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

We have a much better plan. Packed up and moved out by 630, knowing we were cutting down our miles based on the elevation. We are hiking at 8000’-9000’ daily and it is hard when the oxygen mask doesn’t drop! With the intense ups and downs, and the grade close to 10-15%, I’m not sure I’m gonna make all these passes! So we collectively decided to reduce mileage with elevation gain. And stay off ridge lines during ever-present dangerous thunderstorm activity.

The morning was a cakewalk. There were a few gradual climbs but the views were the best which masks the “out of breath” episodes I tend to feel. Meadows surrounded by cirques of alpine mountains. There were tons of springs, creeks and lakes so no long water carries either.

But that all comes to a screeching halt when we started to climb up and over to Idaho /Montana Border. From our peaceful breakfast, to the border, was quiet, the morning wake up call. A mere 500’ climb in less than half mile with some well placed switchbacks, actually was doable.

But the 1000’ climb up and over Mountain Pass was a booger. Just as you think you are getting to the top, they add another switchback to nowhere. There was promises of LTE and phoning home. But once we made it to the top, absolutely nothing, nada, zilch! So what’s the purpose of all this up and down without any reward? The views are the icing on the cake.

We caught our breath and saw “Trick or Treat” waltz by like she was going to the store! These kids have no idea how hard it is to climb these peaks! Maybe the fact that she’s 20, 6’2” with all legs serves her well for hiking but it’s just cruel. Just wait till you’re a senior citizen and try walking up Mountain Pass! Then you’ll understand my pain, suffering and agony!

We headed down because that’s what we do and had lunch at the lake. A family of seven rode their dirt bikes here. What??? We can do that? Is it legal when you’re hiking the CDT to ride motorcycles? I haven’t seen any rule book so maybe so. The littlest girl Nelly picked a pink flower and gave me and Fearless flowers for our hair. What a sweet little one.

We ate, and powered up for our final push, Littleler Lake. Of course we had to climb but the best thing about it was, the fact we were in our new home by 6pm. Before the thunderstorms, check, and we got to rest and relax in camp. Indy showed up, another youngster from the trail. She’s hiking 22-26 miles a day. What’s with these kids? Oh how nice it is to be young and have heart and lungs that are being powered by Red Bull! Maybe that’s what I’m missing? Caffeine, the number one ingredient I haven’t even realize I should be consuming. Nope, my secret weapon is the Lord Jesus because we all know Red Bull has nothing over our mighty and powerful God!

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭

Oh boy, what a day we had. Looking back on the CDT, I would say day one in the Bob was the hardest day. It was Lincoln Log City for miles and I was totally unprepared for that. Number One mistake was wearing shorts. Number two mistake was going off trail and thinking that making your own trail is a better idea than backtracking. Neither are good but the latter is better. Today is up there with the toughest day in the Bob!

Our morning was quite nice. Me and Fearless were packed and out by 6am. We headed to the spring as we dry camped last night and needed to refill. When we arrived at the creek, Mad Martigan was packing up. We all had breakfast together, then hit the trail.

We saw a sign that showed that we were in a new state. From Montana to Idaho, but from what I believe is we will be skirting the two states for quite awhile. Once off the road and back on the trail, we found a blueberry patch that continued on for miles. This slows down a hiker because there is no way you can keep your pace while stopping every minute or two to pick blueberries. Needless to say, we were slow going but our antioxidants were increasing!

Lunch stop was at an old abandoned log cabin. We sat on a dilapidated porch eating tuna, beef, sticks, beef, jerky, and bars. Not the best lunch, but about the only thing we have at this point. He stayed for a good hour, then headed up, and I mean UP the mountain.

The afternoon climb was over 3000’. And it seemed to go on forever. This is when I decided that I don’t think I like thru-hiking anymore. I used to be able to climb mountains in a single bound. I’d head up the hill and within an hour or two, I was up and over it and on the downward slide. Well that isn’t the case anymore. It takes all I have to finish up my measly ten miles.

Around 5pm, Fearless and I stopped for dinner. As soon as I had gathered my ingredients for beef soup with noodles, the thunder rolled in. You’ve got to be kidding! This is starting to be a common occurrence. I ate quickly, packed up and was ready to hit the trail. Fearless was still trying to eat her meal and it just wasn’t satisfying, so she packed too.

Out last climb was 750’ up and over a ridge. The problem was its’ thundering and I’m not too excited about being exposed to an electrical storm while on a ridge line at 8000’. This is a big problem and I knew it. Instead of bailing, which would’ve been the prudent thing to do, I continued onward and prayed fervently.

Once we reached the top, we ducked behind the mountain and skirted around towards the spring that we intended to camp at. The good Lord spared us and kept us safe. And it was only by His grace, we arrived.

Lessons learned today. Plan your afternoon hikes to be at lower elevations with lots of protection from thunderstorms. Realize while hiking in Montana or Idaho or anywhere else on the Continental Divide, that the chances of afternoon thunderstorms are highly likely. And most importantly, don’t hike on ridge lines when storms are approaching! That’s just downright irresponsible.

Fearless could see the distress on my face and knew we were in trouble. She said something that really gave me pause, and helped me realize the influence that I have. She said, “I thought I’d be safe hiking with Kelly Baraga.” This stopped me in my tracks and made it abundantly clear that I am the most experienced to say when we go, and when we don’t. So promises made, we will not be hiking on ridge lines during afternoon thunderstorms ever again. Done!

