Journey Day 346 | CDT Day 9

We camped on the porch of Badger Creek Ranger Station.

6/20/87

Awake late, ignoring our alarms. First, down with the food bags and contraptions. Then the soggy tent and all gear organized in the pack. A bug-juice after-shave prepared me for skeeter onslaught. Leonard says he's moving on to get away from the horde, but I'm packing and munching peanut butter and bread til I'm full.

We hike out of the woods, now back in Lewis and Clark National Forest. The trail's not overly obvious, so we hike carefully and take breakfast after wet ford of the South Fork Two Medicine River. Laurie and I leave ahead of laggards, after we determine where the trail is. Up a muddy road not in the guidebook takes us up on a ridge. Up and down next to a creek in the woods most of the day. Then a muddy roadwalk. My boots are caked, my calves marred by the activity.

Going seems slow, but take lunch by river-creek, with about 6.5 miles done, find crossing of White Rock Creek after more mud slogging. Last two miles to Badger Creek Ranger Station, unmanned, but idyllic.

So beautiful we settle for day (14.5 book miles) and lounge in sun before porch of the cabin. Dry muddy, soaked socks and boots (temporarily) and eat some, talk, enjoy scenery, take dump. Find same Esquire writer friend Joe Mackall gave me in D.C. Read good stories in sunny grass, then prepare for night on porch, the four of us. Rain threatens, but again peters out quickly. This area needs rain (no snowpack) or fires will run wild later in the season. We try to shoot a brilliant rainbow.

Rainbow over the Bob Marshall Wilderness in June 1987.

The sun shows further into the meadow in front of the cabin as a few drops fall inside the covered porch area, dotting my Thermarest. Then it’s gone!

Read more Esquire, but activity on porch leads to sleeping, so I move to my journal update. Chili farts entertain as dusk hovers. I'm anxious to hike more, but good sense tells me not to hasten down the trail too early. Already the balance between nature existence and achieving my goal creating anxiety and uncertainty. Experience tells me to settle in for the long haul. I am confident, while aware there will be many obstacles. Give me strength.