TrailLogs_July

Trail Logs for July 1 through July 31, 2001

July 1, 2001 10:00 PM. Near Middle Sister, Three Sisters Wilderness, OR.

35 miles today with a stop at Elk Lake resort for resupply. They charge $5 to hold a box, $10 if it's sent to their post office box. UPS is better.

I saw two herds of elk today, and got a picture of the second one. They were grazing in a high meadow below South Sister at sunset. And sunset was an astoundingly late 9 PM as the last rays shown on the mountains.

The mosquitoes at Sisters Mirror Lake were worse than any I've seen since those in northern Yosemite in '97. I killed 20 at a time swatting my shoulders.

It was warm and sunny today and the forecast is for a warm, clear week! I'm making enough miles per day to have a chance to get into Cascade Locks before the Post Office closes for the weekend.

July 2 11:30 PM. Three-Fingered Jack, OR.

It's late but I was looking for water and trying to get close to 40 miles. I did neither. I'm melting snow for dinner water and I calculate 39.4 miles for the day. If I can get up at a decent hour and do another 39, I'll be in Ollalie tomorrow!

It was another gorgeous day. From a viewpoint just north of the Three Sisters I could see six Cascade peaks lined up to the north: Belknap Crater, Mt. Washington, Three-Fingered Jack, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams. The last one is in Washington, almost a week away at my current pace. Quite a view!

At McKenzie Pass I met Hans Schneider and his brother Fritz. Hans has been enjoying my web site and decided to meet me on the trail. So we had a quick lunch together and a nice chat. My favorite part of the lunch was the fresh raspberries and blueberries as part of a fruit salad. Yum! All too soon I had to be on my way, but that's the nature of my hike. I must keep moving.

July 3 10:20 PM. Ollalie Lake Resort, Oregon.

I just barely made it here before it got completely dark and found that my Uncle Robin is here! It's late so we'll regroup in the morning, but I'm eating some food he brought, including a peach cobbler! Yum. 39.4 miles again today.

July 4 10:00 PM. Near Little Crater Lake, Oregon.

37.2 miles today after a 7:30 AM start at Ollalie Lake. I got a good sendoff from Uncle Robin with a ham sandwich that had the thickest piece of ham I've ever seen in a sandwich. Tasty!

I saw two huge birds in Lemiti Meadow this morning. They looked like Cranes or large Egrets or something. They were brown and almost as tall as small deer! When they flew, they had a wingspan over six feet, I estimate. It was a privilege to see them up close.

July 5 11:45 PM. Sentinel Peak, north of Mt. Hood, OR.

Sometimes I spend so much time hiking I forget to think, even about mileage. Today is a case in point. At Ollalie Lake I figured that it was about 100 miles to Cascade Locks. If I did 40 miles yesterday and 40 miles today, I'd have an easy 20 into town tomorrow and could easily get to the post office before it closes for the weekend. I've been pushing hard all week to make it happen. So yesterday I did 37 miles, which is "close" to 40, so I figured it was "in the bag." That attitude got me a late start this morning and a long break at Timberline Lodge when I resupplied. So late this afternoon I realize that if I hike hard until dark, I'll still have 30 miles tomorrow! What happened? Well, the little bits add up. It was really 103 miles total, not 100. 37 miles yesterday was 3 more miles short of the plan. And today's lollygagging left me 5 more miles short of plan as it got dark. So I had to hike by flashlight until almost 11 PM to get tomorrow's tally down to 28! So it's still not "in the bag." I have to get up at the crack of dawn and hike hard all day to get that total done before 5 PM. It's going to be a short sleep tonight. So why am I up late writing? Because dinner's cooking. Without dinner I'd have no way to replenish the glycogen store in my liver overnight and tomorrow's hiking would be really tough. Eating is a higher priority than sleeping.

July 6 10:15 PM. Cascade Locks, OR.

