Continental Divide Trail 

Sep 9, 2018.  Mile 22.3, Spotted Bear Pass Alternate, 11.7 Miles, 7:39 to 5:45, elevation 5920 feet, sleeping on trail (!)

• Really tough day.  Started off with 2,000 foot uphill to Switchback Pass (7792 ft), which nailed me for the day.  As I continued I got more and more wobbly, continually swerving to the right; eventually just too tired to walk more than .8 an hour, even on flat or downhill.  Here’s hoping a good night’s rest will put my body back in shape.

• One part of the hike was beside another piece of the Chinese Wall, and Mt Pentagon as well.  Saw nobody, no signs, and no fire evidence.  Foliage is brilliant reds and yellows - very few flowers left.

• If I can do 13 miles / day I’ll get to Glacier Park in 5 days.  That’s my goal: I have plenty of oatmeal and Swiss Miss for breakfast, and Top Ramen and Swiss Miss for dinner. But I’m running low on snacks.  Should have brought another pound of peanuts, ditto for smokehouse almonds, a second pound of cheddar cheese, a third Pringles, and more sweets: I only had chocolate covered caramels (?), should have brought a second.  Hard candies.

• Casper and Seven o’Clock just came by - and me stretched out on the trail.  And I thought I was the only one... First people in three days.

• 5 miles to CDT

• 67 miles to East Glacier Park Village

• 167 miles to Canada

Sep 10, 2018.  Mile 2860.5, 13 miles, 7:30 to 6:45. Elevation 5870 ft.  Beside Strawberry Creek.

• After watching me stumble along, Tracker and Ligtfoot asked to carry my stuff.  I graciously accepted their offer.  Because I am so slow, they will take an extra two days by accompanying me (5 instead of 3). Talk about nice!

• So I did mostly ok, with frequent rest stops.  Somewhat easier after unloading everything but rain gear and sleeping bag on my new Best Hiking Buddies Forever.  But my backpack felt the same, surprisingly enough.  And The Wobbles began right on wobbling.  So my theory says it ain’t the weight, it’s the tiredness - but where?  And why do I bear to the right?

• Great idea hit me in the middle of my travails: Why go on from East Glacier?  Reasons not to:

  • shoes won’t last.

  • It may snow.

  • Shuttle back to East Glacier may not run.

  • May legs/back/overall condition may not hold out.

  • I have to return anyway to do the two sections I missed: the beginning in New Mexico and the section near Gary’s. It only makes logical sense that I go to Canada as my final step.

  • It makes my revisit to the CDT (to complete it and to see friends) next year (?) more complete and fun.

  • I can pick a better season for the section.

  • Maybe the official CDT trail to Waterton will be open (it’s closed now because of fires - Chief Mountain Alternate is the only trail to Canada that is open).

  • Can’t take shuttle up Going to theSun road (fire closure)

• In my current condition, 13 miles/day seems doable, putting me in East Glacier in 4 more days.

• 54 miles to East Glacier Park Village

• 154 miles to Canada

Sep 11, 2018.  Mile 2876.2, 16 miles, from 7:40 to 6:30.  

• Camped by Kip Creek with Tracker and Lightfoot.  With me only carrying my sleeping bag and clothes, I had no aches, no pains, no wobbles, and made 16 miles no sweat - just kept moving.  What a difference.  I did have one fall though - onto my hands by the side of the trail.  No damage.  Tracker gave me an extra tuna foil and some butter (!) for my Top Ramen - yummy!

• If I hitch to East Glacier from hiway 2 (Marias Pass Trailhead, mile 2899.7), I only have 23.5 miles to walk.  Tomorrow and part of the next day: Woo woo!  

• 38 miles to East Glacier.

• 138 miles to Canada

Sep 12, 2018.  Mile 2891, 15 miles, elevation 5580, camping near Benson Creek.

• Decided to hitch into East Glacier from Hiway 2: saves 15 miles of walking.  Made reservations for three of us in a cabin at Backpacker’s Inn for tomorrow night - my treat.  Will get clean, do laundry, hang around, then Amtrak to at least Spokane.  We three agreed to get going an hour later (8:30) tomorrow morning.  Tracker gave me another Tuna foil packet, and Lightfoot a freeze dried meal: no Top Ramen tonight!

• 8 miles to Hiway 2

Sep 13, 2018.  Mile 2900 (Maria’s Pass), then hitch to East Glacier.

• Last (half) day of walking was darn tough - lots of uphill and vegetation crowding the trail.  Started out wearing my down pants, but they were soon soaked to the shins, and fairly useless.

• Started the eating binge in East Glacier with a huckleberry milkshake and a piece of berry pie topped with huckleberry ice cream.  Then dinner at the Mexican restaurant next to our cabin for a large and very good burrito.

