Last night around 7pm, Indian walked up. We met her just north of Anaconda. She’s originally from Belgium but moved to the UK about eight years ago. She has a six-month visa and plans to hike nothing but the red-line. Well until we talked some sense into her.

It rained off and on last night but was dry when I packed up. That’s a downright miracle, because packing up in the rain is the absolute worst part of backpacking. I left after Hogged-Up, and Fearless left after me. Indian was the last to pack up. The game plan was to walk five miles, meet up and have breakfast.

But plans change! Once I left it was obvious that this was gonna be a cold day of hiking. I was walking in the clouds from the moment I left camp and the clouds didn’t lift for hours. I met up with Hogged-Up who was huddled up behind a rock. Poor girl. I told her that we don’t need to follow our plans when the weather is so miserable. She bolted and I followed suit.

When weather is bad, wind, rain, freezing cold, walking in clouds, rarely do you stop to eat. Typically I’ll eat as I walk or not at all. Bad choice but sometimes it just doesn’t make sense. What I did manage to do was walk ten miles by eleven. The thru-hiker motto is walk ten by ten. So I was just an hour behind but I did make twelve by twelve. This is the difference between stopping for breaks or continue trekking. I like taking breaks but not when I’m cold!

The clouds started to lift and it truly was a remarkable day. The high mountains with the low valleys, add in some wildflowers and desert sagebrush, equals into a stark contrast. This has to be another one of my favorite sections!

I must say that I’ve turned a corner. Usually it takes me a week or two to get into my groove. This time, it’s been weeks before I really can say that I’m enjoying this thru-hike. I’m not sure what has changed but there have been many times that I could’ve easily walked off trail and gone home. It’s a hard trail but I’ve been on difficult routes before. The Appalachian Trail was no picnic but I loved being there, most of the time. Maybe not the bouldering or the endless rain, muck and mud, but I never considered walking off the trail. The CDT is different. I’m not sure what it is or isn’t, but I have had a change of heart this last stretch. It’s about time!

The last sixteen miles was waterless and finally I made it to the first creek. Indian had just passed me and we decided to have lunch at the watering hole. The sun came out ever so briefly and I was hungry. We sat down, caught up on all things politics and health care, then ate lunch together. Still no sighting of Fearless but Indian passed her at the mountain overlook, so she was definitely on her way.

Within an hour, Fearless arrived. She had already stopped, had plenty of water and was ready to finish up the day. I packed up and we headed down trail to camp. Hogged-Up was already there, and found a grand spot for us to camp for the night. She is becoming our personal assistant and guide to all proper camp spots. We may need to start giving her reviews for Top Picks of Sites.

The gray menacing clouds chased us all the way to camp. We rolled in a little after 3pm as Fearless hung her hammock and I plotted out my best possible tent placement. As I was pitching my Durston, Indian walks up. Her plan was to continue a bit further but with the rain, thunder and lightning, she made the command decision to hang out with us. So now we have four! We are growing our little community.

With everyday on the trail, I realize how deeply connected I become with the people I meet, and especially the ones I hike with. We have a bond that connects us as hikers, a goal that keeps us striving to move forward, and a love that makes us stronger when we surround each other in God’s light.

“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Oh, how I love to sleep in on trail days. But those chances are slim to none. Today, we knew it was going to be a light day. Many factors played into this including not getting to town too early, trying to beat the thunderstorms and planning our water supply. We packed up and left at 8am. That was so nice!

The trail was fairly easy today which had much todo with the deluge of rain last night. No dust on the ground, just soft pliable dirt without mud. We started through a section that was much like the Pacific Northwest. Lots of tall towering trees, a rushing creek cascading down the canyon and tons of berries. You name it, I picked and ate them. We had raspberries, salmon berries, blueberries and some small berry that was bluish and purple. Perfect breakfast for a hiker who is tired of beef sticks!

Fearless and I were taking our time munching away. No big rush being we only had ten miles to cover today. The terrain opened up into these wide expansive areas with meadows, creeks, ponds and trees. All of a sudden she stopped in her tracks. That means she’s got her eye on something. Sure enough it was an Elk. She was huge and unaware that we were watching her. She perked her ears up and look directly at us. I think she wasn’t sure what or whom we were but after a few minutes, she bolted into the woods. What a beauty she was!

