Mile 2450ish- Lincoln, MT

I don't have much to say at the moment, just that my hike is still slowly making its way north.  I've been trying to slow down to make the timing work out, and it's been mostly impossible.  Once I'm used to hiking 25-30 miles a day, I apparently continue hiking at that pace.  I have to get a camping permit for Glacier NP, so that'll forcer me to slow down.  If anyone has any good book reccomendations, let me know.  I'll hopefully be able to pick one up in East Glacier- my last town stop before the border.  For now, here are some photos!

Storm Lake Pass.  Find the hiker on the trail!

Treat this wooden water pipe segment with respect!

This is a segment of the flume that carried water downhill until 2011...

Attempted boarding up of an old mine?

Another smoky day on trail- thanks for burning, Idaho/Montana.

Self portrait near the beginning of a 25 mile dry road walk.

Thank goodness for a breeze and some shade!

There's a mummified-looking squirrel at the bottom of this water source.
Dana Spring, near Mullen Pass, MT



Morning moonset.






How Hiker Trash gets around Lincoln, MT.
AKA- Dain giving Sweet As a lift.

Mile 2300ish- Anaconda, MT

I found the end of the Missourri River!  At Lemhi Pass

Hello from the 9th largest "city" in Montana!  Not much is going on here, as well as not much has been happening on trail these past few days.  I've been going into and out of different valleys about 4-8 times per day, as well as getting beautiful views from the passes.  As Balls put it the other day when he and Sunshine caught up to me coming out of Lost Trail Pass, "We're getting to the point in the hike where it's still enjoyable, but we want to be done"(or something to that effect)  I've definitely been feeling the same way- it doesn't help that the terrain has mostly looked the same for the past couple of weeks. 
It is definitely sad when you get to the point on a hike where you're viewed out, so I've been trying to notice the little things- the beauty in the sunrises/sets (because of the smoke from all the wildfires around here), the animals and how they respond to my presence, the wildflowers whose blooming has been following me since the Wyoming/Colorado Border.  It's become more and more apparent to me throughout this trip, as well as my life's journey, that I get to choose my mood.  I choose whether my day will be boring or that the intricacies of the moments can be woven together to create something more.  Try it sometime!

Baby Bear!  Mama ran away as soon as I made noise

Mile 2100ish- Leadore, ID

The bears are out- my size 10 and a Grizz print

The berries are out too!

Well, I've nearly made it to my final state!  We are currently, at times literally, straddling the Idaho/Montana border.  I've been fondly calling it 'Montaho'  and giggling a bit to myself, but that's my entertainment here on the trail.  

Music on Main in Victor, ID

After leaving Dubois, I hike for a few days into Yellowstone NP and then promptly hitched into Jackson to visit a PCT friend of mine- Emilee- and hang out with her for a few days.  After delicious fresh greens, a concert in Victor, ID, a couple naps, and sooo much good friend hang out time I was back in Yellowstone hiking in a generally northerly direction.  I've also ran into my first of many southbound CDT hikers in the park, and everyone's been quite friendly. 

Canoers offered to take me across the Lewis River. With Shoshone Lake.

Getting out of Yellowstone, I began hiking with E again, and we have run into TONS of southbounders, and have been trying to give them useful info- where the dry spots are, what the terrain's like, etc.  We've been following the border since we left the park, and it's been very up and down which is interesting, since Yellowstone was quite flat.  I'm working on getting my leg muscles used to climbing again.  On to actual Montana!  I should be in Anaconda in about 10 days or so, which is about 1/2 way through MT.

Old shoes/new shoes in Old Faithful Village.

Tourists on the boardwalk out of O.F. Village

Welcome to Idaho!

SoBo Smiles!(a PCT friend)

A storm rolling in over the mountain

Following the fenceline on the ID/MT border

Big sky Country, indeed.

E and our hitch into Leadore.