Lima, MT to Dubios, WY

Photos - click here

DAY 1
We were rested, our bellies full, had a great time in Lima. We enjoyed Mike and Connie’s hospitality at the Mountain View Inn, again, and were lucky to spend a little time with our old and new hiking friends. It was now time to begin hiking and leave Interstate 15 and Montana behind.

The challenge in getting started was to find a ride from Lima to the place where we left the trail a month ago about 80 to 90 miles south of Lima. Our options were to hitch (this option was not favorable because it required us to transfer to several different routes and have several hitches), take the bus (it turns out that the bus does not go anywhere near our destination) or arrange a ride. We opted for the last of the three.

Leslie and I arranged a ride with a woman who lived in Monida (population 5) 15 miles South on I-15, but she was not at home when we called so that fell through. I then was able to arrange a ride with a couple of young men with their pick up. We offered to fill their tank and give them some compensation for their time. Our ride backed in next to our room in his old beat up pick up and we loaded up our packs and waved goodbye to everyone. There was good energy in the air. It was warm, clear skies at about 5:00 at night and we were going to hike tomorrow morning.

Leslie and I were in the back of the truck, laying on our packs smiling. The truck was bumpy, one of the shocks was broken and it was loud as if the muffler was broken. As we entered the interstate the driver shifted gears the truck made all kinds of disagreeable noises. After only three miles on I-15 we pulled over on the side of the road and the driver jumped out with a frustrated look on his face and a pair of pliers. He scooted under the truck, did his thing with the pliers and came out and started the truck. This routine repeated four times and then the driver looked at us and said, “I’m really sorry the clutch is broken and I don’t have the right tools.” We began walking I-15 again back to town. After a mile we got a ride from to Slovakian travelers who took us back to the Mountain View Inn.

We relayed our story to Mike and Connie and they let us wait in the room for another potential ride from some construction workers. Shawn, a foreman for his masonry crew who were working in Lima and staying at the Inn, arrived and said he would give us a ride. We agreed on a fee and met a member of his crew (Jeff) who would be joining us and we were off in less than an hour. Shawn drove a very nice souped up red pickup. He had been an Army Ranger. Jeff was very passionate about his trade. He was more of an artist than a construction worker. We traded stories during the two-hour drive and saw many pronghorn, deer and moose during our drive through the Red Rock Wilderness where we had hiked 6 weeks ago.

It was dark when we arrived at Mack’s Inn. Everyone was hungry so we shared a pizza and then Shawn drove us to near where we needed to hike. We said our goodbyes. Leslie and I stealth camped that night in the woods. We had a good time and made new friends. It was good to be in the woods again.

DAY 2
We awoke to a bull groaning. Fortunately he was not in our camp. We gathered our gear and began the 10-mile road walk to Mack’s Inn Idaho. I found a pair of new fishing waders on the side of the road. Of the hundreds of pounds of junk and road kill that we passed during our hundreds of miles of road walks I was excited to find something useful. I carried the waders to Mack’s Inn and sent them to my Dad.

At Mack’s Inn we enjoyed a lunch buffet with a lot of lemonade and walked to the post office. A car pulled up behind Leslie and honked – Leslie gave them the evil eye and then saw Zach laughing. Zach and Buddha had rented a car and were taking a few days off. A few minutes later Steve, a hiker we had met in East Glacier, came walking in. He had passed almost everyone that we knew and was seeking a ride to West Yellowstone to get his mail drop. Zach and Buddha obliged – we said our goodbyes and they left.

Leslie and I continued walking south through the Mack’s Inn maze of forest-service-roads-turned-trail (troads). Many of these roads were true PUDS (pointless ups and downs). This is because the roads were closed and had huge hills and holes dug to prevent motorized vehicles from traveling on them. At dusk we finally reached our goal- the Yellowstone National Park Boundary. The boundary was marked with metal squares secured 30 feet up the trees – the boundary was also clear because that is where the large trees stood. Outside of the park had been logged and there were only small trees. We camped right outside the park. We were tired and looking forward to seeing some of the backcountry portion of the park.