We met up with Hogged Up who is a much faster hiker than us. This was the last water supply for the next sixteen miles. We filled up every bladder, bottle and container we had. Then we took our shoes off to cross the river, being there was no stepping stones, bridge or other means to cross. And none of us wanted our shoes wet with the impending arrival of rain. Why get them wet before we need to?

The rest of the day was spent mesmerized by the beauty of the wide open spaces. On a clear day, which it was not, you could see all the way to the Tetons. Some 75 miles south of us. But today, I could see Yellowstone and the Great Plains, rolling hills and the mountains we have climbed over and everything in between. If you like commanding views, this is where you want to hike. For me, it rank in the top five of the best days on the CDT thus far.

We all met up at the Spring, which is not a spring. It dried up a month or so ago, but we were hopeful that the rain may have perked it back up. No such luck. I am becoming a fairly good predictor of weather. As we sat and ate lunch, I stated that we best be looking for a place to land because the weather was moving in. Hogged Up volunteered to check out the upcoming route to see if something looked plausible. Sure enough, she returned in five minutes with two observations. Yes, the weather was a changing and the thunder was heading our way. And two, there was a good spot to stop for the night, just down trail.

We packed up, followed HoggedUp just as the thunder got louder and the rain began to fall. How did I know? My joints start to ache a little bit more and the sky is dark gray. It’s not rocket science but it seems to be a good indicator of impending doom.

Another day closer to Island Park and Yellowstone. That’ll be a huge milestone as it means I have finished two states Montana and Idaho, with only Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico to go. But I won’t jump ahead as I still have another few days to go. God willing and the rain doesn’t stop me, I’ll be continuing southbound.

“Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When we left Lima yesterday, one of the Nobo’s had told us of a chute we would be coming down today. It was nothing but marble granite and nothing to hold onto. We walked all day waiting for this infamous path and never found it.

What we did find was several different ecosystems with almost every corner we turned. We started out on the plateau leaving Rock Springs. It was mostly sage with some grasses. Before long we were on top of a rocky ridge line that climbed, yes, to the top of the ridge. Once atop, there was a series of switchbacks that led us down the mountain, over shale and boulders, trees and pines, until we opened up into a grassy knoll.

The grassy knoll had grasses as tall as my hips and the best part, was I never saw a single tick! We ran into no less than ten Nobo’s today, all feral looking as they have been walking since April. It’s easy to tell if you are a Nobo or a Sobo. The Nobo’s have lost much weight, they are more scruffy and walk with a quick pace. Sobo’s are still fairly clean shaven, have some scrapes and bruises from fallen trees and may still be looking to shed a few extra pounds. Me included!

We stopped for lunch at one of the creeks, took off our shoes and Free Bird played a little giddy on her violin. She is 23 years old, and is quite a talented singer and musician. She sang an original song when we were in Lima called Lady Aurora which was sultry and powerful. This girl will be going places after the trail.

After lunch, we finished up our shorter day and only hiked another five or so miles. We have an important date this weekend with my husband George so we are cutting our miles back. Just about five minutes before we made it to Aldous Lake, it started spitting. The sky was gray and thunder was moving in. Hogged up was already set up in her tent as Fearless and I rolled in. Free Bird had her poncho turned into a tent erected. I found a spot pretty quick and Fearless eyed some trees for her hammock.

Just as we were setting our houses up for the night, thunder, lightning and rain started rolling in. I had my tent squared away and jumped into my home, then waited. The lightning was much too close for comfort and the hail was pelting the tent. Well God, once again you answered my prayers. Rain will clear out the smoke and put out the fires, and we are all tucked in and ready for you to rain down on us. I guess it’s all about timing! Thank you Lord for giving me enough time to get all tucked in, along with my friends. Once again, you are a mighty and powerful God!

It stopped raining. So all us girls, Fearless, Hogged Up, FreeBird and I decided to play a game of corn hole. Free Bird and Fearless found some sticks and constructed a makeshift square box and the object of the game was to get the sticks into the box. Easier said than done, yet Free Bird and I squeaked out the first ten points and were crowned the winners! Today was such a beautiful day with wild flowers, mountain ridge lines, trees and meadows. I do feel so blessed to be able to walk in the woods.

“You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭65‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lima is another small town in the heartland of Montana. It has a thriving metropolis of 200 people. Mostly Cowboys, Hardworking Americans with a handful of service workers. They have a Community Church that Fearless and attended on Sunday. They love the Lord, speak truth from the good book and truly take care of one another.

