Nick Sharp speaking, hello world. We are in Lima, Montana, soon to arrive in Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming. We will meet Meghan, Hoo Ras undercover lover, and David some weirdo that thinks he fly.............boy. It will be a family adventure. The last section was solid. We left Leadore with Teddy bear and Dads Grin, on very full stomachs, and went straight up a mountain. We have been acclimating very nicely to these up and downs, down and outs. We floated around numerous large open ridges, very Marsish. On one occasion ascending a slope we heard plane noises, not a commercial jet. We look over and eye level is a F-16 jet fighter plane cruising past us, sideways, through a canyon, very close, we could pretty much see the pilots name tag. The rest of the day I sung Take My Breath Away, by Berlin made popular by the Paramount release Top Gun in the 1980's. I also attempted a solar compass but that didnt really pan out. On another occasion Alex requested a ride from two gentlemen at a lake to cut off a couple miles. Zach the younger gave us a pound of Elk meat he killed, we ate that. We have been considering hunting out here. Apparently sage grouse, a big bird, you can run up and beat with a stick. I dont know if we should but we hear its tasty, and September first is hunting season. ?. What do you think could you kill an animal? Anyway the guys gave us a ride, funny guys. We showed them a a cave where buffalos had fallen. They showed us where to look for Indian artifacts like arrowheads. We saw a herd of antelope, and a large coyote. On another occasion we saw two moose on a date, eating branches, if only it was that easy for us humans. We were about a 100 feet away it nwas fine they were not trying to start anything. We ended up cutting out through soem flatlands, cow country to the high way at the end. Cows were in abundance and kind of scared me, in Lima ALex read about how there have been Cows killing people the last few years in a mailicious manner. We climbed a solar powered electric fence to get away from them. Ironic that it is an energy efficient method for the containment of one of the most energy intensive industries. Horses also backed us down into a corner knowing we were aliens. Now we are back to Fox news. Glenn Beck sucks, but hey MSNBC does need to get some hotter female newscasters if they want to be taken seriously. Anywho we'll talk to you later, bye.

LIMA

One Hundred And Twenty Miles Later

Greatings from Leadore, Idaho. It seems so long since we strolled back into the wilderness from Chief Joseph Pass. We've been through so much terrain, its hard to even concieve of it all at once. We got a ride to the pass from Chris, the very helpful and generous shuttle driver. after campin a few miles in, we hiked most of the next day in thick clouds. After that we got some nice views but the wet plants dumped buckets on our shoes. We made camp next to a strange old cabin, that definitely gave us the haunted vibe. Made a fire to dy our shoes and socks and feet but I was a bit overzealous and melted one of my new trail-runners. Needless to say i felt really smart. Fortunately it mostly superficial damage and I was able to continue. So up we went, climbing all day long almost 3,000 vertical feet to Slag-a-Melt Lake, well worth it. The next day gave us some beautiful subalpine basins and a close mule deer sighting before we dropped all the way back down and had a senseless mile of switchbacks to get over to Hamby Creek, somewhat exasperating. First thing the next morning was fording the creek, barefoot, as we had ditched our water shoes. I was not looking forward to it but as soon as I got my feet in the water I remembered "Oh yeah, this feels really nice." The day was primarily a detour around the jagged divide since no trail had found a way to stay up hugging the peaks. So roadwalking it was but we moved fast. We met a group of ATVing Russians from Missoula and discussed the possibility of them being spies. They were cool though. We ran into them again while checking out some of the abandoned mine builings just above Darkhorse Lake, our very nice campsite. From there we pulled off a 22 mile day that began with a steep bushwack to a scary and dangerously precipitous talus slope followed immediately by a climb to our highest elevation on the Trail yet, 9,731 feet, the top of Goldstone mountain. Encound our first northbounder, Rustop, who had come all thway ffrom Mexico, he said we were about 300 miles back from th rest of the sobo pack. We camped at the Sacajawea Memorial Picnic Area at Lehmi Pass where Lewis and Clark passed through on their westward voyage. We learned finally how springs work, the rainwater and snowmelt sink through the soft rock until they pool on the hard clay layer below and travel outward through small cracks. The huge milage we did was rewarded with two easy days, the first of whichas not so easy, very sunny and very hot and very steep uphill with very little shade but after some afternoon clouds, the scenery got better as did my mood and we finished strong, camped at the base of rugged Goat Mountain. Finnshed segment with an easy twelve miles to Bannock Pass complete with an owl sighting, bigger than a five foot wingspan. No shade so we sheltered in the 3 x 4 foot shadow of a road sign. We expected to wait all day as there was no traffic but no sooner had we sat down than a logger came down from a side road and let us jump on the unprotected open bed. he proceeded to drive at over fifty miles an hour into Leadore, far more exciting than sitting inside the cab. And so here we are, waiting for the post office to open and take on our next hundred miles, wish us luck

-Love Alex

Images of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness

IDAHO!

