Continental Divide Trail 

Aug 18, 2017.  Rawlins, WY

• Zero day in Rawlins: caramel macchiato, then subway with large Dr. Pepper, then Days Inn, then Moscow Mule ingredients, chocolate ice cream, bag of Doritos.  Cleaned arm wound, started cephalon, talked with Irv (no dice on parking for Caren’s car) & Dana.  

• Starting to get warm…

Aug 19, 2017.  Rawlins, WY

• Another zero day in Rawlins.  Will move to campsite tonight (Days Inn requiring minimum two nights, $200, starting today: eclipse pricing).  Plan to hitch to eclipse path tomorrow (Casper?), hitch back next day.  Next stop Atlantic City (mile 1765), 114 miles.  Should send package there for next stop: Pinedale (1856, 90 miles - has fuel).

• Walking to Wyoming Penitentiary from lunch, got hit with diarrhea.  Continued to prison, luckily found toilet, cleaned up mess (I had pack with me).  Then continued walk, got hit a second time.  Found abandoned shack to change into long pants, right leg and shoe covered with shit.  Continued on to RV park, explained my situation to manager, who wasn’t fazed in the least.  Registered, set up tent, took shower, washed clothes in laundry: all good again.

• Wandered around tent area, met nice couple with world’s shyest dog.  They agreed to let me ride with them Monday morning to total path of eclipse (but I’ll have to hitch back).  She cooked dinner for hubby & me: nice couple!

Aug 20, 2017.  Rawlins, WY

Lovely warm morning.  Forecast in Casper: sunny and warm, hight 83.  Okay!  My first Total Eclipse!  Hung out all day at RV Park.

Aug 21, 2017.  Casper, WY

• ECLIPSE DAY!

• Up at 4:45 AM, off to Casper with John and April Cushard by 5:45.  Arrived 3 hours early (no traffic).  Amazing number of luxury RV vans at Central Wyoming Fair & Rodeo Grounds.  Actual total eclipse lovely, but I was not brought to tears.  

• Hitchhiked back with Connor Cavazos, home-made ice cream by 6 (of 8) kids on road; lots of traffic.  Dinner at Buck’s.  $90 room at Days Inn (!)

Aug 22, 2017.  Rawlins, WY

• Sent food package to Atlantic City; email to my friends & family; text messages to many from library.  

• Started at 4:30 PM after pizza, ended at 1659.3 at 7:45 PM.  Flat field next to Hiway.  Mostly clear, but pitched tent just in case.  Tried flavored water with “original” lemonade: yum.

Aug 23, 2017.  Bull Springs, WY

Ended at 1680.3

Aug 24, 2017

Stopped at 1700.  65 to go.

Aug 25, 2017

Stopped at 1715.5.  50 to go.

Aug 26, 2017

• Beer (SOBO) says water cache at 1320.  

• Stopped at 1735.4.

Aug 27, 2017

Stopped at 1746.9

Aug 28, 2017.  Atlantic City, WY

• Signs for California and Oregon trails, Seminoe Cutoff.

• Bubbly grey spring.

• Long distance bike riders.

• SOBO hikers

Aug 29, 2017.  Atlantic City, WY

• (Pole Creek Trail to parking area, then hitch to Pinedale: trail junction at 1852.4)

• Tough week of prairie hiking.  Pronghorn antelope.  Tight water supply.  Hot (95 some days).  Clear flat.  Sagebrush.  Quite a few SOBO hikers and bikers.  Feeling dog tired & wobbly at the end of each day.  Went wrong way once for several hours.  Mysterious enormous piles of horseshit (from wild horses?).  

• Last night cowboy camped behind church in Atlantic City.  Today $60 cabin, including breakfast, at Wild Bill’s.  Moth hummingbirds in garden.  Shoulders on shirt almost in tatters: retired it, found nice long-sleeved purple shirt in hiker box.  Also bear spray and rope.

Aug 30, 2017.  Atlantic City, WY

• Another zero day in Atlantic City.  Great cabin, view, breakfast for $65 a night.  Lovely couple.

• To go: around 300 miles.

Atlantic City -> Pinedale (1856): 90 mileos

Pinedale -> Lava Mt Lodge (1940.2): 87 miles

Lava Mt Lodge -> Old Faithful Village (2042): 99 miles

Old Faithful Village -> West Yellowstone (2094): 52 miles

Aug 31, 2017. South Pass City, WY

• Stopped at 1780.  

• Food for this 85 mile section from Atlantic City to Pinedale:: 

snacks: peanuts, almonds, jelly bellies, M&M’s, Pringles (crushed), dried cranberries, cheddar cheese block, peanut butter & jelly (mixed together), wheat tortillas, snickers, wheat thins, some energy bars

breakfast: granola, powdered milk, dried cranberries 

dinner: top ramen, spicy Thai chili tuna, mac ’n cheese, instant potatoes, Knorr meals.

• A perfect day.  Easy trail; cloudy (so not hot).  Finally climbed out of the endless prairie.  Among pine and fir frees for the first time in a week.  No shoulder pain from backpack (even though I’m carrying 6 days of food => 30 pound pack).  Can see mountains ahead.  Knorr meal for dinner - so much better than ramen!  And more calories, too.  Wild Bill’s wife found me some powdered milk for my morning granola.  

Sep 1, 2017

• Stopped at 1796: 16 miles.

• Turnoff to Cirque of the Towers alternate: 1801 (5 miles).  But was advised by two SOBOs that it was a pain (gravel, bouldering: only 12 miles/day).  So will do the official CDT.

• To Pole Creek Trail: 56 miles.

• First sighting of Wind River range: stark, gray, bare, precipitous.  Oboy!