Hike Journal Entries: August

08/01/05: In Which I Straddle the Divide at the Parting of the Waters

It rained more at night and a little in the morning, so I started out once again slogging through wet meadows that thoroughly soaked me. I climbed to Two Ocean Plateau and despite the clouds was rewarded with excellent views, especially towards the west where the Tetons lurked.

Starting off the plateau I headed south along Two Ocean Creek, eventually arriving at what is called the Parting of the Waters. I had been looking forward to this spot and it did not disappoint. Here Two Ocean Creek splits into two branches, the left fork renamed Atlantic Creek with its water traveling over 3000 miles to its namesake while the right fork becomes Pacific Creek and starts its journey of more than a 1000 miles. I took several pictures, including one with the timer showing my straddling the Divide with a foot in each creek.

From the elation of seeing this spot I headed down Pacific Creek into the North Buffalo River drainage and horse country. And I'm not talking onesies and twosies of horse packers, but rather outfitters who drag in tourists on horseback and use strings of additional horses to carry all their gear. In a 4-mile stretch of trail I passed well over 50 horses.

This included a string of about a dozen 12 year-old girls with guides, obviously having a thrilling experience. I don't begrudge them or the adults struggling to ride their mounts their opportunity to visit the wilderness on horseback. What I do question is why the USFS thinks this sort of activity belongs on a national scenic trail, because let me say that with the volume of horse traffic combined with the rain and horse byproducts the CDT had been churned into an ugly brew that reeked as I slipped and slid along it.

To escape this mess I opted to take the Soda Fork route, happy to clean my shoes in an immediate ford of the North Buffalo. Eventually an outfitter trail joined this route also, but it did not have nearly the traffic, so it was tolerable. I climbed this route, eventually fording Soda Fork (in horse country trails are routed to wide shallow fords, whereas typical hiking trails try to cross streams in narrow locations where bridges or rock-hopping are possible). It rained off and on during the afternoon but I was able to cook diner without a repeat of yesterday's drenching. I climbed through Howlin Meadow and then Upper Howlin Meadow and camped along the creek draining the latter.

Spent the night at: N43.87385 W110.09290 Elevation 8379 ft

08/02/05: In Which I See a Great Waterfall and Hitch a Ride into Dubois with a Triple Crowner

I woke early but had a hard time getting going, as I knew I could reach the road and hitchhike fairly easily into Dubois where my next resupply awaited me. I climbed a bit and then dropped down to South Buffalo Fork where I took a mile side trip to see a recommended waterfall. It was well worth the time as the river plunged in a double falls about 25 feet into a narrow slot canyon. The funny thing was the map notes suggested you could ford here, but there were steep canyon walls both up and down stream, so without rock-climbing gear I didn't see how a ford was possible.

I retreated to the official crossing and waded across there and then began climbing the next ridge, eventually dropping down to ford Cub Creek. A little after noon I reached the Divide at the fairly low Cub Creek Pass, a good place to cross as all around this vicinity are the carved ridges and pinnacles typical of the Teton area. At the pass I met a dayhiker, Matt, out with his dog. As I dropped towards Brooks Lake the horse traffic picked dramatically, and I could see the enormous horse barns of the private resort near the lake. Each time a string of horses goes by, hikers have to move off the trail, ceding the right-of-way to them and remain very still so as not to spook the horses. This made for slow going but I reached the far side of the lake where a gravel road terminates. Matt offered me a ride into Dubois and with rain coming on the horizon I was sorely tempted, but to have a continuous hike to Mexico I needed to walk the 5 miles down the gravel road to the highway.

It was a boring but uneventful walk, stopping a couple of times to don my poncho to ward off the rain. Near the highway I washed up a bit and put on cleaner clothes to hitchhike into Dubois.

I came out on a couple of curves in the highway, so had to walk down the road half a mile to find a spot more conducive to getting someone to stop for me. In a half an hour a van pulled over and the guy asked if I was a CDT hiker. Turns out he was Victor Kubilius (trail name 'Pappy') who had hiked all three major trails: Appalachian (96), Pacific Crest (98) and Continental Divide (03), a feat referred to as the Triple Crown of hiking. Further, hale and hearty at 75, he had just finished bicycling from Mexico to Banff, Canada and was driving back to his home in South Carolina.

We had a great time swapping tales on the drive to Dubois and when we got there Pappy knew just the hiker-friendly motel for me to stay at. And since he had gone about as far as he wanted to for the day, he decided to stay and share a room with me.

In relaying this information to Ellie she said this sounded like the person our friend Nathaniel had ridden his bike with this summer from Silverthorne, Colorado, to Banff. Sure enough, in a sure winner in the Its a Small World Contest, Pappy had ridden with Nathaniel (also from McMinnville), and having lost his phone number, was excited to get it and called him thereafter to announce the news.

We went out for dinner at a cafe Pappy recommended and they even had a vegetarian burger on the menu. I caught up on my journal as Pappy flipped through the TV dial and eventually settled on the end of a baseball game that turned out to be the Giants losing to the Rockies.

08/03/05: In Which I See Lots of Hikers in Town as Usual

The best place to meet hikers is in town, I always say, because out on the trail you all travel about the same speed but in town you are stopped and begin to pile up. Pappy left early and I went to the post office and then the laundromat and began the town process of sorting and cleaning gear and making plans for the next section.

Midday, Eric and Doug (rawhike.com, last seen at Anaconda-Pintler) showed up and late in the afternoon Tommy and Razzu appeared, to be followed by Steve. Razzu shared my room and Tommy and Steve got another. Each arrival means another round of catching up on news, so not a lot gets done. I also called home as usual and talked things over with Ellie and LiAnna.

In the evening all of us except Doug (little in the way of raw foods eating out) went to the cafe for dinner and talked some more. It was late when I finally got my gear organized for morning departure and went to sleep. It will be good to back to the trail where I actually can get more rest.

08/04/05: In Which I Head Towards the Wind River Range via Sheridan Pass

It is funny how a motel bed seems so inviting when you are out on the trail, but you never seem to sleep well in one. I don't anyway, and woke about 6 not feeling very rested. I took my last shower for a couple of weeks and got ready to leave.

I passed up a chance to breakfast with the hiker group and took my drift box over to the Post Office when it opened. After mailing it I returned to the motel, got my pack and walked to the edge of town to hitchhike back to the trail. I got a ride within a half hour, ironically enough, from a guy who worked at the Dubois Post Office. He informed me that there was a slight chance of rain today, but that high pressure was finally building into the area and it should be nice for the next several days, which if it turns out to be true would be great for the scenery I know is ahead.

He dropped me off where I left off and I had to walk up the highway towards the pass for about an hour before I cut off on a gravel road designated with a CDT decal. As I reached this road a couple in a van pulled over and asked if I was a CDT hiker. So admitting, they told me they were looking for their son (Brett, I believe) who was hiking northbound with Jason and Gabe. I told them I had not, but that there were several alternate routes in this area so they could be coming out in one of many places. They thanked me, asked if I needed anything (no, having just filled my pack for 7 days of hiking and staggering under 35+ pounds) and drove on down the road ahead of me.

