WalkingCarrot

The morning started with a brisk climb, under cloudy skies, of about 1,000 feet over about a mile. Back up and over rocks and wildflowers to the crest, grassy ridgelines and expansive views. We rolled on like that with long gradual ups and downs, occasionally punctuated with the steep, lung-gasping ascent or knee-jarring descent.

Overcast skies showed a line of dark clouds from which descended distant curtains of showers, creeping ever closer. Gusts of winds cleared the way and an occasional sprinkle just teased us for an hour or two. Finally rains came consistant enough to put on the pack cover and rain gear. Just in time for another climb, leaving me as wet inside the rain jacket, from sweat, as outside from the rain.

It was off again and on again with the rain, as it was with the rain jacket, until we arrived at highway 200 at Rogers Pass.

A couple of cars passed with no luck. Then, a large pick up truck hauling a trailer with several horses (in the trailer) and several teenagers (in the cab) stopped at the pass to adjust somthing or other. After a few minutes of making adjustments, and probably of sizing us up, they came over and offered a ride in the bed of the pickup – amongst several saddle bags, pack boxes and an old dog named Zip. With rain just tapering off and more on the way, it was a gamble.

Many are the joys of riding in the back of a pick up, in the mountains, on a warm sunny day. But, it takes a long distance hiker, intent on lunch in town, to choose the back of a pick up with rain on the horizon. We hopped on board. A few miles before town the clouds burst again. Sitting right behind the cab, hurtling down the highway, the rain flew overhead and around us, and was streaming down the front of the trailer a few feet away – but we were dry as a bone. Until we stopped.

Lincoln has everything a hiker would want – several eateries, a decent grocery store, a laundrymat, a library with internet and 4 motels. All full with fisherman and highway construction/maintenance crews. We finally finageled the last room in town (at 3pm in the afternoon) when the carpet cleaner from Missoula didn’t show. Between checking out rooms and laundry we missed the opportunity to get online at the library, but we ate well and enjoyed more rain showers from the comfort of the last motel room.

Miles – 8.0