DAY 3
We woke early and it was very cold. Frost covered the tent and my shoes were frozen. Both Leslie and I were shivering as we were packing up our gear preparing for a couple days in the Yellowstone backcountry. We were motivated to hike quickly because we had to reach Old Faithful Village to pick up our permits before the backcountry office closed.
Shortly after we entered the park we saw a herd of 6 majestic elk with huge antlers in a meadow. They heard us before we spotted them and quickly went into the forest. Later we saw two more elk. Our break was at Summit Lake. This lake presented a well-needed water source- even if the lake was filled with leeches. We laid our packs in the designated campsite and went to the lake with our Nalgene bottles. I took off my shoes and waded in a few feet to get clean water. No leeches found their way to my legs and the water was delicious.

Much of the hike was through burn area- from the big burn of 1988. The trees were most often white because the weather removed the charring from the burn. Several of these burn areas have an eerie beauty to them. The window whistles as it blows through the dead branches and occasionally we hear a tree fall or crack from the wind.

Hours later we saw the sure signs that we were close to civilization- better trail, more footprints and then the token day hiker followed by sounds of cars. We came out about two miles from Old Faithful Village and walked with the crowds into “town”. We heard the agonizingly old joke, “Where are your skis?” and “How are the slopes?” several times. People make the joke because our hiking poles look similar to ski poles. Innocently enough, they think they are original, but unfortunately we hear it ALL the time….

At the backcountry office one ranger remembered us from our previous visit. They were very helpful and had our permit in 20 minutes. They even let us forego the safety video because we had already seen it. One ranger explained to me that they have been so successful in reestablishing the grizzly population in the park that they may be delisted as threatened.

After a quick stop at the post office and the phone booth we went to the cafeteria. More and more we talk and think about food on and off the trail. The double cheese bacon burgers went down very quickly as well as several servings of lemonade. We then re-supplied at the store and purchased showers at Old Faithful Lodge. We were clean and ready to continue hiking as soon as we had some ice cream. We gobbled down our large servings of ice cream while watching Old Faithful erupt and then we were ready.
We began hiking out of the village at 8:00 PM; we had 8 miles left and 1 hour before sunset. This presented a problem for several reasons: 1) we were in grizzly country where we aren’t supposed to be hiking at night, and 2) we are only allowed to camp in designated campsites in the park. We hiked another 3 miles and experienced the first of the really aggressive mosquitoes (there may be more mosquitoes in Yellowstone than people). We decided at dusk that the safest option was to “stealth” camp (just a nice way of saying “illegally camp”). If we were caught by a ranger it was likely that we would get thrown out of the park, obliterating our chance to hike this section of the trail. So we planned on waking and breaking camp very early to avoid being caught. We found a flat area near a thermal feature and set up camp at dusk. We were in bed by 11:00 and asleep by 11:30.

DAY 4
Five AM came to soon. We were hiking by 5:37. It was beautiful waking up with the park, birdcalls, cool morning air and the unknown terrain ahead. We hiked through Upper Geyser Basin after a couple of hours on the trail. The basin reminded me of how Old Faithful may have looked before the boardwalks, lodges and people. The area was filled with interested thermal features, geysers, boiling water and lots of steam. The ground in places was very warm and sounded hollow as we walked over it with our hiking poles.
We were making good time, and this was essential because we had 33 miles from our camp last night to the camp today. After Geyser Basin we walked through a swampy area. This is where I understood Leslie’s absolute insistence on buying the funny looking mosquito-net hats. These nets cover the entire head with mesh that keeps the mosquitoes out when you eat, walk or break. About a third of the way through the grassy swamp Leslie pulled out her net. I splashed on more deet (we were beginning to run low); apparently the bugs had not had breakfast yet.

