Week 13: The Great Basin

Rawlins to Lander

July 26th to July 31st

121 miles

Day 83: Leaving Rawlins

We woke at 8am, feeling a trifle groggy. Snakes sorted all our food, clothes packed our bags and delivered me a coffee to my bedside.

Juke Box shared the room with us and he went to town on shaving his face.I called home.

After the usual chores and ablutions, Maps came over with Flip Flop and we 5 went to breakfast.

We managed to stagger our meal over about 3 hours. I wrote post cards and purchased odour proof sacks and socks online. They will be awaiting my arrival in Lander, which is just before grizzly bear country. This fills me with an amount of anxiety.

We left breakfast at 3pm and walked 2.2 miles to the cinema.There, we met Girly Girl and Spooky Noodle.

We sat it the most outrageously comfortable and luxurious lazy boy seats and smuggled beers in to watch the Lion King.It was nothing short of amazing. A truly emotional roller-coaster.

Though I knew the story, most of the words and certainly all the songs, I still managed to feel shock, anger, sadness and utter elation.

Do go and see it, won’t you?We left the pictures at 6:30pm ish, saying an emotional farewell to Juke Box, who would be returning by hitch to Lander (5 days ahead) tomorrow.

We hiked out into the cooling evening.It was to be a massively hot and exposed stretch ahead.We hiked until 8:30pm, meeting Bear and then Stargazer along the way.

Snakes and I plan to rise earlier than anyone else wants to, so we set up camp earlier while they hiked on into the evening, we’ll surely pass them tomorrow.

6 miles on the day.

Day 84: Thirty’s Dirty

We hiked out at 4:20am.It was still ridiculously humid for this time of morning, but there was a gentle persistent breeze for which I was grateful.

3 miles in we passed Flip Flop and Maps, asleep in their tent homes.

After 6.5 miles we made it to a spring to collect water. There we passed a sleeping Spooky Noodle, Girly Girl and Ed and Sicilio were just rising.We coninued over rolling desert terrain, the trail was often nonexistent so we blundered our way through rocky sage brush, roughly finding the way.

The clouds were covering the sky and blocking the sun. This was great news.

Free, who has biked the trail since Salida (early Colorado) with his girlfriend Stargazer, is still biking, but she has returned to foot for this hot dry desert section (because she’s mental). He quickly peddled by us this morning.We breakfasted at 10 miles, a record morning for us. I made mighty fine use of my new aeropress coffee toy.

No more bum flavoured instant coffee for me!

Ed and Sicilio popped by and chatted with us on their plans to do 40 miles into Lander. I told them they were mental and they continued on their mental way.

Before long Flip Flop and Maps caught up and we hiked through barren treadmill terrain. Long stretches of road where the horizon never gets any closer.

Snakes and I discussed our previous expeditions and also World War Two, (capitals?) Auchwitz, Hiroshima and the Killing Fields. Cheery.

We lunched in a totally imperfect spot, like all spots near by.Our packs are ridiculously heavy on this stretch, with 5 days of food including all the care package treats we received, as well as continuoisly being fully loaded with water, which is both gross and scarce out here.

I probably could have saved weight by not having 5 ingredients in my lunch wraps.

Onward, 4.5 more miles to water. It was 2pm and we’d made 22.5 miles.

By this point it was a major party at the cow spring, not just because there were lots of cows, but also lots of hikers.

Bear, Spooky, Girly, Maps, Flip, Free, Stargazer, Snakes

We arrived to see Free, Ed, Sicilio, Maps and Flip Flop, and were later joined by Spooky, Girly, Bear and Stargazer. It was the most people I think we’d ever seen on trail (actually on the trail, hiking, not in a bar).

We left with Maps and Flip but they soon left us for dead. I think they’d taken acid or something, (they hadn’t but they were moving super fast, could it be love)?

Snakes and I moved on, our feet now beginning to entirely object to us.Gary Barlow’s Desert Island Discs is equally as boring as his own music.We were rewarded with a slot of rain for minutes.

We made it exactly 30 miles before we stopped and convinced ourselves that right here, was a perfectly acceptable spot, and that we loved camping on heather and brush.I was famished. We ate two dinners (which our normal nightly rasion) and found ourselves extremely excited for hot chocolate desert.

30 dirty miles on the day.

Day 85: Heat

Another 4am alarm. I was certainly more tired than yesterday, but not particularly stiff.

We packed up in a tardy 21 minutes, 5 minutes longer than yesterday.We were silent on the road, only the sounds of our yawning would break it.The trail lead gently uphill, but more hill than we’d had for a while so it was noticeable.

After 7 miles we came to the reservoir, a few sleeping hikers lay here. There was a pleasure in being up and hiking already, sneaking about them as we filled up on water.

Onward and tall sage brush on a low lying road made perfect shade for breakfast at 10 miles. We ate cereal and drank coffee. A routine that is now so fluid and pleasurable.

Maps and Flip Flop soon arrived and we exchanged a report on our night and day so far. All was well.

