Week 16: It’s in the trees, it’s coming…

Lima to Leadore

August 21st to August 27th

103 miles

Day 108: Lima Zero 13

We woke in manky cosy motel bliss. Breakfast was fairly high on the agenda, but not before heading to the post office to pick up our 8 packages. We had sent a resupply box of food here as the grocery store come petrol station was mega expensive. 1 tomato was $2.79 and we need at least 8.

At the post office we bounced our bounce boxes up to Anaconda, removing our warm layers and gloves then adding our bug nets which we’re praying to all 48 gods that we don’t need anymore.

We went back to Jan’s for breakfast. The entire meal was a very slight move up the beige spectrum, from omelette to hash brown to toast. Snakes ordered pancakes then panic ordered French toast as well. As it landed she said “what have I done to myself” then proceeded to eat the entire thing whithout further hesitation.

We feel immense hunger, but the shrinking of our stomachs means we can’t comfortably eat all that we think we want. But we seem to manage, uncomfortably, nonetheless. Cliff arrived during the beige ordeal and joined in.

I’d like to point out at this late stage that Cliffs full name is ‘Cliff Jumper’ I’ve been shortening it but realise she may come off as a Cliff Richard fan or like a large tall solid object and I wouldn’t want either for her.

Back to the room via the beer shop to drink said beer while opening our care packages. We received the ultimate package from Claire, including a print of a piece of art which Snakes had been missing while on trail, MARMITE, more Salad Cream and an entire box of unimaginable delights. Tessa’s box followed and was similarly incredible. We’re pretty much in credit with snacks for the next 900 miles (I jest, these will be eaten within 3 days).

We proceeded to lounge for the better part of the day. Taking advantage of sitting on chairs in the shade. Wonder Woman and Oakley went to the nearby town to by all the nessesaries for a Slap up feast, which Wonder Woman began to cook whence they returned.

Oakley and I share our birthday, but I’m a year older which means it’s my birthday first.

The meal was nothing short of delicious. And was accompanied by much musical merriment. There was homemade chocolate sauce, a cake and naughty trick candles.

We left for the bar, much later than we should have. It was about to close when we arrived. Luckily the owners of the bar were drunk and so happily stayed open. Before long the owners were nowhere to be found, so Family Size decided to help himself to his beer. This lead to Oakley and Wonder Woman running the bar for the remainder of the night, the owners returned and we’re happy to be served by them. My drink was an Oakley special and came with a plastic carnation in it.

Blue Planet was being played above the bar, I found it hard not to dive into this.

All in all it was most agreeable evening.

Day 109: Zero 14 Bambi turns 31

I woke to a plethora of wonderful birthday videos, sent by loved ones and secretly collated by sneaky little Snake Legs. I think my favourite was my cat, B singing me happy birthday. Wanna see?

I opened a joyful marmite infested package from my mother and father, which also included much needed pants. Jacqui sent birthday coffee and socks too. Just as I’d thrown a pair out, New undergarments all round.

We escaped our hovel for breakfast, Maps and Flip Flop, then Taz Baz had arrived and so the whole team were back together. Snakes had gone to the post office to pick up her new boots as her last were no good. She arrived with a package which also included a smashing fanny pack for me. I’m a lucky girl.

We went back to the room, Snakes organised our mountain of snacks, packed our food bags for the next stretch and two boxes of overspill food and gear we wanted to bounce. We took these back to the post office and sent them ahead. Maps joined us for the little walk and bought birthday beer on the way back.

We found Baby Food asleep on our bed when we returned. And soon woke him up with Frivolities. Family Size and Cliff soon joined and we spent the next few hours meggling in our room.

The weather turned even worse, there was a mammoth thunder storm which blew our locked door open (it’s a $60 motel) and turned off the TV. There was something incredibly smug about laying in a bed while a storm raged outside, E en though it was annoying that Family Guy turned off. We heard there was snow flurries on the ridge we’d be walking tomorrow. A whispering that winter is nigh.

Most people were reeling from the night before, and spent the day in bed, recovering. By 7pm we all required refueling and so went to the bar we’d been at the night before for dinner.

