Day 133: Darby!

9/1: Lost Trail Pass
Miles: 8
Total trip miles: 2458.2

Nothing like town to motivate, sunrise and breakfast call.








Because I'm so excited I can see mountains for days you get 2 pictures of skyline.


Alright jokers, I guess the nice graded trail yesterday was more PCT than CDT style...


One last border marker, after Darby it's finally time to leave the Idaho Montana border and head north!


Miles of cruiser logging roads, and to make it even better look at that blue sky!


Well we have been here a bit but now it's official? We make it up the highway at Chief Joseph Pass and walk the mile down to Lost Trail Pass where there's a rest area and a straight shot down to Darby. A 31 mile hitch made more fun making friends with motorcycle riders taking photo ops and the surprise parachutes.


We watched 15 guys land right next to the rest area, we found out later it was special ops training which makes sense since those were some massive military looking helicopters.


Less than 30 minutes later we saw a fully loaded car of hikers pass by. The same folks who drove a mess of hikers back to the trail turned around and gave us a ride back. Great folks for sure.


Then it was finally time to sit and do nothing, grocery store trips and wandering aimlessly. My kind of afternoon.

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Day 132: Back on track

8/31: 2356.6-7 miles south of chief Joseph Pass
Miles: 27
Total trip miles: 2450.2

We leave early and after a bit of griping and layering up against the cold I shut my mouth and just enjoy the morning. It's been awhile since I walked with sunrise and I forgot how much I love it.








Maybe 10 minutes after camp I cross a creek, maybe the GPS for my spring was wrong? Who cares I love having water.








Past the lake, pretty low this time of year.








A few miles of beautifully made trail, switchbacks on the side of the mountain which took some solid work. Lots of rock and steep faces make me happy for trail. Then it's a long way down a forested canyon along a creek. Another great morning.

















We see a surprising amount of old junk out here, broken down homesteads is usually our best guess.








Then it's back to climbing, a few thousand feet but I feel like I'm being spoiled with these great switchbacks and nice trail.








Fresh spring water complete with a pipe for easy access








Nice big signs this section, although after this the trail became an old ATV track and while easy to follow it was no more nice grading or switchbacks just hauling you straight up and down.

















So much old burn








I wasn't the only one who was getting beat down my the straight up and down climbs, I love finding notes from other hikers.








More time on the divide and better views of the old burns and beetle kill

















Tomorrow is a 31 mile hitch to Darby and town days are always great. Plus it's only 8 miles to our hitch, which means we might even make it for breakfast.










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Day 131: Mountains!!

8/30: Hamby Creek-2356.6 (spring)
Miles: 23
Total trip miles: 2423.1

A glorious smoke free lazy morning. I seem determined to drag my feet these last few weeks on the trail. I know fall is coming but it's hard to rush when I know it's just back to work. All sorts of elevation changes and glimpses of mountains as we head down and then all the way back up into real mountains.











I feel like I'm back in Colorado, these mountains are my happy place.

















Back in the San Juans Nightcrawler fell in love with this one mountain face, I made fun of her but for me this was it. Hands down this was one of my favorite spots these last few weeks.





We pass Slag-a-melt lakes which makes me giggle, although not as bad as Bloody Dick Creek the day before. I had to check that one a couple times on the map, I mean really? The tree cover increases after crossing over a pass and it's getting harder to ignore the fall color in the forest. C'mon mountains I not ready to finish yet!





We found a sled, I feel like I'm in the middle of nowhere but we must be closer to roads than I realized. Either way it feels awfully secluded out here.


It's late and the wind is whipping and so very cold when we get to where I thought a spring was. Spring is generous, shallow puddles would be more realistic. I manage a little water and hope the source a few miles on is actually flowing.

Tucked into my sleeping bag I'm lulled to sleep by what I think is a young bear looking for its mother, talk about an unsettling noise...


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Day 130: Hamby Creek

8/29: mile 2317.8-Hamby Creek
Miles: 25.1
Total trip miles: 2400.2

Today 3 years ago I made it to the Canadian border on the PCT, this time around I'm nowhere near the border but I'm still on my way. I'm moving slower, taking my time and feeling less run down than last time but I am getting awfully worried I may be finishing this hike in snow. Once I figure out my way around the fires that are currently closing over 100 miles of trail in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and part of Glacier...


Ridges of mountains to start my day.

I lose the trail in a field of shale for a bit and am grumpy by the time I get to Goldstone Pass, but a short ways off trail is a nice spring and my mood improves tenfold (dry camping and slow miles to water make me cranky). Then it's time to climb back up to the divide and roll for a bit. Its beautiful and great to feel like we're in real mountains again.

















We get a few raindrops and Rest Stop decides a short cross country on a knifes edge sounds fun. Then it starts raining again and cross country becomes a whole lot less fun. But there are shiny happy switchbacks down the mountain and more beautiful trail through pine forest so I'll just pretend the "short cut" didn't happen. Overall a mellow day, nice trail and forest with plenty of creeks is pretty sweet. Rest Stop sees a mom bear and her two cubs but I'm ahead and somehow miss them, although I did get to stare at lots of Pika's this afternoon which I always love.






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Day 129: Lemhi Pass

8/28: Lemhi Pass-2317.8
Miles: 14.7
Total trip miles: 2375.1

We had to leave Leadore eventually and our ride needed to be in Salmon, Idaho by 1 so another late start, but that meant I got to sleep in so no great loss.

We get to the pass by noon but somehow waste an hour talking to tourists. For being in the middle of nowhere there are a surprising number of people. Our maps warn of 25 miles without water and the smoke is worse than it has been in days. So sitting and chatting trail is pretty fun compared to hauling my surprisingly heavy backpack.





Eventually we do leave, about 6 or 7 miles in we take an alternate, dipping cross country to happily find a creek. No other water until tomorrow but this was a nice afternoon treat. Jonathan Ley and his maps are pretty much my heroes lately.


The rest of the day is forested, old logging roads and young trees. It's pretty shaded and there's lots of green undergrowth for a change. We stop a little early after looking at the topo map and not seeing too many options and I happily collapse in my sleeping bag. A short day but after so many off its nice to ease back into it.

Eating dinner in the evening light the best part of my day happens, a curious owl circles us for a solid few minutes. Man I love it out here.


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