CDT Days 107-109 – Low Visibility

We had smoke and rain/fog limiting our visibility as we continued along the Montana-Idaho border. We started a fire detour that took us onto Montana’s highways.

Day 107 – Mile 2238.1 – Leadore, ID

This morning we hiked over Elk Mountain at 10,000+ ft, which is maybe the CDT high point in Montana/Idaho. Shortly after leaving camp and shortly before Elk Mountain, we saw a herd of about 20 elk. Very fitting. We also saw a big group of cattle that were very noisy and just kept running down the trail in the same direction we were headed. We didn’t know how to tell them to save their energy by heading left or right off the trail. After Elk Mountain we followed the divide on a high ridge. It was super super windy. It was also smokey, which can be a bit disorienting. We couldn’t tell what the weather was going to do. We also couldn’t tell what time it was. Around 1:15 we got to a gravel “highway”, and the wind picked up even more and it started to rain. Luckily someone who was camping in the area drove by and gave us a ride into town. Leadore is a mining town pronounced ,”Lead-Ore”. We got to the post office 15 minutes before closing time to pick up our box. Then we got some subs, fries, and groceries. We skipped showers and laundry in Leadore. At around 7pm we started hitching back towards the trail. We succeeded! We made it back to the trail and hiked a few miles before finding a nice, sheltered place to camp. -R

Day 108 – Mile 2263.1 – Walking in the clouds

Today was a cold day. It rained overnight and when we woke up we learned that we had kicked the bottom of the tent in a way that let water leak in. I usually throw my clothes down there, and since we only bring a single outfit the only option was to put on wet clothes. It was misty and wet outside the tent so we took our time getting going hoping it would clear, but it didn’t. On the bright side, that was a good excuse for extra coffee in the warm tent, which proved to be the warmest part of the day. We hit the trail just before 8 and basically walked in a cloud all day. We hoped the clouds would lift in the afternoon but they didn’t. It barely rained today, but because we were within the clouds it was always wet and cold. We took no breaks except for a lunch break because it was too cold to stop for long. At lunch we cooked a hot meal which was really nice. At one point we encountered a herd of about 30 cattle which started off running from us, but as we got around them they switched to following us. It was a bit spooky being followed by so many cattle in the mist. Eventually they lost interest in us. When we were almost done for the day we met two guys from the forest service who are out here building the trail. They gave us beers and we thanked them for the trail. It wouldn’t exist without trail builders. Then we finished the day at a picnic area that is a memorial to Sacajawea. There was a trail crew camping there and they shared their campfire with us for a while. It was a lot of fun to chat with the people who are building the CDT! For dinner we had peanut butter noodles. Yum! Getting into the warm tent at the end of the day was wonderful–we survived! Hopefully this isn’t the first of more cold days ahead once September arrives… -T

Day 109 – East of Mile 2265.9 – Fire Detour

Today we woke up warm and cozy in our sleeping bags and tent, which was a nice feeling after the cold, wet day yesterday. We have another detour due to the Trail Creek and Black Mountain fires, which are currently burning. It should take about four days until we are back on the CDT. We camped near Lemhi Pass where the recommended detour started. We started out by walking a gravel road down out of the mountains to the valley below on the Montana side. It was a gray day due to clouds and smoke, but we mostly stayed dry. At lunch we dried out our tent and sleeping bags. Then we turned onto a lightly trafficked, paved highway towards the town of Grant. We saw lots of sagebrush and cattle. We got to the only restaurant in Grant around 4:30 just as it started to rain. We had a beer and some french fries. We caught up on some overdue internet tasks like ordering new shoes. Two bikers walked in soaking wet as we were getting ready to leave. We still decided to head out into the rain just before 7 pm. We timed it well — it only rained lightly off and on as we hiked. We turned off of the paved highway onto a gravel road and eventually found public land. We set up camp among the sagebrush with a nice view of the mountains. So far the fire detour hasn’t been too bad. It sounds like we are missing a nice section of trail, but we are getting a different perspective from the valley below which is nice too. Plus there are a few restaurants along the way. -R