I made it to the Post Office with just over an hour to spare! I got up this morning at 4:30 AM after 4 hours, 20 minutes of sleep and was hiking by 5 AM. I came down the official PCT rather than the Eagle Creek Trail even though I was really torn. I love the Tunnel Falls area on Eagle Creek, but I've been there twice, so I also wanted to see the official route. The official PCT is nice. There are more views than the guidebook would lead you to expect. Certainly Eagle Creek is nicer, but that's hardly a surprise. I'm glad I've seen both routes. For those who suppose I always take the shortest route, I didn't this time. It's shorter to take the Eagle Creek trail via the Indian Springs cut-off. I also took the longer and harder Paradise Park hiker-only PCT route rather than the stock route. I've seen both and the Paradise Park route is much more scenic.

But speed is important to me, at least this year. In that light, I note that I crossed 455 miles of Oregon PCT in 12 days, 22 hours. As far as I know, it's never been done faster. That's 35 miles per day. And I'm not taking more than a few rest hours here in Cascade Locks. I'm feeling good.

My Uncle Robin visited me here again. We talked over ice cream and laundry and then had a pizza. He had one piece; I had the rest.

I plan to sleep in a little in the morning to make up for the 4+ hours sleep last night. But I'll be heading north tomorrow. The clock is still running and I'm not done yet. Not even close.

July 7 10:30 PM. Between Sheep and Green Lakes, Indian Heaven Wilderness, Washington.

I'm in a new state, the third and last on the PCT. Now I've completed 14, started 3 and have not touched 5 of 22 states. As expected I got a late 8 AM start but I'm a whopping 54 PCT miles farther along than this morning. But no, I didn't suddenly find a new gear. I took the guidebook-recommended road-walk route to Panther Creek campground, a 17-mile road-walk which got me to the 30-mile point. I've done it both ways before, and I agree with the guidebook authors who say the official route is way too circuitous, viewless and full of pointless ups and downs. The road-walk is not fun, there's a lot of traffic, but it's fast and in most places there's plenty of shoulder to walk on. I also visited an ATM machine in Stevenson and a grocery store in Carson for some Ben and Jerry's ice cream. So I saved 19 miles, but I still hiked 35 today. And since the road-walk was planned months ago, I only did 2 more miles than my plan calls for, not 21 extra. Too bad. The plan is a hard taskmaster.

I found myself catching up to the hind end of a porcupine on the trail this evening. When I figured out what it was, I called out, "Hey, Porky, whatcha doin'?" Since it hadn't heard me before that, it stopped and bristled for a bit before heading off the trail. It was an interesting sight.

Before heading out of Cascade Locks, I made one last visit to the Tillamook ice cream store for a 24-ounce hard-packed ice cream. For the sixth time in three visits, it was Strawberry, my favorite Tillamook flavor. I've been dreaming about that ice cream since the AT and it did not disappoint. The clerk recognized me from previous years and asked if Scott Williamson was on the trail this year. I said no, he got married, but it's nice to know he frequented the place too. So there you have it folks, the secret to high mileage Tillamook ice cream!

July 8 10:00 PM. Mt. Adams Wilderness, WA.

I didn't have much energy much of the day today. Possibly it was all mental due to the easy terrain through Indian Heaven Wilderness. I knew I wouldn't have to push, so my "edge" wasn't there. Fortunately it was easy going and I got a fairly early 6 AM start. And by the time I needed to climb up the side of Mt. Adams, I had plenty of energy. 37 miles today.

I met two section hikers today. Both had heard about my trek and suspected I was the guy before I introduced myself. Hope is hiking from Panther Creek to White Pass and Heath is going from Crater Lake to Manning.

July 9 11:00 PM. Cispus River, Goat Rocks Wilderness, WA.

After feeling fried yesterday, I slept in a couple extra hours and felt good today. The 8 AM start meant hard charging all day and until 10 PM to get in 35 miles. But I made it and I'll sleep well tonight!

The views of Mt. Adams, St. Helens and Rainier today were fabulous. It's been really clear and I could see a little smoke drifting from near the summits of St. Helens and Adams. I also saw a lot more wildlife than usual. In four sightings, I saw two bears and three elk! One pair of elk were males with velvet on their antlers.

Since I walked right through dusk, I've got a dark sky above for dinner. It's spectacular from this open 6,130-foot location. It's very dark and the atmosphere is very still. There's almost no twinkle to the stars. The Milky Way extends behind me from near Scorpio to Cassiopeia. Mars is as bright as ever and I just saw a bright shooting star. It's a very nice night.

