Day 111: Into the Spanish Peaks Wilderness

Mileage: 23.5 miles (2025.2-2048.7)

I woke up around 7am and said bye to Maranda, my host. I had two slices of leftover pizza and then got coffee and a breakfast sandwich at the co-op across the street, before I walked over to Walmart a little before nine and caught the bus down to Big Sky. The driver said he couldn't let me out at the trailhead, but the closest stop was the Visitor Center. I hitched back a few miles from there and then made my way down the road to the Deer Creek Trailhead.

It was steady up for over five miles and then I lost almost all of it going down. I passed some beautiful alpine lakes and then wound my way up seemingly endless switchbacks. It hailed on me for a few minutes but then it cleared up again. The mountains here were made of big piles of boulders and rocks, with the occasional cliff face here and there.

Trail was indistinct at times, but cairns guided me pretty well along the way to Hell Roaring Creek. Then I started up again after a quick snack break. Up and up and up until finally I reached some cool subalpine meadows and had tremendous views of the surrounding ridges and peaks. I climbed up actually endless switchbacks until I finally reached the pass and was rewarded with sweeping views in all the directions. With the sun beginning to set, looking back to the south and east the peaks glowed a fiery orange. 

As I headed down I startled three mountain goats, sporting their new summer do's. The last time I'd seen goats they were in full winter regalia, so it was neat to see them with their more sporty look. After the initial scare, they didn't seem to mind me too much as I snapped a few photos.

Then back up switchbacks again and down into the Spanish Fork Creek basin and down to Mirror Lake, where I setup camp for the night. Looking back at the peaks, they glowed even brighter gold and orange now, illuminated by the setting sun. They were quite impressive peaks, some over 11,000 ft, while most were in the range were around 10,000 ft.

As I ate dinner next to the lake a beaver swam around and checked me out, and a tiny Least Weasel kept hopping over to me, probably looking for a morsel. After hanging my food I turned in for the night.

Day 109: Over the Gallatin Crest Trail and into Bozeman

Mileage: 18.5 miles (2006.7-2025.2)

I left around 7am from Ramshorn Lake, with a lot of up at beginning of the day, ending up on top of a beautiful crest. I talked to Laura and while I was looking out a Golden Eagle soared right by me at eye level only 20 feet away. It was a huge and beautiful bird, dark brown with an almost golden nape and shoulders. I'd never seen the golden hue of the bird so clearly.

I headed up and down the crest with a nice wind cooling my sweat as I went. There were awesome views of the gentle Gallatin Crest, which I would follow for the next ten miles or so. It was great mellow walking, admiring the sharp metamorphic rock on the Eastern side of the divide.

I ran into a guy who'd just seen a Wolf settle into some trees. He had a spotting scope which could see critters from more than two miles away. He thought there might be a den so we went and checked it out together.

He was from Bozeman and hunted Elk in the area so was just checking it out to see what was going on earlier in the season. He was a cool dude but we didn't find the wolf. The terrain was hillier than we thought so the wolf probably had wandered out the back while we approached. His bed in the grass was still warm.

I headed back to my pack and down the trail up Eaglehead Peak at just under 10,000'. There were cool views of the crest northward and back to south where I came from all the way to Yellowstone. I began my descent that would end at the highway at 6,000' first on a trail and then the last six miles on a dirt road. Even the road had scenic views of the dense spruce-fir forest. I saw a few helicopters moving gravel and then on highway a nice lady gave me a bottle of water, nectarine, and a sandwich. She was headed towards Big Sky, but soon after a kid stopped and picked me up. His name was Danny and he was a student at Montana St. Also, he was a climber and pointed out some cool spires people climb above the Gallatin River.

He got me a free burrito and dropped me off at my motel. I did laundry and watched TV and fell asleep early.

Day 101: North to Parting of the Waters and just South of Yellowstone

Mileage: 30.5 miles (1795.7-1826.2)

I started out by crossing the frigid South Fork Buffalo River, kicking myself for not crossing it the night previous. My feet felt like ice cubes as I quickly shuffled across the stream, too deep to allow me to hop across rocks. I kept my shoes on as it would allow me to move faster across the icy river, though it would mean sopping wet feet for a couple hours. These are the tradeoffs of long distance hiking.

