Sept 8- We took our time in the morning eating at the cafe two breakfasts before making our way to the road to hitch. In thirty minutes, a nice couple had us in the back of their car cuddling their adorable blue healer dog. They dropped us back at our trailhead and we began the easy walk on the gravel road toward where it connected back to the CDT. We easily hiked 3 miles an hours and the time passed quickly. I was relieved to find a privy at the pass and I really think I’m the only one who has used it this year. Chipmunk joined us before we all set out back on the trail. Lots of burned trees today making us move slowly and a few decent views. The sun was even shining! We just cruised along without breaks trying to get in the miles. We had dinner as the sun was beginning to set and had a plan to do quite a few more miles and hike into the night. But we had too many obstacles in our way, we would find out quickly. I left first walking quickly before I hit so many downed trees. It was insane! I would climb up on the down trees to hop down to another one. Branches were poking me and driving me insane. Maybe I completed one mile in 40 minutes or longer. We grabbed water and continued on in the dark managing to get off trail and continuing to hurdle the down trees. I called my dad the next day requesting a chainsaw. This section needs some love! We finally found a campsite a bit past 9:30 that was not level at all, but had to do. There would be no more climbing over trees this evening after many new bruises to my legs. There are so many down trees and burnt sections that your camping options are limited. I was exhausted and quickly fell asleep lopsided against the tent wall.

Sept 9-

It was a morning struggle to get moving as I hit the trail at 8am. To make matters worse it took me 15 minutes to go .3 from getting off trail somehow while climbing over too many downed trees. I could have sworn I was on the trail. I finally caught up to my man who was enjoying a late breakfast at a water source. It was turning out to a beautiful day in the Anaconda Pintlers. We both split up listening to our own jams or podcasts, but could still see each other most of the day due to the burn section. As I made my way downhill, I saw a huge herd of elk in a straight line rushing over the downed trees and rocks. It was a sight I’ll never forget. To my surprise I would see three hunters out with their arrows and bows searching for the herd I had just watched flee twenty minutes later. One man was ahead and the other two were struggling uphill with small packs on. The trail wandering downhill followed by an uphill climb and into the sunshine. A huge elk came barreling down the trees as I walked by scaring me. They are such beautiful creatures. We climbed to the top of Pintler Pass together enjoying the views and small amount of snow left. Today was one of the nice days full of wildlife, views, warm weather, and happiness. We stopped after 26.5 miles by stream at the base of the next climb. It was a nicely established campsite where we stopped early. We enjoyed a warm meal in the daylight hours as Chipmunk joined us as the sun began to set. I wish everyday was like this, but then it wouldn’t be thru hiking. The one thing I had to accept early on my first thru hike is that there is no escaping the elements. Mother Nature controls all.

Sept 10-

We got an early start and began the climb up Rainbow Pass at 9,052 feet. A few deer ran across the trail as I hiked up towards the pass. It was another beautiful pass in Montana with views looking down to a lake. There were a few slipper spots so I took my time climbing down the pass. Paperweight caught up to me and we walked past the lake together before stopping at a stream that feed the lake. We began our big breakfast meal for the day as Chipmunk joined us. We had much debate about how far to hike today in order to get closer to the town of Anaconda which is our next resupply point. We took too long of a break, but planned to get serious for the rest of the day. The two of us would not see Chipmunk again until town. We hiked together for many miles passing the hours and miles easily. It was a bit rainy so I threw on my rain gear and began the climb of Cutaway Pass at 9,032 feet. It still had some snow along the climb and the rain turned to small hail then a bit of snow. It was too cold to stop for long so I just continued hiking. We found a nice stream to eat dinner at before getting too cold I had to leave before him. I then ran into a man riding his horse with another pack horse behind him. The trail is not very large so I had to climb off the trail to talk to him. He was warning us that a snow storm was coming tonight and a batch of cold weather for the next few days. Paperweight caught up to me as we were chatting to this man before begin our third pass of the day up Storm Lake Pass at 9,149 feet. It was around 7 when we started this climb and debating what our real game plan was for the night. We could camp before the pass somewhere, but we did not find many spots and that would leave a marathon day into Anaconda meaning there would be no time to rest. We decided it was best to get up and over the pass tonight. We walked together and before we knew it our headlamps were on. It was a lovely view of the sunset and many more miles to go. We got to the top of a ridge and could not see any markers in the darkness. We followed the ridgeline before meeting the trail again in the darkness. We made it to the top point of the pass before beginning a downhill. Suddenly, we hear rocks falls right behind where we had walked. A few big sized rocks had just crashed down over the trail. It is all about timing. We looked up to see nothing wondering if it was a bear, mountain goat, or some other animal. We began the rush down the pass and towards the lake. The trail took many switchbacks down into the darkness. The time passed quickly and before we realized it was 10 pm. At the bottom of the pass, there were no campsites so we were forced to keep walking looking off the trail with our headlamps for a spot to sleep. It was likely in the high 20s by the time we found a semi flat spot next to Storm Lake. We quickly put up the tent before climbing in for the night. The wind was whipping off of the lake and it was a bit drafty in the tent. I had on most of my layers and we snuggled up to one another. It was after 11pm by the time we were resting comfortably with over 31 miles on the day and multiple passes with substantial climbing. Today is my longest mileage day ever. I look forward to seeing the lake in the morning light.

Sept 11-

The morning rewarded me with the stunning view of the pass we climbed at night and Storm Lake. We quickly packed up with numb fingers before walking under a mile of trail before we joined a dirt road. We were walking so fast just trying to warm up on the flat terrain towards the town of Anaconda. We ran into a few elk hunters driving around looking for elk to kill. After 5 or 6 miles of the dirt road, we came to the junction of the paved highway that would lead to town. We were then walking along a flat highway for over 12 miles towards town. I detest road walks, but you have to connect your footsteps. I listened to Podcasts as vehicles would pass by and I would miss a few words. My feet ached as usual on flat roads before we took a quick break off the highway to have a quick lunch. We then busted out the miles making over 20 miles by 2ish. We hustled into town walking the road all the way in connecting all of our footsteps. This is true thru hiking. I would have loved to throw out my thumb and just this get there, but I would regret it in the future. So we walked along the road as cars zipped by into the town of Anaconda. We crossed the road and followed a sidewalk lined with rvs plugged into the houses nearby. We stopped by the grocery store hungry of course and bought lots of food before heading towards the hotels. Chipmunk was coming down the road so we told her our plans and she said we were crazy to do all those passes yesterday and her run in with a mama and baby bear. We stopped by the cheap hotel finding it full. So it was a quick stop at the post office and on to the nicest place we have stayed on the trail besides the hotel in South Fork because you cannot beat those comfy beds. It was called the Grizzly Den Motel and for a great deal we had two large queen beds, flat screen tv, mini kitchen, and a nice shower. It was in the low 30s outside as we rushed across the street and had a nice dinner together before retreating to the hotel for the rest of the night. It was a perfect night to stay inside and not be camping in those temperatures. My feet ached and the rest was necessary after a 31 mile day and a long road walk.

Sept 3 We would be quite a few days ahead if we learned to leave town early in the morning. Instead, we did the usual including a breakfast at the one restaurant, then hanging out at the hotel close to checkout, and finally stopping at the store one more time for a last minute snack. We then stuck out our thumbs and really lucked out. We got a hitch back to the trail from a father and son from Oregon out hunting elk. He went out of his way to take us up to the pass. So much kindness. We were back in Montana officially and would stay here the rest of the hike… I believe. I feel back to my normal self and ready to get to Canada before winter really hits. We all split up doing our own thing and heading North. We all met up at a piped water source where we took too long of a break snacking again. We ended up doing only a little over 12 miles setting up before the rain fell as Chipmunk pushed on getting in a few more miles.

 

Sept 4 The morning was so cold and we walked in a foggy haze for miles. I did not take off my gloves, hat, or down jacket until 12:30. You always hope for a long uphill to warm you up, but the trail followed a two lane dirt path mostly downhill and flat. We passed a few groups of cows and parked vehicles. We came across a hunter in his truck who was heading into town due to an upcoming storm tonight. We continued on and made our way to a water source at a historical site. We found Chocolate Chipmunk here having lunch and filtering water. I was finally able to take my jacket off and let the sun shine on me. Supposedly Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea drank from this very water source of course they didn’t filter it with a Sawyer. A few families came down the walkway to read the history and check out the water source. They looked at us strangely as I was cooking a meal for lunch. Paperweight enjoyed the use of a bathroom at the parking lot as I enjoyed lunch on a bench for a change. Chipmunk left us and headed along the trail. We made our way back to the trail finding ourselves at Lemhi Pass. Lemhi Pass is at 7,273 feet and it lies on the border of Montana and Idaho exactly on the divide. On this location on August 12^th 1805, Meriwether Lewis and other explorers crossed the Continental Divide. They were the first white men to see what is now called Idaho. We met a man in his 80s out exploring the country. He said he has been traveling nonstop since he retired and his wife passed away a few years back. He knew exactly what we were doing out there and reminded me it is never too late to explore our country. We crossed a road and began walking a trail once again. We could see Chipmunk ahead of us at one point as we pushed on covering many afternoon miles. The three of us had a cold snack break together on a log wondering how bad the snow storm was going to be and when it would start. I was so cold and had to leave first to warm up. I jammed out to a podcast as shots rang out in the distance. It is now rifle season yet so I assumed just target shooting. There were some good uphills so I was able to warm up before Paperweight caught up with me. We hiked the rest of the evening together and decided to set up camp at a nice flat spot. We began to eat dinner and the snowflakes began to fall. It was so cold so I climbed into the tent as he finished up his dinner outside the snow began to accumulate on the tent. He finally climbed in and tracked in some snow. We stayed nice and warm inside the tent cuddle up against one another as the snow fell I drifted to sleep.

