Will hold packages indefinitely.

Subject: 8/18, day 114, 9060', 9 mi
Becki & Steve brought us back to Bannock Pass after we said goodbye to the rest of the family in Dillon. Before we drove up to the pass we went to an overlook that Clark mentioned in his diary and stood where he stood overlooking the Beaverhead River. We also saw Fortunate Camp where the expedition sank their boats when they bartered for horses.

Hiking was delightful when we started late this afternoon. We followed an old log fence on the divide on newly constructed trail. There were also crisp, vivid blazes in the trees and rock cairns with directional arms extending from the base. How nice to have tread and guides!

The forest was so beautiful and we heard and saw lots of wildlife. A sage hen (speckled brown & white) flew and her chick flew above me. I whistled and the mom answered immediately behind me. I missed a great photo. 

... Gottawalk

Subject: 8/19, day 115, 9490', 25.2 mi.
We crossed the 45th Parallel this afternoon. The US-Can border is at 49 degrees, so as a crow flies we are about 336 mi from the border. As the CDT meanders we have more than double that.

The more important historical crossing was at Lemhi Pass. Lewis & Clark crossed the divide for the first time there on 8/12/1805. The pass had been used by the Indians so much that a two horse wide trail existed. The pass was later named by Mormon settlers.

We got water at Sacagawea Memorial Camp Ground from Far Distant Spring. It was named by Lewis. He believed it to be the end of the Missouri River they had been following.

Most of our hiking today was in forest and a lot in Lodge Pole pine forest. Lower branches on the trees die, but the crowns are dense enough and the trees close together so that very little is growing on the forest floor. This is the forest from my childhood. We really enjoyed being on the divide but sheltered from the wind. The sky is so overcast that night will be here early. I wanted some full moon pictures so I'm hoping for a clear evening tomorrow.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 8/20, day 116, 9580', 24.8 mi.
The sound of hooves on the trail woke me. I both heard and felt them through the earth. My second impression was that I smelled smoke from the Salmon, ID forest fire. Maybe that was what made the sky so dark yesterday evening.

We spent all morning strolling through the forest with gentle ups and downs. We couldn't see any landmarks so we had to be careful of our route. At one point we both stopped looking for blazes and wandered down a 2 track road. We came to our senses and backtracked to blazes.

At lunch on a high ridge MT looked cloudy and ID was hazy. We had sprinkles t

... Gottawalk

Subject: 8/21, day 117, 9200', 21 mi.
We got up to overcast skies and had sprinkles all day. We also had hail several times and it was large enough to hurt so we sheltered under trees.

We're entering an area of glaciated granite with lakes and creeks.

Between showers Ken made a discovery - Huckleberries! There weren't many, and they weren't the best, but hopefully a sign of things to come.

No animal sightings but we did talk to a family that had been hiking and fishing. We also talked to a group of 3 horsemen. We think they were flagging the trail for construction.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 8/22, day 118, 24.8 mi., 9000'
The most notable elevation fact is the low of 5720'. We haven't been that low even in towns for a while.

We also haven't seen big animals, thinking they are at lower elevations.

Ken found blueberries growing along South Fork of Sheep Creek. Yes...that's where the bears are. He saw a black bear cub at the same time that the cub saw him. The cub went the other way as fast as it could run.

We made a traverse around the end of Fourth of July Creek. The NFS did a great job of cutting a 3 foot wide trail on the side of a near vertical mountainside for about 2 miles.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 8/23, day 119, 21 mi., 8600'
No bears in the night that we heard. We climbed out of Bradley Gulch (our low point). Wow, the trail goes straight up. The last 16 miles were on beautiful forested crest and the guidebook said it was new trail and impossible to get lost. Wrong, not new trail and it disappeared three times. We summitted Anderson Peak,ID which is not on the trail...sigh.

The guide said to join the road and go north. Trouble is the road goes exactly east/west. No blaze, no sign, no cairn, not clear on the map. We chose wrong.

On the way into town we passed a camp of fire fighters. Wow, we have never seen so many tents in one place. There were big tents and personal tents and campers. They are mopping up a fire between Chief Joseph Pass and Wisdom. It wasn't very big and we rarely smelled or saw smoke.

We'll take a zero-day today. Need to call REI, Canadian & US customs, etc.and rest our bodies after 2 tough sections.

... Gottawalk