CDT mile 2017.3, miles hiked 31.3
Tthe famous Lemhi Pass
When I pulled out of my tent to pack it and get going I noticed it was dark where Tatu-Jo lied, I woke him up because he slept through his alarm. I waited for him and walked down to Charge he had slept through his alarm too and said he would catch up.
We got on the trail and made our way up and down along the divide, we knew today was going to be tough because at mile 12 we would get water at Sacagewa Spring lust like Lewis and Clarke and then have no more reliable water for 25 miles. The miles came easy in the morning and Tatu-Jo and I talked about Lewis and Clark and the expedition they did.
Sometimes us thru-hikers think we are tough but really we are wimps compared to the crew Lewis and Clark had. Their gear was skins and wool, terrible footwear and best of all basically blank maps. The crew of men hauled everything that weighed a ton overland for years and Sacagewa did the whole thing with a baby in tow.
Tatu-Jo at Lemhi Pass
When we reached Lemhi Pass we headed to the spring below. There we learned the spring was the most distant source of the Missouri River and the park had great historic markers talking about Lewis and Clark and the historic Lemhi Pass. Lehmi pass is the way to get through the mountains and was used by native tribes so much there was a well-worn path by the time that the expedition got there. We drank from the spring just like the corps of discovery had and then we snacked. Charge showed up after 45 minutes, he was having foot pain so we gave him some padding and discussed trying to go to a spring marked on our map.
Sacagewa spring
Tatu-Jo and I hiked on climbing up from Lemhi Pass, a few miles in and we saw a SOBO. It’s was Brazil Nut who I had met in 2012 at the ALDHA -West gathering after she had completed her triple crown. Tatu Jo knew her too so the three of us dropped packs and hung out for 30-40 minutes. Charge came by and said he was going to push on. After catching up with Brazil Nut and telling stories we moved on.
Tatu-Jo and I were talking away and missed the turn for the spring, luckily Brazil Nut but had told us that there was spring off the trail about 15 miles from where we saw her. We had no choice but to push miles to there making for a 31 mile day. As we went we never saw Charge or his footprints so we left him a note telling him where we were and what was happening.
The final SOBO Legend is going for a calendar year triple crown the CDT is his last leg
As the day was winding down we found ourselves on about a 5-mile climb that kicked our butts. As the trail created the last rise we watched the sun go low and the sky turns red. We found the spring and filled our maximum capacity before bushwhacking up the hill to the trail. I was spent, it was 9 pm and I was ready to cook, blog and sleep. We found a spot tucked off the trail, had dinner and now are getting ready to pass out so we can do it all over again.