After crossing I took a little detour to the South Fork Buffalo Falls, a dramatic 40 ft waterfall that has carved a serpentine canyon in the otherwise flat and open terrain. I was in awe as I crept up to the cliff's edge and realized you could literally jump across the slot canyon, it was so narrow at the top. But I certainly wasn't going to try as it was at least 50 ft down to the river below and you probably would end up pretty battered by branches and rocks before you ever reached the canyon floor.

I took a few photos and headed back towards the trail ascending and then heading down through Nowlin Meadow and its defunct one-room Ranger Cabin. I met the first Southbounder of the day there and we chatted for awhile about the upcoming trail north and south.

From there, I wound my way up and down through meadows and across streams, most of which didn't have bridges, but I'd hop rocks when I could, desperately (and failing) to keep my feet dry after I'd taken such care at lunch to dry them out. The trail was like a horse super highway most of the day, very wide and full of horse shit. I saw a couple horse camps along the way and wondered if they had permits or how the operations worked right within the wilderness. Again, someone was making a lot of money on what was supposed to be 'a place untrammeled by man.' But horse crap everywhere and trails that are so deeply rutted that the mud is a permanent fixture, is okay. I don't get our land managers sometimes - but it probably has something to do with money. Horses should be like dogs - if you're gonna take 'em out on the trail, fine - but you have to pick up their shit.

I met a couple section hikers and then a flipper with what I assumed was his wife and daughter. Another flipper walked up as we were chatting and I left soon after as I needed to get close to the Yellowstone National Park Boundary if I was going to meet my friend Pat the next day 30+ miles north of the line near Lake Village.

I walked into the Two Oceans Valley and then made a quick trip to Parting of the Waters, where Two Oceans Creek literally splits and one way goes to the Pacific Ocean and the other, the Atlantic. Pretty neat! I took a bath in the Pacific side and ate my dinner of Ramen noodles. I got going again around six, leaving the "official trail" to start my 350 mile sideroute up towards Yellowstone and then Montana. In the end, it would save me 150+ miles and I'd get to see a part of Yellowstone most never see - the remote Thoroughfare Trail (misleading, I know!) and the eastern side of the park.

I passed through a couple more huge meadows and eventually into the Yellowstone River drainage, following a horse trail along the way. It started raining and I started seeing Grizzly sign everywhere - huge, fresh prints and lots of scat.

 It was getting dark and it was muddy from all the rain so I couldn't move nearly as fast as I wanted to and I just kept imagining every bush as a bear. Luckily, I made it to the horse camp I was aiming for right before dark and setup my tent. I met a couple guys from North Platte, NE there and we talked for a bit. Funny who you run into on the trail. Time for bed.

Day 100: Past Highway 26 and North into the Teton Wilderness

Mileage: 28.9 miles (1795.7-1824.6)

I got started a little after seven after some oatmeal and granola. I found if I heated them both together I could stomach it. I I walked up and down through trailess meadows - I spent probably more time off the trail bushwacking than actually following it. Every time it hit a low spot, the trail just disappeared, almost on cue, in a bog.

I talked to my mom on the phone and it was nice to hear her voice after a few weeks. I'd spent a week with my dad and felt guilty I hadn't even called my mom. Apparentally my brother had been offered a tech job ten months in advance and they would be paying him more than my mom made currently, somewhere in the six figures. Needless to say, my mom would be having him paying his car insurance and cell phone bill from now on.

My mom seemed to be doing well spending lots of time out in the garden. She put our dog Coop on the phone but he didn't seem to recognize my voice. I think smell does it for dogs. She'd be joining me in about a month up in Glacier to pick me up at the finish and do some day hikes while she was at it. I was happy she would be there when I finished - it feels like it will be a big moment in my life, assuming I get there.

A little before noon I got to Highway 26 and after having my mom give me the lowdown, I decided to hitch over to Togwotee Mountain Lodge for lunch. I got a ride after twenty minutes and had a big burger with fries, a beer, and some chips & salsa. I met a guy at the bar who was a dog musher for them during the winter and we talked over lunch. He had spent time in Alaska dog mushing and had some interesting stories. He also was interested in the PCT so we talked a bit about gear and hiking stuff. After we finished he offered me a ride back to the pass, which was awesome.

A lot of climbing out of the highway off to Brooks Lake, where I passed the all-inclusive, no dirty hikers allowed (unless you pay $350 per night) Brooks Lake Lodge, complete with rustic log cabins, canoes, a fancy restaurant, and a stable full of horses. It was actually quite pretty but I opted to fill my water at the campground nearby and headed up the Upper Brooks Lake to soak my tired feet. I ran into a fly fisherwoman up there, and it turned out we'd actually passed each other hiking in the Tetons. She was a local and we exchanged hiking stories and bear lore.