They hiked on as we finished up. Ed and Cecila (not what I’d previously named her you’ll note) turned up next. We hiked with them for most of the day and learned that they had trail names but had yet to use them. They will now be known as Dream Catcher and Sandbager. Though we will likely never see them again as they’re planning 40 miles for tomorrow. Good heavens.

We hiked on, sharing stories of our lives and toilet habits on trail, as has become common when getting to know one another.

Snakes bowel problems

I’d forgotten which of the two springs ahead we’d agreed to meet Maps and Flip at, I read in the notes that one of them had shade trees so we marched on to that one.

We hadn’t had shade in almost 2 days. Things such as this, and flowing (rather than stagnant) water has become one of many small joys we experience while on trail. We crossed a big bog and came off trail to all huddle under tree.

We lunched together, sharing the personal evolution of our food for the last 3 months on trail.

To make the most of the refreshing shade we made a lovely cup of tea.Snakes had bought mosquito coils fro the dollar store as she is a total genius. She lit one and it worked a treat. Horse and deer flies were becoming a species I wished to be extinct.

The trail began to climb up and over some hills now, which in the heat of the day, was a little tiresome.

I hung out with Jane Torville and Christopher Dean, who are just as boring as ice skating is and have a terrible taste in music.

Unsurprisingly.Spooky, Girly and Bear joined us at the next spring.Bear walked with us into camp. Which was a big cow toilet come pond come water source.

It’s becoming harder to efficiently and immidiately set up camp and collect water on arrival after these longer days, I mainly want to sit and perform a 1000 mile stare at things, not moving for quite some time.We managed it though. Camp set up works nicely as a warm down exercise. Maps, Flip, Spooky and Girly joined us for dinner.

31 miles on the day.

Cripes.

Day 86: Exhaustion two

We woke at 4am, extremely tired.

This was less than surprising.

Snakes feet had formed a deep blister which was causing her much in the way of pain.

We packed up as usual and left camp on auto pilot.Girly Girl and Spooky Noodle had decided to try out our incrediby well known routine and were packing up to leave as well.

Greeted by sunrise once again, we enjoyed the cooler air of the early morning.

Our path was even hillier today, which came as a surprise to our legs.After 6 miles, Snakes was really struggling to walk. We stopped for an early coffee on a small ridge so she could insert a sterile pin into her foot.

The blister was too deep to be drained without causing pain, so very little changed with regard to the blister situation.We plodded on and Snakes decided to increase her pace and walk at 6mph for that way the day would be over quicker. She managed this for an impressive 6 miles.

We came to a cache, recently stocked with fresh water. This was most convenient as the last source tasted like ashtrays and the one before like cow.Soon we were joined by Girly and Spooky, Maps and Flip then Bear shortly after.

We ate cereal and drank tea.

We were the first to leave and we did so slowly and regretfully.

The sun was at full power and things were getting hotter.

We had a sweaty 5 miles onward, both listening to podcasts. The desert has lost its wildflowers and so lost its variation in colour. Its mainly rock against sage against sky. Sometimes dramatic, sometimes dull.

At the next break at 12:30pm we’d hiked 17.4 miles. A good amount before lunch.

As we made our lunch wraps our friends passed us admiringly and walked on. I’ve no doubt in my mind they were all very jealous, which is undoubtedly why they didn’t stick around.We managed 3 more slow miles before another break was essential to limpy little Snakes. She was in a great deal of pain.

Another arid 2 miles to water where Spooky and Girly were just leaving.

22.7 miles on the day so far.

We discussed stopping here for the day to give Snakes a chance to rest and get more sleep. We’re still 33 miles from Lander but making good time.

After some lounging around by the spring, at 5pm we decided we wouldn’t make 6 more miles to the next water, but would carry a few litres for overnight and dry camp, having walked on one more hour.

The clouds looked ominous and the wind grew more. I spotted a perfect flat spot in amongst the shade, and we set up camp just before the rain.

The routine for setting up camp is smooth and efficient. Without chat we both know our roles and responsibilities. The steps are the same every day. We set up immidiately on arrival to avoid inclement weather and our bodies seazing up.

A place for everything and everything in its place.

25 miles on the day.

Day 87: This bloody basin

Our last 4am alarm. It was noticeable how an extra hour of sleep had certainly helped our energy levels.

The morning was much the same as the last few, Snakes stocked up on drugs for her growing blister and we marched across the great expanse of nothing.

We followed the Oregon Trail today, a 2,170 east west wagon route and emigrant trail. It was laid by fur trappers in 1811. It was an important route for pioneers discovering the west. We were absolutely walking a historic road in the basin.

We passed Noodle and Girly’s tent early, a few miles passed ours.

I remain entirely satisfied every time I think on our abiblty to carry all we need and manage well in such an unhospitable environment. It really is so very barren and hot. I love the thought that within a few miles of each other last night, we 9 hikers all performed our very own routine to set up a home, using only the small contents of our rucksack.