Sept 5 It stormed all night and continued on into the morning. We had close to 6 inches of snow and neither of us wanted to get out of the tent. We made the move packing everything up. The worst part is stuffing a soaked tent into the bag with bare hands so you don’t get your gloves soaked. I am really not going to miss this! We started out moving quickly to warm up wondering how far up the climb did Chipmunk camp. We found lots of large bear prints in the snow then saw an empty spot where a tent has been pitched maybe a mile past our campsite. We continued moving along in the snow following her footprints. As we climbed higher, the wind and snow continued and it was difficult seeing the footprints of Paperweight who was only a maybe 50 feet ahead of me. We had no bail options since we were on the divide so we had to push through. Chipmunk is great at navigating so we followed her tracks higher and higher walking on snow covered tracks. I use trail runners and my feet were beginning to fell numb. I did not expect this type of weather during the first week of September. We came to an opportunity to bail where we found Chipmunk analyzing her maps. We would continue climbing higher into the mountains with no views and deeper snow or we could continue downhill towards a road that would reconnect to the CDT. Chipmunk considered a bushwhack towards a town, but it looked way too dangerous based on the topo maps. We all choose the low route and were pleased to have the sun begin shinning. We took a nice break over 1,500 feet lower allowing us to walk on wet ground instead of snow. We all hung out our wet tents, sleeping bags, and stuff sacks letting the sun do its job. Everything dried out nicely including my numb toes as we followed the dirt path to where it connected back to the CDT. We then reentered a world of snow. It was very slow going yet beautiful. The temperature has warmed up and the sound of snow falling hard off the trees frightened me a few times, but it became a familiar sound. The views were epic as we took turns leading the way and sinking into the snow. We were not making much progress. When we reached the top of the pass, we analyzed our maps trying to figure out the best route down. I managed to fall in the snow a few times and struggled most of the afternoon hours. We hadn’t done more than 13 miles by 5pm and we were a bit worried about the upcoming sections that included above tree line walking. After analyzing our maps and realizing I couldn’t feel my toes, we all decided to follow a dirt road that would then cut across farm land and back to the trail. It took a lot of convincing for me to agree, but the thought of this section taking an extra day or possibly two was not an option. The three of us happily dropped down lower and lower in elevation finding areas not covered in snow at all. My feet warmed up a bit and we walked almost until darkness fell to catch up on the miles. Chipmunk had a plan to follow a certain route only to be met with a gate and no trespassing signs. She ended up camping with us along a dirt road slightly in the woods. I enjoyed a warm meal before it started to rain as I climbed into our dry tent. I realized we made the right choice because we would have been camping on snow and who knows how much would fall tonight at the higher elevations. I am getting more worried about our chances of making it Canada in time.

 

Sept 6 Today was one of my least favorite days ever. We started out walking along the dirt road that would reconnect to the CDT. We were following google maps walking directions to find this route. We came to a huge ranch that we began cutting across knowing we were trespassing. We came to lots of fences and decided it wasn’t worth the risk as we neared homes. So we backtracked to the dirt road and continued following it to a junction where again we followed google maps to a driveway to a private ranch. Public national forest was maybe under a mile away, but you had to pass through the property. Since neither of us are risk takers we had to reevaluate and I got very upset. Our only option was to follow this dirt road to a main highway that would lead through a town following by many miles of walking along a highway. Even on this dirt road people were offering us rides. But it is important to connect all of my footsteps so we declined. My feet began aching and Paperweight was zooming. I had in my ipod on the highway and the sounds of trucks passing by drowned out the podcast. I was dragging. We found ourselves at the town of Wisdom. My body ached since we had done 30 miles by 3:30 with one break. I enjoyed a meal and the time to rest before we debated our options. We could of got a hotel room, but it was too pricy knowing we were a day away from our next drop. So we decided to hike out of town and I felt miserable. To our surprise within a mile we hit a free Veterans Memorial Park that has water, bathrooms, a room to charge and relaxed. Many bike riders camp here when riding across the country. It was a pleasant retreat. I had a mental break tonight as I cried in the tent saying how much I hate road walking and how we would never get to Canada before more snow falls. We had hiked 31 miles today and my body and mind feel it. Luckily for me, Paperweight held me, made me laugh, and tried to reassure me that we would be fine. I sleep so good that night in his arm exhausted.

Sept 7 We did about 22 miles into town on a miserable road walk. I did get to watch cattle get round up for the season and listen to the horrible cries they made. That was a new experience. We threw out our thumbs and a husband and wife out fishing let us ride in the bed of their truck to the Sula Country Store. He was zipping down the highway and around curves making it a fun ride. They dropped us off right out front where we were greeted by a friendly employee. She told us we were in room 7 and that the restaurant was closed by our friend bought us both a burger. She then proceeded to find us an old cooler that she filled up with ice for free for the beer and drinks we bought. The store closes at 5 and we got there around 3. She was so helpful. We wandered to cabin 7 to find Chipmunk showered and relaxing. She is crazy! She did a 40 yes 40 mile day yesterday then just a few into town this morning. We did the usual chores of opening our boxes, laundry, shower, and eating as many calories as possible. The burgers were cold, but delicious. The Moose Drool beers hit the spot and so did the two ice creams, soda, and bag of chips I ate. The cabin was perfect with one queen sized bed and twin bunks. There was a heater, electricity, and outlets. No tv, fridge, or other unnecessary things. I spent most of the evening hours just lying in bed resting my aching body. I’m so fortunate to have two wonderful friends to share this experience with.

 

 

Aug 29 2016

Aug 29th 2016

It was a restful zero yesterday and possibly the last one for a long time. I wanted to be out of town by 8:30, but we were waiting on another hiker and he was ready closer to 10. We were dropped off on Interstate 15 where we were picked up. We had to jump the fence again before walking through the underpass. The next 8 miles followed a gravel road. Paperweight and I walked together passing the time talking away. I love the wide open space that this part of the country has to offer. We came to the trailhead to climb a steep uphill where we took a break and was joined by Chipmunk. We looked at the Ley maps and he called this next section a calf buster, a roller coaster, and to enjoy!! The trail follows the divide which is the border of Idaho and Montana. You follow a barbed wire fence up steep climb then back down to go up again. I felt the burn, but the zero day helped. After 3.2 miles of this, I took a break and waited for him to catch up since I had left before him. We may have had a dance party on the divide for a few seconds… Then it was back to work. He got ahead of me as usual on the up hills as I switched from my iPod to podcasts. Fifteen minutes later I realized my iPod was gone. He was so far ahead so I just dropped my pack retracting my steps. As I was nearing our break spot, Chipmunk saw me looked down and picked up the IPod. Phew! I need my music. Walking without my pack felt so wonderful and you won’t believe how heavy it felt when I put it on again. He was waiting at the top of one of the climbs knowing I must have lost something. I lost 40 minutes, but the views were spectacular and we moved on. It was unrelenting! We had another snack and water break which was necessary. The sun was shining, but the breeze was a lifesaver. We saw so many cows and a herd of over 200 sheep. I still can’t get over the fact that you can see for miles in all directions! I really love this section. The last few ups were exhausting and we were rewarded with a downhill as the sun began to disappear. We came across a group of noisy unintelligent cows right on the trail. Instead of stepping off the trail they continued walking it looking back at me and still walking it over a mile downhill. Silly cows! This is where most of the cows were at munching away and making wild sounds at us. We noticed a cute little fox to our left. First one I’ve ever seen on a trail or in the wild!! He was the cutest! The last few miles of trail were steep ups and downs as the sun was setting. We choose to stop after a little over 23 miles near a stream. Chipmunk joined us and it took us all a while to find a cow poop free campsite. Back to falling asleep with that smell. Yuck! It was a late night around 10:15 by the time we got in the tent.

Aug 30

We were up early today with hopes of a 26.9 mile day. Chipmunk was getting out of her tent when we were finished packing and we would not see her again today. It was a beautiful day for a stroll on the CDT. Since there are few other hikers out here with us, I chatted to the many cows this morning before we took a break a break in a field admiring them and listening to them chat back. We followed a trail for a little while before I checked my Guthook App realizing we were not on the CDT. So it was an uphill bushwhack to connect back to the trail followed by more climbing looking back on the field we came from. It was a clear day and we cruised along quickly getting closer to our desired mile mark surrounded by sage brush.