Soon after I entered the Teton Wilderness, which I would remain in until the day after tomorrow when I entered Yellowstone National Park. I was treated to a beautiful sunset and met a handful of southbounders and flippers along the way. I sat down and ate dinner by a stream with two guys who I can't remember their trail names, but I could tell they were good people. I walked a few more miles until about 8:30 and setup camp just south of Buffalo Creek.

Day 85: Through Mt Zirkel Wilderness

Day: 32.3 miles (1391.6-1423.9)

I let the sun wake me up around 5:45. I laid in my tent for a few minutes and when I stirred I startled a Mule deer that had been grazing in the meadow a few hundred feet away. I roused myself, hoping my right foot felt better and that the further doctoring I'd done on my shoe actually helped, rather than hurt.

At first, the foot felt really stiff and I didn't think it looked good. But, as I walked my foot loosened up and I was able to walk on it more normally than the day before. It was still ginger, but I could walk! I was still hopeful I'd be able to find a pair of shoes while in town, but the odds didn't look great since each town close to the highway was quite small.

The sun turned the sky from

burnt red and orange to bright yellow and then eventually blue, with not a cloud in sight. Of course, the clouds would roll in later in the day, but I just enjoyed the respite from the clouds. I had 64 miles to Encampment, so I figured two 32 mile days would get me there. I hadn't originally planned to go in there, but like a bonehead I forgot to resupply fuel, so needed to stop. Two long days, but tomorrow would have a little more downhill so I looked forward to that and possibly a bed that night.

As I ascended the mountains began to open up, with lakes dotting the alpine landscape, some big and some small, but all perfect perched so high in the Mt Zirkel Wilderness. I imagined during the winter animals had free reign over the entire domain. Snow still sat in some higher places, perhaps never disappearing even with the hot summer sun.

I walked by Lost Ranger Peak and wondered the grim story behind that name and finally got my first glimpse of Mt Zirkel itself. There's an alternate that goes that way but it added nine miles and since I didn't have fuel, I wanted to make it to town as quickly as possible. Instead, I took the Three Island Lake alternate, which was quite beautiful meandering past a serene alpine lake and following its creek down to meet up with the CDT in the valley below. I was glad to be descending as the high country was full of wet, muddy meadows and my feet had been soggy all morning. I would miss the views, but not the sogginess. I was trying to savor my last alpine experience in Colorado, but I was ready for Wyoming, whose border I'd cross tomorrow.

I joined back up with the CDT at Seedhouse Road and two guys gave me an ice cold Aquafina that I wish had been a beer, but still thanked them kindly. I cooked my Ramen at Seedhouse Campground and disposed of my trash in their dumpster. I filled up my water bottles and set out after a brief shower. The clouds were building again, but you never knew if you'd get hit with a storm.

It drizzled a few times while I made my way from 8,000' to 10,120', where I'd end my day. Most of the area had been burned so it wasn't super scenic, but at least it was a gentle grade for the most part. I listened to Radiolab and This American Life to keep my mind occupied and not thinking about how my feet ached.

Finally, I topped out at 10,120' and just had a half mile to go. Looking back I could see the high country of the Mt Zirkel Wilderness, which I'd left just a few hours before. The towering peaks were the last real mountains I'd see in Colorado. Thunder rolled and I picked up my pace, with no time for nostalgia. I briefly descended before I picked a flat spot to set up my tent. I wolfed down a pop-tart and some cheese and was ready for bed.

Day 84: Limping out of Steamboat

Mileage: 22.1 miles (1369.5-1391.6)

I sat around and drank coffee and played with River, the puppy, until a little bit before nine. He chewed on my fingers and toes like they were rawhide and I just egged him on, tossing him around tussling the fur around his neck. 

Then I got dropped off at gas station so I could hitch to back to the pass. Literally the third guy who drove by pulled over and asked where I was going - he said no problem. Sometimes it's just that easy. We talked a bit as we drove about hunting Elk and his home back in Denver and when he dropped me off we took a selfie together so he could show his wife.

I talked to Laura on the phone and the signal kept cutting out - the frustration of keeping in-touch was boiling over in our communication. Either I was out of range or she was busy. When we did get on the phone it would just be for a few minutes and half the time the signal was terrible. It just wasn't working very well, but we were trying our best.