We were all comfortable, and all fed, though some fed better than others.We managed 10 miles to water for breakfast at the first creek. We both popped blisters and both enjoyed watching each other.

The day was already hot and exposed, with no shade at all on offer.

We continued along on dirt road, then on trail, which was a refreshing change. On the horizon we saw a clump of trees and the glistening of water. A river.

If only it were lunchtime.

We filled up with water and plugged on for a 13.5 mile dry stretch.

6 miles into this I saw a tank, slightly off trail. We escaped to this and sheltered from the sun in the first shade we’d seen since the day began.

We gorged on those 5 ingredient wraps, satisfied that our pack would be so much lighter having finished our last lunch.

As we left, Spooky and Girly tagged us out and themselves into the shade.

We hiked another 4 miles before shading once again under a tree which smelt of wee.

The trail became steeper and more dramatic as we came off road and onto the rolling tops. The wind was mad and the sun still pushing its way through it.

I found a small shortcut which took us up and over one last desolate top, then steeply down into a valley with the first water since this morning.

Snakes was struggling with yet another blister forming.

It was early but we’d already hiked a lot of miles and wanted to camp close to the highway for an early hitch to town tomorrow. We could have hiked on and got to town tonight, but we would have had one pint and fallen straight to sleep in it, probably therefore not making the most of it.

We met our third South Bound (SOBO) hiker ‘Dhan’ who gave us some tips about the bears and the beauty ahead. He’d not showered in 1,000 miles, and looked fresh as a daisy. We liked him.We cooked without any rush to get to sleep for tomorrow, we wake when we like. Tomorrow is town day.

26.1 miles on the day

Day 88: Lander

Today, we woke when we wanted. Which was, of course 6am.We nestled until 6:30am, before I made coffee.

We packed up slowly and in a super relaxed manner, but we’re still hiking out at 7:25am.5 miles brought us into South Pass City, an old restored gold mining town.

Here lived Esther Hobart Morris, the first woman justice of peace (judge) in the US.

If was beautifully early, so no one was around. We walked the mowed grass paths with pleasure.

2.5 more miles on over rolling desert terrain and we were at the highway, dirty thumbs at the ready.Within about 10 minutes and about 3 cars having passed, we had a hitch, in a semi.

Possibly my new highlight of the trail as not only was this something I’d always wanted to do, but it was totally unlikely due to it being totally illegal.

Mike, or, maniac Mike as Snakes had address him, thought we looked innocent enough.

A wild card from Utah drives 1,100 miles 3 times a week delivering food goods to Safeway, our favourite store.

Snakes took the front and I the back middle, on his bed. He was probably the safest hitch we’d landed, driving wise, and the only vehicle I didn’t think was going to career off the road due to over dramatic gesticulating, the showing of photographs while driving, aged lack of sight or a complete lack of awareness to the fact that a vehicle was being driven.

God bless Mad Mike.We arrived at Safeway, as per Mike’s delivery schedule, 7 minutes late as he’d insisted we stop at a particularly red looking canyon.

As we were there, it made sense to resupply before breakfast. Ludicrous I know.

We executed this swiftly, due to my total focus on the job, which is more than could be said for Snakes, who was busy, delaying things while creating a bag of mixed sweets which she decided was a missing component to our already henously heavy food bags.After check out, I landed in Starbucks, while Snakes began sorting the resupply.

Somehow, due to a terrible (fantastic) trainee Starbucks server, I ended up with 2 free coffees, on top of the one coffee I paid for.

Sandbager and Dreamcatcher were also in Safeway. They’d completed their 40 and were heading out today.

A nearby couple became interested in our adventure and then offered to drive us the 1.4 miles we needed to go to meet pals Maps, Flip, Bear and CLIFF! For breakfast.

At the other end of town we sat down to a slow breakfast. The server, with good intentions, managed to get everything hilariously wrong.

CLIFF IS BACK EVERYONE!!

We went from here to run errands including getting Combos from the Family Dollar, gas from the Outdoor retailer and a holster for our bear spray (Maps gave us one which a Southbounder gave her, and Flip had accidentally ordered two, so sold us another).

Bear spray works like mace and we must use this, as well as our kevlar bear proof sacks lined with odour proof sacks for this next section.More on bears in the next blog, if I’m still alive.We congregated in a bar meeting Family Size (who has always been one day ahead of us in the trail registers) Pulp Fiction and Nina.

Nina, Family Size, Pulp Fiction, Snakes, Cliff, Bear

Bear had points on his membership with The Holiday Inn from his last job and so managed to get a free room there, which he valiantly offered to share with us.

We’re way too good for this place.

We swiftly ablutioned then returned to the bar for a night of frivolities and battered Gherkins.

While I enjoyed this ridiculous pairing of foods, I deduce that gherkins are perfectly delicious all by themselves without any interference.

Flip Flop is a total lightweight

Tomorrow we leave for the Wind River Range, grizzly country, mountains and another supposed highlight of the CDT.

I don’t suppose we’ll be leaving early.