Journal July 25 – Not All Miles Are Equal
From our camp to Dana Spring, the first thirteen miles of our hike today was a roller coaster trail, sometimes steep, with often inspiring views and a lot of elevation gain.
From the top of one set of cliffs we watched a hawk fold it’s wings back and nose dive, whistling past us, just for fun. It caught an updraft, circled a couple of times and repeated the performance. It took us almost 8 hours to reach Dana Spring.
We tanked up on water at Dana Springs and ate a late lunch. Fom Dana Springs things changed – the CDT follows a forest service road, gently rolling along near the crest. But we have transitioned from the wilder morre rugged terrain to more gentle countryside. Not all miles are equal.
The guidebook calls this stretch “pastoral”. I’ve known those who would call it the “sacrifice” lands. Views of nearby clearcuts, laced with roads designed for industrial logging and / or mining. Grazing allotments large enough and permanent enough for frequent cattle guards, piped springs and occasional holding pens. Not the same as wilderness walking – not all miles are equal.
Yes, we need some lands that produce timber, beef and metal; and some of the lands near the divide are ideally suited for these purposes. But….we should not believe the fantasy that the divide is one long corridor of wildands. Actually it’s more like a cross-section of the american intermountain west.
It’s always still the CDT, but the miles and scenery aren’t the same. They’re not equal.
The grades are much easier on the stretch after lunch and our total elevation change is a lot less. We cover 9 more miles in about 3 1/2 hours – the miles are not equal.
We’re closing in on highway 12 and McDonald Pass. We camp in a no-name saddle about 14 miles from McDonald pass. We can see city lights in the valley. Off in the distance, sometimes to the east and, sometimes to the west, we hear the low rumble of the trains and their lonesome whistles, as they climb the tracks and cross rural roads approaching the Mullan tunnel.
We share the pass with telephone lines. Overall, our sense of remoteness is shrinking fast.
Miles for the day 22.4
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