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Wild and Remote

The first thing I noticed this morning was the stars.  I haven't seen stars in weeks.  A clear, cloudless, blue sky followed.  We continued on Sportsman Lake trail which was a steady climb up to the lake.  You can fish if you wish, catch and release only.  There was a patrol cabin there but we didn't stop.  Then more uphill.  Actually I'd say most of our day was spent going up.  There was a trail junction that gave us two possible routes to Shelf Lake.  One went through a river valley and one went by lakes and followed a ridge.

 

We've been hiking through river valleys since Dubois and wanted something different.  So we took the ridge route and were soo glad we did.  We've been talking about why we're still out here, hiking.  Two more hikers went home.  Both of us agreed we don't know why and couldn't tell you if you asked.  For myself, I just keep lacing up my shoes and taking that first step.  I'm always glad I did especially when I get days like yesterday and today.  The views today from the ridge were amazing.  

Our efforts and perseverance does get rewarded.  Shelf Lake is our last camp in Yellowstone.  We ranked the climb up the third hardest of the hike and we deserve a gold star.  Parkview mountain in Colorado gets first prize.  Happy and content.

Yellowstone IV

Gardiner, MT is right on the edge of the park and on the Yellowstone river.  As you leave town you drive (or walk) through Roosevelt arch and then there is the park entrance.  

After resupplying we walked to the entrance and then took the Old Gardiner road into Mammoth Hot Springs.  Today is the park's birthday and it was free to all.  I've never seen anything like these hot springs.  

The flow of water and springs created these terraces which look like marble and gold pyramids and moonscapes.  

After Mammoth we took the Sportsman Lake trail west and northwest.  It wound through some beautiful forested mini canyons and past a couple of meadows. We only had thirteen miles to our reserved campsite which gave us time to enjoy the park and not feel rushed.  It's getting dark sooner though.  I'm feeling sad cause I lost my warm hat and I really liked it.  It's probably at the hotel.  It's harder to keep track of stuff when there are four hikers crammed into one tiny room.  Still, a great day with no rain.

Yellowstone III

Unbelievable!  I woke up to a dry sleeping bag and tent.  No condensation!  We continued on the Yellowstone river trail all day.  It is by far the most stunning river canyon I've seen on this hike.

 This part of the river is called the Black Canyon due to the abundance of black rock.  There are pine trees as well as sage and cactii all in the same area.  Sometimes the trail climbed along the rocky hillside and sometimes down low.  We saw a carnage of deer, elk, and bighorn sheep bones.

 A bear or wolf had good eating last year.  We were graced with an overcast sky and occasional drizzle.  We had lunch at a waterfall.  BB and Wantsome  are hiking with us again which is great because it's nice to have other people to talk to and BB is always smiling.  

We hiked the trail straight out of the park and right into Gardiner, MT.  Our first Montana town!

Yellowstone Nero

We are back on trail!  After breakfast we loaded up the car and headed for our trailhead.  

On the way we stopped at upper and lower falls on the Yellowstone river, checked out Canyon village then continued up to Tower Junction.  

There's a historic lodge there with a restaurant where we ate lunch.  And surprise - Nick, Faye, and. Uncle Gary were having lunch there as well.  It was great to see them.  Chris was not with them as he had to go home to England.  It was still raining but we couldn't dally any longer.  It was time to hike.  So we said our goodbyes and left the warmth behind.

 However, the guys gave us thier umbrellas and they make a big difference.  Our trail was the Garnet mountain trail which we took to the Yellowstone river trail.  The suspension bridge over the river was awesome as it was high up and the canyon below was beautifu.  The river rushes down it and the rock walls are shades of rust, yellow, tan, and cream.  Very wild looking.  We had to ford hellroaring creek before getting to our campsite which was cold.  But the rain stopped.  Our big wish was a good campsite and dry conditions for tent setup and we got it!  Ok I had to stop typing because a mouse was in my tent!  It was cute but it scared the crap out of me at first and I screamed.  The zipper on my tent screen door is broken so I have three strategically placed safety pins that apparently don't keep out interested critters.  There's no food in the tent as it's hung.  Ha ha ha.  It was a short hike since we have to stay in our reserved backcountry campsites but it sure felt good to move.  We've done a lot of sitting and eating the last few days.