Lima was a strategic location for the Union Pacific Railroad due to its water supply and proximity to the Continental Divide, making it ideal for adding or removing locomotives. There are currently 42 kids from K-12 enrolled in the Lima Schoolhouse. It is quintessentially a town that you may overlook but be glad you spent the time to visit. And the Steakhouse has been voted Best Steakhouse in Montana for three years in a row. And I must agree! It was fabulous both nights.

We got a ride out of town after my breakfast sandwich. It was layered with bacon, sausage patty, eggs, cheese on white bread with raspberry jam! Hands down, best breakfast I’ve had on the CDT!

The trail started on the same dirty road that we left off with. Dusty and full of cows, with a huge climb! 4000’ is not an exaggeration and we did every foot of that and then some. We followed the road for the first five or so miles and made our way back to the single ribbon of dirt. We had lots of sage, a few pine trees and to many ups.

The newest addition to the trail is Hogged Up, aka Sabine. She is a hiker that Fearless met in the infamous Bob Wilderness who was looking for someone to trek with. She’s been solo most of the trail and feels very disconnected and lonely. This can be a tougher hike if you are doing it alone. So now there’s three.

I was reading some of the comments on FarOut, the App I follow for this trail. Hikers were warning of vicious sheep dogs. Hmm, I’ve never met a sheep dog I didn’t like. Then we saw a Nobo and he also warned us about a white Pyrenees who kept barking at him. So we were forewarned.

As we rounded the corner, there he was. An older Pyrenees with a job to do. He barked and barked and followed us as we enter the pasture with hundreds of sheep. He escorted us through, and at the end was a Shepherd on his Horse overseeing the entire escapade. Never said a word, and his other 4-5 dogs didn’t say anything either. I guess one barking Pyrenees is all you need. We continued southbound without any incident.

The day of hiking was long especially due to the fact, we didn’t get on trail until 9:45am. So to knock out the miles and the climb, we pulled into camp just before 8pm. I searched high and low for a flattish spot and finally landed. Made dinner and found my horizontal position after 9pm. Tomorrow will be an easier day, I hope. For now, I’m glad we found water and a somewhat relaxing place to lay my weary body.

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We are going to town, again. After sleeping with the cows the last few nights, both Fearless and I feel like barn animals! Combine that with waking up to the smokiest day on trail, it’s time to get out and scrub off the dirt and grime, then give our lungs a chance to breathe clean, circulated, pure air.

The cows were quiet this morning. They were munching on the sage and minding their own business. Not even close to the trail, but giving us a wide birth to head south. We followed the beaten path and before long, ran into another Nobo. He had just left Lima (pronounced like the bean), the day prior, then experienced his first night of true frost at Deadman’s Lake. Unfortunately it was not something he planned for and left his Sawyer Water Purifier outside, and unprotected. Bad news because these are made of ceramic and if they freeze, they loose their ability to treat and eliminate toxins and bacteria in your cow-infested water supply. We were headed into town, and fortunately I had a double water purification system. My go-to Katadyn Gravity-Fed Filter is my primary means of filtering water, and I have AquaMira Drops for redundancy. Well Nobo, you are in luck. I am going to gift you with my AquaMira Drops. We had a quick tutorial on how they work, and off he went. Giardia be gone, and may you drink from tainted cow ponds forevermore!

Once at Nicolia Creek, we took a bee-line and headed down the dusty road towards Lima. Unbeknownst to us, we were in store for a thirty mile jaunt. No problem, as Fearless had contacted a Trail Angel last night at half past midnight. Yes, she actually was laying in the cow patty field, couldn’t sleep and thought maybe she could get us a ride. She also was thinking she must be moments away from contracting Tuberculosis as she was breathing in nothing but cow pie dust. But that’s another story!

Al, the Trail Angel never responded but I was inclined to think she probably was still sleeping. We continued our journey down the road which was barren, deserted and downright void of anything lovely and beautiful. There wasn’t even a tree to hide behind to pee. So we just stepped into the gully and took care of business. Maybe too much info for a blog.

Steve, the local Water Procurement Authority happened to drive towards us. He stopped and explained that he was checking water levels and if we were still out here this afternoon, he could provide us a ride to Lima. As he reminded us, it’s another 25-30 miles to town! Thanks Steve. We had no idea, at that point, that he would be our saving grace.

