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