July 10 10:30 PM. Near Snow Lake, William O. Douglas Wilderness, WA.

This wilderness should be renamed the Mosquito Hell Wilderness. This south end of it is full of little lakes and it's always swarming when I've come through. Today was as bad as ever. Even though it was in the 80's late this afternoon, I was wearing rain pants and a head net. I resisted the long-sleeved shirt until it got cooler or else I would have overheated. So while walking I was continually swatting bugs on my arms, usually several at a time. But even with all the mosquitoes, there were numerous elk feeding in the meadows among the lakes.

I saw elk in Goat Rocks this morning too, but the bigger deal was seeing three mountain goats, or perhaps sheep they were too far away to tell. As I walked the knife-ridge from Old Snowy to Elk Pass, they were way below me on the left side.

The views from Goat Rocks were beyond compare. It was a clear morning and Mt. Rainier looked to be just a very few miles away. St. Helens and Adams were also "right there."

I resupplied at White Pass in about an hour today. It's a little off the trail, so I hiked an extra mile to get there and back. So today's total of 32 miles is not great, but the Goat Rocks Section was slow going. Lots of snow traverses and lots of stopping to gawk at the scenery!

July 11 10:00 PM. Cougar Valley Trail Junction, Norse Peak Wilderness, WA.

Seeing elk is becoming a common occurrence. I can see why there were so many hunters here in '97 when I came through in hunting season. I've also been seeing or more often hearing pikas, which are little rodents that live in rock piles. They make a fairly loud peeping sound as an alarm call that sounds like it could be a bird.

There were many people on the trail today, particularly in Mt. Rainier National Park. I finally caught up to "U.K. Ray", who took five days off recently. He was hiking with a fellow Brit who just joined him. Ray's been on the PCT since Crater Lake and hiked the southern PCT last year. I also particularly enjoyed talking to Sherrie, a local White Pass resident who was out hiking with a girlfriend and her two black Labs. Sherrie is quite good-looking and was wearing a black halter-top that certainly halted me for a while. <wink> . Yeah, I know I've been out here alone for so long that any woman near my age is looking pretty good, but really, Sherrie is cute.

Oh yeah, 36 miles today.

July 12 9:45 PM. One mile south of Stampede Pass, WA.

I felt burned out again this morning, so I didn't get going until 8 AM. Still, I got in 33 miles. I met Jen and Laura today. They're teachers from New England, hiking from Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood to Manning Park, BC. We all walked and talked for a couple hours, which passed some of the time walking through clear cuts today. Jen is depressed by all the dead tree stumps and they were considering trying to hitch around this section, but I convinced them that despite the devastation there are great views and lots of wildflowers here.

It rained for about 5 minutes this evening when a big thundercloud came by. That's the first rain since Mt. Ashland if you don't count the tree rain from fog on Mt. Hood. It's mostly clear tonight.

July 13 10:15 PM. Chikamin Peak, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA.

This was resupply day in Snoqualmie Pass. It went very smoothly, in and out in about an hour and a half.

There were many people on the trail today, especially for a Friday. This is a popular hiking area and it's easy to see why. It's very rugged and beautiful. My camp spot has a nice view of Mt. Rainier to the south and a little ways from here I could see all the way to Mt. Adams. There's also a big fire down that direction. I could see the smoke.

A day hiker told me that the forecast is for showers Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Rats. Looks like I'll get rain in the vicinity of Glacier Peak for the third time in three tries. That's Washington. 32 miles today.

July 14 10:00 PM. Cathedral Pass, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA.

This was the first full day in the "hard" section of Washington so I was pleased to hike 35 miles today! There're some serious ups and downs here but I'm almost impervious to hills these days. I just munch on a Snickers Bar and motor on up in what I call "4-wheel drive" mode. That's where I use my trekking poles to help push me uphill. What's slower than uphill for me now is rocky, uneven ground. That forces me to watch every step so that I don't turn an ankle or step on too many sharp rocks. They bruise my feet if I step on enough of them. So I'm making up time on my schedule at a greater rate than usual. In most sections I planned 33-mile days. In this section and the next I planned 27-mile days.