Sep 14.  Zero day in East Glacier Park Village

• Ate, rested, chatted with my two hiking companions, joined later by Music.  Lots of hiker gear talk.  Loved it.  

Sep 15, 2018.  East Glacier on Amtrak to Seattle.  

• Learned that Ron & Nan are in Boston, so no visit is possible.

• Breakfast: cheese omelette, hash browns, toast, two eggs easy over, bacon, more toast, huckleberry milkshake, coffee.

• Snacks for train: milk duds, honey roasted peanuts, regular peanuts, Pringles, Oreo cookies, Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’Creme, Skol bar.  May go back later for a pint of Ben ‘n Jerry’s  Cherry Garcia.  In fact, I just did.

• Hanging out in the East Glacier Lodge - good WiFi, not many guests, good views.  Still have about a hundred miles to go: I'll be back!

Dec 30, 2018: Quetzaltenango Guatemala

I sent a big letter to family and friends on this date.  Since it contains a lot of info on the CDT that I didn't already cover, there it is again:

Happy Holidays to family, friends, fellow Continental Divide hikers, and assorted CDT Trail Angels!  I hope you are all well, that 2018 was good to you, and that 2019 will be even better.

Here are the Cliff Notes of my year:

Jan-Feb: Spanish lessons in Guatemala.

Mar-Apr: Windward Islands with wife Caren aboard newly-acquired catamaran Serenity.  Daughter Rachael and boyfriend Jeremy joined us for awhile.

May-Jun: More Spanish lessons.

Jul-Sep: 2nd half Of Continental Divide Trail.  Thanks to bad weather, forest fires, and general fatigue, I was unable to complete about 5% (2019 goal: finish the damn trail!)

Oct: California.

Nov-1st half Dec: Condo in Mexico.

2nd half Dec: Spanish lessons (again!) in Guatemala.

Special 2018 thanks to:

- Wife Caren, for being the best wife, friend, and shipmate a husband could ask for.

- Daughter Rachael, for letting me store all my worldly possessions in a shipping container next to her amazing tiny house in Scott’s Valley.  And for being #1 employee in her new job.  And for not getting mad at me when I brag about her.

- Boyfriend Jeremy, who built their amazing tiny house, then went to Spain to learn the latest in high-tech architectural design tools.

- Son Dana, for continuing to astonish me with his span of interests and projects: photos accepted for inclusion in the official Leica gallery, crossword puzzle submissions to the New York Times, cartoon caption contest submissions to the New Yorker, an archaeological dig of a Scythian necropolis in Siberia, and a new well for his lovely farm/commune/shared living facility amongst the redwoods of Boulder Creek.

- My very dear family friend Nancy Packer, for letting me crash at her apartment while in Palo Alto.

- Larry Tesler, Colleen Barton, Angela Hey, and John Mashey for many helpful deeds, large and small, when Caren and I are in their neck of the (Portola Valley) woods.

- The Coti Family, for hosting me in Guatemala (see attached photo of Christmas dinner at their home in Quetzaltenango).

• The most challenging part of my 2018 was hiking on the Continental Divide Trail.  It is the longest (about 3000 miles), toughest, and loneliest of America’s three National Scenic Trails (the others being The Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail).  It goes from the Mexican to the Canadian border through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.  I hiked the bottom half, from Mexico to Wyoming, in 2017.  I returned in 2018 to finish the job.

• I needed a lot of help hiking the CDT: from other hikers; from people who drove me to places where I could reprovision, or who put me up for a night in their homes; from “Trail Angels” who left water and snacks beside the trail.  What follows is a list of some (but not nearly all) of the many people who helped me, both in 2017 and 2018.  Thank you so much - I couldn’t have done it without you.  (By the way, if a name in the list seems kinda funny - like “Knock Knock” - it is the trail name of a hiker; my trail name is Solar Sam.)

  • Annette: Let me sleep on the front porch of her El Cuervo bar near Chama, NM.

  • Dusty & Clarice Atkinson: Housed me in Steamboat Springs, CO.

  • Barbara Barnes: Trail Angel who helped me find a ride in Helena MT.

  • Karen Batista: Hosted  Dundee & me in Twin Lakes CO.

  • Nikki Courtney: Helped me shop for supplies in Silver City NM.

  • Cynthia (manager of Burro Mountain Homestead, NM): Gave me ice cream and soft drinks.

  • Mickey Florio: Stayed with him, wife Tricia, kids Fiona & Nico, and standard poodle in Breckenridge.

  • Rod Foote: Artist who told me about the good food deal at the Blue Corn Cafe in Santa Fe.

  • Gary & Debbie Frederick: Picked me up hitchhiking to Augusta, Montana, fed me & housed me, drove me the next morning to town for “Waffle Wednesday” at the local cafe, where I devoured waffles covered with strawberries, two chocolate milkshakes, a dish of huckleberry ice cream, a grilled cheese sandwich, and fresh-squeezed lemonade.  Hey, you get hungry hiking all day every day!