We made it to bed by 11, later than I’d liked but earlier than it could’ve been.

I played Oakley at pool, sort of a test to see who was better at performing on their birthday. Turns out it’s me.

Day 110: Leaving Lima

We woke by 7:30 and made coffee while we shuffled around, packing our things and felt sad about leaving little Lima, which had been so good to us.

We, Baby Food, Cliff, Snakes and I, (Bambi) piled into Mike’s (the hostel owners) truck and he took us the 15 minutes back to the trailhead.

We four hiked the seven miles on gravel Road in no time, chatting all the way on our feelings around the trail finishing.

I lunched on Marmite. It was so incredibly delicious. Marmite. Oh Marmite.

The trail turned here and began climbing up a steep hill. Once at the top we mounted the ridge which divided Montana from Idaho. We mainly stayed in Idaho because they have potatoes.

The walk was nothing short of spectacular, but hard steep undulating terrain, continuoisly dropping 1000 feet, the climbing back up 1000 feet and so on until we were tired little English girls in need of a strong cup of tea and a biscuit. I prepared such an extravagant situation while Snakes volunteered to drop down into the valley for water at a spring. I take after my mother and my birthday lasts at least a week so it was only fair Snakes went while I sat on my bum.

We continued the undulations and enjoyed the whopping views until we began to descend down a blue whale shaped ridge line.

Upon reaching 20 miles at 7pm we began to cook up a feast while drinking a mixture of two wines we had left over, which Snakes poured together to make a delicious concoction and packed out in a classy plastic bottle.

Me and my new fanny pack are getting along famously, thanks for asking.

We watched three small dots move along the ridge we’d just walked, it was almost better than television trying to work out who was who.

We chugged on, down the ridge and into to the valley before ascending again to a high point where we saw a flat spot too good not to set up camp.

Soon Baby Food, Family Size and Cliff Jumper joined us.

21.8 miles on the day.

Day 111: Making Miles

We woke to 3 bodies lying outside our tent, like fans, awaiting our arrival. The others had cowboy camped. We all began packing up together, which was novel seeing as Baby Food usually rises at midday.

The trail descended for a short time, down to Little Beaver Creek, where it had been rerouted so became a little tricky to follow. I saw nothing in the way of little Beavers, but there were many skittish cows about. One in particular, was so terrified of us, it absolutely did not know what to do with its self.

I really enjoyed the morning walk, it was gently rising up and down through small patches of sage brush meadow lines with woodland. We’re seeing some different pine trees now, and they are reminiscent to me of the oak, which is my favourite and rings of home.

We collected water for breakfast and began our big climb, it was pretty well straight up and fairly relentless. The day had been humid but with enough cloud cover to hold off the sun. It was now beginning to peek through and warming up, thus I became a sweaty mess rapidly.

We stopped 0.6 before the top for breakfast, where we’ll use the excuse that there was a lovely view, when really we just felt tired and hungry.

We finished the hill with great efficiency after fueling up on Jacquis care package coffee (my favourites) and cinnamon toast crunch cereal, which is still the leat nutritious and filling cereal I could possibly chose, but bringing me joy nonetheless.

The trail mooched its way through beautiful valleys, crossing weak flowing streams and had a real aura of grandure in a non threatening way, unlike snowy Colorado which just felt mean.

We stopped for lunch at 11 ish miles before which Snakes had taken me on a verbal tour of Disneyland. We’re both now exceptionally keen to go. Baby Food and Family Size now passed us and Family Size warned us of another waterless strech coming up.

We moved on and uphill, our third climb of the day, this one had one single switch back on it, which is novel. The trail on this stretch has just been climbing the most vertical and direct route possible. We passed Baby Food, lurking in the bushes, and Family Size on the pass. Here we collected beautiful spring water, enough for 8 miles including tea.

We continued to climb up, skirted alongside the ridge line and we’re birthed out onto desolate planes surrounded by rolling hills and sheer mountains. We reached another high Point and dropped down to try and get out of the now blustering winds. We didn’t achieve shelter, but stopped for tea at 18 miles regardless. This was coupled with a packet of biscuits, and rightly so.

