Today’s miles: 23.6 Miles to date: 407.3 Though I’d fallen asleep to the sound of constant wind, when I wake briefly around 1am I’m struck by the complete and total silence enveloping me. I listen to the stillness for a moment, but can’t stay awake. In the morning, I feel remarkably well-rested and am packing … More CDT Montana Day 23: Persistence
Today’s miles: 22.1 Miles to date: 383.7 It’s the coldest night we’ve had so far, and I sleep poorly, my hands and feet cold all night despite my thick socks and fleece gloves. In the morning there’s a thin layer of frost inside my tent, and I listen to Whiz start her stove and cook … More CDT Montana Day 22: The Caboose
Today’s miles: 24.1 Miles to date: 361.6 In the early morning I have a very unsettling dream, and dig my phone out of the bottom of my quilt to write it down so I can tell my analyst at some point. Later, I hear Whiz starting up her stove to make breakfast, but then don’t … More CDT Montana Day 21: Free Soloing
Today’s miles: 1.5? Miles to date: 337.5 I wake early and take a slow walk to the grocery store, about a mile away. I’m disappointed to find that my shin still hurts. I buy my resupply, and go next door to the CVS for a stretchy ankle brace and a compression bandage. Hopefully one of … More CDT Montana Day 20: Best Life Now
Today’s miles: ~6 Miles to date: 336 It’s one of the warmer nights we’ve had, and I sleep well until early morning when nearby cows begin their loud mooing. I pack up and sit around smacking the morning mosquitos until everyone’s ready. We have a long roadwalk ahead of us today, into the town of … More CDT Montana Day 19: The Pain Cave (and Town Interlude #4)
Today’s miles: 18.8 Miles to date: 330 Unsurprisingly, my tent has a lot of condensation in the morning and my quilt is wet from it. There have been only one or two days when those of us with single-wall tents have not had condensation, but fortunately we’ve had at least some sun every day to … More CDT Montana Day 18: Clearing Up
Today’s miles: ~20.5 (according to Sultry’s phone tracker) Miles to date: 311.2 In the morning Whiz announces that the mileage today may be off from what our GPS apps say and that navigation may be wonky for a bit. Okay then. We continue on the dirt road walk for a long time this morning. I … More CDT Montana Day 17: Trust the Trail
Today’s miles: 11.4 Miles to date: 290.7 The trail angel giving us a ride to the trailhead is scheduled to come around 9am, so Whiz and I get up early and have another diner breakfast. I get biscuits and gravy with fried eggs, and apple juice. When we return to the hotel, we learn that … More CDT Montana Day 16: Feels Like the CDT
Today’s miles: ~12 Miles to date: 279.3 The cows moo periodically in the night and again very early in the morning. The moos are much louder than I would have anticipated, and I wonder how close they are to us — but when I get up just at dawn, they’re nowhere to be seen. The … More CDT Montana Day 15: Roadwalking Blues (and Town Interlude #3)
Today’s miles: approx 21 (alternates make it harder to know for sure) Miles to date: 267.3 Despite how tired I am, I have a very restless night. It’s unusually warm, and I wake at midnight to take off some layers. My blackfly bites itch all night, too. Today we have about 20 miles without water, … More CDT Montana Day 14: Among the Cowpies