After walking down into and up out of many marshes we descended to Lake Shoshone where we saw some canoe campers on the other side of the outlet for the lake. We forded the outlet and visited with one of the campers. He explained that they fill their canoes with supplies at a lower lake about 5 miles away and then paddle and pull their canoes up the river to Lake Shoshone. There were many lakeside campsites on the lake- only accessible by water. But the lake was so remote that they nearly had the entire lake to themselves. The lake is known for trout and provides a means for exploring the surrounding areas by paddling across the lake and then hiking. Our new friend also explained how plush canoe camping could be – they had coolers and many luxury items.
We said goodbye and continued our hike along the lake. As we descended into the Heart Lake ranger station we saw a majestic elk in a field, and then saw a gray fox in the very same field!! The elk traded glances between us and the fox, and the fox seemed content to just meander up the hillside. How often do you see that?? Amazing! At this point it was getting dark and we were very tired. We had 5 more miles to our campsite and had already hiked 28 miles that day. The ranger explained that the hike to the campsite was only 40 minutes for him (which is completely absurd- it would take us at least twice that amount of time). He also explained that there were no nearby campsites open. Finally, he explained that a grizzly walked by his cabin last night.

We said our goodbyes after taking a picture and walked along Heart Lake for about a quarter mile before it merged with the trail. At this point I was thinking to myself, what a beautiful sunset, how are we going to hike 5 miles, before dark and finally I better pull out my headlamp.

We hiked what seemed hours (because it was) through open burn areas and areas with dense tall vegetation. Leslie’s feet were hurting; she had several splits in a toe and her foot. The bugs were also continuing to attempt to feast on her. I completely expected to have a big game encounter of the wrong kind. I continually went over potential scenarios in my mind for how to handle a bear surprise, an elk or even a skunk. We finally arrived at camp at 11:30. We were right next to a stream. Both of us were dehydrated and very loopy. It took awhile to get set up. We made our goal and we were safe, but we would have consequences the next day.

DAY 5
We awoke early…and went right back to sleep. Of any day, this was one where we needed some sleep. We didn’t break camp until 9:00, and we weren’t hiking until 10:00- but that was ok. We only had 14 miles to exit the park and enter the Grand Teton National Forest, where camping absolutely anywhere was legal. This stretch went too fast. We were slow this day because we were still dehydrated despite drinking at least a gallon of water each day, we were also sleep deprived from the last two days, and exhausted from the 34 miles the day prior. It seems that 30+ miles per day are standard for thru-hikers on this trail. We often ask ourselves, who are these people? What do they eat? What planet are they from? It’s interesting that we are trying to average 26 miles per day out here- a marathon distance a day- and compared to the other hikers out here, we feel like lightweights (at least that’s the complex we are currently having). Who knows? Maybe they’re just talking the talk…. One thing for certain is that perspective is a very weird thing. In the “real world” 26 miles per day is about double the norm for a regular backpacker, and pretty hardcore. Out here, it’s barely baseline.

We managed a meager 16 miles during this tired day- squeaking our way out of the park. We didn’t see any more animals in the park however we saw many signs of black bear and grizzly on trees and on the trail. At the park boundary we visited the Fox Creek Patrol Cabin, it was around 6:00 PM. We saw the token deer of the area and watched it do something neither of us had ever seen before- we watched it poop. It had no shame. We were so quizzical. We couldn’t resist but to take a picture, despite how crass it seemed, just because it was so odd. At any rate, there was no ranger, so after about a half hour break we continued to the Fox Park Cabin in the Grand Teton National Forest. This was a large cabin with a stable and a privy with muddy bear paw prints on the door. No one was there so we decided to camp on the porch. This was luxurious. There was piped water behind the cabin which allowed Leslie to take a well-deserved and needed bath. I also needed a bath but I opted to skip it. We slept well that night.

DAY 6
Our clothes that we left on the hitching post the previous night to dry were still wet. We broke camp and saw a hiker in the distance walking by very quickly (he may have been of the 30+ variety). We continued hiking on the trail seeing bear signs everywhere and welcomed the rain shower that came to cool us down. The shower was a typical mountain shower – strong, wet and short. We hiked through many burn areas and contoured around a mountain with a beautiful view of the meadows below and the Buffalo Fork River.

