CDT Day 42 — August 6
Bannock Pass to Dead Something Pass
Wedding Camp to Oh Boy, Pigpen Returns Camp
Miles hiked: 4.3
Total miles: 660
Back on the trail after an extended hiatus for the wedding. It took all day, but the whole crew is back, and ready to rock.
I woke up at 8am, feeling fine, and joined the rest of the wedding attendees for breakfast at the long picnic tables. A lot of hungry, dirty people. We couldn’t hang out all day, unfortunately, eventually making moves to leave around 10am. We piled in a bunch of garbage bags to dispose of, including one extra piece of hikertrash to take into town.
Views were great again leaving the Winds. An incredible range. Sharp. Intimidating. We dumped both types of garbage in Pinedale, then turned west back to Idaho Falls, Rooster again our capable pilot.
We made sure to give the car a thorough cleaning before returning it to the Enterprise. Crumbs everywhere. Everything checked out alright. After a brief wait, we reunited with Trail Angel Chad who had so graciously offered to return us to the trail at Bannock Pass.
We ate as much of the leftover food as we could as we sped north through that same wonderful valley. This time, rain showers added drama to the landscape. I finished up some last minute blogging before losing service near Leadore. I picked up a package from the motel, containing my gravity works water filter (bye bye squeezing. bye bye bleach) and more Aquamira for SpiceRack. Then back up to the trail. Just after 7pm, I started hiking again on the CDT behind the others, 73 hours after leaving. Easily the longest break I’ve ever taken while thru-hiking.
The cool evening was perfect for walking. My legs and feet felt great, even with a heavy pack on my shoulders. The extended break seems to have worked wonders. For people who walk all day, everyday, it surprises me how much pain we deal with on each step. At least for the first portion of the trail. I relished the reminder of what pain free walking is like.
We stopped to camp around 8pm, just over four miles in. I wasn’t hungry so I just ate six or so of Spice’s Fig Newtons. Nice sunset, warm night. Good to be back.
Thanks again, Chad for all your help. We cannot thank you enough for making this whole wedding magic possible. Cheers!
Hike For Days 