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

Last night was a Spa Treatment. We were camped by Sullivan Creek and it was only appropriate to treat ourselves to some pampering. Just Sally brought us multi-colored, gel filled eye masks that were quite soothing after all the hard work we have done in the past week. We drank hot tea and indulged in a little bit of spiced flavored libation. I think we all needed it.

The morning was cold, a little over 40 degrees. Being in the canyon must’ve contributed to the coolness. We all had jackets on when we hit the trail. That lasted for five minutes as we started our climb.

If I was a geologist, I think I would’ve lived in Montana. I don’t know much about geology, but I sure know a good rock when I see one. The mountains are so colorful with tons of different minerals. The rock formations are varied, as you turn one corner to the next. Today when we headed out of Sullivan Creek, we climbed up to a ridge line. I think it was a little over 8.000’. There was a massive rock slide in front of us, and a towering red mountain to the south. Each direction had different topography with forest covered peaks, sandy slopes, multi-colored mountain tops and a variety of pines, cedars, and tons of non-edible mushrooms. It really is incredibly diverse in this region.

Our plan is to setup for a ride back to Butte tomorrow. Sally is headed home, but don’t be too sad because as soon as she returns, she leaves for the Bahamas. Tough life she lives! We only needed to hike a little over ten miles so we stopped for lunch at Twelvemile Creek. Pretty leisurely day today.

Our only problem is once we left the creek, we would not have water for another ten miles. No point of rushing to the next water source so everyone filled up bladders and cameled up! That’s a term we use for drinking as much water as humanly possible and holding it like a camel. It actually works. Sally and I drank a liter each and refilled our bottles. Then continued walking to our future home for the night.

We scouted for awhile and found nothing too exciting. I wanted to find a nice spot for Sally’s last night and so Fearless and I dropped our packs and continued up the trail till we found utopia. It truly is a gorgeous place with meadows, trees and I’m thinking elk! It’s a perfect ground for them to graze and make elk-like sounds. We rushed back and apprised Sally of our choice and with packs loaded with gallons of water, we arrived to our final destination, Elk Meadow.

As we were building our homes, we realized it wasn’t elks that we were invading but wasps. Oh no! After a couple of close calls, Sally killed one and they all retreated. Now we can pitch our tents without pesty little boogers biting us. I’m gonna miss my bug slaying friend.

Fearless and I were talking about how much we are going to miss having Just Sally around. She has been such a wonderful addition to our hiking regiment. Who else is going to bring spa treatments, kill unnecessary bugs and have the endless bladder of clean drinking water? She’s gonna be a hard one to replace. That’s for sure!

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Oh boy, what a day. If some of you are confused as to where I am, you are not alone. I am headed Sobo from Canada to Mexico but due to our recent visit from Sally, we are trying to get her back to Butte. This allowed us to make a directional change after climbing Storm Pass and Goat Flat yesterday. Instead of heading south to Wisdom, we are now traveling Nobo towards Butte. All dots on the trail will be connected. And Fearless and I will resume our Sobo travel in a few days.

We are taking it a bit more leisurely with a reduction in miles and enjoying the amazing scenery. We broke camp after 7am and left ahead of the Llama Pack. Around 830am, they caught up and we decided to let them pass. Fearless was videotaping the creatures as they passed and the lead llama must have mistaken her camera for food because he put his face directly up to her IPhone. The Mama Llama said she must’ve thought it was edible. I guess it looks like oats!

They continued down the trail and within a few minutes, we noticed three horses coming up the trail. The Mama Llama, she’s the owner, name unknown, moved all three llamas off the trail. I guess some horses don’t like llamas and she wanted to give the riders a clear path. This is when everything went south!

The lead rider, Mr. Buster an older gentleman on an older horse, got spooked. The horse saw the llamas and started going backwards, then spun around in circles, raised its front legs up, not once but twice as Buster was holding on. I was quite impressed with his horsemanship until the horse misstepped and rolled off the trail trapping the rider underneath the horse. Oh crap, this is bad! I ran over as Mr. Buster was trying his best to get untangled from the horse and stirrups. He wiggled his way out as his daughter and granddaughter got off their horses. It gets worse!