Onward and down to a saddle before climbing once again. 1.5 miles in we stopped to get water. It was my turn this time to descend 100m to a manky orange spring to collect the goods. Snakes took advantage of a moments calm. This would be the first time we’ve used our filter since New Mexico. The water came out clear but there was just to many floating particles for my liking. Baby Food passed us and passed on the water too.

The hill continued for some time, but the gradient eased as we entered in, then out of woodland. We ate our now incredibly boring pasta dinner and finished up on some instant mash potato. Family Size joined us, then pushed on.

We only planned 1.7 more miles to take us to 25 on the day and to the top of the climb. Once there though, it was a windy exposed saddle so and not much fun for camping. Given that dinner seems to give us much in the way of energy and rejuvenation, we continued down the other side of the hill for two miles.

The trail either seems to head vertically up the mountain or, as it did now, to switchback almost parallel to the hillside so you barely make any downward progress but have to walk double the distance to get there. Instead of these ineffective and lengthy switchbacks we turned to face downhill and plummeted to Deadman Lake.

Dusk was long gone and dark was approaching. We saw Family Size and huddled next to him to set up camp. I went to hang the food and met Baby Food on the way, he remarked that we’d camped in the exact spot any bear would use to access water. Cheers Baby Food.

The ground was deceptively bumpy to sleep on. Lucky I was so tired I would have slept on a human.

27.1 miles on the day.

Day 112: BIG GAINS

We left today on a known shortcut, climbing incredibly steeply on a dirt road leaving camp. We followed directions from the app and found ourselves plummeting down to a valley floor. Water was good and the trail was easy to follow. We made 6 miles pretty quickly and topped by a stream for coffee and a wash.

We pushed on and rejoined the trail as it climbed for about 6 miles. If it weren’t for the relentless wind, today would have been a scorcha. We dove into the woods for a short interlude, before rebirthing into barren desert-like terrain.

The navigation became a snatch trickier here. Just before the summit of our climb, Snakes entered her third sugar low. I have her some energy cubes, kindly bestowed upon us by Tessa in her care package and that kept her going until we found a spot to lunch on. Marmite is brining me no end of joy at present, which cancels out the complete desolation I feel every time I bring out a wrap to put it in. I’m convinced they taste of soap and want nothing more to do with them after tomorrow.

Flip Flop arrived having overtaken everyone else and joined us for a celebratory sit down on the steep sided mountain. After a short time he pushed on in search of a much better lunch spot, which would not be a challenge.

After leaving we passed him not so far ahead by a glorious stream. We entered climb number 56,000 and felt pretty unhappy about it. The trail climbed steeply up to yet another stunning ridge line, where upon summitting we were swallowed in wind. My least favourite element, as I’ve told you before.

For the next few miles, which felt like about 19 and almost took as long, we wound our way along down up and along this windy ridge. If it hadn’t have been completely magnificent I may have taken quite the issue with the bastard wind and bastard lack of trail, which buggered off quite some time ago.

Underfoot was rocky ground and small hard tufts of sodding grass lumps, put there only to break one’s ankle, arm, leg or all limbs at once.

Eventually we arrived at the downhill portion of our day, which dislike far more than uphill. We ducked out of the wind into a shaltered patch to dry our tent, sleeping bags and recover from the battering with coffee, because it was a coffee moment, not a tea moment you see.

Baby Food and Flip Flop passed by and we hiked with them for all of about 6 minutes, it was because we stopped for water, not because they hike much, much faster than us.

The downhill turned out to be up and down, my legs were feeling it in a large way. When I looked at the elevation for the day, this had certainly been one of our biggest days. Which made me feel better for being 2 miles behind our usual schedule all day.

We dropped down to a creek and started preparing dinner. I long for when the phrase, ‘preparing dinner’ means more than just putting some powdered crap in some water. Family Size caught up and joined us in a spoon of peanut butter.

