Week 17: And a time to every purpose, under heaven

Leadore to Darby

August 27th to September 1st

Miles 123

Day 124 Continued:

After breakfast in the Silver Dollar, where the woman thought she was doing us a favour in assuring us there was no hurry for our order, as she was in no hurry to cook us breakfast, we exploded care packages of joy all over the table as we preempted her taking a long time to prepare breakfast. I continued to tuck into the jar of sauerkraut I found on the shelf.

Bear, Wonder Woman and Oakley were already eating and journaling.

Spooky Noodle’s shoes hadn’t arrived at the post office and weren’t expected until tomorrow, this was a perfect excuse to stay the night. We split a room at the Inn with him and arrived having resupplied at the store first.

The inn was ridiculously perfect. Mainly because there was a perfectly cut lawn right outside the door to our little condo home, which was also just wonderful. I miss lawn a lot.

Snakes began laundry and I called home and supped on one of Montana finest IPA’s. This last stretch was particularly physical, as you’ll remember, and I was particularly glad to be on a chair and with a refreshing beverage.

Snakes got to work boiling off the tips of her poles which have now been ground down to a flat useless nubs, and replaced them with new shiny ones she had sent to the post office. Black Diamond customer service has been particularly useless in this instance.

I continued to consume the rest of the jar of sauerkraut while convincing my phone provider (3) to upgrade my plan to unlimited data for free. As I keep running out. Which they gladly did, as I am one of their most valued customers you see.

Before long Spooky, Bear, Wonder Woman and Oakley were all at the table outside our room, consuming all manner of treats. Family Size, Cliff and Baby Food returned from a longer hitch to Salmon where they could buy actual food. Family Size returned with fruit and vegetables to be shared with the table. I had a plum and a few delightful scoops of melon and felt the new sensation of health and vitamins serge through me as if it were the first time.

We ordered pizza and I remained in my seat while it was collected and brought to me. We drank wine, played music and chatted the evening away. At some point there was another cake for another Happy Birthday for Wonder Woman too.

Some shuffling around the room, preparing of gear, cleaning of filters and washing of pots took place.

Showering seems to have become (or really became this in week 3) the last priority and while I feel so grimy on trail, longing for a shower, when actually in town seem happy enough to sit in my filth for a while longer.

A strange phenomena happens where no matter how much you scrub the layers of filth off your legs with copious amounts of soap while in the shower, the white towels still turn brown when you get out.

Tell me I’m pretty!

We got into bed, excited about being horizontal and watched a documentary about India. I now wish I was in India. It turned out a mutual friend of ours, Jon Gupta was presenting part of the show, which was both funny and strange in equal measures.

Day 115: Leaving Leadore

We woke early enough to complete a decent amount of meggling this morning. Meggling, as I’m sure you’re intrigued, is a word Snakes created some time ago, which now a few members of our party use in every day chat. It refers to moments in the morning where nothing should be done, but maximum lounge time, preferably horizontal and ultimately, eventually with coffee.

Snakes made several pots of coffee from Kate’s incredible care package, and even made one to take outside for those dirty hiker tramps who decided to sleep on the grass.

We packed up, enjoyed once last scent of laundered clothes and clean skin, then piled into Sam’s truck for a ride back to the trail. We are 7/11, as Maps and Flip Flop weren’t yet back from Salmon, and Oakley and Spooky Noodle were both remaining in Leadore to await new shoes.

We drank the remaining beer and ate the remaining pizza on the way up to the pass and ejected rapidly once we arrived. It was after 10:00am.

We all pretty much aim for town on the same day (5 days from now) but disperse immediately at our own pace, settling back into our own rhythm and taking differing lengths of breaks. (not everyone does tea at 3 like us).

Snakes and I left first as we’re so incredibly efficient, and we’re quickly lapped by Bear and Baby Food. Bear who has calves are each the width of me, and Baby Food who’s legs are longer than most of the fences we have to open.

We began our steady climb, mainly exposed in the hot sun but with a dusting of trees which made for a welcome break. We regrouped at a spring, just off trail and Family Size joined the party there.

Supposedly, and according to the app it’s 50 miles until the next water. This turns out to be false, and hikers who passed ahead have carefully noted the location of more water ahead. PHEW.

We carried on, stopping for Marmite sandwiches in a nice shady spot. We endulged in Green and Blacks chocolate, again, thanks to Kate, for desert. Every meal now has a desert.

We mounted the ridge once more, less horned this time and more like a flat wide whale, the trail undulated from here, at a notably kinder gradient than the last stretch. Long may that last.

We joined Bear and Family Size at the next spring for a cup of Macha Green tea (thanks Sara!). Baby Food likes to hide in the bushes at lunch and is now behind. Working out where everyone is, is a fun game I like to play.