After ten miles and little word back from Al, we stopped for our morning breakfast. I had made a thermos of coffee along with my Dave’s Killer Bar, dried papaya and a handful of “Good & Plenty.” Not what I typically have, but it was the last of my rations. I would not recommend this combo for breakfast, yet it provided me my daily requirements of caffeine, carbs and sugar. And that was exactly what I needed.

After several hours, Al responded and was unsure where we were. I dropped her a pin from our location, and she said it would be at least 1-1/2 hour drive. That’s not feasible, so we got up and started reluctantly, walking again. But within an hour or so, Steve came back in his work truck, filled to the brim with tools and enough dirt and grime to overflow Manhattan! But it was a ride and so we promptly jumped in.

Steve is a 75 year old tobacco spitting cowboy who happens to moonlight as a Water Lord. He is a character and has tons of stories of wrangling up cattle, riding horses for a hundred miles a day and falling into metal weirs when snakes surprised him! He also shared with us every geological activity that happened in Big Sheep Canyon along with the Cattle Thieving hideouts.

Steve told us about the decreasing numbers of Big-Horned Sheep due to the increased population of mountain lions. Just recently they introduced large herds and they are making a comeback. Once we entered the canyon, Steve started looking for sheep and sure enough, we saw 20-30 females and baby sheep. Some were tagged and collared. They are incredible climbers, grazers and seemed not bothered at all, that we were googling them. Pretty dang cool!

The ride into town was long, yet Fearless and I were eternally grateful. We tried to offer Steve money for his time and gas, but like so many others, he said pay it forward! This is the theme of the trail. I’ll take care of you and you take care of someone else. Thanks Steve for your time and help today!

Lima is another small town. But what it does have is a nice clean hotel, the best steakhouse voted three years in a row, in Montana and a place to collect my resupply. I also collected intel from the Nobo’s that were arriving from Yellowstone. So here we are, back in town and regrouping.

The smoke is horrendous. You cannot see the mountains that I’ve been told, are quite beautiful. We are wondering when it will all blow out? No rain is in the forecast, little wind, so it could be weeks. We will probably be using our bandana’s as air filters in the upcoming stretch. Hello Fire Season!

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV

When you sleep through your alarm, no worries. The cows will wake you up! I slept great. The ground was soft and flat, and the creek was flowing. Even if I was smack dab in the middle of cow central! First night that me and Fearless were sleeping in separate areas. She was above on a plateau that had trees for her hammock, and I was amongst the mooing cows. Good thing as they were my alarm clock this morning.

We beat feet out of the cow pasture and headed directly into the most beautiful section between Leadore to Lima. It was forested with old growth trees, huge mountains towering above us, with promises of Big-Horned Sheep. Never saw a single one but if I were a majestic creature like that, I’d definitely find myself a home in these peaks!

Most of our climbing took place in the early part of the day. There was a lot of route finding as the trails are crisscrossed with cattle paths and intertwined with the unmarked CDT. You would think they, whoever they are, would attempt to mark the trail a bit better. So needless to say, we were off track quite a bit.

Our biggest and most challenging climb was 1000’ up in less than a mile. At home, there is a route we call Training Hill. This was comparable. Biggest difference is my starting point is near 10,000’ and I am carrying a loaded backpack. I felt it was equivalent to climbing Everest with different Base Camps along the way. Okay, that’s a bit of a stretch but I was huffing and puffing like I was on the biggest peak in the world!

Afterwards we headed down for lunch and once again were a bit confused with the lack of signs. We got to a point where there was a severe drop, which neither me nor Fearless were willing to attempt. There was a barbed wire fence we could crawl under but Fearless hadn’t had her tetanus shots recently and wasn’t game for that. So we backtracked, again, and found a more gentler easier path to follow.

Life on the CDT is no PCT! The PCT as I call it, is the “piece of cake” trail. The ground is manicured, little fairy’s come and clean it nightly of unsightly roots, ruts and logs. And it’s properly signed! But this CDT is a “free for all.” It truly is unlike any other trail I have hiked. I have a love-hate relationship with it and honestly, if it wasn’t for Fearless coming along and sharing this day to day hike, I’m not sure if I’d still be out here. Seriously, she is my ray of sunshine when things go south. And that’s virtually daily as we, in fact, are heading southbound.