Tourists

We visited Old Faithful, ate lunch at the Yellowstone Inn, checked out the mud pots and a couple of waterfalls.  

Lots of driving made for stiff muscles but it was a fun day.  Nugio and Firepit were with us.  Then it was dinner back at the RV with Sleeping Bare.  It stopped raining and warmed up.  Yesterday I was so cold it felt like I'd never be warm again.  This time in the hike is when the mental aspect of a thru hike gets tough.  I know it's seeped into my blogposts especially since I have to get off trail for a bit so close to the end.  But the rain does stop, the sun shines, the shoes and socks dry out.  I'm determined.  I got this.  So does Pounce.  One step at a time.

Yellowstone II

A fellow hiker wrote that "the divide is relentless".  It is.  The weather is low fifties, rain, and snow forecast for tonight.  Tomorrow is the same with the addition if thunderstorms.  That's hypothermia waiting to happen.  And yet I continue to be inspired by people I meet out here and it motivates me to hang in there and press on.  Today it was two guys in a pickup truck who gave us a ride back to Yellowstone.  They were ski lift mechanics and took us all the way, further than originally planned, because they wanted to help us on our adventure.  We've modified our hiking plans for the weather.  Sleeping Bare is still in the park so we have connected with him and will sleep in the RV tonight and tomorrow and play tourist.  We will continue hiking Sat the 23rd as it will begin to warm up.  It's nice to have this option to make a little progress but have a warm place to sleep.

Cody

Cody is a tourist town.  Unlike Disney though it's historic and interesting.  It caters to us tourists and the locals are friendly.  Impossible to see it all but we hit the highlights.  The staged gunfight outside the Irma Hotel was cheesy but still fun.  The museum was fantastic- western art, natural history, Bill Cody, plains Indians and firearms were all together.  I spent the most time in the firearms museum.  The smithsonian loaned some of their collection to the museum for the summer so thier were a lot of interesting, unique, and historic pieces.  There's a rodeo every night so we went to that.  

We stayed in a teepee at the ponderosa campground.  A fun stay all around especially since we were joined by our friends Bloodbank and Wantsome.

Yellowstone Part I

We hiked the southeastern portion of the park yesterday.  This morning we were only five miles from Eagle Pass and the park boundary.  We had only hiked a few miles when we saw a familiar tent followed by familiar people.  It was Nugio and his friend Firepit.  So of course we had to stop and catch up.  They are doing a circumnavigation hike of the park.  It was surprising and random to see them but good fun.  Sleeping Bare is at a campground in the RV.  The trail climbed the pass and then was a very long and at times steep descent.  It followed the Eagle Creek river which turned out to be a beautiful river canyon and valley.  

Sometimes we were high above it and sometimes low in the meadows.  We had to ford it a few times.  The good weather we'd been graced with the last two days ended and we got a bit of rain but nothing bad.  I haven't gotten used to the bad weather but I've come to accept it.  I can't quite. "Embrace the brutality" but I can make friends with it.  After all the trail always wins!  I'm doing ok.  

We made it to the road at 6:30 and only had to wait five minutes for a ride to Cody.  Yay!  I'm so excited.  I've been looking forward to it.  We are taking two zeros here because I need the post office in Gardiner.  Rather than be stuck there over the weekend we will enjoy Cody.

Big Sky Variant

We began our journey on the Big Sky Variant this morning which is an eastern route through Yellowstone National Park. It travels through some of the most remote areas of the park and you hike through more of it.  It's also shorter.  I've been looking forward to this since Pounce told me about back in New Mexico.  It feels like a big adventure leaving the CDT.  We started off on the Atlantic Pacific river trail which followed the river into Yellowstone.  Just prior to the park we came upon a patrol cabin.  The sign on the fence said "best spring H20 in these hills". We couldn't pass that up.  The patrolman Val and his horse Smokey were leaving to repair a fence as we came in.  

He invited us to relax on the porch and help ourselves to the m&ms.  He told us the cabin was the oldest and most remote patrol cabin in the lower 48.  It was a cool cabin and Val had it neat and tidy.  Then we hooked up with the Thoroughfare trail north into Yellowstone.

We had to ford a few more rivers and we saw a lot of geese in the marshes.  It's a different landscape if river valley and pine trees, mountains and swamp.  Three large rock faces called the Tridants overlook it all.  

Next we took the Mountain River trail.  We had intended to camp tonight outside the park boundary but we were slower yesterday and today and unable to make the miles.  Both of us are having some joint pain issues.  We do not have a campsite reservation.  However we stopped at one and asked the hikers camped there if we could share thier spot.  They were most welcoming.  It's awesome to have a campsite with a special food hang as it made it so much easier!  I had my line done in a couple minutes instead of the usual half hour.  So far I am really liking the park.  We didn't see anyone other than Val today til camp.  Kinda surprising.

Just Another Day On the CDT

First order of business after breakfast and breaking camp was fording the south fork.  It was thigh deep cold water with a moderate current.  Just another day on the CDT.  There is always a challenge and river crossings have always been hard for me.  It was a successful crossing except we couldn't feel our toes after.  Brrr!  We had two more river fords today but they occurred in the afternoon and it wasn't as cold.  We walked through or skirted the edge of river valleys and meadows.

 The trail was a virtual highway it was so wide.  It's only travelers horses, people, bears, and crickets.  The crickets were everywhere and would jump as we walked by like the parting of the waters.  In one spot there were a bunch of brown locust type insects of enormousness size flopping around.  They couldn't fly or hop they flopped.   We saw some bear tracks and scat but thankfully no bear.  It turned into a great day as for a change the weather didn't threaten rain or storm.  It was nice to relax and not worry about the clouds.  We left the CDT at Two Ocean Pass and it will be 350 miles before we see it again.  We begin our alternate.

Goodbyes

It was sad saying goodbye to Judith and Terry.  Judith and I had some great conversations and both of them had an impact on my hike and my life.  I'm blessed to have met them.  They cooked us a wonderful breakfast and then drove us back to the trail.  We started at noon and of course the usual clouds were building.  But our spirits were high.  I had two thick slices of homemade bread slathered with butter in my pack for lunch.  We ate lunch at Brooks lake.  There is a nice lodge there and campground.  After that we passed through a meadow and forest and by another lake.  

We met three women hiking a section of the CDT to Idaho who found each other online to do the hike and had just met in person that day.  They were so happy to be starting their trip.  It was very infectious.  So even when it started raining later we were still laughing.  

We've made up a song for the bears and a song for the storms and building a repertoire of noises for warning  the bears we are coming.  One day though and I'm already getting hoarse.  So I will have to buy a noisemaker of some sort in Cody.  We are camped at the South Fork of the Buffalo river.  We will ford it in the morning.  We are glad the level is down and it is safe to cross.  A couple weeks ago it wasn't and an alternate route was necessary.  Goodnight bears,  I hope to never see you!

Dubois

Our friends Sailor and Alfredo stayed with this couple Harry and Judith for a few days.  They told them about us and here we are staying with them as well.  We are sleeping in their camper trailer but are welcome in thier house.  They are feeding us and letting us do laundry and use the computer.  It's been nice to have a town stop away from town with good company and food.  I want to clarify my trail plans.  I'm really winging it.  I do still want to complete the trail if I can.  I hiked Glacier a few years ago so I can call that section complete.  So after tagging Canada with Pounce, weather and other factors permitting I hope to hike southbound from glacier back to Lincoln or Helena.  It's not far.  7-10 days depending.  I'll just have to see how everything works out.