We left for another 5.5 to water as Wonder Woman arrived. We climbed again, steeply up to the ridge and down off the back of it.

Our legs were feeling the 5 days of food and the ascent of the day. We arrived at the next spring 300′ downhill and off trail, hungry and decided to dinner early.

It was my turn to fetch water, I met Bear at the spring mixing a cocktail of whiskey and pink lemonade, in which I partook. The water was low and flowing only slightly. Those hikers south of us may have a tough time of they don’t move through this area in the next couple of weeks.

I hiked back up to where Snakes had laid out the dinner table and Bear soon came up to join us. We ate Spanish rice and mash potato (not at the same time). After a relatively swift dinner, we packed up and hiked on, momentarily with Baby Food before he stopped for dinner himself.

The trail was largely easy from here, with some short steep sections, we mainly talked about Snakes Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera obsession. It was revealed that she can do a disturbingly convincing Britney impression. Ask her about it when you see her.

We were treated to a glorious sunset from high on the ridge, as it dropped below the far moutain ridge.

We decided to camp at 8:15 over the planned 8:30 stop as a good camp spot revealed itself. I spent a short while getting tangled up in a bear hang, the rope had bundled up and got caught in the high branch I was throwing it over and I had to cut it to about half its length. It was too bloody long anyway. I settled on a suitable but lower branch. Only short bears in the area tonight please. Oh, actually, no bears please.

22.5 miles on the day.

Day 116: Air Pressure

It was warm when we woke. It’s as dark at 6:30am as it had been at 6:00am in recent weeks. We’re losing the light.

Snakes took advantage of the warmth and treated herself to getting dressed outside. We packed up in silence and made for the trail.

We continued on a gravel road, poorly maintained and incredibly steeply descending which became incredibly waring very quickly. I saw a note regarding a pretty side trail which paralleled the official CDT, we took it and were not dissaponted. It threw us into quiet woodland for a couple of miles before rejoining the gravel road.

After 4.4 miles we turned off trail down to a spring a quarter of a mile away from the CDT. This was the last water for 19 miles and it was low and flowing slowly. We had breakfast here, as we’d be carrying maximum capacity for the rest of the day.

A herd of dear ate near us too, and seemed unphased by our being here.

This spring was a target of Lewis and Clark , during their expedition to the source of the Mississpi. This spring is said to be one of a few beginning points of water flowing to the great river.

We hiked back up the hill, a half mile down which we’d just come. Off-trail miles are the worst miles.

The CDT now climbs up into woodland, steeply, then plateaus. We spent he remainder of the day, lightly climbing upward and mostly feeling like crap. The air pressure seemed to have changed, I had a mammoth headache and felt me mentally, completely drained.

We were in thick, deep woodland, the clouds sheltered us from the sun regardless. The humidity was ridiculous.

Lunch couldn’t have come soon enough. Neither of us really had enough proper food. We were full to the brim of care package jellies but lacking real substance. I inhaled my stale marmite roll. This was not sufficient.

We bumped into Bear and Flip Flop, who’d taken the road and jumped ahead of us. We powered on to tea at 3:30 when it began to rain lightly. Baby Food passed us eating an apple, it looked divine. I decided i need a mammoth plate of vegetables and salad at the next stop. I feel my body is rotting from the inside from 4 months of potato, pasta, nuts, bars, noodles and anything else beige.

After tea we ate 2 Percy pigs each and that, mixed with the double coffee I drank, really helped my sluggish mood. We climbed from here, through recent burn areas. The terrain became steeper and we were both feeling a lack of food.

We climb up the last rocky turret before descending steeply down to a road. Another 0.25 off trail miles down this road took us to the spring. Flip Flop and Bear were already there. Snakes began to cook more rice and while I filled up on a water. The spring here, just like the last was low and barely flowing.

After a sumptuous meal of mushroom rice followed by instant potato and some Green and Blacks chocolate, we packed up to move on. It was already after 8pm and we wanted at least another mile. The trail climbed up steeply for one mile then plateaued as it began to grow dark.

We both sang, or made odd bleeting noises every once in a while through fear of bear encounters in the dark. We pushed as far as we could before needing to get head torches out. At 9 we called it a day and began to find a place to camp. Or, Snakes did. My torch was too dim to figure it out so I just paced around looking like I was looking for a camp spot awaiting Snakes to tell me she had found one.

Day 117: YOYO

We woke, no less tired than usual, having hiked a little longer last night. We packed up and caught a quick glimpse of the burning red sunset beginning to rise.

We breifly met a Southbounder called Toto, before leaving for a swift 5 miles downhill. Oakley, who’d walked 40 miles yesterday, in order to catch up, having left town late, was soon behind us.

