The past three days were hot, but we finally made it to the second state of our trip—Idaho! We walked through Kalispel, Ktunaxa ɁamakɁis, and Sinixt ancestral lands.
Day 45 – PNT Mile 877.4 – Heat Advisory
We woke up early this morning and started walking at around 6am to beat the heat. Today’s high was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (~40 degrees Celsius). The day started with a paved road walk, then a gravel road, and then a nice trail up to a 7,000 foot plus tall mountain. At 2pm we had hiked about 20 miles and the heat was getting intense. We found a shady spot in the forest and hung out until 5:30 to avoid the hottest part of the day. We got to the top of Abercrombie mountain at sunset and had beautiful mountain s and views!! We are in/close to grizzly bear terrain, so we are now carrying bear spray and hanging our food away from our tent and away from where we ate dinner. -R
Day 46 – PNT Mile ~902.4 (Jackson Creek Alternate) – In & Out
We had a big descent from where we camped at the top of Abercrombie Mountain down to the town of Metaline Falls where we were expecting a resupply package. The 15-mile, 5,000 foot descent went smoothly and we were in town at noon. We went straight to a convenience store for snacks and drinks, then headed to an RV Park for showers and laundry. After that it was off to the post office, a restaurant, and grocery shopping before we got back on the trail at about 5:30 pm. It is very satisfying to accomplish all of our town chores in half a day and then to be back on trail the same day. It’s also very hot right now (~100° F), so mid-day was a good time to be off the trail regardless. Metaline Falls was a great place with nice people and all of the amenities hikers need. It even sold vegan Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, so we obviously got a pint of that for the road-walk out of town. We managed to do 9 more miles of hiking in the evening, so despite the town stop this was a full hiking day. We are camped on the shore of Sullivan Lake. Right when we arrived I jumped in even though it was about 9 pm and pretty dark. Then we had dinner away from the tent since we now have to be careful not to attract grizzly bears. Dinner was creamy spaghetti, which I spilled on the ground while cooking but managed to salvage 90% of. Yum!
PS: Two very nice women paid for our lunch at the Farmhouse Cafe and then left without ever telling us. If you’re reading this, THANK YOU!
Day 47 – PNT Mile ~928.3 (Jackson Creek Alternate) – IDAHO!
Today we woke up next to the lake at about 2,600 feet in elevation. Today’s forecast for Metaline Falls was a high of 104 deg F (40 deg C)! We started the day by climbing up to over 6,000 feet and stayed up high for most of the day. The weather was so much more tolerable than at lower elevation! Tim measured 79 deg F in the shade at our 4 pm lunch break. We were on nice trails all day with beautiful views. At the end on the day we descended back down to 3,500 feet (and we could feel it getting warmer the lower we got). We crossed the Idaho-Montana border at the end of the day! -R
Hello, wishing you all well!
I am curious, I have posted two questions but I never receive an answer? It is disappointing to say the least b/c it makes me wonder if you ever read your emails. Also, it is great to see what you are doing but I want to learn how to do the through hikes. Any thoughts how can I truly receive a response for my questions? Watching your adventures is not enough for me.
Thank you and the very best to you!
Mirna 🙏🏽
Hi Mirna! Sorry, we rarely have service while hiking and are behind on our messages. We suggest going on some weekend trips near home to practice and hone in your gear. Have fun!
Hi! You guys are very close to my home now. I live in a small community on Ktunaxa traditional territory. Will you be crossing into Canada at Roosville? If you need anything, email me and I can see what I can do
How are you liking the new Zpack Arc Air? any pro’s or Cons from previous ULA packs? Obviously lighter and more waterproof etc……?
We both love them! They’re almost as light as frameless packs. The only con we’ve experienced is that they’re pricey. That said, our base weights are low, so we can’t speak to how comfortable these would be if over loaded. Happy hiking!
I really enjoy following along via internet on your thru hike! So much inspiration and excitement each time I make my way out to hike. Best wishes!!