I walked past a bunch of lakes with the classic blend of reds, yellows, and purple - the Colorado wildflowers. Nearing the Wyoming border I wouldn't see that combo too much longer so I tried to savor every meadow and vista.

I caught up with Lion King and his wife and ate lunch with them. We exchanged stories and swapped info about who was ahead and behind. The mosquitoes were horrific so I got moving pretty quick after I finished eating. I listened to music and Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Heading into Zirkel Wilderness I passed a guy who turned out to be a filmmaker as well. We talked a bit and then he asked if he could pray for me. I figure it couldn't hurt so I told him to go for it.

I kept moving but there was lightning up high so I decided to camp early. My right foot has really been bothering me and I might need to hitch back to Steamboat to get new shoes or otherwise take care of it soon or else I could be in trouble. 

I tried adding more support with gauze which kind of worked but now a different part of my foot hurts. I might end up with a stress fracture if I'm not careful. I should get new shoes ASAP. Maybe I can hitch out with Lion King's wife tomorrow if it's still pretty bad?

Day 81: North through the Never Summer Wilderness

Mileage: 27.4 miles (1294.1-1321.5)

I got up late, around 7am, having to catch a bus at 8:07 to take me back to the visitor's center, where I finished the loop yesterday. I packed my stuff, which was everywhere, and lined up all the food that I didn't want to carry - I was bummed that the hotel didn't have a hiker box, but there was nothing else I could do but leave it in the room - there's no sense in carrying something I won't eat.

I got coffee and muffins and ran over for a new bottle of water and also bought a bologna and cheese sandwich and hohos at the convenience store - these were two of my favorite foods as a child and I found myself everyday regressing back into my former eating habits. When I thought about it, it made sense - like when I was a kid, my brain is always telling me I'm starving and i also have nothing to check that impulse. The difference is as a kid I didn't know any better and my brain was still developing, whereas now I understand I'm poisoning myself but I'm too hungry and exhausted to exercise any control. The bus driver waited for me yet again and then I talked to Laura for half hour on the bus. It felt like we were in two completely different worlds and it was becoming harder and harder to bridge that gap of imagination - to pretend we were still an integral part of one another's lives when we barely were able to talk on the phone once a week.

I took a cool looking Ley alternate along the divide once I got to park visitor center, which was again a madhouse - literally people must have been insane to spend more than ten minutes inside.

The alternate I took had really stunning views back towards RMNP and all around. The biggest thing I noticed is it was getting flatter to the north as the landscape made its descent to the Red Desert and Wyoming. As I headed up the divide I met a couple from Missouri with vishla, who reminded me of my dog, Cooper, but way skinnier! I missed Coop a lot and often wished he was out here to keep me company, though it really wouldn't make sense in a lot of spots in the desert and griz country.

I talked to my dad and my mom, and then wished my sister a happy birthday down in Honduras. I hadn't seen her for a birthday in quite a few years since she'd moved down there, but it sounded like she had a good time. It was the longest is spoken to her on the phone in ages and it felt really nice and familiar, like home - something I don't often get to feel out here. We talked about our mother and other family members; deriving pleasure from everyone's quirks, knowing we both were just as quirky as the rest. Me, walking from Mexico to Canada and her, living the last few years in Honduras as a social worker.

Once on the crest, I looked back at Rocky Mountain National Park and admired it in all of its beauty. A few kids singing songs scampered down trail, jabbering a mile a minute about trout they'd caught. I just listened and realized how much a missed working with kids - their unbridled excitement was positively contagious and I couldn't suppress a giant grin as I egged them on: "How many did you catch?" "Five!" "How big were they?" "This BIG" holding up their hands. Their mom was anxious to get 'em going again so I said bye and left with a big smile on my face.

It was a little windy up top but really cool. I loved the divide up here, rounded and green, with a precipitous drop on the eastern side. I came off the ridge and back onto CDT after Crystal Mountain. A ton of dirt bikers had been tearing up trail, leaving big ruts full of mud, ruining the tread. There was lots of Moose poop and tracks everywhere. I saw a Moose after crossing the highway near the divide - a big bull with antlers. It just kind of looked at me as all Colorado moose have, mostly disinterested. I started the hike up towards Parkview Mtn at 12,200 and found place to camp next to Mtn Spice, whose orange tent I stumbled upon.

We caught up on each other's hikes as I made myself dinner and said goodnight.