At 5 miles we saw the first river in a long time. Water would be abundant today. We passed Baby Food and Wonder Woman, just packing up. On this stretch I have Oreo loops for breakfast. I really need a more substantial and less child appropriate cereal breakfast.

We hiked on, chatting most of the morning, on easy trail through pleasant woodland and meadows.

We met Wonder Woman, Flip Flop, and the infamous Maps for lunch by Berry Spring. Chat about our plans for town, and future towns ensued.

We climbed from here gently, and eventually hiked on as a 3 with Maps in tow. It was good to catch up on recent things. We descended steeply to a valley and climbed immediately up again, stopping part way for a rice dinner. Maps left before we’d finished our lavish three course meal.

We continued the climb, in somewhat of a hurry to make miles before dark. We met a group of three, who’d hiked in from a nearby trailhead. They had a fire on the go and all manner of vegetables. As well as lumps of dead animal. They offered us carrots and we gladly accepted.

The climb steepened toward the top, and eventually we made it to the pass, and dropped steeply down the other side on slippery scree. We dropped to a lake then undulated gently through rocky tree filled mountain land. Dusk passed and dark settled. We got our torches out.

Once again I became sick of my irregular whooping to warn bears so began to sing the Elephant Love Medley from Moulin Rouge instead. Much to Snakes displeasure.

We passed Oakley set up for the night, and continued a short way until Maps’ yelps drew us in to camp. She and Flip Flop were set up and we joined them.

28 miles on the day

Day 118: I’m so over instant potatoes

I woke feeling less tired than usual, but still not overjoyed about the thoughts of getting out of my cocoon. We packed up with the usual efficiency of the British Expeditionary Unit as we have now become known.

Maps left just ahead of us, and us three remained together for the morning, just like old times. We stopped for breakfast after a climb at 6 miles. Maps joined us and as usual, as we laid the table, removed our footwear, ensured maximum comfort and began the two course feast, Maps sat cross legged on the floor beside us and ate a cereal bar.

She informed us she would be meeting Flip Flop (who’d already passed us) in 10 miles. That was a long push for us with no lunch in between , but we decided to try for it.

Most of the hard terrain for the day was in this morning, we undulated steeply up and down through anonymous, commanding steep sided valleys, making good time to the 16 miles meet point where Flip Flop smugly sat.

Maps gave us 4 slices of Oldfellows bread from the Salmon bakery. This was an incredible gift. Maps is good at incredible gifts. It was proper bread, with seeds and structure. It went well with Marmite too.

From here we had 7.5 miles downhill, and 3500 feet descent. This was hell on earth. I hate downhill. My jonts hate it too. I had to don my sexy knee braces which helped a lot. It felt relentless. And rocky. Eventually I rolled on some pine cones and ended up in a heap on the floor.

We managed several slippery river crossings and a flat plateau before the last climb of the day. We made it 1 mile up before stopping it a totally unsuitable place to cook dinner.

When Snakes has to eat she has to eat, she’s already used up what remaining fat stores she had, I however, have plently left and can live off that for some time. Maps passed us toward the end of the meal and we discussed how horiffic the 7.5 mile descent was.

We finished the climb and powered on another 3 miles, playing word Diss-association to keep the bears away. Which it absolutely did.

We arrived at a trailhead in the dark and set up camp rapidly. Tonight we will cowboy camp (no tent) as its warm and the skies are clear.

29 miles on the day

Day 119: Salmon

We woke to a 5:30am alarm as we knew the 16 miles to town were tough ones and we wanted to be in Salmon at a reasonable hour.

We left in the dark at 5:50 and hobbled slowly for about the first mile. We were in thick woodland.

The trail began to climb incredibly steeply. Pretty much the steepest climb ever. It was grim. Life was grim. We arrived at a top and it settled down as we came on to a recent 2 mile re-route which save us going up and over another mountain but rather went round it

We arrived at a junction to a spring and had to take a depressingly long descent down to it. Off-trail water is the worst kind of water. We ate breakfast here and drank coffee, fueling up for the last climb and the last 10 miles to town.

This all went surprisingly fast as we were encouraged by the thought of vegetables once in town.

Eventually we came out onto a dirt road and followed this to the highway.

We eventually got a hitch from a Pastor and drove the 50 ish miles to town.

Flip Flop had got a room and we got to work unpacking and cleaning our filth. Maps arrived and we rapidly left for food, and possibly the best food on trail.

Before long, the rest of the team had arrived. Half of them were leaving for the trail, and half of us were staying the night.

And so, 11 became 6 and the remaining troop (Maps, Cliff Jumper, Bear, Flip Flop, Snakes and Bambi) were left to fend for themselves in town. Much wine would be drunk.

From here we’re pretty much in Montana and we leave Idaho and it’s potatoes behind. 519 ish miles to go. Next stop, Anaconda.