HI! We made it to Idaho! We are really starting to go at this point. I think my legs look good, is that vain? We logged another twenty mile day. After a heated debate about power and priviledge it flew by. Its strange how you are stuck in your thoughts sometimes for a very long time. I tend to think of womens, Id rather not, but it just kind of happens that way. They/You just cant get out of my head. Gee golly. It can be no fun because you spend so much time having to look at the ground. One must stop at points. We made it out of Anaconda by a goofy couple who picked us up. Immediately they stopped for booze while taking us, great. Half way through the driver Dan introduced himself"My names Dan, youll see me soon, Im going to be a millionaire, I am into what you are into". Into what to are into, Im not sure what you mean. But all and all nice guy. Even with the drunk driving. He warned us about the crazy bears. Which was true. The bears are going more and more crazy, too many bears, too many people, too much opposition to healthcare reform, WHOA this is a bipartisan post sorry. No, bears are sensitive creatures also if you shave a bear they have pink skin and look similar to people. There is an old native american story about a woman who runs off to live with a bear and has bear kids. Her human husband kills the bear and she runs off into the mountains with her bear kids, and continues to live there. Apologies, I digress, we entered the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness at Storm lake diresctly below high ridges of the Divide. Across the lake from where we camped a group of locals shot guns across the lake. We listened to the bullets echo, and drop into the lake . A bit bothered we retreated into are tents, the shoot em up woke us up a couple times, but no strays into are nylon shields. We set off to high flats and amazing jagged peaks, the terrain immediately became way more epic than the previous section. The best part were the Alpine lakes our second sight named Oreamnos allowed us to go "swimming". By swimming I mean submerging our bodies in freezing water and running out shivering. The next day we did an alternate route down a super steep slope, I had to harness my Mountain Goat spirit to handle it. The Trail, capital T, incuded a great deal of granite boulders. These looked strange in the burn areas we encountered. Expansive space with black lines and large white shapes lttering the landscape. At one point on the third day a beautiful sunny day, we stopped and for two minutes, soft snow like hail dumped on us. It stopped and the sun was out again, Rocky Mountains. I wished for more swimming but all and all we loved this section, and plan to come back. Oh yeah we had our first camp fire at Surprise Lake, which wasnt very surprising. It didnt compare to the next one at Gibbons Pass that probably could have turned into somewhat of an ordeal. We probably burned half a tree, and nearly turned our bodies into jerky. We got a ride with Caroline form the Sula Country WStore. She showed us her house the "Buck Hut", which I will recrerate when I settle. She also told us about Jody her neighbor, who was alogger his whole life, one day floatin down the river a tree fell on him. Irony. He'll be alright though she gave us hug and dropped us at the Mountain Spirit Inn in Darby. Now for some cookies and Fox news. I gotta go bye.

The Anaconda Cutoff

Took our time getting out of Helena, caught a ride with a strange, slightly hearing-impaired man with in an old white Taurus. His bumper sticker read "Some people are only alive because its illegal to kill them." but he had a peace sign hanging from the rear-view. Nice easy trail but we made it hard by losing it and bushwacking, got close to some elk with antlers though, we moved in closer and they just disappeared. The next mornig we saw a moose cross the trail! I thought it was a horse at first. We walked on mining roads past rumbling heavy machinery. Found more old prospexcting cabins. The rain wcame and went and came again. Made the good choice not to go over Thunderbolt Mountain. Made it to a campsite and the rain let up just long enough for us to get our tents up and get a boil. Slept through steady rain and stayed in bed until the sun came out. Beautiful morning on Cottonwood Lake. Great conditions until we stopped for lunch but we sheltered quite successfully under some trees. it got cold though, I could see my breath. Lightning got a bit too close for comfort, eeek! But after that its was all rainbows and expansive views. Note to CDT trail crew: dont but up the new signs until you actually make the trail after Blizzard Hill. Camped at Champion Pass and it rained all night again. Then, my birthday! I'm 23! Let the rain do its thing until about 8:30, packed up a bit soggy but had nice weather for the ten miles we walked until Darrell gave us a ride in his logging truck down the road to his ranch. We watched his seven-year-old drive the Bobcat around and then he went out of his way to drive us all the way to Anaconda on his way to Butte. On the drive he explained his life philosophy about living out away from town with his faimly and not needing to travel far to see new things, he was excited for us and our adventure though. We were gonna breeze through town without a zero but when we we resupplying in Albertson's there was a hailstorm outside, fist-sized in Butte! so we went for the cushy Trade Winds hotel and chicken fried steak, thanks Mom and Dad. It wasn't what I imagined but still a great birthday, I miss all of you out there though. We're off to the Anaconda-Pintler, talk to you from the Idaho border!

Oh yeah, and new photos all the way through so check back to those earlier posts.

Lincoln to Helena

Rick at the Sportsman Motel was kind enough to drive us back to Rogers Pass in the Hiker Hauler along with John(Retro) and Marcy, our coincidental hikeing companions. He even stopped off at the ranger station for us to get a look at the sencond biggest grizzly in the lower 48 and on top of that, he was kind enogh to cache some water for us down at the next pass since this section was especially dry. We comencenced with a beautiful twelve-mile ridge walk, bluebird day. Next morning was up and easy terrain to Stemple Pass, we had lunch at a picnic table and found a garbage can in the pit toilet! Its the small things. Got a nice view when we pick the climb of the designated route instead of an alternate. Had dinner outside the ruins of some prospector cabins from the last century. next came a strenuous but senic walk along the escarpment of Nevada and Black Mountains, met an Austrian couple finishing up their northbound journey on horseback, they planned on continuing into Canada next year. Made it almost a twenty mile day after pushing through a recreation area and shocking a passerby with the origin of our journey. Roadwalked our way into rolling hills of golden grass and met Jeff from Cleveland and his dogs. He was happy enough to drive us into Helena and awe we happy enough to go with him even though we technically had five more miles. He drove us to two hotels and called a third before delivering us to the Budget Inn right downtown, Thanks Jeff. Spent the rest of sunday hiding out from the 90 degree heat and feeding our faces. Microbrews, philosophy and cable tv.