Journey Day 411 | CDT Day 74

8/27/87

Follow trail, blowdowns and mucky meadow included, sometimes new ribbons and blazes make route-finding easier. With some miscues, find way to trail crew base camp along Pine Creek. Eat breakfast, then follow another trail through more forest to an intersection and cut toward the basin.

Obviously other routes more popular. Ours is vague. In the lead, I lose it at a rocky entrance to a forest area. Others disappear, I end up finding my way alone through vague trail with cairns to an opening with a view to the Oregon Buttes and Great Divide Basin. Take a jeep road, resisting the impulse to go down. Follow up to where it begins dropping, then descend. Shortly find the group. Quickly pass two couples cutting lumber, sawdust in my eye. Hike on with views ahead. Break at creek, dry wet tents, have lunch.

Then push on down, now in stunted sagebrush, to a road.

Under a fence, across a road on another jeep road. Hot, scorching sun. Pass the landowner in a truck, push on to view of the Carissa Mine, trying to get back in operation, then cross railroad bed, end up bushwhacking into town, causing skittish steed to jump its enclosure, upsetting owners we pass as we walk in.

The Continental Divide looms over an old mine.

Hit post office, an old-time store in a refurbished ghost town, South Pass City, once government seat of the Wyoming Territory. After mail, down to store for hot dogs, beer, coke, talk with the owner. Bill Lowe, who provides one of three registers. (This one legendary). Laze at the shop, outside to Clark 165 (A.T. friend)'s food box, along with mine. I'm overstocked. Down to historic site, check out hotel, etc., while Carl makes his calls. Then I get Mom 'til the store closing.

Back to the store, where Lowe is gone, but we're allowed to stay. Escape cold by going to patio area to cook, etc. More beer. As night falls, go past boundary to cowpie sites by Willow Creek. Pitch in near darkness and crash.