Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Day 138: Is that sunshine?

9/6: Surprise Lake-2438.8
Miles: 12.2
Total trip miles: 2497.6

The sun was shining but it was 32 degrees when we woke up, and my shoes and socks were frozen solid. So yes we could have jammed our poor cold feet into our shoes and stared hiking but we decided to play weekenders instead of time pressed thruhikers. I fell back asleep for awhile and we enjoyed doing nothing all morning.

Sitting in a warm tent was such a treat, it was the most relaxed I've been these last few days. The cloud cover started growing and when it started to get cold again we decided to get off our butts and get moving. Leaving after 2pm isn't exactly going to get us far but at least we left.


Hmm those mountains look a bit snowy.


Let's zoom in, well okay then yeah that's some snow. I'm going to throw out a wild guess that the trail is headed straight that way (side note, I was totally right those are in the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness right where we're headed).


It was beautiful, mostly cloudy but no menacing gray or snow falling. The first bit was all old fire and beetle kill, but the snow was gorgeous and I kept getting glimpses of giant snow capped mountains which was more exciting than intimidating.

We take a break at a puddle that was our only water until tomorrow (yum?) and then more climbing through snowy forests.





We stopped when we finally found a flat snow free spot and before it was too cold to walk anymore. A curious pine marten watched us set up right as one last snow flurry chased us.

Nighttime decision making, what happens when you take a section that you planned about 3.5 days of food and it becomes a 5.5 day section? Mostly just sitting staring at maps and adding the same miles over and over. It's about 60 miles to the town of Anaconda from here and while it won't be great I have enough food to get there, Rest Stop doesn't. I'm still on my continuous footstep kick so I'll be walking into town but the last 10-15 miles are on a highway which a lot of folks hitch. Rest Stop is going to take off in the morning and is planning on hitching the road, that way he doesn't starve and I'll catch up with him in town. Hey it's been awhile since I've been solo right?


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