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