Aug 31

It was another beautiful morning and easy walking until we got lost again trying to find the trail. You cross a river then the trail splits into two directions. Of course, I choose the wrong direction which ended up on a sketch loose rock crossing and bush whack back to the trail. It was frustrating, but we came to an open hilly field to see a marker on the top. So we walked on even ground over sage brush towards the marker where we found a nice trail to follow up to the top. Nice views all around followed by a downhill. I took a quick break at the top feeling tired, but blaming it on the off trail travel and frustration. I headed down from the top to the water source where Paperweight was waiting for me at our lunch spot. At lunch, I was feeling so weak and exhausted. I did not want to eat anything or continue walking. It was a worrisome feeling as I forced down a few pieces of food and threw on my pack. I left first and felt so lethargic, I struggled on a flat section before seeing the next pass ahead of me. Yuck! I took of my pack and just sat down until he arrived. I took some medicine and began to cry out of physical pain and exhaustion. One of the hardships of thru hiking is you can’t just call it a day when you fell horrible. You have to make your miles or worry about running out of food. I slowly made my way up the climb alone with lots of encouraging words floating in my head. He was a good half a mile ahead as I just seemed to be crawling. After I made it to the top, I noticed Chipmunk was with him and they were chatting. She had found a shorter route yesterday and just reconnected to the official route. The wind was whipping hard on the top as I struggled to stay upright. They both got ahead of me quickly as I wanted to call it a day, but you can’t when you share a tent with someone. This section was beautiful and I wish I had felt better to admire it, but I felt like death. The trail dipped down to climb back up again and as I was at the bottom they were both almost at the top. I struggled through the tear and continued onward. At the top, they were close enough to see them turn around to see that I was still there. I wandered around on the divide for a bit before finding the route and them taking a break along a stream. I said if I stopped now then I might never move again so onward I went as the birds sang and a coyote howled in the distance. I did not make it the campsite before sitting down out of exhaustion considering taking a dirt road in search of a way to town to rest and recover. After half an hour, they both showed up and encouraged me that we were close to the intended campsite. I put on a podcast and walked the last 2.5 miles so slowly wanting to just pass out on the trail. I made it and just collapsed right off the trail. Paperweight set up the tent, blew up my air pad, got me water, and took great care of me. I don’t know what I would have done without him. I cooked and forced down as much as I could. My temperature was very high and both Chipmunk and Paperweight commented on how pale my face was. I wandered over to our tent and climbed in for the night. He massaged my back and neck and hugged me as I shook and moaned trying to get warm. I did not want him to get sick, but he wouldn’t let go of me. I don’t get sick often and this is my first time ever on a thru hike. It’s miserable and a bit scary, but he reassured me that I would be better in the morning and that we could do a shorter day tomorrow.    

Sept 1

I did not get much rest last night. I went from hot to cold quickly and kept tossing and turning. He felt my forehead and was surprised at how much I was still burning up. It has rained during the night and it started to again this morning when we were debating what to do. We decided to just do 16 miles and take our time. I pride myself in not needing someone to take care of me, but I needed him for many reasons yesterday and today. I accepted his help, affection, and comfort realizing everyone needs a person in their life like him. I started ahead of him realizing I have someone very special in my life. The trail connected to a two lane path as I slowed down for him to catch up to me. We would walk together the rest of the morning. The trail wandered up and down this path for hours and passed a few cars parked along a lake. I started to feel better thinking the medicine had kicked in and I felt the moment my fever broke. It was a relief. A quick 24 hour bug that would have had me crying on a couch all day back in the real world. Thru hiking reminds me what we are capable of and how far we can push ourselves. We found Chipmunk taking a break at a stream and joined her. She planned to do more miles, but debated a short 16 mile day with us. She decided to push on and we would see her again at the next water source then in Leadore. It was a podcast afternoon that went quickly along the dirt road as a few people on ATVs passed us. One of the water sources was quite a ways off trail and Paperweight went and filled my bottles for me thankfully allowing me more time to rest. We did a few more miles telling Chipmunk we would see her in town. We found a nice campsite where we were able to set up early and just relax. It was a rare day and much needed. Too bad as a thru hiker you can’t do just do 16 miles a day… on these trails. I may know a few that this is possible… hmm!

Sept 2 2016

Sept 2

We camped at the base of the climb last night and I felt back to my normal self this morning. We enjoyed a nice uphill climb as the sun rose and we made a fast paced dash into the town of Leadore, Idaho. The original plan was just to resupply and get out town, but we changed our mind the night before knowing it would important for me to get some rest. At the top of the climb, we ran into our first bow hunter off of a main road. Consequently, the pass is called Elk Pass and that was the animal he was hunting. He hiked up here this morning before sunrise and had an elk in his scope. I would guess he was 18 years old in his favorite hunting spot. I have a new respect for these type of hunters and we enjoyed a quick chat before we continued onward. The hiking was beautiful and rewarding. We finally hit the a ‘road walk’ which is just a vehicle size trail that hunters or ATVers use to get closer to their hunting spots. We blocked tuned into our devices as we walked a fast 3 mile per hour pace nearing town. As we made it to the trailhead, we knew this was one of the hardest hitches and our guidebook said if you see a car make it stop at any cost. Within 5 minutes, a truck drove up and stopped without much effort on our part. He cleaned out his front passenger seat of his truck so the two of us could share one seat. He was a kind gentleman and has done lots of hiking himself. He admired our hike and did not even realize Leadore was the town he was driving through. He dropped us off at the Post Office around 11, where we found the Chipmunk hanging out. She had a more difficult time getting a ride and only got in half an hour before we did. We made our way to the Leadore Inn where we were told the four rooms were full. Luckily, the owner came over and said he had a cancellation. Chipmunk was willing to sleep on the floor as she let us share the bed. It was a good option since the temperature outside was going to be in the low 30s. We dropped our things and headed to the one restaurant, Silver Dollar Bar & Restaurant. Lots of hunters, motorcycle riders, and other people traveling over the holiday weekend were there. There was one man working meaning he would take orders, cook the meals, and serve the people at the bar. It took a while, but the food was delicious. It was then a quick stop at the Stage Shop to pick up a few supplies then back to the Leadore Inn to relax for the evening. We even ordered a take out from the restaurant for dinner and by that time they were out French fries, come on we are in Idaho I thought. 😉 I enjoyed a restful evening and playing with the owners dogs in the yard.

 

Aug 24 2016 / Day 127

We woke up this morning alongside a dirt road just out of sight of the cars passing by. I think we were on public land, but we really weren’t too sure. It was a chilly morning with a flat road that would lead us into civilization. We ran into Brazil Nut, who is a woman originally from Brazil who currently resides in Boston. She has already completed her triple crown of thru hiking and is beginning the journey of a second triple crown by doing all of the trails southbound. She was hoping to be the first woman to complete this feat, but recently learned that the famous Yogi of Yogi’s Guidebook is completing her last sections of the CDT to complete her double triple crown. I knew before Virginia on the Appalachian Trail that I would complete the triple crown, but I have no desire to earn it twice. Yes, I love all three of the trails for various reasons, but I know there are so many other places to explore and visit. Life is so short and I want to see as much as I can if the time that I choose to continue hiking. I do have a confession though… Paperweight will need to hike the PCT to earn his triple crown and I am 90% sure I’d join him unless life happens first. Anyways we parted ways with Brazil Nut and met a few local people walking the road that told us the increased the length of the CDT way into Canada. Funny people! But the locals know what we are doing for a change which is nice. We stopped to pick up a new pair of shoes in my drop box at Mack’s End. It is a very small town with a cute post office. I picked up new shoes, food, a new backup charger from Anker since mine isn’t working right, new Darn Tough socks thanks to their lifetime guarantee, and a pair of warm sleep pants. Chipmunk joined us at the post office and three of us made our way towards Sawtelle Resort. We stopped at a gas station for them to enjoy warm coffee and a cold coke for me. We also bought some breakfast and relaxed here for a while. We slowly made our way to the actual resort walking near the highway on a dirt road. We paid to do our laundry and shower in their facilities. It was a great stop as we were able to use their wifi, clean up, and reorganize our gear. We had a late lunch at the China Grill which recently opened in town. I can never pass up Chinese and it was delicious. My only regret was ordering one meal instead of two. Chipmunk and Paperweight are nervous about the cold weather we are having and they both purchased new gear. I decided to hold off as I haven’t been too cold yet. We slowly made our way out of town following a paved the jeep road uphill with a packed Subway sandwich for dinner. I tuned into Podcasts to distract me from the cars and noise of the road. I have really enjoyed listening to The Stuff You Missed in History Class’s podcast. We finally hit a dirt road and began winding up a mountain as a couple of a 4 wheeler zipped by. The sun began to set and it was getting cold quickly. We didn’t want to climb too high due to the temperature, but finding a campsite isn’t always easy. We had to dip down off of the trail at least 200 feet to a flat spot near a game trail and after we set up a huge elk ran by. Luckily, we were a bit off of the game trail. We ate our Subway sandwiches as the sun sat. I’m feeling like I’ve hiked over 2,000 miles now for sure. Bedtime is a highlight of my day and I have been missing the luxuries of town life more and more each day.

Aug 25

We got started early, but it was so cold. I would guess it was in the high 20s last night. We began hiking uphill and found Chipmunk still in her tent around 9am as she explained it was too cold to move. The trail is a common cut off so it is bushwhacking with lots of burs. You follow a dry creek bed that turns into a stream. It was not as bad as I had expected since quite a few hikers have already been through this year. The trail reconnects by a lake to the official CDT. We took a break at a stream as the sun was shining expecting to see Chipmunk, but she never showed. We came to a big sign telling us about the Sheep Experiment that takes place on the land. We did not come across as any sheep as we assumed they have rounded up already due to the cold. We joined an old mining road that gave us splendid views and easy walks along the ridge. We hurried along trying to get in as many miles as possible. The trail dipped down then climbed back up. The Guthook App told us that we were off trail and we realized it had been rerouted to avoid an additional dip down to just go back up. We heard a common sound and looked down the hill to see a huge herd of over 60 elk below us. The wildlife never ceases to amaze me. We camped in trees as it was getting dark and did our chores quickly. I am happy to have someone to share my tent and time with as this could be a very lonely trail.