July 16 10:15 PM. Near Dishpan Gap, Henry M. Jackson Wilderness, WA.

I missed my journal writing last night because I was in Skykomish with my parents, cousin Beverly, Jim, George and Rita. All came up to Stevens Pass and hiked a bit to meet me on the trail. What a welcome! So I had a night of camaraderie for the first time in a while. The burger, shake, shower and dry bed weren't bad either. It was a rainy night after a wet, misty day, so once again I picked a good night to be in town. It's been more showers today as well, but right now I'm not getting rained on here with my tarp.

Mileage the last two days has suffered the usual town-stop deficit, 27 yesterday and 29 today. The terrain is also tough as well as being wet and slippery. Glacier Peak is getting near, but just as in '97, I've not seen it yet due to the clouds. Too bad.

July 17 11:15 PM. The Ridge north of Milk Creek, Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA.

It was a tough day to get the miles in. It was raining at dawn and I was cold for the first time in a long time. The down in my bag was shifted to the sides and a little damp but I couldn't figure that out until later, so I thought maybe I'd caught a cold or something. So it was 7:30 AM before I was hiking. Then it showered off and on all day. Finally, I stopped to talk to people on the trail a lot. There must have been five groups out today, all commiserating about the cold rain. Several people, like me, got snowed on at high elevation. Mine occurred at Red Pass. The last people I talked with were Walt & ?, a couple of south-bounders on their first thruhike. That's a tall order going that direction on a first thruhike, but this is the best year to do so in many years. I hope they make it.

Anyway, it took until 10:20 PM to get here, well past dark. And the infamous brush on the north side of Milk Creek is still there. For the 3rd time in three visits, I was soaked from head to toe wading through that brush. But the more serious aspect of the situation is that the brush hides the hazards on the trail. It's poorly maintained and there are big rocks, holes, washed out areas, eroded shoulders and narrow areas as it switchbacks up a very steep hillside. Every time I've been here, including today, I've accidentally stepped off the trail and almost fallen off. It's very dangerous. Tonight it didn't help that it was getting quite dark as I walked through. But I used my poles to feel my way along.

July 18 10:15 PM. Agnes Creek, Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA.

It seems to be clearing up finally. There was rain this morning, but none in the afternoon. A Vancouver radio station says there's still a chance of showers tonight so I better set up the tarp. It was clear here as the sun went down, but there are no stars, so it's clouding up again. I hiked 34 miles today to get within three miles of Stehekin. I'll catch the morning bus into town.

As expected, I did not see Glacier Peak due to clouds. A few times I saw some of its lower ridges, but that was all. Too bad.

July 19 11:15 PM. Cutthroat Pass, Mt. Baker National Forest, WA.

It's a late end to a long day. Not in miles, but in events. Just 28 miles, 25 of which were done since noon when I left Stehekin and I'm 5,000 feet higher now than then! A tough half-day.

After a late start and 3 miles this morning, I caught the 9 AM bus into Stehekin. Jim, the bus driver and owner, who I first met in '99, was still there. I'd heard from other hikers that he was telling people about my trip, so he was expecting me. He wanted me to sign his bus, which I was honored to do. I signed right next to where Scott Williamson signed last year. I signed, "Flyin' Brian" Robinson, Calendar Triple Crown '01, 7/19/01. The new trail name is one that I've been considering since the California-Oregon border, where a well-wisher wrote in the trail register a note to "keep flyin' Brian". I thought it was a clever ditty and appropriate as a trail name. It's better than Never B, which has a lot of deep meanings that only I can appreciate. And a trail name should be bestowed by a fellow hiker wherever possible.

Today I also heard the sad news that Mojave Desert trail angel Jack Fair committed suicide. A real shame, but not a huge surprise. He was ailing when I saw him in May and he was definitely a no bullshit free thinker who lead life on his own terms. Sorry for the profanity, but it's a tribute to Jack, who swore profusely, yet it fit him so well I didn't notice after a while. He was a philosopher who would share his deep thoughts and his home with any hiker who walked in. I found his directness and honesty refreshing in a world that's too politically correct for my tastes. I will miss him and wish I'd spent more time talking to him when I had the chance. But it's too late now. Goodbye, Jack Fair.