Hiking the Day

I had just finished writing my blog post and closed my eyes last night when Pounce hollered "Helicopter, I just saw lightening!"  What?!  No!  I peeked outside my tent and sure enough a storm was coming in. We quickly packed up in the dark, left our food hanging in the tree, and hustled lower to some trees.  Dead trees, but better than out in the open.  We set up there and listened to the rain and wind and thunder, tried to sleep, and hoped a tree didn't fall on us.  Surprisingly I slept well.  Our tents were soaked in the morning so we slept in and waited for daylight to go back to our food and eat breakfast.  Our thoughts on the previous day and night was that we needed to be careful of getting too caught up in the thru hiker mentality so we can maintain situational awareness.  And also remind ourselves to hike the day not the miles and enjoy the trail.  It was a late start but a beautiful morning with beautiful trail.  

We met some southbound thru hikers that Pounce knew from the PCT and spent some time chatting with them.  At lunch we realized that an alternate route was a little shorter thus missing afternoon storms.  

So we had a fun off trail afternoon adventure and a hitch to Dubois to resupply.  We even made it before the PO closed and picked up our boxes.  New shoes!!  There are a lot of hikers here which is so strange after not seeing any of them for a month.  It's great to see them but also somewhat overwhelming.  We are being hosted by a retired couple and they are wonderful.  More about them tomorrow but right now a shower and sleep is in order.

Wet Feet

Between stream crossings, wet grass, snow, swampy meadows, and rain our feet are constantly wet.  Consequently our shoes wear out sooner and both shoes and socks stink like a sewer.  We had a wet day.  It started out sunny and we were laughing and having a good morning.  We are out of the big mountains and crossing wide open areas of grass and sagebrush.  

There was a herd of cows mooing and the birds were making a racket as well.  There were views of the the Tetons in the distance.  It all changed after lunch when a front of weather came through.  Once again we found ourselves hustling down the trail to the cover of trees waiting out some thunder and rain and then taking a cross country route through trees.  

Green Lakes

How nice it is to sleep in and not feel rushed.  We took our time packing up.  The morning hike matched our mood as it was easy downhill to flat.  At the bottom of our descent was the Green River which is glacier fed and emerald green in color.  

It was wide and moving fast.  We crossed it on a bridge but had to rock hop on the smaller forks.  The trail paralleled the river sometimes above sometimes level with it.  The canyon walls and mountains on the other side reflected the sun back to us.  

The river calmed and slowed as we went further and flowed into the Green Lakes.  There's an upper and a lower lake.  We saw a lot of hikers and horse packets again.  They all start at the Green Lakes trailhead.  Once we passed the trailhead we were alone again and it felt like leaving town.  

No more regular hikers.  We had a big climb to gunsight pass after that.  The weather didn't stay nice for us we had evening storms but we still made progress and had a great day.

Unexpected Surprises

It's Sunday and we are near a trailhead so we saw a lot of hikers going back to thier cars as we hiked up.  They were all smiling and happy.  It set the tone for the rest of the day.  Happy and relaxed.  We hiked back to the CDT and headed north again.  The Knapsack Col alternate came early but we chose to stay on the red route.  

The trail still climbed high above the trees til it was all rock, water, and snow.  We had a few snow fields to cross.  High up a small bird began flying figure eights around us, squaking, and dive bombing our heads.  She must have had a nest nearby.  We climbed up to Shannon pass and after passing through columns of rock we were surprised on the other side by the most beautiful emerald green lake.