Aug 26

We were on a mission this morning to get to the interstate and into the town of Lima, Montana. We were hiking in Idaho today, but the closet town is in Montana. We hurried along joining a dirt road and passing a few people out boon docking on state land. We also had the pleasure of following a scared herd of cows trying to run away from us. They sure are silly animals. We took a break at a nice CDTA sign in a remote spot alongside lots of cow manure. We snacked a bit then made the rush into town on the dirt road. We called the owner of the one hotel in Lima to come pick us up at the interstate. He told us to jump the barbed wire fence and wait on the side of the interstate. It didn’t take too long for him to arrive and drive us back to the hotel. Our room had a full kitchen, couch, comfortable bed, and was a great price for what it had to offer. He is trying to sell his business and I would buy it in a second if I had the funds. We did our chores and went to one of the two restaurants in town. I had a delicious burger and we resupplied at the little gas station store that was so overpriced as expected. Chipmunk arrived a few hours later and took the room next door to us. It was an easy day of lounging and rest for the body in a nice place.

Aug 27

This morning Chipmunk came over and cooked breakfast for us. We had bought eggs, sausage, cheese, and English muffins! It was a great feast as we saved a few dollars by not eating out. I tried to convince them to take a zero and to my surprise it worked. The deal was we would bake a cake in the oven to snack on. It turned out to be a wonderful zero. I recommend them in small towns when everything is less than .2 away. We had another burger for lunch. Us girls baked a cake and the owner gave us a dozen eggs from a local farmer to use. We even made a few hard boiled eggs to munch on. The cake was delicious and we joked it was Paperweight’s early birthday cake. It was a lazy day that was much needed.

Day 121/ Aug 18- Another night of poor sleep in the hotel room for me. We headed over to the cafe next door and enjoyed a good meal. We also bought some of the donuts they sell which were delicious. I learned the man who owns the hotel bakes them every morning. We got our things together in the room checked out and headed to the PO to mail home boxes. We have switched back to the two person tent for the rest of the hike. We will stay much warmer that way. Wyoming recently changed their law allowing hitchhiking, but Dubois does not allow you to hitch within city limits. So we walked out of town always peeking to see if it was a cop car before sticking out our thumbs. We made it to the city limits still walking as a woman in a pickup pulled up. She offered us her yoga mat to sit on in the back and would take us up the hill closer to where we got off. I enjoyed all of the cute log cabins and farm land. Huge rock formations and cliffs dotted the landscape as the wind almost ripped off my hat. She dropped us off at a good spot for another car to take us the last 14 miles. It only took five minutes as a Mercedes Benz turned around. A what? Nicest hitch yet. It was a couple from India visiting the US for 10 days. They were on their way to Yellowstone after visiting the Tetons. What a nice and kind couple to pick up two American hitchhikers. As soon as we climbed out of the Benz, the thunder was booming and lightning hit nearby. We rushed to a highway underpass for shelter. It was a smart choice. We hung out in complete shelter as the storm roared above our heads. It is all about timing. We spent a little over an hour here waiting out the worst looking clouds before emerging and connecting back to the trail. Two huge elk and a baby rushed out in front of us. We managed to get off trail… Nothing unusual. We followed the nicest trail which was simply a game trail. We hiked uphill finally reconnecting before joining a road towards a campground where we planned to met up with Chipmunk. As we were getting closer so was the storm, it hit hard again soaking us this time with no where to hide. We walked fast and found the privy seeing her hiking poles in front of it. The three of us sat in the front of it under the awning letting the rain pass. At least that batch of rain. The campground host warned tomorrow was supposed to be bad too. We pushed onward along a lake and made it an hour or so before the rain fell again. The trail turned into a mud slide as it was comical how difficult it was to walk. I was slipping all over the place and my shoes were caked in mud. It felt like I was wearing heavy boots. It was slow going and luckily one of the streams allowed us to rinse off our shoes. We were surprised to find the last few miles more enjoyable as the rain had stopped and all the water had soaked into the soil. It was fast walking again. We stopped a bit before 7 to eat dinner. You are not supposed to cook where you sleep in grizzly bear country. They enjoyed half a bottle of whiskey and got pretty funny. 
Day 122

It rained on and off during the night and I had the responsibility of getting the food. We packed up, ate breakfast, and did the typical chores. I went down to the river we forded last night to get another liter of water as a bald eagle flew overhead. As I was filtering, I saw a second bald eagle soar above the river. I bet there are some good fish in there. We got on trail around 7:30 a bit later then we had hoped. The morning started with a 1,000 foot climb that warmed me up so I had to take off my rain jacket. We are hiking close to each other. Paperweight up front, Chipmunk in the middle, and I take up the rear. She does not have any bear spray yet so we can protect. This area also has a high concentration of grizzly bears so we are hiking close together and camping together. Most of this section burned a few years ago as well, but the flowers are blooming and lots of small trees are growing. We walked for 7 miles before our first break across a stream. It took some careful log stepping to make it across the stream. We dried out our tent and cooked an early lunch since we didn’t cook for dinner last night. We all stayed close together as we busted out the miles on easy terrain. The sun is shinning and the day has been beautiful. Through the burnt trees, you can see various rock formations and cliff sides. We checked out some possible mountain lion prints as well along the day. We had another nice break after 3 and I was getting antsy. So I packed up before them and headed out on my own. I have my own can of bear spray now and feel safe hiking alone. I had to stop for five groups of men on horses. They each ride one horse then have one to three attached carrying huge canvas tents and other gear. I’m sure they have lots of whiskey and beer too. One said “you are a long ways out.” As I replied, “I still got a long way to go.” Sunny warm afternoon of easy hiking with gradual climbing. They caught up to me as I was taking a break and blogging. We headed to our dinner spot at the Parting of the Waters. This is a spot where the river splits and sends water in two different directions. One side to the Atlantic and the other to the Pacific Ocean. It was a neat dinner break. We met a SOBO who was yelling “hey bear” on her way down the mountain. Lots of other hikers yell various things and our favorite it “yeap” since it looks like the auctioneer guy from storage wars. We made lots of fun sounds on our uphill climb. It was steep and I was dragging up it. The sun began to set and it was chilly by the time we arrive another 1,000 feet higher than our dinner spot. I was in charge of the bear hang and managed to get the rock bag that you toss over the tree stuck. I mean stuck good! The bag loop was on a dead branch and it wasn’t coming down. He spent a good 20 minutes trying to get it down unsuccessfully. Chipmunk shared her bear rope so I hung with her. So instead of a 50 ft piece of rope it’s about 46 ft now. Whoops. It was so cold by the time we got in the tent after 9 and cuddled to stay warm. Tomorrow we walk into Yellowstone National Park.

Day 123

So cold! My gloves, hat, and down jacket were necessary to getting out of the tent. I managed to spill filtered water in the tent this morning making a mess. A hornet decided to land in my cream cheese and get stuck as well. I just wanted to go back to bed. We were still not at the top of the climb and even the steep uphill for a mile did not have me taking off my jacket. Finally, the sun was warm as I reached the top throwing off all my warm gear and enjoying a flattish walk along the top of the mountain. Of course that is followed up by a steep downhill towards water. I cruised for over 6 miles before finding Paperweight taking a break near water. We have all got pretty bad at taking short breaks. Chipmunk joined us as well after she made the curve banging together her hiking poles. Lots of bear poop around today so we all stick together most of the day. We headed out in search of the welcome to Yellowstone sign. We found it a few miles later and continued along through a burn section. This is some of the most remote parts of the park and you can tell not many people besides CDT hikers will ever see this area. Ups followed by downs in now the warm sun for the afternoon hours. We found our way to our reserved campsite at Heart River Campsite. A few nice established spots and a bear hang spot with a board nailed high enough to two trees. It cost us each $3 to camp here and since we made a phone registration an additional $25 that we split. A few spots we wanted were already reserved. It was a nice night and it stayed warm for a bit, but when the temperature drops it happens quick so to our tents. Camping in a spot in Yellowstone that only a few non CDT hikers will ever see.

Day 124

Yellowstone miles pass very quickly and for most parts the trail is nicely maintained. We walked past Heart Lake and I could see what I thought was smoke. As I got closer, I realized it was steam from a geyser. So neat! We passed a ranger station and a female ranger came running out asking where we had camped and if we saw any grizzly bears. There has been a troublesome bear who has gone through a few tents the last few days while the campers were out hiking. They have closed down a few of the campsites for this reason. She told us about a creek ahead where we could soak. So we headed off in search of this spot. We found a spot that wasn’t too warm or too cold to soak most of our legs in and it was wonderful! So relaxing and therapeutic before returning to the grind. We passed a few geysers that mesmerized me with their colors. This is a very neat section. We came to a parking lot to realize with trash cans and a privy that I took advantage of before I headed out alone. I hadn’t filled up enough water and wanted to make it to the ford before stopping for a long lunch break. It was nice just doing my own thing cruising down the trail making fast time on the flat terrain. I came to what was labeled a sometimes chest deep ford. I was happy to find it to be an under the knee ford. I crossed and watched ducks float out into the river while eating lunch and hydrating with lemonade. It was a peaceful spot that I had to myself for almost an hour before they caught up. We climbed uphill and looked down at the lake before dipping back down into a meadow area. We saw and heard cranes playing in the meadow. We suddenly came to a swampy area of muck. I almost lost my shoes in here. They did have one foot bridge over the deep section. Only on the CDT in a national park would you find this type of walking. We rinsed off in the next stream which was warm from a flowing geyser. We passed a section called the Shoshone Geyser Basin that delighted me. I’m not sure how many geysers there were, but I’ve never seen anything like it before. The colors were unreal and it smelled like rotten eggs. Certainly, this was one of the highlights of my hike so far. If you ever have the chance to hike out here, I’d recommend it. We pushed on toward our camp site. Basin Bay Beach was our reserved sight for the day. Our guide book did not say how far off trail as others were mentioned. I was so annoyed to find it well over .7 miles from the CDT. It just kept going and going. The campsite itself was nice right on the bay of the water. We set up quickly then moved to the campfire area to eat. Then we hung our food before quickly passing out. 

