Day 128: Point 8,350 ~1 mile west of Leadville to 3 miles south of MacDonald Pass, ~29 miles, ~2,350+ miles total A day of brushy trail, tangled alternates, and meeting good people along the Divide. When I daydreamed of hiking long distance trails it was for the appreciation of vistas, wildlife, plant communities, wilderness; to … Continue reading People along the Divide

Day 126: ~1.5 miles north of Pipestone Pass to I-15 North Exit 138, Butte, MT, ~35 miles, ~2,300+ miles total The CDT is not a trail of precision. With so many route variations and data sources, it's not a trail to measure by tenths of miles or kilometers. Most of the time knowing the approximate … Continue reading Mileage math = Butte

Day 123: Lower Seymour Lake Campground to a few miles up Hwy 569 and Anaconda, MT, ~10 miles, nearing 2,300 miles total Today we "celebrated" four months on trail. By getting up and walking. We sponged off the condensation inside our tent. Huddled under the roof of the Forest Service pit toilet to finish packing … Continue reading Living the dream

Day 118: Along the Divide above Twin Lakes to Lost Trail Pass, ~36+ miles, ~2140+ miles total We made it... to Darby, Montana!...  around 9:00 pm. After four days and 120+ miles of leg burning hills. The trail stays close to the Divide proper in these parts. Beautiful country with views of the Bitterroots and steep, … Continue reading A challenge day

Day 115: Bannock Pass to Lemhi Pass, ~25 miles, ~2,032+ miles Morning in Leadore, Idaho. Two hours to pack our resupply. Mail things home. Eat gigantic cinnamon rolls. Drink coffee. Hang out with hikers. And enjoy town. Then it was back to the Divide and a roller coaster of golden hills and ridges to Lemhi … Continue reading Morning in Leadore

Day 113: Deadman Lake to half mile before Morrison Lake, ~25 miles, ~1950+ miles total From Lima to Leadore the trail stays close to the Divide. Following the ridges as they roll. Steeply. Gently. A sinusoidal walk that keeps us up high overlooking the steep valleys to the west and sagebrush and desert to the … Continue reading Cloud watching along the Divide

Finishing up a great zero in Lima, Montana.

Day 106: Old Faithful Village in Yellowstone NP, Wyoming to Road 498 in Targhee NF, Idaho, ~25.5 miles, ~1,850+ miles total Our room at Snow Lodge was definitely the best "camping" option available in the park. We woke this morning warm and dry with no mud puddles beneath our dry tent. We continue to marvel … Continue reading Strolling amid geysers

Days 103-104: Confluence of the Snake and Heart Rivers to Moose Creek Meadow Camp, ~25 miles, ~1825+ miles total Yellowstone. The first national park. Serengeti of North America. Land of fumeroles, hot springs, and gurgling cauldrons. We'd been looking forward to the park for many reasons. I wanted a quintessential summer in Yellowstone experience of … Continue reading Family time in Yellowstone

Day 102: Two Ocean Pass to the confluence of the Snake and Heart Rivers in Yellowstone NP, ~25 miles, ~1800 miles (but I'll have to double check later) While nourishing the goal of hiking the CDT I often read books about the the region, the communities along the Divide, and classic fiction of the West. … Continue reading Waters of significance