July 20 10:30 PM. Headwaters of Shaw Creek, Pasayten Wilderness, WA.

36 miles today, leaving just 30 tomorrow to Manning Lodge. It's raining again so I'll be glad to get dried out. So far it's just a thunderstorm lots of rain but not for long. We'll see tomorrow. Today's rain is less Washington-like than usual. It's drier. Washington rain just seems wetter than other rain. It's the humidity. In New Mexico the rain seemed to bounce off it dried so fast. At 100-percent humidity, Washington rain all soaks in and stays put. Yuck.

I forgot to mention yesterday that the wild Huckleberries are ripe in the Stehekin area. Below about 2,500 feet they're ready to eat. Yum. But I stop so often to pick them that it slows me down. I had no idea there'd be any this early.

July 21 9:30 PM. Manning Park Lodge, British Columbia, Canada!

I finally finished a trail! 4,850 miles into my trip and the PCT is now behind me. It took 84 days, 6 hours, which is a record as far as I know. I averaged a little over 31 miles per day including town stops and one zero-mile day recovering from bad peanuts. I feel really good about the fast pace and I'm stronger now than when I started the PCT. The 30 miles today feels like a rest day. Really. I'm also a little ahead of schedule on my quest to get through southern Colorado before winter snows set in. My rough draft plan showed that if I completed the PCT by the end of July, I'd have a chance to complete the CDT. Detailed planning pushed that up 10 days or so and I'm right on that plan. If I can get a permit for Glacier National Park in the next couple days, I'll be well on my way to Colorado. Awesome!

My friends Kris and David are here to drive me to Montana. They flew into Seattle and rented a car. They were just about to go to the trailhead when I showed up at the Lodge. Perfect timing. So I'm really going to enjoy the next couple days off my feet as we go to Montana and get a permit to hike the CDT and Glacier National Park. The rest will certainly do me good, but I hope I don't lose my "edge" and get soft mentally. I've found that my body will do what my mind tells it to do, but I have to keep pushing for miles. They don't come automatically.

July 24 8:00 AM. Waterton Lodge, Waterton, Alberta, Canada.

Yesterday was a nice rest day. I went to Apgar in the morning and was very pleased to get a permit to hike the Highline Trail route through Glacier National Park starting today! I'd heard from several people to expect difficulty getting such a permit as the campsites are strictly limited in capacity and that route is VERY popular, especially this time of year. The advantages I have over some CDT parties are two. I'm just one person and can fit in any available space, no matter how small, and I can do big miles. That allowed them to "jump over" some of the critically crowded sites and fit me in elsewhere. The only downside is the route they approved is a little slow for my tastes. Only 18 miles today, for instance. But I'll not complain, as it will still only take me three days to get through the park. After that, I'm on my own and can sleep anywhere I want to.

David and Kris are still with me. We drove from Hungry Horse, where we stayed on 7/22, to Waterton over the "Going to the Sun" road through Glacier National Park. It's a spectacularly scenic road cut high into the cliffs. We stopped at Logan Pass and dayhiked a bit of the Highline Trail. There we saw a family of mountain goats at close range. They are quite used to seeing people and not shy at all. Quite a thrill! And the views there are even more spectacular than I'd expected. I've seen photographs of the postcard-like views and thought it can't really look like that, but it does. I can certainly appreciate why the Highline Trail is so popular. Wow.

Waterton turns out to be a very nice little town. It has a pizza place, bookstore, movie theater, etc. There are also a lot of other hikers, bicyclists and other tourists here this time of year. It almost feels like a college town. We met two lovely young women, Jen and Heather, at the Lodge's pool. They are leading a bicycle/hiking tour group but had most of the day off to relax. The three of us, the two of them and a couple from their tour group met at the pizza place for dinner and had a very nice evening. Jen and Heather are both well traveled, adventurous souls and it was a real pleasure to tell and listen to stories about our various adventures. It is the kind of social interaction that I have rarely had time for on this trip and it was a real pleasure. Jen and Heather, thank you for a wonderful time.

July 25 6:00 AM. Fifty Mountain Camp, Glacier National Park, Montana.