Now Mom Madeleine is off her horse, and her teenage daughter has the other two horses on leads. We access Mr. Buster and attempt to figure out how to get the horse off the ground. The horse seems dazed and confused! It’s lying on its right side with the saddle and all its gear still attached. The horses legs are up hill which makes it quite difficult to upright. Mr. Buster is trying his best to get the horse to stand up. The Llama Mama and her llamas are making a quiet escape from this entire ordeal.

Finally after a few minutes of, “should we take the saddle off the horse” or “should we just let the horse rollover so it can stand”, the horse somehow, someway, uprights itself and takes off running down the trail riderless. And if that’s not bad enough, the other two horses, drag Maddy to the ground, as they follow suit. I know, you can’t make this stuff up!

Now teenage Maddy is down with abrasions and a possible busted ankle. Me and the gang all head over and access Maddy as the Mom and Grandpa are in need of finding their runaway horses! I take over as lead Medic and the girls find all things first aid. Madeleine and Mr. Buster see that Maddy is in capable hands and tell us they’ll be back once they retrieve the horses.

About half an hour later after Maddy is all bandaged up, Mom and Grandpa return. We haven’t seen the llamas, they are long gone but the horses appear to be fine. And that’s the gist of our day on the trail.

So in Montana, you get Grizzly Bears, Rocky Mountain Goats, Elks, Deer, Badgers but what is the scariest thing on the trail is evidently, a llama or worse, three llamas. So next time you’re out in Montana, be very weary of the docile and adorable llamas. They are truly the bad news bears!

Prior to us leaving this morning, we asked the Lord for protection and strength. I know He was aware of what was coming this day, yet amoung all the chaos, he protected us and the ones nearby.

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭138‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Up early and back on trail. There are many ways to get back to the CDT, but most take Anaconda Alternate. We were debating where to go as Sally needs to get back to Butte by mid-week so she can head home to Idaho. Me and Fearless need to get some miles on the trail and after much contemplating, we decided to take the alternate. Then head north to Butte. A bit off track but it works.

We hit the trail early and headed to Storm Lake. With the massive thunder, lightning and hail we experienced last night, this seemed like an appropriate place to start. It was, by far, the most incredibly beautiful place I’ve hiked yet, on the CDT to date. The lake was pristine, clear water like Lake Tahoe Blue, and was surrounded by huge peaks and rock walls. The shoreline had dark green pine trees, with moss and liking everywhere.

The trail headed up over 2500’ in elevation with switchbacks that were properly spaced and just the right amount of steepness. I felt so strong today until I didn’t. We climbed for a little over an hour until we hit Storm Pass. The wind was blowing wickedly and then I saw the trail. It was on the side of a rocked wall cliff with some sleet, loose rock and an extremely narrow trail. I do not like heights and this was way out of my comfort zone! After taking many breaths, praying for God to give me courage and solid feet, I slowly made it along the shelf! This was the scariest moment of my hiking career. Well, at least on this trail! I had one point when I was on my hands and knees just trying to get around rockfall. Needless to say, I made it with a bit of coaching from Sally and a some talking me literally, off the cliff. Thank you Jesus for keeping me and my crew safe and sound while we negotiated this precipice. I won’t be back.

Once on solid ground on Goat Flat, which is nothing close to flat, we walked over the mountain and made it down to a valley. I thought I was going to loose my lunch, but being I hadn’t eaten, it was time to take a break and fill our belly’s. And for me to truly stop shaking and compose myself! Did I tell you that I am deathly afraid of heights?!?! This was way beyond my expectations of the CDT. And to think, I haven’t even made it out of the first state.

We had lunch and finished our second half of the day. Once at the junction of CDT, we headed down towards Upper Seymour Lake. Once again there were countless switchbacks and the trail was quite narrow. Fearless took the lead and Sally occupied my thoughts with memories of past, present and future trips. This really helped calm my nerves and before I knew it, we were off the mountain and back on flatter ground.

Upper Seymour Lake was just as pretty as Storm Lake. But it was tucked away from any roads and was a true gem of Montana. Nestled in the Anaconda and Pintler Range, there are majestic mountains enveloping the lake. We met a group of gals who had Llamas that they use to pack all their worldly possessions. These were the sweetest pack animals and seemed to be quite content in the mountains.

Fearless and I headed to the lake and after coercing her, we both got into the water. It was, by far, the most relaxing part of the day. I cooled down and just let all the tension of the day drift away. After reflecting on my thoughts today, I decided it truly was a picture perfect day. Minus the hands and knees crawl!

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV