CDT Day 59 — August 23
Upper Brooks Lake to Hwy 26 (Dubois, WY)
1000 Miles Camp to Church Hostel Camp
Miles hiked: 6
Total miles: 1011.1
An easy nero into town today. The hardest part was getting up, as cold as it was this morning. Hopefully just an anomaly and not the new norm.
I awoke to a frozen world. Frost on the grass, ice on the tent inside and out, frozen water bottles, and rock solid shoes. The sun was coming though, just not in time to thaw us out. I got hiking a little after SpiceRack around 7:15am wearing my crocs. There was absolutely no way I was getting my feet into my popsicle shoes. No way. My thermometer read in the low 20s. That makes sense. Chilly.
The crocs gave me some surprisingly good walking for the easy, 3 mile cruise on horse trail to Brooks Lake Lodge. I kept my hands in my pockets except to feed myself granola from a bag. The big, layered cliffs encircled the big lake and lit up fantastically in the morning light. Mist danced and flowed across the surface of the lake. I was entranced. But I also had to poop really bad, so I hoofed it to the campground to make use of the well-kept privy.
Another easy three miles got us to Hwy 26 at 9:30am. We found Pine Stick there, waiting for a ride, and joined him with our thumbs out. Our ride almost got us to town, and we walked the remaining mile into downtown Dubois (pronounced DEW-boyz. No joke, this is Wyoming).
We wrangled Crunchberry and Rooster into one last meal before they headed back to trail. The Cowboy Café had an excellent house-made vegan burger that Spice and I got all over. We said goodbye to the dudes, then headed to the church around the corner where they generously host hikers in their community room.
Normal town chores ensued from there. Laundering my worn out socks to send to Darn Tough for replacement, supplementing our resupply box, getting french fries, computer at the library, phone calls home, standing up Spice for a coffee date. A giant thunderstorm pounded the tiny town, and I thought of CrunchyRoost out in the mountains, maybe getting pounded too.
Back to the church for hanging out with the seven other hikers staying there. New faces, new stories. I write while Spice puts together dinner. (Vegan) mac n cheese, chili, spinach, and bean tacos. Too good and a darn sight better than I deserve. A good day in town. A good day on the CDT.
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