After a restless night of sleep, I was up and ready to get in gear for another day on trail. My tent was layered with condensation. Probably the mere fact that we were camped near hot springs and the moisture in the air was dripping. That’ll do it!

Our morning stroll was peaceful, no one else on trail. We were warned that a Bison was in the meadow a few clicks south of us but he was long gone by the time we arrived. But what was present were tons of active geysers! This stopped me in my tracks. So many hikers mentioned how the CDT took us far away from all things Yellowstone. But we were walking right next to steam vats, calderas, honey combs, and every type of geysers a mad scientist would want to see! It was such a sight!

After watching, photographing, and getting a facial from the steam, we headed to the marshlands. It was foretold that we would have close to a mile of wet crossings to contend with. Fearless, PT cruiser and I changed into our water shoes. Hogged Up was long gone and from her pace I’m assuming she just waded through it, shoes and all.

It was deep and no sight of what we were walking into. The grasses were covering most of the trail along with mud and muck. Thankfully we were not in Florida so there was no thoughts of crocodiles or alligators! Just swans, cranes, ducks, geese and frogs. Those I can handle. For close to half an hour, we were covered in a muddy concoction of who knows what? But we managed to make it through unscathed.

Shoshone Lake was our reward! It is the largest lake I’ve seen in this area and crystal clear. We cleaned up all the mud and debris, washed my butt from a couple of sit downs I took while navigating the banks and walked into the lake. I could’ve walked for what seemed like miles. It was as deep as my shins! Such a nice way to spend lunch. Fearless, Atsuko and I stayed awhile and soaked up the sunshine. It was a great place to chill for a bit.

Our camp was another fives miles and so we hoofed it to Moose Creek. It was flat except for the part that wasn’t! But for the most part, it was a walk in the park literally! Groomer trails with log poles and lots of shade. Just as we were finishing dinner, our suspicion has been acknowledged. Rip, a thru-hiker circumnavigating the PCT north to PNT east to CDT south and reconnecting to PCT by any way possible told us, that we are, in fact, the last Sobo’s. Not a huge surprise but it puts things in perspective. We need to get a move on, if we plan to finish this thing before winters frost!

During this journey, I have questioned myself if I’m going fast enough to finish what I started. But I keep getting reminded that this is exactly where I am suppose to be. If the Lord wanted me to go faster, He would’ve given me faster legs, more quick twitch fibers and stronger cardiovascular endurance. But He made me like I am and so I do what he asks me to do. Fast, slow or slowest, I believe I am where I need to be.

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”” Isaiah‬ ‭30‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

After five days off, all good things must come to an end. My hubby George returned to California, Curt found a new place to park his trailer and I kidnapped Atsuko! She is joining us for the next week and hiking with me and the girls!

Curt drove us back to the trail and we hiked into Yellowstone. Our first bit of business was visiting the Ranger Station. Hogged Up is a kid at heart and, like the rest of us, needs to feel that something is being accomplished. After hours of coloring, answering questions, doing word search, drawing animals seen in the park, it was time to get our work accessed. We waltzed into the Park Headquarters in search of a Park Ranger.

Ranger Zander obviously takes his job quite seriously. There was no rubber stamp happening today. He thumbed through every page of our Junior Ranger Book, asking pertinent questions and reviewing all our cumulative results. Thank goodness we were deemed worthy of Junior Ranger status, took a pledge and are now equipped with stickers and badges! I have always wanted to become a Park Ranger, and now this dream is I fulfilled!

Afterwards we were ready to have lunch and head off into the park, knowing we were a bit more knowledgeable than days earlier. All except for my navigational skills. I have always deemed myself as a full on compass-head but I totally blew it today! I hit the trail and made an abrupt right turn, heading north. Atsuko, aka PT Cruiser tried to correct me to no avail. It wasn’t until I saw Hogged Up hiking towards me that I told her she was going the wrong way. Ah, no I am not,while conferring with her map and continued south. Oh boy, there is one thing that this trail will do for you and that is, keeping you humble. I ate crow, turned around and started my Sobo journey again. Sorry Atsuko. Who I am to not listen to you, especially when it comes to all things navigation? Needless to say, Atsuko is on the premier Search & Rescue Team of NorCal! She knows what way is south!

Being back on the trail after a five day hiatus is tough. I felt like I was starting all over. The terrain was pretty darn forgiving but the heat was not! Gosh, I should’ve been praising the Lord for the fact it hasn’t rained for days instead of complaining about the heat. I’m sorry Jesus. It seems like I’m saying sorry a lot today!

After meandering around the trail for a few more miles, we arrived at our assigned site on Upper Firehole Creek. Just like Glacier, Yellowstone requires permits and designated campsites. It was a great spot, right next to a lazy river with plenty of beach and areas to get in and soak. I was the first one in and just sat in the river. Before long, all the gals followed suit and relaxed by the rivers edge.

The Bear Hang was a bit challenging as the throw was close to 50’ tall. After a few try’s, Hogged Up and Fearless had rope secured and our bags were hung! No bears will be eating our food tonight. We had dinner and took a late night stroll to a few of the active calderas that surrounded us. Hogged Up led the field trip being careful to follow Bison Pies and not venture off into the unknown abyss. There are both active, inactive and dormant geysers around us. I had no idea that we would be camping right next to these melting pots. Pretty dang cool!

Well I’m glad to be back at it again. But it was another bittersweet day saying goodbye to George. He truly is my heart and joy, and I am counting the days to be back home. Until that happens, this girl and her friends will keep trekking towards Crazy Cook Monument.

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This has been the nicest reprieve that I’ve had on trail. My hubby showed up with friends, Curt and Atsuko. They are as close to me as my immediate family! We spent a couple of days near Mack’s Inn at the very fancy Marriot’s Springfield Suites.

