The Dago Diaries

CDT mile 2096.1, miles hiked 17.8

Yes, why?

We set off in the dark ready to make it to town and meet our host at the pass.  It was town day and Darby was the destination, both of us were excited and we set off at a good clip with light packs. I packed light on food this stretch so much so that I started running low and had to ration, so for the day after my oatmeal I had 2 bars, gummy bears, a piece of jerky and some nuts, just enough to get me there.

We started to climb, and climb and climb…Montana is like a never-ending uphill with steeps all day.  As the sun rose we stopped to snack and check out mileage, we were making really good time despite getting our butts kicked.  We carried on and in a few miles came to a ridge and the spring.  The spring lay 1/ 4 down a steep hill, we both had water so we figured we would skip it.  So instead of making the water run we laid in the dirt by some trees, ate snacks and joked around.

Relaxing trailside

We hiked for a few more miles and at 5 miles out sent my friend Lee a message to get us in 2 hours.  Before setting off on the final push we first took ten minutes to do our P90X ab ripper, we are dedicated to this each day until the end to lose our bellies.  After that, we were off.  We found a cooler 3 miles down the road in it was some water and a few beers, so we each grabbed a water and beer, sat down and chugged away.  Soon we were at Chief Joseph Pass so we sat and waited for our ride.

A surprisingly good beer

Lee showed up in her VW bus and whisked us down the road to a hot spring resort where we swam and soaked.  She treated us to pizza and beers and we really enjoyed a few hours of water time.  Afterwards, we ran to town to get to the PO but alas they were closed so no worries we grabbed ice cream went to her house and settled in.
Lee is an amazing person, she retired from the forest service and then started her own business Montana Ciderworks, which makes some of the best cider in the world, she even has the awards and medals to prove it.  Her 43-acre property had a trellised orchard with 1200 trees, the Ciderworks and a log cabin home that she and her husband Ed built.  We enjoyed a few hour nap while Lee took care out our laundry, we then woke up and hit town for dinner.

We wrapped up the night hanging with Ed and Lee and getting to know them better.  We talked about hiking, bears and forest fires before rolling up to the loft for a long nights sleep.

CDT mile 2078.9, miles hiked 30.1

Wonderful mountain lakes

4:30 came early but I had no trouble waking up thanks to the distinct smell of smoke.  Tatu-Jo and I had slept right by each other so I fired up my stove and made us each a coffee to get going.  As we packed we commented on the smoke and Tatu-Jo said his eyes were burning from it.  Last night both of us had noticed black smoke as we created the last pass but it seemed to be in a valley of two over.

Big peaks and a remote forest

We plodded away through the dark as always and enjoyed watching the sky turn red, only benefit to smoke is good sunrise and sunsets.  We stripped off our layers and got ready for the next section which winded up and down through a like basin.  We reached a high mountain pass and took in the valley below.  The surrounding mountains were steep and over the ridge, to our west, we saw the distinct colon of smoke.

We walked along the contour of the mountains and soon we reached another high point.  Just then a tanker plane flew low overhead to make a drop of fire retardant.  We could hear helicopters but never saw them.  We had a cell signal so we tried to see what was going on, but after striking out on reaching anyone we decided to just hike on.

The next 6 miles went down, way down and we dropped a few thousand feet to Sheep Creek, funny I didn’t see any sheep but I did find some ripe thimbleberries so I snacked on them. We came across an old cabin and went inside to investigate.  No food but the owners do leave it unlocked for emergency purposes.  I can only imagine how many mice call it home, so after we found nothing to eat we tackled the last climb for the day.

Miners cabin

The climb was a butt kicker, straight up an old road for 1.6 miles and couple thousand feet.  By the time I reached the top all I wanted to do was pass out. We flopped down and had a final snack and water.  Tatu-Jo is a super entertaining guy and he told me stories of the worst accidents he had seen in job sites during his career. I was dying laughing so much I didn’t mind the rain and thunder that had started.

We opted to take a J Ley purple route on in an old road since it stayed low.  We walked along and then started to come through a recently logged area, a half mile later we saw the skidder and piles of logs.  As we continued on the road we spotted two camp trailers and a fire.  We said hello and found the camp belonged to the outfit who was doing the logging there, he was joined by his wife and a friend.  He gave each us a beer and we chatted a bit about our hike and his logging of all the beetle kill in the area.

Tatu-Jo loves Aamerica and American flag beers

Tatu-Jo and I carried on our hike to get our last mile in.  It was in a dirt road and easy as pie.  We found the CDT trailhead at Big Hole Pass.  There was some straw from horse people so we piled it up to make some soft bedding for the night, and tomorrow we go to Darby to see a friend from ALDHA-West who will host us, yes free town stay.

