Day 129, 130, and 131: Triple Zero in Kalispell

Mileage: Zero

Me and Commando got a hitch with a nice lady who took us to Columbia Falls outside Kalispell. After we crossed the divide at Mariah's Pass all of a sudden the barren landscape transformed into lush, deep green forest more remiscent of the Pacific Northwest than the barren plains we'd left behind. Towering spruce and fir trees dominated the landscape as the rains fell more generously on the western slope than from where we'd come.

Michael, my friend Cody's dad, picked us up at the coffee shop in Columbia Falls and took us back to their house a bit south. It was a beautiful house on about 20 acres of property, complete with a pond and horse pasture. Michael is in his sixties and one of those guys that can talk forever about one story or another - whether it's about hunting or traveling with his wife or kids, he always had an anecdote ready, and I was happy to listen. 

When we arrived he immediately offered beers and I ended up drinking plenty of beer with him and Casey over the weekend. He showed us his African animal collection on the wall complete with Oryx, Black Bear, and Deer. 

We went out and fed the fish in the pond, trying to scare off the osprey which was stealing his trout. The western slope of the Bob Marshall Wilderness lay to our east and we knew all this rain would open it back up. As it cleared up we saw the tops of the nearest peaks were all licked with snow. We laid around and ate a lot. I texted my buddy Cody telling him how good of cook his mom is and he responded: "She'll try and make you fat" Our breakfasts were awesome, including eggs, toast, and bacon and then fresh-baked banana bread the next day.

I watched the first Husker game and though they lost a heart breaker I was proud of how they played. Afterwards I played bumper pool with Michael as Casey had gone to hang out with another friend. We drank more beer and hot chocolate with schnapps. I fell asleep early that night, sinking into the soft bed.

The next day we went to a muscle car show and Karen and

Michael's friends came from Oregon. Good appeared out of nowhere and we all feasted for lunch. 

My mom came and picked me up with her friends Rebecca and Yes and our dog Cooper! We all drove to East Glacier and we had a nice dinner at Luna's. It was great to see my mom and dog, though it almost didn't feel real. I planned to meet my mom at St Mary's on Tuesday and I shared a room with Commando at Brownie's. His planning ahead was good and we both slept well.

Rebecca, Yes, and my mom in the back, me and Commando up front - a tight squeeze!

Sharing hot chocolate with mom.

Day 128: East Glacier to Two Medicine and Back

Mileage: 12 miles (2457.7-2469.7)

I slept in until 8am, with only the rustling of other hiker's packs and bag rousing me. I didn't want to move, but today was our best looking day for the next four, so we had to walk. Stabby, Rafiki, and I walked over to the Two Medicine diner for breakfast, each putting away a healthy plate of food and coffee full of cream. I had a stack of pancakes slathered in syrup and butter which was more than enough to fill me up.

Right before we left, Commando walked up and told us he wasn't going. The forecast for the next few days was bleak and he wanted to see Glacier when it was nicer, so he wouldn't go. I thought to myself it really wasn't a bad idea, and I wasn't in a rush, but at the same time I was all packed up and at least wanted to make the 12 miles to Two Medicine to see how it was.

I said goodbye to Commando and then headed off with the rest of the guys. We played more Contact as we hiked, teaching Malarky the rules as we went. It rained slightly, but really wasn't too bad. As we got higher and higher, we all appreciated being on trail for the first time in what seemed like forever.

Even in the clouds, the sheer topography of Glacier began to reveal itself. Rugged peaks whose tops were cutoff by the low ceiling, but sheer faces still visible below. Snow capped some of the high summits, foreboding of what lay ahead. I started feeling sharp pains in my left leg with every step and realized I had shin splints, probably from all the road walking in the last week. Downhill was especially painful, but I pushed on. I kept Banjo company, with his hurt ankle, and had a good time chatting with him about our hikes and the future beyond.

We admired the scenery together, especially the ancient Bristlecone Pines high on the northern slope. Their gnarled trunks and branches a testament to the weather they'd endured year after year, for hundreds of years. We looked down into the deep glacial-carved valley below, where Two Medicine Lake lay. I had resolved I'd stop at Two Medicine Lake and go back to East Glacier to wait out the weather. The more I thought about it, there was no reason to push on with my shin splints and with the weather forecast to be so cloudy and rainy the next few days.