My routine has certainly been disrupted by the National Park rules. I can't cook under my tarp. All campers must cook in the designated cooking area in order not to attract bears to the campsites. And it's nice to have people to talk to while cooking dinner. But I forgot to write in my journal last night. Oops.

Yesterday was a 19-mile day, which left plenty of daylight to set up camp, cook and talk. The thundershowers, which really rocked the canyons from about noon through 6 PM, finally dissipated so I didn't have to choose which of the dual uses, tarp or rain gear, to use my poncho for.

Glacier is certainly scenic, even in the rain. And a good thunder and lightning shower adds some grandeur. This camp is over 6,850 feet, and I hiked over 7,000 feet already. That's as high as anything in Washington.

I have seen no bears yet.

July 25 7:00 PM. Reynolds Creek Camp, Glacier National Park, MT.

I feel like I'm shirking, getting into camp this early. But my permit requires me to camp here even though I could go another 10 miles or so otherwise. And I sure wouldn't choose a buggy spot like this! Yuk!

Other than the campsite, this has been a banner day. No rain, and LOT's of animal sightings. The mountain goats at Logan Pass were still there and a mile or so earlier, I saw a Bighorn sheep up close! It was crossing the Highline Trail and wasn't too concerned about all the people. But the big deal was the Grizzly sow I saw through binoculars (borrowed from another person there) from Granite Park Chalet! Wow! It looked huge even from a mile away. I'm really glad I got to see one from a safe distance. Now I'm doubly sure I don't want to disturb one at close range. What an animal! It had a cub, but I never saw it. Others did. This park is truly spectacular and I can see why it's so popular. There was a constant stream of day hikers on the Highline Trail, so many that there was almost always someone in sight and there was a line to get into the restrooms at Logan Pass. It's nice, for a change, to see people, but I'm going to be glad when I get out of the "zoo."

July 26 9:15 PM. Oldman Lake Camp, Glacier National Park, MT.

At last a day that doesn't feel like a rest day! 31.7 miles today, with over 5,000 feet of climbing and almost as much descent. The weather was very clear again so the views were stupendous. The rocks here are sedimentary rather than volcanic, so they look much different. Lots of layers and ledges.

The most interesting spot today was Triple Divide Pass, right next to Triple Divide Peak. I tend to ignore the Arctic Ocean when it comes to thinking about the continental divide, but it does exist. The Nelson River drains the northern part of Glacier National Park into the Hudson River. So there's one place in North America where the Atlantic, Pacific and Hudson drainages meet. That place is Triple Divide Peak. It's astonishing to me that only a few feet separate waters that drain into the Nelson River, the Columbia River and the Mississippi River!

I continue to see lots of interesting animals. I saw two more groups of goats near Triple Divide Pass and I saw a moose near Cut Bank Creek! It's the first I've ever seen in the wild. A big bull with antlers many feet across! Wow!

July 27 10:30 PM. South Fork Two Medicine River, Lewis & Clark National Forest, south of Glacier National Park, MT.

I'm finally free to camp where I like! It's hard to say exactly how far I hiked today because I took an alternate route shortcut which turned into a bushwhack, but it was around 31 miles, all of it part of my planned route. For those interested, I cut down to Firebrand Pass Trail, went southwest about 0.8 miles on highway 2, turned left on the dirt road just past a small lake, went about 1 mile, forded the South Fork Two Medicine River, turned right on a trail that parallels the river, crossing behind the Rising Wolf Resort and connected in about 3 miles with South Fork Two Medicine Trail 101. The whole route is on public land, but the 3 miles going past the resort are not really all there. I got lost in a maze of animal trails, but did fine following a compass bearing and contouring along the hillside. It saved about 5 miles compared with going through Marias Pass. I'd do it again even knowing about the bad trail.

Tomorrow I'm following the river all the way to Badger Pass and not doing the side loops of the official route. This is not a very scenic section and I don't believe I'll be missing much by doing so.

Today's highlight was the 10-mile hop from Two Medicine to East Glacier. The "scenic point" is well named as the views are spectacular, both back toward the mountains and out over the endless plains to the east. That's a section I could have road walked, but chose not to. I try not to bypass the good stuff.