They had parked their van about 3 miles down the road where it was gated and I took a short break there. I saw them heading back in a couple of miles and we talked some more and I agreed to tell their son they were in the area looking for him. From there I went up a bit and then began a long drop along the North Fish Creek drainage.

I got water at a bridge and continued on through the typical lowland mix of willows along the creek with sage and lupine up in the drier areas. At Squaw Creek I turned left to head up that drainage and could see across the meadow some people had ridden in on horses to fly fish.

It was warm, though partly cloudy when I started up Squaw Creek, but cooled down by the time I hit the trees where I was greeted by mosquitoes. At one of the last creek crossings I got water for dinner and then climbed to Sheridan Pass to cook with fewer bugs a little after 5. I had agreed to wait a while for Tommy and Razzu here, but Tommy warned me they might stop a couple hours on the way out of town to visit a friend. So after a leisurely hour and a half dinner break I pushed on south along the Divide. This was a pleasant mostly forested area and around 8 I found a spot to camp in the trees just below the Divide. With the clearing skies at an altitude of nearly 10,000 feet it likely will be a cold night that will eventually drive away the mosquitoes.

Spent the night at: N43.59452 W110.06059 Elevation 9885 ft

08/05/05: In Which I Use Cow Pastures to Approach the Promised Land

I'll start by wishing Ellie a Happy Birthday. I know she has some fun activities planned and will have a great day.

I started the day by continuing yesterday's walk along the Divide through a mix of trees and meadows, the latter tending to be damp so I had an early case of wet feet.

When I reached the valley holding Leeds Creek, it was time to abandon the jeep road I had been following and head downstream in cross-country mode. This always slows me down for two reasons: 1) the footing is very uneven so you have to be more careful how you place your feet, and 2) I tend to hesitate to check my map and compass more often to make sure I have not missed the next landmark where my route changes. Despite my worries, I found the next section of trail that headed back up to the Divide and pumped water from the creek before starting out.

After a bit of a climb I wound up hiking for several miles on a plateau without trees that allowed views in all directions. Eventually the trail left this presently unoccupied pasture and dropped into the Salt Creek drainage. From there I entered the woods around the pretty and aptly named Lake of the Woods, though the rutted ATV tracks around it gave me some idea of what the coming weekend would bring.

The trail led to a road crossing near Union Pass and then a descent into another wide open space known as Fish Creek Park. This was occupied cow pasture and I spent the next couple of hours navigating through the sagebrush, rock-hopping streams and avoiding ponds and marshy areas. At the last creek crossing I stopped for dinner and pumped some reasonably good water.

After dinner I climbed to Gunsight Pass (this marks the spot where henceforth all water drains out the Colorado not the Columbia) and was prepared to drop to Roaring Fork to spend the night, but after the initial drop from the pass I couldn't find the trail. Ironically, CDTS had asked me to GPS the location of the new trail that headed to the bridge over the river, but instead of providing it, I was needing it. The silver lining in all this is that I found a nice grove of old trees, so spent the night with a soft bed due to decades of needles settling there.

Spent the night at: N43.37794 W109.85206 Elevation 9583 ft

08/06/05: In Which I Enter Bridger Wilderness (the "Winds") and See a Natural Bridge

And let's start today with a Happy Birthday to my daughter LiAnna (aka the Webmaster) who is 23 today. She is actually in the same time zone as I am, having gone to Denver to celebrate her birthday with friends.

After eating and getting everything packed I took a compass reading and set off to intercept the trail and did so in a few minutes. I crossed Roaring Fork on a bridge and climbed the ridge on the other side, followed by a descent to where the Green River flows out of the Green River Lakes, the boundary of Bridger Wilderness.

On the way down I ran into Dave, a section hiker who started in Breckenridge, Colorado, and we exchanged trail info. He told me he liked to go 200 miles between town stops and started each run with a 50-pound pack. I was amazed, having struggled the last couple of days with 35 pounds.

There are two lakes, both about 2 miles long and not especially wide in a canyon with spectacular peaks on both sides, joined by a meandering Green River. Trail traffic picked up dramatically with families on day hikes, backpackers and horse packers, many carrying fishing rods.

At the end of the first lake, I dropped my pack (don't tell anyone—it probably isn't allowed) and headed up Clear Creek canyon with my camera to play tourist. The first site was a great waterfall, but obscured to a large extent by the trees. The second attraction, about two miles upstream, was the natural bridge, and this was awesome, right up there with the parting of the waters. Water from the creek comes roaring down the canyon and makes a sharp turn to pass under about 50 feet of rock. The trail runs by both the entry and exit point and it is a true wonder to observe.

I returned to the CDT and hoisted my pack and went around the second lake getting great views of Squaretop Mountain and other peaks. As I proceeded upstream the Green River became a little wilder, frothing through the rocks. And let me tell you at this point it is an amazing green you have to see to believe. It is incredibly sad to think that virtually none of this water will make what used to be its traditional journey into the Colorado and then the Pacific Ocean. Instead it will be diverted into grandiose irrigation schemes and flushed down millions of LA toilets. Anyone interested in reading the tale of Western water projects should pick up Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner.

As I climbed upstream, there were a few sprinkles of rain. As I started a long, switchbacked climb to Vista Pass, I pulled over for dinner along Trail Creek. After dinner I climbed above Vista Pass and found a good spot to spend the night at over 10,000 feet.

Spent the night at: N43.16589 W109.72960 Elevation 10,201 ft

08/07/05: In Which I Make a Nostalgic Visit to Island Lake

It rained a bit overnight but was clear when I got up. I started out with a difficult climb over 11,000 feet to Cube Rock Pass and then dropped to Peak Lake. I attempted to follow the old trail around the north side of the lake and head cross-country up to Knapsack Col, but the trail had collapsed into the lake leaving an impassable cliff. I opted instead to go back and climb Shannon Pass (another 11,000 footer) and return to the official route.

At the pass I chatted with a couple of women who were day-hiking from a base camp near one of the lakes who were quite familiar with the CDT. I dropped by Upper and Lower Jean Lakes and made the Fremont Crossing on a bridge.

I really wanted to see Island Lake, which was off the official trail, so took a cross-country route to get there. It was 34 years ago in July that I visited it with my father and there was snow everywhere. It is a huge lake with an island in the center and a waterfall roaring into the lake with the Continental Divide peaks as a backdrop. Just a stunning view and I was even able to find the place we camped. The trees I was worried about surviving due to cutting taking place then for firewood had grown much bigger.

Leaving I noticed something else that had not changed—lots of people heading in to see this wonderful place. I saw about 50 people, five horses and three dogs.