I'd walked 2,500 miles to this park, I figured I shouldn't rush just so I could finish a few days early. Getting to the Two Medicine Ranger Station I informed the gang of my decision. I was sad to leave them, but it was the right thing for me. I got a hitch with a guy from the general store and met Commando back in East Glacier that night. We planned to hitch over to Kalispell and stay with my friend's parents for a few days to wait out the bad weather. We drank beer and reveled in being warm and dry, while our friends were surely miserable, wet, and cold.

Day 127: Finally to East Glacier

Mileage: 26 miles (2431.7-2457.7)

After camping under the bridge we walked the twelve miles into Browning, our first town on the reservation. It was known as dodgy and sketchy at night, where dogs roamed the streets during the day and anything could happen at night. I figured it really wasn't that bad and when we got there, I realized it was more sad than anything else.

It was more sad than anything - with all the businesses either boarded up or with metal bars guarding their windows and doors. At 10am lines were forming outside the liquor stores, with Blackfeet men looking withered beyond their years.

We stopped at the one diner in town and almost instantly realized we'd made a mistake. We were one of two parties in the diner and the only one, after the other group left, grumbling, "too slow!"

The place was clean enough, it was just that the waitress took about 15 minutes to take our order and then came back to retake it after 15 more minutes when the other guys arrived. I asked for water and she brought one for everybody except me. Then she forgot our coffees, didn't bring order at all when she brought the others, and then when I asked about it, told me another waitress was going to get mushrooms for my omelet at the store. I told her as politely as I could that I didn't care what kind of omelet they gave me, but please, just bring me some food.

Eventually, after about an hour, the food came, we inhaled it and then me and King David went to Taco John's to get a burrito for the road.

I was tired of waiting for everyone and everything so I pushed on. The headwinds were gusting at more than 50 mph, the strongest we'd faced in days. Commando almost died when an RV blew a tire and it almost hit him as he walked at 75 mph. We all dodged off the road, afraid for our lives, but luckly everyone was okay.  

Sanjay, King David, and I formed a line and broke the wind for each other, while the others pushed on ahead. Rain began to spit in our faces as we got closer to town. When we got to East Glacier, we were greeted by Banjo, who'd injured his ankle on the walk in and had to hitch. There were also a couple other hikers at the hostel, Toast and Lot who'd finished and Malarky, who'd been waiting for us.

We all had a big dinner at Serrano's Mexican restaurant, did laundry, and drank beers at the hostel. I fell asleep early with the lights on and the other guys still partying. We'd be leaving tomorrow and I needed rest.

Day 125: Dinosaurs in Bynum and Beyond

Mileage: 27.9 miles (2375.8-2403.7)

Micah, our host, woke up at 6am and cooked us biscuits and eggs and sausage and hashbrowns for breakfast. After breakfast and thanking our hosts, we got coffee at a gas station and headed out of town by mid-morning.

Our group likes breaks and we took a few on the way to the dinosaur museum. I powered through to Bynum our in front of the group, anxious to see the dinosaurs. It was a cool museum, full of bones, though the presentation of information did remind me of an eighth grade science fair. I learned T-Rex used to roam Montana and many discoveries had been made in this area. We all ate lunch out back and drank the potable water there. 

We walked and walked the highwa and could see Rockies in distance, which was depressing. I had good conversations with the guys. I talked about ultimate frisbee with Stabby and about his job and college experience and we all had a joke hour which quickly turned off-color. Though, I did get to tell my favorite joke about two whales, which basically involves making whale noises until someone asks you to stop after five minutes.

King David (aka Tom from Israel) got his new name after he hit a post with a rock before the rest of us. We were all trying to hit the post during a break as we were pretty bored out of our minds. Then he told us instead of Big Bird on Sesame Street they have a giant talking porcupine. Weird, but we all got a good laugh out of that one.

I cooked my second and third meals of the night to the setting sun. I ate ramen and then Fajita Chicken. Good night, another long day, I'm tired!

During our rock throwing break...

Cool clouds and good sunset on the plains! 

Day 124: Hiking into Augusta

Mileage: 22 miles (2353.8-2375.8)

There's something very peaceful about walking the road before dawn. Especially, in the rolling Montana plains where Grizzlies still roam in the river bottoms. In recent years they've been extending their range and the only place for young males to go is down into habitat they long ago claimed but we've since taken as our own for cattle and settlement, but mostly cattle. 

We walked over Egg Mountain and learned that the first baby dinosaur fossils ever were discovered there. We also learned there was a dinosaur museum in Bynum, the town after next.

Me and Commando walked in behind the rest of the group and could see the town of Choteau (pronounced 'show-toe') at least eight miles in the distance. It looked closer than it was and couldn't believe it was really where we were headed. For the next few days, this was our pattern - walk twenty or thirty miles, come to a town, and then do it all over again, through the rolling plains that spread east of the divide.

The town got greener and greener as we got closer. Entering town, we found huge Cottonwoods lining the streets, providing our first shade for at least 24 hours. Me and Commando got a big burger and two nice young ladies picked up our tab unbeknownst to us. They'd been smiling at us for awhile but we didn't think they were going to pick up out check.

We ordered some pie to celebrate our good luck. We met up with the rest of the guys in front of the grocery store. They were drinking beers and eating ice cream. We joined them and got some soda and beers ourselves. Sitting outside the grocery store like a bunch of vagrants a younger thin guy walked up to us and offered us chili and a place for all of us to stay. 

It didn't take much for us to convince us to take a homecooked meal and a place to stay. It turned out they were a nice couple with a house in town, who had three blonde little kids. They'd started hosting bikers this summer and so they were used to smelly people. The chili they served was so good and I even had that unfamiliar feeling of being full. Everyone talked about hiking and we shared stories with the couple. I realized I was so tired of talking about hiking and hearing about it. I was getting anxious to be done.

Day 121: Zero in Lincoln

Mileage: Zero

I slept in until almost nine and only got up because my back hurt. I watched TV and drank beer and then resupplied and bought fruit and baby carrots. Then I ate pepperoni hot pockets with Doritos - real nutritious... 

Commando arrived and we shared a room and hung out with other guys working on a beer pyramid. We heard there was a fire in the Benchmark area north of us and now the Bob Marshall Wilderness was rumored to be closed. This absolute gem on the trail we'd been slogging towards was closed. Great!

So we had to roadwalk to Augusta instead and then 120 more miles on road all the way to East Glacier. And to top it off, my passport was Benchmark Ranch where there was a fire a mile away from. My passport. 

There was nowhere to go from the ranch as all exits closed and the Bob as well, so we'd have to find a forest service escort to get in. Resigned, we drank more beer, ate Doritos, hot pockets, and fell asleep after watching a Little League World Series game with Commando.

Day 118: Nero in Helena

Mileage: 4.7 miles (2233.3-2238)

I slept 'til 7:30 and went out to breakfast for Huckleberry Pancakes with Commado. It was nice to be eating with someone else for a change. I then grabbed a care package from Laura, which had a morel mushroom-shaped candle, a postcard, and a miniature bear we'd gotten together in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. It's our protector bear and I was glad to have it headed into bear country.

Then I went back to the room and burned the candle and did yoga inside the Motel 6, perhaps the first guest ever to do so in its history. I suspected this by the look of the other guests, most of whom were monthlies, smoking cigarettes, and were pretty heavyset.

I couldn't imagine any of them secretly burning candles and doing yoga in their rooms, but who knows. Around 11am we checked out and went to another hiker's room across the street and swapped stories. Her name was "Chosen" and she had a thinly veiled false humility, you see in a lot of hikers. She'd not so subtly drop into conversation about all the publicity she'd received and how many people were inspired by her and so on. It made me want to barf. She was nice to let us stay in her room while we waited for our ride, but like many hikers, it felt like she had something to prove, even though she was sixty-five and been hiking her whole life. Me and Commando had a ridiculously large lunch at Wendy's after not really being hungry when I walked in. I didn't really realize how much I had eaten until I saw the large pile of trash afterwards.

We then hung out with Chosen, and I helped her plan her route south on the Big Sky Cutodf, until some trail angels in town, Mark and his wife, took us back to the pass. We hiked a little under five miles on the road and then setup camp and chatted awhile before heading for bed. I cowboy camped under the stars, hearing the whistle and chugging of a nearby train as I fell asleep - the first time camping with another CDT hiker in months.

Day 117: Biggest miles on the trail

Mileage: 41.2 miles (2192.1-2233.3)

I woke up early after sleeping under the stars. I was tired, but whiled away the early morning by messing around on my phone. With my head down, I heard a loud clattering down the trail. I looked up and I saw a huge brown figure running down the trail. It was a big bear, maybe my first grizzly, but it tumbled down the trail so fast I never got a good look. He had a light brown collar around his neck, but that's the only notable marking I saw.

He left no prints on the arid ground so I'll never know if he was the biggest black bear I've ever seen, or my first Grizzly. Trying not to think about it too much I pushed on past Leadville, an old mining area, on newly built trail that skirted around the old camp.

I got down to twisted dirt roads for miles and miles. I skirted down and around mountains and wound down to the streams and valleys below. The gentle grassy divide gave way to forests of spruce and pine. I soaked my feet in the cold streams three times that day, each temporarily soothing my aches and cooling my hot spots.

I only had one thing on my mind: make it to Helena. I'd miscalculated the mileage from Whitehall to there, so instead of 90 miles I had 100+ to make it all the way there. That basically meant I'd need to do  my biggest day of the trail, over forty miles to make it. I texted Commando midday asking if he'd pick me up at the pass, as I was afraid it'd be dark and nearly impossible to hitch if I didn't get one. 

Luckily, Commado was happy to do it and just told me to shoot him a text when I got there. I pushed on and on, without really any breaks besides to soak my feet. I got closer and closer, creating over the final hill before the pass, which would lead me to the highway and Helena. My feet were killing me but I tried to ignore it. I'd told Kasey 7:30pm and I aimed to be on time. I walked out onto the highway at 7:28, waited for a few minutes and Commando have me a big hug. We joined some other hikers for Chinese Buffet, and then split a room at Motel 6. It was good to be with other hikers again.

Day 110: Zero in Bozeman

Mileage: Zero!

I slept in until 8:30 and took a long, hot shower. I went to the gas station to resupply since I just needed a day or two and also picked up two breakfast sandwiches. I talked to Laura for a bit and tried to help her get over making a tiny mistake or two while guiding her trip across country and then I scheduled my massage.

My feet ached and I was long overdue. Unfortunately, everything was either closed or booked, including the place I eventually got into - I told them I was walking from Mexico and that eventually got them to squeeze me in.

Before my massage I went to a coffee shop and caught up on my blogging and had a wonderful cappuccino. I talked to my mom and then Laura some more and then headed over for the massage.

It was absolutely wonderful. My massage therapist was young, but very good. She really focused on my legs and feet, which was something new for me. I'd never specifically asked for this until now and the foot and calf massage were especially amazing. She told me, "Yeah, not many people can withstand an elbow to the calf, but your muscles are like taut ropes." We both wished we had two hours to work out all the knots, but she did stretch my hour to more like 80 minutes so I was extremely grateful for that. 

Afterwards, they gave me a pass to the adjoining fitness club and I went and ran 20 miles just to stay in shape. Haha, just kidding. I actually went to the dry sauna and just tried to sweat out some toxins, while I rehydrated. Then I met up with the friend of a friend who was putting me up for the night. She informed me we were seeing the new Mission Impossible movie and I was pumped. I was enthralled by the big screen and comfy seats, as well as the non-stop action. After the movie we got a Safeway pizza and split it before bed with a pint of Ben and Jerry's and a beer. 

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 97: Over Knapsack Col and catching Restless

Mileage: 27.2 miles (1729.3-1756.5)

I woke up around 5am unable to sleep anymore but too cold to get out of my sleeping bag - a big change from the night before when it was so hot I didn't want to use my bag at all. I stared at the ghostly outlines of Fremont and Sacagawea Peaks, trying to make out Gannet, the tallest mountain in Wyoming, to the north. I was surrounded by the tallest peaks in the state, many with glaciers still hanging on them - though, they are rapidly melting and the map suggests they are just shadows of what they once were.