So we continued onward to lunch. We found the creek and sat for awhile. Once we were done, we realized once again, we were off trail. Luckily it wasn’t a terrible miscalculation and we climbed our final pass of the day. We ran into a guy from Czech Republic and talked for a bit. And the next three Nobo hikers were all from the Czech Republic. They didn’t know each other, but yet they all started on the same day and here they are months later within a couple of miles of each other. That’s hard to believe!

Our final destination was Harkness Lakes but when we arrived, it was nothing short of a swamp. There was a group of teenagers from NOLS and shared with us their course they were taking. It is an Outdoor Leadership School and they hike around central US in search of adventure. Not a single cell phone was available and they were cooking their own meals, journaling and actually having conversations with one another. It was such a pleasure to see young people outdoors!

We moved along and ended up back with the cows. This area is prime real estate for Angus Beef. They are fattening up for the day that they will become steak on my plate. For now, they are mooing all day long and taking over every quality flat spot with their cow pie excrement. What I’ve come to realize is a hard cow pie is easy to chuck and so I did. I made myself a home for the evening. Fearless was not as impressed and being there wasn’t a tree in sight, she resigned herself to sleeping on the ground in her makeshift poncho turned tent. I was quite impressed what a little improvisation can do! And once again, we were settled for the night, living as cowgirls on the range.

This section has taken a toll on me and has truly tested my patience in so many aspects. I question my ability, my desire, my willingness to keep going. But just as James reminds me, there is joy that can be found in the toughest of situations. Instead of focusing on the trial, I remind myself that I am growing, I am getting stronger and I am not alone in this journey.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭

Today we saw the bubble of Nobo’s, Northbound Hikers. They started in Mexico/New Mexico in April and are closing in on Canada. There had to be at least 10-15 today. They told us that they first started seeing Sobo’s in Yellowstone and have come across 30-40. That’s all? I think me and Fearless are the back of the pack but sounds like there still must be a handful behind us. All in total to this date is less than seventy of us.

Lots of ridge walking in the morning. But what was even more surprising was the amount of cows on the trail. They tend to walk the same trail we do and get quite aggravated when we continue towards them. Unlike cows, humans want to follow the easiest path. And so they moved over, except one. She stood her ground and gave me the eye. So I obliged. I know cow eye. Much like stink eye!

The wind was atrocious today. It would not let up for several hours. There was one point when I was blown off balance and bam, I spun around and landed off trail. The only other time I have felt wind like that was in Patagonia with my daughter Cherisa. It literally picked up a grown man with his backpack and hurled him in the air. Yep, that bad.

As we neared our lunch stop at Morrison Lake, Fearless heard a vehicle approaching. Wouldn’t it be something if they came this way? Well sure enough, Bobby and Rachel were celebrating their 16th Anniversary. They celebrate by riding their Side by Side and heading out to some dusty road. After talking with them for a minute, I asked, “ are you two headed to the lake and if so, can we hitch a ride?” Bobby was a bit concerned if we could safely get on the back but before he could say no, I was crawling in the back bucket. Fearless got in and off we went.

Two miles later, a few bumps, along with a couple of “oh crap” moments, we untangled ourselves and jump out. What a ride that was and one neither me nor Fearless will ever forget!

We found a huge piñon tree and sat down in the shade for lunch. Being we just earned an extra hour, Fearless reclined and promptly fell asleep. I’ve never seen someone who can sleep like she does. If she wasn’t Fearless, I’d call her Rip Van Winkle! She is the queen of naps.

After Sleeping Beauty woke up, we headed up the hill to our final stop for the day. While walking on ridge lines most of the day, we entered the High Mountain Desert landscape with Piñon Trees, Sage, Pines and assortment of low grasses. It was such a nice change from the vast ridge lines that were enveloped in smoke from all the surrounding fires.

Our last climb brought us to a plateau next to Tex Creek. It was surrounded by, yep you guessed it, cows. Big cows, little cows, Mama cows and one mega big boy steer. He was hanging out in the meadow that I wanted to pitch my tent in. Well, that didn’t happen. But I found a spot, flat and covered in pines. It was super soft and I promptly got to work in building my home for the night. Fearless found a bluff above me with a couple of perfect trees for her hammock. So we are all tucked in and ready to call it a day. Well that is, after we wiped off all the dust and grime from our four-wheeled adventure.