One neat animal encounter we had was to see to busy beavers working on a dam. This was one of three dams within a quarter mile. One beaver was busy chewing pieces of wood for the dam the other was carrying wood to the dam. About an hour later we were walking on the pack trails. This is more of a highway for the pack trains. At one point we counted 11 trails parallel to one another. Many hikers have disdain for the equestrian folk due to their horse’s impact on the trail. Leslie and I however talk about someday taking horses into the backcountry. They are beautiful animals and we have always enjoyed talking with the equestrians on the trail.

That evening as we were walking we saw three equestrians, two or three pack animals and a couple of dogs. They were heading towards us so we stepped off the trail and set our packs down as to not startle the animals (pack and stock animals have right-of-way on the trail over hikers, and stepping aside is a courtesy that helps the animals not get startled). As they approached it looked as if one of the riders was having problems with his horse. As they got closer it looked as though the dogs were chasing the horse or vice versa. The rider looked like a classic cowboy with his vest, boots and hat. When they were next to us we asked him how he was doing. He replied with a big smile “finer than frogs hair!”, lifting up his nearly empty bottle of what appeared to be chew or dip juice (yech!). His partner said, “Don’t mind him he’s drunk.” Well, ok. They continued on their way and we went ours. Leslie and I commented on how that rider (riding his horse so carelessly with the dogs nearly under the horses hooves) is likely to seriously hurt one of his dogs and have to put it out of its misery. About a half hour later we heard a single gun shot. Yikes! I guess we’ll never know…. We reached a reasonable campsite about a tenth of a mile from a stream and set up before the looming clouds released their rain. It rained hard that night but we stayed dry.

DAY 7
This was the last day before town. We were particularly worn from this stretch, partly because we did not bring enough food. I thought Leslie said 3 days, when it was really 4, and Leslie brought 4 snacks per day instead of 6, so we were both hurting. This miscalculation was amplified by the fact that we had sent our stoves ahead. Hot food has not been appealing to us in 90-degree weather and we wanted to lose some pack weight so this seemed like a good idea. Actually it was a good idea. The bad idea was opting for peanut butter and honey tortillas for dinner- only one each- when we should have had about 3 each to be satiated. So by this day, we were already rationing food, we were both very hungry, and we had 2 bars left each with 14 miles left to hike. Leslie was particularly generous the night before when she surprised me with half a snickers bar. What a woman! Food and water is everything on the trail.

We passed several pack trains on our last day. One pack train had at least 16 people and 20 mules. We visiting a bit with some of the equestrians and enjoyed seeing the animals. Our last stretch was 2.5 miles to an elevation of just over 10,000 feet to the Angles Campground and then just a short walk to Togwotee Lodge where we gorged ourselves at the gas station/ convenience store with chips, hot pockets and drinks. We were tempted to stay at the lodge one day but the $120 + rooms a night persuaded us to hitch into Dubois. We got a ride in five minutes from a manager at the Lander Snake River Brewery. We had an interesting conversation about the area and the culture and he dropped us off at a motel in Dubois where we showered and rested. We then gorged ourselves again at the Cowboy Café (a recommendation from equestrians earlier that day). Even without having rested, we felt much more “human” with food in our bellies.

DAY 8
This day was a day of rest and chores day. Since our Pocketmail got fried somehow (they tell us it was a software problem) on the stretch from Butte to Lima, we had to take extra time in town to write reports and get the website up to date. Oh, and we ate, and ate, and ate. Whew!!

~Dave

DAY 9
One of the most interesting things about this hike is how dichotomously people respond to us. Our first night here, Dave was on the phone with his mom, during which time he was singled out by the police. A policeman walked up to him, asked him if that was his white car parked outside of town, and skeptically asked at least 2 more times while Dave had to repeatedly tell him no, and tried to explain about the hike. Then yesterday evening he was on the phone again and some rebels in a truck drove by yelling “Fag! Go Home! Dixie Chicks!!” Now, you really have to question someone’s mental validity when they combine such an odd array of phrases, but really- pretty annoying.