Day 125

My alarm went off at 4am. Why!?! We were 11.5 miles from Old Faithful Village and there is an all you can eat breakfast buffet. That’s motivation. The three of us were on trail around 4:40am and moving quickly with our headlamps on. We were talking loudly and making silly sounds to keep the bears away as well. The terrain was easy as we were doing likely over three miles an hour. We passed a few other campsites in the darkness as well. It was a lovely sunrise that we got to enjoy over a bridge where we took a moment to soak it all in before rushing forward. The trail finally came to the spot where you started dipping down to the road. You could see all of the buildings in the distance and that made us move faster. We booked it to the road and crossed the street in search of the breakfast. Our guidebook had marked the wrong place, but we ended up at the Old Faithful Lodge. We completed 11.5 miles by 8:15 for the AYCE breakfast buffet! Yes it was so worth it. I had OJ, milk, fruit with yogurt, hash browns, eggs, French toast, biscuits and gravy, lots of bacon, muffins and other goodies! Our server was very curious about our hike and asked lots of questions! Our meal was free! Not sure how our server managed to do this, but we left a nice tip. Then it was time to watch Old Faithful erupt. I lucked out and saw another one in the distance erupt as well. I watched Old Faithful erupt three times today surrounded my hundreds of people. It was a magical time, but so many people had me getting anxious to leave. We hung out all morning and into the afternoon before going to the general store to buy food for the next sections and pizza for an early dinner. I enjoyed sitting in a rocking chair and people watching. We met lots of southbounders as well today and shared advice before we headed out of the tourist area. We followed the path, but should of followed the boardwalk that would of led us closer to the geysers. It was beautiful though. I have a feeling I’ll be back here sometime as I want to check out other spots that the trail does not go through. We still had quite a few miles to do to get our reserved site at Summit Lake Campsite. We crossed a road and followed the boardwalk again near geysers that mesmerized me. We then turned on to our trail to no longer see any more people. We climbed up from the park and into the woods again. It wasn’t too tough of walking and we got to camp a few minutes for sunset. My heel is killing me and I looked to find little puncture wounds maybe from rocks. I hobbled around and Paperweight took care of me as usual. Some days I wonder how far I would of made it without him. Chipmunk still hadn’t arrived when we went to bed after 10. She got there really late just taking her time this evening.

Day 126

We ran in to lots of southbounders this morning. Like 6 or 7 of them! This would be the last big group we would meet. The terrain was again a burn section and actual dry for many miles meaning we had to carry extra water. Today we would be leaving Yellowstone and entering Idaho. We crossed into the state of Idaho before noon. My first time in this state! Someone had made a border marker out of a trail marker. The end is getting closer and I took in the moment wondering how many more times in my life I’ll be walking through states. The three of us celebrated by snacking and chatting for a long time at this location. It feels so good to be here! I left first and within half a mile I saw a black bear. It actually saw me first and was gone before I had a moment to get a good luck. It wasn’t a grizzly, but it still took me by surprise. It had been a long time since I’ve seen a bear. The trail was a bit absurd the rest of day consisting of walking an old road that now has so many berms blocking it from being driven. You have to walk to the right or left of the old trail to get around them. It was obnoxious! We are taking the Mack’s Inn route instead of Henry’s Lake as most hikers do. We began the gravel road walk towards the small town. I have a mail drop to pick up in the morning so we decided to camp off the road in the trees not too close to any of the homes in the area. Pretty sure we were back in National Forest land, but no one knows for sure. First night of camping in Idaho and ever being in this state.

Day 113

We awoke in the small former mining town of South Pass City. There are a small amount of residents who live here year round and many tourists visit to see the old mining town that is very nicely preserved. We ate breakfast at a picnic table and waited for the historical site to open. Chipmunk and I picked up our boxes from the little store. The three of us paid the fee to tour this historical town. It was a very educational and fun experience that I would recommend. Most hikers just pass through, but it was nice to learn about the history of the area and have a peek into the life of miners and their families. We finally left around 3 and really needed to put in the miles so it was nonstop hiking. Sage fields and easy terrain followed by road junctions on not often traveled roads. My shoulder is killing me and I had to take a few pack off breaks along the way. We came to the good water source and filled up. We had planned to camp here, but there were no spots just lots of fallen trees. We went a bit farther and found a site off another trail where the three of us set up. A nice “town day” with quite a few miles too. 

Day 114

Today was full of sage brush, cows, many gates and quick walking. We did our miles getting closer to the entrance of the Wind River Range. We took a lunch break as it rained a bit on us and we got cold. Luckily, we had an uphill climb to help warm up with a view of a lake from between the trees. It eventually hailed briefly on us at a section we could choose to take the Cirque of the Tours on stay on the CDT. We chose the trail never knowing what the weather would do. We met a SOBO couple and chatted for a bit before we pushed some more miles saying hello to the cows. We found a campsite late in the evening near cow patties and not too many dead trees. Just a full day of walking!

Day 115

It was a morning stroll through cow land before we crossed a stream and came to a picnic table built into a tree for a morning snack break. We crossed into the Wind River Range today and the scenery changed from cow fields to huge mountains, lakes, and a lot more people. The past two days we only saw one other person hiking the CDT south and today we saw over forty people out for anything from a night to a week. We choose to stick to the official route and not the Cirque of the Tours due to a thunder storm that produced some hail, snow, and rain. We hope to return to this section and hike this trail in the future. Our route was just as beautiful and rewarding with epic views! We watched the last bit of the sunset from a fallen log near our campsite. Starting to fall in love with this section of Wyoming. Day 116

Today was beautiful! All I can say is if you ever have the chance or time to go hike in the Winds please do it! I’ll be back someday. Lakes galore, mountains all around, marmots and pikas chatting to me, and the biggest simple on my face all day. We hiked over 25 miles just taking small breaks. We camped before Lester Pass near two lakes watching the sun set. One of my favorite days on trail.

Day 117

This is one of our longest sections and food carries of the trail. We decided to skip the town of Pinedale to make up some miles and get closer to Canada. The pack is feeling much lighter today. So this section is about 170 miles long. We did an early morning hike up Lester Pass as the sun was rising to my delight. This is certainly one of my favorite passes, but I feel like I say that every time. We dipped down past small lakes as the sun was shining down. We met Trooper, M80, and his service dog Willow at one of the rivers. We introduced ourselves then hiked on. Another stunning day of beauty and smiles. We caught up to them and sat down to join them. They had got a lot of wine from a horseback rider and wanted to share with us. So for almost two hours the four of us shared stories, laughter, and drank wine. It was a splendid time. On this trail, it is not often to meet new people so when you have the chance to connect you do it even if it means walking late into the night. We parted ways and hiked along to a huge open area before dropping down for miles. We had an early dinner near a stream before hiking into the darkness making up for our long break. We camped near the Green River a little ways off of the trail. Another lovely day in the Winds.

Day 118

I thought this section couldn’t get any better, but I was wrong. We walked along the Green River and ran into two huge moose. They are the most beautiful creatures and we admired them for a while before hiking on and seeing another moose. This section is an easy day hike from a trailhead parking lot and well worth a visit. I’d love to canoe this river as well. We then began the climb up towards Gunsight Pass. We met lots of Sobos as well today which was fun to share stories and advice. Two of them were guys who hiked the PCT last year as well, but we never met. After we made it to the top of the pass, the weather turned to rain then hail the snow. So we hid under a tree and let it storm. I cooked a warm meal and we just relaxed together. After it stopped storming, we got back on trail as the sun came out. It was an easy stroll then we ran into seven more Sobos making small talk as well. The best part was seeing Tick Tock again who flipped after Chama. It was late in the day so we couldn’t chat too long. We pushed on into the darkness nearing the Lake of the Woods. We set up at an established site and hung our food before crawling in for the night after watching a sunset. 

Day 119

We got moving early and our packs are much lighter now since tomorrow we will be in town. Today is day 7 since leaving the last town. We came across huge bear prints a little too close to our campsite. We then entered a cow section for the next few miles. We were leaving behind the Wind River Range for good now. There is a fire closure in effect meaning we had to take an alternate. The trail was nice for a bit then turned into a wild bushwhack. There may have been a trail, but we couldn’t find it. At some points, the bushes were larger than I was. It was so annoying and took longer than we hoped before we joined an old road. We camped right off the side of the road in a spot barely big enough for our tent after searching for a site for over twenty minutes. 

Day 120

We had a few miles left on the alternate. The road continued uphill for a while as I introduced Paperweight to some of my favorite singers. It stormed for a bit before clearing up again. We really lucked out with this section and the weather. The path finally began to drop towArds the highway. We booked it moving over three miles an hour. We came to the road to hitch into Dubois. There was a note on the bridge we crossed that said there was trail magic hanging from the bridge. There were two Mountain Dews so we took one to share! Rare trail magic on the CDT! No one stopped for the longest time as one of the cars zipped by I put my hands together basically begging and a guy turned around. He works in the wildlife field and told us lots of interesting facts. He dropped us off at the grocery store. We booked a room at the cheap hotel, ate a meal, went to the PO, went to the store, and then returned to the hotel to shower and clean up. We switched out the three person tent to the two person for the rest of the hike saving us each over a pound in weight. By 1:00, we were relaxing in bed happy with all of our town chores done. We waited till later in the day to walk to the laundry mat then into downtown. The outdoor store offered us a discount. Then we headed to the Cowboy Grill for dinner enjoying the best chicken wings of my life and a yummy burger. It was a cold evening so we hurried back to the hotel room to relax for the rest of the day. We deserved it!