I headed south again over Lester Pass, going past Tommy Lake, which reminded me that I hadn't seen Tommy or Razzu (or any of the others supposed to leave Dubois that day). There are so many alternatives through here that they very well could be ahead of me, but I doubt it.

I forded Pole Creek and stopped for dinner, enduring a little rain while I tried to cook and eat. Heading on the rain picked up a bit, but let up near sunset and I found a place in the trees to camp. It was not really level and I had trouble setting up the tarp as dark approached, not helped at all by a couple of dogs from passing hikers that dashed into the tarp barking. The wind was blowing and it was quite chilly as I was camped again above 10,000 feet.

Spent the night at: N42.99012 W109.56963 Elevation 10,560 ft

08/08/05: In Which I Do a Lake Walk Through Bridger Wilderness

I awoke to early morning cirrus clouds and lengthy jet contrails, sky marquee advertisements for rain. I referred to today as the lake walk, as the trail moved through generally flat terrain past numerous lakes.

The trail led me past Rambaud, August and North Fork Lakes early on and then between the Pipestone Lakes. Afternoon saw Sandpoint, Bobs and Dream Lakes. While none of these lakes rivaled Island Lake, all had their beauty and charm.

Around 3 the rain started and kept up for about an hour or so. Creeks often led into or out of the lakes, some fairly wide ones that required fords so my feet were no wetter from the rain.

In the late afternoon I could Mount Bonneville and other peaks on or near the Divide. I also got my first view of the Cirque of the Towers, which I have set as my goal to see tomorrow.

In preparation for that, I forded East Fork River and headed a short ways up the Washakie Creek drainage. I found a place there to spend the night and made camp.

Spent the night at: N42.79724 W109.29479 Elevation 10,118 ft

08/09/05: In Which I Visit the Cirque of the Towers and Exit by the Back Door Only To Find More Amazing Wilderness Out Back

I started out east up the Washakie drainage following the trail to Shadow Lake. At this point the official trail ended and I went cross-country with some tread and cairns past Billys and Barren Lake up to the Texas Lake, where several backpackers were camped. My goal now was Texas Pass, a gap in the Cirque of Towers, a climb with essentially no trail but a fairly obvious route. I had to cross a couple of fairly lengthy snow fields, carefully kicking steps since I had no ice axe to arrest a fall. I also had to do a bit of boulder hopping, but eventually approached the pass.

The view as I entered the other side was just amazing as I had this half-circle view of the jagged peaks that make up the Cirque. I descended slowly, taking lots of pictures, eventually arriving at the bottom at Lonesome Lake.

By this time it was late morning and I started up towards Jackass Pass to climb out the other side of the Cirque towards the CDTS route through Temple Pass, another cross-country scramble. As I watched the clouds move in and realized I would likely be attempting this in the rain, maybe even a thunderstorm, I decided I would be better off to stay east of the Divide and take the Sweetwater Gap route. First I headed up towards the pass to get better photos of the Cirque from that side.

The trail on the east side followed the North Popo Agie River. In going this way I assumed the route would be flatter, drier and quicker than going back to the west side. I think I was wrong on all accounts.

The east side (formally the Popo Agie Wilderness) turned out to have its own spectacular peaks, lots of water in creeks and lakes, more trees than I had seen on the west side, and lots of rugged trail with climbs that made it no shortcut.

After fording the river and heading south, I climbed past numerous lakes, including Upper and Lower Bear, East and West Echo, the Deep Creek Lakes and Ice Lakes. Fewer people here and the scenery just as good, the only downside was the trail was not well-maintained. I had dinner near a creek and then pushed on to ford the Middle Popo Agie River just before dark and found a place to camp shortly thereafter.

I am essentially out of the Wind River Range now, but it has been everything I expected and then some. I have found that often in life you anticipate something for so long that when it arrives, it cannot live up to your dreams. In the case the Winds delivered and made all the hardships up to this point (okay, maybe not quite all the mosquitoes) worth enduring.

Spent the night at: N42.67881 W109.05680 Elevation 9761 ft

08/10/05: In Which I Come Down from the Mountains to the Pastures of Plenty of Cows

As I mentioned yesterday, the trails on this side of the Divide are in poorer condition, so the early morning climb to Sweetwater Gap was not quick. Once over the pass I followed the Sweetwater River from its source, eventually rejoining the regular CDT route around 11, where I began what turned into a long road walk for the remainder of the day.

I did see my first antelope go bounding away as I trudged the road. I got water at a BLM campground near the Sweetwater and continued on into a brief rainshower. Cows were often present and provide amusement at times as they tend to run but usually right along side of you rather than directly away from you. A couple of herds moved along nearly a mile with me. I have now taken to asking cows that I meet if they want to head south with Mexico with me. No takers so far.

As evening came on I could see another shower approaching, so pulled up in a grove of trees (not a lot of those around in these parts) to spend the night. My next stop for resupply was about 4 miles away in South Pass City so I could make it easily in the morning.

Spent the night at: N42.47412 W108.8641 Elevation 8287 ft

08/11/05: In Which I Resupply at South Pass City and Take the Historic Route Out of Town

I headed off toward my South Pass City resupply with no sense of urgency, knowing I would have to wait for the Historical Site to open to get my box. Still, I disliked losing the trail/road once I crossed the highway, but shrugged and used map and compass to navigate across this open terrain.

South Pass City is essentially a state park with old buildings and rebuilt ones simulating the mining town that boomed there more than a century ago. As such there are no commercial services like groceries, motels, pay phones, but within the site a post office operates out of a historical store. When I arrived I found out the woman who ran the PO would not be in until around 10, so I sorted gear at a picnic table by the BLM CDT trailhead near there. I went over to talk to a man looking at the trailhead map and talked to him about the CDT. He was a teacher from North Dakota and wanted to show me on a map the divide in his state, where the James and Cheyene Rivers, though very near to each other, empty into Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

I got my box about 10 from the friendly person at the historical post office and she agreed to take my very high tech package of a camera memory card for mailing. There was one strange business just outside the site that sold touristy stuff, but included ice cream and potato chips, so I got some loaded my pack for a 5-day trek across the heart of the Wyoming desert.

I left about 11 and rather than take the shortcut directly into the desert climbed into the neighboring hills and by some of the old mine sites. I dropped down onto the old stage road and began heading towards the Sweetwater River.

Along the way I passed or walked on various historical routes, most prominent for me being the Oregon Trail. Be a relatively flat area to cross the Continental Divide as well as the proximity to the Sweetwater River, this area was a quite popular route for heading west.

In late afternoon I crossed the Sweetwater on a road bridge and cut over to its banks for a dinner stop. I saw a black animal laying in the water on the shore and was ready to get disgusted with a stupid cow. When it got up and moved away, I thought it was horse, but I have never seen a horse move that clumsily. After I stopped it came back out of the willows and I realized it had to be a moose, living out here in what I thought was the desert. Strange.

