It is your long lost buddy Hetchy. I am almost through the state of Wyoming along the 3100 mile Continental Divide Trail. I have come down to the town of Pinedale WY to take a much needed break after 8 straight days of 28 miles per day hiking through the Great Basin Divide and some 50 miles into the Wind River Range.
Hey, I saw a Llama packer camp up there just about 10 miles north of Little Sandy Lake. It made me wonder if it was our fellow HST'er that wrote that book about the Winds. I did not see anyone about.. just three Llamas and I never approach a persons camp unless invited. It would have been cool to meet a fellow Topix fan.
I have just about 110 miles left in the Wind River range, about 4 days hiking before I reach my next resupply. I sent a box to a remote lodge near Togwotee pass so I don't have to make the 28 mile hitch down to Dubois WY. From there I have just a few days to the border of Yellowstone National Park! After that I dip into Idaho at Mack's Inn and then the CDT follows the border of Montana and Idaho along that jagged Northwest line on the map. I have 70+ pages of maps for the state of Montana! Luckily I have sent half to Lima MT and the other half to Helena MT so they are only a bit over a pound per map pack.
I wich my food was that light1 I am eating 2 lbs per day of anything with near or over 2000 calories per pound. I prefer crushed Frito's, Nutella, Peanutbutter, Cliff Bars, Snickers Bars, Starburst fruit chews, Idahoan Mashed Potatoes (just add water.. no stove needed), and I take totillas and chees out of every town for the first few days on trail.
I have seen more Pronghorn Antelope in the Great Divide Desert than the entire number of people for the whole trail since Mexico.. no joke. The locals call pronghorns "Wyoming Fast Food". Crikey!
There have been herds of wild horses, Elk by the hundreds back in Colorado, porcupines, and too many cattle to mention.
I climbed Mt Elbert, the tallest point in colorado and just some 67 feet or so shorter than Whitney. This trail has taken on a life of it's own. Travelling under the sun from first light to sunset and crashing into the brush to sleep sound as a stone each night by 9PM... well most nights. These long trails are such a huge experience they are like trying to remember the view from a high peak in every detail.. that feeling of the vitality of life is amazing.
Hey I am so lucky to be able to do this!
Hikestrong2010.com and the team have raised over $9000 for the Livestrong foundation! So this is even more exciting.
Anyhow right now I am, trailwise, in the Wind River range. this is a beautiful wilderness much akin to our Desolation Wilderness with perhaps a hint of Northern Yosemite thrown in. It is hard for me not to draw comparisons like this. Since i just last year hiked the PCT I am constantly "flashing back" in my recollections. They have MONSTER trout here. No doubt due to the huge mosquito population. In Atlantic City Wyoming above the bar of a restaurant there is a mounted trout that the owner brought out of the Winds.. it is fully 3 feet in length!
I know you HST fishermen would totally dig this scene.. just bring plenty of Deet.. and a headnet!
Anyhow i have posted some new photos on my blog at postholer.com I am Matt Edwards.
As always you can reach my blog and the other Hikestrong members journals at Hikestrong2010.com
From what I hear y'all had a late spring back there in the Sierra. Many of the PCT crowd had a rough go of it. Many flipped north on the trail.
I sure hope Y'all get out there and enjoy your mountains! I am in total bliss out here. Yea, hiking 14 hours a day can break down the body and stuff hurts sometimes but that is why I take town days like this one. Of course today was spent arranging Yellowstone permit, resupplies further north, eating, laundry, repairing gear, buying new socks (mid weight smartwools last about 500 miles if ya rinse them daily and dry em on the pack) eating, doing a local newspaper inerview for Hikestrong,eating, and at some point I must sleep.
But as comfy and cushy as town is.. there always comes a time when the trail lures you back. On the PCT just the sight of a dirty hiker coming in from the trail would send me scurrying out with my pack half on ready to get back on-trail.
This stuff is majorly addicting. Watch out!
Anyhow they are gonna kick me out soon as I have been ducking my head below the cubicle in this library for over an hour past my time limit! I also have a bunch of eating to do. It is hard when 2 lbs a day.. some 4000 calories is not enough and then after a week you roll into town with your shrivelled up stomach and try to make up the difference in 12 hours! Today I have eaten over 10,000 calories! Ben and Jerrys Icecream, Egg-Foo-Young, Pizza, a "pancake sandwich" and a quart of yogurt.. there was more but I have been asked to leave!
Cheers Y'all.. Hmm I am hungry again.
CDT