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

After a long run with Just Sally, all things must come to a close. We had a nice Zero Day in Butte and enjoyed the finer things of life. A manicure and pedicure, some shopping and a wee bit of relaxing.

I made a big change out in gear. A new and improved backpack. The pack I’ve been using served me well for years but my body must be changing or I just can’t carry the excess weight of food and water like I used to. So we made a trip to REI and after trying a couple of packs, I landed on a Flash Ultralight Men’s Pack. I know, why would I get a men’s pack? Well a couple of reasons but mostly my shoulders are broad and women’s packs typically don’t fit well. So I tried it on, and after loading it with all my gear, I started crying. It fit so good and my shoulders weren’t hurting anymore! This is a game changer for me. I made a pack change out once before on the PCT and it made a world of difference!

Sally dropped Fearless and I off outside of Wisdom at Chief Joseph Trailhead. We are back on track and headed Sobo again. With the extra miles we put in on both the Anaconda and Butte routes, we are exactly where we should be. As soon as Sally drove off, a gal came over and introduced herself and gave us a mandarin. You have no idea how much we crave fruit. Fearless tucked it away in her pack and off we went.

The trail for the first five miles was a forest service road with big ups and downs. We met a Nobo gal named Diva and she asked us about the trail ahead. Yep, continuous ups and downs until Anaconda, then you’ll get a short reprieve. She was grateful but we understood that there was no relief in sight for us!

We had two water sources today. Both springs that were off trail. First spring was an easy find about one-tenth mile off trail. We had lunch and headed down for water. I love spring water! It is the coldest water on trail and the tastiest!

After our first five miles, we broke off the road and headed onto the trail. It was a mixed bag of live forests with huge trees, some first generation cedars and then there was much dead fire-ridden trees from the recent Willow Fire last year. It’s so sad when you see the destruction and can only imagine what beauty was there prior to the fire.

Our climbs were significantly higher than weeks prior. We are well over 8000’ and my lungs are feeling it. With all the fires on the west coast and the lack of rain here, we are getting much of the smoke. My eyes and throat are taking the brunt of it all, that’s for sure!

At our second spring we ran into Mad Martigan and he gave us grim news. There is no spring to be found! That can’t be right. We are both down to less than a cup of water and the next spring is seven miles away. We looked at the comments in our FarOut App and everything we saw was there is a spring down the trail about quarter mile. I’m heading down. We both need water desperately and I am sure I will find this elusive spring.

So off I went with my daypack and five empty bottles that needed filling. The trail went down about 200’ , passing a primitive campsite. I knew it was passed the camping area so I kept going down. There was a zig-zag on the trail that led to a field of wildflowers and I arrived. There was a green garden hose that someone inserted near the spring to ease in the collection. Eureka, I found it!

After filling up all our bottles, I headed back rejoicing over life nourishing water. We headed to a shaded spot, made dinner and then continued a few more miles to camp. It’s a dry camp on a ridge line but we have our own supply of water. Then hunkered down for the night. Seems to me my prayers were answered today when I asked the Lord to show me this living water.

“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”” John‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So bittersweet. This is our last day of hiking with Just Sally. We have a short walk to rendezvous with our shuttle and Trail Angel Jocelyn. Another easy peasy day with no real elevation to speak of. When I woke up at my typical 5am, I made my Cafe Latte and walked to the meadow in search of big game.

As the sun rose, not a creature was steering, not even a mouse. I thought for sure I’d see some elk or deer, but no such luck. Just me sitting on a log, watching the sun rise and the flowers perk up. It was lovely on any account.

The girls were stirring and we slowly packed up in search of the trail. This section of CDT is quite allusive and it isn’t even mapped on my CalTopo. So many at home have not understood where in the world have we gone. But be assured we are truly on the trail heading Nobo towards Butte.

After a little hunting and pecking, we found a road that was in fact, our trail. We passed many open meadows, some beautiful red cedar trees and lodge poles, and odd looking mushrooms that were the size of dinner plates!

We found our one and only watering hole, SixMile Creek. Being we had carried so much water yesterday to camp, close to ten liters between the three of us, we didn’t need to fill up. We had brunch, white navy beans with fennel and rosemary. Sounds much better than it tasted, with some dried fruit. Then we talked about he steak, potatoes and salad we would be eating as soon as we got to town.

The last two miles was the newest of all the trails that we had to navigate. It went through a Fish and Game area that would not allow trails to be built on their land. So instead of following a trail or road, there were CDT Markers on fence posts, trees and odd places along the way. We basically cut trail through grasslands. All I could think of was “snake in the grass” or “ticks.” My biggest fear on trail.

After meandering in the field of dreams, we made it to an old outpost. I’m sure in its hay day it was something special. All the buildings were in disrepair and definitely not inhabitable. We made it to the roadway and Fearless constructed us a shade awning that was quite remarkable. We sat underneath it and watched as the drivers dodged the Free Range Cows that decided the grass was, literally greener on the other side!

Jocelyn arrived and whisked us away to Anaconda where a resupply box was waiting for us. Then drove us to her home in Butte where Sally’s truck was parked. This is such a beautiful part of the trail, in the fact, that complete strangers help shuttle weary and stinky hikers from trail to town. It truly is one of the best parts of hiking to and fro. The people who out of the kindness of their hearts rearrange their schedules just so they can be a part of this process. We couldn’t do it without their help and sacrifice. Thank you Jocelyn!

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