I didn’t mention yesterday how low on food I was. It wasn’t a huge deal. I had food, just not as much as I would like and the majority of the calories in my bag were tortillas. Today, that caught up to me a little bit.
The day started with gorgeous weather. It was cool and clear. Even most of the haze in the sky was gone. As I topped out on a ridge, I could see north into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, one of the most notorious parts of the CDT.
In this photo you can see the Chinese Wall, a huge long escarpment. You can see how rugged and wild that area is and it was exciting to see where I’d be in a few days. It’s also known for hellish blowdowns and as the relocation site for problem grizzlies from Glacier National Park.
As I turned the other way, I saw clouds cascading over the mountains. It was an amazing site!
Soon enough the clouds rolled in the great views were gone. It was time to put my head down and hike. I had about 39 miles to the trailhead with only about 5000 feet of climbing. That’s about half as much climbing in a much longer distance. The beginning of the day had a couple decent climbs, then it should be cruisey trail down to the trailhead.
I ran into two southbound hikers, odd for this time of year. Both of them are attempting a calendar year triple crown where they hike all three major trails in a single year. They both have already done the AT and PCT. They’re getting a very late start, but if they move fast enough it should work.
Much of the day was spent down in valleys with a couple small climbs to move over to a different one. A few thunderstorms rolled through and I spent a good amount of time hiking with my umbrella. The sun also came out for awhile, which was really nice.
I stopped about 3 miles short of the trailhead. I arranged a ride with a trail angel at 8:45 am tomorrow so even with those 3 miles, I can sleep in! I generally don’t have trouble waking up early in the backcountry, but I’m ready for a bit more rest.
I started cooking my last meal when I got to camp and then it started to rain. It’s a steady rain without much wind, but thunder is rumbling around me. The last few nights I’ve seen flashes of light through my tent, but haven’t heard the thunder. Tonight I can hear it.
The rain is frustrating but it beats forest fires. I have a feeling the one near the trail in Glacier National Park won’t be a problem anymore.