 What a treat to the eyes and heart.  In fact it was a day of surprises.  Such as hiking above tree line without worrying about storms as it was a sunny day.  Surprised by the beauty of our surroundings and by all of the happy hikers out enjoying these mountains.  We had just passed the junction where the alternate rejoins the CDT and stopped for a snack when Gadget appeared, then the rest of the group.  They had all taken the alternate and it had been slow going. So even though they left a half day before us we caught up.  We leapfrogged each other the rest of the afternoon.  After keeping my feet dry all day, no small feat, we had to cross a river in the evening.  Pounce went first and I followed.  Then a big surprise.  I slipped and fell and got an impromptu bath in cold water.  Of course as these things go I had an audience on the other side.  I was fine, just cold and wet.  So I had to take off the wet & put my fleece on.  We only had two more miles to go so it was fine and we found a great camping spot.  We are sleeping in so I did not set my alarm.  What a great way to end the day!

Pinedale Nero

It was just a nero and yet so relaxing and enjoyable.  It started out with a tummy breakfast with the gang.  They left for the trail right after and we went about our chores.  We took our time, at the campground, stopped at the outfitter, and made use of the wifi at the library.  The library had comfy couches, tables, magazines to read and if course a lot if books.  Before heading back to the trail we went to the Wind River Brew pub for a late lunch.  It was by far the best on trail meal I have had.  I've been craving a healthy homey meal for some time.  So I ordered the steak which came with bruss sprouts and a baked potato.  Delicious!  Then Pounce and I split a slice of cheesecake.  By this time it was. 6:30 at night and we knew our chances of getting to the trailhead were slim.  A dead end road on Saturday night?  Yep, we got a ride.  A young boy in a sports car stopped and gave us a ride.  He wasn't going up there but said he had nothing else planned and liked meeting new people.  So we hiked in a mile and camped.  We are in grizzly bear country and it's required to hang your food in the Bridger Wilderness.  Also a great idea. We are both carrying bear spray as well. For the first time in a while I didn't feel the pull of town or drag my feet when leaving. The northern winds are going to be awesome.  Next stop Dubois. 

Going to Pinedale

Today was I think our best day in the winds.  No rain!  It threatened but blew over without a drop.  We passed lake after lake and the fish were jumping.  You could see the reflection of the mountains in the water.  

Soon however the meadows and lakes gave way to pine and rock as we climbed up to a pass.  The views of the mountain range were amazing from up high.  I was reminded of the northern sierras.  In the afternoon rather than continue at high elevation we took a side trail down to a lower northern trail.  More lakes followed.  A friendly chipmunk posed nicely so I could photograph him.

 Pinedale is on the western side of the winds.  Since we were going there to resupply we had to take a ten mile side trail out.  It was a beautiful trail and we were passed by some hikers and trail runners going up.  Luckily for us, one runner got back to the parking lot the same time as us and offered a ride into town.  We are back in the "herd".  Gadget, LB, Pink, and a couple other hikers are here.  It was so good to see them and as a group gave off positive vibes which lifted my own spirits and motivation.  The news is that over half of the hikers who started gave up and went home.  Wow!  We are not alone in our adventures and misadventures.

Wyoming Yosemite

I was reminded of Yosemite on my walk today.  The rocks, meadows, and rivers strongly resemble the Yosemite high country near Tuolomne meadows.  It's absolutely beautiful up here.  There are numerous lakes and creeks.  

The high mountain peaks watch over the meadows and lakes and clouds drift by.  There are a lot of clouds and some turn dark.  

This morning it was overcast and we got rained on walking out of camp.  It cleared but mid afternoon we had a small hail storm.  They were short lived and most of the day was sunny.  Here is a picture of our "yardsale" drying out gear.  

We saw quit a lot of hikers out today and a group on horseback as well.  This evening we met some Nols instructors who had some kids out on thier solo day.

Disappointment

The trail has been pretty rocky today.  We entered the Bridger Wilderness and climbed steadily at first.  Then it leveled out and was easy walking.  We crossed a couple of meadows that were a minefield of fresh cow pies.  Watch where you step!  We scared off a few cows too.  Clouds developed early this morning and did not bode well for us.  The Cirque of Towers alternate is 21 miles of high elevation above tree line trail.