As I reflect on the past days, I am overwhelmed with the love and gratitude by complete strangers. The light of Jesus cannot be ignored, even while walking through the wilderness.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We had such a great rest in Leadore and Salmon. My hubby scored us a room at Homestead and then we also stayed at Mustang Inn. There is something good about spreading the love at the only two hotels in town. Leadore is a small town of 105 people. Seriously, and talking to one of the locals, she thinks it’s more like 75. Her daughter graduated from the High School as top student of her class of 2. So that paints the picture.

We made it to Salmon being there truly is no provisions to really speak of in Leadore. We hitched into Salmon with a nice couple out of Colorado Springs, Curt and Valerie. They are close to completing their quest of visiting every county in USA. That’s quite an accomplishment to say the least.

Salmon has everything. Shopping, Groceries, Bars , Ice Cream Parlors and Restaurants. We stopped and patronaged all shops. And ended our day with Milk Shakes and Affogatos. The hitch back didn’t go as easy and we accepted three separate rides to get back. In Idaho, hitchhiking is illegal so no one seems to want to pick up hitchhikers. I guess they thought we were planted decoys.

But finally after our lovely time resting, shopping, doing laundry and getting our resupply, we needed to get back on trail. Another Jen, I call “Outlaw,” gave us a ride back to trail. She also helps run the Mustang Ranch and is, most definitely, the life of the party!

Returning to trail is tough. Especially when you have these crazy climbs! Over 4000’ elevation gain today and we topped out at 10000’. We followed a ridge line most of the day. Big time exposure but luckily no threat of thunderstorms. At this point, our biggest concern is fires! Another fire broke out today near Wisdom which is the town north of us. And there’s several fires south that’s causing us much unwanted smoke. It’s been a tough year for all.

We left town with three of us, me, Fearless and Mad Martigan. We stopped for a break and the kids showed up. They started an hour after us and passed us relatively quickly. Imagine that? There’s Steady, Trick or Treat, Indy, Blondie, Side Quest and Freeflow. They are half my age and walk twice as fast as me. But the funny thing is, we always end up in the same town, at the same time. I think they may like town stops even more than me and Fearless!

So they left us in the dust and Mad Martigan did the same. Fearless is a bit more competitive than me so I think it bugs her more than I. But we are still out here doing the miles, and still showing up in town within a day or two of the youngsters.

After climbing every pass I could see, finally I had a slate slipping downhill. We had twelve miles without water so I was conserving the best I could. I carried three liters out of town and ran out half a mile before the Spring-Fed Cow Trough. Yep, that’s our drinking water for the day. No mountain springs, no creeks or rivers, just cow troughs that are being guarded by, yep you guessed it, cows!

We filled up with water and started looking for the perfect campsite. After climbing another ridge line, we ended up off trail in a clump of trees overlooking the valley below. Pretty sweet spot and we have it all to ourselves. Not even a cow is here.

When we were preparing to leave, some hikers warned us of this stretch from Leadore to Lima. The ridges are exposed, there’s nothing to see that’s beautiful, and it’s just not worth your effort. But after today, I actually am relieved and felt that this is God’s gift to Montana and Idaho. So far, so good.

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

After a glorious day and knowing we had two, maybe three days to town, I prayed to the Lord. “If there is any possibility of leaving this wilderness early, please open a door. Amen” Fearless has some terrible blisters, one that has blood oozing out of it and needs some treatment and medical attention. And we do not have a MASH unit nearby.

We hit the trail a bit late but neither of us seemed to fret. Our climb was minimal and honestly, we had little chance of getting out and talked about a roadwalk that would keep our miles lower and flatter.

We made it to Berry Creek which was so nice. It overlooked a meadow with an slow flowing creek. It reminded me of the Merced River in Yosemite with granite peaks in the background and floatable rivers. Oh how I would love to have a float raft!

We continued south, and out of nowhere, this tall lanky kid caught up with us from behind. Neither me nor Fearless recognized him and at this point, we know pretty much all Sobo hikers on the trail. There’s such a small group of us that we all recognize each other.