Yeah, we look rugged. Yeah, we smell. But to be mean and profile us?? It’s really interesting (yes- we both have degrees in psychology- so for us psych geeks this behavior is far more interesting than it is maddening). First, because of the irony of how we are doing this hike as a fundraiser for Domestic Violence, only to have people behave verbally violently towards us. Second, because those that have been mean who then find out what we are doing pull a 180 with their attitudes. It’s such a unique part of this experience.

Fortunately, the only times I have ever been so consistently stared over, around, and through, or viewed as scum or vagrant or transient has been during my hikes. In some regards it’s good to be on the receiving end of that behavior, just for perspective on how narrow people can be, how easy it is to make assumptions that are false, and how foolish it is to treat people that way—regardless of the accuracy or inaccuracy of their assumptions. Another reason it doesn’t get to me so much is that the hikes are such a major accomplishment. There’s not much value in the heckles, blank stares, moving to the other side of the street, etc, when deep inside we know we are busting our butts for something awesome. Usually I just laugh, but it’s still kind of sad.

Yet, while these experiences happen- amazing things happen as well- and that’s where the dichotomy is revealed. For example, Dubois is full of interesting pieces of history, facts, and artifacts and is home to some of the nicest people around!! During our stay we’ve enjoyed great kindness and generosity from the folks at the local Cowboy Café (food to die for), the Internet café, the library, and the local outdoor store.

In fact, the entire reason I’m writing so much for this day, and why we are staying another day in town, is because of the extreme kindness and generosity of a local gentleman, Dr. Joshua Wagner. Now, let me backtrack and say that for the last month I have been having some sensitivity in one of my molars. It has gotten stronger over the last month, and I knew from a previous dentist visit before the hike that it was likely the start of a tooth problem whose only remedy would be a root canal. So this past month I have held off on a dentist visit and chewed all of my food on the right side of my mouth. I just kept thinking that if I could hold off until the end of the hike, all would be well. Well, when I woke up this morning, the pain was stronger an consistent. It was not related to hot, cold, or pressure- it just…was.

While we planned on hiking out today, the next stretch would be our longest without services (14 days) and neither of us thought it safe to venture in the woods with this new level and consistency of pain. So we ambled into the Whiskey Mountain Dental Office, packs and all, and explained who we were, what we were doing, and our dilemma. These people were AMAZING!! They saw me immediately and took x-rays. I was almost giddy with delight at being able to be seen so quickly, and to be seen by a doctor who seemed genuinely interested in what we were doing. In fact, during his testing of my teeth, after confirming that I needed a root canal he said to me in dental jargon (rather than normal-people-speak) “You have irreversible paldsfedgfksdgaf” (No, I don’t remember the phrase). I looked him straight in the eye and replied “Am I going to live?” Ha ha ha- I crack myself up. So I need a root canal- big deal. Who else gets told they need a root canal and still feels like the luckiest girl on earth?? Timing couldn’t have been better- nor could their willingness to help. Thank God!! So I go back in 1.5 hours (after hours) to get the first ½ of the root canal, and that should tie me over for the remainder of the hike after which I will get the crown and remaining procedures with my regular dentist when I return home.

As if that wasn’t compassionate enough, Dr. Wagner asked us if we had a place to stay, and offered to let us stay in his vacant apartment above the dental office. Wow. Immediate dental care and a free place to stay. Who are these people that are so wonderful and kind? We’re blessed. As for how it’s all going to turn out…well…I’ll have to let you know next time…. Wish me luck!