Day 109

I never realized how cranky I am in the morning until Paperweight kept pointing it out. I just want to sleep in for an hour, but at 6 he was packing up. We wandered back to the laundry room to charge, use a bathroom, and fill up on water. I highly recommend the Lazy Acres Campground in Riverside, WY. So clean and nicely maintained I would of stayed for days. We headed back to Encampment walking a little over a mile back into the small town of 450 people. The only place serving breakfast today was the Red Wagon. A kind woman who owns the little antique shop with a small food section was so lovely and funny. I like this town! We all ate to our hearts content and I enjoyed a chocolate cake in a mini mason jar the best. Yes for breakfast! The second round of drinks were on her. We spent too long hanging out here, but come on does it really matter. We wandered back outside threw on the pack and headed to the main road leading out of town. Passed a historical home with its information and a photo below. It took maybe half an hour before we were in the back of a pick up zipping up the hill to the top. We jumped out of the truck and walked the road towards another dirt road. Before the dirt road, we saw the trailer parked near a gravel pit. It is open to all hikers and we decided to hangout inside for a bit since the sky was dark. We enjoyed over half an hour listening to the radio before deciding to get going since it still wasn’t raining. The trail followed dirt roads as a few ATVers zipped by. There was a plot of land for sale up here that I would buy in an instant if I had the money. Nice views and easy walking and we ended up doing 19.4 miles today on the day! That’s a great day especially out of town.

Day 110

This morning was slow going both getting out of bed and making it another half a mile down the trail. I managed to get off trail after going around dead trees having to bushwhack through a dense forest then climb under a barbed wire fence. Not the best way to start the day. The trail wanders around sage brush and past lots of cows meaning stepping over cow shit along the way. Back to desert living! The trail led up and down sage grass hills and around angry cows running from us. At times it was a bit rocky, but enjoyable with views of desert in all directions. I took a break along the trail waiting for PW to catch up to me. We began a downhill climb to meet a gravel road that would go on for miles into the next town, Rawlins. It was warm today and lots of cars stopped to ask if we needed water. As we were breaking at a spring, Patience came walking down to us. We hadn’t seen her since Pie Town as she had flipped up. We shared advice and caught up for about an hour before getting back to the road. We walked into the sunset and found a campsite down a road where the three of us set up. 

Day 111

We woke up early and got back onto the road walk. A few miles in we ran into Toes, who I hiked with a bit on the PCT last year. It was nice to catch up and share stories from this year. Maybe I’ll run into him again on another trail. The road turned into pavement and the rush of town was in sight. We walked into town and under the railroad tracks making great time so excited to get to the Thai Restaurant. We followed google maps over the “official” trail straight to the restaurant. CC was waiting with her boots off at a bench. We walked to the door to see a sign saying closed “Aug 8-9 sorry for the inconvenience!” No! There food was so good and we all needed a buffet. We looked at Yogi’s guide and she recommended Buck’s for their burgers. I got one with jalapeños, bacon, pepper jack cheese, and ranch dressing along with a huge portion of handcut fries. It was so delicious! But I was so hungry I would of ate anything. We called the Days Inn where they have a $65 hiker rate and a continental breakfast. Sold! We were excited to check out the Rawlins 4H fair. I wanted fried dough and to ride a couple rides! But all we found were the sheep, goats, chickens, and horse barns. They were selling cotton candy and a few other things, but no rides. It was nice to check up, but we didn’t spent too long wanting the luxuries of town. We stopped at a little ice cream shop first before making our way to the hotel. Magic! We found a can of bear spray in the bin that would save us close to $40. The hotel was nice with comfy beds. I asked the maids kindly for extra shampoo and conditioner. We lounged and cleaned up before shopping for food then grabbing take out from BK. The evening was spent in bed drinking beers and watching the olympics! My shoulder has been killing me and I finally got a little therapy as my shoulder popped maybe back into place. I need to figure it out before my next long hike for sure. Tomorrow we get to figure out how to get to Lander, WY. Over two hours of hitchhiking await us.

Day 112

This morning we destroyed all you can eat breakfast buffet. Then at check out we headed out to the road and slowly walked back to the point where we had been about a month ago. If you haven’t been following my blog you may not know that there is so much snow in Colorado we decided to jump up and hike the basin in June. We made it to the spot where we had started a month ago with a sign and barely trying to hitch yet. I noticed a huge truck carrying what I would later find out was over 20 tons had pulled over. The driver ushered us into his truck and talked our ears off. First time in a big truck as Paperweight and I sat on his bed and Chipmunk sat shotgun. He was a nice guy and all he wanted was someone talk to. He convinced us that we needed to go to Independence Rock, which is the location where people traveling on the Oregon Trail needed to get to by July 4th in order to beat the upcoming winter storms. He assured us it wasn’t too far from the turn we needed to take. As we passed the turn, he kept driving for miles as we go farther and farther from where we needed to be. 63.7 miles total on this leg of the hitch. He dropped us off here and we looked at the rock and signs before heading back to the road to hitch. Cars were going 70 mph and zooming by. We were so far from trail. Chipmunk crossed the road back to the parking lot and asked for riders from people. She was successful as another trucker offered to take us not only back to the junction we needed, but all the way to Atlantic City. Originally, we just wanted to get to Lander, but a ride all the way was even better. His name was Dennis and he was even more of a character! Funny guy with a nice rig. I have a new appreciation for truckers and their lifestyle. He also makes almost double of what I made as an elementary school teacher. Career change? He stopped for us to enjoy a scenic outlook before continuing on. We rode with him for almost two hours as he turned on to the dirt road that leads to the small town of Atlantic City. He took us 113 miles and joined us for a burger at our favorite place, The Grubstake. None of us have ever done that much hitchhiking. It is nice to be back and connect our footsteps. We bid Dennis farewell and slowly made our way out of town. We walked a road towards South Pass City. We passed cows and The Carissa which is the old mine for the town. We camped in the woods very close to town as the sun had set. All our steps are connected and the hitches were fun!

Day 105

Woke up reluctantly having not slept too well in town. I miss my queen sized bed and cuddling a dog or cat. We packed a bit then went off to breakfast where I had a Bfast burger with an egg on top with French fries on the side. Decent. I showered one last time and packed everything up. Leaving town behind is tough lately as I just wanted a full day of resting in bed with all our chores done. We jumped on the free public transit and rode the bus for twenty minutes to the farthest point out of town leading back to the trail. I have loved all of the free transit in these Colorado towns. We stood on the side of the road for close to two hours in the blazing sun with no luck. Lots of thumbs ups, waves, shaking finger pointing, pretty sure one gave us the middle finger, a few piece signs, and too many people using their phones while driving to even notice us. Chipmunk gave up after the fifth town bus came back to the stop where we got off. She was heading back to town for ice cream. As she was getting on the bus, a car stopped for us and the two of us climbed in. Bad timing for Chipmunk. Our driver had just finished hiking the CT yesterday and was paying back the kindness she had received by going out of her way to drop us off. To my surprise her boyfriend is someone I hiked with last year on the PCT, Zoolander. What a small world. It down poured as she drove us closer to where we hitched in. We said thank you and put on all our rain gear. We had a few more hundred yards along the highway before turning on to an old dirt road. The rain let up and the sun warmed us up. We passed through a campground near Dumont Lake where we took a break. I had left over pizza and also packed out a soda which made a nice treat. The walking was pleasant and dense trees. It was a wildlife day for sure. First we saw a Moose in the lake swimming across, a mama and baby moose together, and a solo moose thrashing through the trees. I also heard an animal crashing through the campsite. We went a bit off the trail as it was getting dark to camp.

Moose in the lake

Day 106

We got moving early this morning like we have all of Colorado. The terrain was easy to start as we walked through two parking lots before entering Mt. Zirkel wilderness. This area is one of my many favorites. We began climbing uphill then dipping with stunning views and gorgeous lakes. I began the climb up Mt. Zirkel as Paperweight was ahead and ran into Jaz. I crossed our last snowy pass in this section it was maybe 75 feet long, but I took it slow and steady as usual. The sky was threatening and I could see the smoke from the wildfire in the distance. It was a pleasant hike uphill followed by a steep downhill where I caught up with the boys at the stream. We caught up with Jaz who we hadn’t seen since Twin Lakes before heading on. The afternoon miles were nice and it only sprinkled a little bit. We dropped lower and lower before following a road then dipping into the trees then following the same road again. We missed our turn back to the trail since it wasn’t marked and took the road back to the next CDT intersection. It was getting late so we started looking for a spot in a burn section and found nothing. We pushed on and camped near a river on one side with Jaz on the other. We did some solid miles today over 28 for sure. Tonight is my last time sleeping in Colorado… For now!wildfire in the distance

Day 107

We got moving quickly this morning with own goal… Get to Wyoming. I saw a huge moose right on the trail within .1 of our campsite, but I scared him away. The birds were singing today and the sun was out. I came to the sign that read a bridge out use detour. I decided to take a quick snack break and wait for Paperweight to decide what to do. He said “we should just go for it it can’t be that bad.” The trail was very overgrown but we were able to make it through to the spot where the bridge used to be. It was going to be a fun ford. He took his turn very quickly moving over some fallen logs and almost slipping into the river. I walked a log about halfway across and then I just decided to ford it with my shoes on. So I continued on up-and-down paths letting my feet dry out and getting closer and closer to the new state of Wyoming. Most of the roads were ATV roads and pretty wide. I ended up fording another stream this afternoon. Paperweight got ahead of me and I just took my time slowly making my way out of Colorado. He welcomed me to the new state of Wyoming. Colorado was certainly a challenge, but beautiful in every aspect. The Wyoming border had a small sign, rocks showing the border, and a funny note that I included in the pictures before. We took a break here reflecting on our journey before walking into Wyoming. We are back again and the Basin is already complete meaning this state will go very quickly. We walked a few more miles before we camped off the trail hidden in the aspen trees. One of my favorite campsites! Feeling proud.