  • John & April Cushard: Drove me to the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo Grounds in Casper WY to view the solar eclipse.

  • Sean Geisler: Gave Dundee & me a ride from Monarch Pass to Salina, CO.

  • Lynn Haerr: Shared a beer or two with me in a teepee at the Hatchett Resort just south of Yellowstone National Park, near the end of my 2017 section of the CDT.  When I returned in 2018 to begin where I left off, she picked me up at the Bozeman MT airport, put me up, and drove me to where I had left off the year before.  Thank you so much Lynn!

  • Dundee: aka Shane Harting.  Met him at The Toaster House in Pie Town, NM (l’m not kidding). He later accompanied me through a particular gnarly section of the CDT.  Thanks for your help and friendship Dundee.

  • Danny Helfrick: Met at Lava Mountain Lodge, WY.  Gave me a pair of winter shoes for the snowy route to Yellowstone.

  • Jane, Isabel, & Garth:  Gave me a ride into Silver City in the back of their U-haul, which was empty except for a grandfather clock.  Luxury!

  • Knock Knock: Enjoyed his company and help at the Shadowcliff Lodge in Grand Lake, CO, surely the finest accommodation on the entire CDT.

  • Ken & Chris Kowynia: Stayed with them in Steamboat Springs CO, enjoying a lovely barbecue dinner.

  • Midnight & Annimal (sp?): Met in Grants NM.  They were on their honeymoon.  Helped me all sorts of ways, including, much later, some great info on hiking in South America.

  • Dianna Meyers: Took pity on me as I staggered into Grants NM.  Introduced me to Moscow Mules (now my favorite drink), showed me around town, and threw a dinner in my honor.  I had planned on staying one day in Grants - I ended up staying five.  She even carried my backpack for the first (steep uphill) mile of the trail leading out of Grants, just to see what it felt like.

  • Nita: Owner of The Toaster House.  She lets hikers stay for free in her home, with a fully stocked kitchen, washing facilities, and an icebox full of beer.  Gave me a tour of Pie Town, including the Windmill Museum and the Large Antenna Array.  Nita was voted Trail Angel of the Year in 2015.

  • Popsicle: An ultramarathoner from Hawaii who encouraged me to keep on truckin’.  I met her at Doc Campbell’s, Gila Hot Springs, NM.

  • Jill & Lat Straley: Were oh-so-nice to me in Pinedale WY.  I celebrated my 75th birthday in their home, cake and all.

  • Skeeter & Steel: Fixed my iPhone display for me on the CDT Mack’s Inn Alternate.

I crossed paths with many other hikers, sometimes only sharing a few minutes, or a lunch stop, or a camp spot.  Here is a partial list:

Heyhoka, Kemosabe, Skipper, Oki Gal, Euro Trash, Clark Kent, Chilly Willy, Kilroy, Silent Joe, Iguana, Kindergarten Cop, Nacho, 8 Mile, Uber Bitch, Bristlecone, Honey Buzz, Quake, Unload, Swiss Miss, Grey Ghost, Nadir, Skeeter, No Amp, Patch, Crumb, Honey Badger, Troy, Sweep, Zac, Whistling Moose, Upchuck, Skywalker, Pepper, Mace, Cookie Monster, Half Step, Flash, Foot Locker, For Now, Lil’ Steps, Whistling Goose, Moose, Slow N Easy, Flame, Wisa, Safari, Sister Sue, Home Made, Bandit, Post Op, Spice Rack, Busted Magic, Crasher, Serenity, Soft Walker, Topsy Turvy, Rhine, Gourmet, Rockfish, Cricket, Megaphone, Don Johnson, Noodles Romanoff, Hot Rod, Sprinkles, Grenade, Spoon Man, Story Time, Sea Horse, Chili Dog, Good Spot, Wanka, Buffalo Jump Sly, Bigfoot Jim, Rock Locks, Mr. Fox, Roo Rat, Marmot, AM Crew, Tibetan, Lightning, Spock, Twiggy, Tall Paul, Trouble Maker, Jackrabbit, Rambling Rose, Dan, Sunshine, Balls, Egg Man, Sweet Bird, Home Made, Jukebox, Gentle Spirit, Petunia, Tree Hugger, and last but certainly not least, Fucking Gentle Spirit.

Thanks again to one and all. 

Much affection

Solar Sam

Aug 10, 2022: Glacier National Park

To celebrate my 80th birthday (September 7, 2022), and to complete the last 100 miles of the Continental Divide Trail, my kids and I decided to hike together for at least part of the way.  I left the Bay Area by train to East Glacier on August 8, and began hiking on the 10th.  Well, I never made it - I simply ran out of steam.  For a full account, click here.