After dinner I continued on and saw other animals, including antelopes, sage hens and something I didn't recognize but suspect was a weasel. This open landscape is proving good for animal viewing anyway. One spot is about the same as another as far as camping goes (no trees around for a pine needle mattress) so I stopped about dark, ready to tackle the next section of desert in the morning.

Spent the night at: N42.39097 W108.47258 Elevation 7344 ft

08/12/05: In Which I Start Out in the Fog and End Up in a Cold Wind in What Is Supposed To Be the Hot Desert

I had not put the tarp up the previous night (it is the hot, dry desert after all) and awoke to find everything soaked with a heavy dew. More surprising, there was ground fog in all directions. It did not take much hiking before the sun broke through and later in the morning I stopped to dry everything out.

Antelope were a fairly constant presence. They would typically dash away a couple hundred yards, stop and watch you slowly advance, then make another sprint, stop and watch, etc. I was making a few dashes of my own as I have a bit of diarrhea that hopefully will let up soon, as it sapped my energy and slowed my pace.

I got water at Weasel Springs, an excellent fenced source, carrying enough to last about 30 miles to the next confirmed good source of water. As the day warmed on it warmed up and I spotted a trailer sitting along the trail. Thinking to sit in the shade it created, I saw as I approached that it belonged to a sheep herder. No one but a dog and puppy were around but I couldn't see sitting on the ground with them so moved on a ways to some partial shade of the sage, it not really being that warm anyway.

While this is the desert, there are mountains, and I was in Green Mountains segment. To try and quell my digestive system, I opted for the instant mashed potatoes at my late afternoon dinner stop. Continuing on, I was running out of energy as I walked along a ridge near Crooks Mountain, so decided to stop and set up the tarp before dark.

In the first location the wind started to pick up before I got started so I opted for a spot a few feet lower and more sheltered in an excavation trench, apparently used in oil exploration. The wind got even stronger, shifting and blowing right through the trench also, knocking down the tarp when I tried to erect it.

I decided this was like previous evening winds, a little stronger perhaps here on the ridge, but certain to die down like the others after it cooled after dark. I got under the tarp, holding it down with my hand, figuring I would get up soon and put it up properly. "Soon" never arrived, the wind got even fiercer, and I ended up spending the night clutching the tarp as it snapped constantly and was peppered by blowing and small rocks.

Spent the night at: N42.38393 W108.06594 Elevation 7520 ft

08/13/05: In Which Even Wild Horses Can't Drag Me Away from My Cold Desert Walk

It was night I thought would never end and before it did the diarrhea decided to reassert itself. Sufficeth to say that trying to deal with this in the dark in a wind blowing at least 40 MPH is unpleasant in the extremest sense of the word. When dawn finally arrived, the wind had let up a bit and I surveyed the scene. The tarp was still there (there were times the previous night where I thought it was going to blow away and leave me to the mercy of the elements) but sand had blown into everything. I did my best to clean up and get started without my typical breakfast which I doubted my system would stand anyway.

Thick clouds were blowing over the ridge, wind still blowing briskly and temperature about 40 made this the coldest day since northern Montana. I was short on water but barely noticed since this numbing weather continued all morning.

About midday the clouds broke up and I got to Brenton Spring, the next protected water source, only to discover that someone had left the gate open, so naturally it was full of cows and all their waste. Further there was a dead coyote in the outlet down from the spring, which hardly added to the ambience. Needing the water regardless, I pumped what I needed from the source and figured (wrongly) that I could hardly get sicker.

In the afternoon I came upon my first small herd of wild horses. They were interesting in that they did not immediately run, but rather the stallion came towards me to challenge/inspect before grudgingly deciding they would run off a bit and let me pass. I had heard they were out here and was happy to see some.

Near 6 I met a northbounder named Savant, who turned out to be from Portland. I declined a handshake, not wanting to risk inflicting my ailment, but we sat for a half hour exchanging info and agreeing to meet in Oregon after our respective hikes were over. Having been sick in New Mexico, he was sympathetic with what I was going through.

I was intending to hike to the A & M Reservoir to get water, but having decided not to cook dinner or have breakfast, I had no urgent need for the water and stopped a couple miles short of it. The wind was not as bad, so I got the tarp up and hoped for a better night.

Spent the night at: N42.25624 W107.72882 Elevation 7505 ft

08/14/05: In Which I Walk In the Divide

While the weather was much better overnight (still fog in the morning though), the same could not be said for the diarrhea, which sent me racing into the night several times. After starting I immediately came upon the reservoir, which was lined with cows. I knew from Savant that the solar well was back in service a few miles ahead, so did not get much water there.

I was now in the interesting position of being "in"—not on—the Divide, having passed into the Great Divide Basin just before stopping for the night yesterday. Just south of South Pass City, the Divide splits into an eastern and western line, leaving the Great Basin in between where in theory were it to rain sufficiently would turn into a giant lake. In other words, rain falling in this area does not reach the Atlantic or Pacific but just stays here. Given how little there normally is, that no doubt is a good thing.

The solar well was a great water source where you could get the water before it went into the troughs outside the fence that the cows swarmed around. While I was trying to nibble at food, by this time I was mainly consuming water to avoid dehydration, helped I am sure by the unseasonably cool weather.

Next stop in the afternoon was Bull Springs, the last confirmed water source before Rawlins, about 25 miles away. The water didn't look great, but I pumped some to make sure I didn't run out.

I decided to use the map alternative to save an hour or so of hiking given my depleted physical condition and arrived out at the paved county road a couple of hours before dark. I tried eating potatoes, hoping fruitlessly for better digestive results. I headed on down the road and at the cattle guard discovered a stash of 10 gallons of drinking water that thruhikers Trauma and Yoni
had left. It had gone unnoticed or unneeded all summer, which given the need for water around here was disappointing, but I think most hikers were like me and did not know it was there.

About half a mile from Highway 287 (I would have a 16-mile hike along into Rawlins tomorrow) I stopped for the night and camped in the sagebrush. After three days of diarrhea, I knew my health was deteriorating fast and that I needed to get into town promptly in the morning to figure out what to do.

Spent the night at: N41.97902 W107.36300 Elevation 6571 ft

08/15/05: In Which I Make It into Rawlins and Go to the Hospital

Between traffic noise and the need to visit the bushes, it was easy to be up at dawn and start the long road walk into Rawlins. This road has a lot of truck traffic and walking on the shoulder meant being buffetted around a bit, but walking in the trash along the ditch beside the road was even harder. To keep my digestive system as calm as possible, I ate nothing and only sipped water occasionally.

It was only 16 miles, but seemed like forever in my weakened condition. When I reached a payphone I called Ellie and described my symptoms and asked her to research a solution, hopefully from a nearby pharmacy. I checked into a motel, took a shower, rested a bit and called Ellie.

Consensus was I belonged at the emergency room of the local hospital, so I reluctantly called a cab for transport, first stopping at the post office to get my boxes and haul them back to the motel.