Day 108

Woke up in Wyoming and it felt great. We weren’t too far from town, but we still are quite a few miles to put in. The trailer is marked for the first bit but then it just turned into a field marked occasionally with cairns. I used my app to help find my way in a few spots. It was pleasant, but not super fast going. We met a couple moving in town and she actually lived in my hometown of Mansfield, MA for a few years actually growing up in Foxboro. She told me it was time to get out of Mansfield and enjoy the rest of this beautiful world. She loves this area and I do too! Actually, I will not be returning to Mansfield! My family is moving away and we will see where I end up. So many options for me! We busted out the last few miles and made it to the paved road. It took 6 cars and about twenty minutes to get a ride into Encampment. I rode in the back with a cute dog. She dropped us off at the Post Office. Well at the post office three different people offered us a ride back to the trail but we explained he had just got into town and was looking forward to lunch. There isn’t much in encampment so we walked a little under a mile down the road to the small town of Riverside. The restaurant there was delicious and I had a huge burger and we split an appetizer. Then we went across the street to the small convenience store that was very overpriced pick up a few items. Chipmunk showed up and joined us as we decided we should just spend the night at the RV park. So off to the RV park where we showered, did laundry, and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon. We went across the street again to have one more meal at the restaurant for dinner and a beer. Another great day in the life of a thru hiker.

Day 97

Shadowcliff was tough to leave as expected. We took our time this morning wandering back down the hill for a pizza lunch then back to the hostel. We lounged in their main room using the wifi and making phone calls way too late into the afternoon. Maybe around 3pm we wandered back to the trail. We began he hike back up the loop we had completed yesterday to connect back to the trail. We stopped at a USFS center and Chipmunk and I hid in the movie theater watching information about RMNP before he found us. We wandered back to work. It sprinkled a little, but overall was a nice day. The highlight of the day was a mama and baby moose on the side of the trail. They were beautiful and made my day. We did not make it too far this afternoon as we set up a little after 7 calling it a day. We had time to just lounge and relax for a change which was nice. Our big mileage day yesterday took a toll on us all. 

Day 98

We got moving early this morning and walking into the Never Summer Wilderness which has been a running joke for a while. We have not had summer this whole trip. Okay that’s an exaggeration maybe a few days of summer. It was easy walking for the first part then the trail disappeared. We made our way along the divide then took a steep downhill again on shale. I hate this stuff. We took a nice lunch break at a stream surrounded my bright green and relaxed for a bit before getting moving again. We saw lots of people on dirt bikes that tore up the trail, but they are allowed to be here. We crossed a paved road and began to climb up towards the next summit. We went a little ways up, but you could still hear the cars where we camped. 

Day 99

We met our first two Sobos this morning and they were moving quickly. Enjoy the rest of the trail guys it’s beautiful. We began climbing and noticed that we were no on trail via Guthook so we turned around and took the road. No realizing it had been rerouted. We should of stayed on the new trail instead we did the steep old trail instead of the new switchbacks. There is no tread as we began climbing uphill. It was a bitch! It took a long time and I barely felt like I was moving. Lots of slick shale, but I survived. The last bit was pleasant and solid trail to the lookout tower where Paperweight was waiting. We hung out and watched Chipmunk walk along the divide towards us. She was smart and took the new trail which she said was nicely switchbacked. We hung out as the ground squirrels harassed us for a while before beginning the downhill. The trail had markers, but no real trail. It was steep and I took my time as usual they passed me. Still don’t know why I’m so scared of steep downhills maybe because I have fallen so many times. The afternoon miles were on a nice trail again just cruising the divide. We got to the stream as the sun was setting to quickly set up. I had a scary experience with his alcohol stove. I caught my hand on fire and my pant leg for a second, but it didn’t really burn. It freaked me out and I just want my stove back. We climbed into the tent and fell asleep quickly. 

Day 100

I lost the trail this morning at an intersection and decided to just bushwhack straight uphill. It was more work, but definitely quickly. I finally interested the trail and followed it to the gravel road junction where I waited for the other two to catch up for a bit. We walked along this road a while and it was easy on the feet. I chased a herd of cows for over a mile down the gravel road. A highlight was watching a calf hurdle a cattle guard. It was pretty amazing and I wish I had it on video. We cut through a field and down to the highway. Highway walking when it is raining is so annoying. Cars are zipping by and there was very little shoulder. So much road walking today and my feet hate it. Someday they hope to have the trail all connected so there will be no road walks. Someday, we will see. We turned off of the one highway towards the other one that led to Steamboat Springs. A man stopped and offered us a ride which we declined, but Chipmunk took it wanting to have a full zero in town. We found a campsite at an old trailhead parking lot off the highway. We could hear the traffic, but it would save us an expensive night in town. There is no point in getting a hotel room after 7 at night. We set up, cooked, and relaxed as people drove along the road having no idea we were camped nearby. 

Day 101

We packed up early and around 7am we were hitching into Steamboat Springs. It did not take long for a young man to stop and give us a ride. He was so curious about our adventure and we gave him lots of great information. He dropped us off at the visitor center where we got a bus map and some coupon books. I always like a good deal. We crossed the highway to McDonalds. A kind woman said “I saw you outside and a little bird said I had to buy you two breakfast!” Best way to start our day. She kindly bought our meals and chatted for a bit before driving away. Kindness like this warms my heart and I look forward to giving back. We ate then did our errands between grocery stores, an outfitter, and running into Crocs again. We hoped on the bus and made our way to Chipmunk at the hotel. Love free public transit! Every town should have this available to their community. It was an easy day of lying on bed, relaxing, looking ahead, and ordering delivery to the room. Almost a full zero since all we had to do was cross the highway and stuck our our thumbs.

Our angel of the day!

Day 89 

I would of loved to spend a zero day in town, but not this time. The bus ride out of Frisco leads right to the trail. You then just have to cross the busy highway dodging traffic and follow a trail up alongside a ride then cross the road again. The trails goes behind a community of cute homes with a small pond switch backing your way upwards. It took some time, but the sound of the highway and huge vacation homes disappeared out of sight. I wasn’t feeling too great being that favorite time of a ladies month! We pushed on taking a break with Chipmunk at a steam before debating what to do. The sky looked bad and we would be climbing high in elevation or we could do an alternate staying lower then reconnecting. We choose the later and found an old mining boat on a small pond. As we began a gravel road walk, it started to rain so we ducked into the trees. It let up and we began a gradual uphill on this gravel road. I wanted to stop and look at a trail sign and drink some water as Chipmunk caught up to us. It suddenly started to downpour then the temperatures dropped and it turned to freezing rain then hail. There were multiple people on 4 wheelers who rushed back to their cars to stay warm as us three huddled together under a trail sign. It was one of the most intense storms I’ve been in and lightning was striking the peaks around. We could of been up there. We waited an hour until it let up. I was so cold it was brutal. Embrace the brutality is the CDT motto! Why couldn’t any of those people in their heated cars invite us in? Because no one knows about this trail and they all think we are homeless. So we walked uphill again as the clouds broke up and warmed up. We passed a dog sled organization called snow cap. We decided to avoid the high ridge line walking of the CDT and continue on the road since the sky still looked bad. I wanted to hike the trail, but later in the night I realized again we made the right decision. As we continued uphill, it began to thunder nearby so we found the first good campsite and quickly set up our huge tent. We climbed in listening to the storm that overpowered the sound of the river we camped next to. I fell asleep in his arms content and safe in our tent.

Day 90

Luckily, the storms stopped in the morning and we got a very early start walking the gravel road back to the trail. It was chilly, but I warmed up quickly. We are in mining country with lots of raped landscape and remnants of years gone by. The road walk was super steep and exhausting as expected. We connected back to the CDT on a ridge and the sky didn’t look too threatening. We had a quick snack break where we dried out the tent as well. We then began an uphill climb towards the divide. Views in all directions and lots of people riding around on dirt bikes and 4 wheelers. The clouds started to roll in and get darker. We had made it to two of the high points with one left with the two of them said it was time to bail. I wanted to keep going since I only heard thunder once and saw no lightning. It wasn’t raining yet either. But again the majority rules and the downhill on loose rock began. I hate this type of hiking! I like a worn trail and safe footsteps. They flew down the mountain as I struggled and began to panic as my feet kept slipping. It was a knifes edge moment again, but with a few thousand feet drop. I panicked and sat down shaking terribly. They were waiting for me as I was too scared to move. Paperweight came to my rescue again taking my pack and leading me safely to flatter ground. I should of just stayed on the ridge since it never thundered again and only sprinkled for a brief moment. We ended up on a gravel road walking towards a town called Montezuma. Paperweight stopped to get water from a stream to spit it out yelling it tasted acidic and sour. We looked up to see an old mine shaft. So for that reason, I did not get any water for quite a few miles. We walked past hunting cabins and vacation homes on a gravel road before turning onto a paved road through town. We dreamed there would be a little store, but there was nothing. Just some real estate along a lake, old abandoned cabins and mines, and some fast walking. We reconnected at a trail head parking lot and began the climb back up towards the CDT. Chipmunk and I found a good spring where we filled up as it began to sprinkle again. We followed this gravel road past campers set up. Paperweight and I picked a site off the road and in the trees. I was exhausted, but cooked myself dinner and relaxed outside. A few cars drove by and looked at our site then would see a tent without a car as they kept going. 
Day 91

