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Day 113
Dana Spring to MacDonald Pass 25 mi :: 1627 mi :: Sunny, warm It’s a day of remote dirt roads for both Ann and me. When I see deep ruts and mudholes in one of the roads on Ann’s route, I leave her a cellphone message suggesting she find another way. At lunch, however, along…
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Day 112
Trout Creek to Dana Spring 26 mi :: 1602 mi :: Rainy morning, cool & breezy It’s cold and rainy when I wake up. Mercifully the rain stops, leaving a bright but cold morning. It feels like a preview of fall weather, with puffy clouds racing by and damp smells rising up from the forest…
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Day 111
Lewis & Clark Pass to Trout Creek 24 mi :: 1576 mi :: Sunny, warm Last night I wrote in a sunny meadow, thinking I might sleep out. Then I heard thunder behind me. On the other side of the ridge the sun was turning dark clouds a deep, violent orange. Those clouds were flashing…
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Day 110
Welcome Pass to Lewis & Clark Pass 30 mi :: 1552 mi :: Sunny, afternoon clouds I wake up early, determined to finish the stretch along the Dearborn River as quickly as possible. It seems like I walk fast, but the landmarks go by slowly. By the time I reach what I believe to be…
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Day 109
West Fork Sun River to Welcome Pass 24 mi :: 1522 mi :: Foggy, sunny afternoon The morning is foggy. It gives the river mysterious aire, and everything smells damp. Mushrooms are popping up all over the place. By the time I reach Benchmark and find the car, the sky is clear. A camper tells…
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Day 108
Spotted Bear River to West Fork Sun River 24 mi :: 1498 mi :: Rainy Morning rain rolls in again today. I try waiting it out while I eat breakfast, but it just comes down harder. The climb to Spotted Bear Pass is muddy with bushes taller than me overgrowing the trail. It’s like hiking…
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Day 107
Grizzly Park to Spotted Bear River 24 mi :: 1474 mi :: Cloudy, some sprinkles We wake up to a clear sky, but a cloud rolls in and sprinkles on us during breakfast. I have coffee when I camp with Ann, but I don’t try to make it on the trail otherwise. The cycles of…
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Day 106
Beaver Lake to Grizzly Park 17 mi :: 1450 mi :: Sunny, warm It’s wet, chilly morning. I linger in bed for a while because Ann is meeting me today, and I don’t have too far to go. After two more meadowy divide crossings I start following Strawberry Creek into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. It…
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Day 105
Marias Pass to Beaver Lake 27 mi :: 1433 mi :: Sunny, warm On the way to the trailhead another camper stops us to ask if I’m hiking the CDT. Jim has hiked the PCT, and is itching to do this trail too. He says he delivers books to Old Faithful on Tuesdays – he…
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Day 104
East Glacier to Marias Pass 15 mi :: 1406 mi :: Sunny, warm Having Ann to support me in the car has made hiking easier and more fun in many ways. Today we discuss a possibility I haven’t capitalized on yet – hiking with just a day pack while Ann hauls my overnight gear in…