Journey Day 390 | CDT Day 53
Leonard Adkins climbing a jeep road along the Continental Divide in 1987.
8/5/87
I go solo on a bushwhack to start the day, leaving the others in camp. Lost immediately, I right myself to a creek, find the road that climbs up to an open hike along the Continental Divide. Views ahead to Sheep Mountain again, but not Mt. Taylor yet. Hike down on a road to the pass, then back up with the others, who've caught up.
Back in open country with light forest, much rock walking. I fall behind and stumble along, often following new blazes we'll see off and on until Keg Spring Road. I catch the others at the high point, where Red Rocks Lake, the Teton, Italians, Taylor and Hilgards visible, just to name a few of the peaks on display. After a break, we head down to a pass, then begin long switchbacking climb on road after a bushwhacking morning.
Others push ahead, but I pass when they take a break. Longgg climb on road eventually leads to rocky East Summit of Mt. Taylor, where we lunch. Excellent views in all directions, including ahead to the Gallatins and Yellowstone, and still snowy Tetons, Red Rocks Lake, Henry Lake, among other sights.
Mountain vista along Continental Divide in Idaho.
From here, we take on talus and rocky slopes before finding our way around a ridge to a trail on the edge. I hike across, as does Carl. Laurie and Leonard come slowly, so Carl and I go ahead, end up going down steep, open slopes against the guidebook's advice, while Leonard and Laurie follow Wolf.
We hike to a deep notch as I invent Sagebrush Sucks, my first CDT tune. Climb back up, wondering Leonard and Laurie's whereabouts, but knowing of the road over the ridge I saw earlier. Decide to hike to the road vantage point. Hike down, where we spot Leonard and Laurie ahead. We reunite, heavily laden forest service trucks passing as the sun fries our brains. Retreat to a shaded spot where we find a sheepherder to go with a truck we discovered. He warns of giardia, grizzlies (1,200 in the basin) and their desire for women in menstruation. A weird dude, he drives off.
So we regain the trail, a road climbing steeply on open ridge. Descend a gully shortcut after a hot climb, then a trail down to Blair Lake. Beautiful spot! First drink from inlet, then go swimming in its cold waters. After drying, warming time, we hike on. First climb too early, descending to try again, find contour and follow it. Then pack trail up and down past sheep-pounded meadows, the first sheep evidence in days on land of a Sheep Experiment Station. Seems to take forever, but finally to Lillian Lake, an excellent setting beneath Mounts Jefferson and Nemesis, catch their reflections on the lake's surface.
This long day ends when we settle on a camp spot. Pitch tent without fly, cook and organize as night falls, but red skies at night with filling moon make a nice sight and photo before it's starlight time. As darkness gathers, inside tent to escape pesky mosquitoes that made me pitch in the dark the night before. Update, crash to follow.
