Book 1 Chapter 3 – The Bob

Entering the Bob Marshall Wilderness at Marias Pass, I put 8+ days of food in my pack and strapped it on. To quote JRR Tolkien, its weight was as a fallen hill.  It definitely exceeded the capacity of the pack.  I was not happy.

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Physical checkin:

Left ankle, rolled a few times, not great.

Left foot, old Jones Fracture area sore.

Right ankle, rolled a few times, swollen.

Blisters, a few tiny ones.  Manageable.

Sleep, mostly 8 hours a night.

Weight, dropping.

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Mental checkin: Managing.  Repeatedly pushing yourself to the edge of exhaustion can yield some interesting insights.  I’ve realized a number of things about my level of commitment.

A more physical one is a realization of why I’m slow.  My hips and back are not flexible; my legs don’t swing well, so much of my walking effort comes from my knees and calves.  And there’s only so .much muscle power there.

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Day1 – 20 miles in

Got a great hitch out of East Glacier and was on the trail I think by 8:30.

Uphill, both ways, in a burn area.  When it wasn’t hot, it was threatening rain.  Luckily the umbrella works for both.

I spent a large portion of the day toiling miserably.  Weight > pack design, so everything hurt.  Mid afternoon I got to an unused USFS Ranger cabin, and had a nice rest.   With the food I carried, I thought, I COULD call it a day; surely the coming days would be faster?

Ut the little voice in my head pushed me on.  After the cabin was a bushwhack to an old trail, in the trees, along a river.  Up and over I went, passing two other hikers who were debating the same route.  Beans and Casper, their names were.  “The CDT means doing whatever the heck you want” one declared.

Across and down the open meadow I went.  Dead reckoning, and checking my phone a few times.  Soon I was on the trail.  Much easier walking, and much cooler.  I stumbled onto a mama grouse with her peeps.

By 6pm, I was at a known, unofficial campsite with about 5 others.  The post-Glacier bubble.

Day2 – Spotted Bear Pass alternate

Rougly mile 160.  Its hard to measure off the main trail.  The next day was an immediate grind uphill.

Ended the day a mile off the proper, “red line” CDT, onto the Spotted Bear Pass alternate.

We all camped at another unused Ranger Station.  Complete with No Camping sign, although on the other side, the sign said nothing.  Thanks, Mr. Guthrie.

Beans and Casper were joined by an old friend “I’ll Be”.  I dubbed them the Crazy Chicks.  When not hiking, they’re ski bums, bartenders, weed growers, Canadian jail inhabitants, and drug dealers.  Also hilarious, and really strong hikers.

He offered me a line of coke when we got off shift, but his stuff was really methy.

It was a growing tent city, 5 other hikers now swept into the bubble.

Day3 – Switchback Pass

Because I’m slow, I leave early.  I crossed the river, twice, barefoot.  Icy cold, but I still had the fantasy of keeping my feet dry.  They call it the “Bog Marshall” Wilderness, because of the mud, stream crossings, and fords.  And the rain, which means walking through brush-covered trails gets you soaked.  The “hiker car wash”.

The rewards of all this, are ridiculous views.  I spent about an hour at an amazing lake, trying to work out the math for how few people had been there, ever.  It’s gorgeous out here.

Then came another big climb, to Spotted Bear Pass.  Again, being first, I had the place to myself.  Me and the flies and bees and rodents.

Down, down into the next drainage along the next river, and I camped alone.  Zoe stopped by, asking, “so are you OK camping solo in grizzly country?”  Presumably she would have camped with me?  Difficult to know.  I honestly hadn’t thought about being NOT ok, but the question gave me pause.

Setting up my tent, I saw that one of the poles had broken; the aluminum press-fit piece had been press-fitted the way I to the pole.  “There’s no more innie to go with the outie”, I would describe it later.  Bummer.

Day4 – Chinese Wall

“Climbing, Mr. Frodo.  And look, after that … MORE climbing.”

Another climb out of 1 big drainage/river to the next.  But by noon, back on the proper CDT, and at the fabled Chinese Wall.

Amazing, did a little off trail scrambling to get some pictures.

Then it was short-but-there pass after mini-pass until the afternoon.  We were nearing the edge of the Wilderness, and an area more frequented by weekenders.  I started to see signs of trail work; a water bar here, a culvert there.  Campsites with fire rings and big cathole-making shovels.  Plus, “alien” shoe prints.  Things hikers would never wear.

Zoe and I camped near a river, and I used the opportunity to get largely clean.  Glorious.  The salt in my beard alone might have weighed a pound.

Day5 – to Benchmark and the Scapegoat Wilderness

15 miles to Benchmark Ranch, where most people were picking up resupply boxes, or hitching into Augusta.  I was doing neither, having started with 8-9 days of food.  But there was a USFS campground too, and that meant water, trash, and a toilet.

The day got hot as soon as the sun came up above the hills.  Mostly downhill, I balanced speed with caution, photo taking, and gee-whiz-its-amazing breaks.  The trail was even more trampled, and horse poop appeared.  Also weirdly, a mostly-consumed package of contraceptive pills.  Probably the strangest trail trash yet.

Down out of the pines into a wide valley, across a big bridge and into, you guessed it, another big burn area.  The umbrella was the only thing keeping me from bursting into flames.

At the camping area by 1pm for lunch and rest.  Some people were doing a big hiker feed, complete with hot dogs.  2 hikers, Kate and Mateo were there.  I passed, but did dump my accumulated wrappers and plastic garbage bags off.  I pushed on into the heat.

Resting by a river some miles later, I saw a mama Harlequin duck leading about 8 babies upstream.

Nearly cooked, I pushed on into … a burn area.  I finally found a place that was far from any dead tree and pretty much collapsed.  Too hot.

Mile 241.5 and out of the Bob Marshall Wilderness.  Into the Scapegoat Wilderness.  The constant wet and hot weather are doing a number on my feet.  Perpetually pruny, yet sore from doing 20+ mile days.

I put tape on a few strategic places.