Day 113: Into the Tobacco Root Mountains

Mileage: 25.5 miles (2079.2-2104.7)

I slept in until close to 7:45 and had to wait until 9:15 for the post office to open anyways, so I figured I misewell sleep as long as I could. Plus, I'd stayed up until almost midnight watching the Shawshank Redemption and a show about former Nebraska football player, N'Domukin Suh, badly titled "A Man named Suh." Johnny Cash would roll over in his grave. But the program itself wasn't half bad and despite his bad reputation anyone from Nebraska still loves Suh for the years of havoc we got to witness on opposing quarterbacks.

I microwaved my two breakfast sandwiches, wishing I'd gotten something healthier, like a banana or five, but once again I had resupplied at a gas station just because it was the closest thing to the Fan Mountain Inn. There was a full grocery store in town, I had just been too lazy to walk there. I really do need to eat better though - I have barely eaten anything besides sweets on the trail and greasy crap off the trail and I already have high blood pressure despite my activity level. I just eat way too much salt, but it's hard to moderate that when you shop at a gas station most of the time, but I could definitely do better.

It was mostly road walking today, which isn't to say that it wasn't scenic (who doesn't love a good double negative?) Anyhow, there were some pretty radical rock formations sticking straight up out of the ground, cliffs that almost reminded me of old climbing spots back in New Hampshire, though these were just off the road on private land. I mused about if people climbed there as the rock looked solid and there was much to explore.

Eventually, I crossed over into Beaverhead National Forest and the road became less and less maintained, though it was quite good for a forest road. I topped out around 7,400' before descending to South Willow Creek for dinner and a break. I ate ramen at the Creek's edge, not even noticing the beautiful log cabin behind me in the woods until I packed up. I observed a woman raking leaves and headed on my way.

I was beginning a big ascent up to nearly 10,000 ft, which I wanted to get out of the way before tomorrow. I hate waking up having to do a big climb. So I climbed and climbed up winding forest roads littered with rocks and potholes. The dirt was dry and I kicked up a chalk like dust as I walked, with its smell bringing me back to banging erasers together in first grade, when we still had chalkboards.

The smoke from the fires in Idaho and northern Montana was the heaviest I'd seen it, creating a haze hanging over the valley like the smog which looms grimly over cities like Denver and Los Angeles. I could barely make out the 10,000' peaks which were within a mile or two - they were only vague outlines of themselves with the sun setting behind them.

It did make for a good sunset though. The sun looked like a molten red disc, slowly sinking into the sky like an iceberg melts into the sea on a warm spring day. The acrid smell of smoke permeated my nostrils, no matter how high I got or how strong the wind blew. I felt as if a volcano had erupted miles away, yet the smoke and debris was settling down. As far as I knew, there wasn't a fire within 100 miles, yet this isn't too far to blow considering the fires are covering tens of thousands of acres in Idaho and Montana.

I finally topped out at Nicholson Mine Pass near Horse Peak and began my descent, looking for a place to camp as the light faded. I passed by a few old mining cabins and equipment on the way down and tried to imagine the lives of the men who lived and worked up here looking for gold. All that was left now was the old equipment like rusted barrels, steel cable, and broken machinery. I made it down close to the river as it began to get dark. I hung my food and setup camp, getting ready to do it all over again tomorrow.