We got on trail early as the sun was rising from behind the ridge we would be climbing. We followed the gravel road until it turned left onto the trail leading uphill. We could see Chipmunk ahead of us already starting the climb. That is one thing I love about these Colorado mountains is the ability to see for miles. We busted out the morning miles easily on a nicely made trail climbing higher and higher. The three of us took a nice morning snack break together before our next climb. The nice trail turned into overgrown grasses and following cairns towards Argentine Pass. It was easy to find your way along this path then the trail got wild! We would be walking the divide up to Mt Grey, which rises to 14,278 feet. Our Ley map described it as walking the spine of the mountain. It sure was an interesting and a terrifying section. It was basically a rock scramble with cliffs on the side of you that dropped thousands of feet. This part didn’t freak me out too bad since it was mostly uphill. I will always feel safer climbing up than down rocks. Chipmunk slipped and fell, but wasn’t hurt so I took it even more slowly. The three of us went at a snails pace as we neared the actual climb to Mt Grey. We could see other hikers going up nice switchbacks and standing at the summit which seemed so far away. We ran into our first mountain goats who moved so gracefully on the rocks. I wished to be a mountain goat today. We began the steep climb towards the summit up the spine. I was breathing hard and slowly moved up the climb. This would be my second 14,000 footer in Colorado. It was a clear day with perfect views all around. You couldn’t ask for a better day! Stunning! We had a snack break and savored the moment before Paperweight and I headed down the nice switchbacks. Chipmunk decided to summit Mt Torres another 14,000 footer, but we didn’t have the energy to do that. The downhill was pleasant as we politely passed numerous hikers nearing the bottom. We ran into a group of volunteers maintaining the 14,000 foot mountains and thanked them. We stopped at the parking lot to use the privy and have a nice lunch break in the shade. It sprinkled for a bit, but the trees protected us. Our trail followed a gravel road farther down to a road. Really glad I’m not going Southbound… It would of been a long climb! We connected to a paved flat bike path where we could walk quickly. There was a nice sturdy bridge over a fast stream. We crossed a major road passed a trailhead and began climbing up again. I giggled as we passed three adults and two kids out for a few nights. They were maybe half a mile from the parking lot and one of the little boys was not having it. He sat down on a log and poured. I would say his pack was way too big. A storm was rolling in and we found a campsite under the trees so we get up quickly near a stream with wildflowers all around. The storm passed over and we enjoyed a peaceful evening after my second 14,000 footer.

Day 92

The morning climb was a great warm up since it was chilly when we started. It was my favorite type of hiking above tree line on a ridge. It was breathtaking all morning. We both walked our own pace and I loved every moment of it. We took a break and watched three men climbing a cornice with their mountain bikes. It was wild to see as one guy slipped and his friend helped him up. They were riding the divide where we had came from. They are insane! We entered Vasquez Peak Wilderness with more epic views. Of course it stormed a little bit today, but no much thankfully. We were above tree line all day before dropping down to a pass. It was the most dangerous road crossing at Berthoud Pass at 11,307 feet. Cars were flying and the crossing is at a curve. I hurried across hoping not to be hit and I made it. At the pass, there is a warming hut and bathrooms. I threw away trash and relaxed in the enclosed room for a bit as we decided how much farther to go. As we were about to leave, I felt a horrible pain in my leg. A bumble bee had just stung me! Inside a building. It hurt like hell and I moaned for a bit before we walked outside to check out a huge CDT sign. We talked a couple retiring in a few years about the trail as they hoped to hike sections in the future. We climbed up from the pass on a large road finding an unlevel spot to camp on with the huge 3 person tent. Not many spots for such a big tent! It was a relaxed evening maybe half a mile up from the highway. 



Day 93
An early morning start to get off the ridges before the afternoon storm. It was tough to wake up and get moving since it was so cold, but the sunrise was wonderful to watch. We considered walking the actual divide, but it looked a little terrifying so we stuck with the nicely maintained trail. We switchbacked down staying on the marked CDT trail. It was fast walking as we cruised along. We began the climb up James Peak later than we wanted to. The sky was threatening and it was storming nearby, but not on us yet. We made it to the top of the pass looked around then quickly began the switchbacks down as a storm was coming. We managed to stay on trail for a few more miles before it hit! It started with hail and horrible thunder. There was no place to hide on the divide so we had to bail to a lower elevation. It was steep at times, but we made it to a gravel road where we found a campsite. It was chilly and we were out of water. He went on a water adventure and I set up the tent including the two air pads. Suddenly, the sun emerged and we had an early evening of rest being close to 5 by the time we stopped. One of the few early nights on trail. 

Day 94
We walked the gravel road back to the CDT at Rollins Pass. It was a nice morning, but a bit chilly. We climbed up then made our way downhill cruising along. It was an easy day of walking past a few lakes and people out fishing. We were motivated by beer today at the smallest bar in Colorado. We took a lunch break at a parking lot with trash cans and a privy. We met a retired cop who had lots of questions, but gave us a diet soda and a few snacks to share. We then hurried along toward our destination. We caught chipmunk and told her about Arapaho Valley Ranch and the bar. She was in as we walked together on a gravel road again then to the ranch. We spent the afternoon here snacking and having a few drinks including a Mississippi mule in a copper mug! Even a round of pool to make the day with the children of the ranch… Kids these days are crazy. We camped in the yard setting up a little drunk and way too late before calling it a night.

Day 95

It took longer than I hoped to leave the ranch. We all took a morning shower, used the wifi, and relaxed on the comfortable couches. A very neat place that I could see myself returning to. We walked past Lake Granby and lots of campsites before connecting to the trail after getting lost for a few minutes. We began a steep uphill past lots of fallen trees that have been cut. Those damn beetles killing all the trees. We saw a huge bald eagle perched on a tree that soared away over the lake. At the top of the climb, we began going downward to hit the batch of down trees. It was tricky walking basically climbing up and over lots of trees, but it ended quickly and was back to fast walking. You walk along the lake for miles and it was enjoyable watching people boating, jet skiing, and just relaxing. We crossed into Rocky Mountain National Park for the last few miles. It rained briefly so we hid in the trees then busted it into Grand Lake. The walking was quick followed by walking a bridge and a few small roads of beautiful homes before entering town. It was a pleasant walk.We were only ten minutes too late for the post office! So we headed into the busy touristy town of Grand Lake. I stopped at an outfitter to buy my third pair of sunglasses. most expensive pair I’ve ever bought for a trail, but maybe they won’t break. PW let me use his for the last few days. Poor guy! His eyes were hurting him and I felt horrible. He is too good to me, but I would of had to night hike this section with my sensitive blue eyes. We went to the Sagebrush restaurant and got seated quickly! Chipmunk joined us a few minutes later. We ordered a large plate of nachos to start off. I guzzled water and lemonade before the delicious burger came and the side salad I ordered. Delicious meal and certainly the busiest place in town. We decided to get to the hostel and check in before doing our shopping. The Shadowcliff is one of my favorite places I have ever stayed minus the fact the bunk rooms are separated by gender. The girls bunk has four beds while the boys have six beds… Be prepared for more women in the future. The building is built on a cliff and is so peaceful. It is hard to describe and more beautiful than any picture would give it justice. We dropped off our things and choose a bed before heading back to the very expensive mountain grocery store. The climb back to the lodge is exhausting since it is uphill, but we are in shape now. It was late when we got back so we just showered and relaxed in our room. We had to set our alarms early to complete the Rocky Mountain Loop.

Day 96
The Rocky Mountain National Park loop is about 27 miles from the front door of Shadowcliff. We were walking out of the door a little before 6 as the sun was rising. Paperweight and I were sharing one pack so we took turns carrying it. It only had water, snacks, and a few other essentials. This is considered part of the CDT, but some hikers skip it since a bear can and permit is required if you are planning to camp in the park. We planned it out to just complete the loop in one day and spend the night at Shadowcliff. The trail was easy to start and it was a bit chilly until the sun came out. It climbs up slowly on a nice trail past a few waterfalls and streams. It is a very peaceful area and we only saw tents in the early hours no other hikers. We slowly climbed upward leaving the trees and getting epic views. It was about a 3,500 foot to the top of our climb and the views did not disappoint. It was about 12 miles to Flattop mountain where we walked a few miles on flat terrain following cairns. We passed a herd of elk taking a break with no care of us being around. It was a peaceful lunch break with a good meal. I had chips and dip, a mini sandwich, and some candy. Don’t forget about the Coca Cola can as well. I like day hikes maybe I should try them more often. I usually just go for the long thru hikes. 😉 We enjoyed our break before heading downhill gently all the way back to the road where we started. If we wouldn’t of took a few other breaks we could of been done around 4. We pushed the miles and really enjoyed a slack pack. We debated skipping this section, but we are in such good shape we couldn’t pass it up. You never know when you will be back somewhere. We went back to the hostel to drop off our packs before going back to the Sagebrush for dinner. We waited an hour to be seated which is absurd for thru hikers, but there is no other place to really eat a good meal in town. The pizza place was closed unfortunately since that was what we were craving. It was a long hour wait, but delicious! We headed back to Shadowcliff to shower and relax a bit. I slept great tonight happy with our decision to hike the RMNP loop.