Big Hole Pass on the Idaho/Montana line

CDT mile 2048.8, miles hiked 31.5

Another day, another sunrise along the divide

For the last few days we have been traveling through the Beaverhead Range and today we got into the meat of it.  When the sun rose we were atop a ridge and could see granite peaks pushing up eastward.  These peaks were the first sign of a change in our terrain.

the Beaverheads pushing up East

We dropped down from the ridge into a nice forested valley and walked along the bottom of the peaks with rocks on one side of the trail and creeks and lakes on the other.  We enjoyed the walk and commented on how it reminded us of Oregon and Washington.  We came to a creek and it was getting warm so we rinsed our socks, washed up and cooled off a bit before carrying on.

Dirty socks were once white before the hike

Later in the day we ran into two section hikers heading south, one is named Medicare Preacher, she is 75 and just about done her triple crown, and also a Lutheran minister.  They were fun to talk with but eventually time was the culprit and we had to move on.  We climbed a peak that was not too bad but the descent threw us for a loop.  Someone had built a new trail down to miners creek and instead of a steep downhill, we had to take giant lazy switchbacks down the mountain.  This new trail added a few miles to our already long day.

Once down we immediately started back up to the lake basin.  We could see a big peak a little ways off and after looking at the map knew that was where we were heading.  At first, we climbed gently but the last 1.5 miles was a butt kicker.  We climbed a steep slope and every time we thought, “there is the top” we crested it only to find more climbing ahead.  We chugged along grinding away each vertical foot.  We were rewarded with pink skies and a full moon over the mountains.

Pink sky at night, hikers delight

As we descended we filled water at the stream and then found a camp among the rocks.  It was 9 pm so we ate, rolled out our bags and are now cowboy camping hoping to watch the Perseid meteor shower again tonight.

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.

CDT mile 1986,miles hiked 15.6

Dirtmonger and I having fun

Sam knocked on our door at 7 am and brought us a thermos of coffee, man what a great guy.  We laid around getting caffeinated and at 7:30 went to the same bar/restaurant for breakfast, in case you had not figured it out Leadore only has one place to go.  For the next two hours we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, apparently, we were on Leadore time.

from left to right Tatu-Jo, Dirtmonger, Allgood, Charge

By the time we were done we had to go get ready to go.  That meant packing, one last trip to the store for fuel and a soda and calling home.  By the time it was all said and done it was close to 11:15 so we loaded up to go.  As we said our goodbyes to Thermometer and started to drive away we saw that Sketchy, Veg, Zorro, Spirit, and Easy Strider had made it into town, but alas we were heading out to the pass.

Sam dropped us off and it was time to say goodbye to Dirtmonger for now, we are hatching up some possible plans for the late fall.  As we said goodbye it hit me while his hike is still a while to go, mine is rapidly ending.  Tatu-Jo sat by the trail today and counted off day and miles, he said yeah we’ll be done in a month or less.  Man, how is this going by so quick can’t I make it slow down? I wish I could but every day it gets a little cooler and nature is telling us to get moving because winter is coming.

cool trees along the divide

This hike took me so long to plan and so much to sacrifice at home to make it a reality. I have thought about Canada and ending it often but now I am just going to enjoy the moment.  I am with good people and I know I have enough time to finish, so for the next month, I am going to focus on the day and live the moment  I am in, no reason to think about the end or the future it will happen.

The hiking today, by the way, was nice without as much elevation as the last stretch.  We had some rain off and on but all in all, it was cool and we enjoyed walking in the cloudy shade.  Our camp is high on the divide and we were treated to the most amazing sunset.  I hung out with Charge by a fire ring without a fire and enjoyed his company as we cooked and ate dinner, man what a life I can’t believe it’s ending soon…

sunsets like this make me know that things are coming to an end

CDT mile 1970.4, miles hiked 23.8

Sunrise on the divide

I jumped out of bed this morning it was brisk but I knew I was going to town and as a bonus, I would see my buddy Dirtmonger there.  I packed quickly and we set off in the dark.  A few shooting stars streaked the sky as we climbed up to the ridge.  It was a wonderful twilight and we watched far away as the sun crept over the eastern mountains and the valleys below.

We stopped to strip off clothes and get ready for the warmth.  The trail followed along the divide and then dropped us down only to place is at the base of Elk Mountain.  The mountain was our big climb for the day, 1500′ and it was steep at times.  We climbed away and about halfway up came across a small herd of animals. We weren’t sure what they were they sort of looked like caribou but maybe was just a group of teenage male elk.

We finally made the ridge crest and Tatu-Jo stopped to see if he had any cell signal, he did.  So we called Sam at the Leadore Inn to arrange a pickup at 3:30 pm..  As we rolled the ridge and the descent, which actually had a ton of up and down, we got closer to pass.  At 3:28pm we rolled down to the road, Sam was there dropping off 6 sobo’s.  Now anyone who is in Idaho heading south this late is a fool and will most likely get snowed out or not finish, unless you are Dirtmonger or Legend and doing 40 mile days.

