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

Day 100: Dubois, WY and Togwotee Pass to slope above Cub Creek, ~12 miles, ~1,712 miles total There are all sorts of milestones by which one notes progress on a long distance hike. First 100 miles (or km). First 1,000 miles (or km). 100 days. States crossed. Number of shoes worn out. Etc. When we … Continue reading Above the fold

Day 98: Spring in woodbox near Ley map note 5 (WY10) to ridge west of Tripod Mountain, ~mileage too hard to estimate I don't own a television and rarely read the outdoor magazines brimming over with hyperbole and adrenaline dripping type. The "extreme" and "epic" experiences filmed for cable programs and penned for tell-all feature … Continue reading Soggy sagebrush and bear detours

Day 98: Spring in woodbox near Ley map note 5 (WY10) to ridge west of Tripod Mountain, ~mileage too hard to estimate I don't own a television and rarely read the outdoor magazines brimming over with hyperbole and adrenaline dripping type. The "extreme" and "epic" experiences filmed for cable programs and penned for tell-all feature … Continue reading Soggy sagebrush and bear detours

Days 95-96: Elkhart Trailhead to Pixley Creek along the Green River, ~30 miles, ~1,650 miles total Pinedale, Wyoming is not a town I'd want to leave. A blend of western frontier and recreation gateway. Where ropers and Carharts aren't fashion, they are the equipment for the job to be done. The town residents are cowboys … Continue reading The heart of the Winds

Days 90-93: South Pass City to Elkhart Trailhead, ~87 miles This was our first time to the Wind River Range. In a word: spectacular! But that doesn't aptly describe our admiration for these mountains. We walked around punch drunk in awe of dazzeling white and granite walls rising over a thousand feet above us. Again … Continue reading An introduction to the Wind River Range

Days 86-89: Rawlins to South Pass City, ~113 miles, ~1,534 miles total When people think of the CDT often the high mountains of Colorado are what come to mind. And indeed the trail follows the Divide along those beautiful ridges for hundreds of miles. But as I read about the trail, one of the landscapes … Continue reading Crossing the Great Divide Basin

Days 83-85: Battle Pass to Rawlins, WY, ~77 miles, ~1,421 miles total From Battle Pass, we had one more opportunity to sit above 11,000 feet and we best figured to enjoy it. The CDT passes right by the summit of Bridger Peak (11,007) as it goes up steep trail and ambles gently graded jeep roads. … Continue reading The land of sagebrush and pronghorn