Journey Day 382 | CDT Day 45

Laurie and Leonard Adkins consult a local Idahoan for help finding a trail route.

7/28/87

After a poor night's sleep, I'm up at dawn as Carl makes noise, opens the door to let the cowshit smell in. I eventually chow Mrs. Novick's brownies in bed, write some and rise to face my town tasks.

Call Mom's answering machine, Way and Shelley and J.L. Good and bad photo report. Cafe not open for breakfast, so I head back to organize, write and snowseal boots. Chow mac and cheese with canned ham provided by Mom, write still more letters - eventually emerging from room into a sprinkling rain.

Do post office chores, helped by postmaster Cal Whittaker. Refuel for twenty cents, buy some food, chow on general store's porch. Decide to call Dubois post office for Sunday arrangements, sweet postmistress sees to my needs. Get photos of Tomchak's elkhorns and walk to the home of Worth Hawley, 84, but he's still at the senior center. So I wait for ride to the store, not one car comes as rain sprinkles.

I walk back to Hawley's after Leonard says the senior citizen bus is back and he's glad to help. We pick up the others and begin bumpy ride back to Bannock Pass.

Worth Hawley waves from his 1968 Ford Bronco in 1987.

The active-minded elder keeps us going with tales, history of the mines, railroad, namesakes, etc. His 1968 Bronco carries five plus four packs. He elects to drive us down the trail. We lose his back window but otherwise it's a fun ride with Hawley as a jolly tour guide.

At steep descent before Deadman Pass (named for Grizzly Brown, the first to get silver ore, but was killed when a horse dragged him across by stirrup). Hawley lets us out, we talk, bid farewell and help him to turn around. Short hike to site by a creek spring. Nice grassy meadow, pitch, eat mac and cheese with ham again while enjoying sunset, clouds, scenic spot, easy mood back in the backcountry.

Stuffed after some soft-batch cookies, I clean up before photographing more clouds and retiring to tent to update as darkness eases into my tent.