At the hospital they listened to my story, ran some tests, told me they could wait 24 hours for definitive lab results, but said it was better to start treating me immediately as if I had giardia. I agreed upon that course, took the medicine and then lay in a hospital bed for a couple of hours as they dripped a couple of liters of fluids into me via an IV to relieve my dehydration, which they said was only mild. I even got fed a meal, but since I had taken medication I had confidence I could digest it.

I left the hospital with a prescription and strict orders to rest for the next 24 hours, drinking lots of fluids. I had the cab driver take me to the pharmacy and grocery store, stocking up on vegetables and cheese as I have a refrigerator in my motel room.

While physically still weak, having dealt with the crisis and seeing an end in sight made it easy to spend the evening calling family and sharing all the latest on the strange adventure this hike has turned into.

Spent the night at: N41.78970 W107.34679 Elevation 6833 ft

08/16/05: In Which I Rest in Rawlins

Per doctor's orders I spent the day resting. I did spend time on the phone talking the family, all of whom were concerned about my health, but I could truthfully assure them it was 100% better than when I arrived 24 hours ago.

Late afternoon I ambled over to the laundromat to get everything cleaned up and to catch up on my journal entries that I simplified to notes while sick. I got no journal work done as I no sooner set my clothes down than a man walked up and asked if I was a CDT hiker (we have that look and I was carrying my clothes in my pack).

He was the Belgian thruhiker Red Eagle that Savant had told me about and we talked while we both did laundry. He had tendonitis in his ankle and was resting hoping to start out soon. We agreed to meet tomorrow at the library internet area and have lunch together.

Back at the motel I finished up my journal entries and downloaded some messages, including one from the CDT list from Ginny, a 1999 thruhiker I met on the PCT in 2000. The gist of Ginny's post seemed to be that the journals this year were too negative and that the hikers were too obsessed with doing 30 miles a day. Perhaps she has a point, but other than what I read of northbounders before I left I have not read other's journals, so I cannot really comment on their content. I do know from spending time with some of them in town that we do complain but we in our heart of hearts we all have an optimistic streak or we still wouldn't be out here.

Where I most disagree with Ginny is her comment about not seeming to have "fun," something my wife also reminds me about. I do not believe the purpose of life is to have fun; rather it is to have interesting experiences. Some will have positive connotations (great scenery, wild animals, interesting people) and some negative (giardia, bad weather, mosquitoes) and I try to reflect in my journal on all of them. If I have not achieved a balance and stress the negative too much, that is my error, but I am certainly not going to pretend I am having a great time if I am not.

As to 30 mile days, I started out with no expectation of reaching that goal and most of the people I see doing that are not taking the time to write in a journal every evening. My online itinerary is based on about 20-mile days, which seems doable to me, though I have tried to reach 25 when possible to get ahead of schedule. Unlike Ginny I do not have the gear, experience or desire to walk in any significant amount of snow, so my goal is to be out of Colorado by the end of September. Sure, I could walk lower routes in October but I started this hike intending to see all of Colorado's high country I possibly can and will be highly disappointed (i.e., not having fun) if I find myself on the Creede cutoff.

My thanks to Ginny for bringing these issues up as I have been looking for a context to comment of them for a while.

Spent the night at: N41.78970 W107.34679 Elevation 6833 ft

08/17/05: In Which I Rush Around Rawlins

Today was spent busily getting ready to depart again tomorrow. I bought a bottle of bleach and was busy sanitizing everything, not wanting to risk another bout of giardia, though I will be taking antibiotics for the next 8 days.

About 11 I went to the library and was able to check out my website and see that LiAnna continues to do a wonderful job. I also glanced at Tommy and Razzu's page to see they would not be in town for another day or two. While looking who should appear but Dave and Leslie, followed shortly thereafter by Red Eagle.

We went out to a Thai place for lunch and had a great time talking about trail-related stuff. I rushed back to the motel afterwards and finished sorting cleaning gear, getting my drift box ready to go to Silverthorns and to send home food and gear I was sure I would not need. I made it there by 5 and then came back to the motel to deal with my new pack.

Brian Frankle at ULA was kind enough to rush me a P2 model, so I spent the evening experimenting with loading stuff in logical places I could find it in. It feels much better than my old pack and I am looking forward to trying it out in the morning for real. I made last phone calls and got ready for bed much later than I wanted to, so typical of town stops with electrical lights.

Spent the night at: N41.78970 W107.34679 Elevation 6833 ft

08/18/05: In Which I Head South Through the Desert Again

I got away from the motel just before 7. It was not as early as I hoped but still reasonable. The first 13 miles were walking pavement (mostly highway 71) through sagebrush. I finally got to the dirt road leading to Bridger Pass and spent the rest of the day walking on that.

I left carrying 5 quarts (10 pounds) of water and 15 pounds of food so my new pack weighed over 40 pounds and really slowed me down. Unlike the other side of Rawlins, there was little wildlife here—just a few antelope and the ubiquitous cattle. When after 25 miles I finally got to a spring I was hoping to use for water, the cows had thoroughly trashed it, so I decided to make do with what I carried from town, not wanting risk another bout of giardia.

I stopped for the night in a fairly sheltered spot but it was still too windy to start my stove with either matches or lighter, so I ate cold mashed potatoes. There was too little water to soak granola for morning, but I finally managed to anchor my tarp on sagebrush and got myself out of the cold wind and ready for bed.

Spent the night at: N41.51724 W107.46965 Elevation 7455 ft

08/19/05: In Which I Still Cannot Quite Get Back in the Trees

There was ice on the tarp this morning, so I guess we are moving from spring to autumn. With no granola due to conserving water I had an energy bar and started on my way towards Muddy Creek. The first couple of crossings of the creek did not meet my current water quality standards, but the third, about three miles along, was cleaner (i.e., no cattle nearby) and moving more rapidly, so I got water there and soaked my granola in powdered milk.

Rehydrated and refueled I continued up the valley until I cut uphill cross-country to save a couple of miles of roadwalk.

In the afternoon it started raining and it seemed I walked under the same cloud all afternoon. There was a bit of thunder and some nearby lightning at times, but mostly it just rained off and on accompanied by gusty wind.

The rain finally moved on as I dropped down to North Savery Creek to get water for dinner. Even better the wind died down and I was able to light my stove and have a cooked meal. And no mosquitoes! Still no trees, but from the ridgetops I can see them and I should be in them tomorrow.

In my bloated after-dinner condition (I am not sick but the antibiotics have messed up my digestive system) I climbed away from the creek up to the flat ridge above. There, the wind picking up a bit and the full moon soon to rise, I decided to camp, anchoring my tarp on one end on a fence post and the other on a sagebrush plant. An owl flew low several times over my campsite eyeing me up, but finally moved on.

Spent the night at: N41.34073 W107.25829 Elevation 7952 ft

08/20/05: In Which I Enter the Forest and Camp in the Trees Again

I woke in the night to a thump on the tarp like someone pulling the rope. I stuck my head out and saw several horses (domestic I believe) on the other side of the fence, one of which was pushing on the rope I tied to the fence post. They did not run when I appeared, but got bored and moved on shortly.

In the morning I continued walking the roads, eventually reaching the Medicine Bow National Forest. At the trailhead there, I followed the new signed trail at the request of CDTS, but it soon petered out on a ridge, so I followed a road back to the former route along a road, which was also signed the CDT. It was not until several hours later at another trailhead that I found a notice posted saying they were working on new trail but it was not complete and should not be used. It would have been nice if they had posted the same notice at the trailhead where I entered.

On the road walk I exchanged pleasantries with several ATV riders and a couple on horseback. The latter wanted to find a loop road back to where they started from but my map would not help them.

I had dinner at a creek on a completed and signed section of trail tread in the forest. I had been in and out of trees since midday, but this had the first real feel and smell of acres of evergreens. I was glad to be back.

Where this short trail segment went back to a jeep road walk I met a ranger on a dirt bike, who turned off his machine to chat with me and make sure I was all right. I told him things were getting a whole lot better, what with the trees, good water and a much lighter pack.

He headed off and I followed up the road for a few miles, eventually settling on a campsite under trees I could not get my arms around. It was good to back in the forest again.

Spent the night at: N41.19281 W107.05555 Elevation 10748 ft

08/21/05: In Which I Count Sheep Wishing I Was Asleep and Hike Through the Huston Park Wilderness

As I went to sleep last night I heard sheep baaing in the far distance. I woke a couple times to hear them sounding closer until about 12:30 AM when my tarp collapsed on top of me. I stuck my head out to be confronted by a sheep dog barking furiously at me after apparently crashing into the rope holding up the tarp that I had tied low to a small tree. It went on about its business and I got my trekking pole back into position to hold the tarp up.

After that sleep did not come easy for a couple of hours as I listened to the sheep baa and the dogs bark. In the morning I discovered several hundred sheep in a pasture a couple hundred yards away (our national forests, lands of many uses, as they say). As I hiked away from my now less than ideal campsite, I shared "good mornings" with the shepherd, who apparently has to move sheep at night due to the heavy ATV traffic on the road during the day.

First off I climbed the trail over Bridger Peak, not particularly rustic with a communication tower on top, but with good views of the surrounding area. I passed the historic site of Battle on a short highway walk and entered the Huston Park Wilderness.

It was good to be back in wilderness, though with three horse trailers in the parking lot it was clearly favored more by equestrians. I did not see anyone, but the chewed up meadows indicated the horses had been through recently.

Eventually I climbed out of the meadows and up along the Divide, a pleasant walk with occasionally good views. In the afternoon a weak thunderstorm hit and I weathered a bit of rain. I often have sage hens fly out of the brush as I approach and this happened during the afternoon, but one of them froze attempting to hide so that I was able to get a photo that was actually viewable. Due to the limited lens on my tiny camera wildlife pictures rarely turn out, so I was happy to have this one.

On my way out of the wilderness area (not a big one) I took a few notes on the trail alignment for CDTS and dropped to the trailhead by the road. I was tempted to walk the road to avoid a climb on a supposedly hard to find trail, but was glad I took the trail as it was fairly easy to follow and a nice route. I had dinner on a plateau and dropped across the road I would have walked and ended up camping in the trees about 2 miles from the Colorado border. I listened carefully and could hear no baaing in the distance, so looked forward to a good night's sleep.

Spent the night at: N41.01588 W106.89834 Elevation 9273 ft

08/22/05: In Which I Enter Colorado and Call It Halfway

I was up early as usual, excited to be heading into Colorado at last. Due to the multiple routes and differences of opinions about mileage, it is difficult to measure progress in miles, but with this border crossing I am sure I am over halfway on the route I intend to follow. There was no sign to mark the border and not much really changed.

I continued on a roadwalk though it was on the edge of the Mount Zirkel Wilderness with some good views. The clouds came in earlier today, but after an hour of rain it eventually cleared by mid-afternoon, making it easy to dry out.

As I approached the trail head near Seedhouse, I moved off the jeep road and on to trail tread, though a forest fire in recent years somewhat dimmed the pleasure. Passing the trailhead, I walked the road and had dinner by the bridge over the Middle Fork Elk River. After dinner, I climbed about 2000 feet and back into wilderness, pulling off into the trees before I got to Three Island Lake because camping was not allowed at the lake.

Spent the night at: N40.76119 W106.70562 Elevation 9810 ft

08/23/05: In Which I Make Cold Progress through Mount Zirkel Wilderness

I slept warm in my down bag and felt warm getting up and ready to go, but there was ice in the meadows as I hiked along at the start. The wind was brisk and I was mostly above treeline in the morning as I made the gradual climb to the nearly 12,000-foot Lost Ranger Peak, highest point on the trail so far. Dropping down the other side I took a break in the sun sheltered by a huge boulder and it was quite pleasant out of the wind.

Mid-morning, the clouds moved and while I still had nice views as I weaved back and forth along the Divide, it was definitely chilly. It rained for about an hour at noon and the clouds never really broke up the rest of the day, though the rain let up.

Mid-afternoon, I dropped to a trailhead by the road and while taking a break there met a couple of thruhikers heading north, Bronner (sp?) and Mike. Each time I think I have met the last one another pops up still determined to make it to Canada. Considering I am more than two months away from my start at the border and the shorter and colder days coming, I have a hard time imagining them making it in October, but wish them well.

I left the wilderness at this point and walked on track primarily used by ATVs as I approached the more frequented area around Highway 40. Hail started about 6 and continued off and on until about 7 when it changed to a light rain. Temperature was about 40, so it was with cold, clumsy fingers that I finally set up camp in some shelter provided by trees and cooked a much-needed hot meal as darkness fell.

In Memoriam: The State of Texas killed a friend of a friend of mine today for a violent and stupid act he committed as a mixed-up teenager. I can make this statement without access to media accounts because mercy does not seem to ever be considered by Texas politicians when it comes to the death penalty. The Old Testament "eye for an eye" philosophy rules. Killing is wrong, but I fail to see how more killing can make things better in any context. I am infuriated by politicians who righteously start unnecessary, illegal wars knowing they will kill thousands of innocent civilians. They never are put on trial for their crimes, yet they pompously call for deaths of those who kill one or two here at home. May we some day leave the company of the police states of the world that still use the death penalty (e.g., North Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran) and join the majority of nations that ban this hideous practice of state-sanctioned murder.
Good-bye, Robert.

Spent the night at: N40.46406 W106.66159 Elevation 10,087 ft

08/24/05: In Which I Head into Steamboat Springs to Resupply

It was another cold morning as I got going, temperatures in the 20s and frost in all the meadows. The sun was out, however, so I kept warm by hiking quickly through the shade and pausing briefly in the sunny spots to absorb the heat. I went by a couple of lakes with fog hanging over them, but mostly this was a level walk towards the highway. I took a few notes for CDTS on route changes and took a break at a picnic area mid-morning at Dumont Lake.

I reached highway 40 about 11 AM and waited about an hour before getting a ride into Steamboat Springs from a guy who had just dropped Brian and Lisa off further up the road (they came out at different spot than I did). He was a photographer named Joe (www.bullockprophoto.com) who invited me to stay at his house, but with all the messy gear I needed to spread out and clean up I opted to stay at a motel he recommended.

After a call home and shower, I headed to the store and post office a few blocks away. Passing a barbershop with a vacant chair, I decided on a whim to get my hair and beard trimmed, so now I am a bit less scraggly.

I got some food and picked up my resupply box and returned to the motel for the ritual sort and clean. I also did laundry. Talking some more to Ellie I found out the article about me in the local paper had been printed and was generally good. She will be sending me a copy.

I caught up on e-mail but went to bed with lots still to do. I am not planning an early departure tomorrow, as I cannot get to Grand Lake until Monday when the post office there opens. It is about 80 miles so should be an easy 4 days after an initial road walk, weather willing.

Left the trail at Muddy Creek trailhead at: N40.38582 W106.61856 Elevation 9506 ft

08/25/05: In Which I Take Another Long Road Walk Leaving Town

As usual, it was a rush to leave, having put too much off. I made the 11 AM checkout time and then went to mail some extra food and maps home. Finally, I stopped at the natural foods store and got a quart of kefir to help restore beneficial bacteria in my digestive system. I finished the last of my 10-day supply of antibiotics this morning. Grateful they had killed the giardia, it will still be nice to get digestion working better again. My friend Larry, a naturopath, sent some herbs via Ellie to help with the process.

I caught the local bus to the edge of town (this is largest town I have been in since Butte) and hitchhiked in a light rain for about half an hour before getting a ride. A woman who never picks up hitchhikers actually turned around and came back to get me. She and her grown son were on their way back home to Pueblo and were quite interested in my hike and what I had seen.

They dropped me off where I hitched into town and I had a damp time walking the five miles along Highway 40 between the light rain and spray from the vehicles. Fortunately it was downhill and went quickly. I cut off on State Route 14 as the rain let up, but surprisingly there continued to be quite a bit of traffic here too on this narrow tow-lane road. This was sagebrush and cow country and I was glad to have the 9 miles over with by 4:30.

There were clouds with a few sprinkles during the afternoon but the worst of the rain missed me. I had carried two quarts of water from town assuming I would pump some from one of the creeks I crossed, but they were all slow-moving and seriously fouled by cattle waste.

Climbing on the gravel road that followed the state highway I finally reached the national forest. The water wasn't any better there (still lots of cows) but I found the cleanest bit I could to pump for dinner and the following morning.

Despite the late start by the time I stopped I had gone 20 miles due to the easy walking on the pavement. You can see why some hikers take roads where they can, but such walking is hard on your legs and feet (to say nothing of the unpleasant traffic), so I try to avoid pavement as much as possible.

I stopped to cook and camp about 7. Shortly after 8 (it gets dark by then now) a thunderstorm began flashing and crashing, so I was glad to be sheltered for the night.

Spent the night at: N40.37196 W106.44222 Elevation 9173 ft

08/26/05: In Which I See a Bull Moose as I Head East along the Divide

The morning started out sunny with the usual cool temperatures. I was on another road walk along the Divide, with good views but nothing jaw-dropping spectacular.

Midday I dropped off the Divide down old jeep roads to the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Arapaho River. Divide walks are great but there is not much water there, so I was looking for a place to pump water when I spotted a huge bull moose. I set down my pack and crept closer to watch it graze in the narrow valley. Being upwind, it did not seem to sense me so I went back and got my camera and took several shots before it ambled off into the woods.

After getting water and taking a break, I began a long climb back to the Divide and then went around Sheep Mountain on fairly steep trail (when it was available since up high the trail is often marked with cairns or posts and you choose to walk where you will).

Eventually I hit better trail tread that a later sign said was built by a volunteer group. Many thanks to them, I dropped easily to the trailhead by the road and then followed a maze of abandoned logging roads to the road near Parkfield Mountain that I needed to use.

I got water and cooked dinner near a culverted stream and then walked up the road a bit where I camped off in the trees. At dark, as I was getting my granola ready for morning, an owl landed in a nearby tree to study this intruder in its domain.

Spent the night at: N40.33482 W106.20553 Elevation 9866 ft

08/27/05: In Which I Climb Parkfield Mountain

I continued up the road after having my usual breakfast and get-ready-to-leave routine. I cut up an abandoned jeep road to the pass between Haystack and Parkfield Mountains and then began climbing the ridge to the top of Parkfield.

It was several miles as I first went up steeply, then went cross-country for a ways along a fairly level ridge, next dropping to a gap and finally a steep climb to the summit at 12,300 feet. There were great views all along the way and I took a long break at the top by an old FS building out of a slight wind.

To come down I had a choice of two ridges, both very steep descents, and opted for the one that got the drop over sooner. At the bottom I hit an old jeep road that headed toward Willow Creek Pass, but got frustrated by the route with numerous unmarked junctions not shown on the map and took off following a route along the Divide marked by surveyor tape that was pleasant but much longer because I was continually climbing around downfall.

I hit the road a couple hundred yards from the pass and hiked along it to the trailhead leading into the next section. Here I was disappointed to discover hikers had to share the route with dirt bikers (a couple of whom passed me) who had rutted the trail so badly it was very difficult to walk. Several miles in, near Illinois Pass, the ATVs were allowed to join the destruction, so the ruts doubled and became deeper.

To repeat a point I have made earlier, dirt bikes and ATVs have a right to use public lands too (how much destruction they should be permitted is a separate issue). They are simply incompatible with hiking trails, leading to frustration for all. They are especially not appropriate on a designated National Scenic Trail like the CDT. Hiking trails use water bars (6-inch wood or rock barrier periodically placed in sloped trails to shunt water off the trail to prevent erosion), but these impede progress for wheeled vehicles so they are either not used or quickly destroyed, leading to the erosion and rutting so common when they use these routes.

I ended up on a regular gravel road and headed toward the Illinois Creek trailhead. While there had been some clouds, it did not rain again, so make it two nice days in a row! The trail was steep but headed to wilderness it was in good shape, so I enjoyed the climb. I found a level spot off a ways for the night's stay.

Spent the night at: N40.37142 W105.96622 Elevation 10,258 ft

08/28/05: In Which I Enjoy Another Ridge Walk and Decide to Head into Grand Lake Early

It was cold and clear when I got going before 7, continuing on the trail up to Bowen Pass. With the good weather at the pass I made the obvious choice to do the ridge walk alternative by Ruby and Cascade Mountains. It was steep in places so the views I earned were breathtaking, both literally and figuratively.