His name is Will and he’s tall, young and walks with a big backpack. I think he said his pack is 80 liters so that’s twice the size of my pack. Basically the size of mine and Fearless’ combined! He had been fly fishing at some of the high alpine lakes and was on his way home to Missoula. He asks us point blank without any prompting, “do you need a ride?” I looked at Fearless and we both collectively said yes!

Will is a speed-walker. He has extremely long legs, walks with a purpose and wants to get out as soon as possible. So off we went. We stayed on the CDT for another few miles before veering off trail onto an abandoned road. We followed a river and before we knew it, we were at his Subaru Outback!

Will’s friend Lucas, was waiting at his car. He had planned to go backpacking but bailed when he heard about all the fires. I totally understand because it has been awfully smoky during the past few days. Will rearranged his car and made room for Fearless and I, and our backpacks.

Lucas ran back to his car and waited for Will to meet up with him. The trail was not intended for a car. It was a long bumpy road, more suited for a Jeep, not a Subaru. But Will navigated the best he could, hit one large boulder that sounded like the end of our ride! After backing up and correcting, his front bumper got a bit beat up. Will told us the car was over 25 years and everyone in his family has Subarus! Before long, we were back with Lucas and all four of us were headed down the road.

This is nothing short of a Godsend. There really is no reason for anyone to be parked out here but sure enough Will and Lucas show up. They are headed north to Missoula but are more than happy to drive two hours out of their way to take us to Leadore! This is no doubt, an answer to prayer!

After two plus hours, and many miles on dirt and gravel roads, we arrive in Leadore, population 105. It’s a set for a western movie. There is nothing here but a Mercantile Store which is also the restaurant, gas station and local hangout. Anyone passing through town blows past this place unless they have a distinct reason to stop.

For Will and Lucas’ time and effort, we invited them to double-cheese burgers and Powerade. They were thrilled. After our fine dining, they drove us to the Homestead Motel where Fesrless and I collapsed in two queen beds, flushable toilets and a bathtub. This is the best motel we have seen in weeks!

Once again, my God answered my prayer with gusto and nothing short of promptness! I was thinking the next day or two but the Lord had a better plan. What about leaving the wilderness today?

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I needed a change in attitude. Once again this trail has taken a toll on me. My Daily Bread helped me to put things in perspective. David cried out to God regarding his enemies getting away with, literally murder. He wrote poetry to the Lord and how life was so unfair. Yet in the end, we all get our just rewards. The meek inherit the earth and all things work out for God’s glory.

This trail has been more than tough. The climbs, the elevation and altitude, downed trees, the lack of trail maintenance, the whole Ana-banana! It’s just harder than I expected or I just didn’t plan accordingly. Fearless and I drafted another new and improved plan. Let’s enjoy the journey and not worry about the destination. We have months to get this trail knocked out. No need to put that on us now. And so we left with a load off and we would get to wherever we get to, by the end of the day.

What a glorious day it was. When we left camp this morning, we climbed a set of staircases that led us from one cascading creek to another. We had meadows with so many wildflowers, we lost count! And then we came over a rise and saw the most pristine lake of all. Little Lake is surrounded by green meadows, mountains that reached to the heavens and not a soul as far as the eye could see. We did notice a few birds flying overhead squawking at us, as if they had never seen a human before.

We climbed over the pass, but they call it a saddle. It was over 9000’. It’s a pass in my perspective. Once we reached that, there was a narrow trail that squeezed between granite rocks and old cedar trees. Then Rock Island Lakes appeared. One lake after another today.

We stopped for lunch until Fearless counted three ticks on her mat. We picked up our lunch quicker than a hot potato and moved to another spot, clear from the grasses. If anyone ever asks me what I am most afraid of? It is a pesky teeny tiny little tick! Nothing worse, well maybe a llama!

We finished lunch and headed down the path till we hit the river. This was our final “get water call” and douse yourself. We had one final climb for the day. I honestly must say, that was the nicest 1000’ climb as it was mostly in the trees and had tons of switchbacks.

At the top, we took a quick break and headed down to camp. Hemly Creek was a bit short of where I had intended to go but after hiking twelve hours, it was clear that we were ready to rest. Some people may have no idea how much work is involved in hiking. It is grueling at times. But honestly, I am so blessed to be able to do this, day after day, week after week and month after month! Thank you George, my biggest support on trail for helping me complete this journey. You are the best husband, best friend a girl could have and best lover I could ever have dreamed of. That’s my babe!

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV