Daily Miles: 17.3, Total Miles: 2,060.7 More bugling elk and hooting owls while I was waking up this morning. Back on the trail for the big push to Elk Mountain, just above 10,000 ft. Also phone service so I was able to call Sam from Leadore Inn and arrange a ride from Bannock Pass. Then another ten miles mostly downhill to the pass. Sam gave me a quick tour of Leadore (didn’t take long), dropped me off at the motel…
Daily Miles: 23.3, Total Miles: 2,043.4 Another early start to make up for weather delays and knowing today has some big vertical. Elk were bugling as we were packing up and we spooked the herd soon after leaving camp. Four sizable, uphill pushes today on trails, ATV tracks, dirt roads and bushwhacking between cairns. Beautiful veiws on high points along the ID/MT border. Got to picturesque Morrison Lake which has public access. A family group was fishing from shore and…
Daily Miles: 25.6, Total Miles: 2,020.1 To make up for some lost time, I was on the trail by 6am. The topo was in my favor early on and I made good time to Bannock Pass. Shortly thereafter, I caught Sourdough (from Alaska) who left Lima a day ahead of me. He was just getting back on the trail after a long absence and was just hitting his stride. We stopped for lunch at Deadman Lake and another lunch further…
Daily Miles: 15.4, Total Miles: 1,994.5 I slept in a bit after the late finish last night. Headed out for a quick three miles to Sawmill Creek and found two SOBOs just getting up. I climbed to over 9,100 ft and as I was coming down, the storm hit. Hail and rain drove me under the trees and I sat against one with my tent wrapped around my pack and I. Three hours later, and a little nap, the storm…
Daily Miles: 22.9, Total Miles: 1,979.1 Mike from the Mountain View returned me to the trail by 7:30am on a cool, overcast morning. A nice, easy grade walking with the cows on Modoc Road for about seven miles before reaching the TH. The Divide in this section is large, steep, rolling hills with few trees and lots of sagebrush and green grass. Hikers call it “the Rollercoaster” because the trail is up, down and twisting on the ridges, mostly following…
Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 1,956.2 I had a relaxing day of leisure and healing. Good meals at Jan’s and a most excellent evening with Glen at the Peat Steakhouse. The concept is “we serve it, you cook it”. Great steaks, nice music and good conversation with the young owners, Shay and Blaine. They are also avid fly fisherpersons! Speaking of healing, I went to the only store in town, an Exxon gas station, in search of gauze pads to…
Daily Miles: 15.8, Total Miles: 1,956.2 Just after heading out this morning, I found Glen just behind me. He explained that he had a history of heart problems including bypass surgery. He had pain and tightness in his chest and was uncomfortable continuing south. Needless to say, I was very concerned about Glen and we hiked together for the next 16 miles to the highway. Except for the downfall, a pleasant hike today for four miles to Peat Creek Divide,…
Daily Miles: 19.6, Total Miles: 1,940.4 The hike this morning started well with good tread and trail signage until past pretty Aldous Lake. I then entered burn areas with chest-high weeds, flowers and downed trees. Not to mention the trail markers disappeared. Lost the trail a few times and fell on my face twice. Almost a typical day for me on the CDT. I also encountered one of the steepest grades I have seen on the CDT here in the…
Daily Miles: 19.4, Total Miles: 1,920.8 I didn’t sleep well but at least the evening and morning routine came back quickly. Had some really nice views along the Divide but hazy from Idaho fires. Lots of ups and downs today. For most of the day, I was hiking through a tall shag carpet of purple, red and yellow flowers. My clothes and shoes are covered in sticky pollen. Saw only one person today, a guy on horseback, scouting for an…
Daily Miles: 20.2, Total Miles: 1,901.4 After a great weekend visiting my sons and families in Montana, Mrs. Haze dropped me off at Mack’s Inn, ID to resume my CDT hike. Today had a bit of everything. Three miles of pounding pavement, eight miles of climbing 2,500 ft on Sawtell Peak Road, five miles of bushwhacking down sometimes swampy Hell Roaring Creek, and finally rejoining the official CDT at Lilian Lake. The good news today was a nice lady offering…