For my birthday and anniversary, which happens to fall on the same date, we had a one week party! I know, birthdays are only one day but honestly I’ve missed oh so many as it seems, I typically am hiking in the woods in August. So I milked it for everything I could.

But honestly, the best gift that I received was a song that George wrote for me! I know, my hopeless romantic, love of my life, is a musician. He was stressed as there are few things you can give your wife when she’s measuring every item that goes in her pack by the grams! But a song, that is perfect!

During the past few days, we played tourists in Yellowstone. Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic were the highlights of our first day. We saw a herd of Elk and lots of foreigners. I believe just about every country was represented in the park, and I know this by the numerous languages that were spoken as we milled around.

The girls and I headed back to Yellowstone for another day without the men. They had unexpected maintenance on our Van. After an hour or so, they isolated the leak that was making a wet mess on the floor. Thank you Curt and George for being fix-it kind of guys and then knowing what to do about it. That’s the key!

Our loop in the park was long and distinguished. We stopped at just about every scenic overlook from the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, to the many waterfalls, Geysers at both Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Basin. But the highlight was Lamar Valley and the hundreds of Bisons.

Our first sighting of Bison was just as we entered Lamar. There was a large herd to the north of us, and as we pulled over to check them out, Jen warned us that there was a Bison on the same side of our truck, way too close for comfort. We could hear him snort as he walked by.

We quickly returned to the truck and found a group of Photographers at a large pullout. There was a huge nest for a family of Ospreys across the canyon. The parent osprey swooped down, grabbed a trout, then brought it home to feed the family! What a show that was.

After all the excitement, we headed back down Lamar Valley towards a dirt road. As the driver, I made the observation that many sightseeing vans were also headed that direction and maybe they knew more than I did. Sure enough, about a mile down the road was a large herd of Bison across the river. We stopped, pulled out our lunch as we watched the herds doing the same. Eating lunch!

There is so much to see and do in this park, and honestly you would need a week to properly see it all. We continued onward to Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Basin. Both areas were spectacular with different appeals to each one of us.

These five days were filled with sightseeing and tourism but more than that, it was a beautiful fellowship of combined new friends and old. I am so grateful for this unexpected gift to spend quality time with my family and friends. And to end it all and put a bow on it, I have to say that it doesn’t matter what you do, or where you go, if you’re all alone! This life is best lived when you share it with others and have memories that can never be erased. This has been one of the greatest birthdays of my life, shared with some of the most important people. Thank you Lord for the countless blessings you have poured over me, in me and through me!

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ’ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Since yesterday afternoon, we had nothing but constant rain till early this morning. So much rain, that I actually had drops dripping inside my new Durston X-Mid Pro tent. That is not suppose to happen, but even Dyneema must have a saturation point.

I was up bright and early as today is town day and my hubby is coming to meet me on trail! I was packed up and ready to hit the road by 6am. The three of us took off with Indian close behind. It was a glorious morning as the rain had stopped, the clouds were lifting, leaving a low hanging fog over the lazy flowing river and lakes. It was dancing on the water like a slow rhythmic wave that swayed and moved with grace.

Our first bit of business was to find the trail, cross the river and parallel it for the next 5-6 miles. The river crossing was a bit deeper than expected. We all left our shoes on being they were already wet from our morning walk. The creek had a deep hole, about knee to thigh high, which isn’t a problem if you have shorts on. Fearless was wearing pants and her legs are a big stunted, so she was going in for a swim. We all made it safely across, a bit damper than when we started.

There were small ups and downs all morning. After five miles, we stopped for breakfast. Fearless and I broke out our stoves and had adult beverages, strong dark coffee. We ate a bit and then Fearless spilled the beans. What??? You haven’t eaten anything for the past 24 hours? Well to her defense, she had Hot Cocoa for dinner but was too tired to cook dinner last night. Oh girl, you need to consume some calories! We all ate, then carried on. And Town Food is around the bend!

Hogged-Up headed out ahead, then Fearless and I followed. We met up with an older guy and his two Border Collies in training. Lucas and Levi were super happy to see us. We talked with Rick, the dog owner for a bit. He was planning on hiking about eight miles out and back. You go!

Once we hit Sawtelle Peak Road, it was a downhill march to Mack’s Inn. Ends up that George drove in early and was waiting for our friends Curt and Atsuko to arrive. The skies started to darken pretty quickly and thunder was a roaring. Hope you can get here before the sky begins to fall! Within an hour, Curt and George picked us damsels in distress from the impending doom of rainfall! Along with Hogged-Up, we were swooped away and heading into town.

Sometimes life can be so sweet! This past week, we experienced afternoon thunderstorms daily. Each day they would come a bit earlier. Today, the hail, thunder and deluge of rain came at 1pm. But we were seated inside a nice restaurant drinking beer and eating yummy food, and along side me was my wonderful husband. How much better does it get than that?

Just a disclaimer: When I write these blogs, I am in my tent, on the trail and devoid of WiFi. That is the reason for the delay as to when these writings are released. Without internet connection, nothing can be posted. Typically, when I arrive in town, I upload pictures and send out my blogs. So for my friends and family who are wondering why they haven’t received an update, now you know. No WiFi = No Blog.

This week happens to be my birthday and anniversary. George and I will be celebrating with my friends, both on and off trail. I will be playing tourist in Yellowstone, not thru-hiker, for five days. I have never taken five days off in a row while thru-hiking so this will be unusual. But I will return on August 21st and resume posting once I get WiFi. There will, most definitely, be a long lapse in posts but rest assured, that I will be back to finish this Sobo adventure. Until then, know that l appreciate each and every one of you for your prayers and support as I follow my calling to spread God’s love on the trail!

“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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 ‭