It’s huckleberry time!
Today was a 45 mile day from Yellowstone through Idaho to West Yellowstone, Montana.
I take back that thing I said about road walks
Love my new @ultimatedirectionusa Fastpack 45. It’s comfortable, stable, and has chest pockets which are the envy of the trail. I’ve started running more, enabling 45 mile day yesterday. 🐐
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Photo cred: a large thistle (at Yellowstone National Park)
Campsite view on my first night in Yellowstone. (at Yellowstone National Park)
Wildflowers forever
Sone complain that the CDT has too many road walks. I don’t mind.
Reflecting
Typical afternoon
Late-July golden-hour glissade
Deep in the the Wind River Range
Hey Lucas! Been having a ball following your posts! Your adventure brings back fond memories for me of Leadville's winter carnival and witnessing ski-joring. Also hiking and mountain biking in Telluride. How does the camping work along the trail? Designated spots or wherever you want? Wondering too if you've seen any bear or mountain lion, or tracks of such? Having trekked through their now, does it make you more or less interested in the Leadville 100? Truly happy trails Lucas!
Almost all trail runs through national forest land where there are very few designated campsites and you can camp anywhere you want. It’s fun to be able to camp wherever but sometimes challenging to find flat & rock-free site.
I haven’t seen a bear or mountain lion yet. I have been charged by a moose and lunged at by a rattler! Something tells me I’ll see grizzlies in the next couple months.
I’m excited about both Leadville and Hardrock! Both are epic courses with loving communities behind them.
Crossing a snowfield just outside of Winter Park, CO. (A few weeks ago). #continentaldividetrail
A herd of wild horses thunders across the basin. (at Wyoming)
Attrition and I hiked 120 miles through the Great Basin, a massive desert that interrupts the continental divide. The little water that exists out here evaporates or sinks into the ground so the continental divide ceases to exist. The trail, however, pushes through.
Some things happened:
- We hiked on a perfectly straight jeep road for 30 miles.
- We adopted a nocturnal schedule, hiking at night and “sleeping” during the day. I hardly slept because of the heat.
- We drank obscene amounts of coffee.
- We saw herds of antelope and wild horses. It’s a literal nightmare to hear horses galloping towards you at night.
- We couldn’t find a water source so I had to spend a night and morning without water in the desert heat.
- We found the “bocce in the basin” kit, hidden in a spring box for hikers.
- We walked continuously for 30 hours (for fun)
I’m writing this from a bar in Lander, WY. It’s a climbers’ town, the home of NOLS, and a cultural oasis in Wyoming. Last week was an international climbing festival. The town is still swarming with climbing celebrities.
On to the Wind River Range tomorrow!