I waited for the sun to heat up the thin and chilly morning air, but I was sitting right below and to the west of a wall of nearly 14,000' peaks that would make that a slow process, so eventually I'd just have to get up. The clouds from the night before had finally passed and the winds subsided some, though I imagined up at the Col they'd still be roaring.

Gusts of wind had shaken my tent all night long, so I knew how powerful they could be, even where I was at 10,500' in the basin. Finally rousing myself, I started walking, wearing my gloves for the first time since Colorado.

I ran into a guy, who from a distance reminded me of my friend Restless, who I hadn't seen since New Mexico. I knew it was crazy, especially since the guy was walking the wrong way, but sometimes you intuitively know something that your brain just won't let you believe. Whether it's cues from the atmosphere, a scent drifting in the air, or electrical currents leftover from the storm, sometimes coincidences can't be explained. And this was one of those cases.

It turned out the guy was not Restless, but Restless's friend, and they had just been camping together. He told me I was only a few miles behind Restless himself! I didn't tell him about my feeling when I saw him, but filed it away as a reminder to trust my gut even if I didn't know why. 

With new vigor I scrambled through the Cadillac and even house-sized boulders, past the last remnants of glaciers, shadows of their former selves and up towards Knapsack Col. Staring up at the Col I wondered how the hell I was gonna get there. From my vantage point, the path looked straight up a loose scree and boulder field, with patches of snow and ice in between. I decided to keep going, to get a closer look, vowing to turn around if it became unsafe. There was no one to save me if I slipped or fell deep into a crevasse.

So, I picked my way through, ending up a bit too high, so had to come down and finally came to the pass after a one last scramble. As I'd gotten closer, I found it was steep, but totally doable, even if there wasn't a clear path with cairns. And the view into the northwest amphitheater made all the effort worth it. The towering peaks were glowing a bright orange, surrounding the headwaters of the Green River, the main tributary to the Colorado. These same waters I walked on as snow later would flow through the Grand Canyon and out into the Gulf of Mexico.

Descending from the Col I met couple doing a high route through the Winds, something I'd love to do someday. They asked some questions about the CDT as that was on their to-do list. I kept yelling, "Restless, Restless!" knowing he wouldn't be able to hear me over th roar of the river.

I finally caught up to Restless after an insane waterfall, rushing from the highest lake in the watershed. I yelled his name and he looked back with a blank stare. I told him it was Lt. Dan and he still didn't get it until I walked right up to him and gave him a hug - we hadn't seen each other since New Mexico. We caught up as we walked through what we agreed was perhaps the most incredible section of trail so far, with towering monoliths on each side, and around each corner lay yet another sheer, rugged granite peak. We were in awe, pausing at every aquamarine alpine lake, each like a mirror reflecting their mountain in the morning light.

We passed through endless Alpine meadows and more hulking granite towers. It was alll downhill from Cube Pass, so it was wonderful hiking, a relief from the intensity of the last few days. Me and Restless plotted trying to catch up to Maniac and Karma by taking the Butte Super Cutoff, which is shorter than the official route, and some say more scenic. We were both worried about finishing before snow in Glacier, especially since I was taking another week off with my dad in the Tetons.

We managed to get down to the Green River Lakes campground, seeing canoers and kayakers, as well as quite a few more backpackers. One of the guys we met had a 90+ lb pack, including an inflatable boat. Literally, a BOAT. He could barely stand while he talked to us and we cut it short feeling bad for him. He had told us, "sometimes, I've found a boa is helpful to get all my gear across rivers." And I was thinking, "dude, you wouldn't need a 15 lb boat if you didn't have so much shit!" But to each his own. We met another guy who was on his way out and he offered me a ride out to Pinedale that night.

After waiting for the guy to catch up, I said goodbye to Restless in the parking lot. Me and the dude had beers and burgers at a brewery/burger joint in town. He got the last hotel room, which I had tipped him off too, yet somehow even with the extra bed he didn't think to offer it up. Instead, insanely tired from the long day, I begged a bed and breakfast to let me tent in their yard. They said that would be illegal, but pointed me to an old KOA just a few blocks away. Whe I got there, I laid down my tent as a groundsheet under a tree and promptly fell asleep.