We mussled on, hoping for 2.3 more miles to the next water. Not long after departing we heard loud, human ‘whooping’ sounds coming from the hill close by. Entirely off trail. It sounded to me, like a Maps kind of whoop. Not just Maps, but CLAP. Cliff Jumper and Maps were seen descending a ginormous hill, they called it the CLAP alternate, aka they got lost and made it work.

We all hiked as a happy four once more, for a short time, until Snakes and I broke off to camp on a windy hillside with a view, and CLAP continued to a lake up ahead. Soon Spooky, Bear, Wonder Woman and Oakley passed by, also heading to the Lake, except Spooky, who knew what was best for him so camped with us.

22.3 miles on the day.

Day 114: Flavoured coffee

I woke today fairly devastated by the thought of another 25 or so miles up many mammoth hills. All of my things hurt and I desired a lot more in the way of sleep. The moring was cold and there was a layer of frost on the tent. All my clothes were sticky and gross. But, like most mornings, once dressed and put of the safety of the tent, morale improves.

We left a little before Spooky who was still maticulously rolling up his items into tiny parcels so that they would fit into his pack, which I kid you not, is as small as a small child heading to primary school.

We ascended then descended to the Lake, working out our limps and aches. Wonder Woman and Oakley were just ahead having departed and Family Size was just rising. The others left at Dawn’s icy crack in order to get into town today.

Spooky, Snakes and I had no such designs an were aiming for town early tomorrow.

The sun was rising but there was a cold wind which meant being both hot and cold simultaneously. We began the climb and spent it taking layers off and putting them back on. This climb Broughbrought us back on top of the ridge where we could see our climbs and descents for miles ahead.

We stopped for breakfast at 6 miles, Spooky joined us and Fily Size passed us by.

We skipped a spring which was 0.3 miles off trail, because it was 0.3 miles off trail and that’s just too far. Instead we pushed another 3 miles to one right on trail and flowing cold and clear.

Every time I thought we’d come to outr last climb, I was proven wrong and Snakes began to ignore me and all my wise offerings regarding the rest of the day. We climbed steeply traversing a big lump up to a saddle, and further up to the ridge, which we then followed through to the head of a magnificent valley.

We paused for a cup of Flavoured coffee (thanks Claire) with 8.6 miles to the trailhead and the road into Leadore. Spooky joined us and we merged on plans to camp at the trailhead.

Onward and downward, discussing more of Snakes’ business plans for the future. This time she’s making custom shorts. More on that in the future.

We joined a dirt road and followed it down knee crushingly steep gradients to where it rose up again even though the profile look flat as a pancake.

We reached what we presumed to be the last high point, and plonked ourselves down for a pasta feast. I introduced Spooky to Marmite and he was a little confused. He gave us some ramen noodles and we mixed this with pasta a marmite in a ditch attempt to eat all our food before town tomorrow.

We hiked the last 3 miles together, along the same never-ending undulating ridge. We could see the road a couple of miles before we arrived and it became clear that a hitch may be difficult. We had no signal to call and ask for a ride from town and no cars were passing. We had to hope and pray for better luck in the morning. We pitched our tents at the edge of the road and hung our bear bags on a sign.

26.8 miles on the day.

Day 115: Leadore

We woke to the desolate road we’d slept on. A car passed late at night and another at 6:00am. We packed up at 6:30am so to be ready to wave down anyone passing.

So few cars passed we began to wave everything down, I stood in the road so they had to stop, even if they were going the wrong way, which mostly they were. I think about 5 cars passed. Two going the wrong way were sent with messages to call Sam, from the Inn at Leadore to come and get us.

After 3 hours waiting in the sun, with Spooky Noodle restlessly pacing up and down and needing entertaining like the 12 year old boy he is, Sam arrived and drove us the 20 minutes to town.

We picked up incredible packages from the mighty Sara Hughes, inclusive of a quiz written by an army of family which we’ll look forward to on trail… And the wonderous Kate Noble who divided the package excellently between chocolate and coffee. What more could two smelly girls ask for? Thank you Ladies!!

Hallelujah. Here I sit with a jar of sauerkraut, awaiting breakfast. We resupply today, and head out on a similarly hilly strech, but longer this time…

I’m EXHAUSTED.