Will hold packages indefinitely.

Subject: 9/7, day 134, 22.4 mi., 7200'
Dennis from the barbershop picked us up at the motel right on time and drove Tim and us to McDonald Pass. We hiked through wet forest with heavy cloud cover. At noon we got a horrible surprise. We had lost one poncho. Our solution was to cut a slit in our Tyvek ground cloth and wear it over a rain suit to protect the pack. Rain came a short time later and drizzled for a couple of hours but stopped early enough so that we were kind do dry by the time we camped. Dark came early because of the clouds.

We have expanded all dinners by adding Ramen noodles (without the spice packet). The extra calories are so delicious.

More rain while we slept.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 9/8, day135,
We left our tent wearing rain gear because of cold fog blown by colder wind. The gray morning made me daydream and I had to remind myself to pay attention to blazes so we didn't get off trail.

Our only water source for today came at mile 2 so the load is a little heavier. I carried it up to 8200' on Black Mtn which was red earth strewn with white rocks. Snow level was 8000'. It must have fallen yesterday or during the night. No trail or blazes coming down the mtn so we bushwhacked through wet understory and hit a trail. So nice when it works out!

Late this afternoon the clouds broke up. We strolled through the woods, smelling fresh pines with rich golden sun slanting between the trees. That's one reason why we hike.

We saw an archer today.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 9/9, day136, 24.8 mi., 8,000'
Morning was a clear blue sky and howling cold wind. We left the tent each wearing 2 pairs long pants, 3 jackets, multiple hats and gloves. I should have put my bandana over my face (Ken has a beard). Our packs were lighter but we still had a couple of layers more. We also slept well in our 20* down bags. When we got to Lincoln we heard that the temp fell to 20* during the night in town. We are pleased that we were warm enough with some more warmth in reserve. However, we'll take warmer weather if it comes!

Hiking was some of the most spectacular we've done. We were right on the divide up & down on an escarpment dropping down on the east and rolling down on the west. The horizon was a straight line to the east...flat! Strong winds all day made me glad that I didn't sail to flat eastern MT.

No animals or people all day. I think all were sheltering from the wind or hiding from hunters.

At 7:45 we rode down to Lincoln to eat, shower and do laundry and will go right back up. The weather channel makes the weather look better than we have had in the last week.

The last few days have reinforced lessons about map geometry. Maps show flat miles and elevation changes. Think of miles as the bottom of a right triangle and the elevation change (either up or down) as the upright. As hikers we walk the hypotenuse. And the steeper the trail the slower we hike. We call these 'long miles'. This last section was steep nearly the whole way.

... Gottawalk