more with me tomorrow!  A truly amazing feat for someone who's not in thruhiker shape!  But he's been hiking in various places much of the summer, so he's no couch potato either!  We hiked over two 11,000-foot passes and are camped at 10,800 feet, so this is no easy section.  Rockfish dropped off the pace during the day and Stranger decided to wait for him.  August 26  10:15 PM.  Big Sandy Lodge, WY. It was another tough day, especially for Sage.  We did 33-plus miles again and that was enough to give him a case of tendonitis in his foot.  He gutted it out but is icing it down tonight with some ice he got at the lodge.  It was just too fast of a ramp-up to the big miles for him.  Sarah at the lodge says that Alan Stibora is in the campground, but that's another mile from here and Sage just doesn't have it in him.  Anyway, it's so late all we'd do is cook dinner and go to sleep.  So I'll go over there in the morning.  The only animals we saw today were sheep at Sheep Creek.  I guess grazing is allowed in the Bridger Wilderness.  Too bad.  It's one of the finest wildernesses in the country and should be protected from such abuse. The biggest news today is that Sage spotted a fire while we were high up the Fremont Trail.  We got a bearing on it and estimated its location, and then I called the Forest Service on my satellite phone.  Apparently we were the first to report it.  Soon a plane flew over to check it out.  When we first saw it, it was growing fast with flames appearing over the trees in the area!  We altered our course to avoid the area and saw the smoke all evening.  It did not seem to be spreading too fast though.  I sure hope the Forest Service can get it under control soon.  This wilderness is too nice to be burned up.

August 27  10:00 PM.  Near Sweetwater Guard Station site, Bridger-Teton National Forest, WY. After the last two tough days, today was an easy 25-miler.  I got out of Big Sandy Lodge about 10 AM after having breakfast with Sage and meeting Alan Stibora at the lodge soon after.  Alan had an unsettling tale of getting lost among the roads to oil wells north of Wamsutter.  That convinced me that that road walk was not a good idea.  Water problems and navigation problems together can mean serious dehydration.  That combined with the fact that my plan calls for following the "official" route through Atlantic City and Highway 287 into Rawlins.  My guidebook has a good description of the route and any water that's available.  I'm really sad to have left the Wind Rivers.  Today's hike over 11,500-foot Temple Pass was as spectacular as any part of the Winds.  What a place!  August 28  10:30 PM.  Sweetwater River, BLM Land, WY. Although I'm not yet in the Great Divide Basin, I'm started on that section.  I resupplied in South Pass City and headed out onto the flats.  This area is mostly treeless, flat and hot.  It was about 100 degrees in the sun this afternoon.  Tough going.  And before South Pass City, I was having problems staying on the right road.  Jim Wolf's description of the "official" route even crossed some private land.  I also backtracked once when I missed a turn and ended up on private land.  Even so, the flat roads were cruisable and a first-quarter moon made hiking until well past dark easy, so I fit in 37 miles today!  One nice surprise in South Pass City was a set of maps detailing Ray Hanson's route through the Great Divide Basin!  Ray recently dropped off several sets at the Visitor Center.  They show the "official" route, which is very much like my planned route and they show water sources!  They even have GPS coordinates for them!  Many thanks to Ray for the maps and the well marked trail on BLM lands.  An email from Sage says that his tendonitis is 85-percent healed, but his feet are still swollen.  Even though he's in great shape, 66 miles in the Winds in two days was too much, too soon.  Of course, most people wouldn't have been able to do it at all!

August 29  9:30 PM.  Crooks Mountain, BLM Land, WY.  35 miles today, and what a day!  The Great Divide Basin area is very remote.  Although most of it is not designated wilderness area, it is a wilderness in the larger sense of the word.  I saw just one car today, a game warden, and no other hikers.  Water is scarce and scummy, and it was almost 100-degrees in the sun this afternoon.  A heavy load of water feels like security to me.  But there are good things out here, too.  Lots of wild animals.  I saw a group of about 50 wild horses!  What a thrill!  The difference in intelligence between them and cattle is striking.  I was too far away to hear it, but the first horse to see me raised the alarm and suddenly the entire herd was looking at me.  When cattle see me, they each in turn stop and stare.  The only way they can communicate alarm is if one notices another staring.  Then it will look to see what's so fascinating.  Cattle will stand there staring until I get close enough to one that it bolts, and then the others will follow.  They usually bolt directly away from me rather than trying to get out of my way.  I feel like I'm on a cattle drive at times.  But the horses sized me up and at a signal from one of the leaders, ran off in an orderly fashion.  There was no panic.  They headed off at a right angle course and they chose the closest place that was out of my sight.  Amazing.  I also saw dozens of Pronghorn Antelope today.  They seemed to be everywhere.  I'd see some flee as I crested nearly every hill.  And they are FAST.  I also saw two horned lizards, the first I've seen since southern California on the PCT.  For a place that looks so barren, it is certainly alive.  There are no plants higher than the one-foot tall sagebrush.  And the hills are few and flat.  So when a thundercloud blew by about 5 PM, I had a tough time finding a low place to sit and wait while it passed.  But I got a half-hour nap while waiting!  I believe it's my first nap this year!  August 30 - 7:15 PM.  The solar-powered well near Rocky Draw, BLM Land, Great Divide Basin, WY.  30.5 miles so far today.  It's been very hot (100-degrees) but very flat with decent roads.  Some of the roads have been very sandy, which is tough going, but most are reasonably solid dirt.  I'm stopped here for dinner because there's water.  It's scarce here and I need all my carrying capacity for drinking.  Plus, the heat has been bothering me enough to consider night hiking some, so I've got quite a few more miles to go today and can use the rest.  While I've been here, cattle and horses have come to the water.  My presence is disturbing, but if I don't stare, they don't mind so much.  I'll move on as soon as I can to allow the more timid animals access.  It's very important for people not to camp right next to a water source like this in a dry area.  As I just mentioned, I've seen more wild horses today.  More groups of fewer horses, and also many more Pronghorns.  It's very flat here and I can see for miles.

IN WATERTON-GLACIER INTERNATIONAL PEACE PARK

THE CHINESE WALL - BOB MARSHALL WILDERNESS