SUMMARY:  This morning we decided to make a try at reaching Leadore by tonight—a 24 mile run. On the PCT, that would be no big deal. But the CDT—we didn’t know what would happen. There was a really nice little spring where we used our cups to collect water, and off we went, with lots of walking on top of the Divide on the broad grassy ridges where the pine trees grow in the shape of oak trees and deep, rugged canyons lead off the sides to the valley way below.

We were pushing hard, and the trail was not quite as difficult—we could follow it OK most of the time. Got a ride down to Leadore in the back of a pickup truck, ate dinner, and collapsed!

DETAILS:  From what we could see on our maps, it looked like there would be no water for a long way, so the first thing we did this morning was walk along the CDT for about a 1/2 mile from our campsite to where there was a tiny spring near the trail.  It was still very dark when we got up, and I was a bit worried that it would be too dark to spot the spring, and we might miss it, but no problem–it was easy to see in a meadow.  And it was tiny–we had to get out our cups in order to catch the water.  It was very tasty, cold and fresh.  Nice!

Then we continued along for about 12 miles of hiking on grassy ridgetops with great views.  The pine trees up here are growing in shapes that are more like oak trees.  I could almost imagine that I was back home in California, hiking grassy mountainsides dotted with oak trees.  Along the way, there were numerous survey markers to show where the Montana/Idaho border is located, so of course we had to stop and take pictures:  “Here’s me with one foot in Idaho and one foot in Montana!”.

Those pictures worked, because they were more close up, but I am still bummed at not being able to get any good landscape shots, due to smoke in the air.

Around noon, we came to what looked like a wall of mountains right ahead of us, and wondered “How will we get through that??”  While we were wondering, we came across a very nice spring, hooray!  Out came the water bottles and we made cold, cold “bug juice” and drank about a liter each!  Then we headed for “the wall.”  Surprise!  What we found was very nice, PCT-type trail, that did some switchbacks and contouring on a very nice grade till it was up pretty high, and at that point, instead of rollercoastering, it continued to do nice level contouring.  Amazing!

As we walked along, we were passing deep, narrow canyons that dropped off to the valley below.  Way down there, we could see occasional patches of green where there were irrigated fields.  Up here on the Divide, the plants are all dry except for a few little lupines and a lot of flowers (don’t know their name) which are shaped like small balls.  They start out yellow, then gradually change to orange and red.  Very pretty!  I was glad for better trail, because it gave me a chance to really look at everything without having to come to a complete stop.

Fixit and I were hiking as fast as we could, still hoping to reach Leadore by tonight.  The nice trail was a big help, but occasionally it did cross rock fields, where I slow to a crawl.  I have a wobbly ankle that I don’t trust and I don’t want to sprain it, so while Fixit goes bopping across the rock field, I walk very slowly.  In between the rocky bits, I tried to push as hard as I could.  We’ve heard that the hitch into Leadore from Bannock Pass can be very hard, because the road is so seldom traveled, and I wanted to get there before dark.

I need not have worried.  We were at the road by 5:30.  The way it works is that you can see WAY down the road, and if any car comes along, you can spot it in plenty of time.  It was our dinnertime, so I said to Fixit, “You watch the road while I get out some food.  If you see a car coming, tell me, and we’ll do like Yogi says, “Stand in the middle of the road and MAKE them stop–you may not see another car for hours!”  So we had something to eat, and still no cars.  We waited and waited.  I was beginning to think we’d have to spend the night camped there, when (going the wrong way) along came a pickup truck with a couple of guys.  They said they were planning to get a permit to go in and pick up downed wood, and were on their way out to look for where would be the best place to do that.  “We should be back in a couple of hours,” they said. “If you’re still here, we’ll give you a ride into town.”  OK, then, no worries about how to get to Leadore.

But I still was watching the approach road to the pass, and after awhile, hooray, another pickup truck!  We did the Yogi thing, standing in the middle of the road, to beg for a ride.  The truck was full, passenger-wise, but when we offered to ride in the back, they said “OK.”  So that’s how we got into Leadore.  And actually, though it was pretty chilly riding in the wind back there, the views were incredible.  The road follows a canyon with spectacular rock formations, sort of like Castle Crags in California along I-5.  Beautiful!

It was getting pretty late by the time we reached town.  The first thing we did was head for the Silver Dollar restaurant.  We discovered a whole table of thruhikers there, so joined in.  After we’d placed our order, I left Fixit at the Silver Dollar and walked a few doors down to the Leadore Inn, where I signed us in for their only remaining room.  The Inn owner was surprised at how late I was showing up.  I told him we had to wait quite awhile at the Pass and came in the back of a pickup truck.  He laughed, “Hey, I’ve seen hikers coming in here riding in a BOAT on a trailer!”

Back at the Silver Dollar, we (and all the hikers) ended up having to wait TWO HOURS before our food arrived.  And that was our first introduction to something we would see over and over again in Montana–in many of the restaurants, there is only one waitress, who is ALSO the COOK!  So you have to be prepared to be very patient!  By the time our food came and we ate it and got back to the Inn, it was past 10 pm.  All we could do was collapse, we were so tired.  But it is good to be here!