WalkingCarrot

We hike alongside more Cows and climbed more peaks. Moo and more Moo. Pastoral!?! Heck no! Pasturized and synthesized and trying to get climtized (to the elevation) is more like it. We’ll adapt.

A slight detour at Mullan Pass, where I looked at the map too quickly and went to the right of the mountain, held us back some. The trail goes left of the mountain; the prudent hiker, upon seeing his mistake goes back – to correct it – we go forward – Always forward – never go back, take no prisoners, never retreat, the adventure unfolds as it should, blah, blah, blah….so after crossing under two barbed wire fences, consulting the maps, guidebook and GPS, whacking some bush and then whacking it some more, we finally regained the trail. But, we did get to see some clear cuts that no other hikers ever get to see……

Back on the trail, we ran into a northbound hiker, the first actual backpacker we have seen actually on-trail sinc 7/17. ZiggZagger – we hiked for a short while with him on the PCT in 2004. He will finish his CDT hike at the Canadian border in early- to mid-August.

After a final 1,500 foot climb we crested a mountain peak with several communications antennae on the top. The peaks are ideally situated for such use, as are many peaks high on the divide; some peaks will be put to use for various things that are not typically associated with wilderness. That’s OK; we have diverse needs and we are shrinking the areas for potential use. But, this is one more example of how the CDT is not one long wildlands corridor; in fact, it emphasizes the need to preserve what is left of it.

As we aproach Highway 20 we hear the traffic from about 3 miles away. The vrooommm of cars pierces many parts of silence. This is, by far, the busiest road we have crossed so far. But cell reception is good, we call our friend John Gatchell and within 20 minutes we are vroooming down to a lakside swim and the delights of Helena.

Trail miles about 14.5