 Other hikers had wild tales of getting caught in storms up there with lightening all around.  So we made the decision to stay on the CDT which stays lower and in the trees.  We are both disappointed but know that it is the right thing to do.  Sure enough, all afternoon clouds rolled over us and dropped some light sprinkles but turned into thunderstorms over the cirque.  

We could hear the thunder and see the black clouds there.  As it was we were able to hike all day.  It's gives us a reason to come back some day and hike it.

The Winds Begin

We got a ride to the trail from a college student who went 65 miles round trip to take us.  What a gem!  The high desert plains merge into the foothills of the winds and on up to mountain peaks and alpine lakes.  The terrain has been a mix of sage and pine with groves of aspen.  There are a lot of rocks.  We were able to hike until late afternoon but then got stuck waiting out a storm.  It was 730 pm when it cleared but we still hiked two more miles after a quick dinner to be unstuck.  It felt good to be back on trail and I'm excited about the cirque of towers alternate.  I've been looking forward to this section since I started planning this hike.  The pictures I've seen look incredible!  Can't wait!

Adventures in Hitchhiking

I retrieved my gps from the post office first thing this morning.  It feels great to have it back as I have felt naked without it.  It was time to stick out my thumb then and hope for the best.  Lander is 150 miles north of Encampment. My first ride was a retired couple that took me ten miles up the road to Saratoga.  Second ride was a gentleman headed to the fair in Rawlins.  He was a retired cowboy who trains border collies for ranchers.  He was competing with them in an agility and herding competition.  In Rawlins I had lunch with Hikeaholic who had hiked in that morning.  It was fun to catch up on his hike and it gave me a little break.  My next ride was in a big rig truck pulling two oil tanks behind it.  That was awesome.  He was on his way to Casper and dropped me off where the road to Lander splits off north.  I went into the gas station to get a soda & use the restroom being sure to display my Lander sign.  A minute later an older woman offered me a ride.  She was almost 70 and on her way to Yellowstone for her own solo adventure.  She told me she had hitch hiked in her 30s and ended up in Taos, NM and called it home.  A really interesting lady.  So I made it to Lander!  Pounce and I are staying the night and will hike out in the morning.  The time alone was good for both of us.  I had a lot of time for introspection.  I made some decisions.  I'm officially declaring myself a section hiker of the CDT.  I will have to get off trail early September to take care of some personal and financial issues including a close friends' wedding.  So my plan is to hike the Wind River range and Yellowstone.  Essentially finish Wyoming and if possible get as far as Helena, MT.  I feel good about this plan.  I also hope to  go to Glacier National Park to meet Pounce at the monument when she completes it.

Lazy Days of Summer

What a lazy day.  Encampment is a small town and there's nothing much happening.  I'm actually staying in Riverside a mile further at the Lazy Acres RV park.  There's a small convenience store, a restaurant, and a bar.  I ate.  A lot!  I made friends with my neighbors in the park and ate some more.  I read an old John Grisham book and successfully uploaded all of my photos to my Dropbox.  It took 5 hours!  The people here are great and like a lot of small towns everyone knows pretty much everyone.  I put the word out that I was needing a ride to Lander in the morning but so far no one is headed that direction.  I have a pretty sign though and my thumb has had a lot of success.  So off to a good sleep on a very full tummy.

Connecting The Dots

First we pushed (walked fast with few breaks) because it was raining.  Day 2 we pushed to get over the high point before storms.  Then we pushed because we were so close to the state line.  And finally today we pushed because we were only 14 miles from Battle Pass.  In the end we hiked 85 miles in 72 hours.  We started the section at 1pm and ended at 1 pm.  It felt so awesome to get to Battle pass because it meant that our flip flop was complete and all the dots from the border to Lander, WY were connected.  We have a straight line!  We had a lot of cross country today and the meadows were swampy with mud and water yet we still made good time.  What a difference a month makes!  The pass is free of snow and a month ago that's all you could see.  Battle Pass is a tough hitch because there is very little traffic on hwy 70 but we lucked out with a ride to Encampment from a retired couple who were out bird watching.  I loaned my GPS to Hikeaholic for this section and asked him to leave it for me at the Lazy Acres RV park.  Instead he left it at the post office. So I have to wait here til Monday.  Pounce has a ride arranged to Lander Sunday morning with Chrissy the waitress from the Bear Trap restaurant.  I will hitch out on Monday and meet her there.  A little solo adventure will be fun.