The register in East Glacier shows about half a dozen southbounders, all at least 2 weeks ahead of me. For the first time this year I'm "late."

This is a good time to point out why I'm taking what some may consider to be too many shortcuts. My pre-trip route planning showed that there are just too many miles in the high mountains for a typical summer. Even my shortened route requires averaging 33 miles per day during June-September. If I didn't take these judicious shortcuts, I'd have to do more than 35 miles per day. I may be "Flyin' Brian." But I'm not supersonic!

July 28 10:30 PM. Strawberry Creek/Bowl Creek junction, Bob Marshall Wilderness, MT.

This was a tough day mentally. I wasn't having much fun despite good weather. I believe part of the problem is a letdown after going through the utterly spectacular Glacier National Park. I expected to be in the good part of the Bob Marshall Wilderness immediately, but that was not so. So, I'm not seeing the beautiful sights I'm expecting. Also, my mileage estimate through here is short by at least a couple miles. That's partly due to a planned shortcut that I decided not to take and partly because the trail is more winding than the map shows. So I probably walked 35+ miles today, but can only count 32 against my plan. And then there's the bushwhacking. I decided against the shortcut because the mileage saved was not worth the risk that the trail marked on the map might be non-existent. So I took Jim Wolf's recommended route and lost the trail for an hour around Beaver Lake! I was thinking to myself that I could have taken the shortcut and got no more lost than this! And finally, this evening a storm front has come through and it's raining. It's a good thing my mood improved before then or I might be in a real funk right now. But I'm doing okay. Mental toughness is one of my strengths and I can usually find the bright side to any situation.

July 29 11:00 PM. Near Spotted Bear Pass, Bob Marshall Wilderness, MT.

Well, the funk yesterday continued this morning. I didn't get out of bed until 7 AM. It was cold and wet, but not too bad. So I reexamined my motivation for this hike. I have plenty of time to think while walking, and it seems that I've been relying too heavily on the excitement of other people lately to keep me going. It's a great lift to see another hiker's eyes light up when I tell him or her of my grand adventure. And that's not a problem unless I forget that I also am excited about my hike. With all the people I've met in Glacier National Park and during the drive from Manning, I lost track of my own feelings. Now that I haven't seen a soul since East Glacier, that's all I have left. Once again I'm on my own.

Fortunately, I'm still excited about this adventure, and I reaffirmed that emotion today. I hope that will solve my motivational crisis. So far, so good. 32 miles today.

July 30 10:15 PM. Straight Creek, Scapegoat Wilderness, MT.

A long day today. 33.7 trail miles plus 4 more round-trip to the Benchmark Wilderness Ranch for resupply. Much of it was cruisable and my renewed commitment to remain excited about my adventure helped. I was on the trail by 6 AM. With the days getting shorter by about 5 minutes each day, that kind of early start will become critical soon.

The centerpiece of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, the Chinese Wall, was quite a sight. A long wall of rock along the divide stretched for miles like the Great Wall of China. But my favorite vista today was from the north side of Larch Hill. It looked out over the area I've already covered and much that I've never seen. It was really clear and well lit in the morning sun.

There are a few ripe Huckleberries around here, but not as many as in Washington. But there are a lot more ripe wild strawberries! I've tasted a few in Washington in years past, but I ate dozens today. They are tiny, but very tasty.

I should also note that yesterday I went over the 5,000-mile mark! I didn't even notice the milestone until today. My hike is already one of the longest one-year hikes ever accomplished! Wow.

July 31 10:00 PM. Valley of the Moon, Scapegoat Wilderness, MT.

It rained all night last night and didn't stop until noon. I tried waiting it out a bit but I'm not sleeping in until noon! 8 AM was my late start, and that and the mud resulted in just a 28.7-mile day. But it was a nice cold, clear day once the rain stopped, so the views were good. But it's going to be a cold night. It's below freezing already and my sleeping bag is damp. I hope I'm not cold. The storm left new snow above 8,500 feet!

MOON OVER MT. THIELSEN, OREGON

INVITING PATH NEAR SNOQUALMIE PASS, WASHINGTON

MT. RAINIER FROM GOAT ROCKS, WASHINGTON