Subject: 8/12, day 108, 20 mi., 8490'
We made it to Lima this morning and will go back to the trail after eating. The MT/ID divide is slow hiking because of difficult navigation and not much trail. We want to get to Leadore right on schedule to meet family.

We will catch up on journals next week. Cookies arrived in Lima so we can power hike up the divide!

We hiked down Long Creek and under I-15. Nothing special, just an 8 mile road walk through sagebrush and cows.

Lima was a quick visit and right back to I-15 and up the divide. No trail, just the border fence. When the ridge is narrow I have to traverse the side below the fence. The wind is constantly blowing across the divide.

The ground is covered with tundra and an occasional patch of hated sage. Polished rocks of various colors dot the turf. They look like river rocks, but how did they get up here at 8000 feet? Where did all the varieties come from? How long does it take for lichen to grow on them?

Our tent is just below the divide in a very small bowl. We have a balcony view of ridges flowing away from the divide and turning pink as the sunsets. The cattle bawling 2000' below sound like a distant lullaby. We're home.

Just as we went to bed there were motor noises way below us. As Ken peeked out the door to investigate a star shot clear across the horizon.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 8/13, day 109, 20 mi., 9145'
This was a beautiful day for hiking with perfect temp, a slight breeze and a big blue sky with wisps of clouds on the horizon. We saw FS workers on the trail, the first people on the trail since YNP. We also watched a cow and calf moose with another adult moose at Little Beaver Creek and 3 pronghorn on the divide.

All those pluses compensated for the nightmare route finding and extra miles. I don't know if we're hiking the "real" CDT because sometimes we have to figure a way from here to there and go. Until noon today we continued hiking along a divide fence. No trail, just very steep ups and downs with lots of round rocks and sagebrush.

Beautiful sunset again and I took several shots. Our tent is set up facing it so we enjoyed it for a long time.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 8/14, day 110, 9020', 18 mi.
We are camped by small but absolutely gorgeous deep green Deadman Lake. We had all kinds of hiking today and this looked like a perfect early stop.

We saw sign and heard elk, then saw them.

Our guide leaves out so much that sometimes I think a Starbucks could be lurking in the gaps, but none has appeared. This adds to our navigation difficulties.

A new dinnertime activity is removing stickers from socks because of all the x-country and bushwhacking we have to do.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 8/15, day 111,
A naughty little mouse chewed a hole in Thomas' Bibler Tent last night at beautiful Deadman Lake. If I could have found the culprit the lake would have become Deadmouse Lake.

We started hiking on real trail this morning. Early on we crested a ridge at a rock cairn and had no clue of our next direction. We sat down and consulted the useless guide, used the map and put names to the peaks in front of us, found our lat & long with the gps, and thought that perhaps we should go down the steep rock and sage covered hill. By this time the sun was higher in the sky and now illuminated a cairn down the hill to the south. Lights should always come on for all of us just like that.

We got to a trailhead with an arrow pointing out our trail: Bear Creek, 5 mi. Our guide says Bear Creek at this point is 1.8 mi. away. I don't mind the distance, but if that happens too many times the reunion at Bannock Pass will happen without us and family will call Search & Rescue.

We met a hiker on the trail late this morning. First hiker we have seen since Yellowstone Park. As he strode up the trail towards me he called out Marcia!, Ken! Remember me? When we said no, he admitted that hikers in front of us put him up to it. He is a CDT section hiker using the same guide that we are and is as frustrated as we are. He called the author "the loony b...." ,put the guide deep in is pack and is hiking without it.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 8/16, day 112, 10,000', 24.6 mi.
Fatigue. Getting up before sunrise and hiking until dark, then setting up camp and cooking using photons for light.  Mental fatigue sets in after lunch and neither of us wants to lead because of the constant awareness needed to find the route. This section has elevation gain equal to Weminuche and more route finding and less trail. The 4 hikers ahead of us ran out of food and bailed out because they couldn't get their mileage.

On the other hand, we still enjoy the hiking and the incredibly beautiful area that we're gazing down on. Ken walked down to a spring and we are drinking the world's best water. We passed 2 herds of pronghorn playing their watching game this morning. I like playing the MT/ID game; lunch in which state or can I manage both. MT is ahead on campsites made, ID has more photos taken.

We saw two day hikers from Idaho Falls at sunset using a telescope to watch an elk cow and her twin calves. After hiking on until 10 we camped right on the border. Ken slept in ID, I slept in MT and our feet pointed towards the way we will walk in the morning.

Actually, I think it's time for a town stop. Jonathan Ley bought 24 milkshakes for thru hikers at the Sage Cafe in Leadore. I'm trying to decide what flavor. One SoBo hiker even told me which waitress makes the largest shake. Hikers have a one track collective mind. The sad news is that my cookies are all gone.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 8/17, day 113, 3 mi
We didn't get up until the sun hit the tent and then hurried down to Bannock Pass. We read signs there and chatted with people driving over the pass as we waited for my sister Becki and her husband Steve to pick us up. Originally we planned to go to Salmon, but my aunt from Billings and Mother, brother and nephews from Boise all decided to meet up in Dillon, MT.

... Gottawalk