CDT Day 64 (7/21/23)

Miles 1553.1 (Red line 1771.9)- 1582.7 (Red line 1801.5) (29.6 miles)

Verbatim

I’m camped at Lester Pass at 11,000 feet elevation. I’m here because I knew the wind would be blowing and that would keep the mosquitoes off. I was right! And it’s gorgeous as the sun is setting. The views to both sides are incredible. The walking today was incredible. I was inspired. There were some good climbs. But every mile was 10/10. The Winds are greater than any other mountains I’ve seen. I would love to come back with a week and a tiny pack and tent. Really explore/get off trail/high route/peak bag. I’m glad to be experiencing the Winds through the CDT. But there is so much more.

I met three interesting groups today! The first was a lovely Mormon family from northern Utah. They’re fishing. They packed in with five goats! Their own goats! Family goats! These goats were attempting a water crossing and were being very finicky about it. Apparently goats hate water. I didn’t know that. It was funny to see them paw at the water with distain. Some made it across more quickly than others. They played in the rocks. The timid ones received exasperated verbal coaxing from the family. It was funny. And they have such long horns!

The second group I saw and chatted with were from Adventure Outdoors. It’s a company that takes HS kids outdoors. The lead high schooler greeted me kindly and asked how I was. Behind her was the female chaperone, but she was the same height as the high schooler and was very young looking. I could tell throughout the conversation that the female chaperone was trying to differentiate herself from the group. It was funny. What cool kids!

The third group was a family horse packing. There were three people and two dogs. Seven horses? The conversation didn’t last long because of all the mosquitoes eating me alive. But I’m just amazed at a horse’s ability to get in these places and function. And the riders ability to stay atop the horse on such steep inclines/declines. One of the dogs was a heeler. They played it cool until their sibling came for attention. They they broke. hehehe.

It’s cold in this wind! And there are still some mosquitoes. Three are battling it out with the wind to get in close. Amazing. I’m creating my own wind too. I’m farting a lot. hahaha. They’re very warm. :)

I’m halfway through the section. I’ll make it to Dubois. Tomorrow is Knapsack Col. :)

I’ve been dreaming today of having a loop party at Daniel and Kelsie’s. I want to make lasagna and broccoli and garlic bread with sparkling juice. And then for breakfast have omelettes and strawberry shortcake with maple whipped cream…

Post Note

This was the best flower day on the CDT. I can still remember my breath being taken away. Flowers on rocks on grasses on air on mountains. Incredible. Go look at my instagram and see the flowers. Better yet, go buy the one you love some flowers. At full price if you have to! No discount flowers in this house! Better better yet, offer to go look at whatever real flower is closest to you with the one you love. You don’t go to your lover and say, “Hey! I bought you these flowers because they were half off”. Instead you take your lover out into the woods and say, “Hey! Look at the bloom of G-d which surrounds us all the time”. It’s a real turn on. Trust me.

L loves goats. I love that L loves goats. I even started to love goats too. I love goats! Being with the goats was one of the places I thought she looked most beautiful. The smile that would erupt and the way her voice would change when she was with the goats. That’s a memory worth keeping. :) So, it was hard seeing goats but also really happy. I crossed the stream against the goats and then I went up to the next pond and took lunch. That was a moment I wanted to text her. Wanted to say, “Hey! You’re living your life but look this picture of goats in a stream will make you happy!”. I realized I missed the sort of communication one has just as a friend. And I realized I couldn’t do that to myself anymore. Fuck. Even now that’s a bummer. I miss L. There wasn’t any service anyways. But still… It wasn’t the first time I’d seen “goats” on the CDT. There was an advertisement for a “FREE GOAT” in Encampment. That’s the sort of stuff I could imagine L and I having jumped in a truck to drive halfway across the country for. To get a free goat. The goat would not be cheap on account of going to Wyoming to get it, but it would forever ground a set of spontaneous memories. That was the relationship when it was good.

And I love dogs. I especially love heelers. I will get a dog one day. But, it’s got to be the right time and place. A dog certainly wouldn’t be realistic to share these hikes with. But the Winds were cool like that. Horses and goats and dogs. We could maybe do that in the National Parks to if they were the last bastion of habitat for all the animals we chase out of everywhere else because COWS ARE THE APPEX PREDATOR OF THE WEST. See how I snuck that in again? It’s true. Fuck cows. I want my dog to be able to adventure with me. There are positive practical ramifications to stopping public lands ranching (and western ranching in general).

I guess it was fun to see so many domesticated animals in one day. :) The animals are the best. Maybe one day I can have a dog and L can have a goat. <3 Separately. But at the same time maybe? That was something I’d always wanted to share with her. Pets are so fun! And it can be so intense for me to spend direct time with just one other person and nothing else. I just don’t know what to say or what to do with my body to show the other person I’m happy they’re there but also want to do what I want to do. I get overwhelmed and then I get tired and I have a hard time listening and then I think people interpret that as being disinterested in them when that’s not the case! I’m actually just insecure. Really stressful for me to spend time with just one other person, even with my best friends and family and partner and people I want to spend time with. Having a pet suddenly releases all that pressure. You can just look at the pet and say “hi buddy” and then the pet looks back and is itself and then you can say “ok, let’s go play!” or something like that and then you can play. The relationship seems simpler because the pet is really overt about its needs and then you can help them satisfy what they need and watch them just love the grace of life. It’s so much less complicated! Ah man, I’m crying again! When I’m reimagining the relationship’s points of pain, an important part of healing I think, I like to imagine that we spent a lot more time with goats than we actually did.