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.