Mileage: 16.5 miles (2528.7-2545.2)
I had breakfast with my mom and the whole crew - the last time we'd all be together, but it was mostly the normal shenanigans. After pancakes, we said goodbye, and my mom gave me, Commando, and Malarky a ride up to the CDT where we'd finished the roadwalk. Our first test was up Piegan Pass, above 7,000 ft. It was slushy snow but really not bad compared to what we'd done the days previous. We ran into quite a few day hikers on the way up, passing them all at our blistering pace, leaving them wondering what the heck we were doing. I was a bit behind Malarky, and one guy said, "Are you with the guy ahead? Good luck catching him - he's running up the mountain!" I smiled and said, 'thanks' not even pausing for a breath.
On top of Piegan Pass, reached by a narrow trail once again clinging to the cliff, I spotted a family of Hoary Marmots, my first sighting of this species of portly high-mountain dwellers. At first, I mistook them for a group of coyotes or even thought one might be a wolverine, before I saw how chunky they were. They were bigger than their yellow-bellied cousins, but once I saw the whole group, there was little doubt they were Marmot kin. It was clearing a bit as we got higher but still a high ceiling, veiling the saw-toothed summits high above.
The way down wasn't bad either, again nothing like the days previous which were dangerous in spots of icy rock and deep snow. We admired the sheer black cliffs and the top of craggy divide, still shrouded in a cloud of mystery. We saw lots of black bear prints on our way down to Josephine Lake and daring Mountain goats in a precarious spot on the cliffs above. Incredible waterfalls shotdown hundreds of feet from precipitous cliffs, hitting rocks and permanent snowfields below.
On top of Piegan Pass, reached by a narrow trail once again clinging to the cliff, I spotted a family of Hoary Marmots, my first sighting of this species of portly high-mountain dwellers. At first, I mistook them for a group of coyotes or even thought one might be a wolverine, before I saw how chunky they were. They were bigger than their yellow-bellied cousins, but once I saw the whole group, there was little doubt they were Marmot kin. It was clearing a bit as we got higher but still a high ceiling, veiling the saw-toothed summits high above.
The way down wasn't bad either, again nothing like the days previous which were dangerous in spots of icy rock and deep snow. We admired the sheer black cliffs and the top of craggy divide, still shrouded in a cloud of mystery. We saw lots of black bear prints on our way down to Josephine Lake and daring Mountain goats in a precarious spot on the cliffs above. Incredible waterfalls shotdown hundreds of feet from precipitous cliffs, hitting rocks and permanent snowfields below.
The rock had bands of red and green on a background of slate grey. The clouds lifted higher and higher but never fully burned off as the day went on.
It got greener and greener as we headed down the valley until we finally hit Swiftcurrent Lake and saw the Many Glacier Hotel. The lakes were enormous and different shades of green, turqouise, and blue, depending on where you looked. We finally reached the Ranger Station and got our permits for the next two days. We'd stay at Kootenai Lakes tomorrow and then reach Canada the next day. We were so close and have been promised a sunny day tomorrow. Tonight we have to stay in the front country campground though.
Unfortunately, the night didn't end here. An older lady with white hair standing straight up like Einstein was also staying at the walk-in site and turned out to be totally insane. She talked to herself most of the night in front of the campfire, murmuring some things too vulgar to repeat, but included using the N-word, calling George Bush a "white n-word", murmuring "kill all the children", and endlessly talking about Jackie Onassis and JFK. In between each rant and rave she'd hawk a giant lougie, almost sounding like she was loosing a bit of her lung with each hack.
Malarkey moved his tent in the middle of the night after she'd come up to his tent and said, "Commit suicide." She was by far the craziest person I'd ever met. And on top of that, horribly vulgar and racist. I didn't sleep until past midnight. I was ready to bear spray her if she got within five feet of my tent. So much for a restful night in the front country.
No comments:
Post a Comment