Once again there was enough haze in the sky to make distant photos impractical, but my eyes feasted in all directions. As I sat taking a break a mother bird and several almost grown babies came quite near to me and I got several pictures. Not sure what they were but they appeared to be in the dove family.

The trail down these mountains was much easier than yesterday, eventually leading to better and better roads heading to Grand Lake, my next resupply stop. My original plan was to stop a few miles out of town and camp in the forest, getting up early to be at the post office when it opens Monday. I got to this potential camping spot about 1 and it was buzzing with ATVs and dirt bikes, so I decided to head on into town to the hostel I had read about.

I got a bunk for the night, took a shower and headed into town to do laundry and get some food. I came back and cleaned gear, cooked a meal and got ready for bed. Unless someone comes in awfully late, it looks like I have the whole room to myself for the price of a bed for the night.

Spent the night at: N40.25377 W105.81438 Elevation 8580 ft

08/29/05: In Which I Depart Grand Lake via the Fake Lakes

I did not sleep well last night, being too hot as I often am indoors. My stomach was also upset and when I got up I decided to forego the granola and just have the yogurt I planned to have with it. I checked out of the hostel about 8 and was at the post office on the other side of town when it opened at 8:30. I got everything sorted and repacked from my resupply by 9 and headed out of town on the bridge between Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake.

I started a long walk along the latter, though sometimes the trail would dip inland for a while. Eventually I left this lake and moved on to the next in line, Lake Granby. All the lakes for the day's walk, even the final one of Monarch Lake that abuts the wilderness, are really reservoirs created by dams. Getting to the Colorado River early and often.

About noon I was exhausted after just 7 miles of hiking and lay down to consider whether to head back to Grand Lake to rest another day. I finally decided that none of my symptoms were too serious, likely some stomach virus that was sapping my energy and would go away by tomorrow. I decided to forge ahead with the understanding that my informal goal for the day would not be 20 miles like it usually is.

I plodded along and Lake Granby was harder because the trail went up over a ridge instead of hugging the shore, so I had several hundred feet of climbing to do, though I cut cross country and walked along the shore for the last mile.

I saw lots of dayhikers as there are numerous roads nearby including the one I ran into at the end of Lake Granby. I walked the road for a mile and passed three campgrounds with few people in them. I picked up some water at one of them to save pumping it.

Another short road segment led to Monarch Lake, created by damming several creeks headed to the Colorado. At this point I had originally planned to get a permit to head into Indian Peaks Wilderness, but with the way I was feeling I decided to stick to the shorter official CDT route. As it turned out, my decision was academic as the ranger station was closed so I could not get a permit anyway.

I walked the broad trail around the lake and then until I stopped to have mashed potatoes for dinner, hoping my stomach would handle them. They digested okay as I climbed nearly a thousand feet along Mill Creek, but finally I was too exhausted to go any further, so I stopped about 6:30 to lay out my sleeping bag and rested for half an hour. Then I got up and erected the tarp and got ready for bed.

Followers of the GPS location I close each entry with will note that assuming a normal day tomorrow I should cross the 40th parallel. I have also reached 105 degrees west longitude (I was at 113 on the Montana-Idaho border), but should start moving west again in Colorado so that number should grow in the next couple of weeks.

Spent the night at: N40.09121 W105.73777 Elevation 9254 ft

08/30/05: In Which I Meet Pickle, Climb James Peak and Camp above the Bonnie Shores of Loch Lomond

I didn't sleep too well, getting up to pee several times during the night, but woke hoping whatever was ailing me had thereby passed in the night. As has become typical now at these altitudes, it was very chilly so I moved briskly to help keep warm.

I continued along what is known as the High Lonesome Trail eventually dropping to the Junco Lake Trailhead where I noticed Brian and Lisa had signed in yesterday and another southbound CDT thruhiker who left no name had already signed in this morning.

A little while later while crossing the road I was hailed by a man down the way taking a break in the sun. It turned out to be Pickle, a section hiker who had done New Mexico and most of Colorado, heading from Rawlins to Silverthorne to finish out that section.

We hiked past each other a couple of times and then hiked together for a few miles up to Devils Thumb Pass, where the trail follows the Divide for an extended period. Turns out Pickle was also sending notes to CDTS and we both had the next section to do, so he agreed to go a little slower and take the notes.

There were nice views as I proceeded along, especially as I approached Rollins Pass looking down to King Lake. From that pass I dropped down to a road for a mile then climbed back to the Divide with great views, especially to the east where I looked down on a series of lakes. I dropped again to Rogers Pass (it is at 11,860 feet to give you some idea of the elevation I am hiking at along here) about 5:30 and faced a decision. In front of me a mile and half away was 13,300-foot James Peak. I could stop where I was (low on water this would mean a dry dinner) or try to climb over the mountain and down to water before dark.

Feeling much better than I had 24 hours earlier, I decided to take on the climbing challenge and scrambled to the top of the peak in about an hour, took a few pictures, and then descended as fast as was safe trying to find water and a camping spot before dark.

About 7:30 I reached a stream flowing into Loch Lomond with a few scrub trees in a reasonably level spot nearby to camp. While setting up it rained a bit, but I got a quick dinner cooked and ate it in the dark under the tarp as another shower passed. It wasn't much rain but broke of spell of four days without rain. Hopefully it was an aberration and the dry weather will return.

Spent the night at: N39.83685 W105.67287 Elevation 11,251 ft

08/31/05: In Which I Have My Ups and Downs Again

In the cold light of morning, Loch Lomond had little to resemble the original, as it was another reservoir. It was pretty at the shore facing the Divide. From there I followed a road down looking for an unmarked trail to the south that I never found.

I ended up trapped in a private summer home area where every road that headed the direction I wanted to go was marked "Private/Dead End". I eventually worked my way out of maze but ended up several miles out of my way getting back to the trail.

The trail, when I finally found out, proved to be under construction or nonexistent in places. I ran into the trail crew and Pickle about the same time (he got off track but not as far as I did). We thanked the trail crew for their work and took a break together after getting water for the next dry stretch at Mill Creek.

I went on ahead on the long climb up the ridge to Breckenridge Peak and then to Mount Flora at 13,132 feet on the Divide. I headed south and west from there to Berthoud Pass, another crossing of Highway 40, this one at over 11,000 feet.

While taking a break on the far side of the road, another thruhiker showed up, Homemade Mike, who is also from Oregon. He had been hiking with Tommy and Razzu for a couple of weeks, so had been looking to catch up with me.

Pickle joined us, and the three of us headed off along the Divide together toward Stanley Mountain. From there we dropped off the Divide to get water and spend the night in a more sheltered location than is typically provided by the Divide itself.

Spent the night at: N39.77723 W105.85116 Elevation 11,584 ft

© 2006 Mark C. Davis • Page Last Updated January 8, 2006