~Leslie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Info on Old Faithful located under the Blister Report labeled: Accidental Five-Star Flip
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: http://www.windrivercountry.com/dubois/duboisfront.html

DUBOIS, WY
Dubois has a rich history typical of the Old West. Many hunters, trappers and explorers passed through the Upper Wind River Valley in the late 19th century, including Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, and later, Butch Cassidy. Sitting in the valley between the Absaroka and Wind River mountain ranges, Dubois is nicknamed the "Valley of the Warm Winds." Wooden boardwalks, pioneer architecture and a rich history welcome visitors like a warm embrace. Stop and stay awhile and see some of the sights. Whiskey Mountain looms to the south and can be viewed from the windows of most homes in Dubois. The mountain acquired its name from a local story about cowboys who lost their whiskey stash in a nearby creek. While several elk herds winter on Whiskey, even more take up winter residence on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Inberg-Roy management area on the East Fork of the Wind River. There, approximately 2,500 to 3,000 elk winter from mid-November to mid-April. Dubois is an area of great diversity in wildlife. Big game species include bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, moose, antelope and black bear. Cougar and grizzly bears are occasionally sighted, as are wolves. The area also has a multitude of small wildlife species and migratory waterfowl.

Recreation
Recreational opportunities in the Dubois country include many scenic areas, camping, fishing, hunting, horse packing, hiking, photography and a large array of remarkable views for the artist. And that’s just in the summer. There’s a lot to do in the winter, too. The Upper Wind River Country has more than 150 miles of groomed snowmobile trails that have access to the Continental Divide Trail. The Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail has 360 miles from Lander to Yellowstone and it also connects to 665 miles of groomed trails. Ice fishing in the winter months is an exciting adventure, as is a dog sled ride at Brooks Lake near Togwotee Pass. Cross-country skiers enjoy the packed snowmobile trails, or venture off trail for exciting telemark runs.

National Bighorn Sheep Center
Completed in 1993, the center plays tribute to one of the most stunning of all North America's big game animals, the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. Dubois is home to the largest wintering bighorn sheep herd in the Lower 48. Since 1949, more than 2,000 sheep have been transplanted to Utah, Idaho, South Dakota, New Mexico and to other areas of Wyoming from the herd on Whiskey Mountain. The center offers interpretive displays on the bighorn sheep as well as acting as a repository for research documents. A small mountain is the centerpiece of the 4,250-square-foot building. The mountain displays the sheep in its natural habitat.

Upper Country
Dubois is situated in the "banana belt" of Wyoming with Chinook winds that help keep you cool in the summer and melt snow in the winter. The town has a diverse economy with working ranches, outfitters, artists, craftsmen, and loggers. Dubois offers convenient services and accommodations to both residents and visitors. A 9-hole golf course is located on the west side of town. The Wind River Historical Center and Dubois Museum is filled with the history of Dubois, housing many artifacts of days gone by. The museum conducts free tours of a Sheepeater Indian sheep trap July-September.

Peaks of the Wind River Range
There are 2.4 million acres of national forest, which surround Dubois. Of this acreage, 1.5 million acres are designated as wilderness, where mechanized equipment is not allowed. Gannett Peak, located in the Shoshone National Forest, is the highest peak, located in the Wind River Range, with an elevation of 13,804 feet. It is due south of Dubois, but it is hidden from sight by the foothills and peaks looming over the valley floor.

Brooks Lake
Located 20 miles west of Dubois, and about 7 miles off the main highway, Brooks Lake is located at the base of Brooks Lake Mountain. Brooks Lake Lodge, which was built in 1922 to serve tourists en route to Yellowstone National Park, is listed in the National Historic Register. The lake, lodge and mountain were named for a former governor of Wyoming, Bryant B. Brooks.

The Era of the Tie Hack
A memorial west of Dubois pays tribute to the timber harvesters of yesteryear. Timber harvesting has been a part of Dubois since its early settlement days. In 1914, timber harvesting began on the forests of the Upper Wind River in the DuNoir Valley, in order to supply railroad ties to the Chicago and Northwestern railroad. Thus began the era of the famous ‘Tie Hack’ – the nickname for the job of cutting railroad ties. During the Tie Hack era, ten million ties or approximately 40 million board feet of lumber was logged from the surrounding hills. The main operation was run by the Wyoming Tie and Timer Company, whose employees were mostly Swedes and Norwegian immigrants. Their dedication to the drink, vigorous brawling and feats of strength brought to Dubois a colorful and lively bunch of characters. Remnants of the flumes from this bygone era can still be seen west of Dubois. A 14-foot limestone monument, overlooks the site of the Tie Camp.