We jumped into Sam’s truck and away we went to Leadore.  Sam is a great guy and his, to and from trail service is great because Bannock Pass is remote with very little traffic so having a ride is a huge deal.  We asked Sam about some recent drama we saw on Facebook about the ride and what it cost, basically he told us this, “I do it for tips $5 covers my gas, $10 covers gas and some of my time, $20 makes me smile all day”. Now granted this round trip is about 45 minutes to an hour for him, and you can fit as many hikers at once so it’s a damn good deal.

When I arrived my good friend Dirtmonger who is like a brother to me came walking out and yelled “nerds”.  It was so awesome he was there we pilled into the room and then we all started to catch up and hang out.  We retrieved my many boxes beside my regular resupply Suzy had sent me new shoes and long underwear plus my alcohol stove to finish the trip.  My brother Don and his wife Julie sent me homemade ginger cookies and few other treats, She-ra sent me a box of awesome snacks, and my friend Space Girl had sent me goodies too.  Needless to say the boys and I crushed the cookies and then figured we better have lunch before sorting all the food.

We went to the bar and ordered a drink for all and burgers, as the food came out we started to eat.  All of a sudden Charge started to get dizzy and then he fainted.  We got him some water but it didn’t help he got all sweaty and his eyes went glassy.  Dirtmonger and I held him from falling over and he went into a state of unconscious.  We fetched a Gatorade and got him to take some sips.  I ran to the hotel to fetch up rehydrating salts and by the time I returned he was alert and doing better.  Man, that was a hell of a scary moment and changed things for Charge as he decided it was best to keep hiking with us to Darby.

After the scare, we went back to the hotel, drank beer, watched the Olympics and caught up. Dirtmonger is a great guy who for the past couple of years had rough go at if.  I helped him through the good and bad and we have become very close in life.  To get over his troubles he worked his butt off all winter and is now out hiking for a year.  It was great to catch up on trail and joke around and just have day to enjoy with minimal chores and no where to go.  I think I needed to see him as much as he needed to see me.

We ended the day with another trip to the bar to have some fun and food.  We drank beers and played pool.  Our little Korean friend Thermometer was there and we brought him along and got him whisky.  The little old guy has motored along the trail to this point, but now his time has come to an end, he is having leg problems and running low on cash so he told me in his own way it was time to go home.

Finally at 11pm we called it a night and went home to get some rest, well amongst the snoring and farting we managed to get some zzz’s

CDT mile 1946.6, miles hiked 30.2

An old CDT marker leading the way

The alarm went off at 4:30 am we to be hiking by 5am.  Charge was already up and packing when I stirred he takes a bit longer so he was up first getting ready so he could leave on time.  I let my stove and made some coffee as I packed up.  It’s the Perseid Meteor shower so as I was packing I watched some shooting stars.
With headlamps on we started down the trail, we had a few hill climbs up and down and as the dark turned to light we descended into a valley to circle a mountain.  As the sun rose we were greeted by amazing colors and soft alpenglow on the mountains.  We stopped as the sun began to warm us and we stripped down and put on sunblock.  We at snacks and got back to hiking.  By 9 am we had done 10.5 miles, Tatu-Jo said it was time for our hiker union break so we all sat down to snack and BS about life.

Playing with elk bones

We kept going, we weren’t hiking super fast but we were getting in miles.  We were able to talk and we have been getting to know charge better, he’s a solid guy from Spokane Washington who works in Vail in the winter.  He is super chill and really smart and bonus he is my age so we have plenty to talk about.  He is planning to come with us to Leadore and spend the night, so with our simple 30’s we’ll be there tomorrow.

Amazing rocky mountains

The trail wasn’t so easy today we had lots of hills and small mountains to go up and down.  It was mostly grassy and sagebrush but at times the trail disappeared and we did lots of cross country.  As we came down one hill we met two Sobo’s, Elevated was a nice girl from Australia and the other guy was at kickoff but didn’t recognize me.  I guess my new Afro, big beard and new thin figure have me incognito these days.

After the next climb, we plopped down to eat again and take in the views of the mountains as far as we can see.  It was about 3 and we had done over 20 miles.    We lounged and then got back to it.  We walked and took breaks and rolled the last 10 miles up and down hills enjoying the day at a nice pace.

We loaded up at the last spring and started the climb until we found some trees to cowboy camp in.  Tatu-Jo told us that we did good and this was his way of doing simple 30’s get up before dawn, walk leisurely all day and wala 30 miles done.

Now it’s time to sack out and do it all over again tomorrow.  I got a message on my Delorme from my good friend Dirtmonger who is coming southbound he is going to be at the pass tomorrow when we get there so we all plan to spend a nice evening in Leadore and catch up.  It will be great to see him and hear about his epic hiking season so far, he has already done the Sky Island Traverse in Arizona, the PCT NOBO and now is hiking the CDT.  I can’t wait to see the guy he is like a brother to me and catching up in town is something we weren’t sure could happen but thanks to Tatu-Jo’s simple 30’s it is going to happen afterall.