Wyoming!

We were so motivated to cross the state line we saved lunch for the crossing.  We just hiked.  Finally we made it and had a party!  We dried out gear, had a long lunch, did the happy dance and took pictures.  

Here's me stretching across the state line. Notice the WYO in rocks.

It was interesting how to the south and close to the state line clouds built and there was even a rumble if thunder.  But north in Wyoming, there was only blue sky.  Yippee!  In the evening on top of a hill we looked down on a beautiful reservoir and heard sheep.

Their cries echoed across the mountains.  It made us chuckle.  A little bit later we met the owner who was on horseback with two border collies.  We talked to him for a few minutes and then went in search of home for the night.

Zirkel Wilderness

A foggy mist obscured the landscape this morning and steam rose off the lakes.  Trees were just dark shapes.  

We started early and pushed hard as we had a 14 mile stretch above treeline.  Clouds formed early and the fog became low clouds.  

But we felt we'd make it and we did.  Our high point for the day was Mt Ranger which was also the last time above 12,000 feet on the CDT.  From the high point we descended down to a swampy, muddy bog.  Pounce sank in up to her thigh at one point.

 Our shoes and socks smell like sewer.  We are still on the Wyoming trail 1101 but we left the Mt Zirkel Wilderness and are in the Routt National Forest.  We initially were going to camp at a campground but the storms never materialized and it turned into a nice evening.

 We haven't had a stress free evening walk in a while.  It was nice and the last miles of the day flew by, probably because I wasn't thinking about it.

Back On Trail

It was pouring rain still this morning so we used every second of our hotel time.  Too soon it was checkout time.  The forecast was for improving weather so we decided to get to the trail and if necessary camp at the trail head campground.  We took the bus to the outskirts of town to hitch.  But stopped at a gas station for a lunch snack.  While standing there a guy asked us how many days we'd been in trail.  Right away Pounce knew he was a hiker and asked if he was going to Rabbit Ears pass.  He said no but I'll take you.  So we got a ride and the rain stopped and we hiked on.  It is beautiful up here even with overcast skies.  

Flowers are in bloom and we passed a lot of lakes.  The ground was very wet from all of the rain and the trail was running with water from overflowing streams.  

Our feet got soaked.  Then the last three miles of our day it started raining hard again.  But we hiked fifteen miles this afternoon and made it to Buffalo pass and summit lake campground.  It also stopped raining so we could set up our tents dry and eat dinner at the picnic table.  We'll make it back to Wyoming yet.

Steamboat Springs

Steamboat Springs is a great town to be stuck in.  First of all they have a free bus system.  We were able to get to Walmart, Safeway, and several other stops quite easily.  Secondly, most of the restaurants downtown have happy hour specials so eating out is more affordable.  I got a large pizza for $5 at dinner and will eat the leftovers for lunch.  The downtown area has everything you need & don't need but one street behind the main drag is where the bike path along the river is.  We have been staying at a great hotel called the Nordic Lodge.  

The owners have been super accommodating and understanding.  The rooms are comfy and clean, the continental breakfast is one of the best I've seen, and they have a pool & hot tub.  So we've had a nice stat but the weather continues to be nasty and I'm beginning to wonder if we will ever get out of Colorado.  On the positive side though if we'd been able to hike out we'd be stuck in Lander over the weekend waiting for the post office to open on Mon.  So... let it pour I guess!